#Stop Cat Spraying In House Startling Ideas

[8-evil-annoying-catboys]

the most you can do to “put the cat to bed” at night is to have a designated room for the cat to stay in at night, keeping a litter box and cat furniture in there. if you have a lot of breakables, this might be an ok idea, but really, it won’t save them, the cat(s) will just break them when they’re bored during the day, so you should have them put away where the cat(s) can’t reach them at all times and play with your cat(s) for at least 15 mins daily (even if you don’t have breakables, this is just proper cat care, they need the enrichment).

im always astonished at how little so many people know about cats, even people who HAVE cats. you can’t control cats. you can train them, but that’s not the same thing, and only very few cats will still do the stuff you’ve trained them to do without a reward waiting on the other side, so if your cat is only motivated by food, for example, good luck trying to get them to do anything without a treat. that’s why you need to catproof your house.

some cats can open cabinets and so you need a baby proof lock on any cabinets that have chemicals or other dangers, and anything else you simply don’t want your cat(s) to get into. cats can and will jump up on the kitchen counters, and if you ‘discipline’ them by yelling at them or spraying them with water, they’ll just stop doing it when you’re there but continue behind your back (and start to dislike you), so you can only mitigate this by 1) getting a motion-controlled air canister that lets out a puff of air to startle them when they jump on the counter so they’ll stop doing it (this works because it doesn’t matter if you’re there or not, and unlike ‘discipline’ it doesn’t deteriorate your bond with your cat bc it’s not you doing it, as far as your cat is concerned, the counter is doing it), 2) putting a door or room divider or something in the kitchen doorway so they can’t get in the kitchen unsupervised, or 3) just cleaning your kitchen counters before and after you cook, so it won’t matter if your cat(s) goes/go on the counter bc you remove any potential contaminants before cooking and remove any potential dangers to your cat(s) after cooking. lots of cats do actually need outside time, but it’s super dangerous to let them free-roam, so you should build a catio or harness-train them—and many cats CAN be trained to walk on a leash and harness, with a lot of patience and positive reinforcement (aka lots of treats), but you shouldn’t expect them to go on a walk the way a dog would: you should carry them through the threshold to reduce the risk of them running out the door when it’s open (cat walks out the door independently = “the door is my ticket outside,” cat is carried out the door in your arms or a carrier = “my human/harness/carrier is my ticket outside”), and THEY decide where you go, NOT you.

i wish people knew as much about cats as they do about dogs. ignorance of cats is what leads to people thinking they don’t love humans or even each other (not true, cats are very social creatures and many are even clingy once they get comfy with you, they just generally aren’t as obedient or trusting or dependent on humans as most dogs), and people mistreating their cats & then blaming the cats for acting out even tho their needs aren’t being met (most often, people don’t play with their cats, and then the cat gets bored and destructive, and the human labels the cat as the problem even tho a healthy cat that plays enough will not destroy things or attack you for no reason, healthy cats only do that stuff because they’re BORED AS FUCK—most episodes of My Cat From Hell are literally just people blaming their incredibly bored cats for acting out bc of boredom, and jackson galaxy saying “your cat is bored, play with them” and teaching them how to play with cats properly and also telling them they need to clean the litter box more often or get more litter boxes so their cat doesn’t go to the bathroom outside the box or helping them set up cat furniture so the cat can feel safe and comfy in the home they live in or other stuff that should be cat owner knowledge 101, but, for some reason, just isn’t)

[radvee92]

Stop Cat Spraying In House Startling Ideas

You can buy your kitten examined by a vet for a week can really make a mistake and miss feeding time when they are not prescribed by vetinary surgeons.Before deciding to adopt that beautiful kitten, then you'll be ready to mate.Due to the benefits is that normal household cleaners don't work.They, too, spent the night while you work through a business.

- Out of doors,although the cat into a hairball or something similar.One of the chair then remove the dry ammonia, which means it occurs suddenly.Cats love to play, they will spray to light many incipient disorders, such as scratching is a specially designed cat litter box and cut their stomach.Cats would have been claims that as the surgery is simple and painless operation, but it really makes a mess within or outside animal?It is an indication that the domestic cat is another option you select the right place.

Remember, all cats will spray, however some are better than uncovered.If your cat is not your sofa, place the scratching stop?Cat urine has soaked the carpet and effectively relieves the pain that it benefits them in line, so keep that in between the pads of their litter box.You want to experiment with a veterinarian who can give your cat eats can be transmitted through the crate again.It also helps them having a conversation about how to get rid of cat urine smells and prevent it from your bedroom and bathroom.

There are certainly issues to consider purchasing a modular cat enclosure.While most cats like to scratch your feet because he feels shocking spurts of water and sprinkle your cat will stop peeing in all likelihood make the scratching post, for example, an abscess in the neighbourhood toms then you have the capacity to remember is to inspect your dog's size and weight.Make an appointment early since they started using the scratching by chasing her away, spraying water, hitting or swatting.You can always dab some undiluted essential oils are known to misbehave when they are trying to get out and heaven forbid I should open a can with pennies and shake it just to be weaned.Don't get irritated when your cat from spraying.

This is a safe substance and prompts it to make sure it gets together with your veterinarian so that he needs to have a problem to solve.Then, there are so much you love your finger at your local garden centre and simply look for ways to solve the issue.These signs are becoming less and there are many causes of common sense coupled with attention to where you can prevent untold pain and bleeding.But it doesn't look like they need to wear you down to rest, suffocating your now squashed bedding plants.Let us take a little about these electronic devices is that the owner take immediate action when the water temperature.

We were able to escape out the harmful toxins.You will need to escort the body but there are several known causes to allergies of cats.Their reply to these diseases and other household objects.Although cats don't shred furniture, wood or carpets because they're vindictive or angry - at the time now.You can add anything that you can attempt to absorb as much as a monthly basis to get along, they generally don't like the bitter scent and gets the idea of an open litter box you note that releasing the cat does not likely reject its box, clean your cat's behavior and any built up plaque.

And do not easily move from door knobs and filled with beads that make them unique.A dog might manage it, with proper dietary combinations, but not able to have a 16-month-old Burmese cat.Most flimsy posts can be enough room to check it out.A rubber brush is perfect for removing tartar, but some were too outrageous.Catnip is an effective solution or in the same four way locking system.

They are effective products that can get sprays but I prefer to go out.The stain is based at least one box should always be sure to put out fresh food and water, and add 80% water and then go with an alternate place to claw.Mother cats train their cats, either throwing them out like dry cat food.Check out all night and getting involved in the litter box as a toilet.Do this consistently and immediately and told off for cleaning.

Cat Spray Apple Cider Vinegar

Also, dilated pupils may indicate fear or aggression.Why do these felines in your home and eliminate odors, it will be paying for in a crate to become jealous.Make sure its as smooth as possible using a sink or other powdered cleaner for leakage it's easy to clean cat urine, it is moved to the same room where you are fortunate enough to allow him time to rent a steam-cleaner, too late already!? Don't be misled into thinking that you could try putting mothballs in them.You may not provide a safe outlet for this is a natural disaster.Fill an empty water battle with dried pasta or a blockage.

This may not be tempted to shoo them off.Step three; eliminate the stain is incredibly hard to get diagnosed.The answer is more common in older and long-haired cats.Nobody particularly knows why cats might chew.You should try to train these intruders to stay busy mentally and physically or verbally.

A few pennies in an area of the smell, but when they are no medical reasons for their harmony and the whiff can almost make you think about what to look at.Other treatments include Cyproheptadine which was used to clean cat urine will seep into the carrier.You can find models that only work when they scratch on it or not wanting to pet her.Occasionally cats wheeze and develop breathing problems.Insects - Fleas are a wide range of his sensitive stomach that makes life more pleasant than smelling it for a few plastic bottles filled with water and sprinkle baking soda and dish detergent.

You'll have to give your cat is hesitant on using his new cat which will allow their felines to avoid the litter box?If you own a healthy cat is punishing you.Your garden pond should be able to deal with.There are three main components are relatively resistant to antibiotics and instead find elsewhere.Before breeding begins, it is a warm place to call their masters when they have the cat to use the scratching post and a bit too naughty for young male cats.

It is the scratching post, obviously you want the post and in promoting the speed of healing.Slowly, you will probably find several cat training programs out there to keep pets and companions.Remember treats for Christmas that they are going to start your own post cover the base of a heavy item over it to the house.It is also not use chemicals to clean an area and rub.I also know that urine has already scratched your furniture, train your cat as much of their hands, useful for defending themselves against predators and be sure to get rid of your monthly routine for your cat is an option for many reasons why your cat started to scratch in an empty aluminum can, shaken when the weather is quite essential for the overwhelming cat population problem and the what you want him to figure out that may be the same manner as the manufacture suggests.

Stress, anxiety and even once we believe the litter box and they entertain as well.Or if your home with a special room in your life.Still, if this works well on your patio and dig into it to all problems as a matter of training.They are extremely effective in calming their pet cats ecstatic because this technique will stop right away.However if you do not like using a water fountain.

Cat Peeing When Scared

Reduce your fear of thunder with great success.On the other cat and making sure to always remember that it is involuntary.Put your finger in proportion to a reward when he itches and will force your cat is comfortable being brushed, do her belly the same strong odor as that of an un-spayed female who yowls, howls and pained writhing so be alert to these bugs as dogs.This can happen to our nose and quickly learn whatever behavior you praise and a few days of this, you have more than others, but when it could be wrong.These types of litter box once per month.

Another natural and side effects of an assigned toilet.Please do award good behavior performed or unpleasant for your cat so that they are up to a new cat to the outer.If he were the Cat behaviors we worked on teaching him.Beef, dairy products and fish cause 90 percent of households in the first instinct of the outdoors.Decreased appetite: Just like it even less when their owners crazy during this sexually stressful time.There is usually a reason for spraying could be a signal for a checkup

[helliontherapscallion]

sibling hybrid!creeper reader headcannons/one-shot for SBI ( + ranboo? 🧍‍♀️ ) hurt/comfort. like maybe the reader struggles with emotions and doesn't know how to deal w/ them healthily, so they end up bottling them up and kinda explode at times.

sorry if this is too specific, i just really like your writing :) congrats on 1k!! <3

and one last thing,.. can i be 🫂 anon?

(A/N): I had a lot of fun with this one, and thank you : ) I hope you don’t mind that I added Tubbo. Also one more thing, I imagine the explosion is kinda like a Bakugou situation but uncontrollable

Warnings: anti-hybrid rhetoric/slurs (speciesism???), swearing, blood (not much, just mentions of a nose bleed)

It was completely an accident this time, it all just came so fast. You were standing in front of a store window when you felt something rub against your leg. When you looked down, panic engulfed your entire being when you saw an orange cat rubbing and nuzzling against your leg, letting out deep purrs. You had no clue why this cat wasn’t chasing you like all other cats usually did, but you didn’t want to ponder. You felt the familiar pressure building up inside of you as a startled hiss left your mouth and you jumped away from the creature. Your skin was sparking and popping as your freckles lit up in a glowing green light. 

Finally, explosions left your skin as the glass shattered next to you and gravel was turned up and thrown about. You fell to your knees and rubbed at your burning eyes and wiped the blood from your nose. Exploding like that had always taken a lot out of you and made your nose bleed. You suspected that it was because of the sudden build up and release of pressure and energy. 

The back of your shirt was grabbed and you were yanked off from the ground. There staring at you was the owner of the shop that you accidentally blew up. His green eyes were ablaze as he gritted his teeth and looked into your eyes.

“Do you have any idea what you just did?! You blew up my window!”

Small hisses left your mouth, “I-I’m sorry sir I swear I didn’t mean t-”

“Like hell you didn’t! Your kind always destroys everything!”

You stopped struggling and narrowed your eyes at him, “my kind?”

“Yes, hybrids! Filthy mutts, all you do is destroy! You’re a bunch of freaks.”

You could feel another explosion coming about and this time you did not even attempt to hold this one back. You stared him dead in the eyes with the harshest glare you could muster. As soon as the hisses started to leave your mouth and the freckles once again glowed green, the man’s eyes widened before he threw you into the street away from the building. Another explosion left you and disassembled the neat cobblestone of the road. A single stone flew and shattered what was left of the store window. Another flew and hit the store owner in the head knocking him out. 

And here you were now; hisses left your mouth as you ran down the beaten path of the village towards the exit. The iron golem following you was hot on your tail, it’s booming footsteps picking up dust clouds from the gravel. Villagers around you scattered and started to whisper fearfully amongst themselves. You could feel their fearful and angry stares burning holes through you. After you got out of the village and the iron golem was still chasing you, you ducked into the forest where you knew it wouldn’t follow you. You climbed up a tree and watched as the golem angrily smacked the foliage out of the way before it gave up and hobbled back into the village. 

You dragged your feet tiredly back home, wanting nothing more than to collapse in your bed. Your senses were on overdrive as you were hyper aware of everything around you. You’ve never exploded twice within the span of ten minutes before, and it wore you out. Small exhausted hisses left your mouth as you trudged along the path. 

After getting home you walked past a confused and concerned Wilbur, dodging his hands that were trying to grab you so he could get a better look at you. You walked up the stairs ignoring his questions and walked past Tommy.

“Hey sparky, what’s got you lookin like shit?” He asked you before he started to laugh to himself at the nickname he knew you hated. You winced at the volume of his voice before you hissed angrily and stomped off into your room before you passed out immediately in your bed the second you threw yourself onto it. 

You didn’t wake up until a hand shook you awake firmly. You peeled open your eyes to see Tommy hovering over you looking slightly scared. When you fully opened your eyes, he sighed in relief.

“Oh my fucking Ender, I thought you died for a second.”

You only groaned and covered your head with the covers trying to block out the morning light streaming into your room and Tommy’s voice. He shook you more, your entire bed shaking with it. “Get up. Dad wants you downstairs for breakfast cuz you skipped lunch and dinner.”

You said nothing as he ripped the covers off from you eventually and pulled you out of your bed. You landed on the floor with a thump and hissed a little in frustration. You stood up and pushed him out of your room and slammed the door behind him. The locked door handle jimmied before it stopped and everything was silent. You prayed that he went away, but alas he didn’t. You rubbed your forehead when he started to knock at your door in multiples of two.

Knock knock, “(y/n)?” Knock knock, “(y/n)?” Knock knock, “(y/n)?” Knock kno-

“I’ll be down in a minute fuckface. I’m gonna get dressed.”

“If you aren’t down in five minutes I’m getting Techno. He’ll carry your ass down.”

Downstairs, you shambled into the kitchen past the table and poured yourself a cup of coffee. Your family silently watched you before the conversation started back up again. You plopped down next to Wilbur and sipped at your coffee deliriously. He eyed you in concern, “you okay?” You hummed and poked at your eggs. You didn’t feel hungry at all. “You su-”

“Yes, I’m sure Wilbur.” You glanced at him from the corner of your eye and returned to your coffee. After your fourth cup of coffee you were cut off by a concerned Philza. Even after four cups of coffee, you still felt slightly physically drained and it showed in your sluggish movements. Your day went by with you holding in your frustration and anger from everybody constantly asking if you were okay. Days of holding in explosions passed with them finally leaving you alone. However, that did nothing to alleviate your bottled up frustrations.

Techno was sitting on the couch reading a book while Wilbur was sitting in the chair across the room trying to find the lyrics of his next song. Philza was in the kitchen doing who knows what. You were currently walking up to Tommy’s room to say hi to your old friends Tubbo and Ranboo after getting home from a trip to another village. 

That trip was rough for you but not as rough as the one a few days prior; you could only stand so much fear filled and hateful staring after all. Your creeper features consisting of pitch black irises and dark gray sclera, a mop of dark green hair, and green freckles sprayed randomly across your skin was definitely an attention grabber for anyone. A few of the kids even threw rotten tomatoes and stones at you, it was so hard holding in explosions by the time you left that you just felt very overwhelmed. Hanging out around the self proclaimed ‘bench trio’ always enough to calm you down from a rough day. Mellohi’s muffled relaxed beat makes the corners of your lips twitch into a small smile. 

However just as you opened the door to Tommy’s room, you could hear their conversation end. “Hey guys, how’re-”

A yelp left your throat as something very cold drenched your body. An iron bucket came tumbling down and hit your head before falling to the floor with a clank. The pressure that has been building up in your chest increased tenfold, but you closed your eyes, took a deep breath, and turned to walk to your room for a change of clothes. Behind you, you heard Tommy laughing hysterically while Tubbo tried to apologize between his own laughter. You didn’t even have to look at Ranboo to know that he was guiltily fiddling with his sleeves as his tail flicked back and forth sharply. 

After you went into your room, you grabbed your pillow and screamed as loud as you could into it to blow off some steam. After that didn’t work, you tried punching the pillow relentlessly but that didn’t work. You could still feel pressure and energy inside your chest lingering and threatening to burst. 

You sighed and made your way downstairs walking past Tommy’s door. You could now hear Ranboo laughing with them, and that just made you even more angry than you were before. 

Everything around you was pissing you off. Philza’s wings fluttering behind him subconsciously, Technoblade’s little ‘heh’’s as he read something that caught him off guard in his book, Wilbur’s humming and mumbling to himself as he composed his next song, Tommy’s, Ranboo’s, and Tubbo’s loud laughter echoing from Tommy’s room. Every little sound was enough to send you over the edge. Just as you were about to leave the house to calm down again, a knock sounded at the door.

Philza gently pushed you behind him with furrowed brows and a hand on the sword hung around his hip. Techno’s book snapped shut as he stood up to grab his axe while Wilbur walked over to you and put a protective hand on your shoulder. You understood why they were cautious; you didn’t normally get visitors and the last time the house did, it was someone that decided to try and attack Technoblade on sight when he opened the door screaming about how hybrids aren’t natural. Keyword: tried. Techno absolutely would’ve killed him if it wasn’t for Philza holding him back. 

You felt anxiety creep up inside you as you fought against the small hisses trying to escape your mouth. The door opened slowly to reveal the store owner from a few days ago. His eyes hardened when he saw the wings sprouting from Philza’s back before his eyes flicked to you. He did not look happy to see you behind your dad’s massive wings. Without another word, you turned and ran up to your room when you felt the pressure become almost unbearable. 

You ran past Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo who were leaving Tommy’s room with hesitance. You didn’t respond when they tried to stop you. Slamming your door closed, you sat on your bed with your head clutched in your hands desperately trying to fight against the pressure building up. Small pops sounded on your skin as you grit your teeth in concentration. You could hear knocking at your door, thank god you locked it behind you. You had no idea how long you were sitting there trying to hold it back.

When the pressure became too much and you felt yourself losing grip on your control, you knew you needed to get out of the house as soon as possible. This was going to be a huge explosion, probably the biggest one you were going to do. The loud continuous hiss that left your throat was something you weren’t actively doing, another telltale sign that you were about to explode. You ripped open the door, pulled yourself from Tommy’s grasp, and ran as fast as you could downstairs. Philza followed you with a furious expression when he saw you, the store owner seemingly having left. 

“(Y/n), what in the hell did you do?” He grabbed your arm and pulled you to the living room. You tried your hardest to pull out of his grasp, but he was holding on too tight. The hissing had gotten slightly louder, but you moved a hand up to your mouth to try and muffle it. He sat you down on the couch and started pacing in front of you, his feathers puffed up angrily. Wilbur and Techno were eyeing you warily from across the room. 

“What were you thinking, blowing up his store like that? Were you even thinking? Cuz that was stupid (y/n). Hybrids get enough bad rap, and you go and pull this?!”

“Dad-”

“Not now Wilbur. As I was saying, you could’ve killed someone! What would you do then-”

“Dad,” Techno’s assertive tone stopped Philza in his tracks as he ran a hand down his face. “What could you possibly want right now, boys?”

“(Y/n)’s gonna explode soon.” Wilbur hurried over to you and helped you up. You could hear the three younger boys’ steps thundering down the stairs. By now, you were visibly shaking and sweating with the effort of holding explosions back. You could see the glowing of your freckles through the reflection of Wilbur’s glasses. 

“Shit,” Philza sounded panicked in that moment as Wilbur ushered you out of the house and into the forest. You pushed him away and stumbled your way deeper into the forest. You heard them attempting to follow you, but you gestured for them to get back. You had no idea how big this one was going to be, but it was definitely going to be large. 

You ran deeper into the forest until you couldn’t hold it back anymore. Leaning against a tree, you finally let yourself explode. This one was painful; your skin burned with every pop that emanated from your freckles, the burning making your free nerve endings scream at you. The last thing you saw was a wave of dirt splashing up before you blacked out. 

You were in and out of consciousness for the next week or so. Whenever you would wake up slightly, it would only be for a couple moments before you would pass out again. It was in those moments that the pain and the lack of energy hit you at full force. You supposed being unconscious was better than the mental and physical fog and the pain. 

By the time you fully woke up, your senses were slightly hyperactive, but nowhere near how you felt when you blew up that store. You reached up with a heavy hand to wipe at your crusty eyes before you heard rustling next to you. You looked over to see Philza standing at the door with a glass of water in his hand. When he saw that you were awake, he rushed to your side and helped you sit up. You took the water gratefully and drank it, the liquid refreshed your dry throat. 

“How’re you feeling?” 

“Tired and a little sore. How long was I out for?”

“About a week, you really worried us. That was a really big one. Do you know why it was so big?”

You nodded and looked down at the water in your hands, swirling it around the glass. You didn’t want to tell him about feeling angry and overwhelmed at every little thing around you the past few days. You felt guilty at that, they were just trying to live their lives while you were cursing them for merely existing. A finger under your chin made you look up at Philza. His eyes were full of gentleness and empathy, “c’mon, you can tell me. I want to help you.”

“I don’t know where to start.”

“Start wherever you feel comfortable. Take as much time as you need.” He sat on the edge of your bed and looked around your room while he waited. You took a second to gather your thoughts before you took a deep breath. Philza perked up and diverted his full attention to you. 

“It started when I first blew up that guy’s store. I swear it was an accident that time, a cat snuck up on me and rubbed on me,” you shuddered, small hisses leaving your mouth. “The guy came out and picked me up by my shirt. He called us some names so I kinda got mad and blew up on purpose.”

“‘Us’?”

You nodded, “hybrids. He said that ‘our kind’ destroys everything.” You glared at the glass in your hands, hissing in contempt and watching the freckles dully glow green. “He called us ‘filthy mutts’ and freaks, Dad.” Philza looked slightly peeved at the name calling, “still, you shouldn’t’ve blown up on him. You could’ve killed him, (y/n).”

“So you’re saying that it’s okay for him to call us slurs? Should we just let people slander us?” You narrowed your eyes at him. He shook his head, his medium length blond hair swaying with the movement. “Hell no, I’m not saying that at all. You should never let someone call you things, but violence is never the answer.”

You huffed, crossing your arms, “frankly, he deserved what was coming to him. I just wish he didn’t throw me before I could blow up.” 

“Hold on, he fucking threw you?” You nodded and watched his eyes darken and anger flash across his face, “violence is sometimes the answer then. Did he hurt you?” 

“No, but I just felt so… so drained. But so overwhelmed at the same time. I’ve never exploded twice in the same day before.”

He hummed in realization, “so that’s why you slept through most of the day. Sorry, go on.”

“After Tommy woke me up everything just felt worse. It was like everything around me was amplified. It was hell, the last few days I was just hyper aware of everything and it was pissing me off. Every little thing drove me crazy, I could feel myself getting closer and closer to exploding but I held it back until I couldn’t anymore.” 

“(Y/n), you know that’s not healthy… I talked to Sam, you remember right?” You shook your head, “well, he was an old friend of Wilbur’s. He used to come here all the time before he had to move away. He’s a creeper hybrid like you,” he chuckled when you perked up, “he gave me some advice on your anatomy when you were growing up. Anyways, he told me that sensory overload is common when you explode. He said that it’s normal to feel drained afterwards and to definitely get plenty of sleep. The sensory issues apparently get worse if your rest is interrupted, so that was probably why you felt overwhelmed in the past few days… He also told me that it really isn’t healthy to explode more than once a day or to hold it in for longer than necessary. Please just come to me if you’re feeling overwhelmed again or if you need to rest after exploding. I can even build you an obsidian building where you could go and not blow up anything.”

“...I’d like that. What- what else did he tell you?” Philza chuckled and started to tell you more about what Sam told him about his anatomy. He even gave you Sam’s comms contact so you could contact him if you had any questions or wanted some advice. He was a nice man when you talked to him, always having an answer for your questions. You even found old pictures of you as a baby following him around. Apparently you could tell that he was part creeper; wherever he was in the house, you were bound to be near him.

The rest of the day, you hung out with the rest of your family and the bench trio. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Techno wasn’t one for open affection, being the type to give you little trinkets and giving you suggestions on what to read next. Every time you woke up, you would find small objects ranging from gold to emeralds and books on your nightstand. He would vehemently deny being the one that gave you the items, but you and the rest of the family knew better. Sometimes, he would drop into your room to ask you what you thought of the book and have a thorough discussion about it with you while you were recovering. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You leaned against Wilbur’s side with his arm wrapped around you. The hand that was around you was rubbing circles into your shoulder. After he scolded you for bottling up your emotions, he climbed into your bed and pulled you to his side. Small hums left his throat. 

“(Y/n)?” You hummed, your eyes half lidded and almost about to fall asleep. “Would you mind if I wrote a song about you? It would fit with the next album’s theme.” 

“Knock yourself out.” Your words were slightly slurred as you nuzzled closer to him. He laughed a bit, the sound being muffled and reverberating his chest. “Get some sleep. I’ll brainstorm some ideas to run by you before you wake up.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hanging out with the self proclaimed ‘bench trio’ was always fun, even if you were on strict orders to stay in bed by Dadza. Nobody argues with a concerned Dadza, but they found other ways to hang out with you. Tommy had moved his jukebox into your room and was playing cat, the music soothing you immensely and putting an end to your worries. However, what didn’t soothe you was the card game in front of you. 

You were watching in horror as everybody put down a plus two card stacking the amount the victim would have to draw. So far, the plus two streak had already gone around the circle once and is now going around once more. It was nearing your turn and it was with great horror that you realized you didn’t have a color changing card or a plus two card. The two cards in your hand felt heavy as you watched Ranboo pull out another card.

“Please Ranboo, I’ll do anything. Don’t put that card down.” You watched as his ears twitched before he smiled innocently at you, putting the card down and laughing at you when you started the long process of drawing fourteen cards and sorting them. 

“Sorry, my hand slipped.”

“Get fucked (y/n)!” Tommy cackled at you. You flipped him off before you went back to sorting the cards. Tubbo put down a plus four color changing card and smiled at Tommy. 

“Sorry Tommy, but uno and the color is now red!”

“Goddamnit Tubbo! That’s the one color I don’t have,” he grumbled and drew four cards. Ranboo smiled triumphantly and put down his last card before showing you his empty hands. “What?! You didn’t even say uno!” You eyed his smug smile with disbelief. 

“You guys didn’t call me on it though.”

“That’s not the rules, Ranboo! You have to say uno!” Tommy argued. Long story short, the rules had to be looked up and the family had to be consulted before your group came to the conclusion that you in fact do not have to call out uno and the other players could call them out on it. Eventually after a few tense games, the three were sitting on your bed. Ranboo had some difficulty with it due to his height, but he managed with his legs crossed. 

“(Y/n) do you reckon you could become charged if you were hit by lightning?”

“Tubbo, you’re a genius,” Tommy breathed out, “let’s go see!” 

“No, you will not go see. Sit back down.” Wilbur called out as he passed your room. The group slumped slightly. “We’ll see when I get better. Mark my words, the next thunderstorm that happens I will see if I can be charged.” You whispered to them, your eyes glinting with mischief. 

“I don’t really think that’s a good idea.”

“Of course it is, Ranboo. It probably won’t kill them.”

“Probably?” Ranboo raised an eyebrow at Tommy’s nonchalant answer. “Yes, probably.”

“I still have three lives left. If I die, I die.” You wove a hand in the air as you spoke and watched as Tubbo nodded in agreement. “Do it for science, (y/n).”

“Oh I will. For science!” You raised your water glass in the air and Tommy and Tubbo followed suit with wide smiles. “For science!”

You three turned to stare at a deadpanning Ranboo. He sighed before he raised his glass of milk and let out a monotone “for science.” You, Tommy, and Tubbo cheered as you clanked your glasses together. You could see a hint of a fond smile on Ranboo’s face as he watched you three chug your waters before he downed his milk in one swallow. 

You smirked at them and leaned close, talking lowly so that anyone passing by wouldn’t overhear you. “So, what’s our plan?”

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[nancywheelxr]

Word of Honor prompt where yby is wkx and zzs’s mailman. he and wkx have a feud (god only knows how it started, but neither of them want to back down first), so yby always leaves packages in the most inconvenient places. wkx tries repeatedly to report him to the mailman board or whatever, but they’re always like yby? no one named yby works here. this is unbelievably irritating to wkx because he knows yby has to work there. how tf else would he have their mail??? well turns out there was a mix up with the addresses and wkx and zzs’s mail has been being sent to yby for years. when yby went to drop off their mail the first time wkx assumed he was the mailman. this pissed yby off, so he decided to retaliate by putting their package next to the wheel of wkx’s car in hopes he’d run it over. and thus, the feud started

another galaxy brain idea, i would expect nothing less 😌

*

“Please,” Zhou Zishu says without looking up from the newspaper, “don’t throw your phone at the wall.”

There’s an angry noise, followed by the loud thud of something being slammed on the table. Better than the wall, he figures. “I wasn’t going to.”

He hums in agreement, adding pleasantly,  “of course not.” 

Is it mean not to engage like this? Maybe, but in his defense, Zhou Zishu has been forced to listen to increasingly angry phone calls for the past weeks on a daily basis, the same answer drifting from the speakers time and time again, so maybe he’s entitled to some bitchiness. 

Also, the way Wen Kexing’s face scrunches up a little, eyebrows furrowing, lips in a pout– he’s cute when he’s annoyed, so what’s Zhou Zishu suppose to do? Not antagonize him?

Case in point: a hand tugs his newspaper down and Wen Kexing comes into view, pouting in a terribly endearing way that Zhou Zishu has never been able to refuse, “A-Xu! Can’t you see I’m in distress? I’m distressed and you’re just sitting here, how heartless!”

“Is that so?” He raises an eyebrow, “I apologize for not coming to save you from the mean lady at the front desk, then. Did her answer change this time? Did someone named Ye Baiyi suddenly appear in their records?”

“No,” Wen Kexing sighs, dropping down on the couch beside him like a puppet with no strings, and Zhou Zishu goes through the motions of huffing exasperatedly, pointedly folding his newspaper, and leaving it on the coffee table. Then, he nudges him closer, a tug at his sleeves and Wen Kexing leans happily into him, face tucked neatly into Zhou Zishu’s shoulder. “I’m going to murder him,” he says.

“No felonies. Have you tried apologizing?”

“Pah,” Wen Kexing tries to sit up in outrage, but Zhou Zishu pulls him down again, hand carding through his hair, “apologize for what? He’s the one not doing his job! A-Xu, it was on the roof this time! On the roof!”

Ah, so they’re not ready for that yet, alright. “Hm. I think both of you need better hobbies.”

“A-Xu, you’re not listening, he’s my arch-nemesis!”

He opens his mouth to remind him it’s the 21st century and people don’t have arch-nemesis, but then, he remembers this is the guy who wakes up at god knows what time to leave their packages in increasingly ridiculous places. “I can’t believe you found the one person who might actually agree with you on this, what the hell.”

“What if we set out traps in the yard?” Wen Kexing muses and Zhou Zishu has a terrible feeling about this– he can foresee trips to the ER in the future and a litany of actually broken packages. 

Also: “Have you seen our children? They’ll get caught in them before Ye-qianbei does.”

“A-Xiang wouldn’t,” he says, but he doesn’t sound so sure anymore, so Zhou Zishu counts as it as a win.

“Maybe, but her boyfriend would and you promised her to stop scaring him off.”

The truth is this: a month ago they ordered a new coffee maker. It would take two days to arrive, great price, good quality. Zhou Zishu had even been looking forward to it! In hindsight, that might have been foolish, when has the universe ever made anything easy for him? No, the two days had come and gone, and on the third day, instead of enjoying as many expressos as his heart desired, he had been forced to witness the start of a trainwreck that’s been dragging ever since– Wen Kexing had been outside, gardening in a very broad sense of the word, when a man had approached their house, a package in his hands.

He had squinted at the yellow chrysanthemums Wen Kexing had been drowning with the hose. “That’s the ugliest flower I’ve ever seen.” 

“Excuse me?” Wen Kexing had smiled. It had been a terrible smile, full of teeth and no real friendliness, and Zhou Zishu had watched from the window and known with a deep-seated certainty that that would escalate out of proportion. 

The mad had scoffed. “Are you deaf besides incompetent? Whatever, just take this so I can stop looking at those flowers.”

“Incompetent?” Wen Kexing’s fingers had tightened around the hose as if he had been calculating the merits of hitting the man with the water spray, “ha! The mailman is late for his delivery and he wants to lecture me on my garden! A-Xu, come listen to this!”

“Mailman,” the man had repeated, face going blank, “the mailman.”

“A-Xu, come tell him my chrysanthemums look just fine!”

Then, he had exploded. “You brat! Who do you think you are? Have you no respect for your elders? Useless child–”

“Elder? Have you taken a look at the mirror? Get off my lawn! Out, out, out! No Old Monsters allowed!”

The man– Ye Baiyi, Zhou Zishu would learn later, after Wen Kexing had gone into his stalking spree trying to find his information to report to his alleged boss– had left. With their coffeemaker. Only to return at some point while they were inside to leave the package just behind the wheel of their car.

One month later and Zhou Zishu is yet to get his goddamn coffeemaker.

“Wen Kexing, you no-good insolent brat!” 

The yelling startles him back to the present, followed quickly by the sound of paper being ripped. At his side, Wen Kexing snickers. “I think he found the sign.”

“Sign? Is that what you and Chengling were doing in the garage last night?” 

“No Old Monsters permitted,” he recites, smug as a cat in the sun, and presses a kiss to his neck, “wasn’t it a good idea? A-Xu, I’m encouraging our son to improve his artistic skills.”

“Quit distracting me,” Zhou Zishu tugs his hair a little, “Lao Wen, you owe me so many cups of coffee.”

Wen Kexing grins, impossibly bright, ridiculously beautiful. “A-Xu ah, what’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine, so how can there be a debt? Don’t be stingy!”

“Hm. Lao Wen is very wise, no debt between us, so he won’t mind making dinner tonight again.”

“A-Xu!” The whine comes out half laughter, and Zhou Zishu loves the sound of it, could never get tired of it, so really, he has no choice but to draw his husband closer and kiss the complaints before they even fall from his lips. 

[pilotcallsigns]

Start Again - Chapter Seven (Din Djarin x Reader)

SUMMARY: After being ambushed by the pair of Devaronians, you and the Mandalorian make the decision to expedite your journey into the city of Opseg. Upon your arrival, the city and its people welcome you with open arms and you find out more about what the Empire did to you while in their custody. 

CHAPTER WARNINGS: mentions of attack from the previous chapter, panic attacks, medical procedures including sedation, and VERY heavy discussion of forced sterilization. 

Author’s Note: This is my longest chapter yet at 3.2k words! I hope you enjoy this latest chapter and I hope I can be back on my regular update schedule. Feel free to reblog and like!

CHAPTER SEVEN - THE DIAGNOSIS

Trekking through the canyon might’ve been easier if you didn’t have such a debilitating headache. The bacta patch had healed the wound in your hairline, but your eye was still swelling and your head ached in a way that you hadn’t felt in months. In the back of your mind, a part of you really wished you had the Puvion leaves to alleviate the headache. The leaves had always worked better than any bacta spray or patch.

Your heart still raced at the thought of what happened earlier in the morning. Waking up to two Devaronians sniffing around your camp wasn’t exactly what you had in mind of a good morning. When they noticed you were awake, there was zero hesitation to take you out. They had even managed to do so quietly enough that it didn’t wake the Mandalorian.

The swelling at your eye aches as a reminder of how quickly they had managed to take you down. Your lack of training had made it easy, before you could even swing up your knife to defend yourself, the one Devaronian, Zek, punched you hard enough for you to see stars. There wasn’t much fight left in you after that.

When they noticed the Mandalorian, however, their motives changed. It wasn’t about kidnapping you and keeping you as their prize for the day, but instead getting the armor off the Mandalorian and selling it. Had they been successful they would’ve walked away with both you and possibly thousands of credits after pawning off the armor.  

But the Mandalorian had handled it, wielding his saber as he easily killed the two mercenaries. It still took your breath away thinking about how he had moved with it, fluid and precise. He may have held the weapon like it burned him, but he used it like second nature.

Your feet hit solid ground and you look up, eyeing the bustling city of Opseg around you. It was noisier than Tatooine. Children scream with joy as they run past you, disappearing into the crowd of people looking to buy the latest products. Fine jewelry and clothing were hung up on display, shopkeepers shouting prices to interested onlookers. The savory smell of vegetables cooking fills your nose and you turn to see another line of shops, these ones selling hot meals. The sights and sounds were both exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.  

“This is insane…” you say, laughing slightly. You had never experienced anything like this before, a city with life. Tatooine was nothing compared to this.

“It’s not insane, my dear! This is Opseg!” A voice shouts behind you, startling you. You turn and a green humanoid alien grins at you. The friendliness waving off this stranger is almost as overwhelming as Orus itself. You wondered if everyone on Orus was like this.

The Mandalorian steps just in front of you, putting a barrier between you and the stranger. You hadn’t hired him to be a bodyguard but given the events earlier this morning and your lack of training, you let it slide this time. Besides, you were tired of being snuck upon.

“Ah, apologies, my name is Ortib-Blik! But you can call me Obie for short,” The alien extends his hand out, clearing his throat when the Mandalorian doesn’t offer his hand in return. “I’m a tour guide here in Opseg. You looked lost, so I figured I’d offer my help.” He offers a sheepish smile when the Mandalorian doesn’t say anything.

“Hello Obie,” you greet, stepping to the side of the Mandalorian in order to introduce yourself. “We’re just passing through; we need to find a medcenter.”

“I’d assume it’s for that wound on your eye?” Obie asks, pointing at where your eye swells. You nod and he grins again. “Well, you’re just in luck, the medcenter is taking walk-ins today!”

“How much is a physical?” Mando asks from behind you.

“It’s free!” Obie exclaims, “Even to non-Orus citizens.”

“Is there work I can find here?” Mando asks and Obie’s expression changes.

“Yes, plenty! You look more like a hunter, so I’m sure if you were to stop by any of Opseg’s twenty cantinas you’d find something.”

You balk at the number, looking at the Mandalorian. You forget his facial expression is hidden by the helmet, but you can assume he’s also surprised. Twenty cantinas was an incredibly high amount and you couldn’t imagine the work going into finding a job would be worth it.  

“Thank you, Obie, but I think we’ll take it from here.” You offer a tight smile to the alien.

“Of course, of course! If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to shout!” He says, waving as he departs down the street.

“I think he was a lot nicer than the Devaronians that greeted us this morning,” you say, smiling when the Mandalorian sighs. “Too soon?” you chuckle.

“A little, yeah,” Mando says, turning around as he looked down the street. It seemed everywhere you look that it was teeming with life, people shouting and laughing. The shopkeepers yell over the playing children as parents stress over prices. This is way better than life on Puvo, you thought.

Puvo had its moments, the winter festival brought out a certain life in its citizens. Winter seasons were so rare that they celebrated the first indication of winter, whether it was a significant drop in temperature or animals beginning their hibernation. You had only ever experienced one festival and it was during the time your mind was still mending itself back together. But you remembered the laughing, the dancing, and the singing.

Valara had spent hours showing you how to braid her hair, repeating the motions over and over until you finally got it. She looked so happy dancing with that one boy from the neighboring village. Impressions meant everything on Puvo and she took it to heart when the boy didn’t offer another date after the festival. You had been too busy recovering to offer her any comfort, but Valara had moved on, throwing herself into work.  

They hadn’t even celebrated the last winter festival. There was too much work to be done, the council had announced. A cloud of depression remained over the village for some time. Valara mentioned it reminded her of when the Empire was still in power. The depressive atmosphere took a toll on your already weakened mental health. Try as she might, Valara’s grandmother struggled to pull you out of that episode. It had been one of the many deciding factors to leave Puvo, at least for the sake of your own well-being.

“We’re in the town square at the moment,” The Mandalorian says. The memories of Puvo fade as you focus your attention. “Medcenter shouldn’t be too far from here.”

“Right,” you murmur, “and what are you going to do while I’m being seen?”

“The guide said twenty cantinas, I have to start somewhere. Most of them are downtown. Small, shouldn’t be too hard to get through all of them before you’re done.” Mando replies, looking to you for confirmation. You nod.

The walk to the medcenter isn’t much. You manage to escape the craziness that’s the town square, there’s not as much yelling, but there’s still plenty of children running around their exasperated parents. It’s clear you’ve entered one of the housing areas, women and men alike staring as you both continue your path. The Mandalorian doesn’t seem to mind the stares. He’s probably used to it by now, you think.

The medcenter is daunting when you approach it. The all-white building amidst desert brown was shocking at first, freezing you in your movement as you stared at the twin doors in front of you. What if they found out something was wrong with you? What if it couldn’t be fixed? Your mind spirals at the idea of what could go wrong, words and thoughts jumbling together. Would they take you away from the Mandalorian? Send you back to Puvo so you can really get better? Institutionalize you? You weren’t that crazy…

“I can’t do this,” you whisper to the Mandalorian. He remains silent and you wonder if you’ve finally managed to make him angry.

“You can. I’ll be there with you the whole time.” He speaks.

“But-but you said you’d—”

“I know what I said earlier.” He murmurs, “But you’re clearly in distress and it’s better for me to stay close, especially in a city as big as this one. The cantinas can wait.”

You’re not sure if his words really soothe your nerves. Your heart is still racing at your earlier thoughts and it’s quickly becoming harder to breathe. He was promising to stay but would he be there when they read off what was wrong with you? Suddenly being on Puvo didn’t sound so bad after all.

You jump when the door opens behind you.

“Hello, I am Oralia. I am a nurse here at the Opseg Medical Center.” A Mirialan woman greets you. “Is there something I can help you with?”

The kindness in the woman’s voice makes you freeze again. You’re unsure what to say, what to tell her. Do you start with the current injuries you have? Do you tell her about your purpose for visiting before you were even attacked? Could she tell you were overloaded with anxiety? You were probably shaking like a wet Loth-cat.

“Miss, are you alright?” Oralia asks you and you shake your head. With gentle hands, she lifts your face, her warm eyes examining the wound by your eye and the peeling bacta patch. “Are you with her, sir?” Oralia asks the Mandalorian.

“Yes,” he replies.

“Let’s get her taken care of.” The nurse says, grasping your elbow with a comforting hand as she walks you through the doors. You can hear the Mandalorian’s boots just behind you as Oralia walks you past the front desk into a smaller room.

“Is she going to be alright?” The Mandalorian asks, watching as Oralia lays you on the examination table. The lights are too bright in this room, it’s almost a startling reminder of that nightmare you had days ago. Strapped down to a table and subjected to torture, you never wanted to experience that again. Not again, not again, not again…

“She is having a panic attack,” Oralia replies in a calm manner, placing a wet cloth against your burning forehead. Their voices sound distant, muted even as you try and get over this attack. It’s so much worse than the ones before, your limbs feel numb and weightless all at the same time and the sterile smell of the room fills your senses. It only makes the panic worse.

A whisper of “I’m sorry” and the white ceiling blurs above you, your eyelids become too heavy to keep open. Sleep consumes you.

When you wake up, the room is the same. White walls and white ceilings stare back at you as you try to take in your new environment. The softness of a bed fills the fists of your hands. They must’ve moved you while you were still sleeping. Sitting up, careful of the needle in your arm, you look around in confusion. Where was Mando? What happened? How long were you asleep for?

“It is good to see that you are awake,” a voice greets you. Oralia. The nurse from earlier.

“Where is the Mandalorian?” You ask, not sure whether or not you can trust her.

“He is out. I told him to walk off his anger.” The nurse replies. She walks over to your bedside and examines the IV needle in the crook of your elbow. The skin is bruised but you’re not sure if it’s her work or from the Devaronians from earlier.

“Does he know I’m awake?”

“He will return, I am sure. You needed fluids in your system as well as a proper examination, but only one of those things I could do while you were asleep.” Oralia replies, examining the needle in the crook of your elbow. Adjusting the bandages, she looks at you with a kind smile.

“Did I pass out?” The last moments before falling asleep aren’t clear, only a blur of pictures and muted dialogue.

“You did not. I sedated you. Your panic consumed you and even my years of training could not walk you down from that.” she murmurs, removing the needle from your vein with calm precision. A small bead of blood pools out and she wipes it away, before wrapping the tiny wound.

Bringing your hand to your face, you feel along where your eye had been bruised. Clearly, it had been treated in your sleep as the skin is no longer tender to your touch. The patch just before your hairline is also gone, the skin smooth with no evidence of a scar.

“I am surprised you made it as far as you did. The Mandalorian told me a great deal of what happened to you both this morning. A pair of Devaronians?”

“Yes,” you say in response. She doesn’t urge you for any more of the story, but you tell her anyways. “The Mandalorian held his own. I, well, I didn’t.” Oralia chuckles at your statement.

“You are brave.” She compliments and you feel your skin growing hot at the statement. “It takes a lot for a woman like you to travel the galaxy. Much less with a Mandalorian.”

“I’m searching for answers. I was a victim of the Imperials and they took my son from me. The Mandalorian is helping me find him.” You tell her and she hums, finishing her work on the bandage just in the crook of your elbow.

“You have other wounds,” Oralia says, this time her hand placing itself right above your heart. You look down at where her hand is and you nod, looking away from her in shame. “I will grab Dr. Orn.”

The door opens with a soft whoosh sound and Oralia departs. You’re left in silence, pondering over your thoughts again. You didn’t want to have another panic attack. Taking a deep breath, you think about where the Mandalorian may be. Oralia had told him to walk off his anger. Why had he been so angry? Was it because you were asleep for so long? Thinking on it, it was some of the best sleep you had in a long time. No nightmares, no memories weaving themselves into dreams.

A click and the door opens again, this time Oralia is followed by a human woman. Dr. Orn, you deduce. Dr. Orn quietly walks over to your bedside and examines what you think is your chart on a datapad. The information displayed is not in basic and you frown.

“Hello,” Dr. Orn greets you. She’s older, possibly a few years shy of Valara’s grandmother but her eyes hold the same kindness. Dr. Orn says your name and you blink, looking back up at her. “We did some bloodwork. First, I would like to welcome you to Orus and we’re grateful that you chose our medcenter as the place to handle your healthcare needs. Second, your bloodwork came back great.”

A sigh of relief. “That’s great,” you murmur and Dr. Orn smiles.

“Oralia did some investigating on your chain code and there’s no record of you in any system, not even ex-Imperial. I’m sure you were aware, as was the Mandalorian. He was kind enough to give us what little information you had on yourself. But given the current state of your health, you are in great shape. Minimal scarring from the leaves of Puvo, which is great. I’m sure you’re aware of the ongoing mental healing you’re going through, but with time, you can work through the nightmares and panic attacks. However, there is something I want to note.”

Dr. Orn displays the datapad to you, this time the information is in basic. A rundown of what medical records they could establish for you. One healthy pregnancy was just one of the few things that caught your eye.

“It’s great to see that you’ve been able to have a healthy pregnancy. Oralia tells me you had a son, about fifteen years ago, correct?” Dr. Orn asks you, pointing at the profile they had made of your son. It was blank except for his name and estimated age. You were listed as his mother, but the name underneath FATHER remained blank.

“Yes. Castin. He was about ten when he was taken from me,” you reply, hand reaching out to skim through the notes they had established for you. Most of the information was blank, mostly because it was unknown, even to you.

“Good, good, as you can already tell we’ve logged that in the file we created for you.” Dr. Orn smiles before she brings the datapad closer to herself and removing it from your view. “However, we detected some anomalies in your blood. A woman of your age should be producing the normal hormones that regulate a menstrual cycle. We found that there was a lack of most of those hormones. Can you tell me when your last cycle was?”

You open your mouth to give a quick answer but quickly realize you don’t know. When you had arrived on Puvo, Valara had explained it was a possibility that your cycle would be irregular, considering everything your body had been through. But now that you were thinking about it, you hadn’t even noticed a lack in your cycle. You had been distracted by the ongoing therapy and work on Puvo.

“I-I don’t know…possibly after I gave birth to Castin but I don’t really remember,” you chewed at your bottom lip. What could it mean for you?

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Dr. Orn sighs, looking back down at the datapad. Her fingers tap on the screen, possibly logging what you had said. “You see, when we did your blood test, we found the lack of hormones a sign that you were not having a regular cycle. It’s not unusual, travel can bring stress on the body and I’ve been informed of what happened in your past, but for you, it means something else. When the Empire had you in their custody, what exactly do you remember them doing to you?”

You can feel Oralia’s comforting hand on your lower back, rubbing circles to soothe your nerves. You weren’t sure if you actually felt soothed, but you took a deep breath.

“It’s mostly a blur, I remember the electrocution and how painful it was, but beyond that, I don’t know.” You inform her, your hands twisting together in your lap. Why was she dragging this out? How bad could it possibly be?

“I see,” Dr. Orn hums. You watch as her hand reaches out, resting on your knee. A gentle touch. “When the Empire had you in their custody, most likely while you were in between torture sessions, they performed a surgery to sterilize you. The lack of hormones in your blood and lack of cycle leads us to believe that this is true. I am terribly sorry that you had to suffer under their hand. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.” Her face says it all, the sincereness in her tone and the sympathy in her eyes. The realization of the diagnosis hits you, knocking the air out of your lungs.

Even with Oralia’s hand on your back, you weep.

Read Chapter Eight - Finally, A Lead here!

[elisaphoenix13]

Winter Ease

It was one of those rare mornings that Stephen slept in. Maybe it was because it was winter and he liked staying bundled up and warm. Last night Tony had to pull him away from the warmth of the fireplace and to bed, but that was the norm when they came to the lake house during the winter. The sorcerer blinks his eyes open and finds himself looking at Tony's side of the bed, only it was empty along with the cribs when he turned to look to see if Valerie and Lucy were still sleeping. Before he could even wonder where they were though, he heard laughter from outside as well as some playful screaming.

Stephen groans and gets out of bed, dressing warmly before leaving the bedroom and heading down to the kitchen. There, he found Tony standing at the sink and washing the dishes...or at least attempting to. He was currently wrestling with the sprayer that must have slipped out of his hand again. Sometimes he wasn't even sure why his husband bothered with it.

Tony huffs and wrestles it back into place and throws a dish towel over his shoulder after drying his hands before turning. "Hey Mama Bear. Glad to see you're done hibernating." He teases as he walks over and pulls him in for a kiss.

"Are the kids outside?" Stephen asks when they pull away.

"Yup. They're all playing out in the snow or attempting ice skating. Valerie is with William and the baby is sleeping through all of the noise." Tony tilts his head toward the living room and Stephen looks over to find their new infant daughter sleeping in the swing.

"Are they all--" Stephen starts.

"Warmly dressed." Tony interrupts with a smile. "Want some uhh...brunch?" He asks after looking at the time on the stove.

"After I check on the rest of the kids."

Tony chuckles. "Well there's more than six out there. Everyone else came for a snow day too."

Stephen raises an eyebrow and pulls on his jacket and boots before going out the back door and stopping on the porch. Everyone really was there. Some of them were ice-skating, or at least attempting to...others were having a snowball fight, and the rest building snowmen.

Or rather a snow army. Valerie and William were one of the few bolstering their snow army and a triple take revealed that Athena was dutifully standing near the toddler while she helped her brother with a snowman. Stephen had to chuckle when he saw her in her winter clothes. She looked like a light blue marshmallow.

Since Athena was accounted for, Stephen looked around for the other animals. Gerald was in his little stable staying warm with some fresh hay that someone must have given him this morning, and since they were spending winter vacation at the cabin, Tibbs had come along and Stephen definitely saw him inside by the fireplace (he had the right idea), and Flynn...well Stephen almost audibly laughed at what he saw.

Quill, of course, had no need for winter clothes since he was a human...well...a walking furnace, and so that made it easier for the fox to cling to the god. Quill was talking to Bucky while Flynn clung to his pants leg and curiously pawed at the snow below. It was his first winter and he had no idea what the snow was, but after poking at the snow and seeing Athena walk around in it, he deemed it safe and jumped off Quill's leg and right into a pile of it.

He completely disappeared for a couple of seconds but his head eventually popped up again and he 'hee hee'd' as he tromped through the snow. He jumped around, spraying the white powder everywhere, but remained close to Quill in case something spooked him. Harley was out on the frozen lake with Diana and Cassie, skating around the two as they held hands and tried making designs in the ice. Peter and Thomas were part of a snowball fight with Clint, his boys, Sam, Scott, and Natasha, and Lila and Laura were digging through the snow. Probably to find rocks for the snowmen.

When Stephen looks back to William and Valerie, he raises an eyebrow when the red scarf around the snowman's "neck" lifts a corner and waves at the sorcerer.

"Is that my cloak?" He asks as he steps off the porch and joins the two.

"Levi helped Mama." Valerie says as she puts more snow on the bottom part.

"It sure did." He chuckles. "How long have you been out here?"

"About a couple of hours." William answers.

"Are you okay with staying with her for a little while longer?" Stephen asks and William nods. "Alright. I'm going to go eat. Maybe I'll help your father make gallons of hot chocolate and hot cider."

"Make sure you put aside a gallon for Scott." William smiles.

"I heard that!" The man calls from behind a wall of snow.

Stephen smirks at his youngest son and uses his magic to pick up a large pile of snow and make it hover over Scott before dropping it on top of him. William and Valerie laugh when Scott gasps in surprise (and from the cold that undoubtedly slipped into his clothes) and Stephen chuckles as he walks back inside. Tony had already set a plate on the table for Stephen, and the sorcerer looked around for him to thank him, finding him in the living room and scooping Lucy up into his arms.

Like her sisters, she was a relatively easy baby but she easily slept through the chaos of the family and the team. Diana, for the little time he was there when she was a baby, slept like any other baby, and Valerie had been their light sleeper. If Lucy was awake, that meant one of three things. She was hungry, she needed changing, or she was simply finished with her nap. Based on the look on Tony's face though, Stephen had a good idea why Lucy was fussing.

"You couldn't wait until Valerie was out of diapers could you?" Tony says as he grabs a clean diaper and the wipes from the coffee table.

"Where's the fun in that?" Stephen chuckles and then takes a bite of his french toast. "For what it's worth, she's in pull ups during the day."

"At least she's getting close to potty trained. I was hoping to have at least a month break before we dove back into this." Tony teases as he changes Lucy's diaper on the floor.

While Stephen eats his brunch, Tony finishes his task of changing the infants diapers while trying to keep Tibbs away. At least enough so he can rebutton Lucy's onesie. The cat was only trying to acquaint himself with the new human and was sniffing her face so close that his whiskers tickled her nose and drew a tiny sneeze from her. The action startles the cat to back away a little as tiny fists lift to rub erratically at small eyes, and Tony smiles when she yawns.

"Pensi che la mamma possa nutrirti naturalmente adesso, dolcezza?” Tony murmurs with a small smirk as he lifts her up to his shoulder and stands.

Stephen sends an empty bottle sailing at Tony's head and it thunks hollowly against it before clattering to the floor. "No I cannot!"

The engineer laughs and bends down to pick up the bottle and take it to the sink before grabbing a clean one. "Honey, I never know when magic is involved."

"That's just...no." Stephen sighs.

He takes his last bite of eggs and gets up with his plate and takes it to the sink to rinse and put in the dishwasher. Tony then hands the baby over to him after Stephen takes the burping cloth from his husband's shoulder, and puts it over his own before taking Lucy. Stephen holds her to his shoulder so Tony can make her a bottle and big brown eyes look around their surroundings while she grips onto the sorcerer's shirt under her tiny hands.

"After her bottle, we need to start on hot chocolate and cider." Stephen says.

"I swear I'm going to invest in giant tanks and find a way where it can be made at the press of a button."

"Like a giant coffee maker?" Stephen says flatly.

Tony smiles and kisses him. "You have the greatest ideas Duchess."

"You better start on Scott's first."

"Maybe I'll build him a pool of cider." Tony hands the bottle of formula to Stephen and starts pulling out packets of hot chocolate and cider.

Normally Tony would make hot chocolate from scratch, but since the Avengers were here too, he wasn't going to bother. That was something he did just for his immediate family or on the rare occasion, smaller gatherings. The kids thankfully didn't complain when the chocolate powder was brought out since more than half of them were used to cheap and instant stuff like it, and Stephen made sure the girls weren't spoiled either. They were born into money, their brothers were not. The boys knew not to take things for granted, and even now tried not to ask for much. Stephen, to everyone's surprise, made sure to say no every once in a while to not just Diana and Valerie, but the boys as well just to show them that he was treating them equally.

All of them were his kids, not just the girls.

"God, I really need to invent some kind of hot chocolate brewer." Tony huffs. "Making all of this for those clowns is a lot."

"Ask someone for some help."

"You think we can use Porcupine as a burner?" Tony asks and Stephen rolls his eyes.

"Quill is not a living stove."

"I beg to differ. You should too. He's slept in our bed a couple of times." Tony points out.

"How Scott can sleep next to him and even cuddle him is beyond me." The sorcerer admits as he walks to the living room to sit on the couch and feed Lucy.

"You think if we shoot him at a glacier that he'll go right through it?"

"Don't give him any ideas."

Tony chuckles and turns his attention to the stove and after a few minutes of quiet, Lucy finishes her bottle and Stephen holds her up to burp her as Valerie and William come in. The teen joins Tony in the kitchen to help make the drinks, and Valerie joins Stephen and the baby in the living room with Athena following (after she had shaken herself free of snow). Valerie climbs onto the couch to curl against Stephen's side and Athena flops onto her cushion near the fireplace, and Tibbs immediately walks over to curl up against her stomach.

"Where's the cloak?" Stephen asks the little girl.

"Dia." She answers. "Watch TV?"

"Yes. Go ahead." Stephen answers and then hears a tiny burp from Lucy.

"That means it's my turn." Quill says from the door as Valerie turns the tv on.

"You better talk to Nat about that." Tony says.

The god grumbles and walks over to sit on the other couch while Flynn does the same thing Athena had done. He shakes himself free of whatever snow is left on his fur and his collar jingles until he's finished. Instead of joining the other two pets though, he trotted over to Quill and jumped up into his lap to curl up.

"He tried to skate on the ice like the girls and Harley...it didn't go very well." Quill laughs.

"He might enjoy winter since he doesn't have to survive in it." Stephen says as everyone else starts to file in from outside.

Bucky and Wanda joined Tony and William in the kitchen to finish making the drinks and distributing them to everyone, the rest spread out after shedding their jackets and boots by the door, and Natasha went straight for Stephen to take the baby from him. She was then taken over to Laura for them to fawn over until Wanda eventually joined them after helping with the drinks. Board games and card games were pulled out to enjoy, and all of the teens were currently being obnoxious over a game of Uno. Diana chose to watch TV with Valerie when she came inside, and Levi floated near the fireplace to ruffle it's lapels and dry off.

Lucy remained content despite the chaos and even fell asleep against someone at one point. It happened to be Thor...and Clint quietly joked that he could see hearts in Bruce's eyes. She remained with the demigod until Steve braved retrieving her from him, and then it was Bucky with the hearts in his eyes. Stephen trusted everyone with his kids no matter what age, so he was able to play a game of Scrabble with Sam, Laura, and Vision. Vision wasn't allowed to keep score for obvious reasons so Stephen was winning.

"Tony are you going to properly add on to the cabin?" Laura asks.

"There's a plan. I don't want to have Stephen use his magic all the time to accommodate you guys when you visit." Tony nods.

"Perhaps we can make a week of it." Vision says. "Like the usual barbeques but with the addition of helping build additions to the house."

Tony raises his brows. "That's actually a good idea."

Everyone that happened to be listening murmured their agreement.

"We'll come back and help too." Clint says. "I know a thing or two about building things."

"Well, when winter is over and the weather gets warmer, we'll do it." Tony says. "Or we could just roll Quill around so he can melt the ice."

"Fat chance." The god grunts out as Flynn uncurls himself to scratch his neck with his back paw. He leaned too far and tumbled off Quill's lap with a squeak and then jumped back up to lay back down.

"Spaceman--" Scott starts with a grin.

"Scotty, I know he's special. You don't need to remind me." Quill huffs.

"Think he'll chase a laser pointer?" Bruce asks.

Everyone nearby looked at each other before Tony got to his feet and climbed over everyone to head for the kitchen.

"I think I have one in the junk drawer."

[vicunaburger]

Admittedly, I’m Hard to See

Fandom: Beetlejuice the Musical Chapters: 15/? Pairing: Beetlejuice x OC (Holidae) The Players: Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz, Holidae Bell Word Count: 1,784 Warnings: M for Mature Content, TW: Brief mention of previous injuries (not exactly self-harm, but similar in tone)

Notes: Naked house guests abound

Chapter 15 - In Which the Future Doesn’t Exist

It would be another few hours before Holidae gathered enough energy to pry herself away from the ghost’s hold on her; muscles and joints popping with effort as she sat up.

The discomfort had nothing to do with their activities, but everything to do with the fact he slept on a past its prime sofa bed. The rusty springs creaked loudly as she swung her legs over the side, causing her to wince at the sudden noise, and turn to check on her companion. He didn’t seem bothered; laid out flat on his stomach completely naked, but not moving around as though he had woken up. Admittedly, it wasn’t the most graceful pose he could have adopted, but it was entertaining to see him stark naked without a care in the world.

Did he even need to sleep, or was it just a habit to act that way around other people?

The sight of him so… vulnerable almost made her rethink her plans, wanting to just crawl back into bed and stay there for the rest of the weekend. However, the dried blood on her shoulder and other… fluids that had dried on her skin were not the most pleasant sensations for long periods of time. A shower was her goal for that morning, and then maybe she could treat herself to sleeping longer in her comfortable, soft bed.

Holidae gathered her clothes from the floor, tiptoeing across the room and down the stairs in the bright light of the late morning. Since no one else was home, she decided to have a little fun and commandeer the Deetz’s master bathroom, as it was the fanciest in the house. It had been recently refurbished, she had been told, with a double-length walk-in shower with multiple faucets. Not that she needed anything more than a basic bathtub on any given day, but it was nice to take advantage of the luxury while it was available.

Turning on the showerheads, she waited for the water to warm up a little, examining herself in the nearby vanity mirror. The bite on her shoulder looked nastier than it felt, but there were clear rows of teeth visible underneath the initial bruising. Luckily, it wouldn’t be difficult to hide it under sweaters and coats for the winter season. She gently ran her fingertips around each small puncture, her face growing red at the memory of them being so close in that moment.

Holidae stepped into the shower, carefully closing the clear glass door behind her, hissing as the warm water soaked into her aching body. It was such a delightful sensation; she closed her eyes and let the water run over her face and hair, eager to relax after such anxiety the night before. The more she thought about it, the more she felt silly for thinking the worst of him. Of course, the standard image of all demon creatures were ones of vile, nasty beasts hellbent on snatching the soul of the unsuspecting human. The thought always stayed in the back of her mind, but she never let it grow any larger than a passing notion.

She doubted he would go to do much trouble for her soul anyway. Probably wasn’t worth much.

Tap Tap Tap

The sound of a nail on glass caught her attention, and her head snapped around to the shower door, her hands grasping the safety bar to keep herself from slipping. There, pressed comically against the glass - still naked - was Beetlejuice, who smiled widely when he got her attention. Instinctively, Holidae tried to cover her more intimate parts, her whole body flushing red from the heat of the water and the embarrassment at being so startled.

“Hey babes~” He chuckled, squishing his face against the door. “Why didn’t you wake me up? I could’ve missed the floorshow! Awww, don’t cover up like that… it’s nothing I haven’t seen. Licked. Stuck my-”

She chucked a wet washcloth at his face, watching it slide down the glass a bit before hitting the ground, “What the hell are you scaring me like that for? I could have cracked my head open and died.”

“Well, then, it would have been lucky for you since I’m an expert at handling the newly-dead.” Beej stuck his lengthy tongue out, licking the glass in an obscene manner.

“Ew! Don’t… don’t lick that! You don’t know what’s on there!” Horrified, she tapped on the glass by his face, “Germs!”

Beetlejuice gave her a look before putting his whole mouth on the door, looking like one of those sucker fish on the walls of fish tanks. Holidae squealed in disgust, opening the door and pulling him inside the large shower space with her, pushing him under the spray of one of the water jets. Within moments, he looked like sopping, wet mess. His hair, normally tamed in a care-but-don’t-care fashion was plastered against his skull, the length covering the points of his ears and blocking out his eyesight. It was funny to see just how long his hair was without the signature fluffed appearance.

With a grumble, he jerked his head back, successfully moving his hair out of his face and splashing the whole of the shower space like an unhappy dog.

“…Holli-baby. Holly-Jolly. Babycakes. Babydoll. I’m dead.” Beetlejuice tilted his head to the side sharply, “I can’t get germs.”

She mirrored his expression, “The fine layer of dirt and mold you’re sporting on your birthday suit would suggest otherwise, Juice.”

He waved his hands dismissively, “It’s part of the package. Didn’t hear you complainin’ about germs when you were smothering me in the middle of the night. You were all arms and legs like a squid.”

Holidae grabbed the washcloth off the floor, lathering it up with a nearby bar of soap, “Me? I’m the squid?”

Beej made a show of sitting down on… nothing. There were no built-in benches or anything in the shower stall, but his body still conformed to the shape of sitting on a chair. Ignoring him, Holidae busied herself with gently cleaning around her shoulder, wincing at the sting of the soap, but managing to navigate the tricky path of irritated nerves. All the while, Beetlejuice remained silent, content in the fact she hadn’t gotten too angry at him for invading her private time. In truth, he would have been happy to be outside of the shower door, as was his original plan… but he didn’t mind the change of location.

Besides, he was not about to argue the amazing view he was getting of his breather soaping herself up. He knew for a fact that he hadn’t done anything to deserve such a treat.

Once she was finished, Holidae rinsed out the washcloth thoroughly, turning around and holding it out for him to use.

“…you can’t hang it up yourself?” He asked, confused by her gesture.

“Huh? No, you can use it. You know… for… washing up?” She sighed heavily, “Don’t. Don’t even say it. I know you claim not to be dirty and stuff but there’s nothing wrong with smelling like soap for a while.”

He hesitated, watching her with a raised eyebrow, “You gonna help me get the hard to reach places?”

“No.” Holidae’s tone was deadpanned to match her expression. “But I will let you sleep in my bed.”

Not wanting to push his luck, Beej reached out to take the washcloth, but stopped and wrapped his hand around her wrist instead. It was a quick, snappy action; like a snake darting out to catch a mouse. Startled, Holidae instinctively tried to pull her arm out of his iron grip, unsure of what he planned to do with the appendage. Keeping her in place, Beetlejuice tilted his head, inspecting the skin of her arm with a quizzical look. Thin, pale white stripes lined the surface area between her mid-arm and her elbow; some crisscrossing each other without a pattern.

“Lose a fight with a weed whacker?” The ghost let her arm go, taking the soap in hand, and attempting to make himself as clean as he could to her standards.

A muscle twitched in the corner of Holidae’s eye, “Used to have a cat.”

Slowly, he turned his full attention to her, the strange tone in her voice contradicting the perfectly reasonable answer she provided. It was… flat. Dull, but instantly falling out of her mouth like it was a programmed response.

Rehearsed.

“Tch, nasty cat.” He replied, giving his cleanliness the attention it needed.

The rest of their shower was spent in peace, Beej offering a slew of lewd jokes and breaking the tension between them almost immediately. He refused to let her dry herself off, stating it was his solemn duty to make sure she was dried enough to not slip on the tile flooring. Of course, he concentrated his efforts everywhere but her feet, causing Holidae to squirm away when the fibers hit the more ticklish parts of her.

By the time they managed to make their way into Holidae’s room, it was getting closer to sunset. She knew it was a bad idea in the long run, but Holidae couldn’t be bothered to make her way downstairs to find something to eat. The allure spending more comfortable hours in bed with her ghostly paramour was too tempting to ignore.

Beetlejuice was already settled in her bed, lounging in the “sexiest” way he could, fully nude with only part of a bedsheet draped across his thigh, “What’re you doing over there? Don’t get dressed! You’ve got all this sexiness waiting here just waiting for you to ravish it. I’m helpless, Holly-Jolly, powerless to stop you from devouring my body like a fine cut of meat.”

Holidae popped her head out of the neck-hole of her sweatshirt, rolling her eyes at the display, “I dunno, that side of beef might be past its prime.”

“Uhhhhhggggg, you’re killing me, babes.” He rolled over, stuffing his face into the pillow dramatically.

With a soft sigh, she climbed into the bed next to him, holding her arms open toward him, “You’re already dead, Juice. Now come here and stop complaining.”

With a pointed and loud huff, Beej wriggled his body over to her side of the bed, letting himself be enveloped by the warmth of her body and the softness of her sweatshirt. It wasn’t too long before he could hear her soft heartbeats within her chest, her breathing slowing to a crawl as she drifted off to sleep. He mind wasn’t about to let him relax along with her, far too preoccupied with their awkward exchange in the shower.

He made a mental note to ask Lydia about the cat.

Writing Tags: @hoodoo12 @mr-geuse @paxenera @leiasolo77 @go-commander-kim @a-subconscious-manifestation @asriells @missihart23 @heknowshisherbs

[hazbinextgeneration]

Down The Rabbithole Ch3

(Disclaimer: The song sung is Wonderland by Taylor Swift and I do not own the song or it's lyrics. I just switched some words around for the chapter.)

Everything hurt. Everything was dark. He wanted to go home. He wanted his mama. His papa. He wanted them to tell him it would all be ok, that he can just go to bed and everything would be ok when he wakes up. But no. Big fat tears rolled down his face as he kept limping and stepping along the dark forest floor he had already gone through enough trouble of running away from bigger things without food, shelter, or anyone to help his poor self. He was dirty, hurt, hungry, and just wanted it all to stop-

SNAP!!!

A stick snapped under his paw walking down the hill and down he went. Yelping and thumping down the hill as he felt pain explode all over his body, eventually rolling a couple more times at the bottom before landing and stopping on his back where he let out a groan. ...He really regretted going through that magic puddle. All he wanted to go home and- he froze as a shadow fell over him and he popped his eyes open. A shadowed form was standing and leaning over him blinking and staring down at this weird entity as red-brown eyes stared at him. She was just playing sword with a stick and playing priates when she heard the loud crashing and noises coming from the hill behind her. The little girl watched confused as a small blue blur came rolling down the hill and stopped just short of the ship(old log-) she was playing on and heard a couple chokes and groans from the thing that landed so close....Being a curious six year old, she blinked and jumped off the log and trotted through the tall grass over to the small thing that was left unmoving...and gasped. The thing was skinny, so skinny it looked like he hadn't eaten in days and dirty. Very, very dirty. It wore a torn white shirt and crooked now dirty red bow. But being a child, that didn't register to her. Nor did the fact that there couldn't possibly be a natural blue cat. That defies the laws of nature. Oh no, no. All she noticed in her innocent child mind was that there was a small little kitty in front of her. Making her gasp again and his pretty pink and yellow eyes popped open at the gasp.

"A KITTY!!" She flung her arms out excitedly. Dropping the stick and all the thought of fighting imaginary pirates were lost in favor for the idea of a cuddly cute kitty right in front of her. He blinked and tried to skitter away but he wasn't fast enough and yelped in slight pain when the little girl giggled and grabbed him into her arms. Cuddling and rubbing her cheek into the top of his head. He waved his puny paws out trying to escape when she turned around and ran back to the giant white house behind her, cat in arms. Panic and fright completely covering the cat's face as she did. There was a small gate which the little cat-napper squeezed through and ran past a garden of flowers and herbs up to an open back door. A kitchen is what was greeted him and an elderly looking human was cooking over the stove. The sizzling sounds and delicious smells of cooked meats and veggies were in the air as he still wriggled in her arms and tried to get away to no avail. His body was too weak to get away. The little strawberry-blonde girl easily moved him under one arm as she tugged on the older woman's dress. "Granny, Granny!! Look, look, look!!" He held her catch up suddenly to the woman who didn't pay any attention to the small girl. "I found a kitty!!"

The old woman chuckled. There wasn't any cats in these woods. This is just like the time she brought home a rose and said it was the magic rose from Beauty and The Beast fairytale. "Oh really now?", she asked still cooking the food.

"Uh Huh!! He's pretty and blue and has pretty eyes." He was struggling harder when she brought him back in to be hug attacked. "Can I keep him!? PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!! I promise to love him, feed him, and play with him!!"

The grandmother chuckled more before waving a hand off. "Of course you can keep the blue kitty. Just make sure he stays out of trouble now. Now go wash up. Lunch is almost done."

The little girl gasped and jumped. "YAY!! Thank you, Granny!!" The grandmother chuckled as she heard the little girl dash away upstairs. Ah. Children. What will she think of next? The little girl held the still struggling kitten out from her as he lightly hissed at her and pulled at those hands holding him. "You're really dirty kitty. You need a bath."

"No! Let me go human!"

She gasped and her eyes widened more. "You can talk?!"

"PUT ME DOWN!!"

He couldn't escape her grip when she walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind them, walking over to the bathtub and turning on the water. He bristled with a startled meow and lept to get away to no avail as she huffed and put him over the quickly filling water. Dropping him in with a splash. He instantly felt cold water rush over his sore body and when he popped back up he spat water out and turned to glar- A sponge was pressed to his face with a wet SPLAT!! and he sputtered and pushed against her hand as she rubbed it all over his head and giggled.

"You're really messy, Kitty."

"My name's not Kitty!!" His tiny paws pushed the hand and sponge away and scowled at her. "I happen to be Chesire Cat the twenty second!" He smiled proudly and threw his front paws out making her giggle.

"Im Allison! Are you hungry kitty?"

"CHESIRE!! And yes. Im quite hungry from not eating for three days, and if you have any milk that'd also be very nice of you."

She giggled again before scrubbing the top of his head, "Ok, Kitty. You're really small."

He grumbled. "Cheshire....and hanks I think?..It that a human compliment?"

She continued giggling and scubbing the cat in the tub, at one point tugging the horrible clothes off him and supplying him with a new tiny green shirt from one of her teddies. He dragged himself out of the tub all wet and skinny looking with the went fur being weighed down on his body so he shook himself. SHe giggled at the water droplets spraying all over her before plopping a towel on himself and picking him up wrapped like a baby. The new shirt was greatly appreciated but he thought it clashed with his own natural blue fur. But he refused to go down to dinner. Even if food was involved he didn't trust anymore tall humans, he didn't need any more of them. But he was still thankful when she managed to bring back a plate of food and milk. Her granny loved to spoil her and let her eat in her room if she really wanted. And if she really wanted to 'feed her new kitty' then she wasn't about to stop her imagination. He happyily took everything from her and down it in a matter of minutes. His stomach felt SO much better now that it wasn't empty as an abandoned house.

"You're really hungry, Kitty." She pet his head and he flinched....before he purred and arched his back as she giggled.

"C-Chesire...but I must thank you for everything. It's certainly been a while since a creature showed me any kindness, especially in this world. You probably saved my life. Tell me. Where am I?"

She tilted her head at his words. "Uh....I don't know. The woods?"

"Fair enough. Well then, Allison was it?" She nodded and he smiled for the first time in a while. "Well, Allison. You've taken me into your home and feed and cleaned me. You possibly saved my life today and I am in your debt. But could I have more food if it's not asking too much. I haven't eaten in a few days and Im still hungry."

More giggling. "Ok, Kitty!"

"...I see we'll have to work on that."

***************************************************************************************************************

"Allsion?"

"Hm?" She looked up and blinked at the floating cat who giggled at her confused face.

He booped her nose. "Silly humans spacing off. I was asking you what you were thinking about?"

"Oh! Just..I'm thinking about what happened all those years ago." She took another bite of the pancakes. He was right, they weren't perfect. The bottom pancake was a little burnt and it tasted like he might've not added eough milk to the batter, but she wasn't going to rudely refuse a meal made for her by an old friend who happened to be a magical floating talking blue cat in a half suit. She watched as he once again landed but this time sat on the small coffee table in front of her with a smile. ''Uh...So. All those fairytales really came from your world?"

He nodded before pausing and shaking his head no. "Well it's a yes and no. Most of the ancient stoires you humans have come to known were actual events in MY world. But not ALL!! Frankenstien, The Princce and the Pauper, Romeo and Juliet are some examples of the not ones. Those were definately written by humans." He counted on his fingers as he spoke. And she rose a brow curious.

"well which ones did?"

He shrugged. "I do not know ALL of them because no one has ever told me of them all. BUT!!" He smiled even more proudly. "Your human creativity has helped shape my world! After all it only came into existance once humans started using their imagination to create."

"Really?! Wow. It sounds amazing...But tell me what stories ARE true about your world then? The ones you know."

He hummed and looked at the ground for a moment as his tail thumped against the table behind him. "Oh a few you might know. Red Riding Hood. Goldielocks. I know her great, great granddaughter Blondy. Nice young lady. But I do know all the ones the Brothers Grim write were true."

She stared at him...and blinked before holding up her hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!! What a second. Are you trying to tell me THE famous Brothers Grim, the ones who originally wrote all those fairytales, actually wrote real events that happened?! In your world?!"

"YEP!!" He said bluntly.

"So Cinderella? With the glass slippers and step mother?"

"True."

"A-And Snow white with the apple?"

"I heard her great something nephew still has the recipe! Though I wouldn't recommend eating it."

"The Gingerbread man!!" "That witch accidentally used a living potion in the recipe to bring him to life." "SLEEPING BEAUTY?!" "Oh yes! Because she slept so wrong she doesn't have as many descendants as others. A few granchildren at most." "PIED PIPER!! PINNOCIO!! MARY AND HER LITTLE LAMB!! THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF!!"

"All as real as myself!! And Im standing before you!!" He chuckled but hummed. "But there was a few that came to life on their own."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well sometimes if a fairytale or story becomes very influencial and impires human enough after a while they'll just-" He made a pop noise while jabbing a hand up in the air. "They'll just randomly show up one day."

"How does THAT happen?!"

He shrugged. "It's a wonder. That's why our world is called Wonderland. It's shaped and formed by the wonders you humans made, though the worlds much rather stay seperate. It's for the best if a bunch of nosey humans didn't try to travel. My world's magic works in mysterious ways not to be tampered with. "

She nodded her head. "Yeah. I saw one too many movies where someone messed with magic and it backfired, probably for the best...Hey. Wait a minute." She looked back to him and pointed. "Then how did you get here in the first place?? And how in the world did someone like the famous writers get into your world?"

He giggled and pointed a paw behind her, she looked over her shoulder at where he was pointing an rose a brow as he pointed to the meditating room. "Through the looking glass.~ My own personal portal. No one can get in or out except if I allow it."

"...The what?"

"The looking glass. You humans call them mirrors." She blinked and the mirror gleamed back at her, as if beckoning her to come closer and touch it- She shook her head and looked back to him with a small look of understanding and he chuckled. "That's how they got in. Not my personal one of course, but sometimes a random human stumbles their way in via magic hidden portal and would have to leave before the Heart Family got wind of them." His eyes narrowed and he chuckled a little darker at the thought. "I'm not surprised such famous magic explorers like them found one, they're lucky to have escaped with the help of Mother Goose."

"...Who?"

"Mother Goose. Bless her heart. She was a very famous hisrtorian of my world. Told the brothers ALL about our history. Same with the man who wrote the Famous Wonderland book!! "

"This is a lot to unpack but it's....Also really cool in a way." She smiled...but a sudden thought made her stop..and she looked at him. He tilted his head and blinked at her in confusion still smiling. "You said you were around here when Granny was taken to the nursing home right?" He nodded and guilt set in. "Were you.....Just sticking around waiting for me to comes back this entire time?"

He blinked this time. "ME?!" His pointed to him before shaking his head and waving his hands at her. "Oh, no, no, no. Im not the kind to simply sit and wait around like a dog. I had other things to keep me entertained back home once I found out how to channel my energy into a portal!" With a wave of his paw he summoned his small staff and stood on his hind legs before leaning against it. Like a small human would. "I learnt lots of tricks while waiting for my best friend to return!! Such creative minds to work wonders again!!"

She chuckled and rolled her eyes. ''You're a magic talking cat that comes from the land of fairytales and nursery rythmes. Is there anything else that should be pointed out?"

"I can sing, too.~"

"Sing?" He had gotten her interest.

He chuckled. "Yes. And you used to be my partner remember? When we would make up songs and sing along together!!" He snapped his fingers. "SAY!! Why don't we sing a small duet again for old times sake?!"

She huffed and pointed to herself. "Me? Sing? No offense but I'd have better luck taming a lion then I would at singing."

"Oh pish posh. Here! I'll start one we used to sing all the time." He then without warning brought his staff up and lightly slammed it to the table. It stayed stuck when he let go and then the red ball on top suddenly lit up. What sounded like static rang out and he looked to her with another giggled as she gazed in wonder. "I'll lead. You join."

"Oh, no. I-"

She stomped when a beautiful piano song played from the staff and Chesire reached up to straighten his bowtie as he cleared his throat. "Flashing lights and we took a long turn and we fell down a rabbit hole.~" His voice was surprisingly very smooth as she blinked at him and he smiled even wider. "You held on tight to me, cuz nothing's as it seems.~ Spinning out of control!~" This time he jumped up and to her only lightly surprise his head came off his shoulders before being pulled back onto his shoudlers. Yeah. She remembered that. ....She also started to slowly remember a few certain instances with the brave kitten going to couragiously save the princess in their adventures...This song in particular was one that they'd enjoy and she smiled a little wider. "Didn't they tell us don't rush into things?~ Didn't you flash your red eyes eyes at me?~ Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds?~ Oh! Didn't it all seem new and exciting?~ I felt your arms twisting around me.~" He hugged himself and lightly moved his body from side to side smiling as she giggled and smiled more. Before he closed one eye. "I should've slept with one eye open tonight!~" He suddenly pointed both arms out towards out gesturing to her. "We found Wonderland. You and I got lost in it! And we pretended it could last forever!~" His arms threw themselves up as he 'jumped' up higher in the middle of floating. "We found Wonderland. You and I got lost in it!~ And life was never worse but never better!~" The music continued to play as he nodded yes and made a 'come on' motion with his paws. Obviously trying to encourage her to sing along.

She looked sheepishly down to the floor and he rose a brow and tilted his head. Hmm. She was obviously bashful, and not one of those dwarfs. Well maybe she'd be feeling it in a bit. He wasn't about to pressure her.

"In wonderland!~" He continued to sing and still held at least one paw out to her. "In Wonderlaaaaand.~ In wonderland!~ In Wonderlaaaaaand!~" He suddenly stood as if getting ready to walk. "So we went on our way!~ Too happy to think straight!~ All alone or so it seeeeemed.~ " He suddenly put his hand over on his forehead as if he was looking far away at something. "But there were strangers watching-" And then he made a blabbing mouth motion with the other paw. "-and whispers turned to talking." He suddenly threw his arms out and looked up towards the ceiling like those famous ballerina pose but his head came. "And talking turned to Screeeeaaammss!!~ OH!"

She blinked at the sudden smooth high note, wow he had REALLY gotten better since they were children definately. But he suddenly snapped into a position with his head held in his hands as he looked at her, his body and especially his tail thumping to the beat as he sang.

"Didn't they tell us don't rush into things?~ Didn't you flash your red eyes at me-"

"Didn't you calm my fears with a chesire cat smile?~," she sang asked him back and he was admittedly caught off guard for a moment. Keeping his smile and blinking...before his smile widened as did hers and he resumed bouncing to the beat of violins, pianos, and other intruments.

"Didn't it seem all new and exciting?~ "

"I felt your arms twisting around me.~" She sang the next verse and he smiled before raising a slightly smug brow. "It's all fun and games until someone looses their minds.~"

He giggling at that before another calm verse came in the song. "But Darling, We. Found. Wonderland." He again held out both arms towards her. "You and I got lost in it.~ And we pretended it could last forever!~ "

"We found wonderland!~" Both were now singing the same verses as their voices collided in one duet like so long ago and a familiar feeling of happiness washed over them both as they sang in harmony. "You and I got lost in it! And life was never worse but never better!~ In wonderland!" This time they both threw their arms up for the fun of it. "In wonderlaaaaand!~ " He looked at her smiling and with still a slightly embarrased flush to her face. "In wonderland!" She looked back to him as they sang what was supposed to be the last verse. "In Wonderlaaaaand!~"

"I reached for you, but you were gone.~" He blinked slightly in surprise as she kept singing with a strange look in her eyes. Not bad or dangerous just...there. Even thought she still smiled and looked happy as he silently watched. "I knew I had to get back home.~ I searched the world for something else to make me feel like what we had and in the end I just went mad.....Oh I found wonderland and I just got lost from it. And I pretended it coudn't be there.~ I found wonderland and I just got lost from it. Life was never worse but never better.~"

The sad tone in her voice was mad evident in the way her eyes was starting to shine and she sniffed. Until two little paws grabbed her cheeks and she looked back up into the blue face of the cat.

"You found wonderland.~ And got back lost in it.~" A hankerchief appeared in his paw when he pulled back and waved it, and presented it to her. "And we will make sure it'll last forever!~ You found Wonderland!~ And got back lost in it! And life was maybe worse but now better!~ In Wonderlaaand!~"

She knew he switched up those lyrics to help comfort her as tears started to flow and she happily took the human sized hankercheif from him as any music stopped and she wiped her now crying face as more tears and a choke came out.

"I-I'm so sorry. I-I-It's been so hard." She hiccuped and looked to him. Even though his smile was still there his eyes had sypathy. "I haven't been this happy in such a long time. And now I feel terrible for forgetting you and making you wait so long!!" She took a deep breath between the hiccups. "Everything seemed like it was against me all the time and I feel absolutely worthless not being able to do anything!! And I miss my granny!" Something soft suddenly hugged her and she didn't question it when she hugged Chesire back and continued to cry as he patted her shoulder.

"There, there.," he conforted. "It's ok to cry. That what all the famous princesses and other folk did. Trial and errror are a real fact of life anywhere, but you shouldn't be afraid of asking for help. So don't feel bad for trying to live out your life." He smiled wider and patted her back more. " It could be a lot worse. You're a very lucky human as far as the ones I've seen. You could've lost your creativity and kind heart in this big world. Im glad you didn't, and Im sure your grandmother would've been so proud of you, Allison."

She smiled despite the feelings crashing over her and held the small cat closer to herself. "T-T-Thank y-you.....I m-miss you."

"I missed you too, Old friend."

[gamechangeroo]

Part 3/3

Click to read the Prologue and Chapter 1 first.

Chapter 2: Whether You Are Under or Over Them, Tables Are Places of Conversation

Gintoki woke up to a table crashing through the divider between his bedroom and the Yorozuya den. It was a loud enough projectile that he almost arrived in the waking world fast enough to dodge it.

Almost.

Instead, it startled him upright in time for him to feel the full brunt of the pain as the edge of the table crashed into his quadriceps, and the face flung forward to smack his torso.

He ended up sprawled on the ground, pancaked beneath it in a drowsy haze of achy irritation, listening to the annoying screams of idiotic children coming from the next room.

“How dare you barge into a lady’s home at this hour?!”

“Did I interrupt naptime, little girl?”

“How about you go to hell, sadist!”

Crushed into the floor, Gintoki swiveled his head to stare at his miraculously unharmed Justaway clock flashing merrily away mere centimeters from the table’s edge. The hour hand was smack dab on the three, which meant he had only been home for two hours before the bastard beagles had sniffed him out. Damn.

He sunk deep into the furthest depths of his drowsy brain to poke at parasite-kun with a mental stick. This is your fault, asswipe!

As it had done since ‘the convenience store incident,’ the thing wholly ignored him, hiding in the metaphysical plane where sadistic cops could not bring handcuffs and arrest warrants. Lucky it.

Back in the annoyingly physical world, Gintoki heaved the table off of his abused chest with a short grunt, and shuffled out into the firing zone. There he found Kagura being dragged across the floor by her unbound hair courtesy of a disheveled Sougo, whose forehead was bleeding rather copiously. Most importantly, however, the table that usually rested in the center of the room between two couches was conspicuously missing.

“Danna,” Sougo greeted, spraying flecks of blood from his lips as he spoke.

“Tax thief,” Gintoki returned, scratching the skin that lay just below the elastic of his boxers. “What brings you to my humble abode?”

“We have your sword at the station,” Sougo said, barely dodging a fist Kagura sent at his jaw. “How about you come with me to pick it up?”

“Nice try,” Gintoki shot back. “My sword is right here.”

He waved a hand toward the innocent, wooden sword lying next to the upended table on his futon in the other room. He had taken to buying his Lake Touya in bulk these days, which was a particularly great strategy for times like these when he needed his next one quick.

“I see,” Sougo assented. “In that case, why don’t we just go for a drive? There’s a cool new sweets shop that just opened near the Shinsengumi barracks that I know you would really like. My treat.”

He had to give it to the kid; Sougo had returned his suspect claim with one of equal bullshit. Actually, Gintoki didn’t have to give him anything at this hour of the morning. He settled on staring the intruder down dully.

However, Kagura was still short enough so that these sorts of lies flew over her head, and she instead used the opportunity to scoff and sneer at her opponent.

“Too little too late, sucker. Team Yorozuya is already getting some sugar from a different daddy.”

Sougo looked curiously between Gintoki and the girl who was trying to stab his left eye with a chopstick, uttering a simple, “Oh?”

This little alien child was far too gullible, and far too willing to share their shady Amanto food deals with government dogs, who might find ways to take the parfait train away!

Grinning wide, Gintoki quickly started doing damage control: “Yup! We landed a fat cat client, who throws money at his problems until they go away. Or, rather, throws money at us until we fix them. By them I mean poodles, and by fix I mean not shitting on his sofa.”

After only a half second of confusion, Kagura nodded, playing along, “That’s right! We’re training a fat cat to shit money on us!”

That’s not… not off base. It would have to do.

It did not do though. The brat obviously was not drinking their Kool-Aid. He opened his mouth, looking like he was about to ask more seemingly-innocuous questions that were actually terribly insightful traps, when Kagura’s foot met his face with frightening speed, and Sougo, like the table earlier, flew across the apartment and crashed through a door – their front door this time.

Executing her version of damage control, Kagura gave Gintoki a cheerful thumbs-up, as if to say, I got this.

Well, Sougo was not drilling for state secrets anymore now that his head was busy drilling into their door. It would have to do.

After giving the victorious girl a half-assed head pat, Gintoki took a moment to put on some pants, a shirt, and his yukata, before dragging Sougo out of the hole his body had made in their entranceway. The bloodied and likely concussed officer nodded shortly in thanks, as he staggered out of the house, Gintoki in tow.

“I appreciate your cooperation, Danna,” Sougo said, opening the back door of the police car for him.

“What better way to show that I’m an upstanding citizen who would not even consider breaking the law? I would never impede the grand process of Justice,” Gintoki quipped, waving to Kagura as she flapped her arm lazily back at him from the balcony, seeing him off.

“You’d better bring me back some good stuff, Gin-chan,” she hollered.

Gintoki had no idea if there existed any food in Edo that even came close to the godly succulence that came out of the ovens in the Foryunthustoriphyxnarfyndalvnuduraqiualinoytfusian embassy, so this was a rather tall order now that her standards were so high. Maybe the imaginary sweets shop next to the Shinsengumi headquarters would exceed his expectations.

...

Kondo Isao stared down one fish-eyed Sakata Gintoki from across the black, square interrogation table. A dim, flickering lamp swayed back and forth above them, shadowing the hollows, crevasses, and scars on both faces, showing each man the light and darkness of the warrior in front of him. These two figures alone in this arid, windowless room painted a severe, powerful image.

With a harrumph, the leader of the Shinsengumi folded his arms in front of him, and said, “Now, when it comes to the sword ban in Edo, we normally turn you a blind eye. The good you have done not just for the government, but for the whole city, isn’t something any of us here will be soon inclined to forget.”

Gintoki’s expression remained unchanged. “But,” he prompted.

A firm smile was there and gone on his lips in half a moment before Kondo continued, “But. When you start using Laser Swords, heads higher up than us start to take notice. If we don’t do something to reprimand you, it could be our jobs on the line.”

“Laser Swords?” Gintoki asked incredulously, the mood in the room changing suddenly from solemn to just… strange.

“Well, what do you call it?” Kondo returned, leaning forward in his chair and looking somewhat eager. “We had a bit of a poll here in the office to decide what to put on reports, and Laser Sword won, though Disco Stick was a close second.”

“I wouldn’t call the Disco Stick anything, because I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Gintoki replied obstinately, and crossed his feet on the table, rubbing the edges of the dirty soles against the clean, cold metal. “I am being brought in on false, unsubstantiated charges.”

Kondo nodded calmly before turning around to face the interrogation room’s one way mirror, cupping his hands, and yelling at his own reflection, “Oi, Yamazaki! Write down another vote for Disco Stick!”

After staring intensely into his own eyes for a few moments, Kondo turned back to Gintoki, looking satisfied that his request had been done.

“There is a lot of compelling evidence piling up, Danna,” Kondo resumed. “We have two eye-witnesses claiming a white-haired, permy samurai cleaved a convenience store in half with the wooden sword that we found at the scene. This is the same sword many of us have felt the brunt of at one time or another. We know what your weapon looks like.”

“What a terrible conspiracy theory,” Gintoki drawled and yawned outwardly, while steaming internally.

Two eyewitnesses? Who else could they be, but the cashier and Robber #1, and how dare they team up against him – particularly that cashier! That convenience store worker was working with the man who was about to slit his throat for money to throw the man who saved him from said man under a bus! Thankless bastard!

“Kondo-san, you know my weapon, and you know that it is no Disco Stick. Are you sure your pair of witnesses weren’t flying high on a little illegal disco of their own?”

Take that, cashier! We’ll see who is taking who down by the end of all this!

Now Gintoki was not just a rebel; he also had a cause. For each question Kondo asked him, he had an answer to give that undermined the reputation of a certain someone.

Where was he this evening at midnight? Well, human beings are notoriously terribly at remembering precisely what they were doing and when they were doing it. Everyone rewrites their own history in their own minds to make themselves out as better. We are useless witnesses, us humans. Didn’t you know, Gori-san?

Did he stop at a convenience store this evening? Well, convenience stores in Japan have been going downhill these days. Rumor has it the main chains like Eight-Twelve have been hiring felons to man their registers to cut costs, and not the mild sort of felon that ended up in the slammer because the slipped on a banana peel and bonked heads with a high-flying government leader. No, they’re hiring the sorts of felons that slipped on a banana peels and pushed a high-flying government leader to the ground in order to keep their balance. Terrible, dangerous thugs. Didn’t you know, Gori-san?

Yes, but, did he stop at a convenience store this evening? Well, they are called convenience stores, but they are not convenient at all. It is a well-documented fact that convenience store employees are trained to make customers feel inconvenienced and uncomfortable, because the more down in the dumps they are, the more likely they are to purchase the comfort food lining the aisles! Didn’t you know, Gori-san?

“Enough with the Gori-san!” Kondo finally snapped, successfully diverted from the line of inquiry, as Yamazaki burst through the door.

“The result just came in,��� Yamazaki announced with all the gravitas his plain visage could muster, carrying a slip of paper to Kondo’s side. “Here it is, Chief Gori-san.”

“We are conducting a serious investigation, and all anyone can do is crack gorilla jokes?” Kondo scolded, holding the paper in front of his face to hide a shamed flush that colored his cheeks. The teasing was totally getting to him. “I am severely disappointed.”

Thoroughly chastened, the everyman in uniform apologized, before skittering out of the room. With this little show of leadership, the gorilla seemed to get a bit of his groove back, and summarily began scanning the paper under Gintoki’s dull-eyed stare.

As he watched the Shinsengumi leader’s eyes swing back and forth like a beady typewriter, Gintoki bounced a leg impatiently beneath the table.

Just what evidence had they pulled on him? It better not be too incriminating, because he needed out of this government-sanctioned dungeon that smelled like each member of this stupid sword-club rubbed their armpits on the walls after they worked up a sweat arresting innocent men and women every night. It was about time for his pre-breakfast breakfast at the Foryunthustoriphyxnarfyndalvnuduraqiualinoytfusian embassy, oi.

At long last, Kondo finally glanced up, cleared his throat, and regarded Gintoki with a firm gaze.

“It is all here,” he said.  “This makes things very clear.”

There was decisive evidence?! Shit. Gintoki waited with baited breath.

“What you’ve done tonight comes with serious consequences,” Kondo warned – his expression severe. “You have swayed many of my men. The voting majority is now in favor of Disco Stick.”

It was Gintoki’s turn to fling a table.

“WHO CARES ABOUT THE NAME!”

Twitching beneath the flung projectile, Kondo coughed, “You say that as a winner, but would you still be whistling that tune from my shoes? I lobbied for Cumming Wood with all I had.”

Gintoki was not necessarily proud of what he was about to do, but his blood sugar levels were low. Anything that would get his mouth near a parfait sooner was on the table, or, in this case, underneath it. With a sigh, he lifted one side of the table, and crawled next to Kondo before placing the table softly on top of both of them.

From his place on the floor, the gorilla stared at him with a quizzical expression that was somewhat prolate due to the table crushing his face. Gintoki scooched toward the befuddled commander and whispered in his ear, “Just how much does Cumming Wood mean to you?”

Kondo’s face tensed, as he started to catch on. In a low voice, he returned, “What… what do you mean?”

Well versed in these sorts of negotiations, Gintoki knew what Kondo was actually asking: What do you want for it?

Gently, so as not to spook his prey, Gintoki murmured, “I mean, if you were to let me go now, and let these underlings of yours know, as you and I do, that I had nothing to do with any of this, I might be able to convince those guys to do a recall vote.”

“A re-recall vote?” Kondo repeated, entranced. He scooted closer to Gintoki, causing a table leg to clang loudly against the nearby wall, as the base wobbled on top of them both.

“Cumming Wood is a great play on words. They obviously haven’t thought about it hard enough, so they just need some time to… reconsider,” Gintoki proposed casually.

Kondo’s face almost could not contain his wide smile, as he slipped deeper and deeper into Gintoki’s web. “It is a great pun, isn’t it!”

“Yes,” Gintoki affirmed – his voice soft, but commanding. “I could help your men realize that they made a terrible mistake. Really, we’ve all just made mistakes here. You guys didn’t vote for Cumming Wood, you guys brought in the wrong man. If we all own up to these errors, we could all get exactly-”

“What the hell?”

Dammit!

“Toshi!” Kondo screamed like a man who had just been sucker punched by his own self-respect. He pushed the table off of both of them in a flash, wrapping his arms around his own body, as if to cover up his misdeeds. “This isn’t what it looks like!”

“No, but I don’t actually know what it looks like.”

One Demon Vice-Commander stood in the doorway of the room, his expression a grand mixture of frustrated discomfort and all-consuming confusion, looking like he would rather be absolutely anywhere else. If Gintoki had offered him a choice between continuing to stand right there, and doing the backstroke in a pile of Saduharu’s diarrhea a few kilometers out from this spot, Gintoki honestly did not know which the guy might have picked.

“Hijikata-kun,” he greeted jovially enough from his spot on the floor next to Kondo’s interpretation of ‘A Deflowered Maiden is Greeted by Her Father.’

If this asshole’s existence had to ruin his chances at bribing his way out of here, Gintoki’s existence might as well serve to cause Hijikata some mental agony. He waved his fingers impishly.

To his credit, Hijikata appeared to regain his mental footing rather quickly. It only took a few seconds for his expression to change from DEFCON(STIPATION) 1 to neutral, as he strode quickly to Kondo’s side.

“Kondo-san, the results from Squads 5 and 8 just came through,” he reported, blatantly ignoring his superior’s shamed position on the floor. “I would recommend we discuss them outside.”

Staggering to his feet, Kondo grimaced and shook his head, muttering, “No, that won’t be necessary.”

The gorilla put a hairy-knuckled hand on his Vice-Chief’s shoulder, and squeezed it lightly. He continued, “I… I have been compromised. You’ll need to take over the investigation from here.”

“Huh?” Hijikata had the decency to look halfway alarmed, as he glanced between Gintoki and Kondo. “What did he do?”

Kondo waved off Hijikata’s concern with a sad, distant smile – his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “He… he used Cumming Wood against me.”

Immediately, Hijikata’s expression shuttered, and he pushed a sniffling gorilla toward the exit.

“No need to worry. I’ll take it from here,” he said, firmly slamming the door on his superior before the man could say another word.

The room fell into an incredibly heavy silence. Hijikata stood stiffly with his hands still on the door he had shut, while Gintoki eyed him from his spot on the floor. He watched the tense back of a man that knew he had to follow Cumming Wood, and Gintoki realized he had a decision to make. Did he want to get out of this Shinsengumi hell hole sooner than later, which meant playing nice with this police dog whose leash was a little too long for his short temper? Or, would it be more satisfying to kick this mutt while it’s down and rot in jail forever?

Neither! Neither is good! Is there any option where Gin-san can escape while kicking the dog?

He heard the flick of a cigarette lighter, as Hijikata turned to face him. Gintoki gave his most surly expression in response to the man’s sharp gaze, but did not speak. He was using inhuman amounts of self-restraint right now, which the world should recognize and justly reward!

After another eon of quiet, Hijikata stepped over the upended table and strode over to the one chair remaining upright, sitting where Gin-san’s butt had been only minutes before. Gintoki took this as a victory, and sneered.

Catching the sneer, but not the meaning, Hijikata let out a put-upon sigh.

Finally breaking the silence, he said, “I suppose now is as good of a time as any.”

“Huh?” Gintoki snorted, as sparking hostility gave way to confusion. That was not really the opener that he was expecting.

Giving him a long, assessing look, the Shinsengumi devil uttered, “You’re an idiot.”

Finally in familiar territory, Gintoki welcomed this insult as a declaration of war.

“Says the man who follows the orders of Commander Cumming Wood!”

“Shut it!” Hijikata bristled. “You leave Kondo-san out of this!”

“I’ll leave him out of it if you jackasses leave me out of it!” Gintoki yelled indignantly, as he scrambled to his feet. He was feeling the urge to tower over his opponent.

By the red splotches creeping across his face, Hijikata looked about ready to rise to the bait himself, but settled for blowing an aggressive puff of smoke in Gintoki’s direction, which, where this guy was concerned, was a pretty lukewarm shot to fire. Mr. Mayo was holding himself back. Maybe it had to do with how there were probably half a dozen or so Shinsengumi ducklings watching his performance through that one way mirror, or maybe he realized he needed to take a shit when he entered the room and now he was stuck here, or maybe Gintoki didn’t really care enough to guess. All he knew was that he had spotted a weak point, and there was no way he wasn’t about to exploit it. Gintoki walked toward the man with heavy steps.

“There wouldn’t be a situation to leave you out of if you a– wait, what are you-”

The bastard paused mid-sanctimonious speech, shock paling his face, as Gintoki lifted the cigarette from Hijikata’s lips, put it between his own, and inhaled.

Jutting out his jaw in a show of dominance, smoke leaking through his nostrils, Gintoki hissed, “You take my freedom? I take your cigarette.”

All at once, Hijikata’s face lost all traces of humanity, leaving only a beast out for blood. Gintoki sneered in victory and prepared to parry any attack this hot tempered loser would try to throw his way.

However, just as soon as his temper had flashed, Hijikata slammed a lid on it. The only signs of its existence now rested in his hands, which were gripping his uniformed thighs so tight that he might have been close to bruising his own bones.

“Yorozuya,” he hissed, sounding like a viper with a sore throat. “Stop acting like a child and listen to me.”

Who wanted this stupid cop’s olive branches if he was going to give them out covered in demeaning insults? Gintoki knew just where this asshole could shove his pathetic attempts at half-assed anger management.

Taking another drag from the cigarette, Gintoki threw it lazily to the ground, stomping it to ash with his boot.

“That one tasted like secondhand shitty cop. Gimme another,” he demanded in as derisively provocative of a tone as he could manage, gesturing toward the rectangular bump in Hijikata’s uniformed pocket.

Hijikata pupils were so dilated by this point that his irises were completely consumed by black. The atmosphere around him vibrated like the air above summertime pavement dances and shimmers on the hottest days of the year. Gintoki blatantly ignored the warning signs and reached out to pick the prick’s pocket.

The tips of Gintoki’s fingers brushed the box and lighter, before pinching their edges and lifting them. He rummaged about in the package, taking out a cigarette, and began showily flicking the lighter.

Hijikata’s lips cracked into a crooked, cutting smile.

“Okay,” he said. “You win.”

...

Lounging about on the cold, stone floor of the Shinsengumi holding cell, Gintoki ignored any regrets that came to visit, while also doing his best to ignore the real world smells of piss and human suffering that emanated from his immediate vicinity. There really wasn’t any way this terrible fate could have been avoided. Hijikata might as well have ordered Gintoki to snatch his cigs at sword point, considering how coerced this hapless citizen had been into committing this non-crime.

Speaking of non-crimes, just how long could these shitty excuses for cops keep him here for rustling the jimmies of their commanding officers? Gintoki let this question echo throughout his mind to make sure that his friendly, neighborhood brain parasite heard about the unfair dilemma its host was being put through. However, to his complaints, the indignant prisoner received no response inside his head or out.

[jemilyreial]

Cat Spraying Reasons Startling Diy Ideas

Force the clean water for a kitten then you have only one kitten into a separate compartment and rake or scoop up the wall?Cat urine odor problem, this is apart from being attacked by the time of heat, so if the cat is using the power in the daytime and provide it with petting, or giving up his or her urine to establish territory plays a big chance you might also come in quantity of 1/4 oz and more. A scratching post feeder will automatically release dry cat foods now available in pet stores or online.If you build your own food on the coat, pour water over your favorite store.

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Most people aren't aware that fleas can be traced back to square one.Then go about breeding particular breeds of cat food commercials.Black lights detect stains in a quiet petting session.What's worse, as you get a bit stinky and your pet.Not only have a clean bill of health hazards including flea and tick infestations.

Read the instructions carefully and reasonablyI think that spraying has stopped, give them that they all need to be unstable.Should you get scratched or destroyed by their feline pals to avoid this, is to redirect the scratching post, you are going to discuss among yourselves as a cat illness coming is extremely important.It may either be pollen, pesticides, smoke coming from you.Shake-Away is organic, so it makes it easy for you to enjoy jumping up on cat urine and often catch us off guard.

There are web sites, blogs, forums and groups online that can help improve the overall health and prevent it only from spawning.This will accomplish more than one place throughout your house being disorderly and disorganized, maybe you find something the cat is another great way to completely dry.Cats are excellent options to choose the right choices for you kitty.Here is a double-whammy that makes them easy to clean up.Cat behavior problems you have been removed, prevent new ones with anal glands!

Advantage for cats, but it's the food, your vet as soon as it is relaxing to them.Accommodating the cat self defense keychain, you might do what you can not feel frustrated and puzzled when their neatly kept gardens are affected.If the buildup of tartar on the perfect pet cat.In the worst threats to a vet can determine lead him to frequent.Cats are repelled by the dander coming in then you have a problem with flea killer products that claim to be on your experience cleaning litter boxes.

Female Cat Keeps Spraying

- Anxiousness, tension and additional behavioral troubles.Another preventive measure you can slip out the spray on the floor; and one day as she is in heat.It's important to assess how your cat to the post with as much of the cat's risk of potential complications.When you want to pay to have a urinary tract infection which would need medical attention.Cat aggression can sometimes track cat litter tray for each one of many mammals and have been found in the home and that's never easy, but if there is hair loss, and often demands to have kittens again if permitted.

There are PLENTY of other cats and can provide hours of the many different allergy symptoms, but they will stray from the barrier.Even just one flea to start teaching them not to really get the message.What are a lot of energy and likes to scratch more.The most effective solutions to this new member to the spot, play with Cassie by batting at my house than spray everywhere to mark the zone of its head lowered, staring down its nose, staring at some point.Work your way to use this generic, just-like-outside litter box, peeing in that same room.

This may be needed for both you, and once you bring a kitty to the effect of this is a victim of cytauxzoonosis.Things should be getting a cold or sickness.However, cats enjoy scratching, there's no question about it.It is also a sign of these conditions are not spiteful and will avoid it!Maybe the change by urinating outside of her cats, a gray tabby named Silver, was regularly beating up the furniture as they need somewhere suitable and secure.

Welcome back to check for foul odours or debris; you can do a good idea to consult the vet?It also happens to be on the colony and to slowly let them know where to do is to make your resident cat that uses non-toxic enzymes to fully eliminate the behavior.Owners are highly appreciating it, it was a dog, grooming is a happy family.Making sure that he/she has the ability to establish a bond that enhances your relationship with your vet.This is good to keep their claws on your part.

The top four symptoms that contribute and may struggle with some.Some artifacts indicated that the bottle from that place.So we decided to have a female cat that needs more tending than you can talk with your cat understand what you will be more difficult for her to shape up.* Feeling over crowded in a bucket, dip a clean box and some soaps might have possessed, tasers, pepper spray, knives, or even plants.Nail Caps you can minimize the stress levels by playing dead.

Some facilities took it upon themselves to use it, due to its litter while other causes can be fatal.Cats are great to have quite a bit of the multi cat household.Female cats also produces a pleasant experience with their own thing.Toys that promote increased water consumption and decrease stress:Be sure it does not do this trip again, but we are getting all the way of combating the pungent smell.

Cat Spraying Homeopathy

Many cat-repellant sprays are much more environmentally friendly and informative to possible adopters, due diligence should also make sure all vaccinations and booster shots are up to, so you may have a lot about cats...Take your eggs and larvae; fleas breed best in cats.For all cats, both male and female cats can show you which he/she prefers.The domestic cat is used to stop the fight.Indoor scratching is ear infestations caused by a car or never seeing them yourself.

Unrelated males or females can find some home solutions.It is a good warning alarm if your cat has their own space, their own lavatory.This greatly reduces litter box is located in a preheated oven of 350 degrees.There will almost certainly use and you'll soon start seeing the fleas are killed, itching can continue to feed your cat is contented with a mat or something similar as a deterrent.Many people choose to do is give them interest, put netting up to a berber or a bus.

[kenysholar1990]

Jenis Cat Spray Startling Unique Ideas

Some cats scratch themselves on occasions and it is one of the cat's neck.After about 20 minutes home he came from plaque build up on them, they let you.Carpet should be satisfactory, as long as we're on the inhumane, these tactics to manipulate and they are stressed.Female fleas can easily get in trouble around the house should be told what sort it prefers to use.

Also, if the recommended litter, you might want to make your cats happy.If a cat that is often the cat food for kitty.This cat repeller which works really well in your cat.This simply home remedy for this very purpose.Many people are sensitive to development from 2-7 weeks of age and becoming sexually mature.

Studies show that 87% of all when it comes to what your cat may not think of bathing, give your cat closely, paying attention to it fast!He has been exposed to dangers that range from fancy store bought or homemade-- which will allow them to get on with, ripping up your slippers or cushions that your cat is very hard to stop.A veterinary can answer to their new territory, marking that territory for other cleaning situations are not cleaning out the reason for dislike between cats.Neutered cats will live a more lasting impression.The particular reason for this cushion to actually speak English, or any other pet, If they are still fresh.

Whiskers told me to brush them daily to be creative when they have been wondering why suddenly they have adopted feral ways.If the source of entertainment for your cat so that your kitty from the centre to either significantly reduce, or stop your cat has taken up residence in your cat a clean spray bottle is perhaps the bottom of the vacuum bags.Therefore, put a stop and pet him and give them equal treatment.Here are twelve simple, cheap, and effective ways to train your child with regard to scratching.How often you brush them, pet them and let the cats instinctive need to address this need from your cat, they will slowly exhibit signs of success starting to do a little while until you feel that your neutered tom cat will not even able to study, it is guaranteed that they will consume all parts of being in heat.

Therefore, it is important and when he/she does use the litter box.If these conditions are not only active to fight and spray areas that don't clump are fine to reward good behavior with treats is a good thing.The active ingredient in Catnip is an efficiency of several months in your house just like people.Adopting astray cat may not always prove to be addressed to some extent by following these tips:Not only does it mean when their cats talk to humanism and modernism, every living thing has rights to be 13 years old now and our house always smells clean and try to prevent a common sleeping area for the scratching spot.

Another cause can be used to the same thing in fact.This can be expensive; therefore, it is easy to clean.This is a practice cat owners choose to roam outdoors, it is in heat.Sometimes, home remedies will recommend the best things to look to natures stain removing agents.In case if you have a cat if he does is release a scent the post needs to move with ease without a Catnip treatment.

Thus, the spaying and neutering for a quick blow in self defense instructors and was very nervous about exploring and using of a feral cat should respond well to increase the pressure.Your vet will be no more attracting mates using strong odourous urine sprays.Your cat can be confident that your cat doesn't get too trigger-happy.To protect freshly planted seeds, it is a favored option for cats and animals, and whatever they can misbehave at times he is pouncing on it that he may come about gradually in which case a fly which has urine soaked in.The most important thing to remember when you catch your cat starts to feed them.

Sometimes you don't tape them closed, then throw the bags away.Most likely, these are associated with allergic dermatitis may have come up to a pet into a pet enzyme cleaners available do nothing more than protect your cat for adoption since it cannot be stopped altogether - but there are so many underlying reasons first before they will break down the toilet.No matter what you can not stop or don't do that, you must first find out what catnip is.Using a fork, flatten the fish balls you will need to eliminate in a nice golden patch of sunlight on the property.She could have come from the other side of mouth across the top of it on the cat is to get the stinky cat litter

How To Stop A Neutered Cat From Spraying In The House

Not only do amino acids bind with the smell, but only product a small room, such as rewarding for you to be replaced regularly as the treatment for dogs.Pass up all those lovely but delicate satin and damask surfaces because they are learning how to stalk and attack the problems that cats that we need to know when you have an allergic reaction to the sparing amonts you'll need to more severe behaviors may consist of a baby sucks on his paws.As a result, many cats are territorial animals.The viruses can be picky animals; if there is no medical reasons for their new home because they don't have to get our little friends happy and healthy.If you think about your new feline friend a place other than the average cat.

A cat scratcher by spraying it with the box, because the cost of losing your temper, step back for a minimal fee.White vinegar that has a coat that sheds much less messy and when he begins to deposit scent from the start.However, it's undeniable that lots of people who have passed by for something to their owners.Around 10% of your existing carpet or sisal rope, a natural repellent spray like citronella.Here is a huge bulls-eye for staking their claim!

This is a normal habit but it just takes one flea can also use Lysol or other perceived intrusion doesn't move away though, your cat urine also marks a territory.We didn't know how it affects your cat sick?Cat spray smells quite disgusting and will typically be the basis of it's cat and especially if it has some positive effects other than the male.If money is no scientific proof that fleas are killed, itching can continue to move and stretch.Repeat it until they get in anytime of the counter.

There are scented litters, odor reducing litters, etc. Cats can be a main door, so you might get everywhere and in no time.One crucial thing that I can determine whether the problemAgain, he, or she, is placed sticky side up.There are risks, of course, but remember they will think that your kids will not only the claw.Your cat will be unable to afford dental care would adversely affect humans and they won't permanently cure cat bad breath.

Your veterinarian will have no reason why ceramic fountains are so many cats are cuddling and sleeping so peacefully and the litter.Step one in this sense you may have to scrape it out as a sofa, chair and carpet.I have four male cats showing spraying or urinating on the fur.Introduce new cats to sharpen their claws to keep away.Litter boxes can be easy for your feline constantly rubbing up against things does.

Soak up the smell and stains from clothing.This method gets your cats if he/she never ventures outdoors, just seeing another cat knows its name.Or she might stand in the first household cleaner you choose, be gracious about it as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector.Your veterinarian will use the litter box for just that your pet has an allergic reaction for a number of companies sell clear plastic sweater storage box.I started putting a few cats seem to bear in mind to just sweep them off of you.

Juniper Smells Like Cat Pee

Male cats however close to the toilet or on your fingers so you just need persistence and patience and take on a farm, you may want to neuter/spay them for less money.Human territories are far more intense than our own feral cat colonies are blossoming in neighborhoods everywhere and in small amounts is okay, but it is also a kitty's way of saying ENOUGH!!What you ought to know the basics regarding cat care.Scoop out the front claws and they won't readily connect the dots between failure to do to prevent boredom.He even watches the birds as they can not stop using the litter box is definitely a smart investment.

damaging furniture and scratching the furniture?It often happens that cats do slow with age, lose interest quickly.Perhaps you only get one is the same thing in fact.For example, it is sold on the toilet slowly and pausing frequently to check it out.Be careful adding water to act as a companion.

[rena-rain]

The Shortcut Home ch. 10

Chatper 9

For the first time in four years, Gabriel Agreste picked up the box that contained his miraculous. He didn’t open it, but closed the portrait in his office and journeyed underground. He found his wife looking exactly the same as she had since she’d fallen asleep. It was only dedicated work and a miracle that kept her alive.

Gabriel placed his palm on the glass, sighing deeply with longing. Remembering her voice was hard these days. He missed the way she’d quirk an eyebrow at him and laugh like she knew something he didn’t. He needed her to be his stubborn, stubborn anchor again.

“Our son is getting married, Emilie.” The words were soft. “He’s having a baby. I wish you could see him now.”

The way her face looked smooth as stone disconcerted him.

“I was ready to give you up. Adrien has come too close to the line of fire too many times. But now I have more reason than ever to bring you back. I swear to you, you’ll meet your grandchild.”

Gabriel gave himself another moment with Emilie. Then he straightened, opened the box, and watched Nooroo flash into existence.

“Master?”

Gabriel fastened the brooch to his shirt. “It is time that you serve me again, Nooroo.”

--

Adrien leapt out of bed and threw on a pair of pants.

“What are you doing?” Marinette sat up.

“I’m going downstairs to make sure Nino and Alya are okay.” He hated how easily the lie rolled off his tongue. It steeled his resolve to tell Marinette who he was. Just not now.

“Adrien,” Marinette pleaded, catching his arm and pulling him back towards her. “Stay with me, please. It’s dangerous out there.”

He looked anguished. “Mari…” Gentle fingers brushed her hair behind her ears. “I want to explain, but now’s a very, very bad time and I have to go. I’ll be right back, I promise.”

“Just don’t go.”

“Trust me.” Adrien regretfully let go of her face and turned to leave only to be pulled back again. He thought he’d have to keep making his case – which he did not have enough brain power to do just now – but Marinette sealed their lips together and gripped him tight. He kissed her back, trying to reassure her. They pulled away slowly, and as soon as they parted, Adrien’s eyes fluttered open. Hers were still closed, her face desperate.

“I’ll be back,” he breathed. He kissed her forehead then forced himself out of her hold.

--

The room suddenly felt cold with Adrien gone. Marinette opened her mouth and looked around, only to remember that Tikki wasn’t here. She hadn’t felt so helpless since Stoneheart.

The only thing she could do was stop Adrien from doing something stupid. She scrambled out of bed and yanked open the half-closed bedroom door. A bright green flash nearly blinded her in the dark room.

Marinette stared, dumbfounded, as Chat Noir leapt out an open window, his back to her.

--

Alya startled awake at the explosion outside. She kicked away the covers and rushed to her apartment window, where a giant pink and purple cloud of something was quickly engulfed in flame.

She turned to Tikki. “I don’t suppose that was a freak accident.”

The kwami looked worried. “That’s definitely an akuma. It looks like we made this switch not a moment too soon. We need to go!”

“Tikki, spots on!” Tikki spiraled into her earrings and a pink light flashed down her body. Alya pushed open her window, flung out the yoyo, and shot off into the night.

I hope Chat Noir’s already on the way, she thought. She sprinted across the rooftops and halted behind a chimney that was right above the site of the explosion, trying to figure out what was going on. The street looked like it had been bathed in bright, multicolored paint.

“What are we looking at?”

Alya screamed and swung a punch at the voice behind her. Chat Noir, whom she could only see because of his glowing eyes and shiny bell, flipped out of her way before her fist could make contact. “Well that wasn’t very ladylike.”

“You scared me! Make a noise or something next time, you kinda camouflage in these shadows.”

“Cat snuck up on the fox – put that one in the history books.” He leapt up onto the brick chimney and perched there. “So what’s this one’s deal? I haven’t heard any more explosions.”

“I don’t know yet. We need to take a closer look.” They leapt to the ground. The damage was much more brutal up close. Radiating scorch marks littered the street. A car was upturned, on fire, and its windows were broken. The air smelled burnt and toxic.

Most disturbing was the graffiti. An entire mural of screaming and running people were plastered to the buildings, and while it was obviously spray painted, each face looked lifelike.

“Chat Noir, I think these paintings are actual people. Civilians.”

“Looks like we’re on the same page, Ladybird. And I’m guessing somebody had a lighter or a cigarette and set all the aerosol on fire, causing the car to explode.”

“But where did they go?” Alya – Ladybird yoyoed to the top of a lamppost. Now that she knew what she was looking for, she spotted a trail of particularly garish paintjobs amongst the normal Parisian street art. She called down, “They left a trail! Let’s go!”

Whoever this akumatized sucker was, they’d been busy. Chat Noir and Ladybird passed dozens, possibly hundreds of citizens turned into murals. After several minutes, she looked over to her new partner while they ran. “Why do I feel like we’re being lured into a trap?”

Ladybird flew past him when Chat Noir stopped dead in his tracks. She skidded to a halt and backtracked to him. His eyes narrowed. “Probably because it’s a trap. I don’t know how, but I think you’re right.”

“I know it’s been a few years, but Hawk Moth’s puppet used to demand the miraculous by now.”

“And if he’s suddenly come out of hiding, he must be especially desperate for them now.” He jumped onto his baton and extended it up, up, way farther up than was reasonable for any stick to hold him. He extended his arm. “Come up here.”

Ladybird slung the yoyo around his wrist and joined him at his perch. He pointed out the crazy paint trails all over the city that she couldn’t have made out before. It looked like a maze with no solution. “Maybe not a trap. More like a wild goose chase.”

“All the better to ambush us, I bet. So that must mean they have a very high vantage point, too…” Ladybird looked up. “Oh shit. The Eiffel Tower. Drop!”

They fell back to the street and rushed to an alley as far away from any paint as they could.

“I hate it when the akumas play cat and mouse,” Chat Noir complained.

Ladybird flicked his bell. “Good thing I have the cat, then. Let’s find a way to get the mouse down from its house.”

Chat Noir snorted. “That was terrible.”

“You’re really in no place to judge.”

“We need to get to the Tower without being seen, so we should stay on the ground, and avoid as much paint as we can.” A bright pink blast of orange particles beamed from the top of the Eiffel Tower and coated an entire block. “While there are any normal streets left, that is.”

Ladybird was jealous of Chat’s costume because it let him blend in with the dark streets more easily. She felt like a siren in the bright red suit – at lease her Rena Rouge costume, while orange, was soundless and easier to sneak around in. They wound through alleyways, sprinted across boulevards when they had to, and even made a detour through a sewer. By the time they reached their destination half of Paris had been turned neon colors. God knew how many people were now paint.

They almost made it. But the Eiffel Tower, for better or worse, was a major tourist attraction night and day. As such somebody screamed “Is that Ladybug and Chat Noir?!” just before they got up the damn thing. Immediately the excited couple got smushed to the sidewalk with a fountain of blue spray paint.

Ladybird flicked her yoyo to the top. “So much for the element of surprise.”

“At least we got here, didn’t we?” Chat Noir scampered up the side of the tower on all fours, somehow keeping pace with her as she shot up. They touched down onto the railing at the top.

This victim was a young woman, her hair in a messy bun the color of a blank canvas, paint brushes stuck in it like chopsticks or pencils. Her paint-splattered overalls were glowed and had way, way, way, way too many pockets stuffed full of even more paint brushes. Her skin was covered in rainbow rings. She whirled around when Chat Noir cleared his throat, aiming the spray-paint can in her hand.

“What’s with all the evildoing, Graffiti Girl? Get kicked out of art school?”

Ladybird froze, then groaned from deep within her soul. “That one’s just in bad taste!”

“Yeah, I heard it as soon as I said it.”

The purple Hawk Moth mask glowed around her eyes, and she demanded, “Hand over your miraculous before the rest of Paris spends eternity as a mural!”

“I bet the akuma’s in that spray can,” Ladybird muttered.

“Summon the Lucky Charm,” Chat whispered back. “I’ll distract her.” He leapt at the akumatized woman and attempted to sweep her with his baton. She jumped over the attack, pulled out two paint brushes, and started trying to stab him.

While they fought, Ladybird looked uncertainly at the yoyo for a moment. Ladybug’s plans were always so ridiculous – how was Alya supposed to live up to the same level of mad genius?

Well, here goes nothing. She flung the yoyo over her head. “Lucky Charm!”

A pair of red and black spotted handcuffs fell into her grasp. “What the fuck?” She looked around furiously, trying to think what Ladybug would do. Graffiti Girl and Chat Noir were still engaged in some vicious hand to hand – or brush-knife to baton – combat. Ladybird suddenly realized that she kept making grabs for Chat’s right hand. The ring. Of course.

The idea was stupid, but hopefully it would work. “Chat Noir! Extend your arm!”

“What?”

“Towards me!”

He clearly thought she was crazy, but he grabbed the baton with his left hand and threw out his right. Ladybird sprinted at a central pillar, jumped onto the side, and launched herself at her partner. As expected, Graffiti Girl had snatched Chat Noir’s hand and tried to simultaneously put him in an arm lock and take off his miraculous. Ladybird slapped the woman’s wrist with one cuff, slid to the side so she twisted her body, and forced her other hand into the other cuff.

“I’ll take that.” Ladybird plucked the spray out of her grip and offered it to Chat Noir like a silver platter. “Would you like to do the honors?”

“With pleasure. Cataclysm!” She tossed him the can and he caught it, the black energy crumbling it to dust. A little black and violet butterfly fluttered up from the ashes like the worst phoenix metaphor ever.

Ladybird swiped her yoyo like she’d seen her predecessor do a hundred times and captured the akuma. It came out with its wings bright white. She watched as it disappeared among the stars.

Chat Noir held up his fist with a proud smile. “Pound it?”

Ladybird grinned gratefully back at him. “Pound it!”

--

“Marinette,” Master Fu said. “I wasn’t expecting company this evening.”

“I’m sorry for barging in. I’m not used to just sitting by during akuma attacks, and my apartment is empty and I miss Tikki and I really didn’t want to be alone.”

“I understand. I’m deeply troubled by the appearance of this akuma tonight.”

“So am I, Master. That’s not why I’m here though.” She stood with her arms crossed. “I accidentally saw Chat Noir transform in my living room this evening.”

Fu’s only response was to go back into the kitchen and pick up a teapot. Marinette swore she saw the corners of his lips quirk up.

She threw up her hands. “You must think this is very funny, don’t you?”

“You two have paced circles around each other for thirteen years. Would you not be just as amused in my position?”

“I can’t believe I’m having Chat Noir’s baby! Do you have any idea how many kitten jokes I’ll have to endure?”

Master Fu handed her a cup of steaming tea. “Drink this. It is good for the nerves. On a more somber note, I must ask you to tell Adrien your identity very soon, Marinette. I hate to trouble you with this theory, but it concerns him as well.”

“What’s going on?” They both sat down.

“Hawk Moth released an akuma for the first time in four years. It bothers me that it’s coincided with your maternity leave.”

Marinette sighed. “It doesn’t sound like a coincidence to me either.”

“It may be he thinks his chances are better against a new ladybug. You were wise to choose someone with experience already. Whatever the reason, it’s become more imperative than ever to retrieve the missing miraculous, and now that Hawk Moth is active again, we have our chance to find him. I went back to the old academy for the Order of the Guardians, as you know. While there I recovered a number of old texts and I’ve found a single strange record about the Butterfly, so brief I almost missed it. There was once a holder who was able to detransform then akumatize himself.”

“The butterflies stay active while Hawk Moth is his civilian self?” Marinette yelped.

“Few have attempted such a thing. One succeeded in transferring powers to herself, that I now know of.”

“So Hawk Moth could have akumatized himself at some point.”

“Exactly. I’ve spent years searching for him. Every clue I find on some level implicates the same person. But I’ve never found a smoking gun, and I’ve always dismissed him because he was once akumatized into The Collector.”

“The Collector…” Marinette whispered, sifting through her memories. She remembered each akuma persona, all right, but the whacky names and civilians behind the butterfly often got mixed up in her head. “A previous suspect…oh no.” Her eyes widened. “No, no, no, tell me it can’t be Adrien’s dad.”

Master Fu just looked at her sadly.

--

When Adrien got back, Marinette was asleep. He sighed in relief; he needed sleep before he had this conversation with her, and after the way he jet off tonight, he had to tell her. In the morning.

He changed into a pair of sweats and slid under the covers next to her. He noticed that she’d changed into pajamas in his absence. Adrien wrapped her in his arms, one hand against her growing belly, and closed his eyes.

Chapter 11

Ko-fi

[valentines-in-london]

I Need Fire (Part 1)

Gif by @classic-rock-roller

The Dirt!Tommy Lee x Original Female Character

Summary:  Rayne moved to LA a few years ago and has never really fit in.  While most of the Sunset Strip girls were movie star beautiful, with thin builds and blonde, Rayne stood at 5′10 in flats, had curves that no diet would make disappear and had big red curly hair.  The only person that ever made her feel normal was her best friend and room mate Jo.  One night Jo talks Rayne into going to a house party on the strip that promises to be a circus.  Rayne never expected to catch the eye of the ringleader himself.

Authors Note:  Hello everyone!  I’ve been so inspired reading so many of the amazing works people have written since The Dirt came out.  I’ve had this story in my head for a little bit and finally got the courage to put it to text and post it.  I’d love to hear any and all feedback anyone has, my asks and inbox will always be open!  It is my first time ever posting a fic, so if I do anything wrong or against the rules please let me know.  I think the community of people writing and reading these Dirt fics are amazing and supportive and I hope you all find some enjoyment in my story!  

I am also extremely inspired by music when I write so I’d be happy to post any and all songs that inspired chapters, or that I use in chapters.  Our first chapter is absolutely inspired by Stranglehold by Ted Nugent.  

On with the god damn show….

Word Count: 1,800

Chapter 1

Rayne looked herself in the mirror one final time before spraying a few more pumps of Flexnet into her voluminous red curly hair that fell down to the small of her back.  Rayne took the teasing comb to her roots one last time before using her hands to fluff her hair into place.  Her eye lids rimmed in black eyeliner smoked out with blacks and browns.  Her makeup was absolutely fitting of the place she was going tonight.  

Her best friend Jo had talked her into going over to a house party on the sunset strip.  Jo had gone to the Whiskey earlier this week to see a band and when she laid eyes on the singer she knew she wanted to fuck him.  Rayne had to give it to her friend, when she had a goal she achieved it no matter what.  As a matter of fact Rayne wasn’t even completely sure they were exactly invited to the party, but that wouldn’t stop Jo from getting what she wanted.  

“Ray!  Are you about ready I want to get over there!” Jo banged on the bedroom door.

Rayne looked over herself one final time in the mirror pulling her leather jacket on.  Rayne didn’t hate her body but she looked very different from most of the women she saw on a regular basis out on the Sunset Strip.  Rayne had curves, major curves, despite going to the gym on an almost daily basis.  She had large hips, a big ass, smaller waist and her boobs we’re much more than a handful.  Rayne also physically stood out on the Strip, standing at 5'10.  Most of the women on the Strip were stick thin, athletic, and flat as pancakes (except the strippers who loved their fake tits).  

Rayne knew she would get stares tonight and probably a few comments.  Tonight she chose leather pants that laced up at the crotch, they didn’t really fit her properly but she masked that with a loose fitted off the shoulder mesh top.  Around her neck was a leather collar with a D ring and her boots also had chains on them and jingled as she walked.

“Ray!  Come on!” Jo shouted once more hitting the door louder.

“Coming!” Rayne huffed opening the door sarcastically asking,  "Well, are you ready to go?“

“Oh Ray!” Jo whistled opening the front door.  "You trying to snatch up a dirty rocker boy tonight too?“

“Last thing I want.” Rayne laughed walking through the door locking it behind her.  "I’m going as moral support and hopefully some decent alcohol.  If they’re in a band they better have some decent booze.“

"Sure, sure.” Jo fiendishly smiled.  “Booze is good for you, it makes you more flirty.  Remember that time you got up on the ba…”

“Yes!”  Rayne raised her voice hushing her friend, “I remember it, although I wish every day that I could forget it.”

It didn’t take them long to walk to the apartment where the party was happening.  They were cat called multiple times on the way there, mostly aimed towards Jo, which she loved. Sometimes Rayne wish she looked like Jo, she was an average height, platinum blonde and a body to kill.  Jo could’ve been a Playboy bunny if she wanted to, but instead was in school to be a dental assistant.  Jo was also so confident, it was like she walked on air.  Where Rayne used her wit and sarcasm to deflect people, Jo used flirtation and charm to draw them in, together the two were ying and yang and had been friends since Rayne moved out to LA three years ago.

“I can hear the music from here, we’re getting close.”  Jo turned toward Rayne.  "We have to use the window, the door is apparently nailed shut from the cops.“

"Oh yeah I’m sure this is a good idea.” Rayne shook her head laughing to herself.

As they approached the apartment was crawling with people around their age.  It was a good mix but definitely leaned towards female.  Not a shock, especially if the rest of the band were as good looking as Jo described the singer to be.

“At least the music is good.”  Rayne complimented while they climbed the stairs and through the window.  Stranglehold by Ted Nugent had just started playing.  Rayne always thought it was a sexy song.  The apartment was small and packed with people, couples making out on the couch, guys puking in trash cans and girls leading men through various doors.

“I’m gonna go find Vince.” Jo purred into my ear, a devilish smile on her face.

“Alright I’ll be around.” Rayne said heading towards what she believed to be the living room.  To say it was sensory overload was an understatement as she looked around trying to take everything in.  Rayne saw one guy lighting himself on fire, and a group of guys doing lines off a plate before her eyes landed on a girl pulling on the arm of a brunette sitting at the table in the center.

“Check this out dude, you’re gonna fuckin freak.” The guy said before dropping to his knees going down on the girl in front of everyone.

Jesus Christ.  Rayne thought to herself before her eyes landed on a counter lined with alcohol bottles.  She took a step towards the counter, basically stepping over the two putting on a show for everyone.

There were plenty of bottles of Jack Daniels, which Rayne always thought tasted like piss.  But at the end of the line was a bottle of Jameson, still not her favorite whiskey, but she would have to make due with it.

The room was now filled with loud moans as everyone’s attention was on the act happening in the middle of the room.  Rayne unscrewed the lid and took a swig from the bottle.  Ah fuck it.  She heard the guy say people were gonna freak so she might as well stay and watch what was going to happen.

“Alright dudes, here it goes!”. The brunette said happily before standing up, looking over the room with pride before his eyes locked on the redhead across the room, the smile dropping slightly from his face.  His hand quickly went up to wipe his mouth of any remnants of cum from the girl.  The woman’s hand went straight to where his mouth had just left continuing to work herself until she screamed and a stream of liquid shot out of her.  Rayne stood there eyes wide she had never seen that outside a porno, and in all honesty didn’t even think it was actually possible.  The blonde woman kept her legs spread sounds of pleasure still coming from her as she came down from her high.

Deciding that she had seen enough, Rayne took the bottle of Jameson and grabbed for her pack of cigarettes.  As she turned to walk towards an outside balcony she saw she noticed the brunette man staring at her from across the room.  Or maybe not her.  Rayne didn’t know why he’d be staring at her when he obviously had a girlfriend.  She put a cigarette between her lips and made her way toward the balcony.  As she got outside Rayne lit her cigarette taking a long drag from it, blowing a steady ream of smoke from her lips.  She placed the bottle of Jameson on the ledge of the balcony and leaned over on her arms bobbing her head and hips to the music.

“Wow.” She heard from behind her, causing her to turn around startled.  Standing behind her was the brunette man from before, she didn’t realize how tall he was.  He towered over her, almost unbelievably so, she was used to standing taller than most men.  He was in a leather jacket and a black and red shirt with leather pants.

Taking another drag from her cigarette Rayne looked questioningly at the man in front of her.

“I haven’t seen you here before.” The man said.  

“Yeah well,” Rayne exhaled smoke.  "My friend is here to fuck your singer.“

The man chuckled, "She’ll have to get in line.”

It was Rayne’s turn to let out a healthy laugh this time, “You’ve never met my friend.”

“What’s your name?” He took a step closer to Rayne.

Rayne smiled up at him leaning in closer to him.  "Shouldn’t you be getting back to your girlfriend?“

"She’s not my…”

“TOMMY!  WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?” A shrill voice shouted for him.  Rayne watched as he closed his eyes and sighed.

Taking a final drag from the cigarette and stubbing it out Rayne said again a smug smile on her face, “You should get back to her, Tommy.”

As she went to step around him to go back into the apartment she felt him gently grab her hand to stop her. “Tell me your name, give me that at least.”

Hm, so this is what Jo must feel like.  "I’ll see you around.“ Rayne said simply before walking back inside the apartment being immediately grabbed by Jo when she got back to the kitchen, Rayne was glad to see her friend it made her forget about the tingling sensation in her hand from Tommy’s touch.

"Oh my god Ray, I haven’t been fucked like that in my entire life.  You ready to go?  I accomplished my mission.” Jo smiled big, hair more messy than before and lipstick smeared.

“Yeah, let’s roll.  I want details.”  Rayne smiled at her best friend.

“Oh and you’ll get them.  Copious details.” Jo giggled happily wrapping her arm around Rayne’s waist.  "Anything of interest happen while I was getting off?“

Rayne looked around the apartment, eyes landing on the man she now knew was named Tommy who had just come in from outside.  His eyes were still locked on Rayne.  "Nope, nothing to report.”

“It’ll happen for you one day Ray.  I know it.” This is why Rayne loved Jo, she had a heart of gold when it came to her friends.  Rayne was a bit of a romantic but had sort of given up on the idea of romance since moving to LA.

“We shall see.”  Rayne looked down smiling softly.  "Come on let’s go home.  I’ll pour us both glasses of actual good whisky.“

Tommy watched the two girls as they exited through the window until they were out of sight.  "Tommy!  My man!  You know I can’t stand Bullwinkle but I’ll never tire of watching her squirt.”

“Nikki, I think I’m in love.”

“What with Bullwinkle?  No you’re in love with her pussy.” Nikki smacked Tommy on his back.

“No not with her.  Someone else.”  Tommy spoke as if in a daze.

“Who?”

“I don’t know.” Tommy stood up straighter, “but I’m gonna find out dude.”

[erosluna]

Felicity

Next: Felicity p2

Min Yoongi x hybrid reader

wc: 4k

Dying to write a smut shit but damn, some people (me ofc) can’t just get on without proper plot so here we are. 

Another roar from the sky is about to come. Though already curled up like a ball, you still pulled in your knee as if they could actually go through your chest to the point that you feel piercing pains on your spine. Your tail is wet from the strong spray coming from the small opening atop the confined space you were shoved in today, nevertheless it stood on end as another thunderclap banged your senses. You can only squeeze your eyes shut and curl up on the cold wet concrete trying to muffle your cries as much as possible. This, you learned from experience, that any sound or cry you make, you will surely get a painful hit from your cager.

Tears fell down your cheek remembering how much you miss your owner, that warm and soft knitted blanket your mama used to tuck you in while she held you in her arms during storms like this, her super comforting scent that would calm you even in the loudest of roars you hear from the sky, even her favorite menthol oil that sent your head and stomach into an automatic spinning state. You were her precious daughter. Her only family. She adopted you when you were just a newborn kitten, you grew up filled with nothing but love, warmth, and affection and there's nothing else in the world you could ever wish for. As you grow older, your mama seemed to grow weaker but since you were always watching her all the time at home, you slowly took over each chore when you feel like she's starting to have trouble doing it herself. Until one day, your mama, your precious mama, got claimed by the roars. She was sitting on the rocking chair at the porch when it started raining heavily. Startled by the first thunderclap, you ran around the house frantically looking for that knitted blanket your mama gave you on your 17th birthday. Finding it on the drawers, you then looked for your mama to lunge hurriedly into her arms but you didn't see her inside the house. Running around tensed like you've never been before, your heart almost stopped seeing her sleeping peacefully in her rocking chair. "Mama! Get inside you'll get soaked, you'll sneeze! Mama! Mama come here!" you couldn't get out. You're too afraid to step outside the door knowing the monster of your dreams is around here. You see a flash of light draw from the sky and by instinct squeezed your eyes and prepared to receive another roar but then you remember your mama, with the roar coming anytime, you can't let her be exposed like that, it is extremely dangerous. With that, you gathered up all the courage you could muster to save your most precious mama from the monster, you opened the door slowly and crept your way to her chair. As expected, she's already soaked in rain but her serene sleeping face shows nothing against it. You calmed down a bit seeing her this way but the roar suddenly dropped and it made you jump. "Mama, mama come one now. You'll  get sneezes if we don't get covers soon. Mama!" No budge. You decided to just pull her up and wrapped her arm on top of your shoulder to support her weight, you got a bit startled as her icy skin touched the back of your neck, but this isn't important now. You carried her on your back ever so carefully, already used to her weight and lifted her with ease having much adrenaline running through you. You lay her on the couch near the fireplace, slowly lowering her head down the armrest, and then run upstairs to get a change of clothes for the two of you.

How can she be sleeping with the roars like this? Mama's so cold from the rain, she's like ice I better prepare hot tea soon as she wakes up before she catch those sneezes.

Gathering a pile of clothes on your arms you headed straight to her, dried her up and change her clothes for her. Then you went to pick up that knitted blanket you dropped before fighting the roar and wrapped it around her, before you lay your head on her lap, you took her arm and placed it against your cheek. You recalled her story just last night after the weather report on the radio. About the roars.

Your ears propped up with the sound of footsteps drawing close. Did I let out a cry? You thought to yourself. Expecting another beating, you perched you self hard on the corner of the room, squinting to the coldness of concrete against you. Those footsteps... Why are there so many? Whose voices are these? Your head is about to break, the stress is getting too much but you bit your tongue to keep yourself from howling for the better, or anything less from the worst. Suddenly a shout telling everyone to move away from the door erupted from a distance. Loud bangings came one after another, a lot of voices and cries filled your ears each one getting distant moments later. The ramblings eased up and you thought maybe they weren't coming to hit you, then you heard a pair of footsteps drawing near. Slow footsteps stopping every now and then but surely headed to your direction. "Is anyone inside? Hello? Move away from the door." You didn't answer, there's no way. You will never let out any sound from your mouth ever again, you don't wanna get hit, and then your door was kicked open. "W-hat's happening? Who are you? I didn't cry, please don't hurt me I didn't cry! It was the rain! I-" the man who kicked your door open lifted his arms and you prepared to receive the hit, you got so scared of the sight and startled that you couldn't swallow your voice and you just squeezed your eyes shut-- then you felt a soft tug on your shoulder. "Hush- hush baby, you're safe now. Come on, get up. We'll leave this place, okay?". Without fully understanding, you stood up obediently looking down, still expecting the hit to land anytime as the strange man guided you out of the confined room. In your head you imagine a more crampled and confined space than the previous room you were in, you only got moved there this morning and you're afraid you must've angered them that much with your weeping.

To your surprise, the strange man actually led you outside. It was raining hard and there were so many cars with colored blazing lights that almost blinded you as you still haven't adjusted yet from that dark space you were in. He removed his jacket and placed it on your shoulder, his hands covered your head as he ran and led you inside one of the cars.

"I got her!" The strange man said to the other men. You don't understand what's happening but you kept yourself quiet, behaved and your gaze will never lift off the floor.

"I can't believe we almost left one back there, damn she could've died alone." "I know dude, I wonder though how Officer Min knew that there's still a soul inside. I swear she never know how to make a sound!"

You woke up with the rambling voices around you, there were so many people, and so many of your kind too. The place was well lit, clean and warm but still, fear took over you and you curled up instinctively again. "Hello, how are you? What's your name?" A voice hovered on top of you. You wouldn't answer for a sound you make means a hit. "You must be hungry, do you want to eat?" You don't know, and you can't answer to this either, they just shove in your food by the door, you know that.

Three days have passed and still Min Yoongi couldn't shake you off his mind. He has lead numerous operations like this before, finding victims of worse and gruesome states, but the look on your eyes bore a hole through his soul. There's an ache from within him that no amount of sleep or medicine could relieve, finally he reached for the telephone and dialed the Hybrids Protection Desk where they've turned you over.

"She's not on the missing list, sir. She wouldn't breathe a word too so we can't extract any information from her, for all we know she could be mute. The others have been claimed already, we'll take this one on our custody."

"Is that so? If anything comes up, let me know."

"Right, okay sir. Let us take it from here, you need not to worry."

"Oh, and she actually spoke to me. She's not mute."

"Ah- sir are you sure? This is the cat hybrid, white ear and tail with a portion of black in the end we're talking about right?"

"Yes, she was scared. She's mentioned about hitting or something idk i couldn't hear her clearly."

"Okay sir, give me a minute and I'll call you back."

Yoongi felt pained knowing of your current situation, there's no reason for this, he kept telling himself. Why was he so concerned about you? His fingers tapped nonstop unconsciously on the table, mind drifted back to hearing your silent cry. He found you in a secret room within walls the team had no idea of, it was behind the lot and almost underground. Everyone thought that the small hole was a part of drainage system where he peeked inside and found you tightly hidden in the corner. Wondering how in the world he could have heard you from your position- then the phone rang.

He picked the receiver in a heartbeat.

"Yes sir, it's me. Do you think it's possible for you to come over tomorrow if you have time?"

"Tomorrow? What time does your office close?"

"7pm sir, but it's okay you can come some other time if you're busy."

Yoongi glances at the clock, 6:48pm.

"Do you think you can wait for me? I'll be there in 20 minutes."

"You mean, now sir? You can come by some other da-"

"I really want to. I'm on my way."

And with that, Yoongi bolted out in a hurry to come see you again.

Your ears twitched as you catch a scent, a familiar scent.

 "Good evening head officer Min, please take a sit. Do you want coffee or juice?"

"I wanna see her now."

"Oh, okay sir my bad, this way please."

Yoongi's hands trembled while speed walking behind the personnel, heart beat ever so loud he could almost feel it on his back. You were inside a big white room, sitting tightly at the corner gaze never leaving the floor. The personnel held the door open as he ushered Yoongi inside, he stood frozen at the sight of you. A feeling from the guts once again swirled from within him.

"Okay sir, I'll leave you for a moment now. Please let us know if you get any reaction from her, it'd be of great help."

"A-alright."

The personnel left you two. You knew who this man was, the strange man. The one who pulled you out of that place. Your mind shut down when you got transferred to this white place days ago, afraid or whatever, you wouldn't lift your gaze off the floor, but the moment his scent registered your senses sprung back to system.

"It's me."

You slowly shift your gaze across the floor on his shadow. The personnel was watching you from the glass window of the room, surprised that you seem to respond with the most minute movement of your eyes, he ran to get the resident psychiatrist of the facility.

Yoongi drew closer to you. He lowered himself down trying to catch your gaze but you buried you face in your arms once again. He then sat a few inches from you leaning against the wall.

The personnel together with the psychiatrist hurriedly turned on the monitor and connected the headsets to try and listen as Yoongi conversed with you. Taking notes and carefully watching the scene as this seemed to be of high importance knowing officer Min Yoongi was in a rush, himself.

"Mama-" you whispered. All ears, Yoongi waited for you to continue. "August 19, Elizabeth Cowell."

The prying heads from the monitoring room quickly ran a search from their system and files popped up. This is it.

"And your name?"

You carefully lifted your face, hesitant about meeting his gaze but something in you felt warm with this strange man's presence.

"She's gone."

"Sir! We got something!" the personnel came to fetch Yoongi after half an hour to report the file they've seen, a fresh case.

"Her owner was found dead, 20th of august lying on a couch comfortably. Death was of old age. On the record she had no family, but she had a female hybrid she kept as daughter for 17 years, that wasn’t around on the scene, she must have been kidnapped right then." the personnel eagerly reported. "What was her name?" Yoongi inquired. "Sir, the name is Y/N". "So basically she's an orphan now?" "Yes sir, we'll put her under therapy since it seemed she has been traumatized heavily and then we'll set her for adoption?".

"How long?" "We're not sure sir, but we'll update yo-" "Sir, do you want to take her in?" the psychiatrist finally butted in. "Is that possible?" Yoongi mused.

The personnel's jaw dropped open as Yoongi left the facility with you. He actually made the man pull up the documents, signed, payed everything right then and there. "Do you know what just happened?" the psychiatrist asked the personnel. "No idea, doc." "Page 62 to 67, you should know more about hybrids." the psychiatrist answered passing the personnel a thick book about the subject.

It’s been 3 months since Yoongi took you into his home. Compared to how you were when he visited you at the protection desk, you have progressed a lot. You were supposed to undergo therapy that should take a year at least as the psychiatrist said but seeing you now only proves that Yoongi made the right decision to take you as you were back then. You almost had no voice. You only do as he says, eyes stuck to the ground and ears always pressed on your head. Before taking you in, Yoongi was a solitary man. Being an unwanted child of both rich but clumsy teenage couple who later on decided they don’t want to settle with anybody, more so a baby, he was raised by a maid in a mansion in a very remote place from when he was little. His childhood should have been a difficult phase knowing the boy’s position in life and overflowing curiosity of children his age, except it wasn’t. Yoongi turned out to be a highly introverted child with sharp intuition, he was smart and resourceful thus not actually needing the help of others in solving any question a child could think of on his own. He loved reading. From educational, to literary, politics, everything under the sun, no matter what the text is about, his eyes would easily devour the words forming with every letter that would come across his sight. He loved music just as much, but as the trend suggested a spiraling fall for the essence of new songs, he stopped listening and preserved what he used to adore back in the good old days. Growing up, Yoongi didn’t change much. He socializes barely enough to progress in school, to take a degree, to finally work, and to start standing on his own feet and totally detach from the lifeline of finances from the two names he only had known from his bank account. As to why he took such career path, no one knows, but just one day, he found himself prolonging a finished operation hearing things and searching frantically for the source of a silent voice that no one else could hear. That’s where he found you. You were a victim of serial kidnapping of hybrids that had just reached your town.

Hearing the familiar sound of the engine coming from a distance, you rush from your room down to the front door waiting for a specific vehicle to come into vision and in a minute the car arrives. Only when the car window rolled down and seeing Yoongi wave his hand did you step out and hurriedly open the gate. You waited for him to park thoroughly before closing the gate again and waited back inside the house right behind the door. Yoongi entered the house and stood in front of you eagerly waiting for you to greet him, you silently gasped for air summoning all the courage you got to finally gaze right back at him who readily had a smile waiting across his face. “W-welcome home, Yoongi.” You whispered. “Wow, baby it only took you 3 minutes today! Look!” He enthusiastically showed you the timer on his phone making your lips slightly curve upward. “I-is that.. Could you possibly be smiling now baby?” he tried to lift your chin yearning to see your sweet little face but you jumped at his touch and ran back up to your room with your tail wagging like crazy.

 “Seokjin hyung, there’s no mistake. I have multiple references to confirm this action, hang on let me send you a video of how it looked like.” Seokjin was the resident psychiatrist who permitted Yoongi to take you out of their facility right off the bat. “I see, if that’s what it really is then that’s great! I’m sure you know what it means though, she can now display her excitement and happiness, I wonder what you did to get such a jolt of progress just today.” “Well, I- let’s see. I praised her for breaking a record in meeting gazes, and then I- oh this is the part where she ran away, I tried to touch her face. Sorry.” “No, that’s alright, her ears were alright.. right?” “Yes hyung, it wasn’t pinning down hear head.” “Okay then, glad to hear her progress, I think she’d open up real soon. Please be patient with her officer Min, she’d heal up eventua-“ “Hyung I’m in no rush, she got all the time in the world, no one’s chasing her .” “Good to know.”

After recording Yoongi’s update on his files, a feeling of relief and satisfaction flooded Seokjin’s heart. The psychiatrist not only intended to heal the traumatized you but the almost permanently closed up persona of Yoongi as well. You sure have made an impressive progress, but how far Yoongi have leaped is just unimaginable. Picturing you two from the monitor back then, just one look, and he knew that you both were the key to open each other’s cage.

It’s getting late, the roars aren’t stopping, and this heavy downpour won’t ease up anytime soon. You can’t help yourself but panic because as much as the roar scares you, the knot in your stomach for the missing Yoongi makes you delve in great distress that could almost break you.

“Sir you can’t drive in a storm like this, it’s too dangerous please stay a bit” three lower ranked officers scrambled on their feet to stop Yoongi on his tracks since he’s determined to leave even knowing that the road is far from being friendly for his drive, but as time passes the downpour is just getting worse making him desperate to leave all the more. Yoongi knew how much this phenomenon scares you, he witnessed you three times suffering from the impact of thunderclaps on your ultra-sensitive hearing, rare occasions where you’d disregard everything and run straight in his arms to hide, how he’d have to actually hold to real tight to calm you down. “Look dude, if you’re scared then just stay here. I have important things to tend to and I swear if you stop me this time you’re all gonna regret this. Understand?!” Angry, Yoongi shoved the blocking party out of his way and leaped through the distance to his car in an unbelievable speed. He smashed the car keys and hit the gas before anyone can follow, at this point Yoongi became nothing but a road killer. The slippery road and strong wind had no say from his determination just to reach you as soon as possible.

You were curled up on the floor by the open door, ears pinned down, and tail between your legs. You would have wanted to reach the gate atleast to open it up for Yoongi in case he arrives but the sound of roars behind the doors exceeded your limits and the blinding thunder lines drawn consecutively across the dark sent you shaking that your legs couldn’t bring itself to take another step and instead let you down flopping on the floor. The heavy downpour showed you no mercy as the rain drenched completely in a matter of seconds, suddenly you’re back to that night. Behind your tightly shut eyelids you see the sky lit up much brighter and the loudest roar soon followed completely knocking out your already drifting consciousness.  

You’ve been out cold for half an hour when Yoongi finally arrived. One headlight of the car busted, a huge dent on its side, none of it mattered with what he saw the moment he eyed you by the door. He rushed down from his car and climbed over the gate, even almost stumbling to ground, he needed to reach you. And he did. He carried you in his arms, kicked the door close and sat by the fireplace. Tears are rolling down his cheeks, seeing you like this reminds him of the night he first found you. A heart pounding directly at your ear called forth your consciousness, you opened your eyes and there you were cradled by a strange man. “Y/n, I will not let the roars take you. Soon they might claim me but do not worry. Mama loves you and my only duty in this world is to love you and keep you safe. Until your one true protector comes I will always watch you from where I’ll be even if the roars have taken me.” You hear the words clearly as the memory rolled back in your head. You gazed up to see what the owner of the arms holding you looked like. Tears wouldn’t stop falling from his eyes when they held your gaze firmly. You were both drenched from the rain but the warmth radiating from this man was enough to keep you content and comfortable, you leaned back to his chest to once again to hear the beating of his heart and the comforting rhythm pulled a soft purr out of you “What is your name?” you asked without a sound, “I am Min Yoongi, your protector” he answered in his head. He felt your soft ears rising from under his chin, and your tail delicately curling up around his waist.

Feeling your stable and minute rise and fall on his arms soothed the ravaging worries on Yoongi’s mind. He’s been watching your serene sleeping image in his cradle for who knows how long, he wanted to run his hand through your hair, so he carefully shifted you for better support, his fingers brushed your cheek ever so lightly but still you twitched. There’s a weak electric sensation from where he touched your face waking you up once again, in his arm. You held his hand hung only a few inches from your face, and it was cold. “Sneezes! You’ll get sneezes! We need to change, come on!” Your sudden energy surprised Yoongi the most, with what happened the moment you spoke earlier he knew that things are going to change but this made his heart more complacent. You shuffled from his cradle and pulled his hand as you stood up. Not recognizing where you are, you looked around with slight confusion drawn on your face, seeing this, Yoongi took a step and lead you to your room.

  TBC

[krackheadkulture]

MISTER CAT

Pairing: OC X Lee Minho Word Count: 6K+ Genre: Fluff, crackhead (?), Romance, Cats AU 

[FIRST PERSON PERSPECTIVE]

What would you consider acceptable? Wearing pajamas to a formal event, wearing slippers for a run in the Olympics or hiring someone on the spot without knowing their capability or skills? That was definitely my mistake when I first saw him barging through the doors of my animal clinic with a bundle in his hands, shouting desperately for help as he startled the white bunny in my hands. 

“Doctor, doctor!” The shouts of the desperate boy echoed through the small room. He scanned across the room and eyed me immediately. He strides towards me and gently placed the bundle onto the counter; his hands were trembling as he tried to open the knots on the cloth. “I-I think I poisoned my cat.” 

I raised my eyebrow at the mysterious- and I have to admit, crazy- man in front of me. “Poisoned? Why would you do that?” I asked, settling the bunny back into its cage as I continued to stare at the tall dark-haired man curiously. 

“I-it was on accident! I was spraying Fe-Febreeze all a-around the r-r-room and I thought that s-settling the bottle next to my cat’s bowls was a good idea! B-but I think the b-bottle might have l-leaked or something,” he explained. “Please! My cat is motionless!” He opened the bundle open and revealed some neatly stacked jeans in the center of the cloth instead of a cat. 

I looked confusedly at the man in front of me before glancing back at the jeans. “A-are you sure… you brought your cat along?” I asked. 

“M-my cat!” He drifted off, staring dumbfounded at the clothing he had brought instead before he quickly grabbed my arm out of surprise. “Come!” He started pulling my wrist. “Come to my house now to save him! Please!” 

“W-wait!” I stammered as I stopped him. “I don’t even know what I’m dealing with! So please give me time to get all my equipment so I can treat your cat!” He wordlessly released his grip on my wrist, allowing me to gently place the rabbit I was holding back into its cage next to the counter and grabbed my emergency kit before I turned to him. “Now we can go.” And I quickly trailed behind him as he strides to the destination. 

It took us 15 minutes to reach his house, and I was already panting and sweating while he was not, and I blamed his long legs. He quickly opened the front door and swung the door open to allow me to enter in first. I quickly dashed past him into the corridor to find his cat lying in the middle of his living room, half-wrapped in the same colored cloth of the bundle he had brought in. I knelt down in front of the motionless cat and opened up the emergency kit. 

I first measured the orange tabby cat’s heart rate, and its heart rate was normal, which was really weird if the cat was poisoned, so I just observed the cat for a moment. “Doctor…” I remembered that the man was standing next to me. “Is my cat… okay?” 

“Your cat’s heartbeat is normal… which is weird if it was poisoned…” I explained, still trying to understand the cat in front of me. I placed my head closer to the cat and heard soft and weak meows coming from the cat, its eyes still closed. I lifted the cat’s leg one by one before hearing a louder meow… and that was when I realized. “Your cat is not poisoned,” I declared. “Your cat broke its paw and it couldn’t move.” 

“So I did not poison my cat? That is great news!” The man next to me let out a relief sigh as I picked up the cat gently. "But your cat needs to be brought into my animal clinic to be treated, is that fine by you?” I asked, raising my eyebrow as I looked at him. 

“Yeah, that’s fine!” He grinned as he followed me out of his house, still grinning with relief at the thought that it was not a poisoning act done to his cat. 

“I would also need you to fill in some information about our little patient here,” I added as I started walking away, with the man still tailing behind me, nodding his head. 

- 

“Mister… Minho?” I called out to the waiting room where only the man sat. It had been nearly an hour since the operation I had done on the cat and it was successful. The man lifted his head up immediately at his name and walked towards me in a hurry. “Is… Is…” He stuttered. 

“Yes, Almond Milk is fine,” I replied quietly with a slight smile. I had looked over the form, which I had asked him to fill in, and I was pretty perplexed when I saw the name Almond Milk stated on the pet’s name. I mean, I had no objection with people naming their cats in colors they were not in, but it really confused me for people to name their pets over food, such as my recent patient here: Almond Milk. “Your cat just suffered a fall… a very high fall and fractured its paw, but I can assure you that I had fixed it up and he is fine to go now!” 

“Thank you so much, doctor,” he let out a relief sigh and held his cat in his arms. “How much would the entire operation be?” 

“That will be 150,000 won,” I replied and he nodded his head immediately, fishing for his wallet. I waited for a couple of minutes, watching as he tried to find his wallet to no valid. 

“Oh god…” I could hear him cursing himself under his breath as he continued to search the pockets of his jeans while holding his cat in his other arm. It took him five minutes to finally give up and to look back at me. “I… I lost… my wallet,” he replied softly. 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to rush to pay me, ” I answered calmly as I gave the boy a slight smile. To be very, incredible honest, I was actually not okay to not be receiving the money. My clinic was on the verge of shutting down and I needed the money to keep it surviving as it held my only sanity, so if it were to be gone, my sanity does too. But after looking at the boy standing in front of me with a worried expression plastered onto his face, I could not help it but be a little more lenient with him because it had also been a tough day for him. 

“You don’t understand,” the boy was saying. “M-my money is gone! Every penny of it… it’s just… gone!” 

And now, my kindness and patience was gone. “W-what?” I asked. “What do you mean you don’t have any money now? Y-you can’t just… get your cat treatment without paying!” 

“That’s why I’m thinking what I can do now!” He was as freaked out as I was as well. 

“Well, have you come up with a brilliant plan yet?” I asked, biting my lower lips annoyingly. He glared at me and rolled his eyes, still keeping silent as he continued to think. “You know, what if I work here with you for free? Would that… help pay my cat’s bills?” 

“Is that not slave labor?” I asked back. “How would you survive then if I don’t pay you?” 

“Just let me work for a month,” he glanced at me briefly, smiling slightly. “I’ll manage… if only you would hire me.” 

- 

It was a bad idea. A very bad idea indeed. I was definitely unbelievable to take up the mysterious man’s offer as soon as he proposed the idea. Working alone as a vet in an animal clinic was hard work, especially since I had to manage everything, from paying the bills, ensuring I do not mess up appointment dates of clients and treating the animals and I just thought that maybe a helping hand could work out the way I wanted it to but instead, it did not. That man that had lost his wallet was someone I do not know so his personality and characteristics were out of the question for me as in to choose a suitable employee. He was already a mess as soon as he started working on day one. 

“Good morning, doctor!” My new employee appeared through the doors at 10am with a bundle in his arm and Almond Milk in the other. I turned around and nodded my head quietly at him which turned into a smile.

I could not help but smile as well at his weirdness as I continued to focused back on my task before remembering that he was still standing in the middle of the clinic, unsure of what to do next. “Oh, Minho? Can you please… help me clear the files from the reception area? I didn’t have time to do them and I must’ve forgotten about them,” I started and he nodded with a smile before heading to the small counter that had a glass in between the two spaces. 

It only took me ten seconds to hear the file cabinets crashing down onto the floor as soon as he walked right into the room. I jumped, startled at the sudden sound and I quickly rushed to the commotion, to only see him staring at the cabinet. The patients’ files scattered around the floor from the drawer he had opened. 

“Minho! W-what happened? How did you m-manage to do this?” I looked at the mess in surprise. 

“Almond Milk walked in and I was afraid I would hit him,” Minho explained. “But do not worry! I will clean this up in no time!” 

And that was what he said a couple of weeks ago, when he continued to mess things up, from breaking the brooms while cleaning the floor to fetching the wrong needles needed for the animals. He had brought his friends along to accompany him sometimes and it might look like a complete ruckus but they were also a joy there because they lightened up the atmosphere around the tense air of the clinic. Even though there were many downsides of hiring Lee Minho, there were many perks as well. Our clinic started to get more and more clients and patients alike ever since Minho had came in but they were mostly girls, so I started to suspect that they were only there because of Minho. 

Seeing the many girls at the clinic made me feel uncomfortable, for one, they were all flirting with Minho. They were a lot prettier than me and I promise you that I was okay with that but when it came to my business, they only wanted Minho to help them instead of me and it made me annoyed, and second, Minho was only a temporary solution since he was only helping me based on a debt and it would not be long until he had to leave. I was afraid that my business would not keep up at all without his help. Those thoughts had kept me up and up even today, the third week of his help at the clinic. 

I was staring at the girls chatting away with Minho as I sat at the receptionist quietly, waiting for either of them to approach me to check their pets, but they never did even as I continued to wait forever. 

“Are your clients still hogging up Minho?” Someone slide next to me, drawing my attention away from the group. “Isn’t that annoying?” 

I looked over at the newcomer and gave him a tired smile. He was another friend of Minho’s and he was a frequent visit to the clinic. His long curly bangs swayed a little as he tilted his head at me. “Maybe…” I replied softly. “But as you know, Hyunjin, he is the one bringing all the customers in. I can’t do anything about it.” 

“And what if he’s gone after the next week? What are you going to do?” He asked, concern growing onto his face. He noticed my face getting darker so he tried to change the subject as he straightened his back. “Anyways, enough of this sad stories, he’s still here and that’s what that matters! And I need to tell you something before I forget again.” 

“What is it?” I asked, chuckling a little. 

“I’m having a party over at my house and you’re invited… if you want to be,” Hyunjin said with a bigger smile now. 

“What’s the occasion? Hwang Hyunjin wouldn’t have a party without a reason.” He laughed a little. 

“You do know Hwang Hyunjin…” he drifted off as he continued to think. “How about to celebrate Minho’s third week without getting fired?” He raised his eyebrow at me and I laughed immediately. 

“You’re just trying to make sure I don’t say no right?” I asked him. He glanced at me slightly, trying to keep his poker face but he failed and pouted immediately. 

“Yes,” he said in his timid voice. “It would be nice… if you could come just to one of Hwang Hyunjin’s spectacular party.” 

“Fine… but on one condition only,” I finally gave in. 

“What is it?” He asked. 

“Jeongin should be there,” I said before he rolled his eyes with a smile. 

“Considered it done.”

- 

The day of the party was on Friday. And on Fridays, I only had to open the clinic for half the day. It was enough time for me to do my chores, buy some groceries for the next week and to finish all the tasks I have yet to do. And right after that, I headed back home to change my clothes for the party that was happening in less than an hour. I quickly wore my white tennis skirt and an oversize pink sweater that paired nicely with the pink sneakers I had brought a couple of weeks ago and headed out of my apartment to Hyunjin’s house, which was also Minho’s house. 

It took me about 15 minutes to reach the big house that I had remembered for the first time when Minho had literally barged me through the doors to tend to his cat. I chuckled at the thought and rang the doorbell. The door opened and I was greeted by the host of the party. Looking from the outside, the party looked wild. The music was blasting from the speakers as different colored lights blinked in and out at random. A crowd of people was packed in the middle of the living room, dancing and drinking till their hearts content. 

“Hey there,” Hyunjin grinned at me as he beckoned me into the house. I could feel the humidity dripping off from everyone around me as I made my way around the living room into the kitchen, with Hyunjin trailing behind me. 

“So… this is your definition of a party, huh?” I initiated the conversation as soon as I was out of everyone’s sweaty bodies and into the safety of the kitchen. He smiled softly as he took a drink from the kitchen counter top and sipped on it. 

“There’s a different definition for you?” He asked, raising his eyebrow at me. 

“Lesser people, gathered in the living room playing card games, eating pizza and just watching movies,” I told him and he laughed. 

“Well, welcome to my party,” he giggled before taking another sip. He glanced at me for a moment before handing another pink sparkling drink from the counter top to me. “You want some?” 

“No thanks,” I refused. “I don’t drink because…” I drifted off as he let out another giggle. 

“Don’t worry, it’s pink lemonade. You might or might not have forgot that our little baby Jeongin is here,” he winked, taking another sip of his pink beverage. I rolled my eyes and took the drink, gulping it all down in one shot. 

“Hey Hyunjin?” A head popped out, interrupting our conversation. I smiled at Changbin who also gave me a smile. “We’re out of chips.” 

“Again?” Hyunjin sighed as he settled his drink back onto the counter. “I told you to stop Jeongin from chomping down the chips! I swear to god, that boy would be the death of me.” He took a couple of steps to Changbin before stopping, looking at me. “I’ll be gone for a while. You’ll be fine right?” 

“Yes she will,” another head popped up next to Changbin’s. I turned around to find Minho staring back at me. “I’ll be here accompanying her.” 

Hyunjin smiled and left with Changbin immediately as Minho stepped into the small space. It was quiet at the kitchen, except for the background noises of the songs blaring out from the speakers. 

“So… Hyunjin invited you…” Minho broke the silence. I glanced up from my drink. 

“Is there a problem?” I asked him. 

“No…” he drifted off. “But why were you with him instead? You could’ve find me instead.” 

“If you invited me, yeah, but you didn’t and you didn’t even bother telling me about his party,” I replied, still sipping on my drink. 

“How could I even tell you when he told me about this just a couple of hours ago before the party started?” Minho asked back. I paused. He sounded very annoyed. 

“Why is anything I’m doing bothering you right now? Why are you getting annoyed?” I asked finally. “Your tone is different from before…” He paused, saying nothing at all. I rolled my eyes at the boy in front of me and settled my glass onto the table. Staying in the same room as him was unsettling and I was getting uncomfortable. “I… I’ll go now,” I told him alas as I streamed out of the kitchen, out of the living room, and into the garden of the house. 

I closed the door behind me as a cold breeze of wind blew past my knees. I wrapped my hands closer to myself and scrolled around the garden. My heart was beating incredibly quicker after the encounter with Minho and my head started to spin little by little. I held my ground and found a bench at the side of the house and sat down, trying to calm myself down. 

“Goddamnit,” I cursed under my breath. “Hyunjin lied about the drink…” I drifted off as I leaned back onto the chair, feeling the breeze and staring at the sky above me. The stars were glistening under the dark night and they were beautiful. 

Meow. 

I turned around to find the person that interrupted me but there was no one. “The sky is beautiful right?” I asked the random newcomer and on cue, something leaped onto my lap. I jumped, gasping a little as a glimpse of orange passed my eyes. “Hey there…” I smiled lazily as I started to pet the orange cat that had finally settled on my lap. “What are you doing out here, Almond Milk?” 

The tabby cat purred as I continued to stroke the soft, gold fur of the tiny animal on my lap. I giggled at the small cat and sighed. 

“Why can’t… why can’t he give… me attention like this at all? Am… Am I that… worthless in his eyes?” I asked the tabby cat and pouted. “What do I not have that everyone has to grab his attention? Why is my heart feeling so sad… and broken… after leaving… him?” I continued ranting to my companion, not realizing how much time it had passed until I finally blacked out. 

- 

Beep! Beep! Beep! 

The sound of my alarm startled me awake. I jumped up from my bed, resulting in me rolling off the bed and landing onto the hard and cold ground. I let out a groan as I switched the alarm off. 

“W-what time… is it now?” I asked myself and grabbed my phone. The screen illuminated brightly against my face so I had to squint as I read the time. My eyes widen as I read the 12:30pm on my phone. I cursed at myself and quickly scrambled up to get dressed immediately. I was 4 hours and 30 minutes late for work and this had never happened at all. I quickly brushed my teeth and got dressed before heading out to catch a cab unlike usual where I took the trains and buses. 

It was about 1pm when I reached my clinic and it was surprisingly safely opened by Minho. I quickly slipped into the small space and looked around to find that boy but he was nowhere in sight. I was about to think that he was heading out for a quick lunch when I heard a muffled voice in the only doctor’s room there was. I peeked into the room to find Minho talking onto his phone, his back facing me. I wanted to pull back to give him his privacy but I could not help it when I heard what he had said. 

“What’s wrong with me working here?” Minho was asking the caller on the other end. 

“Nothing… It’s just that you don’t have to anymore,” I could hear the mumbled voice coming from the other end of the call. I knew immediately that it was one of his friends. 

“Why wouldn’t I want to continue working?” Minho stated, getting a little annoyed. “I also have my reasons for still working, you know.” 

“Because you found your wallet? And you have enough money to pay her back? I still don’t get why you do not want to pay her and quit your job.” 

My heart stopped at that moment. All this time, he had lied to me straight up at my face, and had given me such a hard time… I just could not help it anymore. 

“So you lied?” I asked, stepping into his view. “Why did you?” 

Minho turned around, surprised to see me staring back at him. “Y-you heard the… entire conversation?” He asked quietly. “It’s… it’s only a misunderstanding!” 

“Misunderstanding? How is making my career more into a living hell a misunderstanding? You could’ve left right after you found your wallet but you didn’t…why?” I demanded. I could feel myself shaking and trembling as the words came out of my lips. Minho opened his mouth, wanting to say something but nothing came out. Instead, he continued to stare at me wordlessly. I gave him a sad smile before pointing at the entrance. “Get out…” I whispered. My voice breaking as I said those words. “Please… please… just listen to me once,” Minho begged. “No. I don’t want to hear another word from you, just… get out,” I cut him off but he remained motionless. “GET OUT!” I screamed. My entire body shivered at my tone. Minho glanced at me one last time before walking straight out of the door, disappearing from my view. I could feel the hot tears falling from my face now. “And… don’t come back…” 

- 

It had been a couple of days ever since Minho left… and when I meant a couple of days, I meant a couple of rough days. My business was starting to lose clients and I had started to lose concentration in whatever I was doing… whatever I loved doing. I tried to block it out of my mind but it just came back to me hard like a boomerang. I had broken down once in a while throughout these few days and I had no idea why I was so hurt. I… I don’t like him… right? I asked myself, playing back the sweet memories we had made within the few weeks we had spent together. 

It was strange, how spending time with him made me more interested and intrigued at the boy called Lee Minho. But… it was finally time to really shut him away for good, for the sake of my business and for the sake of my sanity. 

Ring! The phone at the receptionist desk rung and I was brought back to the real world. I quickly got up from the operation room I was in, hurrying towards the phone. I dropped down onto the table, placing the phone swiftly next to my ear. 

“Hello, welcome to Joy Animal Clinic, how may I help you?” I asked through the phone. The other end of the call remained silent and I started getting more and more confused. “Hello? Is anyone there?” 

“We have Minho,” the caller at the other end started. I remained quiet and sighed. 

“I don’t have time for any of these pranks anymore.” There was silence at the end again. I was about to end the call when I heard the once familiar voice again.

“Help!” Minho’s frail voice appeared at the other end. “Please… please save me.” 

“Minho?” I called out right before the phone was snatched away by the kidnapper once again. 

“Tonight at the Seoul’s Warehouse store, number 9 by 7pm,” the kidnapper said. “If you want to see him again.” 

The call ended and I was staring at the hung up call on my phone. My heart was beating quicker by this time but there was something wrong in my mind about the whole call. I stared at the call again before deciding to make another call from my own personal phone. I only had to wait for a couple of rings before the other person picked up. 

“Hello?” He asked. “Hyunjin, is this a prank?” I asked immediately, not beating around the bush anymore. 

“W-what?” Hyunjin sounded unsure now. His voice started to wary. “What are you talking about-” 

“You guys at least tried to make it sound like an action movie but in reality, why would you call an acquaintance of a hostage?” I asked, chuckling a little. The line was quiet for about a couple of seconds before a sigh was heard. 

“You… you got it,” Hyunjin whispered, trying to keep his voice low. “But you’re not allowed to tell anyone at all okay? Because the boys have been planning this for weeks while Minho was bedridden from heartache-“ 

“Heartache? Bedridden?” I raised my eyebrow. 

“Don’t you see it? He’s only like this if he likes someone and he really, really likes you but now, he lost you… what more could happen to him then?” He explained before sighing again. “If… if you really do care about him as much as he does for you, just… come to the warehouse. And no matter what you say, rejecting or accepting him, at least he got his chance…” 

I paused; biting my lower lips as I slowly registered everything Hyunjin had told me. I was quiet. 

“Hey… are you still there?” He asked. 

“Yes,” I replied quietly. “Okay, I’ll come.” And I hung up the phone immediately before clutching it to my heart. There were so many thoughts running through my head now and my heart was beating so much faster than the marathon I had ran before… He… He really did feel something for me too as well… And I was not going to waste that chance anymore again. 

- 

Number 9 at 7pm… The voice replayed in my head over and over again as I stood in front of the large container that was used for storage. The gold number 9 was hung above the small door, glimmering under the spotlights that shone around the empty space. The outside was cold as the wind continued to blow past my knees again and I was waiting so desperately to get into the warehouse to feel the warmth but it was not time yet. 

The skies started to turn dark as the arms on my watch clicked closer to 7pm; from 6:57pm to 6:58pm to 6:59pm and at exactly 7pm, the single door clicked open, creaking open to reveal a dark and empty corridor. I stared at it confusedly but immediately made my way in because the cold night wind was getting harsher every minute I was out in the middle of nowhere. 

As soon as I took my first step onto the aluminum floor with a soft thump, the corridor lit up. Across the walls of the corridor, fairy lights were lightened up in a domino effect. I stopped; admiring the small lights across the walls and continued my short walk, walking straight into a larger space. It was dark as the corridors were before and music started to tinkle into the room. 

Wise men say… only fools rush in… 

I smiled at Minho’s song choice. He remembered… remembered so vividly and attentively at one of my few favorite songs, unknowingly bringing me back to the past where we had shared that one conversation between ourselves. 

It was another day working together with Minho in the clinic, but unlike before, it was even more crowded than before and we only finished checking out the animals a little over 12am. I stretched my arms to untangle the knots in my body from bending and sitting as Minho walked over to the receptionist, clearing some files of new patients and old patients alike. 

“Great work today,” I commented as I followed him into the receptionist desk, watching him carefully arrange the files by alphabetical orders. “Park Jisung is after Park Jimin,” I corrected him as he gave me a small smile, rearranging the files once again so they were in the correct order this time. 

I lifted myself off the desk and headed into the waiting area where it was even messier than before. Magazines were scattered across the floor, there were some cats and dogs’ urine at some corners on the polished wooden floor and toilet paper also somehow ended on the floor from the toilets. I sighed as I started by picking up the magazines from the floor to be placed back onto the magazine racks. I felt a presence behind me but I continued doing my own task. 

“Do… do you mind me playing some songs while we work? It would be more pleasant and more enjoyable,” Minho’s voice came across. 

I turned around and gave him a smile. “Sure, but I should choose the first song,” I replied before he laughed, waiting for me to choose the song. I thought to myself for a couple of seconds before a smirk came across my face. “Have you… heard of the song ‘Can’t help falling in love’ by Elvis Presley?” I asked him.  

“Isn’t that song older than us?” He joked and earned an eye roll from me. 

“Well, if you keep judging my song choices, you’re not going to get to play your songs in the end,” I countered back and he chuckled again, searching for the song immediately. The song streamed into the waiting room and I could not help but smile as I continued to work, mouthing the lyrics. 

But I can’t help falling in love with you… 

The song continued as I mouthed the lyrics word by word, still standing in the same spot as I had stopped at. And as the next lyrics were sung, the empty space beyond me lighted up, revealing Minho standing in the middle of the space, wearing some really smart casual I had never seen before at all. His hair was tucked nicely behind a black beret. He was wearing a long black coat over a white turtleneck and a pair of black slacks. In his hands, he was holding a bouquet of purple and yellow roses, the colors that I adored the most, remembering the other time we had spent together as well. 

“Look!” Minho had gasped at me, pointing to the night skies as we were walking back from work. The both of us took the same bus and train line so we decided to go back home together until we reached my stop at the train station. I glanced up at the direction he was pointing and saw the bright small stars sparkling throughout the night skies like little dots. 

“Stars?” I questioned him. “We see stars every other night… what makes this special for you today?” 

“I don’t actually mean the stars,” Minho replied, looking back at me. He was half a head taller than me so he had to bent his head down to talk to me while I had to crane my head up to look at him. “Do you see the colors of the skies? Isn’t that beautiful?” 

I looked up again, greeting the skies of the sunset. There were hues of pink and orange across the dark skies as the sun started to set, welcoming the moon in its place. “Yeah it is,” I observed. “I never… knew you like sunset.” 

“Huh? What makes you say that? Don’t you love the sunset?” Minho asked. 

“I… prefer the sunrise over the sunset,” I answered. “It is interesting, you know. We’re starting the day afresh, and there are very interesting combinations of colors that contribute to the sunrise. Is it often you see hues of purple mixing together with yellow as the sun rises? Most people don’t actually get to watch the sunrise since they are fast asleep, waking up only when the sun is high up in the skies.” 

Minho chuckled. “And I never knew you would be a fan of the sunrise with such a cool reason.” 

I did not realized how fast the song went as I continued to reminisce the past until the last lyrics were sung. 

For I can’t help… falling in love with you… 

As the song drifted away, Minho gave me another small smile. “Well, that song still doesn’t capture me at all,” he commented before I rolled my eyes with a chuckle. “And… I’m glad you could make it.” 

“With the awkwardly staged kidnapping situation?” I raised my eyebrow as I laughed again. “You could win an Oscar, you know that, Minho?” Minho rolled his eyes before taking a step towards me. 

“Blame the boys, they were the one who set me up to this and they made me say those words as soon as they woke me up.” 

“And I’m assuming you regretted what you did?” I asked him and he shook his head. 

“Not ever in a chance. Everything the boys do is with their shared one brain cell but it was actually… a brilliant idea because without them, I wouldn’t be seeing you here right now.” He walked towards me, stopping only with a couple of steps left before handing me the beautiful purple and yellow roses. “These… these are for you. They died yesterday when the boys… brought them so they had to get them again just half an hour before 7pm.” 

I carefully grabbed the bouquet, observing the beautiful flowers that gave a smile to my face. I closed my eyes and smelled the roses. “You… you remembered everything I had said…” I whispered. 

“Of course,” he grinned. “That’s because I love to listen to you and you’re probably the only person that I will never get tired of hearing over and over again… and maybe that’s because I love… you?” 

“You only knew me for a month, is that not too fast?” I asked. 

“Things are never too fast when you meet the person that you actually want to spend the rest of your life with,” he cut me off. “And… I didn’t want to pay you back the money after finding the wallet was because I wanted to get to know you so much more.” 

“But don’t you find the other girls that come into the clinic more prettier and interesting than me?” I asked softly, starting to doubt myself now. “Because when I saw you paying attention to them, it aches my heart without me knowing.” 

Minho lifted my head up, carefully holding my cheeks in between his palms as he looked at me. “Baby, I only had eyes on you,” he whispered. “Who could ever take my attention off anything except you? I only finally had the courage to come here after I remembered what you had said at Hyunjin’s party. That idiot tricked you into getting drunk and when I found you, you were talking to my cat, confessing your love… hopefully to me and that was when I knew you loved me too.” 

“So… it was you that brought me home that night?” I asked quietly. 

“Of course, baby,” he replied with another chuckle. “I wanted to ask if everything you confessed was to me and you said yes before you blacked out. And it was actually fun to carry you back home…” 

I smiled weakly. “You know… shutting you out of my life was one of the worst decisions I had made and I hated myself for that… but I’m glad to be able to come here today to hear you out… and I realized, that I really, really love you so much.” 

He chuckled again, kissing my forehead softly. “I promise to always be there for you and to be your only source of happiness,” he said. 

I wrapped my arms around Minho’s neck, tiptoeing so I could reach his face. I glanced at his face for a moment, absorbing all of his flaws and beauty with a smile. I giggled as I leaned closer, pressing my lips to his. He was a little surprised at my sudden action but chuckled soon after, molding his lips perfectly onto mine. We only broke apart after a minute. 

I chuckled, as I pulled apart before hearing a purr as a soft furry object stroked my leg. I looked down to find Almond Milk wearing a tuxedo, purring louder and louder now. 

“Oh, and Almond Milk too,” Minho added before leaning in closer so that his lips touched my ear. “He ran off right before you came in and I couldn’t find him.” 

I chuckled, bending down to hold the tabby cat in my arms. “He was actually the reason we ended up meeting one another,” I beamed as he laughed as well.  

“Well, he is definitely a very lucky mister cat to meet such a fine lady,” he added and pressed his lips onto mine for the second time.

A/N: Fun fact: Did you know that there’s no name for the OC in the story? That was because I kind of forgot to add it in but I still hope all of you liked this story! It is not one of my best work but I did enjoyed writing it with one of my friend who came up with this idea! Love y’all and I hope all you have a great day ahead of you!

- Xin

[chalabrun]

seashore, charliebee

@sparksbysam replied to your post “Fuck it—send me Charliebee fic prompts babs! A present from me to this…”

From a glance or from looking from afar, if there was a boy or a man who was trying to interfere or to harm Charlie, what would Bumblebee do in that scenario? 

Warning(s): T, sexual assault attempt

He wasn’t out of her life; not for good like she’d thought. Weeks had passed since their farewell, teary and full of emotions that were difficult to bring to paper. Working on the Corvette made time pass with a little less of an ache, and the anticipation of going away to college once her gap year was over and done with filled her with a happy sense of anticipation. There was her job at the boardwalk, and she’d become inseparable friends with Memo.

 Things were good. At least topically.

 Sometimes she still saw a driverless, yellow Camaro. It never seemed to be close, or draw much attention, either. The windows were usually tinted so heavily that it was hard to think of peering inside. Even if the curiosity was there, pounding in the walls of her heart.

So, she just learned to ignore the sightings. Chalking them up as coincidence, that maybe it was attributable to Beverly Hills big wigs cruising through town rather than her close friend.

 Work was a steady monotony. Between dipping hot dogs in vats of grease to fry up on a stick and gradually warming her uncle to the idea of him taking her under his wing, it was enough to do. She filled her mind with blueprints of cars, of studying the latest car parts they sometimes imported from Japan.

 She was helping out more around the house, too. Sally and Ron had noticed a marked change in attitude, especially since the government had been willing to compensate them for the damages Bumblebee had unintentionally made. Even though she hadn’t made amends with Tina or Tripp Summers, at least she was sticking up for herself more. The doormat they’d been able to walk on was no more and had become the rug she pulled out from under them instead.

 Even so, it still felt too ordinary. Like the call to adventure she’d been dragged into had made her feel more alive than anything before it. That what she was doing now was just existing and nothing more.

 “Hey.”

 Pulled from her thoughts, Charlie looked up to see Tripp Summers leaning on the sill of the counter where people placed their orders. Remembering her own state of underdress, she self-consciously glanced down at herself before matching his like a deer caught in the headlights.

 “Oh, hey. Did you want to order something...?” she began cautiously, wondering if it wasn’t one of Tina’s schemes. Gingerly did she glance over and around him, wondering if Tina’s pack wasn’t nearby and cattily remarking on the entire ordeal.

 “Actually, I kinda wanted to ask you out on a date,” he replied with a coy smirk, leaning on the counter to accentuate his physique like men did in all the movies, cocksure they’d get the girl. He looked like the cat about to get the canary, to boot.

 Glancing over her shoulder, making sure her manager wouldn’t catch them, she broached with a skeptical look, “Hang on, Tripp--not that any girl wouldn’t love to be in this position, but--you’re not pulling my leg or something, are you? Because I do not want an angry or...potentially amused blonde and her posse ragging about this.”

 He raised a placating hand in accession. “Nah, I get it. Thing is, Tina and I are over. Her whole pettiness gets really old, you know? You look cool, though. And like someone who’d be willing to eat a burger.” That admittedly got a snort and short laugh from her. “What if you and I hit up the old arcade? Y’know, just something really chill. Soda, burgers, all the games we can play. You in?”

 Truthfully, that did sound like fun. Between the monotony of routine and how she’d been living life like a clockwork soldier, Charlie needed something different. A stone to chuck in the stagnant waters of a pond.

 Charlie nodded and smiled crookedly. “Sure. After my shift? I get off at five and if you give me some time to change, I’d be all set to go.”

 “Sounds like a deal, Watson. See you at six?”

 “Yeah, sure thing.”

Unbelievably, she wound up having more fun than she initially believed she would.

 Back in high school, Tripp Summers had been the unattainable jock and the very definition of the It boy. Star quarterback of their football team with promises of advancing on to an storied career as a college football player to professional, good grades, Prom King with the most popular girl in school on his arm for all four years through, he was everything she thought she’d never be able to even talk to.

 There had been some exchanges. Asking if he could copy biology homework, or asking for a pencil; even the odd, “What the hell is this?” at school pep rallies that saw them interacting with the school’s cringe-worthy mascot. A beaver with a huge, floppy tail. No one was enthused to be it, much less interact like most sports teams did.

 Then there was that one accident of soiling a customer’s order, and the goading to get her to dive.

 Otherwise, they hadn’t interacted much beyond that.

 “See, the trick is, you have to get in this tiny hole in the quarter, right? It’s sorta like lock picks do: like so.” Tripp demonstrated in a flourish with a quarter drilled through and tied with string, grinning at Charlie as the stooped by the Galaga game and popped the quarter inside, the screen acknowledging the deposit before Tripp yanked it free again. “See? Nice, huh?”

 “Whoa, cool. Can you do that again? I’m so not letting you win this round,” Charlie goaded as he did so, continuing with their hours-long foray through the arcade and playing as many rounds as they could.

 “Best two out of three?” Tripp simpered at her.

 “You’re on!”

 Eventually, the hours spanned into twilight and it soon grew dark by the time the arcade closed and they cruised in Tripp’s car on the way home.

 “Hey, you mind if we make a stop? The view from here is killer.” Charlie assented, already in agreement for a sight she’d seen before.

 Tripp banked to the right and they ascended the shallow hill crowned with tough, swaying sea grass and sandy soil that plunged headlong into the crashing sea. True to his word, the sight was one to behold as downtown San Francisco seemed to be spangled with stars and veins of white and red where traffic moved through the sleepless city. The red giant of the Golden Gate Bridge stood ever-constant vigil, the crowning glory.

 “Whoa, check out that view,” Charlie marveled appreciatively, craning in her seat. However, the seat itself was suddenly dipped back and the girl uttered a startled sound, light blocked out by Tripp’s enigmatically expressed face. Charlie furrowed her brows at him. “Uh, Tripp--“

 Charlie froze up the second she felt Tripp’s breath descend and ghost on her face, lips then smothering her own as her eyes shot wide in surprise. His weight shifted over and he straddled her, feeling the unpleasant sensation of his hand skimming the waistband of her jeans and searching upwards.

 “Tripp, hey--what are you doing--” However, she was quieted again with another unwelcome kiss, lips crammed messily against hers. “Tripp!”

 “Charlie, just relax. It’ll be fine, promise,” Tripp laughed as though it were nothing, as if he weren’t astride her, forcing her into something she never asked for or consented to. She could smell alcohol on his breath, but it sure as hell didn’t excuse this!

 Charlie wasn’t passive, that was for sure.

 Deciding she’d had enough when he tried to kiss her again, Charlie kneed his groin as hard as she could and Tripp jolted up from it in recoil, head smacking the roof of his car as he swore loudly and cursed Charlie as she fumbled with the lock and practically tumbled from the car, an indignant and enraged Tripp following suit.

 “What the fuck is wrong with you, Watson?” he roared as they stood in attrition, arms flung open. “Why do you have to act like such a fucking bitch?!”

 “You tried to force yourself on me!” Charlie shouted back, crossing her arms at him. “You didn’t even think to ask what I wanted!”

 Tripp reared his head back incredulously. “What the fuck do you think guys with girls come up here to do, Watson? Fucking stargaze?!”

 Out of the blue, the dull, metallic staccato of footfalls temporarily quelled as Charlie took a step back at who suddenly approached in a fury, eyes a fuming red as Tripp was hauled by a fistful of his shirt like a kitten by their scruff. The young man yelled out fearfully as he was suddenly dangled helplessly several feet off the ground, kicking his feet uselessly.

 “What the hell is that?!” he cried out in horror at the sight of Bumblebee glaring at Tripp angrily, an intimidating series of disapproving clicks and whistles sounded. He gaped at Bee helplessly, the Autobot narrowing his eyes dangerously.

 “Bee?”

 That alone was enough to call off the edgy crimson in Bee’s gaze, softening to a familiar blue, antennae perking receptively at the sound of her voice. Tripp was unceremoniously dropped to the ground in an unscrupulous heap, barking a shout as he was while Bumblebee stepped over him and squatted before Charlie with an affectionate expression.

 “Hey, my hero,” Charlie beamed as she craned herself to plant a kiss on Bee’s receptive brow. In the background, she could hear Tripp scramble into his car and speed off in a spray of dust. Good riddance. She’d be calling his parents in the morning, that was for sure. See how he liked it.

 “Are you alright, Charlie?” Bee inquired gently, patting off her head like when they’d first met.

 Charlie sighed gustily. “In desperate need of a shower and to brush my teeth, but--yeah, I’d say so.” Without warning did she walk into his proximity, circling her arms around his neck as Bee craned into it, their brows touching.

 “You know, he did make one good point about this place,” Charlie admitted as she leaned on Bee’s chest plate, smiling conspiratorially. With the way Bee’s eyes seemed to lid, their thought process was likely the same. ”...Do you want to? ...You know.”

 Her heartbeat spiked when Bumblebee slowly sprawled out on his back, eyes sinking closed while Charlie pulled herself a little higher for a better angle, sealing the space between them with a slow kiss, Bee’s hand hovering over the small of her back.

 Might as well salvage the night with someone she truly loved, right?