#but at the actual vet she was starting to get curious and looking out the window and stuff

[wallabywannabe]

Took less than 10 minutes after getting home from the vet visit for Petra to resume her normal routine without fear. So proud!

[loveinhawkins]

When Lucas Sinclair starts to apologise for missing The Cult of Vecna, Eddie initially thinks that he’s hearing things.

Well, actually, the first thing he thinks is something along the lines of ‘what the fuck are you talking about?’

It takes him almost a solid thirty seconds to even vaguely remember his campaign; the last day of school before Spring Break feels dreamlike, as if it happened to someone else, as if he just watched everything through a fogged-up window.

“Jesus, Sinclair. I’ve got an ongoing list of folks who owe me an apology since, like, sixth grade, and trust me, your name’s not on there. Can pretty confidently say it never will, okay?”

Eddie sees Steve tilt his head ever so slightly from where he’s walking just ahead of them, like he’s listening in. Spots his faint nod of approval.

Eddie can’t decide if he resents it or finds it endearing—kind of gets the ridiculous feeling that Steve’s vetting him on behalf of the kids.

“Okay,” Lucas says, and he’s smiling, but there’s a sort of sombreness to it, too. “Still, I should’ve—”

“Hey, hindsight’s twenty-twenty,” Eddie says, firmly cutting off whatever self-critical bullshit he was about to hear. He knocks his shoulder against Lucas’s, adds a dry, “Like, I would’ve been a dick about it no matter what.”

Lucas laughs, but it’s muted. Then he takes a deep breath, and Eddie suddenly realises that he must’ve been using the apology to get himself started, to work himself up to what he really wanted to say.

“I’m… I’m sorry about… about Jason and… I thought I’d thrown them all off the trail, but—”

“Oh, don’t—don’t worry about it, man,” Eddie says faintly.

There’s a flash of Jason in his mind’s eye, the savage twist of his lip as he ran into the lake; he thinks of Lucas lying to his face, the danger of him being found out, and feels sick.

“Seriously, you could’ve told them… y’know. Wouldn’t have held it against you.”

Eddie doesn’t mention that him getting caught still feels inevitable, like he’s just waiting for the walls to close in.

But right now, at least, he can breathe a little easier. The shire might be burning, but there’s people leading him through it. He’s not alone.

Lucas looks appalled. “What? No, I couldn’t—I couldn’t do that to you.”

It’s said with such conviction that Eddie has to fight through a sudden tightness in his throat—doesn’t really know what to do in the face of such undeserved loyalty.

He settles on saying, “So, how was the game?” which is embarrassingly inadequate, but a genuine question nevertheless; the past few… Jesus, however long it’s been, he’s been in permanent need of a distraction.

Steve slows his walking pace—to anyone else it might’ve seemed subtle, but Eddie’s used to noticing such things. He somehow gets the feeling that Steve is no longer scrutinising him, not exactly; his posture’s relaxed and open, his forehead free of frown lines.

It’s more like he’s simply curious about Eddie’s behaviour. The way his eyes drift over, then down to the forest floor, then back again silently seems to say what are you thinking?

Or maybe Eddie’s projecting because he asks the very same question whenever a muscle jumps in Steve’s jaw.

“Oh, um…” Lucas says hesitantly. “I was on the bench for most of it, so—”

“Quit being modest.” The quiet whir of a tape being rewound; Max Mayfield comes up to Lucas’s side. “He made the winning shot,” she tells Eddie pointedly. “It was a buzzer-beater.”

“Oh, holy shit. Well done, dude.”

From the way Lucas is staring at Max with wide eyes, it’s obvious that he’s barely registered what Eddie’s said.

“How do you know that?” he asks. “You… you weren’t at the game.”

“I, uh.” Max looks down for a moment, fiddling with the headphones around her neck. “I listened to it on the radio.”

Lucas smiles so brightly. There’s an earnestness to him; Eddie spotted it a mile away, ever since that first day back at school, when all the new freshmen were anxiously lining up to get lunch.

Max softens—her arms are still folded, but she drifts a little closer to Lucas as they walk, all studied casualness.

(Oh, Eddie’s been there before: forced to run track in middle school Phys Ed, and the only saving grace was ‘just so happening’ to run at the same pace as any boy who’d smile at him.)

Eddie catches Steve’s eye, and this time Steve gives him a very deliberate expression, nodding fondly at Max and Lucas.

Look at them, he’s saying with his eyes, as if he and Eddie are on the same team, as if Eddie at all deserves to be let in on whatever shared history Steve has with these kids.

Eddie kicks at a stray twig. You’re not going to get a lump in your throat about this, damn it, don’t be stupid.

“S’gonna be historic, Sinclair,” he says. “Last time the Tigers won a championship was, uh, lemme think… twenty-two years ago.”

Lucas stops in his tracks.

“I know that,” he says, eyes shrewd, “but why do you know?”

Eddie raises his hands with a grin, it wasn’t me, officer. “What, I can’t repeat a few years without retaining a little school knowledge?”

“Oh,” Lucas says, and it’s like Eddie can see him mentally replaying every cafeteria speech. He grins back. “So you’re a hypocrite.”

“Maybe,” Eddie says. He glances further afield, where Dustin is animatedly explaining something to Robin and Nancy. “I know you’re not gonna give me shit for it, though.”

“Huh, guess you don’t really know me,” Lucas says, and Max snorts.

Eddie smirks. “And it’s, like, doubly historic since the last person to score a buzzer-beater was—”

He cuts himself off, because Steve abruptly turns to him, like they’re in alliance, and draws a hand sharply across his neck.

But Lucas is already hooked. “What? Who was it?”

Eddie gives Steve a helpless shrug. Sorry, man.

“I’m looking right at him,” he says.

Lucas rounds on Steve. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because,” Steve says, flustered, “that was your thing, Lucas, I didn’t wanna be all…”

He trails off with a vague hand gesture, and Eddie thinks he somehow gets what he means—smiles at the thoughtfulness of it.

“That makes, like, no sense,” Lucas says vehemently. His eyes practically have stars in them. “Damn it, we shoulda got a photo.”

Steve laughs in surprise. “All right, noted.”

“I mean, Wheeler works for the school paper, right?” Eddie says. “They’ve probably got old issues. Hey, Sinclair, you could have, y’know, side-by-side photos. Yours and then…” He waves a hand at Steve. “Ancient history.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Ancient, sure.”

“Oh, Lucas,” Max says, batting her eyes excessively, “I’d frame a picture of you. Pray to it every night.”

Lucas blushes. “Shut up,” he says, elbowing her gently; Eddie thinks that it’s the first time he’s heard Max Mayfield laugh.

Steve’s watching over them again, and his eyes go pensive when Lucas mumbles something like, “I wouldn’t mind a frame.”

The expression Steve has is something Eddie’s only seen once before, and it was on Wayne’s face. Eddie had privately dubbed it the ‘found something for your birthday’ look when he’d noticed it: him and Wayne on a road trip, Eddie not so secretly mooning over the secondhand acoustic guitar in the shop window.

“Your picture should be bigger, Sinclair,” Steve says, sounding both teasing and sincere. “My shot didn’t win a Championship Game.” In an undertone, he adds, “As Brenda so helpfully reminded me.”

Oh, Eddie’s not letting that go.

“Do mine ears deceive me? Did you take a date to a high school basketball game?” Eddie cackles. “You sure know how to woo ‘em, Harrington.”

“Hey,” Steve says defensively, “she could only make that day. Told her I had non-negotiable plans: it was either the game or it was a bust.”

Huh, Eddie thinks, that’s actually… really sweet.

Lucas looks torn between being embarrassed or touched. “You didn’t need to do that, Steve.”

“Sure I did. C’mon, you thought I was gonna go to every match and then miss the Championship?” Steve’s eyebrows furrow. “Where was Erica, anyway?”

… Ah.

“Mea culpa,” Eddie says. “She was, uh, at Hellfire.”

Lucas scoffs. “It’s fine,” he says. “Last time she was at a game, she kept shouting that she loved my tactics.” He looks out into the middle distance. “I was on the bench the whole time.”

Steve chuckles. “Yeah, I missed her being there.” He’s sporting a smile that’s somehow the perfect balance of fond and mischievous; it, quite frankly, has no business looking as attractive as it does. “We had, um, alternative commentary for every game. That kid should have a radio show.” He comes closer, adds in another aside, “Would’ve made the date more bearable if she was there.”

Eddie stifles a laugh, has a moment of respectful silence for Brenda.

Max and Lucas cut in front, keep walking until they’re almost out of earshot; Eddie hears Lucas faintly say something that sounds like, “Was I totally tubular?”, soon drowned out by Max’s laughter.

There’s a short silence.

“Thanks, Eddie,” Steve says suddenly.

Eddie blinks at him, quickly turns his genuine confusion into a bit. “What for, Harrington? My devastating wit? Devilish good looks?”

Steve shakes his head. He smiles for a moment, in on the joke, but then he looks over at Lucas and Max again, and… there.

A muscle jumps in his jaw.

“It’s just… they’ve got a lot to carry, y’know? So…” He shrugs. “Thanks.”

It’s said so quietly, so without fanfare.

Eddie’s hit with the realisation between one footstep and the next: that he’s earned Steve Harrington’s trust.

It feels… weighty.

But Eddie doesn’t mind it; he doesn’t think it’s going to crush his ribs. If anything it feels like they’re sharing a load.

“Don’t gotta thank me for that, Harrington.”

Steve smiles, pushing back his hair; Eddie’s brought back to the moment he did the very same on the basketball court, just as the ball sunk through the net, and Eddie decided fuck it, wholeheartedly embracing his hypocrisy as he jumped up and down with the band kids.

I cheered so goddamn loud for you, Eddie thinks.

He doesn’t say it.

But he keeps walking next to Steve. Feels a little young, a little bit like he’s running track—checking his pace just so he could see a boy smile at him.

[followthebluebell]

I have a friend whose cat was originally part of a TNR program. The kitty was found in the boiler room of our apartment complex, somewhat feral, and ear tipped, and was given to the friend after a few weeks of no one claiming the cat.

Now here’s the kicker, when she got the cat from them she took it in for a wellness check and was told the kitty was a boy. Fast forward about 2 years and their previous vet retired leading them to find a new one, and one of the first things they say to her after the exam is “you realize he’s actually a she right?” And told her the cat is a girl.

Is this something common with fixed cats? I know when males are neutered later you tend to see more of a deflated sack unless there’s a whole ablation performed, but I also know that’s not a super common procedure so I’m just kinda curious lmao

I wouldn't say it's terribly common, but things happen. One of my personal cats was listed as male for a few years because a vet tech had misclicked on her file and it wasn't caught for ages. Sometimes a kitten looks fairly male at first but then the balls don't drop so you check again and oops, that's definitely a vulva. I called Mouse a boy for a few months just because her genitals were pretty indistinct at first and I didn't bother to check again until it was time for her neuter since it genuinely wasn't important to know if she was male or female right up until that point.

There was also a fun confusing moment where I got a kitten from a shelter and the shelter was very clear that the kitten was a girl. Her paperwork was pretty clear, listing that she was spayed because of a uterus infection. So I was pretty fucking surprised when her balls dropped a few weeks later. I checked her chip and they had given me the wrong kitten.

Which was fine, it all worked out in the end. Hermes nee Hermione found a lovely home.

There was another time when I got a VERY fluffy himalayan cat named Princess. She was matted absolutely SOLID. I shaved her down and started to really struggle with a set of mats around her urogenital area--- I just couldn't find the space to get the blades UNDER the mat.

In fact, I realized, the 'mats' were oddly symmetrical. And had a certain feel to them. And a certain shape. And a certain placement.

They were balls.

Princess was absolutely a boy. To his credit, he was incredibly patient about my fumbling around his testicles.

With a significantly less patient cat, I could see a vet making a mistake. With a semi-feral (or a full feral), you might only have a split second to check and sometimes that's just not long enough.

[carionto]

The duality of Man, or triality? quadrality?

Alien to Human about New Human: Correct me if I'm wrong, but they appear abnormally large for your species?

H: Yea, he's a biggun alright, even without the EV suit I'd say... 7'3'', 310 pounds, bet he power lifts.

A: Umm... not to be rude, but, uhh... he seems, well... how should I put this...

H: Intimidating? Terrifying? Evil? Yea, if this station didn't have high screening standards I'd be totally pissing myself if he started walking towards me. The mohawk and eye tat totally make me believe he could snap me in two with a single glare.

A: I feel ashamed that my instincts are telling me to flee. I wish nature were easier to change.

H (shouting at NH): Hey buddy! Could you come over here for a minute please? You look awesome by the way!

A (whispering nervously): what are you doing?!?

H: Gotta overcome those fears somehow, I believe the best way is a direct confrontation.

NH approaches, somewhat slowly, looking around at all the other aliens in the station that are chatting, waiting around, or doing some work. He finally approaches A and H, and in a very deep and husky voice says: Um, hi, hello. T-thanks for the compliment, I, uh, was a little worried I would stand out too much here.

H: Oh you totally do, my friend over here is practically about to pass out from how much like a gothic viking of death metal you look.

NH: Oh no, I'm so sorry, I-I just grew up in Sweden-Delta and both my parents were huge into classic local music, so I just, uh... it's complicated. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare anyone.

H: Hey, relax pal, we're all good people here. Anyway, what you here to do? I'm planning on starting a bakery, still testing out what kind of flour most species here can actually stomach. My friend here is on the team working on Moon theft preventative measures.

NH: Oh, that's cool. I'm here as an exchange student with the department of applied astrophysics. If all goes well, I can finish my Bachelors degree remotely and stay here as an intern with the head researcher.

H: Oooh, that's cool. (so cool yea that you're apparently half my age but oh well guess I'm a big fat time waster like my father before me and oh god change the subject before I get depressed in front of strangers) That's a real big bag you got there, carrying some super secret science things, eh?

NH: Oh, that... uhh... guess it can't hurt to tell, security vetted it already anyway.

NH proceeds to unzip the bag and hold up a large white piece of clothing with light blue rings and accents, alongside a strange white cap with what looked like small fins, and a curious little backpack.

NH: It's uhh... um... my... Ika... musume... cosplay.... (oh gods I can't believe I said it out loud again)

After a moment of awkward silence, NH slowly puts on the backpack and presses a button on it's strap, and suddenly numerous light blue colored tentacle-like appendages sprout out from the backpack and move in line with NH's movements.

NH: I, uh..., got my engineering friend to make them articulate and interface with my contacts. I can make them do all sorts of things, like make various shapes and animals with them, though works best as a shadow theater.

H:...

NH:...

A now frozen out of confusion than fear:...

H: That's so

NH: (oh I know it's so lame, but I love that show)-

H: COOL! I don't know what a ika musume is, but those things look amazing. You said articulate? How precise can they be? I'd love to have something like that instead of my useless assistant. Poor lad can't make a piece of toast if his life depended on it...

NH: Y-you like it?

H: I LOVE those things. My daughter does cosplay too sometimes, but she makes her Dreadnought suits herself from scraps. One time the military came to our house and installed a limiter on the gauss cannon she found in a crash site, said it would otherwise start to generate small doses of radiation if used too frequently. But she replaced it with a handmade rail gun before the next convention. Do you go to those? Did you see a 7 meter tall hulking metal monstrosity with a bunch of candles all over? That was her.

NH: Oh, I think I've seen video of that, but no, not in person, I go to smaller events. I don't really like big crowds.

H: Oh yea, I get ya, you do seem a bit on the shy side now that we've been talking for a bit. Hey, no worries, like I said, we're all good people here.

NH: T-thanks, but I think I should be going now, the teacher is calling me over.

H: Oh yea, go ahead, didn't mean to take up so much of your time. Have a fun stay and I'm sure you'll ace that paper or theory? Or whatever astrophysicists do, you seem like a solid kid.

NH: Oh, uh, thanks. Good luck with your bakery. And you with stopping those weird people from stealing more moons. Bye.

H: Bye bye, come visit, don't be a stranger now, I'm set up just a short bit from the main lift on floor 14.

NH: R-right, I'll, uh, be sure to stop by soon.

A is finally able to process what they just heard and says: What was all that just now?

H: What? Just a friendly chat with what is apparently basically a kid. Man, this kid's got so much going on, while I'm almost 50 and I have an oven. Life, man, it can go in so many ways. Anyway, let's go grab a drink, I'm parched.

[nebulastarss]

Catbatfam Wayne family lore pt2 (Mostly Tim cuz I had thoughts)

Next door to the Wayne family are the Drake household. Now, you know how fanon Tim Drake has horrifically neglective parents to the point where he should definitely be dead by 6 years old? Yeah Kitty Timothy has that. Since he is just a cat, they pile food in a few bowls and then leave. They have an automatic litter box (DANGEROUS. ESPECIALLY FOR KITTENS.) so he's not getting infections, but he's definitely running out of food before the weeks are over and they pop back in (also the food is stale. Gross)

Timothy is a well behaved pet regardless, essentially hoping that if he's cute enough they'll stop leaving him to his own devices. Never works. He becomes a real good hunter, and no one ever finds out about the rat infestation. So he's pretty independent, but not feral. He also gets into the habit of watching the streets from the window, catching Bruce walking past multiple times.

(Sometimes the Drakes forget to pay the power bill for a little. Thankfully they gave him his own cat room, and he piles blankets that he lies under with only his nose poking out.)

One day, he has ran out of food and he must've over hunted because the rats aren't there. But Bruce is outside again. And Tim is hungry. So he starts screaming, yelling and rubbing his face against the glass. Bruce stops and runs up to press his nose against the glass, proceeding to break into Drake Manor and steal their kitten

Martha and Thomas are once again rushing to the vet, and once again contacting lawyers over animal neglect. The poor thing is half starved! He's got scratches and illnesses from the rats! He has signs of prolonged exposure to the cold! Bad pet ownership!

They now own 5 cats. They never planned on 5 cats, and the kittens all get along like a house on fire. They're all similar ages, only a few months in between them, with such different personalities.

Dick won't stop hissing at strangers but turns into a loud and clingy kitten the second he's near family. He's curious and constantly overestimating how far he can jump. He's often in the living areas, perched over the fireplace or becoming one with the couch. He's also the most prone to going full Zoomies. He will be running in circles for the next 10 minutes actually.

Jason isn't loud but he's clumsy (he trips on the stairs like. A lot. They think it's because of the lack of tail) and he prefers the library and the kitchen to any other room in the manor. (Some servants will open random books and leave them out, they have lists of which ones he does and doesn't lay on, called "Jason's Favorites") he gets along with Alfred, who also frequents the kitchens.

Tim, despite being initially quiet and loving, has taken a more aloof stance once he's sure they won't just leave he hangs out in the offices a lot, to the point where they get him a little laptop toy (it's actually a real laptop. They enjoy looking through his search history: "afwgvbndnnnnnn nnnn") he does love pets, but won't actively push against someone. He will, however, linger in a room and stand juuust close enough that you could pet him. If you wanted to. Yknow, no pressure or anything. He's a little stalker cat, and prefers to watch everyone from above.

And all of them sneak out. Together. They use the doggy door, of course, but sometimes they all just vanish and then come back in using the door. Literally how, they have CAMERAS. Martha loves her grandbabies but she swears they're giving her gray hair. She's only in her thirties! She should not have gray hair!

Once again though, another video surfaces on the internet. Tim is sitting on a box, watching Dick and Babs play while Jason bats at Bruce's tail, when another cat literally falls on him. A Bengal with a large bell attached to her collar that darts away at Tim's affronted screech. She crouches down, tail flicking, before rolling around like a dog asking to play. Tim watches, unamused.

They end up playing anyway. Bruce also catches her at one point and licks the shit out of her fur, which is dirty as all hell. A post from a tired nurse reveals the kitten to be Stephanie, though Crystal Brown records herself fondly saying hello to her "dear Stephie" and asking how she got outside. Stephanie responds by rolling onto her back and purring.

Tim starts regularly showing up at her window, where they either watch pedestrians or play fight with the window between them (have you ever seen videos of kittens doing that? Cute as shit. They end up bonking their heads against the glass every single time) they officially don't do much more though, as Stephanie is supposed to be a strictly indoor cat. (More videos emerge of Stephanie breaking out while Crystal is at work. Poor nurse is fighting a loosing battle)

After a few weeks, the family relaxes again. Surely that's it, Bruce and his weird kitten collecting is over now.

Then he comes home with a silent Burmese kitten.

Bruce where do you keep getting these. They find nothing on her. As far as they can tell, she's a stray, but she's not injured or ill in any way. There's no identification and she won't speak at all.

(Did you know that cats don't meow into adulthood? Meowing is a baby noise. Cats actual noises are outside of our hearing range, all we can hear are "FUCK OFF LEAVE ME ALONE!" and "IM BABY GIVE ME LOVE!" Cats are taught by those older than them to keep meowing so that they can communicate with us.)

They take her home, and she follows everyone around. She walks on silent feet, often scareing the absolute crap out of however spots her (or trips over her)

One day she's watching Dick intensely, watching the way that Thomas interacts with him. She pads over, sits, and stares at him. He stares back. She tilts her head. He blinks and then Dick calls his attention away by meowing at him. And Cass stares at the both of them. Then she hops up on Thomas's lap, props herself up on his chest with her front legs, and meows at him. He's delighted, she loves being able to ask for shit and communicate, Dick is mostly just grumpy that Thomas stopped petting him.

Then, again surely that's it. Surely. We definitely have the room but Bruce we went from 2 cats to 6 in a month. Slow down. Martha is it just me or does taking care of these cats feel like we just chose to have children in a more convoluted way?

They are wrong.

[specialagentlokitty]

Eggsy x sister!reader - not the same

Hey saw you wanting Eggsy so I was wondering if you could do one where Reader and Eggsy are brother and sister (with Reader being the oldest) and she adopts a disabled pup (or a normal pup if you prefer) for Eggsy when she found out about him losing his pug. - Anon 💜

Loosing JB was hard on your brother and you knew that, growing up he didn’t have much that he could call his own.

You did what you could for him, and he knew that, and when he got JB it was like his whole world had gotten better.

Though he explained he couldn’t tell you what he did for work, he did tell you that’s how he came across his little pug, that unfortunately wasn’t a bulldog like he thought.

But he adored that dog to no end.

So it tore you up to see how heartbroken he was over the loss of his little best friend, and he couldn’t bare to be alone.

“Hey Eggsy?”

He looked up from your sofa and you smiled softly at him.

“I need to pick something up I’ll be back in soon, will you be alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be alright go ahead.”

You smiled and nodded, leaving the flat.

You had arranged to pick up a dog from a shelter that nobody else wanted to adopt, and you couldn’t bare to see the sweet thing without a home.

So that’s where you went.

You did some dog shopping first, then went to pick up the the grey hound.

“He’ll need go to a vets once a month, but he’s wonderful and ever so sweet.” The man said.

“He seems it, he’s so trusting.”

The greyhound sniffed your hands as he sat in front of you, tail thumping the ground a little bit.

“Just so I know, you are aware that Bolt here is deaf?”

“I am.”

The man nodded his head, handing you some paperwork to fill out.

Once you were done, you led Bolt back to your car to take him home.

He was so curious about everything, so you took him for a little walk down the street before bringing him back into your flat, taking the lead off.

“Eggsy?!”

“Yeah?”

He came in from the kitchen and stopped when he saw the brown down sniffing around the hallway.

He smiled, crouching down as he held out his hand towards Bolt.

“Well hey there, who’re you?” He asked.

“His names Bolt, he is deaf, but can respond to sign language.”

“Is he yours?”

You smiled, shaking your head a little bit as you walked over, handing him the paper work.

“He’s yours. I know you’re still hurting for JB, and until you’re ready I’ll look after him, but he needs someone who’ll love him like you would.”

At first Eggsy was reluctant to have the new dog in his life.

But soon Bolt grew on him, wherever your brother went Bolt wanted to go, he absolutely loved Eggsy, he loved being near him. He was always so happy to see him.

Eggsy didn’t want to admit it but he did grow soft on the dog, and began to take him out with him.

He was starting to get out more and become more of himself.

You knew he would still hurt over JB, but seeing your brother actually manage to sleep, Bolt laid over him, it made you feel a little at ease

[unkat]

Somewhere Down the Line (We won't be Alone)

@psiroller let me play around in their chilaios early 2000's gamer au--please check out their other drabbles which are so delicious.

Thank you Psiroller for all your help and support! <3

-

Chilchuck and Laios teleport back to spawn and make their way towards the guildhall to meet up with Senshi somewhere “more atmospheric for cooking than at spawn.” Even caring a little less about the roleplaying aspect, Chilchuck can appreciate the appeal. There is a bar and kitchen built into the guildhall, every piece of decor purchased with crystals saved from monthly subscriptions and major events. The central room also houses trophies from some of their most grueling raids, Chilchuck forever proud of the jagged black wings with an animation like embers of a fire from beating Asmodeus during the Apocalyptic event, their guild being only one of few to boast such a feat.

Senshi’s avatar is doing a dancing emote in place when they arrive, Izutsumi’s catgirl sitting in her idle AFK animation curled up on a chair. “He’s still active at least,” Laios remarks into the voicecall, the sound of his keyboard clacks echoing into Chilchuck’s headset before the message sends into the chat. 

>>LaiosTouden: Hey, @SenshiOfIzganda and @IZUTSUMI, we’ve returned from the hunt with ingredients.

Senshi continues his dance as Izutsumi’s character exits from sleep and idles instead. 

>>IZUTSUMI: Took you long enough

>>IZUTSUMI: Senshi’s looking at some yeast cultures

>>LaiosTouden: Really? I thought he didn’t have to start prep for another hour.

>>IZUTSUMI: It’s for sourdough. You use the same starter culture for every batch.

“Senshi’s talking to her about baking, huh?” Chilchuck remarks, only the sound of keyboard clacks as text appears on screen.

>>LaiosTouden: Cool, did he say how long it would be?

Message sent, Laios sighs into the mic, “Yeah, I’m surprised she’s interested she doesn’t act like she’s interested in much of anything.”

Chilchuck snorts into his mic, “You thinking of waiting around for him? I can get some wood and make a chest if you need.”

>>IZUTSUMI: Not long

“That’s okay,” Laios replies out loud, his character going into a combat flourish emote, as a counterpoint to Senshi’s dancing, “It doesn’t sound like it’ll be long. I’m volunteering tomorrow afternoon, so I can sleep in.”

Chilchuck directs his character to sit down in one of the nearby chairs. “Volunteering? I didn’t know you volunteered anywhere.”

“I do! Have for a while, actually! Before going back to school.” His chair creaks as he leans back and stretches with a grunt, “I work with a wildlife sanctuary north of the university, I think this is my third year volunteering? But now that I’m in the vet tech program, some of it counts as exposure working with animals, when I’m doing that.”

“Hmm, yeah?” Chilchuck replies, shifting into another tab to play minesweeper. “When you’re doing what?”

“When I first started, I did a lot of busy-work, like mowing the lawn, putting stuff back in the gift shop, printing pamphlets, stuff like that.” Chilchuck can hear that he has opened a drawer somewhere, probably wandering around his room. “But now I help check in new patients and feed the animals. They have wolves there, most of them hybrid wolfdogs surrendered by their owners, and I get to feed and play with them now.

Now he’s curious, and Chilchuck tabs out of his minesweeper game, letting the time tick up, as he opens internet explorer and navigates to Google, looking up “North Carolina Wildlife Sanctuary,” glancing around at the ones he sees and their proximity to where he knows Marcille works through the new maps feature. There’s very few listed, but he’s able to find only a stub labeling “Roanoke Wildlife Sanctuary and Rehabilitation” within twenty miles of a community college. He looks it up in a new window and finds that they have a webpage with a forest green background and text that doesn’t resize automatically, making him stretch the browser window to see it correctly. “You want to work with wolves when you have your degree?” he asks, scrolling down the page’s comic sans introduction to see cute pictures of animals, the gift shop, and staff.

“I would like it, but it wasn’t what I thought I would be doing, not as a career.” Laios remarks, the squeak of the chair announcing his return to the computer desk. “There’s a lot of exotic pets like reptiles and birds, it would still have a full-time clinic and not rely only on donations as much. Most of the actual vets at the sanctuary are doing it on donation or for a really reduced rate when they aren’t at their own clinics, so I’d probably be doing that too.”

Chilchuck clicks on the “Tours” tab of the page. Images of school-aged children listening to an older woman wearing the refuge’s khaki uniform while a younger man stands by holding a snake around his shoulders, resting on his arm. “Reptiles, like snakes?”

“Yeah! The refuge has a few resident snakes, some from the wild who can’t be reintroduced for health reasons, and some that were pets who we can’t introduce into the environment. There’s this one milk snake that’s really chill, kids love her. Oh, Senshi’s back.”

Laios turns back to hammering away on his keyboard as Chilchuck stays tabbed out, continuing to look at the website. “Do you ever work with kids? Or just the animals?”

Laios grunts in acknowledgment, and there are the pinging sounds of items and messages being exchanged from the other tab. “I don’t talk with people very much, but I carry the animals for visitors to take pictures with them or pet them.”

There’s a picture of that same man crouching on the ground next to a squeamish child, who is petting the scales of the snake and forcibly smiling up at the camera. There’s no way, Chilchuck decides, looking at the proud smile of the man in the photo, young and fit and handsome, someone who would never spend all his evenings playing a niche MMO optimizing his character every night.

He keeps scrolling. 

There’s the special notification of a ping, and he pops back into the Dungeon Delver’s window. Senshi sent a message, >>Thank you @LaiosTouden and @cctims for all your help getting these ingredients! I will cook these into a delicious meal, and you’re all invited to enjoy it when it is completed! Perhaps on our adventures tomorrow?

He quickly starts to reply, knocking his character out of it’s AFK animation. >>Sounds good, Let us know if there’s any other supplies you need, chef.

Senshi makes a smiling and laughing animation in response, then a thumbs up. Chilchuck types in the /wave command, giving a quick texted goodbye before logging off from the program, but not the voice call. “You like kids?”

Laios laughs, forced and awkward, “They don’t always like me. I think it depends on if they like the animals or not.”

“That’s pretty normal, for kids.” Chilchuck relaxes into his chair, “Sometimes it isn’t anything you’re doing, they got spooked by something they saw on tv, or because they’re tired and hungry.”

There is the loud typing noise from Laios’ mic as it takes him a minute to reply, “Yeah? Do you like kids?”

“Yeah, of course.” Chilchuck replies, glancing back at the minesweeper.

“You seem to know a lot about them,” Laios trails off at the end, typing furiously. Chilchuck furrows his brows, “Who are you talking to, Senshi still?”

“No, Marcille logged on. She’s asking me about some rp stuff. Trying to plan a time where we’ll both be online at the same time as Falin.”

“Oh yeah? What’s the plan?”

“Just tomorrow afternoon before the raid. It’s mostly for Falin and Marcille anyways, so I could hang out in voice call if you aren’t busy?”

“Sounds good.” Chilchuck murmurs and clicks on a square, grimacing as the yellow smiling face on the top of the screen turns to a frown and its eyes turn to X’s, a mine beneath his pointer. “You know, you can have your own rps, right? It doesn’t have to always be following your sister and her girlfriend.”

“I know,” Laios types a little more, “But I don’t mind, as long as everyone’s having fun.”

Chilchuck smiles, “That is the most important part.”

“What about you? You don’t do a lot of roleplay. Want to do something together sometime?”

“Us? What would we even do?” Chilchuck breathes a little laugh through his nose.

“Well, we do a lot of these hunts together, we can talk about that? Explore Laios and Chilchuck’s backstories a little?” His voice grows more stilted and awkward the more he talks, Chilchuck waiting for him to finish.

Chilchuck clicks to restart the level, reverting the emoticon back to its original cheerful state, “Sure, why not. We can always give it a try. They’re friends, in roleplay.”

“Yeah, it only makes sense they would hang out together too.” The chair creaks from Laios’ mic. “So, what about you? Do you like kids?”

“Yeah, I do.” He doesn’t know why he keeps talking. “I have a few of my own.”

“Oh.” Laios replies in a way that lilts upwards in the middle, like he’s surprised, judging, or. Who knows. Chilchuck jumps on it, “What, is that a surprise to you?”

“A surprise? Maybe? No? I mean, I didn’t know anything, but a lot of people have kids…”

“I don’t think any of us are like a lot of people.” Chilchuck flushes and turns back to the webpage. “I never said anything about it before.”

“But you were friends with Marcille before, and she and Senshi knew you for years.” Laios nonchalantly lays out, “And I know Marcille isn’t a college student. How many kids do you have?”

Chilchuck scrolls down the webpage to a picture of an older woman standing with the wolves. “Three, all girls.”

“All girls?” Laios sounds disbelieving.

Chilchuck grimaces, “Did I stutter? Don’t get any ideas, they’re all too young for you.”

“Oh, no I wasn’t thinking that,” Laios begins to talk more quickly, “It’s just nice to hear you talk about yourself.”

“Talk about myself? Those are my kids, not me.” Chilchuck replies, jumping to the review page. 

Laios is silent as he clicks around his PC. “Are you married?”

Chilchuck sucks in a breath through his teeth, “Separated, but it’s a mutual thing.” It isn’t quite the truth, but he’s not ready to go there. There is still a raw edge from no longer walking in the door of his house to the sound of the rest of his family getting ready for bed, a plate covered in plastic wrap waiting for him to eat in front of the TV. And the bite of unfinished paperwork, arguing through the phone with a lawyer instead of his wife, leaves him in a bad mood even now. “What about you? I’ve never heard you say anything about kids or girlfriends.”

“I don’t have either of those,” Laios replies, “I’m not really looking for a girlfriend, or having any kids.”

“Yeah, you’re in school, that’s too young to have any kids if you ask me. Good for you to focus on your education.”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to have a girlfriend, honestly.” Laios chuckles awkwardly. “Do you think the Demon’s Blade would work well with the Hellfire plate? Or would the speed boost from having the whole set and weapon be better than the increased crit chance?”

“You should be critfishing, with your build.” Chilchuck grumbles, “Attack speed is good, but consistently hitting that higher damage will be better for your comp. Toss it in Marcille’s spreadsheet and look at the damage per minute and not just the average per attack, to make sure.”

“Thanks, I’ll check it out.” 

“Now, what makes you think you’re never going to get a girlfriend?” Chilchuck teases, “There’s someone out there for everyone, I’m sure at least a few female characters have nice girls behind them, or veterinarians or something.”

Laios laughs even more awkwardly, almost scarily. “Yeah, I’m sure. It just isn’t for me.”

“What, girls?”

A moment passes in silence, and then another. Chilchuck scratches the side of his nose, thinking fast, “You know, my daughter had a girlfriend for a while, it’s not a big deal if you like guys too. Probably increases your chances of finding someone online, that’s for sure.”

Laios’ voice drops some of the fake cheerfulness that had been creeping through the last half of the conversation, and he sighs deeply before responding more authentically. “That would be nice.”

“So, no boyfriend either?”

“Nope, I have been focused on school and the sanctuary more, when I’m not gaming.”

“About that,” Chilchuck probes, clicking back to the outreach page, “Are you okay with telling me where it is?”

“What, where I work? Sure! They actually have a youtube channel, it’s a video platform. I can send you the link.”

That’s more than Chilchuck could have dreamed of. “Sure, let’s see it.”

The whoosh of a new chat message rattles through his headphones and he clicks on the link, finding it leading to a channel with the same Roanoke name as the webpage he had found earlier. There’s only three videos uploaded, a seven minute introduction video, and two with different animals in the thumbnail. He clicks on the introduction, halfheartedly watching the video recorded from a digital camera with a voiceover so much louder than the rest of the audio that it was distracting. “This is pretty official, having videos and a website.”

“I think it’s good, for educational purposes.” Laios’ chair creaks again, “I keep getting questions about pet snakes, so I thought it would be a good idea to have just some basics of snake care, and I know my boss is working on a wolf video soon.”

Immediately Chilchuck exits the introduction, mid-pan over the gift shop, and clicks on one of the other animal videos. A teal introduction frame with words in white font reading “Eastern Milk Snake” stays on screen for just a moment too long before fading into a video of the guy who was only a still image before. He opens his mouth and Chilchuck feels his stomach drop out, “Hi, uh, my name is Larry and I am a volunteer with the Roanoke Wildlife Sanctuary and Rehabilitation, and this is one of our residents, Mimi the milk snake!”

He continues to watch as Laios talks about snake care, the awkwardness fading as he gets more focused on describing Mimi’s diet and care. He’s hot. And he’s gay. Chilchuck had never felt uncomfortable with the idea of not being straight, he grew up watching pride parades and getting into fistfights when homophobes got too bold with his friends in high school, but he was dating his girlfriend, who then became his wife, and never questioned anything about himself seriously.

What is he thinking? Chilchuck settles back to watch, listening to Laios talk in one ear about Marcille’s spreadsheet and snake enclosures in the other. Laios is in school, barely older than his own kids. Besides, just because they spend time together and he fits the demographics of what Laios (or Larry?) says he likes doesn’t mean Laios is attracted to him. He’s not going to make that mistake of assuming every gay guy wants to fuck him.

“--But, it’s possible that paired with the Star’s Knight shield, I would have the increased defense without sacrificing speed.”

Chilchuck blinks, tuning back in, “Mhm, you aren’t a tank but you get hit sometimes.”

“That’s what I was thinking too. I think I can tailor the build depending on how much defense I need to survive being targeted between heal refreshes.”

“It’s a good plan, maybe you could get Marcille or your sister to make a spreadsheet for boss damage and healers.”

“Maybe, once they’re done with finals, we’ve definitely almost wiped from people forgetting that they couldn’t take one more hit.” Laios pauses. “Did you watch anything?”

“Not yet,” Chilchuck lies, “I’ll take a look after the call, it’s hard to listen to you and a video at the same time.”

”Okay! Let me know which ones you watch! It counts as community engagement.”

“Of course,” Chilchuck smiles against his better judgment. “You have any homework left? I remember you complaining about that essay-“

“-the one about legal issues with pet ownership, yeah.” He sighs. “I looked up some stuff. I get why they want us to do it, but it’s hard to read. I have tomorrow to work on it.”

Chilchuck is already scrolling through a page on the exotic pet market. “Come on, there’s nothing at least a little interesting about it.”

“It’s not that it isn’t interesting, honestly,” Laios comments ruefully, “It’s less fun thinking about how everything can go badly instead of making things better. But, I need to get six “writing course” credits and three for philosophy and ethics. Maybe I should have done creative writing and then taken a separate class for the philosophy and ethics stuff.”

“Maybe, but once you’ve finished this class, you don’t have to worry about it again, that seems nice.”

“Yeah,” Laios laughs, and it is sweet and addicting, making Chilchuck not want to do what he’s about to do next. 

“You should take a look into it. I have to go pick up some groceries.” Yeah, some beer and cigarettes from the gas station, and a highly processed snack for tomorrow at work. “Maybe you can tell me about it, later?”

“Are you trying to talk me into doing my essay?” Laios asks, almost incredulous.

Chilchuck leans back in his chair, “Depends on if it’s working.” There is a flirtatious pause that Chilchuck quickly fills with gruff excuses, “I do want to hear what you find, it sounds neat. And, it’s not as late for me as it is for you, so…”

They never hang out without discussing Dungeon Delver quests and goals first, so the offer is definitely not normal. Honestly, Chilchuck doesn’t even care that much about pet ownership, but he does care about Laios. The other man seems to be aware of the abnormality of this conversation, the promise of Chilchuck’s company, a potent carrot on a stick, more than Chilchuck realizes.

“It’s working. Yeah. Uhm, do you want me to message you in a few hours?” Laios asks, cautiously.

“Sure, that works with me.”

“Okay.”

“Yep.”

Neither of them hang up, even when the signs are all pointing to the end of the conversation.

“Okay, talk to you soon, Chil,” Laios replies, breathing into his mic again, “Good luck with the shopping.”

“Hahaha, it’ll all be fine, Laios.” Chilchuck replies, mouse hovering over the disconnect button on his screen, “See you.”

He clicks.

—--Mature content (BDSM, long distance relationship, daddy kink)

They’ve only put a label on what they share a couple of months ago, but it hadn’t been a secret how much time and attention they gave each other since meeting last year. 

What may have been more secret was how much deeper their relationship had gone beyond chaste in-game roleplay. How long they had danced right up to the edge of admitting their feelings, and then jerked off in private. How they frequently left the group teamspeak channels just to hop onto a private skype call. How willing they both were to make new characters that quickly devolved into avatars for their emotional and physical desires, before finally questioning the nature of their relationship.

When the episode ends, Laios is too busy touching himself to start another one. Chilchuck grins, the sounds piped into his ears have the shaky hisses from each too fast exhale whistling past the mic, while soft whines and hitches in his breath sound more muffled. Chilchuck traces his fingertips around the underside of his own cock, wanting this to last. "Are you hiding, pup?" He teases, letting his voice stay low, as the breathiness in his relaxed tone makes Laios whine nasally. "C'mon, I want to hear you, baby. Do you feel good?"

"Mhm," Laios doesn’t even open his mouth to reply, the response high-pitched and strained.

Chilchuck looks at the clock. They’ve spent ten minutes on this edge alone, the sweet torment starting at the beginning of the night, when Laios was still expecting just to rewatch his favorite show with Chilchuck. He takes on a firmer tone, "Louder, kid, full sentences."

Laios whines out loud, gasping for air; Chilchuck wraps his fingers around his cock in response, waiting.

"Y-yeah, daddy, I feel good." His voice is haggard and wet. "Please, Chil."

Chilchuck feels a pang of arousal shoot down to his groin. "Please what Laios?"

His partner on the other end of the line makes a frustrated growl as he struggles for words, "Please, touch me sir," and the next time he whines, it is open-mouthed, not competing as much with the breaths into the mic to be heard. "I need it."

As Laios struggles, Chilchuck begins to stroke himself at earnest again, "I know you do baby. Hands off."

There is a growl that falls into a hiss that grates through his headphones in the best way, and Chilchuck can't hold back a low laugh, the growl turning back to a pleading whine in response. Chilchuck's head feels fuzzy and heart aching. "You know what i'd do if I were there, puppy?"

Laios makes a bewildered whine, moments of silence passing before he replies, "...not touch me?"

There’s a bead of precum that Chilchuck swipes at with his thumb, adding to the slick slide of his hand against his cock. "Nah, I'd touch you, but you'd have to help me." He pauses to moan, putting on an easy show, "I'd make you spit on your own dick, so I wouldn't have to stop and get more lube."

Laios inhales sharply. Chilchuck presses, "Can you do that for me, baby boy?"

The mic is pushed away, Chilchuck holds his breath, receiving a shaking "Yessir," when Laios brings the mouthpiece back towards his lips. Chilchuck inhales and strokes faster, "You can touch yourself again, rub your palm against the head once it’s nice and slick, pretend it's me."

There is the squeak of the computer chair as Laios audibly jerks in his chair at the touch. Chilchuck shuts his eyes, imagining him fighting not to thrust into his own palm, teasing himself even more than usual, because that's what his daddy would want, nearly out of his mind with it. He wants to touch and look and tease so badly it hurts. "Good, good boy, so good for me."

Laios is whimpering into his ear, the sound so sexy that Chilchuck has to slow down before he blows his load early, "Good for you, please daddy, I'm so close-" he cuts himself off with a shuddering breath.

Chilchuck stretches in his seat as he speeds back up. "You gonna come for me?"

"Can I?" He's pleading.

But Chilchuck is still having fun, the clock not quite hitting ten. "I don't know, can you?"

"...May I come? Daddy."

"Hold it, give me one more minute. Stroke yourself."

The whines and words blend together in a continuous groan as Laios obeys. Chilchuck peeks at the arms on the clock as the second hand ticks down. "Thirty seconds left, pup. Are you close?"

"YES!" Laios cries out, exasperation seeping through the tears pricking his eyes.

"Good." Chilchuck glances at the clock again. "Ten. Nine...." He speeds up his own strokes, aiming to meet Laios at the end, "...Five. Four. Three."

He pauses, just to hear the growl forcing itself between clenched teeth from Laios’ side of the call, "Alright, pup, Two. One. Come for me."

He fucks his own fist to completion listening to Laios' ecstasy.

After they've already disconnected for the night, Chilchuck hears the ping of a new message, only a heart with a .jpg file attached. He jumps on the keyboard, You had better be studying or sleeping in this, it's past one am kid, getting no response. His ears burn as he renames and saves the fuzzy picture of a flushed torso, one hand smearing cum into its abs above a dick softening against its thigh, to a file within a file, Laios forgiven and forgotten (as always).

[homeofhousechickens]

Do you have any ideas as to why a 1-year old hen would just…stop laying eggs? My Easter Egger, Plum, laid eggs normally her first summer/fall, then stopped laying over her first winter and just never started again. Since she’s my only blue-egg layer there’s no way I’d mix her eggs up with my other hens’ eggs. And they don’t free-range anymore so she’s not laying them in the woods or something. She looks and acts healthy and normal, so I haven’t consulted a vet. And I’m fine just keeping her as a pet even if she doesn’t lay, she’s a cute little bird and is closely bonded to one of my faverolles so she’s got a forever home here even if she never lays again. I’m just curious, if you know of any health conditions that might cause a hen to stop laying permanently. Thanks!

She looks nice and red in the face so I'm surprised she isn't laying.

Is it possible her eggs were a very light colored egg when she began laying? As hens get older they actually tend to stop putting as much pigment on their eggs so its possible she now lays a cream or white colored egg despite genetically laying a blue or green. She could also be an egg eater. A good way to see is to put a lot of food coloring or livestock chalk on her vent, if she lays an egg you will know, and if she eats that eggs the food coloring will show up on her face.

If she doesn't have a heavy parasite load it's possibly the feed doesn't have the right balance for her.

Stress and lack of light can also stop egg laying. If she is stressed out in the coop or a hanging out in a shaded part of the run that can negatively affect her egg laying.

Some hens are also "early molters" pick your hen up and see if she has ANY pin feathers on her body especially on her neck area. If she does I bet she is just a bad molter and will begin laying again in the spring. In production flocks these are hens who get culled first in their first year because they take a very long time to get production ready again. I'm talking 5-6+ months before they start laying again. (I personally think it might be this)

Another thing to consider, she might have Mareks since I believe you had a positive bird in your flock once. Mareks can negatively affect egg laying even if the hen is healthy otherwise. This doesn't necessarily mean she is sick or has tumors its just the virus is affecting her body in a way that prevents egg laying.

Hopefully this points you in a direction that is helpful in finding out why she has poor production. She is a bird that is known for high production so its a good thing to be questioning why she isn't.

[unbecomingsposting]

When did you start shipping so'hara and what made you want to write them? I know for a while in the beginning I would see people say they were too much alike to ship, they're basically the same person, it's too weird, etc.

Anyway, somewhere along the lines, that opinion pretty much shifted the other direction, though I can't really pinpoint when, and was just curious about how it started for you. Sorry if this made no sense. It’s late and I have many thoughts. Thanks for answering (or if not, that's okay, too)

oh man, idk. 2019, probably? i was in this fandom from like 2012-2015ish and then left and came back in 2019 i think lol, and the friend that got me back into soccer actually was like “hey, there are two girls on the NT competing for the 10 spot who should be rivals and are obsessed with each other which seems like your thing” so actually rose/lindsey was my first ship

BUT i had been all over kelley in my first go around in this fandom, wrote a lot of o’solo back before hope was known to everyone as an irredeemable piece of garbage (rip that ship) and read my fair share of kelley/alex so it was probably pretty quick? looking at my ao3 history and my old blog i think it was essentially asap

i don’t remember ever thinking it would be weird to ship them bc of their similarities but i also don’t really think they’re as identical as people like to say. it’s more, to me, that they have enough in common that it’s actually always been very easy to ship for a couple reasons:

- they’re from very similar places (suburbs on either side of atlanta) so something about them is familiar to each other even before they really know each other

- the way that sonnett was kind of the comic relief when she first came to the team almost exactly mirrors kelley when she was a rookie on the team, which i think a lot of current fandom actually doesn’t know…but the whole point of o’solo was the goofy rookie softening the grizzled vet dynamic

- outside of those things really what is super similar about them? not much except that they’re both super intense. kelley is and always has been a very vulnerable emotional presence and worn her heart on her sleeve whereas you have to pry genuine public sentiment out of sonnett with industrial tools, kelley is super into reading nonfiction and like educating herself and Getting Better Constantly and sonnett’s intensity is on-field only. it’s more that they’re so complimentary of each other: sonnett makes her slow down, kelley makes her feel like she can be honest about her feelings, and then the whole thing with the mild age gap rookie/vet thing and them playing the same position for years before sonnett was seen on the NT as anything but an outside back and you get, in my eyes, one of the most perfect ships i’ve encountered in any fandom

[exielimon]

Guess who said was not a writer and proceeded to write another thing?? that’s right, me. So, this is-

Forest song

————————————

The night was chill and the air felt cozy, I was with the chain sitting around the fire and telling curious facts about ourselves.

“Seriously? call Epona, with grass??” The vet deadpanned to the sentence Twilight had said.

“If we were in my Hyrule I could show ya!” Twilight defends while Epona, behind him, flicks her ears at the mention of her name.

“Does it have to do with that instrument you hang around your neck?” Wind asks curiously, slightly looking up from the second bowl of soup he has taken tonight.

“Yeah, kinda”

“You can actually call her by many methods, I, for example, could play the same song with an ocarina” Time proudly states.

“Still, grass is not exactly what is expected to be included in the ‘many methods’ of calling a horse” I defend Twilight’s curious fact about himself.

“I can get the notes on a recorder. Play the song and I’ll repeat it” The traveller says suddenly taking out a wooden recorder flute from his way-larger-inside-than-it-looks-outside pocket.

“Oh- no, I can’t do that, that’ll alert m’ girl, and she’s so relaxed right now, I don’ wanna wake ‘er up” Twilight says glancing over his shoulder to Epona, peacefully resting against a tree.

“Awh, kinda wanted to learn the song” The traveller pouts, lowering the recorder and putting it aside to take another sip of his soup.

I look at the wooden object and something passes through my mind; a memory of myself playing Zelda’s Lullaby with a beige recorder flute a few weeks before getting tossed in this adventure with these nine heroes. What were the notes again? Fa, La, Mi… Fa, La, Mi… oh yeah, I remember the melody, I remember song of storms and song of healing too… damn I miss my flute… wait… “Hey, ‘Rules, do you mind if I try your flute??”

“hm? You know how to play it?” He passes it over to me and the rest of the group’s eyes land on me, which I don’t realize, for I’m too focused in my excitement, it’s been a while since I played my instruments…

I take the instrument up near my lips and stop to think what I was about to play, I know quite a bunch of songs, what can be good for this occasion?

.

..

…

The air whispers and makes the leaves dance above my head, there is a faint mist that swirls and hums a melody that is not comprehensible yet not less calming… reminds me of…

Lost woods.

So that’s What I start playing. Saria’s song; the melody that can be heard in the misty forest Time grew up in, the song that the skull kid played when Twilight arrived to get the Master Sword during his journey.

My fingers move, making different melodic sounds with ease as I close my eyes and feel like I’m back home, annoying my mother with the same song time and time again. Once I finish the song I open my eyes and chuckle at the memory.

“How do you know that song?”

I flinch at the sudden Time’s firm, deep voice, that one that people use when they’re confused and will end up in a negative reaction.

I let out a quite nervous chuckle and begin “Uh- well… history says an old hero used to play that song when he missed a certain person��� it’s said that one can still go to Lost Woods and will hear the soft notes of an ocarina playing that song, along with a childish laughter, in certain place… I don’t know which, though…” That was the longest lie I’ve ever made up.

Damn I wish I could tell them the truth, but the idea of them starting to question their existence for being just game characters for me… yeah, I wouldn’t like that reaction.

Time smiles softly and lets out a calming huff through his nose —Dad Time was tense, glad he relaxed— “A good friend wrote it… along my fist journey, I could play it and I would feel like i could hear her voice…”

“Oh… that why is called ‘Saria’s song’?” time to play dumb.

“…Yes.” His face is not one hurt, nor of loss… but nostalgic. Ouch, sorry.

“Wait- a skull kid played it whenever I entered the sacred grove that guarded the master sword,” Twilight started “that lil’ brat attacked me with marionettes”

“Wait wait wait- a skull kid played it?? THAT skull kid is still alive in your era?!” Time exclaimed… the others are missing the way a faint smile is twitching on his lips…

“YOU KNOW HIM?!”

[doyelikehaggis]

hii it's me again !

001 with Scydia for the ask game ? I'm quite curious 🥰

heeeey!! happy to see you again!! <3 (I feel like I've answered for them before when I last did this, but I'm gonna do it again anyway because them <3)

When I started shipping it if I did: I think I said my second rewatch last time but I don't think that's true, I think it was actually my fourth or fifth rewatch because I was definitely hung up on sciles the first three times lol (and I still am) but scydia started creeping around the fourth time, sometime in like late 2018. I'm not sure which scene did it for me, but I just remember rewatching the scene from s1 in coach's office and being like... 'damn, kinda hot actually' and then there was the DEVOTION. The scene in s4 when they were both hooked up to be electrocuted. The scene when Scott said, 'you get me the time and I'll do something' and the hand holding.

My thoughts: They genuinely would have made sense in canon. Maybe I just have shipper goggles, but their parallels in canon made them so thematically compatable. I do feel some conflict when I think about them, purely because it feels like a betrayal to Stiles, but if my scydia au's he's usually happy with Malia, so he doesn't mind.

What makes me happy about them: So many of their scenes, but I'm honestly just happy they both made it out alive. I still haven't watched the movie, but I like to imagine that maybe they got together post-canon <3 (if I can't have sciles, I WILL have scydia). I also just love how much they always trusted each other once they were both tangled up in the supernatural. AND specifically the first time Lydia screamed in s2, and Scott just went all big-eyed and muttered, "Lydia"

What makes me sad about them: Probably the fact that they would never have been given a fair chance in canon, despite them being an obvious match. Again, maybe it's my shipper goggles, but it genuinely surprised me that they never went back there after s1, especially in s6 when I felt it would have made the most sense. But it was obvious which ships the writers favoured (or just one in particular) and so they were never going to be given a chance.

Things done in fanfic that annoys me: I admittedly haven't read a ton of scydia fics, so I'm not even sure what would annoy me

Things I look for in fanfic: Again, I haven't read many and I'm not sure what I would look for. Although, I am super interested in AU's where Scott gets taken by the ghost riders, and I feel that there's a great opportunity for scydia there, so...

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: For Scott, it would be Stiles <3 (I'd also accept McTateinski) But also just about anyone, especially Kira and Isaac who both deserved to come back! As for Lydia, I think again I'd be happy with just about anyone with one exception. They are both incredibly shippable characters

My happily ever after for them: Scott is obviously a vet, and Lydia is running her own business but she decides to go into teaching as well because she's Lydia, you know? And they get engaged while visiting Lydia's relatives in Ireland and they basically become foster parents for supernatural kids with nowhere to go. (Maybe they also end up with their own werewolf-banshee hybrid...) And of course they visit their friends and families regularly, because everyone is happy in my mind <3

Who is the big spoon/little spoon: It's usually Scott = big spoon, Lydia = little spoon

What is their favorite non-sexual activity: They sometimes read together, it's nice and peaceful. They also enjoy watching TV together - Lydia loves those mindless reality shows, and Scott doesn't entiely get it but also he gets sucked into them and more invested than her at times. And I wholeheartedly believe they are a board game couple. They love a good competitive game of Monopoloy or cluedo but they usually only pull the board games out when they have friends over (it gets messy every single time)

Send me a ship/character(s)!

[meteor752]

Curious of what a modern au with the kids would look like…

Oh Anon don’t make me go there

(I am going there)

Not making designs for them (at the moment >:)) but I will give you some headcanons

Liana

Home girl is on her way to take over the fucking world

Comes from an extremely confusing home life, with her dads splitting up and getting together over and over again, both of them having had other partners during the breakup periods that never really last

In the present she has two dads and an additional step dad. She doesn’t like him that much, but her dads relationship seem more stable with him so she bears with it

Liana lost her leg just as she did in canon, due to frostbite. She got lost in the woods during winter for almost a week, and lost one of her shoes in a hole. She likes to dramatize the story though, to seem cooler

Started her own company at eighteen, and it grew into a multimillion corporation after only two years

She dabbles in a lot of things with her company, everything from movie production to train travel, tech to food items, theme parks to merch, and everything in between. Liana doesn’t calm down until she has control over every major industry in the world

Evil capitalist? Yes but consider this: Sexy evil capitalist lesbian. It makes up for it

She does own a lot of charities too, the majority of which being somewhat bird related, like the preservation of endangered birds, or rehabilitation of birds that have been abused by their owners. She likes birds

Still married to Jassy, her childhood best friend. She spoils her wife absolutely rotten (mostly with anime merch and manga’s), and would give up her entire company for her

Buuuuuut, Jassy hasn’t asked that of her yet, so Double Co. will keep on growing

Wes

Even without the imp genes, he’s still a big fricking boy

I mentioned multiple times that BDubs and Impulse were a bit like beauty pageant moms with Wes. Well…yeah

BDubs and Impulse wasn’t full beauty pageant moms (like those fuckers who like, perform surgeries on their four year olds so they will have fuller lips and shit), but beauty pageants was a huge part of my boy’s childhood, which wasn’t the best thing since he hates the spotlight and when people have their eyes on him. His dads would have stopped signing him up for them if he asked, but he was too nervous to do so, so yeah

But hey, at least my man can play the cello like a champ as an adult, since that was his talent.

He’s studying geology because rocks are cool :)

As an adult is relationship with his dads is…a bit strained, but he’s working through it in therapy

Engaged to his fiancé Jekiv, and has been so for many years now. Both of them are still studying, and even though his best friend (and stepsister’s) rich af wife has offered to handle the budget for the wedding, they want to wait until they can afford it themselves

Still has OCD and a lot of Anxiety, but now there’s at least medicine!

Gertrude

Golden retriever personified

She works out everyday just so she can lift and hug every dog she meets

One of her dads cheated on her other dad when she was little, so she grew up in separate homes. It was alright though, Big B would always bake with her and take her to the dog park, while Ren would tell fantastical stories and play as much dress up as she wanted

So yeah, Gertrude is actually pretty aight in this universe

I imagine Renchanting is some shop her dad owns, maybe either like a bisexual crystal shop or like a costume place, but she probably works part time there

Volunteers at a lot of dog rescue shelters, and has adopted many of them

Is studying to become a vet, but is also practicing writing on the side. She wants to write children’s fantasy novels, about princesses and magic

Is dating Novo, and has been waiting for him to propose for almost six years. She gonna keep on waiting

Johnny

Man is half British half Arizonan, still somehow speaks with a country accent. Only god knows where he got it from, and I don’t even think he does

Apart from more humane features, nothing about Johnny changes. Still an Aromantic icon, still a sweetie, still a rancher at heart, and he can still absolutely shred it on the Banjo

Suffers from mild anemia and asthma. He sometimes struggles to keep up with his friends, especially when they were children, but he always found ways to keep their pace, even if that means he sometimes had to be carried

He absolutely has one of those trucks that he treats as his baby. He’s worked on it for years, he has a name for it (It’s Butternut), he will cry if it’s even slightly scratched, it’s his child and he loves it very much.

Gertrude probably taught him some mechanics to take care of Butternut

Dreams of one day owning a ranch, but that’s a bit away

He probably volunteers and helps out at a lot of stables and riding schools, wrangling horses and whatnot. He’s got a natural talent, what can I say?

Jassy

She still styles her hair in all of those ridiculous anime styles, but now it takes a considerable amount of more hairspray and time

The way she bonded with her dads as a kid was through their favorite medias, so with Etho they would always talk Naruto and anime while with Joel she would always talk Shrek and Harry Potter

Has taken Ninjitsu and parkour classes since she learned how to walk

The only dyed part of her hair is the green streak. She has incredibly pale blonde hair

Married to one of the most successful entrepreneurs ever, and she pulled that bitch by being a fucking weeb

Is extremely into Cosplay, and has a Naruto OC that is Kakashi’s super cool powerful daughter

Has a job in a book store, mostly because she enjoys having something to do during the days. Is a bad employe tho, spends most of the time reading manga or mystery novels

Collects knives and daggers as a hobby because she’s just that bitch

Jekiv

Imagining Jekiv as not a Zombie is actually very difficult

In canon Martyn just kinda dipped, but imma say he stuck around here, so yeah Jekiv grew up with both of his parents. Separated of course, but they were both present

Still, he’s got a lot better relationship with his mom than his dad. They’re more alike

Suffers from Hyperthyroidism, which is the reason behind his skinny figure, his patchy hair, his weak muscles, and his bulging eyes. He’s had it since he was a tween, and he tries to not let it bother him

He gets sunburnt really easily so he rarely goes outside when the sun is shining. He’s pale af

Is studying forensic pathology, and works part time at a morgue. He’s always had a weird fascination with dead bodies, but hey at least he isn’t a serial killer

Would absolutely be a serial killer if he had the skills and strength to do so

Owns over twenty breeds of frog, two of which is poisonous

Has a resting bitch face, but he also is just a straight up bitch sometimes

Novo

Mans still a lil freak

Has Stahl’s ear syndrome and thinks it’s cool as fuck. Usually has his hair tied up to show it off

Bleaches and dyes his hair a new color every month. His hair is permanently damaged because of it, but he’s mostly fine with it

While his parents are on non speaking terms, they’re a lot more healthy than in canon. Novo is well raised and loved, he’s just Like That

Has a freakish resistance to the cold, like, Canadian level resistance, so mans will just lay in in a t-shirt and skirt in the snow while taking a nap

Picks up a new instrument every few weeks. He can’t play any of them, but he likes to find ways to annoy his friends with them

Is studying law, actually. He may not look or act it, but he’s freakishly smart, and he wants to become a prosecutor

Is dating Gertrude, and has been waiting for her to propose for almost six years. He’s gonna keep on waiting

[bengiyo]

La Pluie Ep 7 Stray Thoughts

Last week, I got all of my life from Patts and Tai almost having their first time on the floor, and all the implications of that. Patts learned about Tai's parents' proposal, and so organized his work trip to give them the opportunity to learn more about themselves. Independently, Tien and Lomfon decided to tag along on this volunteer trip to make their documentary for their class. Bow came along so Tai can write about the trip, and to make sure he progresses with his soulmate. Now, all of the characters are in one location, and I will get to see Patts show disdain for Lomfon.

Lomfon is always just so rude. What is his deal?

Tien is so excited about all of this. Poor Patts is consistently surprised by the enthusiasm from everyone in Tai's life.

Patts is so funny. He absolutely needed Tai to know he's still on from their last meetup. My man has waited a month for this!

I'm so invested in this beef between Now and Kung. Instant dislike always amuses me.

Now I'm curious how (presumably) Tai saved Lomfon's life.

Glad Patts and Tien aren't dumb. They see the way Lomfon is looking at Tai.

Lines are being drawn! I'm ready for Tien to start plotting Lomfon's murder.

Tien told Lomfon, "I'm the third son. You gonna find out what that means. I keep a ready clip."

I'm with Bow. They're taking all day on these damn dishes.

I love Bow. I'm glad she put everything on the table for Tai. He's been dodging the Lomfon question for a bit now, and I need to know what Tai intends to do. This is probably his first experience with attraction, and I don't think he has the experience to proceed with purpose.

I wonder at Lomfon and his experience with hearing loss.

Being a bunch of city kids, I bet the night sky would be stunning for them.

Okay, I will never shut up ever again. You could see that Tai was uncertain going into that makeout, but once again Patts was willing to stop for him. What intrigues me is that Tai decided on his own to offer to blow Patts. I can't remember another time we've been here in BL or queer cinema where the characters were in a developmental stage and one was willing to perform but not receive.

Now I'm wondering how much of a virgin Tai actually is.

Oh shit. Nara is here. Actually excited to see Tai accidentally befriend Patts' ex.

I love Bow so much.

Tai and Tien feel like brothers every time they interact. I like that Copter keeps acting in the background.

Goddammit. The vets tried to prevent this, but the drama requires Tai to see Nara pulling Patts into a kiss that he doesn't want to have.

Dramatic running up the mountain next week to wish the soulmate away!

I'm so glad I wrote my post about the overt sexuality of this show last week! I feel so righteous about that blowjob right now! Tai crossed a line with Patts and now feels like a fool! This is so exciting!

[pigeon-behavior]

Hello! Homeofhousechickens sent me. Apparently pet pigeons eventually go through a sort of puberty, do you have some insight about that? around what age and how long it lasts, what to look for to know it's begun and when it's over? how much handling/training should be done during that time, if at all? Thanks!

Hey!

This is true, pigeons do go through a pretty significant hormonal shift sometime during their first year of life, and when this is and how long it takes can vary by individual, as everything does with pigeons.

But most pigeons tend to go through puberty somewhere between 2 to 8 months of age. It typically presents by someone noticing abruptly that their previously curious and friendly young bird wants NOTHING to do with them. It can leave them wondering what they've done wrong, and if there's anything they can do.

In reality, I actually very much doubt the internal process is so abrupt. Having seen puberty first hand at least 6 times by now and been in contact with many people who shared their experiences, I think puberty is about a 3 month long process, and we generally completely miss the on-ramp that lasts about a month and a half.

During the worst of puberty, which is typically about a month, it's very common for the pigeon to be sullen and anti-social, to spend a lot of time at windows and not by your side, and to seem a bit unfamiliar. They also can be more easily frightened, and often can be very angry.

You know that puberty is on its way out the door when your pigeon starts to gravitate back into your orbit, more and more often. They will become more interested in you and your activities again. You will feel your connection reform to them. One day, it will seem strange that they were ever acting like that.

My personal experience with pigeon puberty has given me the opinion that they should essentially be left alone during this phase. Handling and training should be put on pause except where absolutely necessary (like if they won't get back in the cage or to go to the vet, etc). I overhandled my first pair during their puberty and they never quite recovered in regards to their relationship with hands. They have forgiven me but not forgotten. I think it's highly likely that I might be able to pet the hen if I hadn't made this error when she was in such a crucial phase, but I didn't know any better at the time.

I also want to say that it's normal to feel discouraged and upset during puberty. It is very hard not to take personally, even if you know it is coming! Just remember that it will end. The best thing you can do in the meantime is just to make yourself available to your pigeon in case they want to hang out. Do something in the same room, see if today is a social one! Try not to take it personally if it isn't.

And, if you're very lucky, you may not really notice puberty at all. Some people's pigeons seem to just waltz through without much change in behavior at all. They just are the minority, so it's best to be prepared.

Thanks for the tag @homeofhousechickens !

If you enjoy my posts, please consider tipping me on ko-fi!

[setagaya-division]

Elliot's Thoughts on Third Members

Saburo Yamada

"I'm a bit surprised someone as smart as Saburo-kun isn't already in high school. Don't tell him I said this, but I think he and Yorii should switch places considering Saburo-kun is as smart and mature as my younger brother. ...Although, considering Saburo-kun doesn't bother with anyone who isn't Ichiro-san, perhaps I shouldn't say that. It's a shame cause I'd really like to converse more with him. But I don't think he'd give me the time of day."

Rio Mason Busujima

"I'll admit, I never thought I'd actually make an acquaintanceship with a member of the Yokohama division team. Honestly, I tried to avoid Yokohama because of them, but I, unfortunately, had to go there when my boss at the vet asked if I could spare some time to go there and work. Since I've never been there, I got turned around and somehow ended up in the woodlands. That's where I met Rio-san. I admit, seeing a man dressed up in an army uniform was something I hadn't expected to see."

"I was afraid he was going to do something, but he was strangely nice. I told him of where I was going and he showed me where the vet center was. Later, I went back to his... campsite and thanked him for his help. Lately, I've been going there because I've been curious how the army heals wounds and treats animals that have been hurt. A lot of what he's explained to me has been very interesting, and I've learned a lot."

"Rio-san even made me some of his... food. I'll admit, it looked a little... unappetizing, but it tasted pretty good. I brought some home once and planned to take it for lunch the next day. However, Yorii threw it all out the night before because he didn't like how he looked! I was so upset! I didn't speak to him for the rest of the day because of that. And the bad thing is, he didn't even care! I'm not sad that Mina got on him for that."

Dice Arisugawa

"I... I don't really care for Dice-kun that much. I mean, I loaned him some money out of sympathy once when he was here in the city, but I later found out that he's a notorious gambler who begs people for money and then gambles it all away. ...Truthfully, it's only because of... K-K-Kureha-chan that I say 'hi' to him when we meet. ...Speaking of which, I may be wrong about this, but... I can't help but feel that she and Dice-kun know each other..."

Doppo Kannonzaka

"Yorii can be a real jerk at times! He said that if I didn't start standing up to my bullies more, I was going to wind up just like Doppo-san! ...Which, in my opinion, isn't really such a bad thing. I actually admire Doppo-san. I know life is hard for him considering people use and abuse him all the time. I can relate to him a lot. Some days, I wonder why I get out of bed to begin with. I guess its only because of my siblings and the few friends I have that give me the strength to push forward. I wonder if Doppo-san is the same way..."

Rei Ayamado

"...I don't know this guy, but... I can't help but feel like I've seen him before. I know I'm not being paranoid, because Mina-oneesan and Yorii feel the same way. I don't like this feeling, and I don't like this man. I get bad vibes from him..."

Hitoya Amaguni

"I've never met him, but I admire Amaguni-san. Jyushi-kun stated that it was him who saved him when bullies tormented him and caused his grandmother's death. He took on his case pro bono, and won it, sending his bullies to jail. I've thought about going to him, but my siblings have told me not to, but for different reasons. Yorii states that would be too much like running to someone else to deal with my problems, and Mina-oneesan says that whenever I'm in trouble, just come to her. I'm grateful for them both, but... I don't know. It's good to know I have someone else to go to in case things get hard."

[conjured-osteon]

Hiatus

{-Kicks rocks an mumble grumbles- I SWEAR this account was fully intended to have more activity but I'll be going on a Hiatus till further notice. If curious, I've added more under the cut but to keep it short'n'simple; Rough start to the year that only continued hasn't helped my creativity an instead stressed me out. (Triggers in the Tags, just in case.)}

{Starting this explanation on a softer note, I find myself having a hard time focusing on my lovely characters an this blog. Not to say I'm intending to get rid of it! But when you get nervous trying to reach out to others or don't get responded to it can be a bit disheartening an I never know what to do as a plan B. (Plus I know we all have lives outside of this. I'm just an unfortunately nervous person an sometimes the Logical Thinking gets bopped by the What If's) But I also have Bouncing Interests so at times my drive will go from full throttle to Zero without any warning because something else has gripped me like a vice.

I have been desperately wanting to work on the blog but as mentioned above, lack of interaction kills the motivation an leaves it kinda stressful cause I dunno what I can do to do better, especially when not wanting to be a pester or bother anyone. Otherwise I HAVE met some wonderful people who are a delight to chat/plot with and I am so, so, so sorry I've been inactive the past month :'D I take responsibility for that radio silence of mine.

And onto rougher notes... New Years Eve I had to say goodbye to my childhood dog. She lived a good, long life an it's still upsetting not seeing her around after nearly 15 years. Holidays already grate me so the addition only made it worse and then some other details surrounding it just, made it especially bitter for me. I've suffered depressing/anxiety fueling dreams involving her almost every night since. Following as a few days ago; one of my cats passed away. Another example of old age but losing a pet never comes any easier over the years.

Around December is when my mental state really started taking a nosedive, one I thought was going to be a temporary thing seeing as I was working odd hours for events from my usual shifts, not resting or eating properly Truth be told I'm bad at that in general bUT, grieving over the approaching vet visit on top of other stressors that came during the Holiday season. A part of the mindset I was thinking it would pass was due to the fact I don't register things that have happened/are happening immediately, an so I just guessed I was having one of my delayed responses from other things and handling present stress... Cept, it continued on in waves for several weeks in comparison to a day or two. Aaaand earlier today while I was working, I got so stuck in my own head, so tightly wound up by meaningless thoughts, arguments with not purpose and physically over stimulated into self directed aggression by getting MF'in' hiccups that I ended up reaching out to a Cr!s!s Hotline when I found I couldn't even make myself contact friends/family. My strongest Rational and Logical Thought was I needed to talk to someone before my predicament made itself truly hazardous. Immediately after, I called my partner so he'd be aware. I'm doing better at the current moment, quite chilled out actually an I fully intend to bring this all up with my Therapist this week.

I hate worrying others and I falter to express what's going on due to the always hovering thought of I'm just looking for attention, or I'll be ruining another person's day because I'm being a child. Something I've struggled with for a long time that I'm hoping-- Trying, very hard to work through.

Soooo yeah- I guess this is me saying I need to step back for my mental health. I'm still so bummed out by having to do this but I really, really want this to be a fun space I can look forward too at the end of my day without my own nagging negativities getting in the way of it.

DMs will continue to be open but I'll be much more MIA from here than I was prior, this time with reason behind it.}