#at least I got to see some corgi puppies on too cute

[me-myself-and-my-fos]

Bernard hold me

[norrisxfewtrell]

Nugget | Pierre Gasly

Request: Hey! Can I request a Pierre one? Where the reader really wanted to get a corgi but Pierre feels like it’s too much responsibility and they have a busy life but then one day decides to surprise the reader with a puppy? And how the dog and Pierre bonds from day one🥺

You were walking around the mall with Pierre when you walk by a pet store and see an adorable little corgi puppy rolling around and you can’t help but giggle and aww as you stand at the window watching it. It seems to have heard you as it stops rolling around, comes up to the window and sits, looking at you with its head to the side and you feel your heart melt at the sight. “Pierre, can we get the puppy? Please?? Imagine how cute it would be.” You ask him but he only chuckles and replies “Mon amour, we can’t possibly have a dog. I know you’ve always wanted a corgi, but it’s too much responsibility and our lives are way too busy to be able to take care of a dog; maybe in the future but not right now.” You pout and put on your best puppy dog eyes knowing it was impossible for Pierre to resist that look from you “Come ooon babe! Just look at it, how can you say no?” You tell him hoping he’d say yes as you had always wanted a corgi. You were almost certain that Pierre was going to give in until he said “No amour, seriously, not yet at least.” And he grabs your hand pulling you away from the pet store, moving on with your day.

It was a few weeks later when you were cooking some dinner for both you and Pierre, he hadn’t retuned yet from the AlphaTauri factory but you figured he wouldn’t take much longer. Almost two hours later he still wasn’t home and it was starting to worry you, since he almost always got home at the same time but you tried to not think about it too much “Maybe something came up at the last minute.” You thought to yourself as you sat in bed watching a movie. You suddenly hear the door open and a “Chérie? Where are you?” from Pierre “Bedroom!” You call out as you sit up slightly, hearing his footsteps coming towards your room “I need you to close your eyes for me, please.” Pierre calls out to you before he enters your room, confusing you “Why?” you ask “Just do it, please. I have something for you.” He says and you giggle as you hold a pillow up to your face “Alright alright, done.” You say and you hear him step into the room before feeling some weight on the bed but it moves around too much to be Pierre and you suddenly feel something lick your arm, causing you to jump slightly and let out a yelp of surprise as you remove the pillow from your face.

You open your eyes only to see a small and adorable corgi puppy, pretty much the same as the one you had seen at the pet store before. “What?! Pierre… What…“ You start but can’t finish as you were absolutely speechless while you hold the little ball of fluff in your arms “He’s ours, I know our lives are hectic but we can handle it.” Pierre says as he sits in front of you and you can’t help but pounce on him, wrapping your arms around him in a hug and kissing his face repeatedly “Oh my god, thank you thank you thank you! I love you so much.” You say as he chuckles at your excitement “You’re welcome, mon amour. Now, what do you want to call him?” He says as he pets the little dog in his lap and you look at him as you think of the perfect name “How about Nugget?” You ask, Pierre smiles and nods back at you “I like it! Well, Nugget, welcome to our little family.”

You set up the few things Pierre had already bought for Nugget, like his little food and water plates as well as a few training pads while you potty trained him and after that you quickly heat up dinner for both you and Pierre. When you’re both done Pierre goes to take a shower as you put the dishes in the dishwasher and get into bed waiting for him as you play with Nugget. “You do know he’s not going to sleep with us in our bed, though, right?” Pierre asks as he steps out of the bathroom drying his hair a bit with his towel “What? Oh come on, just for tonight? You can’t expect the tiny thing to sleep on his own in his first night here.” You pout at Pierre as he tries taking the puppy from you “That’s the thing, amour. All it takes is one night for him to think it will be something permanent, we can’t let him think that.” He replies trying to remain stern but feeling he would crack under both you and Nugget’s puppy dog eyes “Please?? Just for tonight.” You beg, smiling as you hear him sigh and mumble a small “Fine.” before he crawls into bed with you, cuddling you as Nugget curled into a ball in between yours and Pierre’s legs. 

You woke up the next morning not feeling Pierre’s arms around you, you turn to look at him only to see Nugget cuddled up with Pierre, balled up in the space between his neck and shoulder and Pierre’s hand resting on Nugget’s back, small snores leaving both of them as they slept peacefully. You had to take a picture of the view in front of you as you knew it had to be your new phone wallpaper before cuddling up to them and falling back asleep.

[spilledkauffie]

Meet Cute

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x DogMom!Reader Word Count: 1.8k T/W: fluffyyyy A/N: I know it’s a trope, but I love it!

Can you imagine Bucky with a puppy?!?!

Managing six dogs at once wasn’t exactly easy, but you did it rather gracefully, at least most of the time. Today however, you fumbled with your keys at your apartment door when two dogs suddenly, and swiftly wrapped around you, pulling opposite directions. With a small shocked squeak at being squeezed, you accidentally dropped both your keys and a leash, one out of six wasn’t bad, but it was still a loose puppy, trotting around the apartment hall like he owned the place. 

“Peanut!” You yelled out of sheer concern as the baby dachshund gallivanted towards the stairs, as if it were his prison break at last, “Peanut, sweetie, come here!” You called again, eyebrows furrowing during your attempt to untwist the other leashed from around you, as he got closer and closer to that first step which was far too steep for him to comfortably and safely make wihtout tumbling down the rest. 

You watched in sheer panic as his short stout front legs took the leap of faith with ears flying freely in the air like he was Dumbo. You anticipated the little yelp that would absolutely break your heart— Thankfully there was a soft landing platform neither of you had prepared for. Underneath Peanut appeared two hands covered in black gloves. The small dog fit perfectly in the hands as he wagged his tail, beyond proud of the heart attack he nearly gave you. Sighing, you leaned into the door of your apartment for support. 

“Whoa there,” the saviour said, bringing the pup up with him as he stood, having had to dip to catch the pup on the stairs, after glancing at the shining silver bone shaped name tag he met the dog’s eye line, “Peanut, was it?”

As the stranger made his way up the last few steps, you couldn’t take your eyes off him. While you didn’t know him personally, you had seen him around the apartment complex before. Heart still pounding, you shook your head at the pup who was plenty happy in the hands of his rescuer. 

“Peanut Butter Brittle Biscuit,” you full named the dog, causing him to tuck his tail, still wagging it though. Setting your hand, which was still being tugged on by the other five other dogs, on your hip, “you know better than to just run into strangers, it's rude.”

“Well, Peanut,” he looked to the pup in all seriousness, “I’m Bucky. There, we aren’t strangers anymore,” he affirmed, shaking the dogs tiny little paw gently, “and so we’re not strangers,” he looked to you, “I’m Bucky, and you are?” You smiled at his flirty tone, “unless you’d like to go by 4C? Keep it professional?”

“Four- C?” You gave a puzzled look.

Bucky pointed above and behind your head, with the hand he was not literally cradling Peanut with. Quickly glancing you realized it was your apartment number. Now feeling a flush of embarrassment, you took a moment to face him again, squeezing your eyes closed. 

“Oh yeah,” you nervously laughed, before giving him your name as well, you liked the way he repeated it to himself, “and you’re 2E, right?”

“Do we know each other?” he asked, tilting his head with a smirk.

“Oh no, I just, sometimes I see Yori go down there, and- I’m not stalking you, I promise,” you frantically explained, waving your hand, wrapped in dog leashes. 

“No,” Bucky smiled, letting you know that was not what he was thinking, “I think I’d hear you if you were though,” he looked down and around at the literal pack of dogs sitting and standing around you. The pack ranged from a German Shepherd to a Golden Retriever to a Dachshund to a Pomeranian to a Corgi to, lastly, a dopey Great Dane.

“Most definitely,” you laughed, trying to calm your nerves, “we’re not the most graceful bunch, you had a display of that just a moment ago, which thank you so, so much.” You placed your hand over your chest, as an expression of relief. 

“No problem,” he said with a sincere nod and smile, petting back the dog’s ears, “looks like Peanut here is a real daredevil.”

“You have no idea,” you glanced at the puppy, “he’s a troublemaker and thinks he’s invincible.”

With that Peanut interjected giving the most babyish attempt at a deep roo, sassily from where Bucky held him still.

“Talker too, huh?” Bucky gave a shocked glance at the Dachshund who was still resting comfortably with his chest being cradled by Bucky's hand.

“Yeah, well we’re 40 minutes late to D I N N E R,” you spelled out the last word in a whisper, “Fridays are always long days,” you gestured around you to the bigger dogs with toys covered in drool, they just stared up at you, sighing you collected yourself, “they’re park days.” 

“Ohh, I see,” Bucky nodded, “I'd hate to keep you any longer then.” 

With a soft ‘okay’ and a smile, you held your hands out to take Peanut back. There was a brief moment in the exchange where your hands touched his and he gave a ‘sorry’ knowing it was probably cold against your skin. As Peanut hovered with both your hands on his chubby little sides. Your Dane tugged one way again, while the Retriever was determined to go the other, pulling you and Bucky closer together. Practically chest to chest, save Peanut being the barrier between the two of you.

“Oh my gosh,” you whispered, looking down immediately, even though there was hardly room between you two to do so, literally feeling the heat rise to your cheeks, you closed your eyes, “this is not happening.”

“I’ve been in worse situations,” Bucky remarked cooly, keeping his gaze focused on you, finding it surprisingly cute at how flustered you were around him. It’d been a long time since he had felt someone had real genuine human emotions regarding him. 

Neither of you took your hands away from the other’s. Standing there you bit in your lip, calming your rising pulse as you were now close enough to smell his cologne. 

“I’m-” you started, finally looking up, “so sorry.” 

“It’s really okay,” Bucky chuckled, not wanting you to feel as worried as you were, but you just knit your brows together and gave another apologetic look, “honestly, I could- I could do this all day.” There was a pause, then you smiled, ducking your head to hide your face against Peanut who was really becoming a star matchmaker, “I think Peanut and I are going to be very good friends by the end of this.”

Lifting your head with a nod, you sighed, stroking the pup’s ear, for a moment before you guided the other dogs around to give you some more space. Bucky respectfully took a step back, somehow still holding Peanut after all that. You opened your apartment door and the dogs rushed in, you let each leash fall off your hand as they entered. You said their name with each one to keep track of them.

“And lastly,” you exhaled, reaching your arms out again for the troublemaker of whom Bucky surrendered, though he was getting fairly fond of him, “well, at least let me invite you in? Have a drink on me? Something?”

“That’d be great,” Bucky said, gesturing for you to lead the way. 

Once you were both in and Bucky shut the door behind him, you let Peanut loose and immediately he ran to his dinner bowl, waiting in anticipation. Offering Bucky to sit at the bar, you set two cold bottles on top of the counter, but before you joined him you got out six dog bowls, making him smile.

“How long have you had them?” Bucky asked, opening his bottle relaxedly with his hand.

“They vary, some for years, but the most recent,” you nodded to Peanut, “only a few months.”

“So uh, why so many?” Bucky inquired. 

You squeezed your shoulders up, looking around at all of them, “they needed a home,” you said, soft smile, “each of them came from a broken place, of hurt and pain. That’s all they knew before I took them in, and,” you shook your head smiling wider, looking over to Bucky, “if I could be a part of their healing, I knew I had to be. I can’t think of leaving something to suffer if there’s something that can be done to help.”

“That’s-” Bucky looked to the floor as you rounded the counter, to sit next to him on another bar stool, having just set all the bowls down, “that’s a really great mindset.” 

“What about you?” you took a sip, “any pets?”

He swallowed shaking his head, “no, I have a weird work schedule,” he squinted at his own reasoning, hoping it didn’t sound too dumb.

“Oh gotcha,” you nodded, before gesturing with the top of the bottle, “well Rodgers seems to like you.”

Your gesture drew Bucky to look down, sure enough set atop his thigh was your German Shepherd's head, looking up with big eyes and slowly wagging his tail. Bucky pet the dog’s ear, “Rodgers?”

“Yeah, you know after Captain America? He’s ex-military himself so I thought it was fitting,” you bent down to pet the dog yourself.

There was a quietness, Bucky looked away from the dogs and you for a moment. Biting the inside of his lip he felt something he hadn’t in a long time, though he tried to repress it. A part of him felt it was a sign, another part of him told himself to ignore it. Takin another swig, he made his choice

“Hey, if you ever. . . need help with them, I’m,” he hesitated, “I’m usually free Fridays, or- park days.”

“I’d love that,” you smiled leaning back up, “how bout I get your number so we can plan a da-,” you quickly changed your sentence, “a park day.”

While you got up to grab your phone, he flipped open his, seeing the very few contacts and the messages from only one person. Wincing he was a little nervous, this meant opening up. You returned, asking for his number, to which he willingly gave you. Finishing the drinks he said he really should head home, you completely understood, already surprised that he stuck around that long after the incident earlier. 

With casual goodbyes, you shut your door and he headed back downstairs. Taking his gloves off, he suddenly felt his phone vibrate. Sitting on his couch he took it out of his pocket. Seeing your name pop up with a “hi 4C here, texting you like I said I would” and a smiley face with a dog emoji made him smile to himself. 

He opened it-- it was time to start answering messages, it was time he found his healing.

[wandaswigglywoes]

Welcome to my shit post, “types of dogs I think the Bellas would own and here’s why.” or, “random shit I think about at work.”

Kicking us off is Aubrey, with a border collie.

Personally I could see Aubrey with a few other dog breeds, but I like the Border Collie for her because they’re a very intelligent breed, real people pleasers, and very fast learners. They’re loyal and hardworking and they make for great jogging partners because they’re a herding dog, so they have good stamina, and they’re agile. In this particular hc, I’m picturing her dog to look something similar to above. Her name is Poppy.

Up next, we have Chloe with a Siberian Husky!

I also could have gone a few different routes with this, but I chose the husky because these guys are dramatic as fuck with everything they do. They’re vocal about anything and everything. They’re also sweet and loyal and though they’re a bit stubborn, they’re smart. In this particular hc, Chloe’s husky looks similar to the one above, in my head. His name is Togo. (Named after a famous sled dog)

Beca was tough for me, because though I’m sure she likes dogs, I don’t see her owning one solo. But, for the purpose of this, I have cultivated a small scenario. So, Beca owns a Rhodesian Ridgeback!

Since I don’t picture her purposely going out and picking out a dog breed, I feel like she got it by accident. The shelter told her the puppy was a mutt and wouldn’t grow too large. Except she does. And the vet tells her she’s full blooded after some sort of incident. Ridgebacks can seem kind of aloof and a bit stubborn, but they’re fiercely loyal and very intelligent. Plus they look badass, especially with their ridged fur. She definitely names her Dude. I won’t be taking questions on that.

I had a lot of trouble with Stacie, but I feel like she’d be a fan of big box heads. So...

That’s why I think she’d have an American Staffordshire Terrier. His name is Petey (a nod to the little rascals). Staffys are SO sweet. Big babies. Loyal and loving, and smart. They’re also very laid back and enjoy being couch potatoes. They like to be wherever their owners are.

Emily probably owns a Corgi.

His name is definitely something like Alfie (Alfred). Corgis are cute! Emily is cute! They’re cute together! But also, Corgis are smart and playful with wiggly butts and that’s just enough for me to think that Emily would own a corgi.

Fat Amy definitely owns two overly dramatic and way too spoiled and ill mannered French Bulldogs.

Taz and Wallaby. Frenchies are drama queens. They think they’re bigger than they are, but when trouble comes, they run in the opposite direction. All bark and no bite. They’re also goofy little things with loyal and friendly personalities.

Lilly would absolutely own a Doberman named Rocco.

I feel like I don’t need to explain my reasons, they should be self explanatory, here.

For CR, she would own a Jack Russel Terrier named Busta Brown.

JRTs are scrappy little guys! They’re rough and tumble dogs that were bred to hunt mostly small animals and vermin. They’re still used today on farms to keep rats away. They make great family pets, too and though they can be stubborn when it comes to training, they’re smart and very loyal.

And last, but not least!! Jessley owns a mutt they rescued from a shelter.

He’s some sort of lab, fiest mix full of anxiety that they have to go to a trainer for, but he’s a gentle soul. A lot of mutts are better in personality and have better health depending on circumstances, because they don’t face inbreeding or bad genetics. They probably name him Hank. I don’t make the rules.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my useless Ted talk.

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧: 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝐺𝑒𝑡 𝐴 𝑃𝑒𝑡 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝐻𝑒'𝑠 𝐽𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑠

❥𝓚𝓲𝓶 𝓗𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓳𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓰

Feeling bad for not being able to keep you company because he spent most of his time in the recording studio, Hongjoong decided it would be cute to get you a pet.

So on a free day, you went to the pet store and looked at all the animals.

From the beginning, you both knew you wanted a pet on the more 'exotic' side of things.

That's how you ended up taking home 2 sugar gliders.

You named them Mocha and Latte, cause they reminded you of coffee.

At first, it was difficult cause sugar gliders are nocturnal, so either they were bustling in their cage, waking you up.

Or you were pouty cause you couldn't play with them during the day.

"Have fun with them!" Hongjoong would tell you before leaving.

And you'd always respond "Yeah right".

Your sleep schedule changed because of them though.

You started staying up at odd hours of the night just to play with them.

Of course, that meant you'd sleep in till almost noon the next day.

Meaning now Hongjoong was seeing, or at least, spending less time with you.

And he was pouting.

Pouting cause he got home early but you're sleeping and can't hang out with him.

Pouting cause he wants to fall asleep next to you and cuddle you but you're too busy playing with the Mocha and Latte.

So you looked over at him, sitting up with the tiniest pout on his face.

"What?" You asked.

He whined cutely. "You're not interested in me anymore!"

You simply snorted at how cute he was when he was jealous.

You put the gliders back in their cage and settled next to your boyfriend.

"Maybe now you'll understand how I felt when you'd leave me alone for the whole day. "

Hongjoong looked at you and realized you were right.

He couldn't really complain, he got you the pets specifically cause of that reason. But still....

"That didn't mean replace me completely!"

❥𝓟���𝓻𝓴 𝓢𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝔀𝓪

Seonghwa agreed to get a pet with you so you'd have someone while he was gone.

He knew you tended to get lonely while he was on tour, so maybe a pet would be nice.

"But please let's get something that won't make too much mess."

So you took his OCD into account.

That's how you ended up with Pepe, a cute green and red parrot.

He actually didn't talk at first, he was a little shy.

But after a while, he started saying words here and there.

That's when you decided to teach him a few phrases yourself.

"The possibilities are endless. I will teach him the entire dictionary."

Seonghwa just shrugged, not really paying attention.

"Ok you have fun with that. But he's a parrot, I doubt he's that smart."

Pepe was indeed smart, incredibly smart.

And if you rewarded him with crackers or berries, he learned even faster.

You spent any second free you had with him.

Literally, you got out a dictionary and made him learn at least 5 new words each day.

Surprisingly, he learned more by watching you communicate with Seonghwa, picking up phrases you used.

That's when a funny moment happened.

Seonghwa was mad that you no longer hung out with him.

And the few times you talked, you just went on and on about how smart the parrot was.

Scowling he blew up one day.

"All you ever talk about is that stupid old bird!"

Pepe, hearing some of his words, suddenly blurted out.

"Stupid angry bird Seonghwa! Stupid angry bird Seonghwa!"

He repeated what he often heard you mutter behind his back whenever Seonghwa made you mad.

"Stupid what?!" Seonghwa's eyes nearly popped out of his face while you just laughed at him.

❥𝓙𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓾𝓷𝓱𝓸

Yunho couldn't wait for you two to get the puppy you adopted.

He was super excited at the thought that you two would officially become parents.

So when your Welsh Corgi finally arrived, he was over the moon.

"I'm going to name you Peanut and we're going to spend so much time together!"

Meanwhile you stood behind him like "I'm his owner too! Don't I get a say?!"

Yunho and you spent so much time with the puppy.

He was a very active puppy, and at times you had to definitely scold him.

Cause he liked to chew the furniture, especially the legs of your kitchen chairs.

Yeah, one time it was so chewed up, the chair ended up breaking while you were sitting on it.

It was too much for you, you considered taking the dog back.

"No please don't! He's only a baby and doesn't know better!"

Yunho insisted he'd train him better.

That was bullshit cause he ended up having to go on tour for 6 months, leaving you to raise Peanut as a single mother for half a year.

You sighed. "Might as well get used to it."

You were amazed that without Yunho interfering, Peanut behaved a lot better and you were able to train him.

So you became even closer to him.

Soon he became your baby that you loved to pamper and cuddle with.

Yes, Peanut ended up sleeping with you in your bed.

When Yunho came back, not only was he surprised that Peanut didn't recognize him...

But Peanut actually barked at him whenever he got close to you.

"I'm just trying to give my girl/boyfriend a hug!"

And when you two were getting ready to go to bed, Yunho couldn't even join you in bed

Cause Peanut was already cuddled up next to you.

So Yunho stood there with the saddest look on his face.

"Did this dog seriously just stole my place?"

❥𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰

Yeosang layed down on the couch, hoping to relax from an intense day of dance practice.

He closed his eyes, already feeling like he was going to sleep anytime soon.

He felt something tickle him on his nose and he giggled, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Baby, not right now. I'm tired. Let me rest first. Then I'll give you some cuddles and kisses."

He then felt nibbling on his nose which made him raise an eyebrow.

"What are you- Holy shit!"

He fell out of the couch after he opened his eyes and saw two large beady eyes, that were definitely not yours, staring straight into his soul.

"Yeosang? Are you ok?" You asked stepping out of your room.

"Something just tried to eat me! Do you think I'm ok?!" He exclaimed.

You looked at him on the floor and saw what was the cause.

"There you are Cookie! I've been looking all over for you."

Yeosang just watched as you picked up the rabbit that he deemed menacing.

"I'm sorry, but I don't recall you having a pet?"

"Nope, but I saw him while I was shopping for groceries and thought why not? And what do you mean my pet? He's also gonna be yours"

"Uhhh come again?"

It's not that Yeosang didn't want Cookie around.

But he found him rather bothersome, especially since he liked to hide in corners and jump on his ankles.

Sometimes he'd even let out a cry of pain cause Cookie likes to bite his feet.

And through all this bullshit, you never take his side.

You're always taking that damned rabbit's side.

"Honestly, what's so great about him? I have big sparkly eyes too! And I can eat lettuce cutely. Watch."

And Yeosang legit grabbed a piece of lettuce and ate it like an actual rabbit.

Meanwhile you just cringed.

"Please don't get jealous, it doesn't suit you and please don't ever do that again."

Yeosang let the remaining lettuce fall to the ground, just like his will to compete with the big eared furry.

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓷

When you told San you were planning on getting a sibling for Byeol, he was expecting another cat.

He just stood there staring at the long nosed, long eared whiskered animal on the floor.

He pointed at it. "What is that?"

"That's Tiny!" You exclaimed happily.

"It's not a cat?" He asked rather confused.

"I know! It's a fennec fox! Isn't he adorable too?!" You were just so happy.

San was wondering if it was even legal to keep it as a pet.

Spoiler: it was.

San did think Tiny was cute and he didn't really seem to be vicious, despite it being an exotic animal.

Tiny was actually very sociable and active.

Unlike Byeol, Tiny needed you to play with him almost every 2 hours or it'd get bored.

And when he get bored, he'd start snarling and eventually growling if you didn't pay attention to him.

It freaked San out the first time he heard him snarl.

"What the fuck kind of demon possessed you?!" He shouted, causing Tiny to become more agitated

You quickly ran in, with a rubber bouncy ball in your hand.

"Hey it's ok! I'm here! Now go fetch!" You said as you threw the ball to the other side of the room.

Tiny immediately ran for it and spent a good amount of time searching for it.

"That thing is possessed!" San told you.

"You get possessed when you're on stage. Tiny is just bored and wants attention." You explained.

"I want your attention but you don't see me growling at you."

You rolled your eyes. "No. You just get whiny and fussy."

San scoffed and walked away to the couch, glaring as you played with the fox.

Looking over, he saw Byeol laying next to him, just staring.

He smiled. "Hey babygirl, wanna play with me and make Y/N jealous instead?"

Byeol simply stood up and walked to another part of the room, leaving San all sad on the couch, feeling lonely.

❥𝓢𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓲

"Mingi, I want you to meet Coco!"

You held up the brown ferret against Mingi's face.

Being the scaredy cat he was, Mingi backed away immediately at the sight of the unusual pet.

"Relax! He's not going to eat you! You big baby." You said

"What kind of rodent is that?" He asked, inspecting the creature.

"He's a ferret! Think of him as a long and stretched out hamster." You explained as you cooed at the cutie pet.

"Well if he makes you happy, I guess ok."

He did make you happy. You had never had a pet of your own, so obviously you doted on Coco as if he was your whole world.

Your social media now was filled with pictures and videos of the ferret.

"Coco, look at the camera! I need that Instagram pic!"

Seeing your social media bombarded with nothing but the ferret made Mingi upset.

Before you used to post only pictures of him.

Now.....a long rat has invaded your relationship.

Or at least that's what he thought.

"You pay more attention to that rat than me!" He huffed.

"He's not a rat! He's a ferret!" You shouted.

Finally getting fed up, Mingi took away the ferret from you and told it to run along.

He then pulled you into the couch and wrapped his long limbs around you.

"We haven't cuddled in a long time. I want at least 20 minutes of your undivided attention each day."

You smiled and petted his hair. You couldn't blame him for feeling neglected. It had been a while.

You turned around and began kissing his face.

His frown suddenly turned into a smile and he was happy again.....

Until Coco climbed into the couch and popped out from between your bodies.

"Oh my god! You had them all day! I've only had them for 2 minutes you cockblocker!"

You started laughing at his reaction and quickly put Coco on the ground before anything else happened.

❥𝓙𝓾𝓷𝓰 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓰

"Babe! I'm finally home!"

Wooyoung sprinted from the couch, running up to you and wanting to see you open the portable cage you held.

"Is it here already?! Tell me is it a boy or girl?! What breed is it?!"

He was jumping for joy since he knew you decided to go buy a pet.

He immediately thought you meant a dog. He loves dogs and just wanted to start playing with it.

"Wooyoung, this is Ginger! Our new baby!" You said as you held up a tabby orange cat.

Wooyoung suddenly stopped jumping and stared at the cat for a long time.

Then he looked at you with an 'are you kidding me' expression.

"It's a cat." "No way! Really?! If you don't tell me, I wouldn't notice!" You replied sarcastically.

Wooyoung stomped his foot. "I thought you'd get a dog!"

"What? No! You know I'm a cat person."

Wooyoung clutched his chest at what you said, gasping dramatically

"I don't know you anymore! You're not my girlfriend/boyfriend! They've been replaced by some maniac cat person!"

You just rolled your eyes and decided to enjoy your new pet.

You just loved Ginger. She was so calm, so serene, well behaved and obedient.

She also seemed to know when you were stressed or feeling down since she'd then climb on your lap and nuzzle herself to your body, purring softly.

She melted your heart and you did not regret adopting her.

Wooyoung on the other hand did not like her, and started disliking her more since Ginger never listened to him.

He didn't realize she could sense his animosity and therefore proceeded to avoid him.

"Seriously what does Y/N see in you? You don't fetch, can't do tricks and you certainly don't guard the house. What are you good for?"

Ginger just continued lying on the couch, ignoring him.

"Hey don't ignore me you little butter ball!" He said as he tried moving her.

But before he could even touch her, she began hissing at him, daring him to come closer.

"What are you doing to my baby?!" You screeched from the kitchen.

"I didn't do anything!" He then turned and pointed a finger to the cat."You know... for a pussycat, you sure are one hell of a bitch!"

❥𝓒𝓱𝓸𝓲 𝓙𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓱𝓸

Jongho had been getting really tired of the pet raccoon you decided to get.

First of all, he kept coming to your house, making a mess outside cause it kept looking through your trash can.

Of course being the softie you were, you kept leaving food out for it.

So naturally it came coming back for more and practically lived outside your house.

"I told you if you kept doing that she'd end up staying." Jongho reminded you.

"It's actually a he. He's a boy." You corrected him.

"Geez. You already know that much, why not just bring him inside and just make him your official pet?" He said that sarcastically but wasn't expecting you to take it seriously.

"Ok!" You then went outside to bring it in.

"Wait! I wasn't being serious! It's a wild animal and could have rabies!"

Despite his protests, you ended up keeping him, taking him to the vet to get him vaccinated and checked on.

That's how Bandit was now a part of your life.

And true to his name, he stole your heart.

He was so adorable and fluffy and you just loved cuddling him.

It certainly felt nice since Jongho rarely cuddled with you, so of course you seeked affection from your raccoon.

Bandit was also pretty mischievous, but you didn't mind. You just kept thinking he was absolutely adorable.

Jongho on the other hand was having his patience tested every day by Bandit.

He'd often find his socks ripped or missing and he had a pretty good idea who it was.

He finally caught him red handed tearing apart his last pair of black socks.

"That's it! You're dead I tell you! Dead! Square up! I ain't afraid! I will fight you!"

Jongho actually began taking off his jacket and holding up his fists.

Bandit also began snarling and arched his back in a fighting position.

You walked in just in time to stop Jongho or Bandit from launching at each other.

"What is wrong with you?! Were you seriously about to go Jack Jack on a raccoon?!"

"He started it! Beneath that mask, he's evil!"

You decided to just keep them away from each other before you end up with animal control on your front door.

Gifs not mine, credit goes to their respective owners.

[2p-stuff-because-i-miss-them]

Hiii im glad ur back!!❤️ may i request 2p face fam react to their s/o’s corgis? Like they r such sweet and gentle loafs but as soon as s/o leaves the room they arent anymore. ex: theyll sit together and stare at the 2ps with extreme dissapointment and disapproval, and make the atmosphere tense. When he walks into the room theyll briefly look at him and then move on as if they were talking crap about him before😂. (Bonus if they got along w him eventually but they still look displeased... sometimes..)

Ty Anon uwu

Hey guys I had to disappear again because all of my teachers decided that a new quarter meant 1238729343 assignments at once, we love to see it. Since its the weekend though I do not have to limit myself to one post I can make like 5 in a day so here we goes.

2p France: “yeah I have that effect on people”. Honestly animals usually really like Francois, so this is kind of new, but not surprising. The corgis will be staring at Francois and he’s like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. If the dogs keeps this behavior up Francois’ brain will just fade them out lmao. If the dogs are gonna ignore his existence or talk about him expecting a reaction of some sorts he’s just gonna be like “hmm? Oh! you two do exist my bad, are you hungry? hmm. That's unfortunate-” (he’ll feed the dogs I promise guys he’s just sassy). Because I like the idea of a tired Francois laying around with hyper corgi’s all day though I’m just going to say that they’ll get along and really close at some point. Francois would be working at his desk and the corgi’s know that s/o doesn’t like when Francois works himself to death when he’s sleepy so they’re all cuddly with him until he gives in and goes to bed. This happens a ton of times to the point where the puppies start caring a lot about Francois’ health and well being. And Francois accidentally gets attached so now they’re his b a b i e s.

2p America: His sadness is immeasurable. He’s actually so hurt right now and so dramatic about it. Dogs were supposed to be his thing, at least he thought so. And nOW THEY’RE GOSSIPING ABOUT HIM? OMFG HE’S ABOUT TO C R Y. He refuses to tell his s/o about this because ofc he wouldn’t. Instead he like tries to bribe them with extra treats or bacon or something. If that's not working he’s just gonna be really down for awhile. I feel like the dogs would notice this and feel kinda bad. Seeing a softer side of Al would make them sappy and one day if Allen was just sleeping over at his s/o’s house and the doggos were cuddling in his lap he’d just d i e. Catch them being hella cute spending the rest of the day with each other, rolling around inside and outside the house, his s/o is so confused at the change in energy. He’d nickname them nuggets even if that was longer than their og name-

2p Canada:  This is fine. He’s high-key insecure about it but he’s gonna play it off like he’s perfectly fine with it and it doesn’t upset him. If he see’s the dogs talking shit he’ll be hella confrontational “You got somethin’ to say? no? thats what I was thinking”. I feel like Matt would befriend them really easily though because he probably fattens them up and buys them little toys and stuff. I can see Matt being really protective of them too cause they’re so smol and the corgi’s would prolly feel safe around him. Catch shirtless Matt and the corgis being hella cute in a flowery meadow.

2p England: *eyebrow arch* Oliver’s more of a cat person anyway so this doesn’t upset him that much. But on the other hand, sometime when his s/o is gone and he wants a cuddle buddy someone's gotta take the fall. I feel like the first parts of their bitterness would just the dogs scowling and being snarky but Olivers just unbothered and ignores it. Then after awhile Ollie is making them special treats or buying stuff to fatten them up and the the Corgi’s are c o n f l i c t e d. Oliver just coerces them into slowly loving him and ofc he loves them back. His s/o needs to be involved because honestly he will steal all their love and over feed them-. One day when s/o is not looking the corgi’s are lorge and all over Oliver. And Ollie’s just like “teehee yeah I’m just really good with animals ig”. Catch them being hella cute playing around in the kitchen while Ollie’s baking.

[higgyisobsessed]

How I would change the Yamper line - new evolution and designs

Opinion warnings: lots of Boltund slander ahead 

ngl I really don’t like Boltund. It is, in my opinion, the worst Pokemon design in the franchise, especially eight generations in with other creative Pokemon like Orbeetle, Copperajah, Barraskewda, and even its pre-evo Yamper. I have two main problems with it that I think are reasonable for a Pokemon design:

- It does not look like a Pokemon, it’s just so generic

If I was watching some dog cartoon and Boltund came on screen, I would think “wow that dog has weird colours” and I wouldn’t bat an eye. Boltund looks so generic, it’s like they took a dog and added Pokemon aspects onto it instead of making a Pokemon with dog features. >Vulpix, Ninetales, Growlithe, Arcanine, Houndour, Houndoom, Snubbull, Granbull, Electrike, Manectric, Lillipup, Zygarde 10%, Rockruff, the Lycanrocs, Nickit, Yamper, Zacian, and Zamazenta all somehow deviate from “could be in any cartoon about dogs” -> Herdier, Stoutland, and Furfrou are kinda ehh about this but idk none of them feel as egregious as Boltund, as those three are all Normal types.

- Its design says nothing about its concept and does not build off of Yamper

Yamper is super cute and deviates from a regular dog because it has no legs and its cuteness kind of makes up for the lack of other features. It’s specifically designed to be what it is - a cute corgi puppy that is playful and a favourite among Galar citizens. I at first didn’t think too much of Yamper, but its animation with its paws?? Super cute and I love it and it made me like Yamper as a whole. 

Boltund? How is it related to Yamper? It’s an Electric doggo with yellow and green in its colour scheme. It does not build on Yamper at all, and its personality is frankly bland from the design alone. (I also hate its colour scheme with half a passion but that’s subjective, I think) If you compiled a list about everything good about Yamper’s design, that’s the part the designer threw away when making Boltund.

Let’s look at Boltund’s Pokedex entries.

I got this:

-fast, lots of stamina

I can kind of see the fast in the design, if you cut off the entire front half and kept the butt half. 

So here’s the biggest issue with Boltund - its only concept is a fast dog and its design can’t even get THAT across. Maybe it’s got greyhound inspiration (fastest dog breed, British), but that’s just it-MAYBE it’s based on a greyhound. You can kinda see how its torso thins out to the back, but it’s so subtle that it’s more exaggerated on a real greyhound, and for a cartoon creature surrounded by exaggerated anatomy, that’s a little... sad. 

My Solution?

Ideally, I’d start from scratch and make a more compelling concept. But since I’m trying to save it (in my opinion, at least 2 people at Game Freak liked it enough), I’ll be working from the “Really Fast Dog” concept. So I went ahead and created an alternate evolution line for Yamper that I like quite a bit more.

Okay, obviously I haven’t nailed the Pokemon style, and I am not a character designer. I AM AN AMATEUR, NOT A PROFESSIONAL But here’s my thought process:

Yamper Good the way it is. If I had to change anything, I would not have ever made lime green a transition between beige and a yellow of the same tone, or put the yellow around its eyes, or have its eyes that small. Honestly, the colours and tones are a contrast nightmare for me, but I understand that’s subjective and many fans loved Yamper the first sight they got of it. So I’ll leave it for the purposes of this post.

Dynamutt In the line up of final evolutions, Boltund looks a lot like a middle stage for me. So I added a middle stage, haha. Dynamutt (dynamo+mutt, even tho it’s not a mutt whoops) is weaker than canon Boltund in my eyes, but a bit bulkier and can hold an eviolite for some nice bulk in the team. Kind of a Scyther/Scizor situation but less dramatic. If you need a bulky team member, maybe don’t evolve it and keep an eviolite. Like Chansey and Blissey but if Blissey was a speedy attacker or something. Dynamutt is based on a bulldog. Granbull not being available in Sword/Shield (not sure if it’s in the DLC but even if it is, should have been base game) is a CRIME and I will die on this hill. Anyways, Dynamutt could make up for that. I wanted a cute, cuddly, warm hugs kind of bulldog to show how cute and friendly they are. Its jaw is from how bulldog jaws are?? but exaggerated to look like either drool or a tooth, which fits the Strong Jaw ability great. I would give it Strong Jaw and maybe Lightning Rod or Static for the Hidden Ability. This good doggo wouldn’t be fast, so not Quick Feet. Its tail is from short bull dog tails and the idea of static electricity.  Honestly, the only tough part about designing this guy was the colour scheme, but you all know how I feel about the colour scheme when working off of Yamper. I made the green darker so that contrast could happen some more here, and transition into Boltund easier.  IMO, I made the colours too close to Yamper. I struggled so hard with the colours because it was doomed from the start. But now it looks so much like Yamper from a distance and too much of a departure from Boltund?? I might have gone with something else if this colour scheme was something I liked, but here are some other things I tried. The dark green is my favourite when bridging Yamper and Boltund, but I didn’t get enough warmth in the design. what’s your favourite??

Boltund First of all, I made it as a final evolution to Dynamutt. But I’m kinda realizing that it doesn’t build a lot on Dynamutt’s concept, so idk, maybe an alternate evolution line? But yeah if it’s an evolved Dynamutt, it would be a bit stronger than canon Boltund. So what I did for Boltund was focus on the Pokedex entries. Speed speed speed. So I looked at what adaptations cheetahs (the fastest sprint speed of any animal) have to make them so fast.  >proportionally long legs >pads on the bottom of their paws for traction, as well as retractable claws >long spine, long tail, for more balance I also looked up the fastest dog breed. Greyhound. They also have long tails, long legs, and I added some different colour to the bottom of its paws for some padding and traction. Did you know Boltund can only run 5km more than a greyhound? In the same universe where a horse can jump higher than a tower, and one (1) lizard can power a whole city? I don’t know, seems a bit slow for a fantasy creature. Anyways, the Abilities are Quick Feet, since that’s one of its canon abilities, but I felt that Strong Jaw didn’t match this design as well, so I feel like having its Hidden Ability as either Stamina or Speed Boost. Stamina is kind of silly for a fastfastfast Pokemon with c r a p defenses, but being able to run for three days straight? That’s where Boltund’s fantastical creature lore went. Cheetahs have some pretty bad stamina, I believe (I might have to go find a source for this) a human could catch up with it after a while, since humans with our muscles and sweat and smooth skin are built for stamina. Turtle and Hare situation, but instead of the hare being lazy, it just really badly needed the rest so it wouldn’t over exhaust itself. Back to Boltund. I felt like exaggerating the angle of its REALLY thin hind area, like a greyhound, which I might not have exaggerated enough. The angle and almost rectangular shape gives me vibes of a cartoon lightning bolt. The legs are super long, and it runs on its toes.  And that’s my redesign for Yamper’s evolution(s)! Let me know what you think. Did I fail in my dream to make Boltund interesting? Did I overcomplicate things with Dynamutt? Should it be a split evolution like the Snorunt line instead? Does anyone else agree that Boltund’s colour scheme is an eyesore? (a warm yellow with lemon yellow accents and dark green? How would that have looked good?? Two different yellows is so distracting and aaaah. I was so distracted by the ugly mustard accents that I didn’t notice its torso got smaller near the back at all! That’s not how you exaggerate things I think) aaand here are the sketches!

[loulougoingsolo]

“There goes our Peter Pan sponsorship”

A few days ago, there was this tweet:

Yesterday, Matt retweeted this same tweet with the addition of tomorrow - which is today. Boy, did he deliver. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. They made Rhett and Link read their own fanfiction - and it wasn’t the fluffy kind. So, let’s talk about that - and the fact that I am simultaniously exhilarated, embarrased...and a little bit awkward.

This is, for what I can remember, the first time ever that GMM has needed a warning about being NSFW or unsuitable for kids, but despite all those warnings, I assumed they’d found some fairly innocent fics for this episode. I love how before getting into reading, Rhett and Link point out that the thing that makes reading these fics out loud difficult for them is simply because it’s about themselves - not that it’s fanfiction - or that it’s about real people. They are not opposed to people writing fanfiction, even about themselves, they just prefer not to read it - for obvious reasons - but I think this episode, even with all the cringe, emphasizes the fact that they are ok with Rhink. And we also got proof that the crew does read fanfics, and we may actually have a mole in our midst.

Instead of just reading the fics, Rhett and Link do it in GMM style, by turning it into a game. They take turns reading a part of the story on a card, and for every card they successfully manage to read, gives them a point. If one of them taps out, the other has a chance to steal the points by finishing the card - and if they both fail, it’s up to Stevie to finish. Either way, we are getting to hear the whole thing.

I’ll link all the fics in this post, so you can check them out - and also, so you can read them in their entirety. The crew apparently decided to only have portions of the full fics on the show, and I think that was a good thing, since this supposedly was the first time R&L are acquainted with fanfiction, and even with these snippets, there might have been some permanent damage. (Oh, in case you’re wondering, I linked the AO3 texts instead of the tumblrs on all the fics, mainly to keep things simple.)

The first fic for the guys to read is “Puppy” by Mythical-Ross. Sounds all cute and fluffy, yes, but Stevie gives a subtle warning before Link gets to reading. No actual dogs were harmed in the story, but as the story goes on, it becomes apparent that this story is about a different kind of puppy. I can’t believe this was the first fic they chose to read, after celebrating Puppy love on Valentine’s Day.

I completely lost it when Link started reading his lines with a special voice: “Who’s a good boy?”, and commented on how only one finger was licked so far. Rhett, on the other hand, is struggling to read his part. (Which is understandable, given his role in this story.) Link looks a lot like how I felt when I first stumbled upon rhink fics, both a little guilty for reading smut, but also kinda curious about what’s to come. He seems to be taking this experience surprisingly well. 

Link is in a small lead after the first round, as we move on from puppy play to Mpreg with “Positive” by dip_the_pip. Why do I feel like we are going through all of Link’s kinks today. We know he loves puppies and talks about pregnancy a lot. But this probably isn’t like living a dream for him...And, just in case we’re getting reality and fiction confused, Link feels the need to point out that he’s never kissed Rhett’s knuckles. This comment feels slightly redundant after the previous story, but okay. And then he’s upset about doing the dishes on both stories (because THAT is the thing that’s upsetting about these stories), and then he warns the (fictional?) Rhett not to nipple on his lips - because of herpes. Rhett seems to still know what’s going on, saying the herpes is the least of their worries at this point. They ARE having a baby together, after all. Link finally gets to experience pregnancy first hand.

Considering all the jokes these guys have made on GMM about eating balls, turns out, reading about their own is a step too far. I have to say, checking the original unabridged version, a lot of the text was cut off for this episode - and personally I think reading a shortened version might give a wrong idea about fanfic. Anyway, Rhett fails to read his part, Link chooses not to steal his points, and Stevie has to read the line about her bosses doing it against the wall.

The last, but by no means, the least, fic for the guys to read, is a story from the college days of Rhink, “Breaking the Seal” by LinksLipsSinkShips. By this time, Rhett appears to be emotionally defeated, while Link almost seems to be having fun.

I really hope this episode didn’t ruin Link’s love for peanut butter. At least, he finally won something, and now we’ll get to see Rhett posting a line from a crew selected fic on his personal Twitter account (rhettmc) without explanations. Based on the choice of fics today, I expect the crew to be ruthless.

I have to say, this episode went much better than I expected. I admit that I’m still blushing, and thankful that nothing from my own archives was brought to daylight - although I fully stand behind my own work, even the cringier ones. I hope reading these stories didn’t change the guys’ openminded approach to dealing with us, the shipping kind.

I have to admit, after the main episode, I was releaved by the wholesome puppy videos in GMMore, probably as much as everyone else. I think it’s absolutely amazing, how dog-friendly Mythical is. So many adorable puppies, everywhere!

I happen to be the proud big-sister of a small dog, and I agree with Link in saying that a dog that has humans pet her, carry her treats, and fill the pool for her are pretty smart - they have complete control over their humans, and that is pretty clever. (I know that they’ve made IQ tests on dogs, and these tests rank many smaller breeds at the bottom, but that’s different kind of intelligence.)

Link has either completely forgotten about reading a fic about puppy play by the time they get to watch Sherby? the corgy play dead - after reading a story like that it doesn’t really help his cause to say he’d want to have a corgy as a pillow - or that Miles the husky is hot. And then he goes on to compliment Stevie’s dog Ringo’s gluteus.

Ok, after Link brings up swirls, I’m starting to think he’s intentionally messing with Rhett by bringing up these words that remind them about the fics. When he asks if Chase’s dog is swirling, and then goes on to talk in a puppy voice, I know he’s doing it on purpose. It seems the guys survived their ordeal mostly unaffected (and maybe with some new perpectives to life), and now we can all life happily ever after. Except maybe Rhett, who still has some tweeting to do...

[saywhatjessie]

cute dog related title

3.5k. For Elaine. Join us on Discord! [Ao3]

“What do we think about Joan?”

Henry blinked, looking up from his phone to look over at Alex. “What?”

“Joan!” Alex repeated, excitedly. “As a name!”

Henry’s face contorted. “As in Joan of Arc?”

Alex’s face fell, “No, like Joan Jett. I’m trying to keep with our vintage rockstar theme.”

Henry let out a surprised laugh, turning a bit in his seat so his knee bumped Alex’s. “I like it.”

“Yeah, but if the first thing you thought was a religious figure, that’s not my favorite thing.”

“Well, it’s not like Bowie is the first thing you think when you hear David. Could just as easily be the Bible story with Goliath.”

Alex grimaced. “I don’t know if I like that.”

Henry huffed a laugh again, putting a hand on Alex’s knee. “Well, it’s not as if we have to decide now. Let’s at least meet the dogs first, yeah?”

Alex’s mouth twitched and he groaned dramatically, covering Henry’s hand with his. “ Fiiiiiiiine .”

Henry smiled softly, bringing Alex’s hand up to his mouth, kissing his knuckles. Alex grinned, butting his knee against Henry’s, teasing him for being so corny. Henry winked.

“Anyway, I’m more concerned with breed,” Henry said coolly, lifting his phone back to his face. “It’s important to research these things beforehand.”

Alex snorted. “H, I think the last thing we’re going to find is a pedigree where we’re going.”

Henry made a protesting noise in his throat. “It’s not about pedigree, love. We need to get a dog that will get along with David. One that won’t have separation anxiety when we need to be away and one that isn’t terribly difficult with new people.” He turned his phone toward Alex. “I have a list.”

Alex glanced at it and snorted. “Did you really google ‘dog breeds good with beagles’?”

“As opposed to what?” Henry said, his eyebrows hiked. “I got results, did I not?”

Alex snorted again but ran a hand over Henry’s knee as if to say ‘Yes you did, darling, now continue’.

Henry did just that. “Beagles on the whole are rather friendly and there’s very few breeds they won’t get along with.  And there’s always dogs that universally get along with everyone, like golden retrievers and labradors.”

Alex scrunched his face. “Sure, but how basic is that?”

Henry leaned his head against the headrest and turned to look at Alex, mournfully. “You’d look adorable with a Golden retriever.”

“I resent you for implying I wouldn’t look adorable with any dog.” Alex said. “And if I fall in love with a Golden Retriever then it is what it is. But give me more interesting options.”

Henry sighed but dutifully returned to his phone. 

“Greyhounds?” Henry offered, skeptically.

Alex pumped a fist. “Fuck yes. Skeletal horse-looking fuckers. That’s what I’m talking about.”

Henry grimaced but tapped at his phone a bit before humming in interest. “Greyhounds are one of the breeds most in need of rescue, since they’re former racing dogs. But they’re also one of the hardest dogs to rehabilitate and don’t deal well with the cold or being alone.” He looked at Alex, meaningfully. “So a greyhound would definitely do well in New York while we’re away on politics business or some such.”

Alex grimaced. “Okay, fine . What else you got?”

Henry continued to take him through various dog breeds, pros and cons, relating them to David and what life would be like for the new dog back at the brownstone while Henry was abroad and while Alex was in class or potentially doing lawyer things.

It was just so surreal for Alex to think that he could do this. He could get a dog with his boyfriend. They were living stable and almost boring lives. His mother had no more campaigns to run and he was stressed out in school, which was right in his comfort zone. Henry had his youth shelters and his LGBT organizations. He and Henry were out to the world. It felt like they could really start being a family.

And what better way to start a family than with a dog?

“I do hope David doesn’t feel as if we’re replacing him,” Henry mused, briefly looking out the car window. “This is for him. So he isn’t lonely when we’re both out. Since we left Mr. Wobbles, he needs a mate. This is for him. Do you think he knows?”

Alex’s mouth twitched into another smile and rubbed Henry’s knee consolingly. “If he doesn’t know by now, we can always put the new pup in a box with a bow on it. David would have to be particularly stupid if he doesn’t get the hint then.”

Henry turned to him with a frown. “You’re making fun of me.”

“Just a little,” Alex admitted, bringing Henry’s knuckles to his mouth to kiss them. “David knows we love him. He’ll be fine.”

Henry was still frowning but he turned back to the window, getting more and more nervous the closer they got to the shelter.

Zahra had vetted this shelter within an inch of its life, triple checking references and doing follow up calls with adopted dog owners from more than ten years ago. It was extremely important to not only Alex and Henry but to his mother’s public image, that if Alex was going to be adopting a dog, it would be in the most unambiguously ethical way possible. No puppy farms. No PETA ties. Just good old fashioned dog rescue.

They’d set up a private appointment, obviously. They’d tweet about the shelter once they were safely away.

Cash navigated the car around the back of a squat looking building, putting it in park and turning around to look at them. “You both ready?”

Henry nodded, a steely look in his eye. Alex gripped his hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

They pushed out of their respective doors and Alex hurried around the car to Henry’s side, grabbing his hand again before they reached the back door. Henry shot him a grateful smile and knocked.

A woman opened the door with a startled-sounding “Oh!” despite her clearly having expected them. “Well, wow, hi! Come in!”

Alex smiled, as he and Henry stepped past her into an office. The woman was young-looking, her hair tied up in a messy ponytail and glasses on her face. She wore scrubs with little corgis on them.

“Were the corgis for this guy?” Alex asked, pointing to Henry and gesturing at her scrubs. “Because they’re really more the queen’s thing. Our boy is a beagle man.”

Henry rolled his eyes and smiled even as his ears turned red. “Not everything is about me, Alex.”

“Oh, I did wear them for you, though,” the woman said, her hands shyly tucked in her scrubs pockets. “They felt appropriate.”

“You look great,” Alex told her, winking. He gave Henry’s hand a last squeeze before releasing it to offer it to her. “I’m Alex.”

“I know,” she said, with a slight giggle, taking his hand. “I spoke to your handler on the phone. I’m Faith.”

Alex grinned, shaking her hand and turning to Henry. “I’m sure Zahra would love to know she’s my handler.”

“She has been your handler for well over a decade, love.” Henry told him fondly.

He turned to Faith, offering his own hand. “Henry.”

She took it, bending her knees a bit in an awkward curtsy.

“Oh, that’s really not necessary,” Henry told her, embarrassed.

Alex moved to do his own curtsy, waxing about how amazing and royal Henry is, but he figured that might embarrass Faith more than Henry, so he just grinned and smacked Henry on the ass. “Yeah, he’s really not that great.”

“Alex,” Henry groaned.

“Can we see the dogs?” Alex asked, bouncing a bit on his toes.

Faith looked between them, biting her knuckles, looking very much like she was seconds away from collapsing into giggles. Instead, she cleared her throat and stood up, acting extremely professional. “Of course, follow me.”

They made their way out into the main hallways of the shelter and Alex leaned close to Henry’s ear. “Janis?” He said in a low tone. “Like Joplin?”

“Also Chandler Bing’s annoying girlfriend,” Henry whispered back.

“Goddammit.”

Alex sighed, turning his smile all the way back up when Faith turned to them as they stopped in front of another door.

“I’ve pulled some dogs for you ahead of time. Ones I thought would be a good fit based on what your handler told me. No major abandonment issues, house trained, good with other dogs–”

“Beagle, specifically.” Henry interrupted.

“Yes, a beagle, specifically,” Faith corrected, smiling indulgently. “I’ve pulled three dogs for you to meet today and you can always come back if none of them feel right. But the first one is right behind this door! He’s a Golden Retriever, he’s two years old, and his name is Davey. You ready?”

Alex and Henry nodded and they all headed in.

Davey greeted them very enthusiastically, panting and twining around their legs, his head butting into Alex and Henry’s hands until they scratched his ears. He didn’t bark and he didn't jump up, obviously very well trained.

And he was beautiful. A very handsome and good boy.

“Sit on the ground,” Henry instructed, pulling out his phone. “If I don’t get a photo of you with this dog I will never forgive myself.”

Alex rolled his eyes but sunk to the ground, sitting cross legged in the center of the floor. Davey immediately came up to lick his face, curling his body around so he was sitting square in Alex’s lap. Alex laughed and pet his belly, setting Davey’s tail to thrash in ecstasy. Henry’s grin was too fond as he took approximately a million pictures.

“What do you think?” Alex asked, his hands ruffling Davey’s ears.

Henry glanced nervously at Faith who was sitting at a chair in the corner, supervising their visit. Faith immediately waved him off. “Please speak freely, you won’t hurt my feelings. And Davey won’t understand you, anyway.”

Henry nodded in an acknowledgement, giving a small smile of thanks, but still lowered his voice before answering. “He’s a very pretty dog.”

“ So handsome,” Alex agreed, ruffling Davey’s ears again and kissing his head. “But golden retrievers…”

“Yes, you’ve said,” Henry said, rolling his eyes. “‘Davey’ is also a little too close to ‘David’. Right?”

“We could always change his name,” Alex offered.

Henry’s nose scrunched, telling Alex exactly what he thought of that idea.

Alex scrunched his nose back, mockingly. “Well, he’s an excellent boy. Guaranteed if we don’t take him, he’ll be adopted by the end of the week.”

Henry nodded, his shoulders relaxing a bit at the thought of Davey’s eventual rescue.

Faith smiled, rising from her chair and pulling something from her scrubs pocket. “Next dog?”

Henry nodded, reaching out a hand to Alex, who had been abandoned by Davey almost immediately after Faith had reached into her pocket. Henry helped him to his feet and Faith made Davey sit as she put the peanut butter puzzle treat in front of him.

She let him have it and they left the room while he was distracted.

The next dog was a beautiful floppy eared girl, chestnut with white patches and black feet like she was wearing socks.

Her name was Dobby.

Henry loved her immediately, sitting on the ground and letting her lope up to him and sniff his head. She was a little more demure than Davey, a little more unsure, but she warmed up to them soon enough.

“What is she?” Henry asked, his face in her neck.

Alex translated. “What breed is she?”

“We think she’s an Irish Setter and an English Springer Spaniel mix.”

Alex snorted. “An Irish and an English? Wonder how that worked.”

But Henry’s head popped up from where he’s been focusing on Dobby’s ears and looked at Faith, eyebrow creased. “You think?”

“She was a stray.” Faith shrugged. “We sent her bloodwork in to try and know more but there was some that was inconclusive.”

Henry frowned more, his hands stilling on Dobby’s back before she gave a slight whine and he picked back up on petting her.

Alex kicked gently at his shoe. “Dobby and David. That sounds cute.”

“I don’t like not knowing,” Henry admitted, the inside of his cheek between his back teeth.

“Stop chewing your face,” Alex told him, kicking his shoe again.

Henry stopped, shooting a pout at Alex before repeating “I don’t like not knowing. What if she’s part Chow Chow or Terrier.” He frowned longingly at her bushy tail. “What if she doesn’t get along with David? Chow Chows are not good with beagles.”

“We’re reasonably confident she won’t be a problem with other dogs, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought her in here to meet you,” Faith told them, smiling in sympathy. “I mean, look how gentle she is!”

Henry hugged her around the neck. She was exceedingly gentle.

Alex could have told Henry that they could work with her. That any small percentage of a breed she had that might not like David was something they could overcome. That it would all turn out okay if they took her home.

But Alex didn’t know that. He didn’t know anything for certain and that little margin of error was too much for Henry. If things didn’t work out and he had to give the dog up after falling even more in love with her, it would break his heart.

Alex took a step forward and put his hand on Henry’s head, petting his hair back from his face. He turned to Faith. “I think we should meet the next one.”

Faith nodded, maybe a little disappointed, but reached into her apron again for another peanut butter toy. 

Dobby immediately abandoned Henry when the smell of peanut butter hit the air, so that probably helped the sting some. Alex helped Henry to his feet and pulled him into a brief hug, rubbing a hand over his back.

“Maybe we can come back for her someday,” Alex whispered into his ear, kissing his shoulder.

Henry sighed, sinking a bit into Alex’s embrace before standing up straight. “No,” he said firmly. “I want her to be adopted. She deserves to have a forever home, even if it’s not with us.”

Alex kissed his shoulder again, pulling back and kissing him on the mouth. “This magnanimous sacrificial hero thing you’ve got going?” Alex kissed him again. “Extremely sexy.”

Henry laughed under his breath, ducking his head to kiss Alex back, before turning them both to face Faith, who was already done distracting Dobby and had been politely waiting by the door, politely averting her eyes until after they’d finished their moment.

They made their way to the last room.

Faith opened the door to reveal a medium-sized pointy looking dog.

“ Yeeeees, ” Alex whispered, immediately moving in to sit on the ground.

The dog started jumping around, reacting to Alex’s excitement, her toes clacking on the tile. She ran up to Alex as soon as he was on her level and started licking his face.

“Is this a greyhound?” Henry said, laughing a bit as he watched Alex. Alex, for his part, was entirely focused on petting every inch of this dog.

“Hair’s too long to be a greyhound,” he answered, scratching her butt as she went crazy.

“She’s an Italian Greyhound/Whippet mix,” Faith laughed, watching Alex pick her up over his head like Simba. “We call them Whippigs.”

“ Whippig!” Alex said, delightedly, swinging the dog back and forth above him. Her tongue lolled out in a big doggy smile.

Alex pulled her in close to his chest. She fit in very nicely there: she didn’t squirm too much and she seemed pretty content to be held.

He looked up to Henry, eyes pleading.

Henry smiled fondly down at him before turning to Faith. “We talked about Greyhounds, but we worried it would be too cold in New York. Or that the dog wouldn’t handle us being away very well.”

“Greyhounds usually do have abandonment issues but Whippets are usually better about it, being watchdogs. And any dog you get won’t handle being alone too badly since you have another dog.”

Henry nodded and Alex grinned. “That’s why we’re doing this! So David won’t have to be alone, right?”

Henry sighed, rolling his eyes but quickly returning his attention to Faith. “And the colder weather?”

“Well, they’re not meant to be kept outside, but that’s not really a problem for you.” She paused before turning a smirk to Alex, whispering loudly to Henry behind her hand. “They also wear sweaters very well.”

Alex gasped loudly, getting the pup very excited. “HENRY WE CAN DRESS HER UP IN LITTLE SWEATERS!”

Faith laughed and Henry sighed again, feigning annoyance but with a twinkle in his eye.

Alex put the puppy down and let her run around as Henry talked through more details with Faith.

“She’s three years old. Been here for almost a year after her previous owners moved to an apartment that didn’t allow dogs. Oh, and her name is Evie!”

Alex’s head snapped to them, looking at Henry. “We could call her Stevie. Like Stevie Nicks!”

Henry’s jaw dropped for a second and then he threw his head back and laughed.

From that, their fates were sealed.

  Bringing her home was carefully orchestrated and anxiously accomplished.

Henry had googled it, obviously.

Faith had given them tips but Henry needed a checklist in front of him to calm his nerves. Alex could understand that.

They parked in front of the brownstone (Alex had no idea how Cash always kept this spot open for them) and Alex took Stevie carefully out of the car, setting her on the sidewalk pavement, a Hufflepuff leash clipped to her new collar. They’d decided she was a Hufflepuff.

Alex let her sniff around, familiarizing herself with the environment, while Henry ran inside. She watched him go, whining a little bit, but Alex crouched down to pat her head and she was fine again.

She was getting very invested in the tree planted on the curb when Henry emerged again with David, who came bounding down the steps, panting happily toward Alex.

Step one: introduce dogs while on leashes.

Stevie pulled back, startled, darting behind Alex’s legs and straining at her leash. Alex crouched down, reaching behind himself with one hand to pat her distressed little head, even while using his other hand to greet an excited David. “Hey there, buddy! What’s up, you doing okay?”

David’s tail went nuts as Alex scratched behind his ears. He fell onto his back and showed Alex his belly.

This show of submission brought Stevie sniffing around, tangling Alex in her leash in the process.

When David saw the newcomer he rolled back to his feet and strained on his own leash to try and get a sniff of her.

“Whoa there, mate,” Henry said, pulling on David’s leash. “Gently, now.”

Alex untangled himself from Stevie’s leash and pulled her tight to his chest. The list Henry had said to let her come around on her own but she was shaking! Alex had to hold her.

“David,” he started, looking at the beagle then back to his new baby. “This is Stevie. She’s your sister now. And she’s smaller than you, so be nice.”

He kissed her on the head and then put her down between his crouched knees so she could still feel safe.

She backed into him a little but sniffed back when David got close to her. She took a couple steps away from Alex, getting better access to David’s butt.

“There’s a special gland there, you know,” Alex told Henry as they watched the dogs meet.

“Yes, Alex, I do.” Henry answered. Alex glanced up to see the nervous crease in his forehead.

“Hey,” Alex said, coming to standing. He stepped over the dogs to get closer to Henry, reaching up and rubbing at the crease with his thumb. “It’s going fine.”

Henry took a long breath out. “I know.”

But he was still extremely tense. He was tense when they both dropped their leashes and let the dogs walk around each other freely (step 2). He was tense when they brought the dogs into the house, showing Stevie to her crate and her new food bowls and the other things the PPOs had brought into the house while they’d been doing the emotional labor of introducing the animals (step 3). He was tense right up until the four of them were cuddled together on the couch at the end of the day, watching Bake Off.

Alex and Henry were half on top of each other, their shoulders leaning together in the middle of the couch while David was curled at Henry’s feet and Stevie was hunkered into Alex’s side.

“She was supposed to be David’s mate,” Henry joked, the first joke he’d made since they brought Stevie home.

Alex grinned at him. “I’m cuter than David. I have been trying to get you to admit this for years.”

Henry rumbled a laugh, stretching a bit so he could kiss Alex on the mouth. “You keep thinking that, sweetheart.”

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title: Traditions

Author: @dailyservingofhope

For: @hiddenkamukuraproject

Rating/Warnings: PG-13 (A few vague sexual references, Nagito joking about death, alcohol mention)

Prompt: Going out on Halloween and having fun

Author’s notes: AU where the tragedy didn’t happen. 100% pure organic fluff.

“You’ve never been trick-or-treating?!” Nagito smiled and raised his hands in a placating gesture, “Sorry, I had no one to take me when I was a kid. But it’s fine! It ended up being good luck!” “‘Good’?” Hajime asked pointedly as he rested his coffee mug on their kitchen counter. Nagito had a way of twisting things to fit his strange worldview. “I gave out candy instead. Since I could afford full bars of chocolate for all the other kids, I became sort of popular for a little while… at least until they got to know me better.” “That’s not the point,” Hajime said, “I just get upset when I think about your childhood. It’s not fair that you missed out on so much.” He felt robe-cloaked arms wrap around his waist and a soft peck on his forehead. “Don’t worry. I’m fine, promise,” Nagito reassured him. Hajime grumbled in response, wondering if it was okay to be annoyed at his partner’s cute attempt at deflecting. Sometimes Hajime felt that he was more bothered by Nagito’s troubles than Nagito himself. 'Fine’ to him often meant 'Not in the hospital’. How much disappointment and grief did he suffer in his youth before the bar lowered that much? This wasn’t about some silly holiday tradition, this was about making him feel included, and giving him access to experiences that most people took for granted. “You shouldn’t feel sorry for me, you know,” Nagito gently chided him. “I don’t,” Hajime said, worried that Nagito noticed his increasingly pitying expression during their conversation. “Good. Because I secretly switched your coffee with decaf.” “What?! Nagito!” “I’m just kidding. You always look at me like I’m a kicked puppy when I tell you about my past. I prefer it when you’re annoyed with me. Your voice gets this adorable lilt to it.” “No, it doesn’t! I… think?” Nagito chuckled. “Look, it’s not pity,” Hajime sighed, “I’m just worried you feel like an outsider because you had such a different childhood experience than many of us. It’s important to me that you feel welcome and have lots of happy memories. And if I have to take you trick-or-treating this weekend to make that happen, then I’ll do it.” Nagito’s face lit up, “You want to go trick-or-treating with me?” Aware that he just invited Nagito on a date involving an activity generally enjoyed by children still in the single digits of age, Hajime backpedaled, “Wait! I-It’s okay if you don’t want to! I know we’re too old for it, and we told Ibuki we’d be at her Halloween party, so we’ll get to dress up, anyway. There’s no pressure-” “I would love to! We can pick out costumes this afternoon!” Fear of embarrassment ranked high on Hajime’s list of top motivators, but it was nothing compared to Nagito’s sweet face. He couldn’t back out now. “O-okay! Sounds great!” ___ Hajime pulled a scarf around his mouth to warm the crisp, fall air flowing into his lungs. Yellowed leaves danced on the sidewalk with every breeze as he and Nagito strolled through the city. Their destination was a costume shop located in a quaint, less-trafficked district, popular among the dating crowd for its restaurants and shopping. They found it nestled between a cafe and a boutique clothing store. Walls painted black and covered in wheatpasted underground band adverts gave an eccentric touch that made it stand out from the conservatism of the surrounding businesses. Through the windows, there was a display of the typical bats and pumpkins, along with more unnerving props like costumed mannequins covered in fake blood and gaping wounds. Cosplayers and street fashionistas were the store’s year-round clientele, but nearing the holiday, they widened their selection to include Halloween costumes. Hajime pulled open the door for Nagito, “Have any ideas about what you want to be?” “Dead?” Nagito offered. “I really wish you wouldn’t joke about that.” “Aren’t ghosts popular this time of the year?” With a deadpan expression, Hajime poked Nagito in the belly. He then turned his attention to the racks and shelves, not wanting to take the bait. As they perused the aisles together, Nagito suddenly snatched a large package off a rack and hid it behind his back, “I’m going to try something on. No peeking!” Hajime continued to browse while his partner thrashed around in the fitting room. A rather seductive vampire costume caught his attention, and he briefly lost himself in a daydream involving Nagito and lots of sexy nibbling all over his body until he heard someone walk up behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. The glance turned into a double take. To say that Nagito was dressed up as a dog was about as true as saying The Big Bang Theory was a comedy. There was an element of objective truth to it, but it failed spectacularly to articulate that everything else about it was an abomination. The costume was like a long fuzzy tube, white on the belly and black and tan along the back, indicating it was probably intended to be a corgi. The head perched on top of Nagito’s head, its mouth gaping around his face as if it were a python swallowing its prey whole. His feet, which were only just visible from the bottom of the tube, were adorned with paw slippers. The hand-paws were so padded and fluffy that they appeared useless for any practical purpose other than being cute. “How do I look? Wanna be my owner for Halloween? I’ll let you walk me on a leash and give me commands! I know how to beg and lay down!” Nagito said as he shook his rear to make the stubby tail wag. Hajime blushed, looking around to see if anyone overheard, “Shhh! There will be kids around, so nothing… kinky!” “I would never do something I thought was weird around impressionable youth!” “That’s the problem, what you think is weird is a whole world away from what everyone else thinks is weird…” Hajime looked him up and down, “So why this, of all things?” “Most of these costumes aren’t really appropriate around children. What did you think I’d be? A sexy demon? A sexy cat boy? A sexy werewolf? A sexy…” “I get the point… they are a bit provocative, aren’t they?” “Don’t use big words like 'provocative’. I’m just a silly little dog!” he whined, covering his face with his paws in mock shame. “God, Nagito, can you be normal for like one second?” Hajime said, turning away to hide his laughter. Nagito closed the distance, picking up his hand and kissing it. He looked down into his eyes with a charming smile and whispered, “But this is what you like about me, right? There’s no way someone would ever go out with me for any rational reason. Doesn’t that make you abnormal too?” Hajime shivered at his touch. Even dressed in the most absurd getup he’d ever seen, Nagito was still hot, and when he cranked up the charm, he had a terrifying ability to render Hajime as helpless as a fawn. He pushed Nagito away, hoping he didn’t notice, “I-I guess I just don’t know how you do it. You can be so confident sometimes. I’d be afraid of wearing that in public.” “There’s a difference between confidence and being so resigned to loss that you stop feeling anxiety over the little things,” he said, a bit sadly. “Besides, it’s fun!” He waved his paws comically to accentuate the point. “Now we have to find something fun for you to wear.” “Okay, but let’s go by MY definition of fun.” “Whatever you say, Hajime,” Nagito beamed. His eyes darted around, then settled on a mustache and beard set which he handed to Hajime, “How about this? You can go as a grumpy old man. Bonus! You won’t have to be seen with me.” “Oh, come on.” Hajime said, snatching it from him. He looked it over then held it up to his face in front of a mirror. “Hey, I could go as Izuru Kamukura,” he joked, referencing their old high school’s founder. Nagito folded his arms and side-eyed him, “Don’t get all full of yourself now, Hajime.” He then backed away as Hajime approached him with a toy sword taken from a rack. “Wait! What do you plan on doing with that?!” ___ “Happy Halloween!” Hajime, who had been sleeping quite peacefully until then, would have fallen out of bed in fright if a heavy weight had not subsequently landed on him. He opened his eyes to find Nagito sprawled out over his lap. “Sorry, I missed you. I couldn’t wait any longer,” Nagito said. Hajime slammed Nagito on the back of the head with his pillow, “Being cute won’t save you this time.” “Noooo, don’t kill me! I’ve never been kissed!” “Yes, you have.” “Could you remind me?” Nagito said, puckering his lips. Hajime played along and kissed him, “There, now I can kill you.” Moments later, Nagito flew through the air from a good whack from the pillow. Their day went on with the two enjoying horror movies playing in the background as they enjoyed a peaceful afternoon together. After the sun set, they prepared themselves for the night ahead. Hajime had settled on being a black cat, largely because it worked as a couple’s costume, but also just looking at Nagito’s cumbersome outfit made a simple and light costume seem more appealing. The set consisted only of ears and a tail, with a fluffy black sweater and black jeans from his closet to complement it. There was also ancient makeup in the back of a drawer from his scene kid phase which was totally just an ironic experiment and definitely not anything he ever took seriously. He leaned over their bathroom sink to get a better look in the mirror as he used an old eye pencil to draw whiskers, a nose, and thick eyeliner with wings that swept out half an inch. “Who said scene was dead?” Nagito said, as he smirked at him in the mirror. “Hey, I can’t help it that I can do a perfect cat-eye.” “Can you do my makeup sometime?” “Oh please, Nagito, you don’t need it. People would kill for your lashes.” “You know, you’re starting to sound a little… catty.” Hajime groaned at the pun. He reached an arm behind him to blindly swat at his partner, only succeeding in stirring the air around as Nagito dodged the attack, “Is being sarcastic the only thing you’re good for? Why aren’t you dressed yet?” “I will, it’s just hard to move very well in it and I wanted to bother you more effectively.” Nagito draped his arms over Hajime’s shoulders and leaned in. “Actually, I’d like to thank you. I know you get scared of embarrassing situations, so for you to take someone like me out doing something meant for kids, knowing people will look at us funny… It’s sweet of you.” “Why do you think I’m putting on makeup? If all goes well, I won’t even recognize myself.” He chuckled, “But in all seriousness, you know I’d do anything for you.” Nagito buried his face into Hajime’s neck and said nothing. ___ “Everyone looks so happy!” Nagito said, gazing at the lively scene. Costumed kids flocked together at doors or ran around screaming and laughing in excitement. With jack-o’-lanterns on every porch and fake spider webbing drooping from trees, the neighborhood oozed Halloween spirit. Hajime caught himself staring at his adorable partner, “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Are you ready for some trick-or-treating?” “Tell me what to do! I’ve never done this before!” “Come on, you know what to do. Here, try this house.” “What if they yell at me because I’m too old?” “In that case, we threaten to egg their house, then run away.” He responded, hoping Nagito wouldn’t take it as a serious suggestion. Nagito’s eyes swirled. “I wonder if we’ll get chased. That would be exciting,” he said breathily. “You seem a little too excited by that…” Nagito wasn’t listening, he was already halfway up the driveway of a house. Hajime remained by the street to watch while Nagito knocked on the door. An old woman appeared. She looked him up and down as his outstretched arms presented her with a wicker basket ready for filling. “Trick-or-treat!” She gave a tactful, patient smile, “You’re so cute, but aren’t you too old for this?” “My boyfriend is forcing me to do this,” Nagito said, “He’ll be angry if I don’t come back with anything.” “Oh my… well, here…” She dropped a few pieces of candy into his basket, “You look like a sweet boy, you should get away from that awful man. Good luck, dear.” “Yes ma'am! Thank you!” Nagito chirped as he skipped back to the street, somehow managing not to trip over his slippers. “I couldn’t hear you guys, but it seemed to go well?” Hajime asked. “She wasn’t going to give me a treat, so I tricked her.” “Nagito, she was like… 80.” “It’s the Halloween code. I don’t make the rules.” “What did you say to her?” “Nothing to worry about. Let’s go on to the next house!” ___ “Really? You’re trick-or-treating at this age?” “I’m dying of lymphoma, it’s my final wish to trick-or-treat one last time.” “Oh my goodness, of course! Have as much candy as you want!” “Thanks!” Nagito said graciously as he took a few pieces. Hajime looked at him askance when he returned. “Wow, you’re getting a lot of candy. I… honestly wasn’t expecting this…” he said, gesturing at Nagito’s nearly overflowing basket. It seemed like every house in the neighborhood was eager to give him everything they had. “Yeah! Everyone has been so nice!” “I’m glad you’re having a good time, but what are we going to do with all this candy? You don’t even like sweets.” “I had no intention of keeping the candy, Hajime, this was all just for fun.” Nagito’s smile transformed into a grin. “But now that you’ve brought it up, there’s something I’ve wanted to do all night.” Hajime watched as Nagito trotted towards a group of teenagers. Sneaking up behind them, he reached into his basket and tossed a chocolate bar over their heads. They jerked back in surprise, and as they turned to see where it had come from, they were immediately pelted with handful after handful of candy. The next minute was pure pandemonium. Children ran from across the street to join in the fun, grabbing as much candy as they could while it rained down on them. And somehow in that moment, with the kids cheering and Nagito laughing joyfully among that beautiful chaos, Hajime swore his boyfriend never looked so handsome. Yeah, even despite the costume. ___ Ibuki’s Halloween party was well underway by the time Hajime and Nagito arrived. Blaring music greeted them at the door before she did. “You made it! Look at Nagito, so cuuuute! And Hajime, Ibuki loves your makeup! Meowwwww!” Being a world-famous musician, she could afford the finer things. Her house, which better resembled goth night at a club than a habitable dwelling, boasted enough space to host a party with room to spare for dancing. Witch-house played from an expensive sound system that cost more than Hajime and Nagito’s annual rent. It went without saying, Ibuki threw the best parties. Hajime hardly had a minute to take in the surroundings before Nekomaru had him and Nagito locked in a crushing hug. “Hahaha! We’re all here now!” Nekomaru beamed. “You made it, I am so happy!” Sonia said. “Yay.” Chiaki added in her trademark 'not sure if sincere or not’ tone of voice. “Look at you losers wearing a couple’s costume.” Saionji sneered as she eyed them up and down. Mahiru cleared her throat, “We are too, Hiyoko,” remarking on their Sailor Moon outfits. Saionji pouted, “But it’s cute when we do it!” “It’s too bad Teruteru died in that freak accident involving the helicopter tour over that active volcano, he would have liked to be here right now.” Souda said, idly scratching his head. Tsumiki dropped a piece of food on the floor and bent over to pick it up, showing her rear to everyone, “I’m sorry I’m so clumsy! I’m ruining everyone’s good time! Don’t worry about me!” “It’s okay, no one is worrying about you. No one is thinking about you at all!” Saionji cheered. “Waaaaaaaaah!!” Byakuya shook his head in disdain at Hajime and Nagito. “You’re late for the party, you missed out on donuts. Where are your priorities?” Akane’s mouth was too stuffed to respond, so she waved the last donut at them in greeting instead. Gundham held out his arms, letting his hamsters crawl up into his hands. “My Four Dark Devas are enraged at your tardiness for the most evil night of the year. Now the ritual can begin in earnest. Count yourself lucky that they have chosen not to kill you where you stand.” Peko had the eyes of a predator fixed on Nagito’s fluffy animal costume, while Fuyuhiko grinned and raised a shot glass containing an orange liquid, “Hey guys, come drink up! I brought juice!” Ibuki squealed, “Baby gangster is so adorable, only drinking mixer!” “I don’t need to drink alcohol to be cool!!” Amid all the shouting and arguing, Nagito turned to Hajime, “You know, this might be the best Halloween I’ve ever had.” “Same here. And I think you actually taught me a thing or two about the spirit of giving. Wrong holiday though.” “Yeah, too bad it doesn’t count.” Nagito grinned. “I’ll just have to fill up a stocking for you when Christmas comes around.” “I’d love that, Hajime! I’ve never had a stocking for Christmas before!”

[anxiousdepressedintrovert]

Otome Wednesday (AKA the late af one) Don’t hate me (T_T)

Y’all my weekend was shiitty

I’m not even gonna get into again but let it be known that it was shitty.

I’m gonna post all of LSV tomorrow. 

Anywaay--

The Royal Heir Chapter 10: The one where I really wanna “accidently” shoot he who shall not be named OR A Fox in the Henhouse 

-Ah yes, let’s have a hunt with a fucking toddler around

-Bitch, call me a outsider again. See what the fuck ima do to your crusty ass

-Thank you Liam.

-Bart, you don’t have respect for customs. And you didn’t even raise your own kids

-Hakim, Landon…thin ice

-Oh the ageism is rampant

-Yeah, The people actually parenting a baby can’t just fucking leave

-idiot

-I would sooner burn Cordonia to the ground than leave her with anyone you’ve “prepared”

-I DON’T TRUST MADELEINE! Why is she always an option! Why isn’t Olivia?

-Queen Mother is the only one I trust, and that’s barely.

-Savannah standing up to Bertrand in the last chapter was a small step in the right direction for her

-Yes, Eleanor, go with Gamma.

-OMG I love this child. I want to play as her more

-At some point we (if you’re Queen) need to officially declare Hana a lady-in-waiting. Cause it’s a huge honor, and she basically already is. Not to mention she gets perks from that as well. (I’m totally not giving away plot point for my story)

-I love this hunting outfit. It’s so cute. And practical. And PANTS. For fucking once.

-Though how boss would it have been if we did, ride, shoot and win the hunt in our ball gown? Baller AF

-Marabelle! I haven’t seen you for like, two books! (It might’ve been sooner but my memory is terrible)

-Hehe, love my awestruck husband

-This not foxhunt sounds boring af. The only part that sounds fun is the bow shooting

-Of course Bart gave us a nose blind dog. Ugh

-At least Chester’s cute

--OMG puppy heaven

-Onward Chester! …in the wrong direction

-Maxwell packed the motherload of jerky

-Ew, Bart.

-But at least we’re on the trail again

-Bart doesn’t deserve Rex

-So naturally, I’m going to mess with him

-Beef jerky distraction

-works every time

-go chester go

-Who’s a good nose blind baby?! It’s Chester!

-Of course Bart goes blaming Rex. Cause nothing is EVER his own fault

-#saverex2020

-suck it Bart

-Oh look, a crow.

-Time to have Bart freak the fuck out

-I’m excited

-Bring on the shenanigans

-Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaa

-This entire scene is gold

-I really wanna know what happened to traumatize him this much

-Haha, he has to forfit!

-Why is the press judging the riding portion of this?

-I’m not mad, I just wanna know

-Cause they’re kinda biased/easily swayed

-Ugh why did he have to come back.

-Why couldn’t he have gotten…idk mauled by a bear or something

-If this asshole says one more thing about tradition. I’m gonna strangle him with my bare hands. Cause that is traditional.

-I do have a soft spot for archery though

-He’s compensating for something

-lack of being a decent human being probably

-Who could have come prepared for a surprise archery shoot?

-Oh finally honorary Beaumont status coming in handy

-Have some diamonds. I wanna show off

-Ah Liam and Drake betting again. If it wasn’t so rare, I’d say they had a problem

-Wooowwww. Maxwell took the bow Bart tried to give us and it didn’t even last nocking the arrow

-Yeah, he better not protest. All that shit he was talking about me being an honorary Beaumont

-Yeah I am Liam, yeah I am

-Hakim, you’re still on thin ice

-Nah, bitch. Won your petty challenge too.

-Oh my baby girl is back!

-I need to know what she got up to while we were gone.

-What playroom for a princess doesn’t have a castle. Lame af

-That’s what I said Liam!

-Oh no! What’s he doing to Todd!

-Leave him alone!

-I don’t wanna hear shit from a man who ran away from raising his sons. And even when he was there, was shit at that.

-Yas Ana, style over all

-Yes! Another chance to show up Bart? Yes please

-She said “How-see” My little angel

-Stealing Bart’s limelight

-Cause I’m petty and an opportunist

-HAHAHAHAHAHA Bart attempts to cradle Todd and Todd said “fuck that” and bit the shit out of him

-Good girl Todd

-BRB sobbing.

-My baby’s meeting her first horse

-Her name is Apple

-Maxwell. HER NAME. IS. APPLE.

-Of course Daddy get’s to take his little girl

-Pfftt Liam called Cordonia citizen’s creatures. Which…ya know. I get

-Ugh, that little Tankyu

-Landon, thin ice. No polo until she’s at least ten

-OHH that CG is so cute!!!! T_T

-I can’t wait to see what the next chapter is gonna be

-Oh nooo not the sad face Ellie!

-Did he just call my baby, the child he’s trying to take, a distraction?

-Yeah. I’m def beatin his ass

-Oh yeah! Master of the Hunt!

-Queen Riley, Duchess of Valtoria, Champion of the Realm, Master of the Hunt, Mother of Corgis

-As I said before.

-I would sooner stab this crusty old man with that knife Olivia gave me in Book 1, than let this man, who couldn’t raise his own kids, parent-shame me. In my own god-damned house. Cause I will air his dirty laundry. And I can do it without mentioning anything about his fake illness.

[onthesandsofdreams]

Fictober 28 - Cassian x Jyn (bonus if it has to do with a pet)

Prompt number: 28. Enough! I’ve heard enough.Fandom: Rogue One (Modern Setting)Pairing: Cassian x JynRating: GeneralWarnings/Tags: None Apply

A Puppy Named Kay. Read @ AO3

When Cassian brought up the idea of getting a pet, Jyn found herself feeling quite reluctant. It’s not that she hated animals or anything, but she wasn’t sure she would be a good match for it. Too used to clean, orderly and silent houses and a pet would without a doubt disturb that.

But Cassian really wanted a dog.

Jyn thought about it, a dog could bite her shoes if untrained. But she knew Cassian enough to know that he’d never be a slouch in training the dog. That he’d always walk it and be a responsible pet owner.

So Jyn agreed. Cassian’s beaming smile was worth the barking she knew she’d endure. So off they went to the shelters, trying to find a good animal they both agreed with.

In the end, Cassian found a black corgi and it was love at first sight between them. Jyn rolled her eyes and agreed, the puppy wasn’t big and wouldn’t grow to be a big dog, so he’d do.

Cassian named the puppy Kaytoo.

And much to Jyn’s surprise, the puppy was a good one. He’d never tried to chew on her shoes, much preferring the toys Cassian had bought for him. Kaytoo didn’t whine at night, sometimes he’d howl, but one ‘hush’ from herself or Cassian and he’d shut up. He’d sleep on his bed too, never tried to get up in theirs. Only once did he misbehaved when he decided to explore one of the plants and accidentally broke it. Jyn didn’t hate it much, at least it was simply a plant and not her shoes.

Cassian was a diligent dog owner, he’d begun training Kaytoo the moment the three of them walked home. He’d clean up his mess and would take him out in walks. He’d wash him and make sure his bowls were always with water and food.

“I was the one asking for the dog,” Cassian said when Jyn asked him why he never asked her to help him. “It’s unfair that I make you do it, I know you only accepted because of me.”

“I can walk him,” Jyn responded to him. “I can feed him and let him out for a while on the backyard, just don’t ask me to clean his poop or wash him.”

Cassian had smiled at her, “Never.”

And so, life with a dog progressed. Jyn, true to her word, would take Kay out for walks whenever Cassian couldn’t. Cassian never asked her to help him clean after Kay.

Jyn found that she didn’t mind the puppy, he was cute and was a good company. Sometimes, when she arrived first than Cassian, Kay would greet her with a wagging tail and happy barks, until she would crouch and petted him. He’d follow her and keep her company until Cassian arrived.

Other days, it was Cassian who arrived early and Jyn would find him on the floor, playing with Kay. And she would smile, seeing Cassian’s sparkling eyes and happiness and calm he’d radiated while playing with Kay.

Some days, they’d be on the sofa, watching a movie and Kay would paw at Cassian, begging to be on his lap. Cassian would indulge him, sometimes Kay would ask for her. Jyn found that she didn’t mind, Kay would simply curl in either of their laps and stay put, letting himself be petted.

Then it happened one night after dinner. Jyn was doing the dishes as per the agreement she and Cassian had. Cassian cooked, Jyn cleaned. Cassian was in the living room and his voice filtered and she could listen playing with Kay. Then…

“Who’s the most adorable dog ever? Who’s the cleverest puppy ever? Who is the cutest puppy? Who’s the best boy? Who’s a good boy?”

Jyn snorted in laughter and kept on doing the dishes.

“Who’s a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day? Who’s got the cutest bark? Who is the smartest boy? Who’s the best friend anyone can want?”

Jyn dried her hands and went to the living room, “Enough! I heard enough. I swear Cassian, you love that dog more me.”

“No amor,” Cassian said while laughing. “He just needs encouragement. He needs to know that he is a good boy.”

Jyn laughed, “Oh he knows. He should know, that he’s a spoiled boy.”

“Jyn!” Cassian fake gasped and covered Kay’s ears with his hands. “How dare you.”

Jyn rolled her eyes, “Calm down, I’m joking. Kind of. You do spoil Kay… but he’s cute and hasn’t destroyed my shoes, so it’s forgivable.”

“You hear that Kay, Jyn loves you too,” Cassian said as he scratched under Kay’s chin. “Even if she pretends not to.”

Jyn’s lips curled upwards, and scratched Kay’s head, “Don’t get a big head, you hear me fur ball?”

Kay barked.

[sparkly-despair-imagines]

Hey!! Good luck with the blog! Could I get the drv3 boys + nagito and Chiaki (everybody loves them you can’t blame me) getting surprised with a pet for some special occasion by the s/o? (I’ll probably rq from here a lot btw) thank you!

Furry surprise!

Thank you so much!! You're so sweet!

I'm sorry this took so long, I wanted everyone to get a different pet and occasion for it not to be repetitive! I think it's a little big again :c

I worked hard on it, please enjoy!

~Mod Dia

Chiaki Nanami

It was March 14th, Chiaki’s birthday.

She was really excited because you had made plans to take her out to eat at a restaurant that was near her favorite arcade, so you two could play after dinner.

When you started dating she had told you that she had always wanted a pet, but that she was afraid of being a bad owner because it was too much work.

Last year you gave her a game for her game girl, so for this year you decided to pick a pet bird for her!

You were waiting for her to get ready, sitting on your bed with a cardboard box on your lap, with an adorable blue-crowned conure inside.

After some minutes she opened the door to your room, dropping her purse and letting out a little squeal when she noticed the birdie.

“It’s so cute.” She said as she crouched near the bed to see it better. “Is it for me?”

“Yeah!” You gently picked up the parakeet and put it on Chiaki’s hands. “Do you like it?”

“I love it! Thank you, S/O.” She gave you a sweet smile.

You could tell she was delighted, and the rest of the night she seemed a bit more energetic than usual.

When the conure grew up it turned out to require a little more effort to take care of than you had initially thought. Because it was so dear to Chiaki, and also because you had grown quite attached to the bird yourself, you helped her take care of it most of the time.

Nagito Komaeda

“Merry Christmas, Nagito!” You said as you gave him his present.

“Thank you, S/O.” He accepted the gift with a smile. “I still can’t believe I’m with someone as amazing as you… You didn’t need to, really.”

“I would feel really bad if I didn’t.” You plopped down next to him on the couch. “Especially since I’m staying at your house, it would be rude.”

Before he could reply you continued: “And I got it for you because I wanted to, and because you deserve it!”

He let out a small chuckle and muttered something under his breath that you didn’t get to hear.

“So it’s okay if I open it, right?”

“Of course!”

As he took the lid off the box, he was surprised by a cute fuzzy bunny that popped out of it onto him. “Oh, hello there.”

Nagito had the cutest look on his face as he let the small animal smell his hand and petted it.

“Do you like it?” You nervously asked “I was originally going to get a dog, but then I saw this cute little white bunny and he reminded me of you and I had to get it.”

“I like it very much, thank you S/O.” He kissed your cheek making you turn a little red at the unexpected act of affection. “Eh.. so cute."

Shuichi Saihara

For your first date anniversary you and Shuichi went to the hot springs.

He had been working himself off and you both decided it would be a good way to relax and spend some quality time together.

When you were done, you two took the train home and you asked him to set the table while you would get dinner for both of you.

Imagine his surprise when you came home with a yappy corgi puppy!

“..S/O?!” He exclaimed as the dog run excitedly to him.

“I’ve been wanting to give you something because you’ve been under so much stress lately.” You explained. “I think you could really benefit from having this little guy. Also, he’s really cute!”

“…You’re not wrong about that.” Shuichi petted the doggie. “S/o?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you..” He was blushing as he took a step closer to you. “Can I-?”

“Of course!” You smiled as he cupped your cheek with his hand and gave you a soft peck on the lips.

“Also, S/O?”

“Hmhm?”

“Where’s dinner?”

Oops.

Kaito Momota

It had been around 5 years since you and Kaito started dating, the two of you decided to buy a house together!

You were on the process of moving out. You had already packed your things and were at Kaito’s helping him.

“Babe, can you come here help me take this to the truck?” You asked your boyfriend.

“Coming!” He walked up to you noticing the big box you were talking about. “Damn, this is huge, S/O! What on earth did you put in here?”

“Check it for yourself.” You told him containing your laugh.

“It better not be a prank, I swear to g-” He was interrupted by the sound of faint barking. “What the..?”

A beautiful German shepherd jumped out of it, spooking the poor guy beyond belief and leading him to let out a not so manly scream.

“He’s adorable right?” You laughed patting the dog’s head.

“Y-yeah, really cute S/O.”

Now you two wouldn’t feel lonely in your new big house!

Kaito treats the dog like he’s his son, it’s very endearing to watch.

Ryoma Hoshi

“Hey, love...” You put your hand on Ryoma’s shoulder. “I’ve got something for you, come with me.”

His dear pet cat had passed away recently and you could see it had taken a toll on him. He didn’t leave the house and passed most of the time sleeping, and when you pleaded with him to take care of himself he asked you to leave him alone.

It hurt you terribly to see Ryoma like this so you knew you had to do something.

He nodded at your request and followed you silently to the living room.

A shy kitten slowly approached him and sniffed his leg, letting out a soft meow.

At first, he didn’t know exactly what to do but then he took your hand and looked at you. “…I don’t deserve you.”

You shook your head. “Of course you do. I love you very much, you know?”

Ryoma wrapped his arms around you, embracing your figure tightly.

“Do you like him?” You asked returning the embrace.

“He’s perfect” He hugged you a little closer. “…I love you so much S/O.”

Rantaro Amami

Rantaro had just returned from a big trip!

“Welcome home!” You threw your arms around him. “I’ve missed you so much!”

He chuckled and hugged you for a bit before kissing your forehead. “I’ve missed you too.”

It was almost noon so you started heating something up for you to eat while Rantaro told you everything about his adventure.

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” You said after a spoonful of soup. “He’s been keeping me company since you were not here.”

“I see…” He stopped eating his pasta and looked at you. “Should I be jealous?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” You laughed. “Donut, come here boy!”

You watched Rantaro’s puzzled look as a small beagle appeared running into your kitchen and sat right next to you, waiting for a treat.

“Isn’t he the cutest?” You asked giving the pup a doggie biscuit. “I wanted him to be trained when you arrived so I got him a couple of weeks before.”

“You named him Donut?” He looked amused. “That’s adorable, S/O.”

“Well, I think it fits him.” You explained.

The beagle walked to Rantaro and licked his hand while waging his tail in a playful manner. “It’s not fair, he already loves you!”

Gonta Gokuhara

How could you be so careless? You had accidently stepped on one of Gonta’s bugs, instantly killing the poor insect.

He said it was alright, since you didn’t do it on purpose but it was still obvious that he was sad about it.

You decided that you would buy another bug for Gonta, to show him that you really regretted not being more careful!

You went to your local pet store but they didn’t have any insects for sale or adoption so you somehow found yourself returning home with no bugs but with a cute black chinchilla.

“I arrived.”

“Welcome home, S/O!” You were greeted by your boyfriend. “What is that?”

“I thought about giving you something to compensate for the bug accident.” You said handing him the cage you were carrying. “I hope you like it!”

“S/O don’t need to compensate. Just S/O is enough!” Gonta gave you a big smile. “But Gonta happy for the gift.”

He observed the little animal inside the cage. “What kind of animal is this?”

“It’s a chinchilla.” You explained.

“Fascinating!” Gonta seemed to like it. “Thank you, S/O! Gonta will take care of it!”

And he kept his promise.

Kokichi Ouma

It was Valentines’ day.

For the past 3 years you had been giving him chocolate and cake so this time you settled for something slightly different.

You were setting the enclosure for the rosy boa you had picked when Ouma burst through the door demanding affection.

“S/O-chan~…” He hugged you from behind. “Weren’t you supposed to be pampering me all day? I had to search for you, were you hiding from me?”

“No, Kokichi, I wasn’t.” You rolled your eyes. “Now go away, you’ll ruin the surprise.”

“Oh what’s that?” He noticed the enclosure. “Oh my gosh S/O, you’re going to give me an aquarium?”

He got closer to take a better look. “You’re the best! How did you know I’ve always wanted an empty fish tank?”

“Yeah, that’s your gift, now leave.”

“Oh, come on. Can’t you tell me what it is at least?” He asked. “I promise I won’t be disappointed even if it’s just a lame goldfish or something.”

“… Is that a lie?”

“Who knows?” He said mischievously. “Just tell me, pretty please?”

“Just look on that box over there.”

“Nishishi, I knew you’d give in…” He said as he was opening the box. “OH- Oh my god! This is actually pretty cool!”

Guess who bragged for weeks that he got a pet snake from his s/o?

Korekiyo Shinguji

You had a blast at the graduation party with Korekiyo and all your friends last night.

You woke up and tried to get up but two arms closed around your waist pulling you back down.

“Kiyo…” You attempted to free yourself from his embrace.

He whispered his sweet nothings into your ear hoping you’d just go back to sleep, an option you had seriously considered at this point but ultimately decided against, kissing him in the cheek and getting up.

Today the axolotls you bought were supposed to arrive!

Still groggy, you walked to the kitchen and got yourself a bowl of cereal.

You managed to eat and do the dishes without making much noise and by the time you were done your new pets had arrived.

They seemed to like the beautifully decorated habitat you had discreetly set up the night before, and you were excited to show it to Kiyo.

When you got to your shared bedroom, your boyfriend was up already.

“Hey, Kiyo” You called. “I have something to show you.”

“Okay.” He followed you to the kitchen. “Oh my, this truly is beautiful.”

“I see you like them. What do you want to call them?” You giggled.

You two discussed what you should name your axolotls while Kiyo got his breakfast.

K1-B0

Despite being quite busy himself, Keebo had helped you out a lot with your studies the whole school year so you wanted to thank him!

You decided to adopt two little Sun parakeets and bought a decent sized cage for them, which you would place in your living room.

Keebo arrived home latter that day and greeted you with a smile, before noticing the birdies.

“What do you think of them?” You asked. “I wanted to thank you for always helping me out.”

“I think they’re very beautiful, thank you, S/O.” He said. “However, I don’t know much about birds… Will you help me take care of them?”

“Of course!” You hugged him. “It’s the least I could do.”

You two were really excited about the new addiction to your family! You had fun deciding their names and they quickly became a big part of your daily life.

[itsmyusualphannie]

something wrong in the village

Chapter 2/5: exodus Beta: @candanandphilnot Rating: T Warnings: None Read on ao3

Summary: Fiona Lester has a secret. Dan Howell thinks they hate each other. Dan meets an online friend and comes to realize something important about himself while juggling a changing relationship with his parents, friends, and Fiona.

~~~ previous chapter ~~~ next chapter ~~~

"But Mum!"

"Don't 'But Mum' me!" Dan's mum stood in front of the dining table, fists clenched on her hips like a warrior preparing to charge into battle. "You know what I said yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that!"

Dan slumped in his seat, eyebrows furrowed furiously. His arms were crossed, shoulders hunched as he scowled up at his mum. "I've been planning to go for months! You can't just stop me from going, I have plans!"

"I am not stopping you from going," she barked, "but if you keep on like this, then I will. I said you could go on Sunday and not the entire weekend!" She whirled to her husband, who was sitting demurely as he munched on toast. "Back me up!"

Dan's dad glanced up, gaze flicking between both of their set stances. He sighed. "Dan, just because it's been three weeks since your suspension doesn't mean you're not grounded. I'm sorry, but you should have thought about this before you decided to tussle with a girl. In class, no less."

Dan's mum nodded in approval, but then her eyes narrowed, so he hastily added, "Anyone, I mean. Tussled with anyone."

"Fiona isn't grounded!" Dan burst out, but he shrank back into his seat when his mum's dangerously-slitted gaze swivelled to him.

"You're not going with your friends," she said with an air of finality. "I'll take you up there Sunday morning and you can spend all day there, but you're not staying the entire weekend. That's the day when your favourite band is playing anyway. You'll be home by midnight. And that's my decision. You can either accept it or not go at all."

Dan shoved his half-eaten plate away from him with a clatter, and then he stormed to his room. His lip stung with his effort to stay silent, teeth digging into it. He threw himself down upon his bed once he got there, the surge of fury he'd been maintaining throughout that entire conversation now beginning to fade once he had a few rooms and a slammed door between him and his parents.

This annual weekend festival was the biggest music event of the year, at least for Dan. He had been looking forward to it the instant he'd left last year's festival, head whirling and heart pumping dangerously from the thrill of the drumbeats. He'd planned for months with his friends, their car ride and clothes and snacks sorted down to the last detail. Sure, they weren't all the closest of friends, but they were mates who liked the same sort of music that Dan liked, and that really all that mattered. One of them had an older sister who was going to the festival and she'd offered her car as a ride for the small group of friends, so it had all finally fallen into place.

It was all for nothing, now. Dan couldn't go with them. The comradery of the trip would be meaningless if Dan showed up on the last day of the festival. The others would have already bonded and had fun without him, and Dan doubted that he'd be seamlessly accepted into the group once he'd missed most of the action. Sure, Muse was Dan's favourite band, but they certainly weren't the only band he liked. He'd miss two full days worth of bands and singers.

It was Wednesday, and Dan had been alternating between arguing and pleading for the past week to convince his parents to let him go on Friday. He doubted it would happen now, with only one day between him and the first festival day.

Dan got up and opened his door just to slam it again. His mum's voice rose somewhere in the house, but he flipped the lock and ignored her. He crossed the room and threw himself into his seat at the desk, yanking open his laptop.

It took less than ten seconds to send a quick can't go friday, parents are fucking arses. b there sunday to his mates' group chat, and then he closed it out and resolved to ignore them until the day actually came. A small part of him whispered that maybe, just maybe, they would be glad he wasn't coming. They'd have more fun without him anyway.

Dan opened his browser. With slow fingers, he tapped in a website URL. Before he'd even gotten five characters typed, the browser auto-filled the rest. He had, perhaps, been visiting this website multiple times a day for the past few weeks. It wasn't even a porn website.

It loaded, bright colours immediately assaulting Dan's vision. He blinked away the spots that invaded his sight, mousing over the page to click on the uppermost right corner, a speech bubble that had been revealed after a few mutual messages back and forth with a certain correspondent.

The FRIEND chat function opened. A message was waiting for him, the sender 'amazingphil.' Dan let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and clicked on his chat with Phil.

Agree to disagree, read the message in a bubbly font. or! just agree. think about it: a shiba inu and corgi mix. I'd lose my mind

Dan huffed a laugh without meaning to do so. He hadn't meant to keep talking to this 'Phil,' but he'd been intrigued by the enthusiastic and carefree way the other boy talked. They'd shared many common interests and disagreed on just as many, but both provided topics with which they could converse. Some topics lasted a few days of conversation, while some only a few lines in the chat. Dan had long ago lost his resolve that this was a bot, or that he was simply doing this just to be ironic. He'd never before found it so easy to just...talk to someone.

sure, Dan typed as a response to Phil's message. ngl if i saw a shiba inu/corgi puppy i would die for it

He sent the message, then hastily added, what would the mashup name be tho, shorgi? corgi inu? coriba?

He scrolled back up their chat after sending that one, glancing over their past messages as he went. Dan thought, maybe, if he and Phil ever met, he could probably use some of these as blackmail for eternity.

What's wrong with it? read one of Phil's messages from Monday. it's just easier that way, you don't get crumbs or chocolate all over your fingers

it's HELL. biting into a kitkat without breaking it is just wrong. i don't think i can speak to you anymore

Dan snorted a laugh and shook his head, continuing to go further up through their chat history.

i killed a plant this morning :(

wtf, Dan had replied. This had been last Friday, the first day Dan had begun begging his parents to let him attend the full festival. He hadn't been in the best of moods then, either, but it had at least been better than today.

i didn't mean to! i saw a cute boy and accidentally stepped on a sunflower :((

Dan remembered his hesitation then, his long pause at the open way Phil had typed that. Maybe Phil hadn't found it that easy, maybe he had agonized over the message before sending it. Dan had no way of knowing. Not for the first time since he'd started talking to Phil, Dan had hurt with the desire to see him in person and just talk. He'd replied with a simple wow, disaster

:'( Phil had replied, and that would have been the last message on the topic, but Dan's fingers had suddenly worked faster than his brain and he'd typed disbelievingly, wait, how tf did you step on a sunflower. aren't they fucking massive or summat?

D': it was a baby sunflower!! it's even worse

you're a monster, Dan had typed. His heart had stepped up a few beats as he'd added no more looking at cute boys for you. they're all mine now

nooo that's the only good part of my terrible days, Phil had bewailed, and Dan remembered that he had laughed out of the sheer thrill of it, the casual acceptance of a stranger on the internet.

A ping! sounded from the browser and a tiny alert appeared. New messages! it declared. Scroll down to view them.

Dan scrolled down to view them.

shorgi! Phil had answered Dan's query about the hypothetical mix-breed puppy. no, shinorgi, he'd added a moment later. Even as Dan was reading them, another message popped up. Actually these probably already exist. I'm going to look them up, wiat

wiat, Dan mocked the typo, but he waited. Phil sent a picture a moment later, a beautiful golden-haired puppy with a curling tail. It had a wide smile directed at the camera, eyes bright and intelligent.

I WOULD DIE FOR HIM. WHAT A GOOD BOI, replied Dan instantly, abandoning his aesthetic use of all lowercase spelling.

SAME, Phil enthused.

Dan considered punching his computer or himself, just to get the image of the puppy away from him. Nothing that adorable should exist in this world. Humanity didn't deserve it.

i want to eat him, Phil added.

weirdo, typed Dan, but he knew what Phil meant, and wasn't that the strange thing about all of this? It had been three weeks since they'd started talking, and Dan knew what he meant.

I have to do homework now, popped up another message from Phil. send me some doggo pics to help me through these hard times.

Dan rolled his eyes, but he opened another browser and searched for cute dog pics, and he downloaded them, and he sent them to Phil.

He didn't realize he'd been smiling ever since he'd opened this chat.

~~~

Heat seared the back of Dan's neck as he weaved his way between milling, chattering groups. Music was a dull roar in the background, temporarily drowned out by the loud discussions all around him. The ground thrummed in the beat, beat, beat rhythm of the drums and the crowd's stomps in the Pit Stage.

Dan had just left the Pit Stage. Two of his friends were still there, jostled between screaming fans of The Prettyboys and doing their fair share of jostling as well, but Dan hadn't been feeling the usual buzz that came with listening to furious tunes. It had been just a little too frenzied, so Dan had simple squirmed his way from the heaving, bellowing throng, and made his way outside.

He didn't know where he was headed next. The rest of his friends were in the Dance tent, but Dan had had enough of flailing teenagers doing their best to embody their favourite dancer, so he wasn't going back after the disaster earlier.

"Sorry, sweetie," slurred a pink-haired woman as she bumped into him. Her makeup was sweating under the glare from the sun directly overhead, a more grotesque facsimile of the liquid pooling in Dan's armpits and making its way down his back. The woman disentangled herself with someone's picnic basket on the ground and left Dan, offering him a friendly parting wave and then chugging directly from the flask in her other hand.

Dan swiped ineffectually at the smear of sweat she'd left on his shirt sleeve, but then he gave up and continued on. He would go to the Main Stage, he decided. Muse would start in a little less than an hour and that's where they would be playing, so he might as well.

He'd arrived at the festival only four hours before, his mum dropping him off with a cheerful wave and a "call if your friends can't bring you back tonight!" and then a sterner "and you'd better be home by midnight," but Dan's stamina had worn down quickly. He wasn't sure if it was the lack of time spent throwing himself into every band's time on the different stages, unlike his friends, who had been here since Friday morning, or if it was the suffocating heat, or that he hadn't heard from Phil since yesterday morning. Sure, it had only been one day, but ever since they had started talking, they hadn't missed a day of communication. In any case, Dan's energy had dwindled, his feet ached, his stomach growled, and he wanted to curl up in the shadow of the nearest unused boombox and take a nap.

The grass bristled beneath his feet as he trudged toward the Main Stage. Despite the thousands of people packing it into the dirt beneath their feet, it was stubborn still. A few people had even spread blankets on the grass and were sprawled across them, sunbathing or just resting surrounded by the sparse crowd. Dan was almost jealous, as he could be doing the same if his mum had let him come Friday with the supplies he'd planned, but then, he didn't fully understand the appeal of willingly sacrificing oneself to be roasted beneath the scorching rays when a breeze, albeit a small one, could be obtained by simply walking and flapping his shirt back and forth every-so-often.

The crowds thinned as Dan walked further from the Pit Stage, but began to grow in size again as he neared the Main Stage. He was bumped into with every few steps he took, and while most people weren't as drunkenly apologetic as the previous woman, they let him sidle past.

His phone buzzed as he passed the entrance to the Main Stage. He finagled it from his pocket, wiping sweat on his jeans to swipe at the screen. It was a text from one of his friends to the group chat, asking where everyone was.

Muse in 40 mins! said the message. let's meet at the front b4 we miss good spots.

Dan didn't bother answering, slipping his phone back into his pocket instead. They would find him soon enough, probably.

It wasn't that Dan didn't want to be around his friends, it was that...well, yeah, he didn't want to be around his friends. He had an awful ache gnawing at him, the feeling that his friends were having the time of their lives and Dan was most definitely not having any time of his life. It might have just been that Dan had been looking forward to this for an entire year and the experience wasn't living up to his expectations. Perhaps it was because he hadn't watched Muse perform yet and the experience wouldn't truly begin until then.

 An elbow thudded into Dan's side, interrupting his ruminations. He winced and leaned away, willing to let the person go past him and further into the stage area, but he was only jabbed again, and then once more.

"Ow," Dan finally complained, and he turned toward his assailant, and then. He stopped. He blinked. He breathed. "What are you doing here?"

Fiona scoffed at him. "Everyone in fucking England is at the festival right now, either here or in Leeds. As if I wouldn't be."

Dan recoiled, but he couldn't recoil very far. He hit the mass of bodies and came right back to his original position. "But you - " There was absolutely nothing that could have made this day any worse than it already was. 

"What are you doing here?" Fiona retorted. Her hair was in a high ponytail, but it was bedraggled, falling in damp strands around her face. Moisture beaded on her forehead and upper lip.

She looked disgusting, Dan decided. "I'm in fucking England too, aren't I?" he snapped. Another biting remark was on the tip of his tongue, but a guitar sang noisily in the distance, interrupting him, and the electric twang brought him back to his surroundings and out of his focus fully directed at Fiona.

"I'm not talking to you," Dan decided. He made to turn his back on her, but the hairy chest of a burly man was right in his eye line, so he turned back toward her and crossed his arms instead. "I'm here to have fun," he announced, even though he had not had any of that all day. "You're just going to ruin it, so kindly piss off."

She looked unimpressed. "As if I want to be talking to you, Hobbit boy. I'm just waiting for my friends to get here."

Dan glared. The insult hit home, making its way right to the curls on Dan's head. "I'm waiting for my friends to get here," he said but regretted it as soon as he said it. Repeating what she said was a useless insult. He fished frantically in his mind for something with a little more bite, but Fiona beat him to it.

"You? Friends?" She laughed heartily, clutching her stomach and throwing her head back.

Dan did not look at the long, pale column of her neck. He did not look at the reddening patches of bare arm where her loose, eye-searingly bright shirt left little protection from the smouldering sun. He definitely did not look at the tiny freckles sprouting on her cheeks, prompted by the heat.

When she finished chortling, Dan pointed out, "Your laugh looks so stupid. You poke your tongue out, like this." He demonstrated grotesquely, biting down on his tongue and crossing his eyes.

Fiona just laughed again. "I do not."

She did.

Dan's phone buzzed again. He scowled at Fiona and pulled it out, accepting the escape. It was just another excited message about Muse from one of his friends, but Dan tapped languorously on his phone for a good few minutes, attempting to appear absorbed. He hoped Fiona would leave.

She didn't.

"Why are you still here?" he finally snapped up at her, shoving his phone back into his pocket with more force than it necessarily warranted.

"I literally just told you, I'm waiting for my friends. Besides, it's clearly annoying you. As if I'd go anywhere else when I could annoy you."

Dan sneered at her. She sneered right back.

They couldn't find much else to say, insults exhausted, for now, so they stood in silence, or whatever could be interpreted as silence with the distant scream of instruments and the loud babble of conversations around them. Dan's phone didn't really interest him, but he pulled it out again anyway, checking for updates about his friends' locations or how close they were from him. The closest of his mates was still a few minutes away, caught up in the straggling edges of the massive crowd centred around the Main Stage.

"You like Muse?" Fiona asked abruptly, and Dan almost jumped. He hadn't forgotten she was there, but he had expected her to respect the mutual silence.

"Yes," he said though, shortly, and opened the Tumblr app. He'd only scrolled through a few posts before he was interrupted again.

"What's your favourite album?"

Dan squinted at her. "Why the fuck do you care? What, are you going to find some way to mock me for it?"

She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "I'm just trying to make conversation, jackass. I'm bored."

"So? We haven't had a conversation in like…" Dan actually had to stop and think about that, "...I dunno, four years. When we talked about how my clothes sucked and then you pantsed me."

Fiona cackled. It was a truly malicious, rolling laugh that made something squirm in Dan's gut. He took it for disgust. It couldn't be anything more. "Ah," she said. "That was funny. You were wearing Winnie the Pooh boxers, I remember. I bet you still have them."

"I don't still have them," lied Dan.

"You do," she assured him. "So what's your favourite album?"

Dan considered answering it, but his suspicions were too great to allow him to freely give away such information. "What's yours?"

"Absolution," she said easily.

Dan did some more consideration and finally, he reluctantly allowed, "Origin of Symmetry."

Fiona nodded slowly, and something hopeful began to sprout in Dan's chest, but it was stifled upon her next words. "Absolution is better."

Dan scoffed and lifted his phone again, ready to continue scrolling, but Fiona added, "But Origin of Symmetry is probably my next favourite. Good taste."

He couldn't help his suspicious glare directed at her. "You're being weird," he finally decided. She was. Their insults were at usual par, but Fiona was acting differently, somehow. Dan couldn't quite put his finger on it. The crinkles around her eyes were less prominent, maybe, or her shoulders might be less tense as she talked to him. Something small seemed to have shifted in her, and Dan wasn't quite sure whether he liked it or not.

Fiona shrugged easily. "'M not being weird," she said. "I'm just relaxed. You can't punch me in a crowd full of people, you'll get tossed out of the festival."

"Neither can you," said Dan.

She waved a flippant hand. "I wouldn’t punch your filthy face anyway, I just did my nails."

Dan couldn't help a disbelieving stare at said nails, but he saw nothing other than the usual chewed cuticles and ragged nails. He would have been truly shocked if she had. Dan had never known her to paint her nails, not once since he'd known her. Makeup didn't seem to interest her either, as Dan had seen her wearing it maybe two or three times. It would be bizarre, he thought, to see her eyelashes as any colour other than their pale golden hue.

Dan wrenched his thoughts from Fiona's eyelashes. What the fuck.

Someone else jostled Dan, squirming past him to sprawl an arm over Fiona's shoulders. He was a little shorter than Fiona, with short red-gold hair and an easy grin that matched Fiona's. "Hey my little dude!" he enthused, rubbing his knuckles over her head and knocking loose another handful of strands to dangle around her face. "Finally found you!"

Fiona shoved him off of her, but a grin had spread across her face at the assault. "Get off, Martyn. Where's Cornelia?"

"She's hauling the cooler. We got beer - " It was at this moment that the man caught sight of Dan watching them, so he hastily corrected himself to " - water, that is," and winked, as if there was literally any liquid other than alcohol or sweat at the festival.

"That's Dan," Fiona said coolly, and made no move to introduce Martyn, but that was fine because Dan already knew her older brother. One couldn't have a mortal enemy without knowing their family members, after all.

"Ah, Dan," said Martyn, and winked again.

"Stop," Fiona complained. She shoved him again. "Go help Cornelia, you nutter."

He left, shouldering his way through the crowd, and Dan barely waited until he was gone before repeating, "Friends," in the same tone that Fiona had used earlier when mocking Dan's friends.

Fiona didn't look intimidated. "Just because they're family doesn't mean they can't be friends, too."

"At least I have actual friends," said Dan, feeling like he was lying once more. This one felt bitter in his mouth, a reminder that he felt utterly alone at this concert. This brief repartee with Fiona was the most alive he had felt in hours.

A shrug. "Whatever floats your tiny little boat," she said. She stood on tiptoe to peer over the people beside her. The gesture only served to remind Dan that, while he stood securely over six feet tall, Fiona was only an inch below him. She towered over most other girls her age, tall and lanky and too clumsy for her own height. It might be considered endearing - if Dan didn’t despise her.

"Ah, there they are," she chirped, evidently catching sight of Martyn and Cornelia. She dropped back down and smirked at Dan. "See you at school tomorrow, Hobbit Howell."

Dan's voice failed him at the worst possible moment, at the time she was finally leaving. He had no witty parting remark, no snappy comeback as she ducked her way between two jostling shirtless guys. He could only watch her leave, mouth gaping uselessly as he floundered for something biting to hurl after her. Nothing came to him, so he had to just stare purposelessly as she vanished from sight.

As if they had been waiting for Dan to be free from the hold of his mortal enemy, two of Dan's friends arrived via a pack of rowdy teenagers, making their way toward Dan. One of his mates reached out and snagged his arm to haul him further inside the Main Stage. "Come on, man, we've got to get a good place before it starts!" he yelled over the growing crescendo of the crowd. 

Dan cast one look back over his shoulder where Fiona had disappeared, and then he followed his mates further into the people crushing ever closer to the stage. A crash of cymbals preceded his entrance and the crowd roared a unanimous approval.

Muse was here.

~~~ previous chapter ~~~ next chapter ~~~

[brokenmimir]

When Eyes Meet, A Battle Begins

White Rose Week 2019, Day 8: Free Day

All the stories talked about meeting a rival on your Pokémon journey, one who would challenge you again and again and keep you on your toes. Ruby just hadn't expected her's to be so pretty.

I've never gotten into the anime, and this probably got a bit too into the weeds with staying true to the video game. Still, I'm a huge fan of the games, so this was fun to do. I also wrote this before the new Corgi based Electric Pokémon got announced, which is obviously an even better fit for Zwei.

White Rose Week has been a blast, and I hope everyone has enjoyed themselves as much as I have.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/19253242

“Zwei, you can do it!” Ruby shouted, bouncing in place. “Use Tackle!”

The Lillipup bent its tiny legs, before launching itself forward with a cheerful bark. It slammed into the small, bud-like Pokémon, sending it reeling back. With a grin she pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it, catching the Grass-type inside. The ball rocked back and forth for a moment, making her bite her lip with worry, before it finally settled down with a click.

“Yes!” Ruby shouted, jumping up and down. “We did it, Zwei! We caught the… uh… the something!”

Before she could retrieve the Poké Ball and use her Pokédex to figure out what the cute little Pokémon was, a voice scoffed behind her. “You don't even recognize a Budew? What kind of trainer are you?”

Ruby turned around, and found herself stunned at the sight in front of her. The girl couldn't be more than a year or two older than her own fifteen years, and without her heeled boots she might have been even shorter than her own barely five foot height. Despite that she looked elegant and refined in a way that Ruby had never seen in real life, even standing along the forested trail of Vale Route 4.

“Well, are you going to say anything?” the girl demanded.

Ruby blushed and looked down at herself. She was a bit dusty, having spent the last few days living out of a Pokécenter while trying to fill Professor Ozpin's Pokédex. She'd already caught a few new friends to go with Zwei, the Lillipup her father had bred for her when she was still a little girl, but she suddenly found herself wishing that she'd spent at least a little more time on her appearance. Her dusty, grass stained black and red dress and beloved red cape, looked silly next to the other girl's perfect white dress and bolero jacket.

Why did she care, though? She'd never worried about what anyone else thought of her looks before. In the end she fell back on habit, meeting the girl's blue eyes, one of which had a really cool scar, and offering a challenge. “We've made eye contact. That means we have to fight.”

She smirked. “Hmph. Perhaps you're not a total loss as a trainer if you at least know that. Prepare to be defeated by Weiss Schnee!”

“Well- well you prepare to be defeated by Ruby Rose!” she responded, to which Zwei added a cheerful bark. “That's right, Zwei! Let's get her!”

The two faced each other down, Weiss pulling out a Poké Ball and throwing it out. “Myrtenaster, let's show this girl who's boss!”

From the Poké Ball emerged a Pokémon like nothing Ruby had ever seen before. It appeared to be a fancy, elegant sword, with a long, scarf-like blue tassel emerging from its pommel. The weapon floated in midair, and she could see decorations on the hilt that resembled eyes and a grimacing mouth.

“Alright Zwei, use Baby-Doll Eyes!” Ruby shouted.

Zwei barked, and focused on Myrtenaster, his big, glistening, incredibly cute eyes making it hesitate. Ruby still wasn't sure what kind of Pokémon the sword was, but nothing was immune to Zwei's cuteness.

The other trainer wasn't immune, either. “Ahh! It's so cute!”

“I know,” Ruby said with a grin. “Nothing's cuter than Zwei!”

Finally shaking off the cuteness overload, Weiss pointed dramatically at the Lillipup. “Myrtenaster, use Fury Cutter!”

The sword hesitated, obviously not wanting to hurt the cute little puppy, but eventually it swung its body. Ruby braced herself, worried for her cutie, but the hit didn't do too much damage. Zwei shook it off, barking confidently as he set himself again.

“Good boy!” Ruby shouted, suddenly much more confident. She didn't know what Myrtenaster was, but she wasn't afraid of it if it could only hit that hard. “Use Tackle!”

Zwei jumped forward… and flew right through the Pokémon, not hitting it at all. Ruby blinked, confused, but he hadn't missed. The attack simply hadn't done anything at all.

Besides making the other trainer laugh. “Really? Don't you know Ghost-types are immune to Normal-type moves? Your Lillipup doesn't stand a chance against Myrtenaster!”

“Oh yeah?” Ruby said. “Well, um, your face doesn't stand a chance either! And it's not like yours did much either!”

Weiss smirked. “Didn't it, though? Myrtenaster, Fury Cutter again!”

The sword-shaped Pokémon attacked again, using the same move, but this time it hit harder. Still, Zwei was a tough little Lillipup, and he was okay even with several more hits like that one. She had a secret weapon ready, just for jerky Ghost types. And finding cookies. Mostly the cookies. “Zwei, use Odor Sleuth!”

The Lillipup sniffed the air, focusing in on Myrtenaster. Weiss just ordered her Pokémon to attack again, this time hitting poor Zwei hard. He kept his feet, but Ruby fretted, almost going for some medicine before she realized what was going on.

“Figured it out?” Weiss asked. “Fury Cutter is twice as powerful every time it hits! Next one's gonna take your little doggy down!”

“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Ruby said confidently. “Zwei, use Tackle!”

“That won't work, you dolt,” Weiss chuckled. “Myrtenaster's a Ghost-type, remember?”

The Lillipup charged forward, but this time instead of passing through he slammed into his opponent, knocking it back a bit. “Now who's a dolt,” Ruby said triumphantly. “Odor Sleuth lets Normal-Types hit Ghosts.”

“You're still the dolt, dolt,” Weiss said, blushing at having not known that. “Myrtenaster, finish that cute little Pokémon off.”

Myrtenaster swung one more time, this time sending Zwei tumbling back. Ruby ran over to him, but while obviously out of the fight he wasn't too hurt. Still, it was with a heavy heart that she had to recall Zwei to his Poké Ball.

“Is he alright?” Weiss asked.

Ruby looked over at the other girl, and felt herself smile just a little. She'd been kinda acting like a jerk, but if she cared about her opponent's Pokémon then she wasn't a bad person. “He'll be okay.”

Weiss returned to her cocky stance, resting one hand on her hip as a smirk stretched across her face. “Ready to give up?

“No way!” Ruby shouted, pulling out another Poké Ball. Silently she thanked her Uncle, grateful for the training trip he'd brought her on that had led to her getting this Pokémon. “Crescent Rose, let's kick her butt!”

The Pokémon was strange looking, with a four legged posture, light pink fur, blue eyes, and a huge red scythe blade sticking out of one side of its head. Ruby felt her chest puff out with pride as she saw her opponent's reaction to the unusual Pokémon.

“No way!” she said. “Is that a Shiny Absol?”

“Yup,” Ruby said. “Your Ghost-type is going down. Crescent Rose, use Bite!”

The Absol jumped forward, opening the mouth in its strangely human-like face and taking a large bite out of Myrtenaster. Crescent Rose was too powerful for the Ghost-type, taking it down in a single bite.

“Alright, so you've got some good Pokémon,” Weiss said, making a face as she recalled the sword-like Pokémon. “I'll still beat you!”

“Bring it on,” Ruby said with a grin.

“Hmph,” Weiss harrumphed, hesitating for a moment, before pulling out another Poké Ball. “Glyph, you can do it!”

The Pokémon had green hair with two red, disk-like horns, and red eyes. Its body looked like it was wearing a white tutu, and it danced in place like a ballerina on two legs.

“That's a Kirlia!” Ruby said, recognizing it from Trainer school. “Absol's are immune to Psychic-type moves!”

“But they're weak to Fairy moves!” Weiss shouted. “Glyph, use Disarming Voice!”

The Pokémon shouted, a wave of energy emerging from its mouth to strike Ruby's Absol, knocking it back and hurting it badly. Still, Crescent Rose was tough, and she wasn't defeated by one hit. “Crescent Rose, use Bite!”

It hit hard, but the Kirlia withstood it. Ruby had forgotten that being a Fairy-type also helped it resist Dark attacks. “Glyph, finish off that Absol!” Ruby winced, bracing herself for the attack, but the shout left Crescent Rose still standing… barely. Still, she needed something else, so she quickly recalled the Absol, pulling out her last Poké Ball. If this didn't do it she was in a lot of a trouble. “Come on, Wormy, you can do it!”

“Wormy?” Weiss asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Ruby threw out the Poké Ball anyway, revealing a three foot tall bee with lance like cones for forearms. After seeing it Weiss scoffed and tossed her hair. “Seriously? A Beedrill? Why did you name it Wormy?”

Ruby blushed and poked her finger tips together. “I caught her when she was a Weedle and thought she looked like a cute little worm. I didn't know what she turned into.”

“Dolt,” Weiss said, rolling her eyes. “Glyph, its a poison type, so use Confusion!”

“Wormy, hit Glyph with Poison Jab!”

The Beedrill was fast, much faster than the Kirlia, and it slammed one of its poisonous lances into the other Pokémon, taking it down in one blow before it could move. With a sour look on her face Weiss pulled out another Poké Ball. “This is my last Pokémon, a gift from my sister when I was young. He's more than enough to beat you, though!”

She tossed the Poké Ball, and out came one of the most adorable Pokémon Ruby had ever seen. It looked like a spherical ball of striped fur, but with two tiny slits for eyes, and a pig nose at the front. She couldn't see any legs or mouth, but its little nose moved up and down as it grunted cutely.

“That's adorable!” Ruby gushed. “What is it?”

“This is Boarbatusk, my Swinub,” Weiss said proudly. “Swinub, use Mud Bomb!”

“Wormy, Posion Jab!” Ruby replied.

Wormy was faster again, but this time the hit barely did any damage. The Swinub oinked loudly, before somehow launching a clod of densely packed mud with a flick of its body. It slammed into the Beedrill, doing quite a bit of harm.

“Swinub is an Ice/Ground type,” Weiss said. “Your Poison type doesn't stand a chance. Hit it again!”

Seeing how hurt the Beedrill was Ruby bit her lip, before she remembered what it could do. “Yeah, well… Wormy has the Swarm ability, so Bug-type moves are way more effective now that he's hurt. Wormy, use Twineedle!”

The Beedrill darted forward, slamming its two lances into Boarbatusk. The Swinub was obviously badly hurt by the enhanced attacked, but it wasn't enough. Ruby felt her heart fall as the Swinub replied with another mud ball… only for it to miss completely.

“No!” Weiss shouted.

“Wormy, finish it off!”

The bug darted forward, slamming its lances into the Swinub again before it could move, knocking the Pokémon unconscious. “Alright! You did it Wormy! Good job!”

“Here,” Weiss said, tossing some money at her. She looked upset, and Ruby could understand why since nobody liked losing. Still…

“You were amazing,” Ruby said.

“Not enough, obviously, since I failed,” Weiss said.

“You just lost 'cause you got unlucky,” Ruby said. “If that Mud Bomb had hit I'd've lost Wormy.”

“You still had Crescent Rose,” Weiss pointed out, looking only a little mollified by her words.

“Yeah, but she was hurt pretty bad,” Ruby said. “I'm not sure if she could've beaten your Swinub.”

“I guess we'll never know,” Weiss said with a sigh as she gathered up her Poké Balls.

Ruby bit her lip, before running over and grabbing her own, as well as the Budew that she'd captured before the fight started. When she turned around she saw Weiss already starting to walk off. “Wait! Where are you going?”

“To get my team fixed up,” Weiss said.

“Let me go with you,” Ruby said. “Mine's pretty beat up, too.”

Weiss hesitated for a moment. “Fine.”

Ruby ran up beside her, grinning brightly. “You're really good, you know.”

Weiss shook her head. “I lost.”

“Yeah, but, I mean, we're both pretty new as trainers, right?” Ruby said. “We both only have three Pokémon on our team. The best way to get better is to lose, or at least that's what my dad always said.”

“My father told me a Schnee should never lose,” Weiss said.

“Well, he sounds dumb,” Ruby decided. “I mean, you're awesome and you lost, so losing can't be that bad.”

“You are such a dolt,” Weiss muttered.

Ruby grinned. “Come on, it's getting pretty late. Let's get some dinner while our teams are getting healed!”

Weiss looked at her for a long moment, before blushing and turning her face away. “You're paying.”

Ruby plucked up the courage that led her to become a Pokémon trainer in the first place. “Of course! You're always supposed to pay when you ask someone out on a date, right?”

If Weiss had been blushing before, it was nothing compared to how red she turned with those words. She still managed to raise her chin in the air proudly when she spoke again. “Good, at least you know that much. But if you intend on courting me, I expect you to also prepare yourself appropriately for the evening.”

“I will!” Ruby promised, desperately hoping she had something in her pack to wear on a proper date. She also suddenly wished she hadn't run and hid whenever Yang tried to teach her how to put on make up.

“Good,” Weiss said primly, before looking away as she reached over and grabbed Ruby's hand. It was cool and soft, and fit her own perfectly. She wasn't sure which of the two turned more red at the contact, but while Weiss kept her expression stoic Ruby grinned from ear to ear.

What had she gotten herself into?

“Don't think this means I've forgotten you won by luck this time,” Weiss said, squeezing her hand a little. “I'm going to beat you next time!”

She couldn't wait to find out.

[shookethbrooketh]

fash·ion

noun a popular trend, especially in styles of dress and ornament or manners of behavior. 

Description: Dan works at an upscale clothing store, and it’s the most abysmal environment he could have possibly gotten himself into. He sells oversized, overpriced clothes to old men trying to be cool and has the concept of “fashion” shoved down his throat on the daily. His job is stormy at best, until a ray of sunshine walks into the store named Phil. 

Rating: G

Genre: AU

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.4k

Challenge: Fashion Challenge

A/N: Written for the @phanfichallenge! 

Read it on Ao3! Read it on Wattpad!

Fashion. The word surrounded Dan everywhere he went. He personally fulfilled the expectations society had for “fashion”, but that was his own decision. It just so happened that the current trend was baggy clothes and curly hair. He wasn’t following the trends: the trends were following him. This made it easy enough for him to get a job at one of the most fashionable stores in the country: Men’s Best. 

The store he worked at was so ridiculously overpriced that it disgusted him, but it was a paycheck, and one hell of a large one at that. Every time some stuck up old man walked into the store, he had to escort them to the back of the store where the old time suits were found. That was all about half his customers ever wanted: a fashionable suit. Only the back quarter of the store even dealt with dress clothes, but for some reason it was all anyone came to buy. 

The entire front portion of the store was more his style: oversized clothes designed for people more around his age. Of course, nobody ever came in to buy them, because millennials didn’t have the money to get expensive clothes just because they were “fashionable”. Dan would never say it, but they were somehow more overpriced than they were oversized. He honestly didn’t understand why people couldn’t go to a normal store and just buy a size up. Really, most did, but a few rich kids trickled in to stay with the trends. 

You might think that for someone who hates Men’s Best so much, it was quite odd for him to be working there. You’re definitely right. He’d been working that same dismal job for two years, and he didn’t want to be there; he just got it because he needed money for university. He’d since completed his schooling, but, like most other people his age, was still in massive debt, and he needed money. His current job was definitely the best money he’d be able to get for a while, and he wouldn’t stand a chance without it. So he stayed with the very culture he despised. 

Fashion. There was an aesthetic sign on the far wall that simply said “fashion”. The messy cursive font was lit up by white light, and it was both Dan’s favorite and least favorite part of the store. It was, in all honesty, extremely aesthetic, but he couldn’t stand the word. Fashion. He had Googled it once; the official definition was, “a popular trend, especially in styles of dress and ornament or manners of behavior.” Sometimes he thought about that definition. It made it sound like fashion was only what society said looked good. That wasn’t what fashion meant, at least not to him. 

To Dan, fashion was the phrase “sense of fashion”. He had his sense of fashion, and other people had theirs. It wasn’t just society; it was personal preference, and he was sick of seeing it portrayed otherwise. Then again, he worked in the belly of the beast. There really wasn’t a point in hating fashion when he hypocritically worked in the middle of the fashion industry.

Dan was standing at his station behind the cash register on his phone. There was nobody in the store that day that could possibly get him in any trouble for it, so he honestly didn’t care enough not to be on his phone. There wasn’t a soul in the store anyway. Mall music haunted him to his very being, and the sound of passing footsteps was engraved into his memory. Suddenly he heard footsteps drawing closer, and he glanced up from his phone to see a man walking in the door. He sighed, putting his phone down on the counter and putting on his fake smile. “Welcome to Men’s Best. If you need anything, feel free to let me know.” 

“Thanks,” the man muttered. Dan took a moment just to look at him; he looked around his age, which was surprising in and of itself. He was wearing a quirky, blue button up covered in corgis and black skinny jeans. He had the same black, emo fringe he would have been willing to bet he had ten years ago, but his eyes were full of color and did perfectly to stand out against the rest of his dark figure. Everything about him contrasted; the fun shirt to the dark jeans, the dark hair to the bright eyes. It intrigued Dan in a way he wasn’t used to; he definitely had never seen anyone like him in the store before. 

Dan couldn’t help but wonder what he was doing there. The store wasn’t at all his style. In fact, Dan liked his style a lot more than he liked the store’s. It was personalized, and, in reality, quite cute. He’d never met the man before, but he could tell it was really him. He didn’t need to be in that hell store of peer pressure by invisible fashionistas. 

After a couple minutes of roaming, the man sighed and walked up to Dan, who, surprisingly, still hadn’t buried himself back in his phone. “I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“By that do you mean you want help looking or you don’t know why you’re here?” 

“Both, really,” the man said, cracking a smile. “Phil.” 

“Dan.” They shook hands, and Dan put on his professional smile, except for once he didn’t have to fake it. “How can I help you today?” 

“This is gonna sound really stuck-up, but I’m only here because of my viewers.” Dan raised an eyebrow, and he rushed into the next sentence. “I’m a YouTuber, and I keep seeing these comments saying I’m not ‘fashionable’ enough.” He threw in the air quotes, and Dan rolled his eyes. The two seemed to see eye to eye on the concept of fashion. “So I came here to see if I could find some more ‘fashionable’ clothes. I’m striking out here.” 

“Really? What’s your channel?” 

He smiled a bit at the fact that Dan wanted to know. “AmazingPhil.” Dan secretly and expertly snuck his phone out of his pocket and looked him up on YouTube as they continued to talk. 

“Well, if you really want me to find you something here that seems more you, I can help you, but I don’t think that’s what you want.” 

Phil sighed. “It really isn’t.” 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Dan looked into those colorful eyes and finally spoke his mind. “You know, fashion isn’t just what other people tell you it is.” Phil raised an eyebrow. “Fashion isn’t what other people tell you, it’s what you believe. You have your own sense of fashion, and if you like it, then it’s good enough. Personally, I love your sense of fashion.” 

“You do?” he asked, his face conveying the emotion of a lost puppy being found.

“Absolutely,” Dan answered, grinning from ear to ear. 

“Thanks, Dan,” he said. “Maybe I can remember that to gain some more confidence.” 

“Anytime.” 

“Well,” he said, standing there awkwardly. “I guess I’ll see you around.” 

Dan smirked, putting one hand to his forehead and pulling it out as an odd wave that could only be understood in person. “See ya.” 

Phil turned on his heel and began to slowly leave the store, but just as he was about to reach the shoplifting detectors, he turned back. “Can I give you my phone number?” 

Something stirred inside of Dan that he didn’t know how to describe, but it was a better feeling than he’d ever experienced inside that hell of a store. “Yeah, sure,” he said, trying not to sound too excited. He glanced around his desk until he found a pad of sticky notes and a pen; he grabbed them both and put them on the counter, managing to drop the pen towards Phil. “Sh-Fu-Ugh.” Dan quickly refrained from swearing as the typical old man walked into the store. “Sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” Phil laughed, picking up the pen and writing down his number, sliding the sticky notes across the counter to Dan. “There you go; shoot me a text sometime.” 

“Will do,” he said, a genuine smile crossing his face as Phil left the store. He glanced at his phone, still open to Phil’s YouTube channel. His mouth fell open; Phil had 4.2 million subscribers. Dan would definitely be texting that number when he got off work. He quickly pocketed his phone and smiled up at the customer. The smile, and even his tone of voice were genuine. “Welcome to Men’s Best. How can I help you?”