#congrats on your new whiskers~

[nyakunosuke]

Golden Kamuy LA EP02 | Ogata Hyakunosuke

[inkwolvesandcoffee]

I can’t get this thought out of my head.

CoD ML

The taskforce has gotten used to Ghost saying “Can’t wait to get home to the missus.” It came as a surprise at first because he’s not the best, if not the downright worst, at expressing his emotions. Nonetheless, they’ve gotten used to the phrase and any other variation of it.

However, no one was prepared for this time. “Finally going home to my lady and the kids.”

Kids?

KIDS?!

When did this happen? Simon didn’t mention you were pregnant and neither did you. John is absolutely baffled because surely you would’ve told him since he’s the second to know this type of stuff. After all, he’s the closest to you after your man.

Soap is overjoyed, already fancying himself the fun ‘uncle’ and congratulating his mate. “Didn’t think you’d ever be a father, Ghost, but look at ye! I do hope your daughters get the looks from their bonnie mother. Unless you’re handsome.”

“We had this convo before, McTavish. I’m quite handsome.”

“I still don’t believe ye.”

Kyle is absolutely gobsmacked, but keeps it at a polite “congrats, sir”.

Little do any of them know the ‘kids’ have four sturdy legs, whiskers, and gorgeous thick fur. You’ve even deemed them the most handsome fluffy children of the neighbourhood.

Simon and you adopted two Norwegian Forest Cats before he had to leave on deployment, named Ragnar and Rollo. He wasn’t a fan of the names at first, but agreed to them to please you. Then again, he’d let you pick the names for your children if you ever decide to start a family.

Until then, this is more than enough.

Simon quietly slips beneath the covers beside you. It’s a bit of a struggle to manoeuvre his large frame around your two sons, who are quick to pounce on their father and loudly start purring.

“You’re back,” you drowsily murmur, awoken by Ragnar’s and Rollo’s sonorous purrs. Your subconscious registers his presence so you instinctively turn onto your side and snuggle up to him. “Should’ve said you’d come. Would’ve-“

He kisses your forehead. “Shh, go back to sleep.”

He knows you’d have shown up at the airport. You always do since he usually lets you know in advance whether he’s home bound and at what time he expects to be back in England. However, tonight was a very late flight though the shift in time zones made it a very, very early morning one.

Whatever the case, Simon would rather you stay at home, in bed with your sons, than be out in the dark. If he could, he’d forbid you to go out in the evening after sunset unless you’re taking him with you. Fortunately, despite never having explicitly agreed nor have it actually mentioned, you’re of one mind when it comes to that. After all, it’s hard to miss the posters and flyers against sexual assault and intimidation of women.

And you do feel safer when Simon’s with you.

Vice versa is also the case. Indeed, your big burly bastard of a man shares the sentiment.

He’s been doing a lot of mental work recently to work on his emotional intelligence. One thing that’s been helping a lot in opening up and trying to form connections, well, an even deeper connection to you (he’s not a people person so you’re pretty much the only one he talks to outside the taskforce) is gaming.

Yup, Simon Riley is a gamer.

A massive Assassin’s Creed fan too. This is a hill I will die on, you can’t convince me otherwise.

So imagine his surprise when after breakfast you slip a present across the table to him. How his eyes light up, the delight banishing the suspicion that cast a darkness over them, when he sees you bought him a special edition of AC: Mirage. Little does he know you placed a pre-order the moment he told you Ubisoft was coming out with a new game in the franchise.

“Thought you might like this. As a ‘welcome home’ prezzie,” you say, hiding the smile spreading on your lips behind your coffee mug.

“Thank you, love.” He stands up and walks over to your side. You get up too, arms outstretched in anticipation of one of his rare bear hugs. In spite of his stone cold persona, Simon seems to radiate heat whenever he’s home. So you stand there for a few moments, simply enjoying the feel of his arms around you.

After cleaning up and changing into a pair of sweats, he turns the PS5 on. Ragnar and Rollo plop down on the couch on either side of the both of you, freshly returned from their habitual morning stroll around the yard. You snuggle up to Simon, basking in his warmth while watching him play.

A perfect lazy family day.

[fahrenheit-aqua]

Ratings + Insights on the Kaiju Paradise gootraxian redesigns

So the 3.1R update came out and gave me a bunch of furries to brainrot about. And as an enjoyer of Furry Character Design myself, I felt like reviewing most if not all of them.

Know that these are all personal opinions and art is, as always, subjective and disagreeing is okay!

anyways....

KAIJU

Originally a pretty good design. Average "gozilla-esque" look, the redesign is essentially a polishing so it fits more with the newer gootraxians. Looks cute, looks cool, still looks iconic. 10/10

CATTE

Once again, just a polishing of the original design, I like the whiskers, they're cute! Though I'm not sure if I'm a big fan of the washed out colors, and the bucket standing straight on their head. The one ear sticking out was cute. 8/10

FED

A design polish. Which is the treatment that the whole Wolf Quartet as I like to call them got. Well at least now I know that they're wolves. Still a pretty plain design, though the eyes look cool. 5/10

FIG

Can't get more "just a polish" than that. Fig is a pretty anecdotal gootraxian in itself... The texturing of the fur is a nice addition. 10/10

GHOSTFOX

At first I thought it didn't really need the polishing treatment. Until I got another look at its render and yeah, lol. Their face looks weirdly elongated, and the tails have become wispy, likely to emphasize the 'ghostly' look. Though I very much preferred the old fuzzy tails that emphasized the death by electrocution. But I guess it's one or the other.... 6/10

GLUBBY

Formerly known as Feizao, as it's more of a replacement than a redesign (because I'm including them too. Why not?)

Aside from the obvious design having to derive completely from the original, I feel like Glubby is cute and interesting! But it is dragged back completely by how poorly it translates to the 3D roblox models, making it look.... ugly. Unfortunately. 5/10

HAZZY

A really good redesign, holy shit!! I used to really dislike Hazzy because of how plain it looked and it was a pain to unlock it. But the buff not only made it grow on me a bit, the redesign made it actually top tier to me haha...

The hazmat suit patterns, stitches, fucked up and evil attitude are all incredible additions. 11/10

TOXIC RABBIT

A gootraxian that was in dire, dire need of a redesign holy shit lmao. Well it certainly looks more like a rabbit now, but once again, why the desaturated colors...? There's also not much of the evil gremlin energy is used to have. 5/10

SPRINKLEKIT

I started playing Kaiju Paradise, honestly, kind of late... So I didn't exactly experience Conekat firsthand. What I can say from what I see.... Sprinklekit is so much more superior, sorry Conekat fans.

Though I've heard Conekat could merge and have 3 heads so... points goes to them. I do like the sprinklekit variants though, strawberry is my favorite. 10/10

SLIMEPUP

Ah yes, the slimepup. Simple but effective and cute design, the lime color is actually my favorite! The floppy ears definitely makes it look more like a pup. Its artwork is reeally cute! buuuuuut, the design really doesn't translate well to roblox models, unfortunately.... 6/10

SLIMEHOUND

The slimehound looked super cool in artwork.

3D model had me disgusted.

2/10

SHORK

A very plain design that desperately needed an upgrade. And that is a good upgrade indeed! It's still shork, but at least it's not... boring. 10/10

SHADE

Another one of the wolf quartet. Shade is a little cooler than Fed to me. Its redesign is pretty good, it has its own color coding now! Congrats on losing your achromatic palette, Shade! 10/10

PLANTIX

Just a polish, and a very straightforward one too. The new tail looks really cute, I could play as plantix just to look at the flowers on it. 10/10

MOCHA

Mochi is. Very forgettable to my eyes, sorry Mochi fans...

The redesign makes it look more goat-like, I like goats. Oh, and the fur pattern resembling latte art is a really neat touch. Now I know it's a coffee dragon! Mochi/Mocha is boring to me, but it's undeniably a good design. 10/10

LEMONSHORK

Congrats on her transition!

More seriously, I think all the shorks have had the best redesigns haha. I always liked lemonshork design-wise, but the redesign actually looks like it smells and tastes like lemon. True advertising! 11/10

MANIC

Carneline was... my favorite gootraxian among them all. Its design was cute, effective and unique, its color palette was really good and balanced. I understood it being cut from the game so I wanted to welcome Manic with open arms.

But the design just... didn't translate well. It's also so... Monochromatic, so much redder. And the eyes have a busy design. The cyan sclera with fuschia irises is a simplistic yet perfect design. The purple fur contrasting with the red crystals was real neat too.

Manic doesn't look bad, it's just... not as good as Carneline.

....At least Manic's hot in its concept artwork... 2/10

DAGODA

Just like with Glubby, gotta push the drama aside. I really like raptors so there's bias there... People think Dagoda's ugly, I personally really like it! It's no Fashui (one of my old favorites), but it's no big downgrade either.

Although I wish it at least had a few glowing features, given it's a power outage/blackout gootraxian, and that's what made them special. The little lightbulb tail on Fashui is what made it cute...

7/10

MELONSHORK

Okay, I said all the shorks had the best redesigns... BUT.

Melon shork has... the opposite problem of toxic rabbit!

Why are the colors so saturated??? It looks closer to an actual watermelon, but it just looks... not that great. The pastel colors were much nicer. Maybe some thicker, more abundant stripes would make it more melon-y? I don't know...

4/10

PSEUDOSHORK

Now THAT is a redesign I fell in love with instant-fucking-ly. This might actually be the best redesign, if not just my favorite!

From a plain pink shork to this absolute murder gremlin, who bleeds gatorade and laughs at death. The asymmetrical fangs are a really cool touch too.

Top tier/10 Would make this my fursona.

HEBI

Okay, I respect Carneline and Panther's creator to have stepped down and dissociated from the whole concept but daaaamn why were those designs so good...

Panther was peak, unfiltered edginess that was still somehow cool.

And just like with Manic, my issue is the eyes... Hebi doesn't look like a shadow-lurking predator, but more like... a goth clown. Don't get me wrong, it's a really good design on its own! But compare it to Panther?... Man, I miss being edgy.

5/10

BUCK

Why is it red?

Why did they make it red?

It's a blackout gootraxian, not power outage. Why is it fucking red?

??/10

JAMMER

Ooooh the blackout wolves... They have been done dirty. The new patterns and fur colors look nice but Jammer looks too... silly. Too cute... I miss the cool attitude it had! And the outline glow really doesn't look nice either. It feels out of place, it doesn't feel like the Jammer is actually glowing!

no VIP variant can salvage this.

0/10

NIGHTSHADE

I don't have much to say about this. It's just like Jammer. The blackout wolves were done dirty. At least Nightshade kept its original vibe. 2/10

NUCLEAR RABBIT

Absolutely nasty. And I mean it as a compliment. That rabbit will give me every disease and call me a slur. 10/10

SINOX

I didn't have a big opinion on Sinox until I actually saw it in a blackout ingame. And thought "omg it's fucking gorgeous!"

The back is super sparkly, on top of the particles it sheds. Sinox has been given so much more personality, and really went all the way with its concept! That being... a glowstick in a rave. 11/10

WISP

Same creator as Carneline and Panther, and somehow the original design is so.... bland and uninspired. How? That shork doesn't feel very "lantern" to me. On top of looking quite plain.

Wisp brings justice to that idea. This shork is indeed lantern!! Also I really dig the bones. Is it see-through flesh? Is it just not there? Who knows! This design bangs

10/10

[italoniponic]

AAA CONGRATS ON 1K FOLLOWERS MY LOVELY!! you've grown so so much these past couple of months, i am so proud of what you have accomplished on this site! your work is always a joy to read and i am so lucky to have such a talented individual like yourself as a mutual and friend <3

how about a character bingo with yulia's thoughts on floyd? really any interaction with floyd would be interesting lol, so i'm kinda curious on how yulia would interact with the leech twin~

I had to redo this one bc the first time my chrome shut down out of nowhere and I didn't save anything 💀

PANDOOO THANK YOU SO MUCH <333

The event we’re talking about is this one, celebrating 1k followers~ Everything is explained there but basically you can ask my opinions on character or ask Yulia’s opinions on twst characters as well. I guess nobody noticed the first time and my dear Pando here is my first ask but just letting you all know.

Then again, thank you, dear <3 lots of success for you too!! 

[I decided to make a bingo for Yulia's opinions as well just to summarize things and bc it was fun lol]

First things first: Floyd’s nickname for Yulia, “Namazu-chan” (catfish). Yep, a good way to start.

Floyd associates Yulia with a catfish bc the first thing he noticed when she entered the Mostro Lounge in ch3 for the first time was her sideburns (or side whiskers, if you will). Yulia also tends to hide it with side strands of hair. Floyd’s mind immediately went to a catfish’s little whiskers. Incidentally, it’s cat-related and goes with Yulia’s usual motif personality-wise.

Still in ch3, when Yulia was sleeping in Savanaclaw, she woke up 3am upon realizing that (in her country) calling someone a “catfish-head” is saying they’re stupid… so that stupid sticky eel just accidentally called her a idiot! [The Wrath of Namazu-chan!!]

Yulia doesn't know what to think about Floyd. He wasn’t one of her favorite characters when she started to play twst but she doesn't hate him. She would like to be his friend? Nope. Yulia is always looking at him like “why are you the way you are?” almost all the time… but she can be sympathetic when she feels like it too.

They fight a lot in the sense that when Yulia finds herself in need of Floyd’s help, she’s going to find a way to argue her way into his brain and make him do something. She dealt with some troublesome tall guys in school once, there’s nothing new here (Yulia calls him “Electric Pole/Street Lamp” back). She can get mad and brave enough to hit him (no serious damage tho) and Floyd finds that amusing and funny. Probably because it reminds him of Riddle and Epel when they’re mad.

Floyd likes to annoy his little “Namazu-chan” for her reactions. He’s detached enough to mess with Yulia more than he should sometimes or if it requires him to pass through her, why worry about it? (example in ch3) Yulia doesn't take it to her heart, she already expects it.

Though, they can be allies when Floyd catches Yulia in the hallway and asks her to burn down Jade’s monthly mushroom stock because he’s sick of cooking it on Mostro Lounge. Yulia, as fellow shroom-hater, completely understands. In exchange, Floyd tells one or two secrets about Azul and they’re even~

In conclusion: Yulia gives the experience of being around Floyd a simple 6/10. Meanwhile Floyd is just happy that there's another shortie for him to mess with!

[honeysmokedham]

[pm] My dreams of becoming a detective are shattered. Like your windows.

You guys break up?

[user sends back an edit of Emilio with kitten ears and whiskers and some hearts.] Your new profile picture just dropped. Congrats. [user will conspire to change his account profile picture when he's not paying attention if he doesn't change it] They aren't stupid. Maybe you guys are bad enemies. Lots of people want you killed? People who would kill your windows?

[pm] Your detector is broken, kid. I didn't do anything.

Whatever. The guy's an asshole, anyway. I'm not talking to him again, publicly or privately.

[user attempts to save the photo and accidentally sends nora a blurry selfie of him looking confused at his phone. he does not realize he has done this.] Great. I'll tell them they're an asshole just as soon as they can sit up without looking like they're in pain. [...] Stopped in to see them a little while after it happened. Guess they're too stupid to be pissed at me for it, so that's probably good. Got enough people in this town that want to kill me already.

[a-solitary-marshmallow]

Do No Harm Take No Shit Chapter 5 - Home(room) Coming

They discussed how best to break the news to everyone, while feeding each other ice cream. (call Adrien a sap, he didn’t care, this was the best day of his fucking life) It seemed a bit obtrusive to walk into class and announce, ‘Hello Marinette is my girlfriend now, any questions?’

On the other hand, Lila would probably take advantage of any ambiguity. Not to mention Adrien’s fans – they would throw a tantrum when he and Marinette went public.

In the end, the simple approach was taken. Adrien took a selfie of them sharing their couples’ cone, one in which Marinette’s face was scrunched up adorably as he dabbed strawberry ice cream on the tip of her nose. Her hair was out and tumbling in the breeze, slapping Adrien on the cheek while he laughed and held the camera up blindly. It was his favourite shot – he was almost loathe to share it with the world. A quick caption. Magical ice cream with my magical girlfriend – best day of my life. Adrien posted it on Monday morning while the Gorilla drove them to school.

“Aaaaand… done.” He leaned his head against Marinette’s shoulder and watched the comments start to filter in.

“That was fast.” Marinette said.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a few stalkers on here.”

“You don’t say.” She teased.

Paris flashed by, and then they had arrived. They walked into the school hand in hand – Marinette’s hand was an honour Adrien held with pride. In the hallway Mylène glanced at them, glanced away casually, and then her gaze snapped back, accompanied by unashamed jaw-dropping. She elbowed Ivan, who looked around and blinked at the two, before grinning excitedly. They started to whisper between themselves. Adrien stifled a laugh.

“So,” He murmured as they walked, “How many people know about your huge crush on me, exactly?”

Marinette groaned. “No.”

“Because if Alya and Nino were shipping us…”

“Please, there are too many names to remember. You are the one person who didn’t know.”

“Was everyone on team Marinette-Adrien?”

“Adrienette.”

“What?”

Marinette looked away, face blushing a lovely shade of red. “Nothing.”

Adrien hummed and swung their joined hands. After a moment, Marinette gathered her courage and spoke again.

“Most people were on the team. Except for Chloe, of course.”

“Chloe’s always the exception.” Adrien noted.

They stepped inside the class, and Rose began to squeal. Adrien jumped at the pitch of it – all eyes were on them suddenly. He smiled nervously at the wide-mouthed stares.

“Uh, hi?”

“Congratulations!” Rose squealed. She rushed down from her chair to hug Marinette and Adrien in turn, swiftly followed by a grinning Alya who slung an arm around her best friend’s shoulder.

“Mari! Why didn’t you say something earlier? Congrats you two!”

The class was loud with cheers and excited voices. Kim laughed from his seat, “Adrien, bro! We thought you were gonna be oblivious forever.”

“Well, what can I say?” Adrien shrugged, fingers still tangled with Marinette’s. “I saw the light.”

“Oh, this is wonderful!” Rose cried. She glanced back to the very stiff figure sitting at her desk, “Lila, I told you they would figure it out!”

“Yes, you did.” Lila’s voice dripped with saccharine contempt. Adrien could feel her glare drilling into him from across the classroom. He suppressed the animalistic urge to bristle and hiss, instead sending a sweet smile towards the teeth-gritting girl. ‘Look out. You have no idea who you’re messing with.’

“So, when did this happen?” Alya urged. Marinette shrugged.

“This weekend. We went out, and talked, and… well.” She slightly lifted their joined hands, and the girls cooed. Marinette’s cheeks were flushed with happiness – even Lila’s presence didn’t seem to impact her. Adrien wished she could be this happy all the time. Damn it if he wasn’t going to try and make it so. “I’m expecting some rabid fangirl lashback though.”

Alya crinkled her nose. “Ew. Don’t worry Mari, we’ve got your back.”

“I know. Thank you.”                

“Soooo,” Alya leaned in towards the new couple, “I was wondering, would you guys object to a slight seat change today? I really want to sit next to my boyfriend, and – gosh – that leaves you two together in the front row!”

“Real smooth, Alya.” Alix elbowed her with a snort. Marinette laughed.

“I’d like that. Adrien?”

“Definitely.” He said fervently.

“Oh, and do you guys want to have lunch at my house?” Marinette offered Nino and Alya. Nino sighed happily.

“Ah, Dupain-Cheng pastries. It’s been too long.”

“So that’s a yes.” Alya clarified.

 The classes went quickly, with Marinette by Adrien’s side. When she was waiting for the other students to finish up with their note taking, she would doodle in the corners of her sketchbook. Adrien picked up her pen to draw a little love heart on her cast. She returned the favour on the back of his hand. At lunch time he, Marinette, Alya and Nino met outside the classroom to walk to Marinette’s house. They were about to start off when a voice called out.

“Oh! Would you mind if I joined you?” Lila’s sickeningly sweet cry made Adrien stiffen. Marinette bit her lip, hard, as Alya and Nino turned to see the brunette hurrying over. Alya tipped her head with a confused smile.

“Of course, girl, but I thought you were busy? You said you were having lunch with… a special someone?” Alya pointed surreptitiously to her earrings. Lila sighed, an impressive show of disappointment.

“Oh, I was so looking forward to having lunch together, but she had to cancel! Her partner got into trouble and she had to go and bail him out again. Honestly, cats can be so troublesome can’t they?”

Oh. Cats, earrings. Was Lila really talking about Ladybug? Having lunch with Ladybug? Not only was that an incredibly stupid thing to brag about, given the whole being-targeted-by-a-supervillain thing, but Lila had picked the wrong people to boast to. Adrien was almost ready to give her a cataclysm to the face.

But he wasn’t suited up right now, and Alya had already invited Lila along with a smile and a reassurance that she was sure it wasn’t personal, Lila’s bestie was a very busy person after all. A quick glance at Marinette’s uninjured arm revealed the way her fists were clenched. Adrien threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand. I know. It’s bullshit.

“Are you guys coming?” Nino called from up ahead. The others had already started off. Adrien pasted on his model smile.

“Yep! We’ll catch up to you in a sec.”

“Adrien.” Marinette whispered. He turned to her, allowed his smile to drop into a scowl that mirrored hers. “I don’t want Lila in my house.”

He shuddered. “Ugh, I know, I’ve already had that experience. She’s creepy.”

“No, you don’t understand.” She whispered desperately. “Lila hates me. What if she gets her hands on something important? What if she finds the miracle box? Or lies to my parents? Or spills paint on my ball gown commission? She knows I’m being commissioned by Clara Nightingale, she asked Alya about it the other day. I’ve been working on it for weeks, if she ruins it I’ll have to start again and buy all the fabrics with my own money and the bakery will go broke and Maman and Papa will have to sell and I’ll never get a job in fashion and I’ll live on the streets and get stabbed in a mugging and-”

Adrien squeezed her hand, and Marinette trailed off.

“It’ll be fine.” He promised. “We won’t go to your house.”

Marinette looked up at him with such desperation, that Adrien felt his heart break. Had he really made her feel like this? That no one was here for her? Adrien lifted her hand to kiss it before turning to call after the three students on the footpath ahead of them.

“Guys, hold up! Marinette forgot about a huge order her parents have at the bakery, if we go there we’ll just be in the way. There’s a cool café down the road we can go to instead.”

Lila’s eyes widened like a kicked puppy’s. “I-I don’t have any money with me, I gave it all to Prince’s Ali’s charity for disabled orphans.” She put on a pained smile. “It’s okay, though. I don’t need to get anything – my diabetes won’t be a huge problem if I skip a meal or two. It’s enough to just spend time with my favourite people.”

Alya ‘awww’ed and slung an arm around Lila’s shoulder. “Mari, are you sure we can’t just stop by your place? Your folks have plenty of food they don’t sell, right?”

Marinette squeaked. Adrien spoke over her smoothly. “Don’t worry, Lila! I’ll pay for your lunch. It’s the least I can do, after how good you are to those disabled orphans.”

He could feel Lila’s glare, and it was hilarious. She said sweetly, “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly take your money!”

“I’m literally rich. Besides, wouldn’t it be the same if you took Marinette’s food?” He smiled at the fuming girl. “Please, let me treat you. I’d do the same for any friend.”

He was really laying it on thick now, he could tell from Marinette’s stifled giggle. At Lila’s side, however, Alya hadn’t picked up on the passive aggressive note. She was beaming as she linked arms with Nino and Lila. “Great! Let’s go, before lunch time runs out.”

Marinette and Adrien followed behind. As they walked Marinette leaned in to murmur, “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Adrien whispered back. “Your knight in shining leather is always here to help.”

She snorted and bumped him. Adrien grinned.

“It’s a tail as old as time. Fur as long as I can remember, it’s always been the princess and her alley cat against the world.” Marinette groaned, but the sparkle in her eye betrayed her. “What’s wrong, Milady? Are you feline okay? You didn’t catch a cold or something, did you?”

“What secrets are you two whispering about?” Nino joked. Adrien sent him an innocent smile.

“I have no idea what you mean. I’m just complimenting my beautiful girlfriend.” He leaned in to Marinette to add, “Let me know if all the whiskering is bugging you.”

Marinette laughed out loud. “Please, Adrien. Please get some new material.”

“Why would I, when I have the purrfect puns already?” He lowered his voice again. “Seriously though, if I am annoying you or if Lila’s making you feel uncomfortable, just let me know.”

“I will, kitty.” Marinette smiled. Adrien was thrilled that he could make her smile like that. He would tell awful puns every day for the rest of his life if it would make Marinette smile.

They walked together, with a liar, to go get lunch.

  ­­­Two months later

“Are you sure about this?” Adrien asked for what seemed like the umpteenth time as Marinette shoved her bag into her locker. She still held her newly-uncasted arm carefully against her body, out of habit. “I can do it instead, it doesn’t have to be you.”

“Yes it does.” Marinette closed her locker firmly. “I have to do this. You just make sure to get it all, okay? You have an important part.”

“Of course, Milady.” Adrien wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her hair. Marinette hummed happily and buried her face in his jacket. And everything was wonderful for a short, blissful moment.

There was a faint zipping sound, and then Plagg stuck his head through the wall of the deserted locker room and barked, “She’s alone in the courtyard. Now’s the time, Pigtails.”

Adrien wished this moment would never end. Alas, he could not hold the love of his life forever. Marinette proved that when she lifted her head.

“Okay.” She pulled in a deep breath and smiled up at Adrien.

“You’ve got this.” He told her. She nodded.

“Yeah. Okay. Tikki, spots on.”

  When it was over Adrien rushed to meet Marinette in the garden behind the school, tucked away between trees and bundles of flowers. She had beaten him there and had already detransformed, Tikki sitting on a nearby branch and munching on a cookie. When Adrien arrived she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and lifted her arms.

“Hey, hey.” Adrien ran into her embrace and hugged her tightly. She was shaking. “It’s okay. You did it. You were amazing Marinette, and now it’s all over.”

“I know.” Marinette mumbled again him. “I just can’t believe…”

“I know.” He held her firmly and Marinette returned the gesture, clutching at his back. “You’re done. You can relax now.”

Marinette made a muffled sound. Adrien stroked her hair.

“Do you wanna go home?”

She nodded, not lifting her face from his chest.

“Do you wanna be alone?”

She shook her head.

“Do you wanna cuddle and watch cartoons?”

Marinette nodded again.

“Do you wanna watch the Ladybug and Chat Noir movie and laugh at all the stuff that they got wrong?”

Another nod. Adrien kissed the top of her head.

“Then that can be arranged. And we’ll deal with tomorrow when it comes.”

“When it comes.” Marinette mumbled.

  Adrien walked to the front of the class the next morning just before school was due to start. Most of the students were already in their seats – including Marinette, who Adrien had insisted was due for a break. She had already done the heavy lifting of the plan, now Adrien could see it through. Besides, she didn’t need Lila targeting her even more for this. Speaking of Lila, Adrien could feel the girl’s suspicious glare drilling into his back as he spoke to Ms. Bustier.

“Excuse me miss, is it alright if I show the class something before the lesson starts? It’s urgent.”

She frowned from her desk. “Can it wait? We have a lot of important information to cover this lesson.”

“Ms. Bustier, this is very important information. I think everyone should see it as soon as possible – including you and the other teachers.”

She shook her head. “Mister Agreste, I really don’t see what could be so important that you must interrupt my lesson. Why don’t you go and sit down, and talk to the principal at lunch?”

“Because it concerns my classmates and-”

“All the more reason for it to be dealt with discreetly – we don’t need a spectacle.”

“You didn’t give Marinette that luxury.” Chloe called mildly from the front seat. Adrien turned to stare at her in disbelief. “You called her out in front of everyone during that whole cheating scandal. Why not give Adrien the same luxury? Or do I need to bring my daddy into this?” She pulled out her phone threateningly and Miss Bustier whitened.

“That will not be necessary, Chloe. I’m sure a… a few minutes is fine.”

“It won’t take long.” Adrien assured, sending Chloe a grateful look. She smiled smugly. Adrien quickly plugged in his USB and opened the document, taking a breath to raise his voice to the whole class.

“Thank you all for your time. At first I wasn’t sure if I should share this – but after doing a bit of research, I’ve found some worrying things that I think everyone here should know about.” Adrien could feel Lila’s glare searing through his forehead. He resisted the urge to smirk at her, instead schooling his expression into hesitance and worry. He had a part to play – the innocent bystander. After all, a malicious witness wasn’t very trustworthy. “I sent a copy to Mr. Damocles and the Ladyblog – Alya, you probably haven’t seen it yet – but I think it’s important that you all watch it before anyone else.”

Marinette met his eye, and nodded. Adrien smiled at her and pressed play.

[thecountoflondonfansite]

Dr. Two Brains didn’t think that Edward Hyde was completely villain material. At best the guy was a mischief maker. Someone who wanted to cause chaos just for fun. Hyde’s bragging also reminded him of Glen a bit which also irritated the villain. Yet the mad scientist couldn’t help but feel a nagging sensation in the back of his human brain. There was something eerily familiar about the newcomer yet the mad scientist couldn’t place a whisker on it. Two Brains could feel Squeaky was not bothered by the newcomer which was likely due to Hyde not being that close to them. Though his mouse instincts couldn’t help but detect a whiff of some type of canine scent from the man as if he had some dog hairs on his clothes. Again this didn’t bother Two Brains nor Squeaky, and the mad scientist figured he must have a pet dog or played with one before he got here. ‘At least the guy didn’t seem like a cat person.’ Two Brains thought with some relief. Lady Redundant Woman stared down Hyde a bit more and seemed to ponder his request for a trial run. Behind Edward, other villains began to whisper about this strange, and frankly rude newcomer. After some time, Lady Redundant Woman called everyone to order as she made her decision. “Alright Mr. Hyde, we will let you have your test, trial, tryout in order to let us see if you have what it takes to join the Evil Villains Association. The villain committee will observe, perceive, and note your actions before making our decision. Since you proclaim, announce, and declare yourself the “Spirit of London Night”, we will have the tryout this Friday evening. Do you agree with this?” Lady Redundant Woman asked the man. Hyde nodded enthusiastically, barely containing his glee and excitement. “Yes that sounds marvelous ma’am.” Hyde exclaimed. He was going to show these villains how much of a dangerous criminal he can be. Lady Redundant Woman politely nodded back before turning to the rest of the villains. “Does anyone have any objection, grievance, or opposition to this plan?” Lady Redundant Woman inquired. Most of the villains just shook their heads or gave a shrug showing that they had no problem with this plan. Well all except one. “Hang on. How late Friday evening are we talking about here?” Dr. Two Brains asked aloud, causing everyone to turn their gaze towards the mad scientist. Lady Redundant Woman just gave a shrug. “Probably between 7 or 8. It won’t affect Wordgirl’s sleep, rest, and snooze since tomorrow would be Saturday anyway.” Lady Redundant Woman replied. Two Brains let out a relieved sigh. Okay he could work with that. “Why do you care when this guy commits a crime?” Miss Question asked. “For your information Miss Question, I have a date Friday afternoon and I was just making sure I would have plenty of time on my date before I came to observe Mr. Hyde in action.” Dr. Two Brains exclaimed in a matter of fact tone. All the villains now perked up in surprise and some in elation. “Hey congrats doc. Who's the lucky person?” The Butcher asked. “Do you need a reservation or some nice decorations for your date? I can have Leslie provide that for you.” Mr. Big eagerly inquired of his friend. “Whoever this person is, they must be extremely important, paramount, and significant if you are more concerned about this date than villainy.” Lady Redundant Woman teased the man causing Two Brains’ cheeks to become red as he returned a playful glare to the woman. “As a matter of fact I do have deep romantic feelings for this person and I hope that he feels the same after our date. So to make sure no one tries to accidentally rob or kidnap the guy beforehand, I am planning to have drinks with my daughter’s new teacher. His name is Dr. Henry Jekyll.” Dr. Two Brains exclaimed in a proud and happy tone. All the while the mad scientist was unaware that the person he planned to court had heard his whole proclamation.  @unhingedexperimenter

(You can tag me on my tgs side blog. I also apologize but I know a few Scottish words. So to anyone reading this I apologize for the inaccuracy.) Becky Boxleitner noticed a change in the atmosphere as she and her pet monkey Bob walked into the sixth grade classroom. All of the students were excitedly chatting with one another. Becky and Bob exchanged confused looks at the scene. 'What is going on?' They both thought. Becky walked to where her friends Violet Heaslip, Rose Franklin, and Todd Scoops Ming were sitting, also joining in the excited yet low volume chattering. "Hey guys what's going on?" Becky asked her friends. They each turned their heads to greet their friend. "Hey Becky guess what, we're getting a new teacher for our class!" Scoops exclaimed. Becky looked surprised at the announcement. Bob also mimicked her facial expression. "Wait really? What happened to Miss Davis?" Becky asked, wondering what happened to their old teacher. It was just a week only into the new school year so a sudden teacher exchange was a complete shock to Becky especially since there were no announcements about it beforehand. "Miss Davis had to move back home because of a family emergency." Rose Franklin answered. "The principal had to scramble to find a new teacher to fill in for our class. It was all last minute stuff." Becky nodded in understanding of her friends' answers. It was a nice perk to be friends who were upcoming reporters. Soon the final bell rang which indicated for every student to take their seats. Becky took her place beside her best friend Violet and Bob plopped down next to her. Soon a man who looked to be in his mid 30s walked in and towards the desk. He had curly brown air, an arched nose, and reddish brown eyes. He wore a tan button-down shirt with a red vest as well as brown slacks and dark suede shoes. The man gave a pleasant and warm smile to all the students there. "Hello my name is Dr. Henry Jekyll and I will be your teacher for the school year." Becky and the other kids ears perked up as they took note of the man's accent. Even Tobey became slightly interested in his new teacher. None of them were sure where their new teacher was from. Dr. Jekyll gave a light chuckle as if he could sense their growing curiosity about him. He lightly clapped his hands together to gain their undivided attention and focus. "Well since this is my first time teaching here, why don't we all play a little game so we can all get better acquainted with each other. Here's what to do. One at a time, say your name and share a wee bit about yourself. Likes, family, interests and all that. I'll go first to show ya what ah mean. Again. My name is Dr. Henry Jekyll. I was born in Glasgow but ah moved to London where I attended university. I have a five year old wee lassie or daughter named Amber. I enjoy chemistry and reading on occasions. Now who would like to go next?" @unhingedexperimenter

Of course Tobey had taken the opportunity to place attention on himself and to have a reason to boast about himself. “My name is Tobey McCallister the third and I will be the most intelligent student you'll meet here.” The others had rolled their eyes, used to this kind of behavior from their peers. Becky seemed to be the most annoyed by it. Having been forced to put up with his destructive tantrums in the past. Henry smiled just as warmly as before. Unbothered by the obnoxious behavior that the boy had been displaying. Tobey had been going on about himself for a good few minutes before the teacher finally spoke up. “Ahem, yes. Thank you for that Mr. McCallister. Would anyone else like to tell me a bit about themselves as well?” No one could tell that behind the facade, Dr. Henry Jekyll was becoming more irritated by the moment. Not by the child but by the pest that refused to leave him be. Scoffing within his head at what they just heard. He didn't share the disembodied voice's opinion but wanted to give the other children a chance to introduce themselves as well. To the others' shock, Tobey seemed to have taken this well. Quickly going back to his desk with no issues. Becky was relieved at that. Soon the other children had started to introduce themselves to their new teacher with little to no issues. He seemed genuinely nice enough to her. This new teacher didn't seem like most of the adults within this city. Some she had to define words repeatedly for. Dr. Jekyll knew what he was teaching and knew his vocabulary. It was Violet who had brought Becky out from her own thoughts, calling her name. Waving a hand in front of her face. “Becky?” The girl smiled in an embarrassed manner. “Huh? Yes?” Violet smiled, patient with her best friend. “Why don't you introduce yourself now? Nearly everybody else already did.” She had given a surprised expression. Becky hadn't realized that she was so lost within her thoughts until then. She stood up and began speaking. “My name is Becky Boxleitner and I also like libraries,reading and Pretty Princess.” The presence that was grating at the teacher's nerves had deemed this too dull to enjoy. Leaving Dr. Jekyll be to his teaching. Well, getting to know his students. He was happy to see that they were engaged in these activities that were meant to break the ice. Though one student in particular had caught his attention the most. Becky. While she did seem rather bright, there was something strange about her behavior at times. Pausing whatever she was doing at the time to listen in on something. Thinking it went unnoticed. Even once looking alarmed and she made an excuse to go to the bathroom. He had allowed it. Feeling that it would've been better to have let her. It seemed…oddly familiar. As if he had seen that behavior somewhere before but couldn't figure out exactly where from. When the school day was finally over, Becky had gone to go home like the others. Dr. Jekyll had of course stayed behind to set more things up within his new classroom. Making a plan on exactly what he'll actually start teaching the next day. Though, the grating voice had returned to be a thorn in his side. “Come on. Leave this boring stuff alone. Leave it until tomorrow. I've been pent up for far too long. Let's have some fun.” This had earned an eye roll and a loud huff from the teacher. “No, I've got to get this done now. You will have enough time tonight. Just be patient until then.” A shadowy figure formed in front of Dr. Jekyll. A frown on its face. “But this is so extremely dull. I want to stretch my legs. I want to make myself known already.” Dr. Jekyll glared. “And that is precisely why I'm so hesitant to let you out so soon. At least let us get acclimated to our surroundings first.” The figure let out an annoyed groan. “You know you want this as much as I do. Otherwise you'd never have any actual fun in the sad and pathetic life you call yours.”

@thecountoflondonfansite

[nomintokki]

Unreachable | Na Jaemin

PAIRINGS: Idol!Jaemin x Bestfriend!Reader

GENRE: fluff, slight angst, childhood to the successful life story of Jaemin

WORD COUNT: 1.8k

A/N: mentions the 00 line; slightly suggestive ughhh,,, smut ig??? But its not really smut kljdlkash i cant do that.  thank you @mjlkau​ for proofreading. Anyway hope yall enjoy.

After hours of contemplating if I should go to Jaemin’s Party in celebration for his drama debut. I am now inside my car driving on the way to his condo. Jaemin has been my friend as for long as I can remember, we basically grew up together. We have been neighbors since childhood. Thus we share a lot of things together; we went to the same school, grade school onwards, and to this day, we still keep in touch. We make sure to meet at least once a month. I can proudly say that even after his debut, our friendship never changed. We would still catch up from time to time, send random memes, call each other and such.

I was contemplating on going to his party, simply because I didn’t think I’d fit in his world. I’m just a normal person after all, a nobody. I’m pretty sure his ‘small’ party won’t be that small with all the big celebrities attending it. I knew his fellow band members, several actresses and actors who would be working with him would probably be there too. See I, a mere citizen, just don’t simply fit in. But of course, how could I say no to my best friend? He was being really persistent, begging me to be there. In his exact words he says, “Please y/n go I want my best friend to see and meet my new friends! Besides, they want to meet you too.” I just couldn’t say no.

He told me his new drama will be a romantic one, as he will be partnered with a fellow actress of his. I don’t know why but when he told me that, there were tingling feelings inside my stomach. No, actually- let’s be real. I was probably jealous. I knew for a fact that I have been denying my feelings for Jaemin. I think it all started when we were in high school, but they were just part of adolescence, I guess? In high school he started to bloom into a newer and matured man, handsome as ever, no longer the same childhood neighbor I grew to know. The way he helps other people and takes care of the littlest things is maybe the thing that attracted me the most.  I didn’t want to ruin the comfortable friendship we already have, so as much as possible I keep on brushing away the thought that I am attracted to him. Most especially at this time, he is way out of my league.  I do not know why out of all people he, Na Jaemin, a successful idol, soon to be an actor, my best friend, is the one my heart chose to fall for. I know for a fact that he won’t be available to catch me if I fall for him, well actually I already did. Who am I for him to choose right? I meant he can be with the most beautiful actresses and idol stars out there why would he choose me right. In order to not hurt myself more as much as possible, I ignore and brush off the fact that I like him.

Finally, I arrived at his condo. That was the longest thirty minutes ride I have ever driven. 13th-floor room 1308, alright I am in front of the door and the loud music can be already heard. I ring the doorbell, as it opens it revealed Jaemin, arms open, happy to see you. “Y/n!!!!! You came! Are those tiramisu??? My fave thank you Y/N! Come inside I’ll introduce you to my members. GUYS Y/N is here!!!” Jaemin welcomed me with a hug and grabbed my gift for him. I replied to him with a smile. I don’t think my nervousness was hidden tho. I don’t know if I’m nervous to meet his colleagues or because I am once again seeing him.

“OH if it is not the famous Y/n.” A guy named Heachan one of his members said. I chuckled at his remark and shook his hand that he offered me. “You know what Y/n Jaemin always tells us about you” Renjun, another one of his members, said as he also welcomes me. “Oh really what does he usually say about me?” I replied “he was telling us how much he l-” Renjun was cut off by Jaemin’s hand. “I was telling them how we were always out playing during our childhood days and how I always defeat you when we play kart rider” Jaemin interrupts Renjun. “From what I remember you always lose when we play” I replied and everyone in the circle laughed.

It was indeed just a small party his members were there, some of his managers, and some of the cast of his upcoming drama. I actually had a good time. His members keep on asking me questions about how Jaemin was during his younger days. I told them stories where Jaemin once cried because of whisker’s away, and that he had a pet chick and rabbit once. It felt good talking and hearing stories from them. His colleagues were simple just like him I didn’t feel the gap we had when I was conversing with them. Jaemin’s partner for his upcoming drama was indeed very pretty, again my thoughts of being with him just suck, even more, I really need to move on. But don’t get me wrong she was really kind and single…

The time had been moving by quickly as the night became darker, the hours becoming more late. Some of his guests already left. I wanted to leave early since i still have duty the next day, but he asked me to stay and help him clean. Now I know why he really wanted me to go. Some of his members are still here tho specifically the ones in his same age, Haechan, Renjun, And Jeno. While Jaemin and Haecha sent off and accompanied some of the guests to the lobby Jeno, Renjun, and I started to clean around the room. “You know what y/n were happy to finally meet you,” Jeno said “yeah Jaemin really treasures you as his friend you know he won’t shut up about you” Renjun added. I chuckled at their remarks “His life was probably boring he didn’t have any stories to tell besides mentioning me hahaha”. “You and Jaemin seem to be really close huh?” Jeno asked and I responded with a nod as a wipe down the counter table. “Jaemin never dated girls during his highschool years right?” Renjun asked maybe out of his curiosity. “He was scared of girls and too lanky to get one back in the days haha” I replied “oh yeah he was really lanky when he started training I remember hahaha, but you know what y/n, you and Jaemin actually look good together,” Jeno said “actually! You both had the chemistry” Renjun added. I just smiled at their remarks not wanting to get my hopes up. Jaemin never really showed interest in me so I guess he just really saw me as his friend.

The doorbell suddenly rang. Renjun went to get the door. “Where is Haechan?” I heard Renjun ask. “He didn’t want to clean up so he will just wait for you guys at the parking,” Jaemin said as he approached the vacuum to help us clean. “That b*tch” Jeno remarked. “I guess you two can finish that we’ll be off now bye Jaemin congrats again on your drama! Also bye Y/N nice meeting you!” Renjun hurriedly said while dragging Jeno out of the door. “Hey hey hey you two promised to help me clean!!” Jaemin said but he was cut off by the door Jeno closed. “It’s okay Jaemin this won’t take long anymore they did a lot anyways” I told him as I continue to pack the food that was left.

After a few minutes, we finally cleaned up everything. Tired and exhausted we both slammed down on the couch and let a heavy sigh. “Y/n.” called me out and I responded with a hum resting my head on the couch facing the ceiling. “Thank you for coming I know you really didn’t want to” he said I turned my head to face him “of course and because of that you owe me” i kiddingly replied.  It was quiet but the atmosphere was relaxing, most of the time me and Jaemin are like this, just enjoying the presence of each other. It wasn’t awkward or anything were used to being like this around each other. “Y/n I need to tell you something” Jaemin suddenly said and sat upright. He always tells me random stuff but there is seriousness in his tone which made me nervous. I faced him and gave him a ‘what’ look as my reply. He took a deep breathe and met my eyes “i like you, y/n… for the longest time i have always liked you. No, actually I think I already love you” I couldn’t believe what I am hearing from jaemin after all these years we actually like each other??? I was speechless at the moment I did not know what to respond, my brain was having a hard time processing the information I just got. “Did i shock you? I am sorry for the sudden confession. I do understand if you dont feel the same way-” I cut him off and asked “are you practicing your lines for your upcoming drama? You sound pretty convincing nice one Jaem!!!” I chuckled and laughed out my nervousness I had to make sure he wasn’t just kidding me. “y/n dumbass I actually like you. I am not practicing some lines with you omygosh you really are my best friend. But kidding aside y/n I truly like you I, I love you y/n” I can see in his eyes that he is really genuine with his words. “No were both dumbasses, I liked you ever since we were in high school Jaem” I noticed his eyes grew when he heard this “I didn’t want to tell you since I didn’t want to break the friendship we had” I added. “Me too! I guess we were both cowards huh? But I couldn’t keep these feelings anymore I had to let them out that’s why I’m telling this to you right now” he says while locking his eyes with mine. He slowly cups my cheeks with his slender hands “I never dared to try and date anyone because I knew that I only wanted you, y/n”. I could say that the tension was rising he closed the gap between us. He wasn’t my first kiss but as if its my first kiss heat grew and butterflies on my stomach became wild. I kissed him back and as if we were dancing our lips were so in sync. I reached for the back of his head and placed my fingers between his hair.

I don’t know how I got to this but today was a rollercoaster. I could not believe the thing that I was most worried about earlier this morning would be my greatest dream. I am happy to say that me and my long time crush are in love with each other.

[lee-minhoe]

(1) Is mark your ult? He is the absolute cutest and sweetest person alive I love him 😭 and yesss jae’s dimples and whiskers >>>> I hope next year treats your better, ik this years had been... a LOT LOT! But have you been taking care and staying safe? :)) I’ve been okay, I was a bit busy with work this weekend but I’m all done now hehe! Remember to stay hydrated and healthy! - secret 🤶🏼🎄💗

oh my gosh youre so sweet!! thank you i hope next year treats you better too 🥰🥰 ive been kinda passively looking for a new job lately (and just applied to one i rly want) so yea fingers crossed for that 🤞😭 but luckily been fortunate to stay safe and well otherwise! (lol not at me replying to this ask at like 1:30am...) im trying to work on staying hydrated too hehe bc i tend to let that fall to the wayside so thank u for the reminder santa 🙈 and congrats that youre all done w your work!! 😊

yes mark is my ult :)) he is honestly so cute and adorable i cant and his eyes are SO SPARKLY?! I COULD STARE AT THEM FOREVER 😭 plus he is so talented and hardworking and humble 🥺🥺 and i will stop myself before i fangirl for too long but lmk if u do want to fangirl hehehe

[drarryruinedme7]

Hi hun! Congrats on the 400 followers.🌹 May I ask for a Drarry babysitting Teddy Lupin?

Hey there @harrypotterfanfictionwriter! Here I am, I tried to write something for your prompt and I hope you’ll like it!! 💗Many thanks to my beta @keyflight790 and my always supporting alpha/beta/friend @rockmarina ❤️.

Drarry | Rating: General | Word count: 2.8K | Tags: babysitting Teddy, redeemed Draco Malfoy, boys in love, first kiss | READ IT ON AO3.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

The first time they met there, it was weird.

Harry entered Andromeda’s house with a little package in his hands and halted abruptly on the doorstep.

“Dromeda… why is Teddy’s hair so…” Harry struggled to find a word until nothing better than, “Malfoy-ish?” came to his mind.

His step-aunt snorted, shaking her head lightly. “Don’t you think he looks cute with this platinum blond?”

Harry regarded Teddy more closely. The kid was now looking expectantly at the package in Harry’s hands. He kinda did look pretty with blond hair, but that wasn’t the point. He opened his mouth to reply when none other than Draco Malfoy appeared on the stairway that led to the second floor of the house.

Harry’s hands tightened around the wrapping of Teddy’s present and his eyes snapped to Andromeda. She was apparently concentrated on knitting some sort of coloured scarf and wasn’t paying attention to the fact that a former Death Eater happened to be in her house.

Malfoy caught Harry’s eye and just stepped into the living room, silently approaching Teddy and sitting next to him. He made Teddy’s magical marbles dance around him, eliciting heartfelt laughter from him.

From Harry’s godson. Like Harry wasn’t even there. Like Harry wasn’t even a big deal.

No. Draco Malfoy couldn’t just ignore him.

“What are you doing here, exactly?” Harry tried to convey as much spite as he could, but Malfoy simply raised his head and grinned.

He fucking grinned.

“Playing with my cousin. Do you want to join us?”

Teddy turned his head to Harry too, and his hair became almost black as he stretched his hands towards him. “Up!”

Harry was staring in horror at this strange version of Draco Malfoy. He knew he had changed since the War, he’d seen him earlier that week at the restoration of Hogwarts and he’d received his letter of apology, but surely this was a step too far.

Trying to gather his control, Harry left the package on the floor, next to the marbles, and picked Teddy up, lifting him above his head and peppering his face with kisses.

With Teddy laughing in his arms, Harry kneeled next to Malfoy and tried to smile at him. If he could be civil, Harry certainly couldn’t be any less.

He thought again about Malfoy’s offer. Did he want to join them?

“Well… let’s see if Teddy likes what I bought him.” He unwrapped the package, revealing a big stuffed horse doll enchanted to gallop an overexcited Teddy around the house.

Harry let his eyes drift towards Malfoy, who was watching Teddy on his new toy, clapping his hands and laughing. Without taking his eyes off Teddy, Malfoy said, “He’s lucky to have you as a godfather, you know.”

Harry’s world must have turned upside down, because there was no way he’d heard that right. Ignoring the way his heart was vibrating in every fibre of his body, Harry scrambled for something to say, anything. He took a marble and fidgeted with it. “Erm, these are beautiful. Did you buy them?”

Malfoy nodded, offering him a soft smile again. Harry had no idea what to think — this version of Malfoy was making him nervous and he couldn’t guess how to deal with it. When Teddy came back to his marbles, they all played together and Harry was surprised to realise he was having a great time with Malfoy, who was surprisingly good with Teddy; gentle and patient.

Their time together flew by and soon it was evening. Andromeda tried to insist that Malfoy stay over for dinner, but he refused, saying he had to go back to his mother. Malfoy’s No left a bittersweet pang of disappointment in Harry’s chest, and a plea to remain almost escaped his lips.

He managed to hold it in and walked Malfoy to the door, gripping his hand quickly to bid him farewell and closing the door behind himself. When he turned towards Dromeda, she raised an eyebrow at him and a corner of her mouth lightly quirked up.

It was the closest thing to a smile Harry saw on her face since the War was over.

—–

The second time, Harry was less prepared than the first one, if that was even possible.

He was late, he always was. He entered Andromeda’s running, barely closing the door behind himself and sprinting towards Teddy’s room. He almost missed her “Hi, Harry!” in his haste to reach Teddy… and Malfoy. He needed to be certain he met the real Malfoy the last time and not just a faker but kinder… well, also, more handsome, version of him. The whole thing stank to Harry.

As soon as he reached the door to Teddy’s room, he slowed down. A soft whisper from inside the room made heat pool in Harry’s stomach…  

When the dog bites

When the bee stings

When I’m feeling sad

I simply remember my favorite things

And then I don’t feel so bad

Someone was singing… someone that definitely sounded like Malfoy and whose voice was so deep that Harry’s chest felt tight. Without thinking too much, he pushed the door slowly open to find Malfoy standing in the centre of the room. Teddy, with bright blond hair, tears in his eyes, but relaxed in Malfoy’s hug.

Harry’s breath faltered and goosebumps ran down his spine while Malfoy turned his head, nodding to Harry, still delicately singing…

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with strings

These are a few of my favorite things

All Harry could do was stand there and smile, while Teddy’s hair slowly changed to his brand black. When standing there simply staring at Malfoy became too awkward, Harry approached them and gently kissed Teddy’s cheek.

“Hi,” Malfoy whispered. It was so new to hear him whisper, that Harry almost forgot who they were and where they came from. “He was crying, searching for his Mummy… but I think he’s calmer now.”

Harry felt something heavy drop in his stomach at those words, making his eyes sting and he threaded his fingers in Teddy’s hair. He replied whispering as Malfoy did. “You’re good with him, he looks so at peace… and — ” Harry chewed on his bottom lip. Was he really about to say it? “And your voice is soothing… it’s, um, sweet when you sing.”

They shared a look and Harry saw Malfoy’s cheeks gaining a deeper colour. Harry stared at him, thinking once again he had no idea who this guy standing in front of him was. Space and time seemed different when they were together at Dromeda’s with Teddy. And he let himself believe they really could be someone else, something different.

“Thanks, Harry.” Malfoy’s eyes widened before he quickly added, “Can I call you Harry?”

He didn’t have to think about the reply. “Of course, you can, Draco.”

When dinner time neared, Draco politely refused again Andromeda’s invite, greeting them at the doorstep, promising he’d stay next time.

Harry daydreamed about that next time, about them chatting over dinner, laughing, telling funny anecdotes with Teddy, maybe even talking more serious stuff, something about the War? How they were dealing with the aftermaths?

He was gazing absent-mindedly into the void when Andromeda playfully shook him. “You get along well, after all, Harry.” Her voice seemed to have a hopeful tone, rather than the flat one she had assumed after the Final Battle.

Harry felt his face on fire. Sighing deeply, he just smiled. “I guess we do.”

—–

The third time they met there, Harry knew it, it was planned. So, he should have been more prepared. But he wasn’t.

He and Draco still met during Hogwarts restoration, but there they were their old selves. Draco called him ‘Potter’, almost never approached him, keeping a distance, maintaining a cold stance.

That’s why he was so nervous when he arrived at Dromeda’s. Draco still hadn’t arrived, so Andromeda left the instructions about where to find food, how to change diapers, the right temperature for baby food and such, to Harry and then went out with Narcissa. They were trying to rebuild their relationship.

Harry was baking cookies with Teddy when Draco finally arrived. He showed a big grin to the two of them, covered with flour and chocolate, and joined them without a second thought.

The entire afternoon went smoothly, Draco calling him ‘Harry’, playing with Teddy, showing him magic, listening to Harry telling stories about Muggle life.

In the end, Teddy’s loving eyes convinced him to stay even for dinner.

All during their meal, they kept things light-hearted until they brought Teddy to bed. It was an incredibly intimate moment, where Harry felt all the warmth of a welcoming house, of love and caring for the little ones. Those feelings he never experienced as a child himself and would have never imagined sharing with Draco Malfoy.

When he was in his bed, Teddy yawned and looked at Draco with his eyes already half-closed, asking him to sing a lullaby. For the second time, Harry stayed mesmerized, listening to Draco, his voice reaching Harry’s soul and taking its space into his heart.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,

How I wonder what you are…

And it was in that moment that Harry knew it, he knew something was growing inside himself towards Draco that he couldn’t stop anymore, like a snowball picking up more and more snow in its fall, getting inescapably bigger as it rolls down.

When Teddy was fast asleep, they moved to the living room, waiting for Andromeda to come back. They sat on the couch before the hearth, a hot chocolate in their hands and a companionable silence between them.

After a while, Draco’s head slid on Harry’s shoulder and he couldn’t be silent anymore. He needed to ask, to know… “Do you ever – Are you…”

“I am sure you can articulate something even with your little Gryffindor brain,” Draco snarled, his hot breath tickling Harry’s collarbone.

“Ah-ah. No, I mean… I wanted to ask… are we friends?” Harry’s feet became so interesting all of a sudden that he found he couldn’t tear his eyes off of them, his cheeks burning, his throat drying.

Draco snorted, and Harry almost whined at the sensation on his neck. “Well, I hope so. I know I’ve done some shit, but…”

“Why don’t you ever talk to me at Hogwarts, then?” The question was out of his mouth before he could realise it.

Draco shifted his head, curling it even more into the crook of Harry’s neck, shutting his eyes closed so much Harry felt his eyelashes brushing his skin. His lips were dangerously close to Harry’s neck and his voice came out muffled. “I thought you didn’t want people to see you are friendly with me.”

Harry sucked in a breath. This wasn’t the answer he had expected. Actually, he didn’t know what he had expected. “Fuck ‘em,” was all he said, while with a hand he started to stroke Draco’s hair gently.

—–

It could have been the tenth or eleventh time — time passed in a blur when they were together — when Harry understood he could not escape his feelings anymore.

Harry entered the house with the warm trepidation that he learned to associate with Draco by now and as soon as he stepped foot in, Teddy ran in his arms, screaming with joy. “Harry! Dray surprise!!” pointing towards his room.

With Teddy on his shoulders, he reached the room, heart thrumming with excitement. But as much as that ‘Dray surprise’ could have made Harry imagine, when he entered his jaw dropped and his breath caught. The walls were animated by magical drawings all over, fairies, dragons, stars, planets, everything a kid can dream of was there, magnificently painted in meticulous details and vibrant colours.

But the sight that really stole Harry’s breath away was Draco crouched in front of the wider wall, a brush in his hand, completely splashed with paint, a concentrated frown on his face.

His entire body was vibrating; all he wanted to do was to reach Draco and kiss away his frown, strip him of his clothes, lick away the paint on his skin. Shaking his head, Harry cleared his throat and Draco turned, his frown quickly smoothing into an open happy face. “Erm, I think I got a bit carried away.”

“I think you’ll never stop surprising me, Draco. You can paint? This is gorgeous.”

Malfoy stood up, leaving the brush on the paint bucket. “I am full of surprises, Potter. You should know that at this point.” He smiled, flushing lightly and Harry’s stomach jolted.

“I know.” He lowered Teddy on the floor who ran to the paint bucket, meddling with his hands and squealing happily.

“Dray paint!”

Draco looked at him and pulled out his tongue jokingly. Teddy blew raspberries at him and ran away, calling Andromeda to show her Draco’s work.

Moving his gaze to the walls again, Draco sighed. “You know, I’ve charmed it.”

Harry’s eyebrows knitted together. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I drew some basic characters to adorn the walls, but the paint will change based on Teddy’s wanting and thoughts and on the stories I’ll tell him.” He smirked at Harry, looking smug. It sounded rather impressive, indeed.

“If you want, I can charm it so that it will change with your stories, too.”

“Sure, why not.” Harry looked amazed while Draco took his wand and muttered a spell he never heard before. With his wand still sparkling golden, he asked Harry, “I need you to tell anything, anything at all. It’s just to impress your voice with the magic in the paint of the walls.”

Harry felt embarrassment take over his body; he wasn’t the good one with stories, Draco always invented them and used the right words. He was clumsy and banal, but… an idea crossed his mind. He didn’t know how that would go, but it was worth a try.

“Okay… What about a story about two kids. They never got along when they were younger, on the contrary. You could define them enemies, but they had a lot in common. Born in different families with different circumstances, they quickly learned that they had a clearly defined path in front of their selves and that they couldn’t escape it.”

Harry stopped, taking a deep breath. Malfoy was looking at him with a perplexed face, but a little smile was pulling at his mouth.

“Well, they took completely different choices and they both regretted some of them. They faced evil and, in the end, they both survived. They are scarred now, they have suffered and lost loved ones… and after all this, they met again. From the ashes of their past, they met and slowly started to rebuild, to make good from it. And…”

Somewhere during Harry’s rambling, Draco must have reached him because they were now standing mere inches apart. His gaze held Harry’s. “And?”

“A-and… they… fell in love. I… think.”

Draco raised a hand and cupped the nape of Harry’s neck, lightly caressing it. He leaned his forehead on Harry’s and bumped their noses together, whispering, “They did. They did fall in love, didn’t they?”

Harry closed his eyes, caressed Draco’s hips, said, “I want to kiss you.”

“I’m not gonna stop you.”

When their lips sealed, Harry felt years of struggling, of pain, remorse, hatred, all dissipating, melting away in the heat of Draco’s mouth, in the sweetness of his tongue tracing the shape of his lips, in the kisses he peppered down his jaw, his ear.

After what felt like a lifetime, Draco bit down lightly on his earlobe, breathing, “Harry, open your eyes.”

The walls of Teddy’s room had changed to show a pile of ashes at the bottom of the wall and a giant phoenix arising from it, in a blaze of colours and sparks.

Draco started to hum close to Harry’s ear…

Wire-framed glasses and black messy hair

Big deep green eyes shine as brightly as emeralds

Lightning-bolt scar and he loves when I sing

These are a few of my favorite things…

[brindlestorm]

The Re-Election of Windclan

Another parody, finally! It’s actually been finished for a week now, but I haven’t had a chance to post it (Mobile sucks :P )

This is based off the song The Election of 1800 from the Hamilton Musical

Anywho, this takes place just before Mudclaw’s rebellion, enjoy!

[All:]

The re-election of Windclan!

[Leopardstar:]

Can we go back to our territories?

[Blackstar:]

Please?!

[Leopardstar:]

Meow

Every action has its equal and opposite reaction. 

Tallstar is slipping away,

I respect the tom,

But his mind's retracting

[Blackstar:]

And poor mourning Crowfeather,

He's missing the action.

[Both:]

And now Onewhisker has to face Mudclaw,

With his own faction.

(Scene changes to Firestar, Brambleclaw, and Onewhisker, discussing Windclan's sudden change in deputyship)

[Firestar:]

He has the support of your senior warriors, 

The elders like his chances.

[Brambleclaw:]

He is pretty vocal about all of his stances.

[Onewhisker:]

*Scoffs*

Ask him a question he answers only with violent retaliation.

And they say I love Thunderclan too much

At least they know I know there are debts to be paid.

[Firestar:]

Onewhisker, that's the problem, 

Windclan has no more debts to pay.

They think you're soft-

[Brambleclaw:]

But a key supporter may redeem you.

[Onewhisker:]

*sighs*

And who did you have in mind?

[Brambleclaw:]

Don't laugh

[Onewhisker:]

Who is it?

[Brambleclaw:]

He helped lead the clans down the mountain path

[Onewhisker:]

Whaaaaaaaat?

[Brambleclaw and Firestar]

It might be nice  It might be nice

To get Crowfeather on your side

It might be nice  It might be nice 

To get Crowfeather on your side 

(Scene changes to Mudclaw with various cats from all the clans)

[Mudclaw:]

Talk less! Fight more!

Don't let them know what you're  Against or what you're for

Patrol with him! Share tongues with her!

These are new territories,  Kits, tell your parents, t'cast stones for me!

[Various Windclan warriors, young and old:]

I never liked Tallstar 

Well, he's gonna die!

Don't be so grim.

And Onewhisker?

In love with Firestar!

Yeah, what's up with him?

[The queens:]

I like the old deputy, Mudclaw! Who could replace a cat like him?

[A young warrior:]

He's so powerful!

Like, you could catch a hawk with him!

[Windclan:]

Oh, mourning Crowfeather! Your fellow warriors would like to how you'll be casting

[Crowfeather:]

It's quiet up here.

[Windclan:]

Oh, mourning Crowfeather!

Tallstar's lost his mind So who are you supporting?

[Crowfeather:]

It's quiet up here.

[All:]

Onewhisker or Mudclaw  Onewhisker or Mudclaw 

We know it's lose-lose!

Onewhisker or Mudclaw  Onewhisker or Mudclaw 

But if you had to choose?

Oh, mourning Crowfeather  Tallstar's lost his mind. So who are you supporting?

But if you had to choose?

(Scene changes to Crowfeather padding up to Mudclaw on a moortop)

[Crowfeather:]

Well, if it isn't my old mentor!

[Mudclaw:]

Crowfeather!

[Crowfeather:]

You've created quite the stir, y'know

[Mudclaw:]

I'm going clan to clan!

[Crowfeather:]

You're openly recruiting?

[Mudclaw:]

Sure!

[Crowfeather:]

That's new.

[Mudclaw:]

Honestly, it's kind of draining

[Crowfeather:]

Mudclaw. 

[Mudclaw:]

Yes?

[Crowfeather:]

Is there anything you wouldn't do?

[Mudclaw:]

No. I'm fulfilling my destiny. And you know what?

[Crowfeather:]

What?

[Mudclaw:]

I learned that from you.

*****

(Scene change to the stones being cast)

[All (whispering quietly):]

If you had to choose If you had to choose

[Firestar:]

It’s a tie.

[All (a little louder):]

If you had to choose If you had to choose

[Barkface:]

It’s up to the other clans

(The rest of the clans vote, resulting in another tie)

[All :]

If you had to choose If you had to choose

(The medicine cats do a headcount and realize that they were missing the vote of a Windclan warrior)

[Firestar and Onewhisker:]

It’s up to Crowfeather!

(Crowfeather, bursts out of the bushes at that exact moment)

[Crowfeather:]

Meow!

My clanmates are asking to hear my voice! Windclan is facing a difficult choice.

And if you were to ask me who I'd support!

Onewhisker has my stone!

[Everyone:]

*gasps*

[Crowfeather:]

I have never agreed with Onewhisker once, But Mudclaw only answers on the battlefront!

But when all is said and all is done,

Onewhisker has beliefs. Mudclaw has none.

(With Crowfeather’s speech, all four clans participate in a revote)

[Everyone:]

Well, I’ll be damned

Well, I’ll be da-aa-amned.

[Firestar and Brambleclaw:]

Crowfeather’s on your side!

[Everyone:]

Well, I’ll be damned

Well, I’ll be da-aa-amned.

[Onewhisker:] (To Barkface)

And?

[Barkface:]

You won in a landslide!

(The crowd disperses, clans talking amongst themselves about the casting. Onewhisker pads up to Mudclaw and sits down with him)

[Onewhisker:]

Congrats on a race well fought. You did give me a run.

(Onewhisker tries to nudge Mudclaw good-naturedly, Mudclaw turns away)

[Mudclaw:]

Uh-huh.

(Onewhisker takes a deep breath and keeps talking)

[Onewhisker:]

I look forward to our partnership.

[Mudclaw:]

Our... Partnership?

(Onewhisker nods, his whiskers twitch in amusement)

[Onewhisker:]

With you as my deputy.

(Mudclaw mroaws in laughter)

[Mudclaw:]

Hahahahaha, yeah right.

(To his supporters)

You hear this cat?

He openly runs against me, Says he’ll look forward to me being his deputy.

[Onewhisker:]

(Is confused)

Shouldn’t the cat who comes in second Get to be deputy?

[Mudclaw:]

Well, you know what? I can change that!

Do you know why?

[Onewhisker:]

Why?

[Mudclaw:]

Because you don’t have your lives yet.

Onewhisker,  When you see Crowfeather...

You better thank him for that endorsement.

[lainelannister]

Jaime x Sansa season 8 divergent wedding night. Congrats on 700!

Title: And turn away your eyes

Author:  lainelannister

Ship(s):  Jaime/Sansa, Jaime/Cersei, non-con Sansa/Ramsay, implied Jaime/Brienne

Rating: M

Trigger Warning(s): References to Sansa’s past experiences with marital rape

Brief Summary:  If she forces herself to be honest, she’s very tired of doing favors for people. Show-verse AU.

Notes: The title of this story comes from “A Dream Lies Dead” by Dorothy Parker.

She agrees to the arrangement as a favor to Tyrion.

Honestly, she’s deeply fatigued by favors- she sometimes thinks she spends half her life offering assistance, providing support, granting boons.

And yet, no one ever clamors to do a favor for me.

But Lady Sansa Stark of Winterfell finds that she cannot refuse her one-time husband, not when he asks so earnestly…

Not when he needs this so desperately.

Although Sansa had clearly offered her hospitality to Ser Jaime and provided him with a safe haven out of her fondness for (and gratitude to) Brienne, Daenerys Targaryen still watches him with narrowed violet eyes, unambiguous loathing etched across her fair face. When Ser Jaime crosses the courtyard or steps into the stables, the enormous ink-black dragon hovers nearby, huffing steam through his nose as he stares…as he waits for some excuse (any excuse) to consume the golden-haired knight in a dazzling plume of flames.

“She accepts your declaration of sanctuary…for now,” Tyrion explained, a storm swirling through the contours and crevices of his expressive face. “But if you bring Jaime into your own family, he’s less likely to fall victim to an…accident.”

She’d opened her mouth to protest, but Tyrion continued, a wry edge of irony sharpening his tone:

“And just remember this: it shan’t last for very long.”

(News of King’s Landing arrives up north in a heavy delay, but they’ve still received word of Cersei Lannister’s tumultuous rule, and Daenerys hasn’t allowed the thought of White Walkers and ice demons to thwart her determination to claim the Iron Throne. The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms lives on borrowed time…and Sansa can’t imagine Cersei’s twin allowing his beloved sister to depart this world alone.)

No septons remain at Winterfell, so the marriage ceremony must take place in the godswood, under the auspices of the North’s ancient dieties. Sansa balks at this, balks at forcing the Old Gods of her father and ancestors to bear witness to this farce…

And yet she kneels on the cold ground, weaving the fingers of her right hand through those of Jaime’s left, and recites the proper words before the grim visage of the weirwood.

He’s spoken not a word to her since all this began, her now-husband. He knows well enough what to say during the ceremony- Jon presented him with a paraphrased version scrawled on a scrap of parchment a few days before. His hand lies still in her grasp, making no attempt at engagement…but his eyes remain alive, his gaze darting around the godswood until it rests on the lady knight of Tarth. For her part, Lady Brienne refuses to look at Jaime, keeping her own pretty blue stare firmly focused on the ground beneath her feet.

The feast (if it can be called a feast) passes in a rapid whirl, as both the bride and the bridegroom receive a steady stream of insincere congratulations. The silence between them hardens into stone- Sansa hears Jaime engaged in conversation with Tyrion, seated on his other side, and a terrifying burst of fury curdles her stomach. When the Imp approaches to bid her a good night, his face contrite as he courteously kisses her knuckles, she wishes for nothing more than the courage to drive those knuckles directly into his nose until Lannister-scarlet blood drips into his mouth and stains his whiskers.

And yet, she does nothing. She does nothing as the revelers disperse, she does nothing as Jaime finishes his dozenth mug of ale, and for several long moments, she does nothing as Jaime rises from the table and offers her his arm.

But somehow, some way, in the fullness of time, they reach her bedchambers. Perched on one side of her bed, Ser Jaime leans down to fumble at the ties to his boots with his left hand- Sansa watches, oddly transfixed, counting the moments to see how long the task will take-

Eighty-one, eighty-two, eighty-three…

Both boots finally slide free of his feet after the one-hundred-and-thirteenth count. He rises to place them beside the divan and pivots to address her, using his golden hand to gesture at the piece of furniture-

“I can sleep here tonight, my lady.”

“Little purpose to that, isn’t there?” she snaps, nearly startled by her own brusqueness (and embarrassed to recognize it as sheer bravado).

“Come here, please,” she requests, and he complies with only a momentary hesitation. Her heart hammers against her breastbone as she fully registers his close proximity- the warmth of his skin, the scent of his perspiration. She feels a sensation pulling and twisting and knotting through her chest and belly and head- a chill of panic seizes her spine, and memories rush unbidden through her skull- rough hands shoving her skirts up and smallclothes down, pressure from within and without, threatening to tear her asunder, Ramsay’s cruel smirk growing wider and brighter with each of her pained whimpers and quiet screams-

Vomit pulses through her throat and lands in her mouth, but she manages to stop it still and choke it back down.

“This doesn’t have to happen,” Jaime murmurs, his voice sounding leagues away. “Who will know?”

“We will,” she whispers in reply.

He’s confused, and she can hardly blame him. There’s nothing genuine here, it’s all a fragile, temporary shield, meant to guard Ser Jaime against death-by-dragonfire, just long enough to allow him access to a different sort of demise-

She’ll interrogate herself about this later, when the fighting’s done and Ser Jaime and his true love lie dead in each other’s arms. She’ll ask herself why she bothered to wrap her own arms around Jaime’s neck and hoist herself onto his lap. She’ll ask herself why she cradled her face into the crook of his shoulder and felt a warm flush of comfort when he placed his hands- both gold and flesh-and-blood- on the small of her back. She’ll ask herself why she reached down to awkwardly unlace his trousers and nudge her smallclothes down her legs, leaving them looped around one ankle.

But she knows exactly why she frowns at the sight of his troubled emerald-green stare, why she utters a command that clearly brings them an equal measure of relief-

“Keep your eyes closed.”

[bedbellyandbeyond]

Dropping By

(Story Post; Art at End)

“Dusty?” Lino grinned. “Been a while! What's up?” The last person Lino expected at his door that evening was the demon. He hadn’t seen him since Fay and Dari’s wedding despite having tried to catch up with him. He’d asked Dante if Dusty was ever around but his brother shut any conversations like that down pretty quickly. Asking Syd resulted in not much more than an acknowledgment that the demon was still alive but taking time to himself and even Fay didn’t seem to be in contact with him. Now for him to arrive out of the blue with a toddler on the hip, Lino was rather surprised though no less pleased.

“Oh um, I was looking for Dante but he didn’t answer the door, so…” Dusty said trailing off motioning to the next door over. “Yeah, they're out for date night,” Lino said. “We're watching the kids. Come in, yeah?” “Oh, uh, thanks,” Dusty said hoisting his little one on his hip as he walked in. “It's good to see you again.” “Vi!” Lino called into the house. “It's Dusty!” Vi came out of the kitchen with an apron and oven mitts on. The children were swarming him, Kidd holding on to his pant leg while the triplets ran around chasing Marco who had both cookie dough laden whips from a hand mixer. “Dusty. Good to see you again.” Dusty nodded. “You too.” “Who’s this little tyke, hm?” Vi asked. “That's a baby!” Skylar said stopping her chase to point. “I wanna hold the baby!” “This is Grey,” Dusty said setting his son down on the floor. The toddler immediately hid behind his leg. “He got my shyness, the poor thing. I want him to make friends.” “So you've been busy since we last saw you,” Lino said. “Congrats.” “Yeah, Grey was a real game changer…” “Tell me about it,” Lino said, lifting Kidd out of the swarm. “Whole new life. Right, kiddo?” Kidd giggled and hugged their Dad. “Mama's making cookies!” “Yeah, I know. I was helping,” Lino said tousling his child's hair. “You should be helping too, you little rugrat.” “I made flour!” “You did not make flour. The flour comes pre-made.” “I made it.” “Right.” Dusty suddenly started sniffling and the adults turned to see what was going on. “Are you alright?” Vi asked removing his oven mitts to go take Dusty's arm. “I'm sorry… I've just been holding it in…” Dusty sniffled, wiping at his nose. “I shouldn’t make a scene… I don’t want to cry in front of the children…” “No, no, no… It's alright. Come, let’s go sit in the living room,” Vi said rubbing his back. “Lino, watch the children?” “Yeah huh.” Dusty let Vi guide him into the living room and down onto the couch. Vi handed him a box of tissues and he blew his nose. “Now, what's this all about?” Vi asked. “You can talk to me.” Dusty cleared his face a bit first before answering. “S-So… I've been living with Syd as you know but Syd doesn’t like kids, so when Grey came along, Syd's been telling me I have to get a job and find my own place… But I'm not really good at anything so I couldn’t find one… I thought once Syd got to, you know, bond with Grey, things would get better, but Syd got fed up actually…” “So they kicked you out?” Vi asked. “Syd had to go back to Europe for a couple weeks on business, so they decided it'd be best I leave at the same time…” “You poor elk—” “It's dear!” Lino called from the kitchen. “And not the animal kind!” “Right… Poor dear.” Vi tilted his head. “Is Sydryn Grey's parent?” Dusty looked down. “I don’t really want to talk about that…” “Well, Sydryn's or not, kicking out a parent and child is no laughing matter,” Vi said. “No child should go homeless. You both should stay with us.” Dusty's eyes widened. “You're kidding. I couldn’t…” “Well if you don’t have anywhere else, then you should,” Vi said. “We have a spare bedroom.” He got up and called to the kitchen. “Lino, what do you think of Dusty staying here with us for a while?” “Really? Absolutely!” Lino came into the living room with Grey. “Vi, look!” He put the boy on the couch beside his boyfriend and separated a part in Grey’s hair. “He has teeny little horns!” Vi chuckled a little. “A graduation then. From hatchling to sproutling.” “Sproutling?” Dusty inquired. “I like that… When demons start bearing horns, we just call it the trouble stage.” “It truly is,” Vi said. “Kidd has not yet succeeded in budding, but it is possible they never will, given their human ancestry. Lino hopes they bud but I’m not holding my breath… Budding’s worse than teething I find…” “Ah, well demon genetics are dominant so should a demon child have a human parent, they’ll still be full demon,” Dusty said. “That’s like Fay!” Lino pointed out. “He said the children of mermaid’s are always mermaids. But wait, what if a demon and a mermaid got together then? Who’d win?” Dusty blinked. “…I don’t know. I never thought about it.” “If you’re looking for someone new, you should have Fay hook you up,” Lino said. “He’s a great matchmaker.” “Oh, um… I don’t think so,” Dusty said. “Thank you though.” Grey crawled across the couch to sit in Dusty's lap. Dusty took him up against his chest and rubbed his back. “I miss when Kidd was that small,” Vi said. “Kidd's still small,” Lino said. “I can lift them with one arm. Wanna see?” “Please don’t,” Vi said. “Last time you accidentally dropped them in the pool.” “It wasn’t an accident, I was teaching the Captain to swim.” “Yulinians inherently have the ability to swim,” Vi said. “Well, Kidd's half me and my Dad threw me in the pool too. It's how you learn. And Kidd doesn’t have your gills.” “So then don’t drop them in the pool!” Skylar ran up to Dusty and put her hands on his knees. “Can we play with the Grey?” Dusty sat up and pet Grey’s head. “What do you think, Grey? Do you want to go play with, um… What’s your name, sweetheart?” “I’m Sky!” Skylar said bouncing up and down. “My brothers are Marco and Rowan!” “Such lovely names,” Dusty said. “Grey, do you want to play with Sky, Marco and Rowan?” Grey shook his head quickly. “Oh, come on, buddy… You should play,” Dusty said. “Grey, look at this!” Skylar said, popping a pair of dog ears out of the top of her head and sprouting a puppy nose and whiskers. Grey’s eyes widened and reached for her ears. “Kitty!” Skylar frowned. “No, I’m a puppy!” With that she fully transformed into her little shiba state and wagged her tail. Grey got up quickly to go pet her and the other triplets changed to get pet as well, rubbing up against him and giving him kisses. Dusty smiled watching them. “You love animals, don’t you Grey? I love seeing him this happy. Syd has so many pets but they didn’t like Grey touching them…” “We’re not pets!” Marco said changing back to huff. “Oh, I know that sweetheart,” Dusty said. “I didn’t mean to imply you were. I was only talking about the animals at my friend’s house.” “Syd doesn’t sound much like a friend right now,” Vi said. Dusty shook his head quickly. “It’s not like that, honest. Syd’s just different. I know they weren’t doing this to be mean. They’re just very socially uncomfortable. Frankly it’s a surprise they even let me stay with them for so long. I’m rather honoured really. But it really was my time to go… I just wish I was more prepared.” Vi frowned but didn’t want to argue it. “I still think they’re in the wrong for pushing you out. You don’t do that to friends.” “Well… Syd’s my friend and I respect their boundaries,” Dusty said. “I’d rather not speak down about them since they're not here to defend themselves.” “I understand…” Grey sat down to let the pups snuggle up to him. He yawned and rested his head on Rowan’s which made the pup squirm out from under him and let his head fall to the carpet. Grey got a little bonk from it and started sniffling so Dusty intervened, picking him up. “Ooh, you bumped your head, buddy. It’s okay,” Dusty said giving him and kiss. “Someone’s getting tired…” “Rowan,” Vi said. “Please apologise.” “He was squishing me,” Rowan said turning back. “You’re a big boy. You weren’t being squished,” Vi said. “Apologise please.” Rowan pouted and looked down. “I’m sorry…” “It’s really alright. Grey’s not hurt,” Dusty said. “Grey, you can’t just lie your head down on others though when you’re tired. Please say sorry to Rowan too.” Grey pouted. “Sorry…” “It’s okay…” Rowan said. “We can’t play anymore?” Skylar asked switching back last. Dusty nodded. “Yeah, he's getting tired and cranky…” “Aw, no fair…” Marco pouted. “Yeah,” Rowan agreed. “I want to play chase.” “I'm sure you'll all get a turn to play with Grey,” Vi said. “They'll be staying here for a little while.” “Really?” Rowan asked. “Yay! More people to play with!” Marco said. “Yeah, yeah, and it's getting to your bed time,” Lino said. The triplets immediately scattered. “Not if you can’t find us!” “Ruben told you not to use the b-word,” Vi sighed, getting up to go look for the pups. “Yeah, yeah… You find them. I'm gonna help get Dusty settled in.” He placed a hand on the demon's shoulder. “You got any luggage?” “Yeah… Syd let me use their car while they're away,” Dusty said getting up. “I can bring my stuff in if you hold Grey.” “Naw, naw, I'll get the bags,  Don’t worry,” Lino said. “Just give me the keys.” “Okay. My bag's in the trunk,” Dusty said handing over the keys and following him out. “…Are you sure Dante will be okay with this?” “Nope. But his opinion doesn’t matter much in my house.” “Ah, okay…” Dusty held the door open as Lino brought in his suitcase. Grey was starting to nod off as against his chest but he whined as he resisted sleep. “You're so stubborn… It's bed time, Grey.” “We still have Kidd's toddler bed you can use,” Lino said as they came back inside. “The spare room's upstairs.” “Thank you, but the bed isn't necessary,” Dusty said. “Grey sleeps in my bed with me.” “Suit yourself.” The spare room was a good size, smaller than at Syd's but still comfortable. There were a couple of boxes and documents on the bed but Lino started clearing them out. “You can use the closet and whatever for your stuff. Make yourself at home.” “You're so kind,” Dusty said, setting Grey down on the the bed. “You know you don’t have to do anything for me.” “I'd do anything for family,” Lino stated. Dusty frowned. “But…we're not related.” “I wasn’t talking about you,” Lino said. “I'm talking about Grey.” Dusty paused. “I don’t know what you mean.” Lino sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, you can fool Vi, that's easy, but I've seen my brother's face nearly every day for my entire life. I know this is his kid.” Dusty gritted his teeth. “That's absurd.” “Is it?” Lino said. “You came here looking for Dante. You were going to tell him you had his kid and you're homeless and you were hoping that he'd let you back into his life for the sake of his child.” Dusty was shaking and balling his fists. “I've never slept with Dante. You can ask him. He'd tell you the same.” Lino raised his hands. “Look, I believe you. But you're also a demon. You're like magic and all that… I bet you don’t even have to sleep with him to get pregnant. Maybe shake hands…or touch butts or something.” Dusty was completely shaken. He started tearing up and was having trouble keeping form again. “I…I didn’t mean to.” Lino shook his head and gave Dusty a hug. “It's alright. I'm not trying to shame you or anything and I'm not mad. I'm letting you stay here, right? Why would I do that if I was upset with you?” “But really, why are you doing this for us?” Dusty asked, tears still streaming down his cheeks. “I'll probably only get you in trouble…” Lino shrugged. “I'm an adult. I can handle myself. And Fay trusts you and I know he has a personal vendetta against demons so…” “You know about that?” “Yeah, he's, like, my best friend. He tells me everything.” Dusty nodded. “Okay… Thank you, Lino.” “Also you can like do that teleporting thing and that'll be fucking great for getting groceries,” Lino added. Dusty chuckled and wiped his eyes. “Yeah… I can do that.” Seeing his father start to cry, Grey started crying and was reaching for Dusty so he picked him up. Lino patted the boy's head. “This pink doesn’t look so natural,” Lino said. “Is this for Syd or something?” Dusty nodded, waving a hand over Grey's face. His hair, eyes, and skin all changed colour. Hair shifted from pink to grey, skin from light grey to a light tan, and eyes from pink to blue. “Wow, yeah, if my brother sees those eyes, he'll know something's up,” Lino said. “Are you going to tell him?” “I intended to…” Dusty said. “But, now I'm scared. I don’t want to get between him and his family. His kids are really sweet. I don’t want to disrupt their lives.” “You don’t want to be a home-wrecker. I get that,” Lino said. “But he'll probably find out anyway…” “I should still tell him. It's his son after all. I just need the right time.” Lino nodded watching as Grey started falling asleep against his father. “Why'd you wait this long to tell him?” “I don’t know…” Dusty sat down on the bed. “I was scared and I was mad… But when I found out I was pregnant with Grey, he made me so happy. I thought he was all I needed. I thought I could dedicate my energy to him and make a good life for us. But I couldn’t find a job so I couldn't get my own place… And now here we are.” “Geez, dude…” Lino patted his back. “That's rough.” “For now, um…” Dusty looked at Lino. “This might be too much, but could you maybe not tell Dante I'm here?” “Uh…” Lino rubbed the back of his own neck. “Well, I could try but, like, my door isn’t locked to them… And his kids have already seen you and Grey. You're all they're gonna talk about when their parents get home.” “That's true… I guess I'll just have to face it…” Dusty said. “Well, for now…” Lino got up. “They'll be out late so we'll be putting the triplets to bed tonight. You should probably rest too and sleep on what you want to tell Dante tomorrow.” “Yes. I like that. Thank you Lino.” “We already had dinner but if you're hungry, Vi can make something.” “No, I'm fine. We ate out. I think I'll just retire for tonight.” “You sure? We were baking too.” “No, it's alright. If there's any left tomorrow, I'll grab a bite.” “Suit yourself. I'll set aside a couple cookies because chances are they won’t get past the pack of dogs down there if I don’t.” “Okay. Thank you, Lino. Really.” “No problem. Good night.”

[ardentmuse]

That’s Charlie fic you’re writing right now? Good shit if I do say so myself and I do say so myself. Anyways congrats on 1k!! 🎃-Harry Potter

I ship you with Sirius!

Sirius is the kind of guy who is always looking for a good time. And boy did he find it with you. Together, you are a force of amusement and just a little chaos. In you, Sirius has found a best friend, someone to tease and joke with, someone to create laughter and joy, and someone to go to in times of stress. Sirius first found your friendship as a form of escapism from his horrible home life. You were a safe space to forget all the negative emotions, to experience the pure joy of just being.

But when things got particularly bad at home, he found that you were more than just a partner in his schemes but a full-blown support network. You were a place to rest his head as he cried, a hug when he felt his chest constricting in tears, an ear to listen and provide advice when necessary, and most important a calm to the storm that was his mind.

After months of sadness, Halloween gave Sirius the reprieve to enjoy some good old foolishness again. You decided to dress up for your classes mimicking your favorite professors. It was the first time in a long time that Sirius laughed as McGonagall took a look upon your robes and hat and the small cat whiskers you had drawn on your cheeks. And that night, you snuck into the Forbidden Forest. Sirius told horror stories to you and the rest of the marauders over an open fire and you ended the night wrapped in his arms. As the fire died down and the moon became your only source of light, Sirius kissed your brow and thanked you for allowing him to just be a boy once again, a boy desperately in love with the person in his arms.

Lia’s 1k Celebration

(Thanks!! I am loving writing this new series so I am so glad you enjoy reading it)

[12setsofchopsticks]

A Post About Goldfish

To be clear: we are talking about the animal, not the delcious cheesy snack.

So. Kingyo--or Goldfish as we say in English--are my favorite animals. I’ve always kept them as pets and loved watching them in ponds. However, since moving to Japan I haven’t quite had the resources to start up my own tank. Sad!

Luckily, Japan loves goldfish too and I’ve had a whole bunch of really cool opportunities to see some really beautiful fish!

To give you a better understanding of my favorite fish, let me tell you a few things about them (For the sake of this blog post, I won’t be talking in scientific terms but will instead use more common language)! The first thing you have to understand about goldfish is that there are essentially three different “kinds” of goldfish that you typically see. Those kinds are:

Common goldfish, Fancy goldfish, and Koi

Common goldfish

(PSA to please not put your goldfish in a bowl like this!)

Common goldfish are exactly what you think they are. Just your regular orange fish, although they do range in color from black to olive to pale yellow and white and everything in between. These are the guys that you see at pet stores for about 15 cents each and they tend to have an (unfair!) reputation of being short-lived and disposable. This is probably because, due to their hardiness, availability and price, they are often used as feeder fish—meaning if you have a hungry predator pet (like a turtle) that requires live food to survive, you probably go to Petco a few times a month and stock up on those 15 cent lil guys. However, given the right conditions (AKA if your lil buddy is living in the proper sized aquarium rather than a miserable existence in one of those so-called “goldfish bowls”), it is not unheard of for regular goldfish to live many years and sometimes grow to obscenely and unusually large sizes. 

In Japan, these fish are also famously featured in the festival game 金魚すくい, 金魚掬い( Kingyo-sukui), which means “goldfish scooping.” It’s a common game for children where they use a paper net to catch as many goldfish as they can before the paper deteriorates in the water. 

Whatever the children can catch in bowl, they can then take home as their prize! I played this game once and it was a lot of fun, but surprisingly difficult. I did catch myself a friend, but I decided to release it back into the pool with the other fish because I didn’t have a cozy tank for it to come home to!

Fancy goldfish

Oh, these guys are my little loves! Fancy goldfish is kind of an overhead term that is actually comprised of many different varieties of strange-looking goldfish! They have been selectively bred over hundreds of years of fishkeeping to accentuate various bizarre deformations such as bulging eyes, brain-like growths on their heads, and many other unusual traits. However, almost all fancy goldfish can be distinguished by their split “fantail” and more egg-shaped body compared to their common cousins. Similarly to their common cousins, though, fancy goldfish also come in a vibrant multitude of colors, but my favorites are the red and orange ones. While some varieties of fancy goldfish appear kind of ugly and alien-looking, others can be supremely beautiful. I just love these little suckers.

These are the kinds of goldfish that I love keeping, partly because they are truly stunning fish, but also because they have really wonderful personalities (and YES, fish CAN have personalities!). Here is a picture of my beloved pet fancy goldfish (Ryukin variety!), Lips, may god rest his fishy soul RIP.

Fancy goldfish are everywhere in Japanese culture, specifically in art. I often see them on stationary, fans, and other textiles as well and, of course, I always buy things with goldfish on them because I am a huge sucker. Recently, I was super lucky to actually catch a fancy goldfish ART EXHIBIT with Shota!! It was called the Artaquarium (he really knows the way to my heart) and it was so so cool!! 

There were dozens of really intricate aquarium tanks with different species of fancy goldfish (there were other kinds of fish too) and I was super fangirling out over them. I don’t think Shota knew what the difference between a telescope eye goldfish and a celestial eye goldfish is (spoiler: Telescopes have bulging eyes that face outward whereas Celestials have bulging eyes that face upwards) but agreed that it was an awesome exhibit.

Koi goldfish

Finally, we have Koi. These are the super big and beautiful fish that you often see in garden ponds. While koi look just like bigger goldfish, they are actually considered an entirely different species that common and fancy goldfish! It’s true that they are both in the same family—goldfish and koi are both species of carp—however, their ancestral heritages are not at all the same! Goldfish were developed nearly two thousand years ago in ancient China by selectively breeding Prussian carp. Koi, on the other hand, were developed in Japan from the common carp and became a popular hobby in the 1820s. Today, there are over 20 recognized varieties!

SO, what is the physical difference? Well, of course if you have ever seen koi fish in a Japanese garden, you might know how enormous they can get. On average, a koi can reach up to about 3.3 feet in length, but goldfish, which are generally smaller, usually only grow to about a foot in length. Koi also have little whisker-like things called barbles at the corner of their mouths which they use to sift around the bottoms on ponds. Koi fish also have a reputation for being much longer-lived than their common and fancy cousins—likely due to the fact that people who have koi often keep them in large ponds with adequate filtration where they can live a happy life mucking about in the silt and detritus, versus your regular carnival fish that you put in a makeshift bowl made from a two-liter bottle of diet coke (yes I did this, but we all make mistakes). Generally, koi have a lifespan of around 50 years but with proper care they can live to be over 100 years old; the oldest koi fish on record was a fish named Hanako who lived to a be a whopping 225 years old! Maybe you are thinking that I am “full of carp” (LOL) because there is no way a fish could live that long! BUT her age was scientifically verified by counting the rings on her scales, similar to how you would count the rings on a tree to determine it’s age.

One time, I was with some friends of mine wandering around a part of Tokyo called Ueno and we just happened upon this enormous and wonderful KOI SHOW. Like, it was this whole giant area filled with 50 gallon tubs of water that all had between one and three koi in them and it was marvelous. 

These koi were slightly different than your run-of-the-mill koi that you might see in any old pond—these were competition-bred, show quality koi, meaning that, rather than the <$10 you might pay at a pet store, these guys can fetch a price tag anywhere between $1,000-$10,000. Of course, many things can affect this price, like color, pattern, age, and size. The most expensive koi fish was sold for today’s equivalent of 2.2 MILLION DOLLARS. Let that number sink in for a second. That’s the cost of my college education EIGHTY TIMES; or the cost of a house in my hometown—and a really nice one at that. Not sure if there were any fish of quite that caliber at this event I found myself at, but damn, that must have been some fish.

CONCLUSION / LIFE UPDATE 

OKAY so now y’all know everything about goldfish. Congrats on making it through this post, it took me a long time to write. SO LONG, in fact, that I have a very important edit/announcement to make since I began writing this post, and it’s that I finally splurged and got MY OWN fish tank here in Tokyo! Its 60 liters (Liters? What are those?) and it’s the new forever home for two very genki ryukin goldfish. The red and orange one is named Shippo, which means ‘tail’ in Japanese and the little calico is named Sprinkles, which means ‘jimmies’ in Bostonian. They are both slightly (re: very) naughty and love messing up my plants and have also eaten every cleaner shrimp that I have attempted to introduce into the tank ecosystem.

Welcome home, fellas!

[ravenclawwtower]

Wooh congrats Spence! I'm stuck at home with a migraine so I'm not at work which sucks. I'm not feeling that great, but it's also my bro's 21st birthday so that's pretty cool. Also I just ate a chocolate so now I'm a little happier. White chocolate is my fav. I recommend you go check out @lunalovey *or just like, search any HP blog name you know we're all great* also I have problems with naming my fav characters so that's not gonna work out *cough lily/harry/ginny cough* (I have problems)

Oh no. I hope your migraine got better. And I hope your bro had a happy birthday. ( @lunalovey you have a fan)

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