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spine-buster · 4 years ago

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The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 16

A/N: Y’all this chapter is TEN THOUSAND WORDS DON’T EVEN @ ME YOU’RE WELCOME AND *STANLEY TUCCI VOICE* GIRD YOUR LOINS

January 9th, 2020

Aberdeen Bloom was going to go insane.

This was, perhaps, going to be the busiest day of her life thus far. This morning was the outdoor practice in Nathan Phillips Square. She and Peter were responsible for co-ordinating the photographers, videographers, and the team to get down to Nathan Phillips Square. Once there, Aberdeen was responsible for helping to manage every single every single member of the media who were attending and covering the event, as well as Mayor John Tory and all the wives and girlfriends in attendance. And though she had the afternoon off to get ready, tonight was the Night With the Blue and White, the organization’s biggest and most important event of the season. She’d been studying the guest list for weeks, making sure Brendan would know – or at least pretend to know, thanks to her – every guest in attendance, and Peter was doing the same thing for Kyle. She’d even bought a new dress and shoes for the occasion – fancier than anything she’d ever bought. She knew that a lot of important and influential people would be there donating their money to the MLSE Launchpad initiatives around the city. They were even hosting a grade three class of one of the schools who benefitted from the programs. It was going to be busy, but hopefully fun.

There were cameras everywhere. Aberdeen knew she’d probably get caught on a few of them, news ones or otherwise, but today, she didn’t care. There were more important things on her mind. Brendan was expecting a lot from her, and she knew she had to deliver. She knew she could deliver.

When she had everything she needed from the office, she made her way down to the locker room. She entered quietly as she saw all the guys in their long johns and extra base layers, listening to Keefe and Hakstol as they explained how the outdoor practice was going to be organized into teams and tournaments and points. The energy from the guys was palpable and she could feel it within herself, too. Cameras were already filming. She saw William, already with his balaclava on, flash a peace sign to the camera pointed at him.

When the guys began to put on their gear, she watched Brendan make his way across the room. He was already wearing his peacoat and scarf. “You ready?” he asked.

“As ready as I can be,” she smiled.

“Here, wear this,” he said, handing her a knit Leafs toque, the same one all the guys were wearing as well. “You’re gonna need it. It’s freezing out there.”

Aberdeen put the hat on as Brendan held her clipboard for her. After adjusting it, she looked up at him. “How do I look?”

If this was William asking the question to her, she would have come up with some smart aleck remark – a Costco hot dog or a bottle of Tums in assorted berries flavour. But because it was Brendan, he said something much nicer. “Like you’re a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs,” he smiled. It almost made her swoon. “Now let’s get this party started, shall we?”

***

“Devon! Devon! Your slot is up to interview John as he’s walking. You cameraman is ready to go live in ten.”

“Carrie, stick with Travis for now. Goat? Where’s Goat? We need him for the French interview.”

“Gerry, you can interview Kyle now, but you only have two minutes.”

Aberdeen was practically skipping to keep up with all the players and media walking through the Toronto streets as they made their way to a full Nathan Phillips Square. She didn’t have long strides like these hockey boys did with her short little legs. She noticed all the interviewers being where they needed to be to go live and let out a sigh of relief. Walking through the streets of Toronto, going on the subway, and having fans, constructions workers, commuters, and more stop the guys left, right and centre for autographs and pictures and selfies was one thing, but once they got to the actual square, with all the media, it was going to be mayhem.

And she needed to make sure they had Tim Horton’s cups around.

All the guys filed into the square, high fiving the waiting fans who were now screaming at their arrival before they went to the bench and started to put on their skates. Once they were all there and accounted for (Aberdeen honestly felt like she was on a school trip; she didn’t know how her mother did this with six year olds when she could barely corral a bunch of grown men), she made her way towards where the media was waiting. Peter was already there.

“Okay everyone!” he screamed out. Nobody heard him. “Everyone!” he screamed out again, louder this time, but still nobody heard him. “Journalists!” he tried one more time.

“HEY!!!!!” Aberdeen screamed at the top of her lungs. Every journalist and cameraperson there turned silent and looked her way. Peter looked at her in shock, not knowing she was capable of such a volume. “Alright! Listen up! You each have a designated station to place your cameras. You are to stay in your station throughout the practice and not encroach on the space of the others! Journalists and videographers, you’re following Peter who will lead you to your stations, where you are to remain until practice is finished, where you will then go into the media scrum! Photographers, you are going to follow me and I will lead you to your stations. Is everybody clear?!”

Everyone nodded their heads and divided themselves easily, with Aberdeen leading the photographers one way and Peter leading the journalists and videographers another. When she got back to her original spot, that’s when she saw John Tory. “Mr. Mayor! Hello! I’m Aberdeen Bloom, Brendan Shanahan’s executive assistant,” she smiled and shook his hand. She noticed he was wearing a Leafs varsity jacket. “Follow me, sir. You get the sweet spot behind the bench.”

“You know, I look forward to this event every year,” he made small talk with her as they began walking. “Did you say you were Brendan’s personal assistant?”

“Yes sir. Although after getting the team on the subway and over here, I feel like I’m herding cats,” she joked.

John Tory laughed. He’d laughed at a dumb joke she made. Her dad would be so proud of her. He’d probably brag at the next dinner party he and Orla had. “You’re very lucky, Aberdeen. I bet a million people would kill for your job.”

“I agree, sir.” Aberdeen tapped Brendan’s shoulder to get him to turn around. “Mr. Mayor, Mr. Shanahan, I’m sure you’re well acquainted.”

The two men shook hands. Brendan focused his attention quickly on Aberdeen. “Would you mind meeting Jennifer Spezza and waiting for the others?”

Aberdeen nodded, leaving the mayor with him as she went back to the entrance, near the stairs to the subway. Once there, she saw Jennifer waiting patiently. Jennifer smiled once she saw Aberdeen, and extended her arms to hug her. “It’s always nice to see you, Aberdeen,” she smiled.

“You too, Jen.”

“A bunch of the girls are coming together – Emma, Kat, Steph, Audrey, Saylor, and Alexis are coming together and should be here any second. Aryne, Bee, and Alannah are running a bit late because of Jace, but only by like five minutes,” Jennifer informed her.

“Okay, great. We’ll wait till everyone gets here and then I’ll bring everyone over,” Aberdeen nodded her head.

“How’s the day been so far?”

Aberdeen shrugged. “Hectic, but fine.”

“Have you breathed?” Jen joked.

Aberdeen giggled. “Barely.”

Only moments later, Kat was running up the stairs with Niylah on a harness and leash, and Emma carried Ralph in her arms. Aberdeen pet the dogs until Aryne, Bee, and Alannah showed up. Aberdeen led them all to their designated area, and stayed with them as the practice happened. She liked them – they were a nice group of women, and although Aberdeen was never inserted into any supposed drama she may have heard rumblings about, she was sure they were all good people. Once they were all there, Aberdeen knew her jobs for the day were done, and that she could breathe again. Unless Brendan called her to do anything else, she was free.

“Aberdeen, are we going to see you tonight?” Bee asked as the girls sipped on the complimentary hot chocolate provided for them.

“You bet,” she smiled.

“Oooooooh!” Jen smiled from beside Bee, hopping excitedly. “What are you wearing?!”

“Oh, you’ll see,” Aberdeen winked.

“What colour is it?” Bee asked.

“Green.”

“Oooooooooooooh,” both women cooed as they made eyes with each other and then Aberdeen. “You’re gonna knock all of us dead, Aberdeen. You always look so stylish around the SBA.”

“I don’t think so,” she shook her head nervously. “You guys are all way too glam for me.”

“Can I get a hot dog pleeeeease?” William’s loud, playful voice interrupted as he skated towards the entrance of the bench where all the girls were. He shot the girls one of his signature smiles before one of the equipment guys laughed and shook his head as he called behind him for another hot dog. He was handed one promptly, handing it to William who proceeded to stuff half of it into his mouth in one go.

Aberdeen shook her head. Now he was just being obnoxious.

***

“William’s jaw is going to hit the floor, Aberdeen,” Kasha mused as she took some last minute pictures of Aberdeen in her full look. She’d been hyping Aberdeen up for the last ten minutes as she snapped pictures of her in their apartment – pictures that would no doubt be on Instagram later that evening, pending some light editing and filter choice – even though she should have left for Evan’s place five minutes ago, choosing to spend the night with him so she didn’t have to spend it alone.

“Shut up.”

“The floooooooor!”

Okay, maybe Kasha was right. Aberdeen looked good, and she knew she looked good. She had on her new green chiffon dress, perfect for the occasion: ruched top, draped across her shoulders; triangle mesh cut-out on the bodice; pleated chiffon skirt dropping down to the floor. Nude strappy hells. Matching nude clutch. The evil eye ring Willy got her was the only piece of jewelry she wore. She gotten her hair professionally done at a salon: smooth and silky old Hollywood style waves with a centre part, held back by a fashionable and trendy velvet headband pinned in place so absolutely nothing would budge. Even her makeup was flawless: dewy skin, a neutral eye with lashes and liner, and Charlotte Tilbury’s ‘Walk of Shame’ on her lips. She was a vision. She was owning every inch of her look.

Too bad she had to work tonight.

“Okay, I think my Uber is here,” Aberdeen said as she saw the notification on her phone screen.

“One more! One more!” Kasha yelled before Aberdeen posed one last time and Kasha took a burst of photos. “Okay, have a great night. Knock Willy dead—”

“—This isn’t about Will—”

“—Knock Willy dead, be fun, and stay safe,” Kasha ended. “You’re going to rock it, Aberdeen. And don’t forget to network!”

The Uber dropped her off about six cars down from the entrance to the Royal York Hotel – it was already busy with a bunch of arrivals, but she knew Brendan wouldn’t be there for at least another ten or fifteen minutes. Once she checked her coat in, she looked around, and Peter’s face was the first one she saw.

“Oh…oh my God, Aberdeen. You look so chic,” Peter smiled, looking over her outfit.

“Oh, thanks Peter,” she smiled back. “You look quite dapper yourself. We clean up pretty nice, don’t you think?”

“I’d say,” he quipped. “Gotta make sure all these new suits fit before I go to the All-Star Game.”

Peter had been talking about the All-Star Game since at least Christmas. It was the event he looked forward to the most all season, even more than this, because of all the people he was able to meet and network with. This year, it was being hosted in St. Louis, and he, Brendan, and Kyle were going down together. She’d have at least eight days off during that time period. She was basically counting down the days. “Well, wear this one. You look good.”

“You want some champagne before our bosses get here?” he asked, already flagging down one of the waitresses. He took two flutes off the tray and handed one to Aberdeen. “To the dream job,” he said, raising the glass slightly.

Aberdeen smirked. “To the dream job.”

They both drank the champagne all in one go. Aberdeen loved champagne, and of course this was the good champagne – so she almost immediately wanted another. When another waiter came by, they placed their empty glasses on his tray. Peter left to go to the washroom quickly before Kyle got there. Aberdeen was left alone.

That’s when she saw William.

He was in a suit, of course – a black, three-piece corduroy suit with a white shirt and black skinny tie – and his hair was tied back in a half ponytail like a European soccer player. He’d trimmed his beard since that morning at the outdoor practice for a much more polished look – still stubbly and a bit scruffy (just how she liked him…fuck) but presentable and respectable. Appropriate for a gala full of rich people. He looked great. The suit fit him perfectly. His hair was shiny as hell – probably shinier than hers. He stood confidently.

And then he saw her.

His jaw dropped. Literally dropped. And when he finally realized it had dropped he brought his hand up to cover it, barely, his smile from ear to ear peeking through the weak attempt. She hated to admit it, but she loved having that effect on him – she loved having that visible effect on him, one that made his jaw drop uncontrollably. She mentally prepared herself as he began to walk over to her. She knew she had to keep it cool. If he made her weak at the knees barely five minutes into her attendance at the event, she’d be a goner.

“Hey Will,” she smiled, a twinkle in her eye that dared him to give her another up-down.

“Aberdeen…I…” he paused, unable to find the words. He even shook his head. “You…I…wow!” he giggled out. She really left him unable to form a cohesive sentence. But she waited it out, not saying anything until he said something. She wanted to make him suffer, if only a little bit. “You look beautiful, minskatt,” he finally said, four cohesive words in a row that made sense.

“Thanks, Will.”

“I mean…you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen on any day, but this…” he said, licking his lips. “I don’t know how I’ll be able to control myself all night.”

Aberdeen tried finding any hint of lie in what he was saying, but she couldn’t. He was too bashful and it was all coming out so sincerely – he really didn’t have the words. “I think it helps we’re seated at different tables.”

“Just means the desire will grow until the end of the night,” he said. “So long as I get to look at you all night, I’ll consider myself a lucky guy.”

She was blushing at this point, and it wasn’t because of him blatant flirting – he was used to that. She was blushing more about the fact that he meant every word, that every word was so sincere in his tone, that she could see how much she was really affecting him. “You flatter me too much, Will.”

“You deserve it, minskatt. You’re stunning. The most beautiful girl in the room. But how do I look?”

With nobody around, nobody to hear and nobody to record a witty remark, she smiled slightly. “You’re the most handsome man in the room.”

Before she could say anything else, Peter came back. And when Peter came back, William played it cool, and made some small talk before walking off, but as he walked off, he shot Aberdeen a look that followed her around the room. Wherever he was standing, whoever he was talking to – William was always staring at her, giving her that look, and it sent shivers down her spine as she tried to keep up a conversation with Peter.

Brendan and Catherine finally arrived, along with Kyle and Shannon, and Peter and Aberdeen got to work. Standing discreetly behind them at all times, they whispered the names of all the attendees who approached them throughout the party, starting in the foyer and moving into the Canadian room – the massive ballroom where everything would be taking place. And there were a lot of guests. With over 1000 people in attendance, Aberdeen and Peter needed to know…well, probably around three hundred of them. She’d been studying for weeks.

“That’s Brian J. Porter, the President and CEO of Scotiabank.”

“Wendy Freeman, the president of CTV News.”

“That’s Gary Doncaster, of the law firm Doncaster, Perlman, and Dobbes.”

Brendan played it cool the entire time. After Kyle and Peter had separated from them for a bit, they rejoined each other. From practically across the room, she saw William sipping on a glass of water, watching her intently. He set it down at what she presumed to be his table. She tried to focus on the job at hand.

“Peter?” she heard Kyle say suddenly, in a nervous voice. Someone and his wife were waving at him and Brendan, slowly making their way towards them, and Kyle clearly needed to know who they were.

“Oh! Um…oh my God,” Peter began, panicking. “I just – I can’t remember what his name is. I—I just saw his name this morning on the list.”

Aberdeen began panicking too now. She tried to urge Peter to figure it out, but he couldn’t get it. “It’s…oh, I know this! It’s something to do with…wait, he was…he was part of the…oh God! I know this. Um…”

The man and his wife were dangerously close. Aberdeen swooped in behind Kyle. “That’s Malcolm Mercer, the Chair of the Government and Public Affairs Committee of the Law Society of Ontario, and that’s the woman he left his wife for, Rebecca.”

Aberdeen even surprised herself with that. She watched as Kyle politely greeted Rebecca first before shaking hands with Malcolm, starting some small talk with them. She looked over at Peter, who was already looking at her. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

“I got you,” she nodded.

***

Brendan, Catherine, and Aberdeen were seated with Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada, and an array of other guests who had paid top dollar to sit with the President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, one of whom was just a solidly rude aging man on his own personal power trip. Thankfully, he wasn’t seated next to her, or Brendan for that matter, but she could still hear him: the stiff comments, the complaints. Clearly, he only cared about sitting at this specific table. Aberdeen would have to make sure that if he attended next year, he was nowhere near Brendan.

There was a traditional Indigenous land acknowledgement at the beginning – the rude man rolled his eyes, which made Aberdeen want to kill him right then and there – followed by a speech made by Brendan – the rude man was on his phone for half of it, not bothering to listen to Brendan’s words of inspiration and gratitude to everyone who donated for the cause. When Brendan got back to the table, Christine Simpson came out, ushering in the grade three class onto the stage, the students all dressed up and walking in a straight line. They waved at their parents who were at their own tables, jumping and jiggling excitedly as little kids did. Aberdeen thought it was the cutest thing. Christine interviewed some of the students, asking them about school, hockey, meeting the Leafs, and about the integrated classroom and nutrition program at their school – key parts of the MLSE Launchpad initiative. The crowd was as enamoured with them as Aberdeen was. A part of her wished it could just be the kids talking all night.

When their interview was over, the kids waved goodbye to the crowd before the DJ began to play them off stage. The opening notes of ‘Uptown Funk’ by Bruno Mars began playing, and the kids went crazy. They stopped walking off stage. They looked around to try to find where the music was coming from, but soon enough, a lot of the kids began to dance – shimmying from side to side, pumping their hands in the air, and twirling on one foot attempting pirouettes. Christine was trying her best, but they weren’t moving.

“Can someone get the kids off the stage so we can get a move on?” the rude man commented loudly, so loud Aberdeen could hear him above the music. She was incensed by his comment, her blood boiling. How dare he. How dare he say something when this entire event was for charity – was for these kids on stage!

So she took matters into her own hands.

She made a point to push her chair back as dramatically as possible, shaking the place settings on the table with the force of her hands. Everybody at the table looked at her as she rose from her seat and began making her way towards the stage. As she pulled the skirt of her dress up so she wouldn’t trip up the stairs, she made eye contact with one of the kids. And instead of shuffling him towards the back, instead of helping Christine, who had hall but given up, she extended her arms and grabbed the little boy’s hands in hers and began dancing with him. She was dancing on stage in front of over a thousand people with an eight year old. And she wasn’t embarrassed one bit.

As she danced, she watched as William began to make his way up to the stage from the opposite end, rushing up exactly like she had and extending his arms to begin dancing with another student, a girl, twirling her around. Then she saw Bee McTavish, Morgan Rielly, and Jennifer and Jason Spezza, all at once, rush towards the stage too, laughing and dancing with the kids. Before she knew it, the entire team was up there, as were their significant others, dancing with the kids and each other to Uptown Funk for the entire duration of the song. Aryne and John, Saylor and Kasperi – they were all there. As she danced, she made eye contact with William, who was already looking at her, a smile spread out on his face from ear to ear. Jennifer gave her a double thumbs up. Bee was laughing at Morgan’s horrible dancing, but the kid he was dancing with was absolutely loving it and mimicking every move.

She barely noticed the crowd cheering and clapping along to the beat until the end of the song when there was a round of applause. The kids finally got their cue and began heading offstage. A few of them had to finish bowing before the audience, but once they were all gone, the team left the stage too, giant smiles on all their faces. When Aberdeen returned to the table, she saw the rude man staring at her indignantly. Meanwhile, Brendan was beaming.

“Thank you for that,” he said as she took her seat beside him. Even Catherine was smiling.

“You’re not mad I did that?”

“Are you kidding?” he asked. “That’s been the highlight of the night so far. It’ll probably stay the highlight of the night.”

Aberdeen smiled. “I had to do something to get that guy at the other end to shut up,” she whispered.

“Oh, I know, believe me.”

The night went on with its regularly scheduled events. There was an interview portion with the big four European players – Andreas, Freddie, Will, and Kappy – in between the dinner courses. There was a Q&A with Jason and Zach as well, and the highlight of the night, which was a game of Family Feud with the Leafs Legends – Darcy Tucker, Curtis Joseph, Daryl Sittler, Wendel Clark, and Doug Gilmour – and some of the current Leafs – John, Morgan, Auston, Mitch, and Tyson. It was hilarious. Aberdeen teared up at one point because she was laughing so hard.

After dinner there was a lot of mingling – a lot of meeting new people and speaking about her position because everybody was just so interested about what Brendan Shanahan’s personal assistant did all day – and a lot of…well, staring. William caught her eye around the room. Wherever he was, wherever she was, whoever he was speaking to, whoever she was speaking to, whenever she even so much as just glanced his way, he was already looking, and whenever he so much as glanced her way, she was already looking. He was true to his word in that he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her, that as long as he got to stare at her all night he’d consider himself a lucky man, because all he seemed to be doing was staring at her. And as the night progressed, he got closer and closer, eventually ending up in her circle, and although the guests were delighted to see William Nylander, she was nervous but excited to see Will, Willy, the guy that so obviously couldn’t keep himself away from her.

When the guests left, they were left alone. Aberdeen gulped. William looked pained. “I can’t take it anymore,” he said, only loud enough for her to hear, despite there being no-one around them. Brendan was on the other side of the room.

“Can’t take what?”

“You. In that dress,” he clarified. “You have no idea how good you look. Every time I look at you, I just…you—you know how I feel about you, minskatt.”

When that nickname escaped her lips, tied together with the look on his face and the sparkle in his eye, Aberdeen almost melted right then and there. “Will—”

“Can we get out of here?”

“No, Will,” she giggled. Any other moment in time she would have scolded him for making the suggestion, but at this point she didn’t care. “I’m technically still working.”

“Then let me get you a drink,” he offered. “And let me take you home. Please let me take you home after everything is done. I’m desperate here.”

“Desperate?” she decided to play with him. “Why?”

“Because of you. Because you walk in here looking like that and you expect me to control myself? All I’ve wanted to do all night is be next to you. All I’ve wanted to do is be with you, be anywhere near you. And it’s torture. Torture that I can’t talk to you the way I want to talk to you. Torture that I can’t touch you like I want to touch you.”

A shiver ran up her spine. “You’re getting into inappropriate territory again, Will.”

“And I’ll say it again: can’t you tell by now that I don’t care that it’s inappropriate?”

The last time he’d said that to her, she replied with “And can’t you see that I do care?” But she didn’t care anymore. She honestly didn’t. After what happened on Christmas (besides the fact that she was still wearing the ring – she hadn’t taken it off since) and on New Year’s, she knew that they had both ventured on to the inappropriate territory equally. It was no longer just his fault, or the fault of his persistence. They were equally to blame here. She downed the last of her drink. “I like it.”

He had a confused look on his face. “You like what?”

“I like that you’re being inappropriate.”

Aberdeen couldn’t describe the smile that took over his face upon him hearing those words. They were six words that told him everything he needed to know. “Aberdeen, you can’t just say stuff like that and expect me to react normally,” he said, throwing her own words that she’d said to him so many times back at her.

“Maybe I don’t want you to react normally.”

“Aberdeen! William!”

They looked to their side to see Bee McTavish approaching them. Aberdeen could tell William hated the interruption, but because it was Bee, he softened. “We’re gonna do some shots. Want some shots?”

The first shot was tequila. The second was a B-52, and Brendan even joined in. Aberdeen could feel herself getting more giggly with each millilitre of alcohol that went into her system. Giggly about the event. Giggly that she was taking shots with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Giggly about William.

***

“Just one stop at Nelson Street, please,” William said to the Uber driver as he slipped into the car after Aberdeen. Brendan, Catherine, Kyle, and Shannon had left the party early, so they weren’t able to see William confirming with Aberdeen that he could take her home, and they weren’t able to see him calling an Uber, and him grabbing their coats, and him leading Aberdeen to the much quieter side of the Fairmont Royal York for the Uber to pick them up so he could touch her waist and hold her hand and get close to her – closer than what was necessary – on a cold winter’s night while the rest of the guest list waited at the front of the hotel for cabs and Ubers. “I know it’s a short ride, but I’ll give you a big tip.”

He was holding Aberdeen’s hand.

“Do you still have all those songs I downloaded for you?” Aberdeen asked as the driver started moving.

William thought it to be a random question. “Of course I do. Why would I delete them?”

“I have a new song you need to add,” she said.

He smiled. “I added a song I heard on the radio that made me think of you,” he began to pull out his phone.

“Which one?”

He searched for the playlist in his Spotify, the former ‘Driving in Toronto at Night’ playlist he’d renamed to ‘Minskatt’. He scrolled down to the bottom of the list before he found it. He turned the volume on his phone all the way up before the opening notes of ‘Adore You’ by Harry Styles began playing. He’d heard it all over the radio since December, and not only did the beat and rhythm reminds him of the type of music Aberdeen liked and put on the playlist, but when he actually listened to the lyrics, he knew he had to add it.

Aberdeen’s jaw dropped and a smile overtook her face. “This is it.”

“What’s it?”

“This was the song I was just going to add.”

William smiled. “Does that mean I have superior music taste now?” he joked.

Aberdeen giggled. “You’re working on it.”

She began to sing, and William had never heard anything sweeter. She was louder than when she half-mumbled, half-sang ‘Style’ by Taylor Swift in the passenger’s seat of his car when they were driving on the Gardiner into the downtown core. Perhaps the shots had gotten to her, but they were so long ago and he was unconvinced. More than anything, he just hoped her walls had finally crumbled, that she felt like she could be uninhibited in front of him like he always wanted her to be. No degree of formality of being a hockey player and a personal assistant for that hockey player’s boss – instead, being just two kids in their early 20s falling for each other like they had six months ago when she wouldn’t shut up about her graduation or her writing or her favourite books and he couldn’t stop listening to her.

William didn’t know the lyrics off by heart like she did, but he was able to contribute certain lines he remembered. Certain lines that would hammer a message home.

I get so lost inside your eyes Would you believe it?

He looked at her when he sang them out loud, and she looked at him when she sang them out too, albeit more emphatically and with more swaying and dramatic hand motions. It was like they were admitting to each other what they were really thinking; what they couldn’t say to each other in the presence of other people, but what they could say to each other alone in hotel rooms in the middle of the night or in the backs of Ubers after parties.

Honey I’d walk through fire for you Just let me adore you Like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do

Aberdeen bit her lip after they sang the chorus to each other. She couldn’t believe they were doing this. She couldn’t believe how quickly her walls had fallen. She’d spent two months trying to forget him and four months trying to keep him at bay, only for the last three weeks to make all of that obsolete. “Willy?” she asked, her voice sweet as the second verse began to play.

“Minskatt?” he prepared himself.

“I can’t believe you added Harry Styles on your own free will.”

William snorted. This was why he was so enamoured with her. “I can’t believe you think I wouldn’t.”

They arrived at her building, getting out of the car and slipping through the front doors, nodding politely at the concierge before walking to the elevator. As they waited for it to come down, Aberdeen lay her head on William’s shoulder. “My feet are fucking killing me,” she whispered.

“Are they?”

“They’re, like, pounding,” she said. “They’re pretty to look at but fuck they hurt.”

Before she could realize what was happening, William had scooped her up in his arms, shifting to carry her bridal style as the elevator pinged to signal its arrival. “What are you doing?” she laughed out.

“Being a knight in shining armour, clearly,” he smiled. He felt Aberdeen wrap her arm around the back of his shoulders as he stepped into the elevator. Aberdeen pressed her phone number. “Better?”

“Much.”

“Why do you girls even wear shoes like that if they hurt so much?”

She snorted. “You tell me. Men wore heels first,” she informed him.

“We did?!”

She nodded. “Apparently you guys wanted to show off your wealth and calves more than we did at first.”

William laughed in his signature way. “I do have some nice calves.”

When the elevator brought them up to Aberdeen’s floor, she rummaged through her clutch to find her keys, sticking them in the door to open in. Luckily, they could be as loud as they wanted since Kasha was spending the night at Evan’s; it prompted Aberdeen to hook her finger into the strap at the heel and throw off her shoes. William kicked off his shoes and walked through her apartment, carrying her to her bedroom. It was maybe a bold move, to go straight there, but he didn’t care.

“Wanna see me rip my eyelashes off?” she giggled as he finally set her down on the floor of her bedroom.

“Your eyelashes?!”

“The fake ones,” she mumbled, just going for it. She saw a horrified look on William’s face, causing her to burst out into a fit of giggles. She threw the first one in the garbage before taking off the second, William still watching with a horrified look on his face. “What?” she smiled.

“That doesn’t hurt?” he asked.

“You get used to it,” she shrugged. “You know what they say Will. Beauty is pain.”

“My beauty doesn’t require pain.”

Aberdeen burst out laughing, William following with his signature giggle. She couldn’t control her laughing as she leaned her head against his chest, shaking it slightly before bringing it back up to look at him. “You’re literally the worst, Will. No other guy on the team would say something like that.”

“No other guy on the team is as beautiful as I am.”

His tone made it come out like a joke, but Aberdeen couldn’t help but thinking he was right. There wasn’t another guy on the team as good-looking as he was. She huffed out a laugh, turning around so her back was towards him. “Can you unzip me?”

It was a suggestive request, and she knew it. He unzipped her dress slowly as she pulled her hair out of the way for him. They were both still giggling as she felt the material of the dress become looser, and she was careful when he was finished to step out of it gently so she didn’t mess up the fabric or dirty it on the floor of her bedroom. She immediately brought it towards the hanger she’d left on her dresser, making sure to hang it in her closet neatly before turning back towards Will. It was only then that she realized she was in her underwear in front of him, the most exposed she’d ever been since…well…

She watched as he practically ripped off his tie; watched as he unbuttoned his shirt without a care in the world. His suit was probably custom made and tailored and cost over a thousand dollars but he didn’t even care. What was more alarming was that he was stripping and making himself comfortable in her bedroom. “Will—”

“You can change. I’ll look away,” he said, turning her back towards her automatically.

That wasn’t even what she wanted, but damnit, he was good. She unclasped her bra and threw on her top quickly before stepping into her pajama shorts. “Um, I have to go wash my makeup off,” she whispered.

She didn’t wait for a reply as she stepped across the hallway into her bathroom. As she washed all of her makeup off, the seriousness of the situation crept up on her. William was in her apartment. He was in her bedroom. He was undressing. She knew he’d been in there before, that if he stayed over it wouldn’t even be the first time he’d slept in her bed, but it was still a big deal. It was still something that, really, truly, shouldn’t be happening in every sense of the word. But it was. And neither of them was going to put a stop to it.

When she stepped back into her room, closing her door behind her, she saw William waiting for her to get into bed. He had nothing on besides his boxer-briefs. She knew that if they both got in there, there’d be no room. They’d be squished against each other. She knew this because it had happened before – the night they hooked up, and then the night after what Ethan did to her – it was the same situation. Standing now, in her room, looking between the bed and William, things felt…different.

She climbed into bed, liking to be on the side closest to the wall, anyway. William followed her, even going so far as to start to pull the covers over their bodies as he snuggled in next to her. “Will—”

“Shhhhhh,” he cooed. “Aberdeen, stop freaking out.”

“But Willy—”

“I just want to lie down. We’re just lying down,” he said, his voice sleepy. He pulled her against him. She let him. He nestled his head onto her chest, under her chin and above her breasts. She let him. She could feel the contented sigh he let out as he settled into her, as her body relaxed into his, as she began running her fingers through his beautiful blonde hair. He let her.

“Will?” her voice was soft.

“Mhm?”

“You – I – you—”

“Spit it out, Aberdeen.”

“You could have any girl in the city, Willy,” she blurted out. She immediately regretted it. “Any girl in the city. W…Why do you keep – I mean, why are you here with m—”

“Because I only like you, Aberdeen,” his voice was so soft, sleepy, tender. The most tender she’d ever heard it. “You still don’t understand?”

Aberdeen hesitated. “I guess not.”

“Well…I like you,” he stressed his sentiment again.

“But why?”

“Because you make me nervous. And nobody makes me nervous,” he said softly. “And because I like talking to you. And I don’t like talking to anyone.”

There was nothing more she could say; nothing more she could do. He always answered her question and always answered her honestly; he had never lied to her. He had laid it all out for her and she could either take it or leave it.

Of course she was going to take it.

***

Aberdeen woke up slowly the next morning early. Stupidly early, because of her natural alarm clock. In typical fashion, because William was in bed with her and there wasn’t enough room for the both of them, Aberdeen found herself semi-on top of him, her head on his chest and hair spread out everywhere; an arm draped across his torso. As she began to come to her senses, she took a deep breath and could smell him. He still smelled so good. So manly. And then, she realized his one arm was hugging her body against his, and his other lay directly on top of hers that was draped across his body, keeping it there.

She sighed contently.

He was so big, so snuggly, so warm. Of all the people she’d snuggled up against in her short lifetime, William was easily the best. His body was like her own personal heater, and in the dead of winter, it was much appreciated. She’d always known he was big – big and thick and strong – but feeling him under her now was so much different. She’d almost forgotten what he felt like, but she could never truly forget something like that.

When she moved slightly, mostly to stretch, she realized one of his thighs was between her legs. God, they were so fucking thick. Thick and strong, just like the rest of him. She moaned slightly, the feeling of their bare legs together really waking her up now. Before she knew what she was doing, before her brain could tell her body not to physically react to such a specimen of a body being in such close proximity to her, she moved again, rubbing her core against his thigh. It felt good. Of course it felt good. She had been denying herself the pleasure she knew William Nylander could give her for six months now (besides their kisses), and if she wasn’t dangerously close to breaking every known rule, parameter, and boundary she gave herself when she got the job, then she was now. So close. Dangerously close.

She rubbed her core against his thigh again.

And again.

He began to wake up, shifting slightly at the feeling of the friction of her against him. He moaned at the feeling and rubbed his eyes before opening them, and when he did their eyes met, drowsy and barely open but still looking at one another. “Minskatt?”

Aberdeen looked into his blue eyes. She couldn’t hold back anymore; couldn’t deny it anymore.

She was going to do it.

She pushed herself up slightly, coming face to face with him, and began kissing him. No hesitation. No uncertainty. She knew she wanted to do it. That she had to do it. That kissing William was as important to her right now as breathing. That kissing William continuously – not just one little peck, not just a standard kiss – was what she needed. That feeling the scruff on his face along her fingers was integral to her well-being. That grinding against his thigh again, causing him to moan in her mouth before she got on top of him and straddled him, was what she needed to survive.

She felt his hands squeezing her thighs, trying to feel every inch of exposed skin on her body as they wandered underneath her pajama shorts, then underneath her shirt, where he took sweet time inching higher and higher towards her breasts. He squeezed them in his hands gently, massaging them and pinching her nipples, causing her to squirm. She knew she didn’t have an ample set to worth with, but William didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t seem to mind because when Aberdeen grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, he looked at her exposed chest like it was the first pair of boobs he’d seen in his life.

Aberdeen hesitated only slightly after she saw the look on his face. “Willy?” she breathed out.

“Fuck, Aberdeen,” he whispered in some sort of apparently disbelief – a disbelief that this was actually happening. That she was the one to kiss him. That she was the one to take off her top. It wasn’t even the first time he’d seen her exposed chest, but it still felt like the first time to him.

Before she knew it, he’d wrapped his arms around her and flipped her onto her back, hovering over her with his big, thick body as he kissed and licked his way down her neck and towards her breasts. He took a nipple in his mouth, flicking his tongue and making her arch her back. She tried to catch her breath as she got used to feeling his mouth and tongue on her breasts. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he knew exactly what to do to set her off, leaving her a writhing, moaning mess in her own bed.

Then she felt where his hand was.

She flinched at his touch on her hot core, but so desperately wanted more. After that initial flinch, she practically grinded herself onto his hand. “It’s so hot,” William mumbled before he kissed a trail to her other breast. “So wet already.”

“Will—” Aberdeen could barely get out once she felt William’s tongue on her other breast. “Will, please—”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes,” she nodded her head as he teased her some more. “Ta—Take them off.”

He did as he was told, his mouth leaving her breast so he could sit back slightly on his knees, hook his fingers into the waistband of her shorts, and pull them off slooooowly, revealing every inch of exposed skin on her body. He could see her chest rising and falling dramatically as he let the shorts drop on the floor. “You okay, minskatt?”

Aberdeen nodded her head. She leaned forward so she could kiss him again, their hands exploring each other’s bodies – William’s hands gripping her thighs or breasts or teasing her hot core some more; Aberdeen’s hands gliding along the muscles on his abs and chest and shoulders before scratching down his back to the waistband of his boxer briefs.

She tugged on them.

“Aberdeen—”

“Condoms are in the same place,” she whispered quickly.

“Aberdeen, are you sure—”

“Yes. Yes yes yes,” she repeated, nodding fervently.

William opened the drawer on her bedside table, grabbing at a packet. He ripped off the packaging and helped her push his boxers down before sitting back. Aberdeen helped him slide it on, much like the first time. When she lay back down, William moved to loom over her.

William and Aberdeen looked each other in the eye as he guided himself near her entrance. When Aberdeen could feel him, she let out a shaky, excited breath. “Willy…”

“Yes, minskatt?”

“Go slow.”

William nodded. He began to push himself into her, and as he did, he saw her eyes close to bask in the feeling of him filling her up. He did the same, as it brought back all the memories from that fateful night six months ago, when they were in the exact same position as they were now. He remembered everything so vividly, but somehow, this all felt brand new. He remembered how good it felt, but simultaneously had never felt anything as amazing before.

He went slow.

He could feel her nails dig into his shoulder blades and a small gasp of breath escape her as he bottomed out. He kissed her lips and the tip of her nose and back to her lips. “You okay?” he asked, his hair falling in between their faces.

Aberdeen nodded her head. She bought one hand between them and pushed his hair back tenderly so she could see his face. “Yeah,” she nodded.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” she repeated, letting out another breath as she felt him pull out slightly before pushing back in. “I’d almost forgotten how good you feel inside me.”

“You’re perfect, Aberdeen,” he responded immediately after. He meant it in every sense of the word, because to him, she was. Plus, if she thought he felt good, he has some news for her about what she felt like. “God, you’re fucking perfect.”

He dipped down to kiss her again as he began moving in and out of her slowly. Aberdeen moved her hips in tune with his, and soon, all she felt was pleasure. Despite what was happening, they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other, looks mixed with lust, love, desire, adoration, longing, and of course, the pining they’d been doing since that day they reunited in the elevator being exchanged between them. It had all led to this moment, this moment of pure, built up passion.

“Willy…f…fuck,” she whispered. “You feel so good, Willy.”

She watched as some of his hair feel in between them again, blocking his eyes. She brought a hand to push it back tenderly. They looked at each other for a moment before William said the words. “I love you, Aberdeen.”

She looked for a lie in his eyes. Any hint of a lie. A lie she found in Zane’s eyes. A lie she found in Corey’s eyes. A lie she found in any other boy’s eyes that she’d known. But she couldn’t find it. Not even the smallest hint. Nothing. And because of that, and because of the moment, she said the words too. “I love you, William.”

He kissed her, big and wet and sloppy and full of desire and want, and she kissed him back with equal amounts of desire and want, and when he began to move in and out of her quicker, and when she arched her back into his body, she knew was close, that they were both close, and that they wouldn’t last much longer.

“Willy—”

“Aberdeen—Aberdeen I—”

“Cum with me Willy. Cum with me.”

And they did. It hit them all at once, the wave of pleasure as Aberdeen’s walls tightened around William’s pulsating cock, and they rode it out for as long as they could before William collapsed on top of her, the both of them catching their breath and coming back down to reality. As they lay in her bed together, with William still inside her, the gravity of the situation didn’t need to hit them – they knew what they’d just done. They knew it broke every boundary and was against every rule in the book. But they didn’t care. William didn’t care. Aberdeen didn’t care. All that mattered was that they shared that moment of pure bliss together.

William rolled onto his back and took off the condom, tying it before throwing it in the garbage near her bed. When he finished, he turned towards Aberdeen and they intertwined their limbs and bodies, drifting off to sleep again in each other’s arms.

***

The next time Aberdeen woke up, it was because she’d heard the front door slam shut and the sound of footsteps throughout the apartment. It meant Kasha was home, which also meant it was later in the morning than when she and William had first woken up and…well…

She shuddered.

As she did, she felt William’s body beside hers in her bed, spooning her from behind. Still naked from their rendezvous earlier, she could feel his cock against her as the hand of the arm that draped over her body cupped one of her breasts. His face was nestled into the crook of her neck. She didn’t want to move – she would have been perfectly content to stay in bed with him all day – but she knew they’d have to get up eventually. And more than that, they’d have to put on clothes before they went out there.

“Willy?” she whispered softly, hoping he’d hear.

“Hmmm minskatt?” he mumbled against her skin. “Was that Kasha?” he asked.

“Yeah. And probably Evan,” she said. “We should get up.”

He peeled himself away from her body slowly, and she rolled from her side to her back so she could look up at him. He looked down at her, still naked for him. She smiled up at him and caressed his cheek, his stubble scratching her skin. A piece of hair fell in front of his face, and she pushed it back, making it a habit now. “Willy?”

“Minskatt?”

“Do you regret what happened?” she asked.

“Absolutely not. No,” he replied automatically, shaking his head. “Do you?”

“No,” she responded automatically as well. “I don’t regret any of it at all,” she ran her thumb along his lips. “But nobody can know. We can’t tell a soul.”

William nodded his head. In any other circumstance, if he had landed a girl as amazing as Aberdeen, he would be practically bragging to everybody about how lucky he was. But things didn’t work out that way, and everything was complicated. “Nobody will know,” he said in agreement.

“No Brendan,” she began.

“That’s a given.”

“No Kappy,” she continued.

“No Kappy,” he agreed. Kasperi didn’t even know about the first time they’d slept together, so it would be no problem. None of the guys did. They all thought he just had a harmless crush. “No Kasha.”

Aberdeen bit her lip. “No Kasha,” she nodded her head. She knew she’d be able to make up a good story when they met each other outside her door. She knew what she had to do next. It would have to hurt them both. “No Alex.”

William nodded slightly. It would be hard not to tell his brother, but he knew he couldn’t. It was probably one of the few secrets he would keep from Alex. He knew he had to say the same. “No Siena.”

Aberdeen nodded. It would be the hardest thing she’d have to do. “Our secret only,” she whispered.

“Our secret only,” he repeated, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. “We can do it, minskatt.”

“I know we can,” she said, kissing him again. It went against everything she believed in, but she didn’t care anymore. She only had so much willpower to reject him. Now that they’d done what they’d done, and agreed to what they agreed to, there was no going back. She’d have to lie to the people she loved and respected most in her life. She’d have to lie to everyone she knew – her parents, her sister, her friends, her co-workers.

She’d have to lie to Brendan.

They got out of bed slowly, with William putting his boxers back on and Aberdeen throwing on her pajama shorts again and a crew neck sweater. She looked over at William and saw him searching for his dress shirt, crinkled on the floor. She threw one of her oversized University of Toronto hoodies at him. He laughed when he realized what it was, pulling it over his head. It fit a bit snug, but it worked.

The second Aberdeen opened her bedroom door, she heard the shower from Kasha’s ensuite turn on. She was happy – it gave her time to get breakfast started, to spend a little bit more of alone time with William, and to think of an excuse as to why William slept over last night. Not like this was the first time he slept over in the past four weeks.

She still couldn’t believe what this had become.

After washing her face quickly, she and William made their way into the kitchen, Aberdeen grabbing some pancake mix out of the cupboard. She grabbed some blueberries from the fridge too, putting them near the sink to wash them. As she began to pour the pancake mix into a bowl, she felt William come up behind her, pressing himself against her back as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Aberdeen?” his voice was soft, and suddenly sounded very nervous.

“Willy?”

“I meant what I said earlier,” he said.

She was confused. “About not telling anybody?”

“No. Earlier,” he gave her another hint. When she didn’t respond, he knew he’d have to say it again. “That I love you, minskatt.”

Oh. That. It was said so passionately during them having sex that it felt like it was part of the experience. That it was completely natural and easy for them to say to each other, despite not officially being together, despite not even dating, despite Aberdeen trying to convince herself for months that she didn’t like him, despite William trying everything to make her realize otherwise.

“I know it was in the heat of the moment,” his words interrupted her thoughts. They sounded so nervous and apprehensive. “But I meant it. I mean…I know. And I know that you said it back, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Or if you’re not sure or whatever. I just want you to know that. I won’t care. You can say it whenever you want. I just know that I do.”

Aberdeen turned around. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, now wearing one of her hoodies, and stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. She said the only words she could say to him. The only words that, despite every boundary, despite every rule, despite every thought, despite everything she knew about herself, despite everything she thought she knew about herself, she knew were true.

“I love you too, William.”

248 notes · View notes

rosethornewrites · 4 years ago

Text

Fic: frost on the frozen ground

Relationships: Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn, Lán Huàn | Lán Xīchén/Mèng Yáo | Jīn Guāngyáo

Characters: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji, Lan Huan | Lan Xichen, Lan Yuan | Lan Sizhui, Lan Qiren, Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Wen Qing, Fourth Uncle, Jin Zixun

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Modern AU, Corporate Espionage, Bad Uncle Lán Qǐrén, Anxiety, Confrontations, Family, References to Depression, Bunnies, Found Family, Podfic Welcome

Summary: Wei Ying and A-Zhan are still dealing with the fallout weeks after the public arrest of Meng Yao and Jin Guangshan cleared Wei Ying's name, when an uninvited visitor shows up. Second in the moonlight falls corporate spy AU series, inspired by @angstymdzsthoughts.

Notes: See end.

AO3 link

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Wei Ying was exhausted. It wasn’t even a physical sort of exhaustion, but one brought on by the absolute circus the last few weeks had been, following the very public arrest of Lan Xichen’s fiancé for the exact corporate espionage Gusu Lan Tech had accused him of and ruined his life over five years ago.

Trust Nie Huaisang to somehow convince the FBI to arrest Meng Yao during a major family dinner for the grooms that was well-attended by the media as a sort of social gala, and to also ensure they arrested Jin Guangshan at the same time. He was only the head of Jin Enterprises, so it’s not like it didn’t send that company’s stocks tanking immediately while also humiliating Gusu Lan Tech.

Nie Huaisang did petty well.

Wei Ying just wished the aftermath hadn’t meant reporters hounding him and A-Zhan almost constantly, though that wasn’t Huaisang’s fault. At least, that he knew of—his old friend hadn’t reached out, and Wei Ying didn’t know whether to expect him to.

They’d had to start screening their calls and if they did go out, it was wearing disguises and usually separately.

It had started when Jin Guangshan’s shitty nephew had attempted to ambush interview them while they were shopping for groceries with A-Yuan.

Everyone knew he was a hack. Jin Zixun had majored in history at a university his uncle was on the board of (the only reason he was even admitted) and barely got his degree. He’d been resoundingly rejected by every reputable employer despite his uncle’s best efforts, and could only get a job at some hack blog site pretending to be news and to have journalistic integrity. He was largely known for ludicrous conspiracy theories, vehement misogyny, and, weirdly, white nationalist talking points, but his articles and livestreams apparently got enough advertising revenue to merit his continued employment.

He had the nerve to imply Wei Ying had somehow framed Meng Yao and Jin Guangshan.

On the bright side, the camera had been livestreaming, and A-Zhan had verbally eviscerated him and implied that he probably had a hand in the corporate espionage, that maybe the investigation should look into him.

“I recall your name and the insulting things you said and wrote about Wei Ying. You claimed, without evidence, there was a connection with Compu-Jiang, and then they took a financial hit. Trying to take out your uncle’s competition?”

Jin Zixun’s face had turned interesting colors and he cut the camera, but the damage was done. They learned the next day he was canned from the pseudo-journalist farce and the FBI had declared him a “person of interest” and seized his electronics.

The interest in that led to more media coverage looking at the Weis, rekindling interest in the false accusation and Wei Ying’s blacklisting from the industry. Uncle Four had banned reporters from the premises, and since he owned the building that meant they at least weren’t buzzing the apartment from the lobby or, worse, somehow getting in and knocking on their door, for the most part at least. Now they were simply waiting across the street and accosting them if they spotted them, something that most often happened if they were together, and less if they were separate.

Wei Ying didn’t want to revisit the year or so following the blacklisting. Even with A-Zhan beside him, it had been like a montage of humiliation and pain. He hated that these reporters wanted to put all that on display again.

The Wens had been amazing, often bringing them groceries and cooked meals, but they couldn’t stay cooped up—they had a son, and he was fond of parks and libraries. Sometimes his aunts or uncles or Granny would take him out for them if there was a congregation of reporters, and that had at least ensured the parasites hadn’t caught on to A-Yuan’s existence connected to them yet.

As a bright spot, A-Li had contacted him. With her father-in-law in prison for the corporate espionage Wei Ying had been framed for, her husband had consented to let him meet his nephew. She was excited to meet A-Yuan. They were just waiting for some of the furor to die down.

Even though it was Saturday, Wei Ying was finishing a coding project while A-Zhan was taking A-Yuan to the library and then a different park than usual. He wished he could go with them, but it was better not to tempt fate.

He was nearly finished sorting out a coding error when the bell for the apartment building buzzer rang. Sighing in irritation, he stalked to the door and pressed the button to respond, careful not to press the one that unlocked the door.

“No comment. Please leave the premises.”

“I am not the press,” a gravelly male voice responded.

Wei Ying blinked. He knew that voice, but he couldn’t place it.

“Name?”

“You know perfectly well who I am.”

It was the haughtiness of the tone that pinged his memory. How could he forget, being lectured by Lan Qiren on his ungrateful nature and ruining of his nephew when he was being fired?

Just the memory made him nauseous. As far as he knew, Lan Qiren hadn’t reached out to A-Zhan, though Lan Xichen had, apologizing that they would be dragged into this again.

Quickly, he pulled his phone from his pocket and fired a text message off to A-Zhan.

Your uncle is here

“You’ll need to make an appointment,” he said blithely. “Have Lan Xichen set it up with A-Zhan. He has his number.”

His phone dinged as the uninvited visitor made outraged sounds that he very carefully refused to allow to register as words. Then the buzzer started up again, and he ignored it.

Not invited. Do not let him in.

In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Wei Ying had to smile over his husband’s use of proper punctuation and capitalization, ever proper even via text.

on it, he replied. will let you know when clear

The noise from the intercom/buzzer ceased, thankfully, and Wei Ying moved back toward the office, stepping over the barrier that kept Turmeric from getting to all the cords. As he did, he texted Wen Qing to let her know what had happened.

a-zhans uncle buzzed from lobby

told him to make appt

idk what he wants

He sat down with a sigh and stretched before trying to immerse himself back in the code. He’d just found his line of coding error when a knock on the door reverberated through the apartment. Before he could even contemplate getting up, his phone chimed, a text from Wen Qing.

Auntie 6 came to me

He followed her in

Uncle 4 and I are on it

Which meant, of course, that Lan Qiren had breached the building, likely not even registering that he was trespassing, or so privileged that he felt trespassing laws didn’t apply to him.

Fuck.

He could feel his anxiety rising, something he didn’t need. Now was not the time for a Xanax, no matter how much his heart was fluttering at the idea of having to deal with A-Zhan’s uncle.

lmk when i can escape, he sent back.

Then he texted A-Zhan.

breached perimeter

qing-jie & unc 4 to rescue

will come to u

where r u?

Wei Ying crept to the living room, trying to stay quiet as the intruder knocked again, more forcefully. He debated for a moment, fiddling with his phone nervously before slipping it in his pocket, then grabbed Turmeric’s carrier, leash, and harness. The bunny needed some outdoors time, and Wei Ying would probably be able to meet A-Zhan and A-Yuan at the park.

The knocking continued, and he was certain before long Lan Qiren would lose all sense of decorum and start yelling through the door.

plz hurry, he texted Wen Qing.

He donned a hat A-Yuan had gifted him for Father’s Day, an adorable white bucket hat with bunnies and carrots on it, and a pair of big sunglasses. He was wearing torn jeans and a black t-shirt with a binary code motif Wen Ning had given him for Christmas—it read “fuck off,” but wasn’t too inappropriate given that only coders could read it. He was as decent as he was going to get.

Wei Ying opened Turmeric’s hutch and scooped him gently into the carrier, hushing him even though he was completely quiet and cooperative. He felt like an intruder in his own home, and it left a sour taste in his mouth.

Finally, he could hear voices outside the door—Uncle Four’s boisterous voice asking what he could do for “the gentleman,” Wen Qing mentioning trespassing, Lan Qiren’s haughtiness slowly sputtering out, growing distant as they led him away.

His phone dinged twice, A-Zhan texting the location of the park, and Wen Qing giving the all-clear. Wei Ying grabbed his shoes, keys, and wallet, Turmeric’s crate and his sundries, and slipped out of the apartment in socked feet, easing the door shut and locking it as quietly as he could.

He practically tiptoed down the side staircase, the one that didn’t lead to the lobby but straight outside, and slipped his shoes on in the vestibule before slipping outside into the sunshine, making sure the door shut behind him without anyone getting in.

The park, thankfully, was not too far away, and he didn’t see any reporters on this side of the building. Likely they had seen Lan Qiren enter and were all crowded on the side near the lobby hoping to see something good.

Fat chance.

Wei Ying booked it the first few blocks before he felt like he’d escaped and started to calm, but he didn’t really relax until he could see A-Zhan in the distance, looking in his direction, A-Yuan beside him sipping on a boxed apple juice. His husband folded him into a hug, and he could feel the tension ease from his body with a soft sigh.

“I brought Turmeric. He could use some outside time.”

The tiny smile he got from A-Zhan finished the job of easing the worst of his anxiety, and they sat with A-Yuan on the grass to bring Turmeric out of the carrier and belt him into his little harness.

His fingers fumbled on the buckles and he sighed in frustration.

“Sit, A-Ying,” A-Zhan said. “Relax.”

There was a bit of worry in his eyes, and that told Wei Ying he must look frazzled. A-Zhan knew his anxieties, knew what Lan Qiren had said to him, something he’d opened up about long ago, when they’d learned to communicate and work as a team, and when Wei Ying was learning not to push him away.

And so Wei Ying settled back and let him finish with Turmeric, focused on the sunshine and the breeze and the soft grass beneath him. His fingers itched to pull out his phone, though he’d received no notifications, and he resisted it, instead rubbing his hand along the surface of the grass, letting the individual strands tickle his palms.

Before long, their absolutely adorable second son was contentedly exploring the grass, and curious children were starting to gather. A-Zhan explained bunnies didn’t like loud noises and sudden movements, and told them if they had permission from their parents, they could approach one at a time to pet him.

A-Yuan tumbled into Wei Ying’s lap, content to watch Turmeric from there, and he had no doubt his son had picked up on his anxiety. He was a bright boy.

Eventually, the children wandered away, a calm bunny only so interesting, and A-Yuan was half-asleep on his lap. A-Zhan’s phone dinged, and he handed the leash to Wei Ying before fishing it out. A bit of texting and a few alerts later, his mouth was downturned.

“A-Zhan?” he asked.

“I sent Xichen to retrieve Qiren, but he insists he must speak to me.”

Wei Ying fantasized briefly about Lan Qiren being led from the premises in handcuffs, yelling, but he knew that wouldn’t solve anything. It could well make things worse, so he wasn’t even able to enjoy the fantasy.

“The board voted to remove xiongzhang,” he added. “Likely he wishes to insist I take over the company.”

He felt his chest clench at that. Pity toward Xichen, who had done what he could to keep Wei Ying out of prison even if only for A-Zhan’s sake, and the grief he was facing as his life fell apart around him. But more, there was fear that A-Zhan would take it, would leave him behind—not a rational fear given everything they had weathered together, but anxiety was cruel.

“You can take it if you want it, A-Zhan,” he said after a minute.

A-Zhan made a noncommittal noise.

“I am texting Wen Qing to prepare a conference room so we need not open our home to him,” he replied after a moment. “I should hear him out.”

Wei Ying looked away, swallowing hard at the taste of bile. His vision was blurred, but he kept a handle on it, refused to cry again over this.

“I… I’ll stay with A-Yuan while you meet him.”

He startled when A-Zhan knelt in front of him and took his hands.

“We are together in this and all things. Granny will meet us and watch A-Yuan during the meeting. I need you there, A-Ying. I will say no.”

Wei Ying glanced up at him.

“He will hound us until I meet with him, but I will not go back to Gusu Lan Tech,” A-Zhan said, his voice insistent, worried. “My place is with you, at Dafan.”

“You’re sure you don’t want it?” he couldn’t help asking.

This was, after all, a chance for A-Zhan to reconcile with his family and further his career. But his husband’s expression turned stormy at the question.

“They will never admit to having wronged you, A-Ying. I cannot abide that.”

Wei Ying manages a weak smile.

“They’ll never admit they wronged you, either.”

A-Zhan nodded, the corners of his lips taut with stress.

“Wen Qing will sit in with us since this is now a Dafan Applications matter. Uncle Four, too.”

Wei Ying blinked at him blankly for a moment before he understood. Technically Gusu Lan Tech was trying to poach A-Zhan from Dafan Applications, which made it company business. Lan Qiren was trespassing on Uncle Four’s property, which made it his business. And it meant they’d have witnesses. His husband was clever, and so was Wen Qing.

“A-Die, baba, okay?”

A-Yuan looked up at them solemnly. The poor child had been with them at the grocery store when Jin Zixun had ambushed them, had seen so much these past weeks that he didn’t understand. He deserved some explanation.

“We are, baobei,” Wei Ying said firmly. “Bad things happened a few years ago. Someone made it look like a-die did something bad, and they just got caught.”

He could see the moment their son understood.

“That’s why the mean man said it was your fault?”

Wei Ying nodded, and A-Yuan squirmed out of his lap to give him a giant hug.

“Thank you. Now baba’s uncle wants to talk to us, so we need to go home. You’ll visit with popo while we find out what he wants, okay?”

A-Yuan bit his lip, looking more anxious than a child his age should.

“Baba’s uncle won’t be mean to you, will he?”

His heart broke at his son’s concern. It was clear he’d picked up on undertones they thought they’d kept away. A-Zhan wrapped A-Yuan in a hug.

“Baba won’t let shufu be mean to a-die,” A-Zhan said seriously.

“And your gugu will be with us, so she won’t let him be mean to either of us,” Wei Ying added.

A-Yuan brightened—Wen Qing had a reputation, one even her five-year-old nephew was aware of. He trusted her to protect his dads.

“Okay,” A-Yuan said. “If you bring Turmeric with you, he’ll comfort you if he’s mean!”

Wei Ying smiled at that.

“That’s why we’re leaving Turmeric with you, so he can comfort you. I know you’re worried, but baba and I will be okay. We’ll come right home when we’re done and snuggle with you and Turmeric.”

Their son seemed to accept that, and A-Zhan deftly removed Turmeric’s harness and placed him in the carrier. He pulled their disguises from a bag. Wei Ying was delighted when A-Yuan put on his brown bunny bucket hat, and he reached out to arrange the ears once the boy had it on. A-Zhan was wearing his own bucket hat, green with frog eyes, also a Father’s Day gift from A-Yuan.

Honesty, he hadn’t expected that fatherhood would make A-Zhan even sexier, but he wasn’t complaining.

The walk home was quiet. Wei Ying dreaded reaching home and hated that he felt that way. The home he had made with A-Zhan and A-Yuan was precious to him, and it felt like a sacred space had been violated.

As they drew nearer, they planned to separate, A-Zhan taking A-Yuan to one side staircase, and Wei Ying taking Turmeric to the other, the plan to meet at the apartment.

Wei Ying was actually surprised when it went off without a hitch, and he opened the stairwell door to see A-Zhan unlocking the door, Granny already hugging A-Yuan. Just a few years ago she’d have picked him up, but he was a bit big for that now.

She smiled at his approach, reaching up to pat him on the cheek.

“Aiya, you look so stressed. Popo will make dinner,” she said. “Auntie Three is making baozi for the building, too.”

Several of the aunties loved cooking different things in excess, so every few weeks they would make a huge batch of something delicious for the whole building, since everyone in the building was family. Auntie Three’s baozi were a favorite of his; she remembered his love for spicy food and always accommodated that in his.

“Extra spicy for A-Ying,” he chirped, though popo clucked softly in a way that let him know she saw through his attempt at cheer.

She headed straight for the kitchen, where she would likely catalogue the fridge to decide what to cook. Whatever she made, it would be delicious; his mouth was almost watering just thinking about it.

He focused on getting Turmeric settled in his hutch, and A-Zhan got A-Yuan situated with a coloring book and crayons.

“I should change,” Wei Ying said, remembering his torn jeans and the shirt Lan Qiren might be able to decode.

He’d probably think Wei Ying wore the shirt on purpose to send a message. Frankly, Wei Ying wouldn’t mind that interpretation, but he didn’t want to antagonize.

“What you are wearing is fine,” A-Zhan said, catching his wrist. “He interrupted our day, and he can get us as we are.”

A-Zhan was still wearing the frog bucket hat, with apparently no intent on removing it. His light blue shirt, Wei Ying noticed for the first time, was the one with a print of a rabbit wearing glasses and a bow tie, with ‘daddy’ in script underneath. Wei Ying snagged his hat with the bunnies and carrots motif from where he’d placed it atop the bunny hutch and put it back on. They’d match, to a certain extent, present a united front.

“Be good for popo,” A-Zhan directed A-Yuan, as though their son would ever be anything but good.

The boy simply nodded and discarded his crayon to run over and hug them both.

The first two floors of the building were Dafan Applications office space. Though the first floor also held a lovely coffee shop and several other stores open to the public, the core of the building was the headquarters. An elevator and staircase serviced the offices, accessible with employee IDs. Each office was accessible only by swiping employee IDs, and record was kept of who entered and when.

Since the apartments were held entirely by family, it might have seemed paranoid, but Wei Ying was glad for the security the building had—after all, the lack of it at Gusu Lan Tech had led to him being framed for corporate espionage. Poorly, but it ultimately hadn’t mattered.

He hadn’t understood why he’d been framed, only that he’d had to correct Su She’s subpar coding many times when he’d worked there, so it wasn’t very surprising that he’d fuck up installing the code to the point where it would be caught before it could do damage. Since he’d never been anything but pleasant to Su She, that he’d been targeted had surprised him.

When he had mentioned his confusion to A-Zhan, about a week after the news broke, he learned that Su She had tried to tell A-Zhan that Wei Ying was a poor choice as a romantic partner, implying he would be better.

“I told him he was not qualified to speak with me,” A-Zhan had recollected.

It made a sick sort of sense—if Wei Ying was out of the way, fired or imprisoned, Su She might think he had a shot. And given that Lan Qiren had hated him even before he and A-Zhan started dating, the frame up job was sufficient.

A-Zhan took his hand and led him into the elevator, and he realized he must have blanked out because he hadn’t even heard it arrive. His husband was watching him in concern, and he hated how much this invasion by Lan Qiren was messing with him, but he absolutely wasn’t going to abandon A-Zhan to face him alone.

“I’m okay,” Wei Ying said. “I just want to get it over with.”

Uncle Four was waiting for them by the elevators. He offered a smile.

“I’ll bring by a few bottles of my newest brew later,” he said in greeting.

“That bad, huh?” Wei Ying asked ruefully.

“I don’t wish to speak ill of A-Zhan’s family,” Uncle Four said deferentially.

‘But that man…’ was heavily implied.

A-Zhan inclined his head.

“He decided Wei Ying’s guilt on flimsy evidence,” his husband said, his tone dismissive.

Wei Ying squeezed his hand—it was as close to disparaging as A-Zhan had ever come toward his uncle. More often, they simply pretended he didn’t exist, which prior to this had been fairly easy. When they had spoken of it, when he had finally told A-Zhan in one of his darker moments what Lan Qiren had said to him when running him out of Gusu Lan Tech with security, his husband had simply folded him in his arms and told him he was wrong, over and over again, and reiterated that he had chosen Wei Ying.

A-Zhan was angry, he realized. Perhaps over Lan Qiren returning to their life with all of his customary arrogance, or perhaps in defense of his brother, who was being excised from the company. He remembered, early in their relationship, learning that both brothers had been told what to major in, prepped for what Lan Qiren thought their careers should look like at Gusu Lan, which was why A-Zhan hadn’t been able to pursue music as he had wished. It was why he had expected him to break up with him, as ordered.

He wondered what Lan Xichen had given up, what dreams he had let go to serve his family.

“Tomorrow,” he told Uncle Four. “I think we’ll need tonight for us.”

The older man offered a sympathetic smile and escorted them to the conference room.

It was the ostentatious one they used for particularly obnoxious or status-obsessed clients, with handsomely-carved panels with the Dafan Applications logo and an imposing table that looked expensive but were actually the work of a family member with a woodworking hobby. It had two doors, one on either side of the long table, which was ideal—they wouldn’t have to walk past Lan Qiren to get in or out.

When they entered, Wei Ying’s gaze was drawn to Lan Xichen first, seated at the side of the table. He looked… defeated was the first word to come to mind. He glanced at his husband, could see he too was looking at his brother, concerned lines at the corners of his eyes betraying his emotions.

“Finally,” Lan Qiren commented, drawing their attention. “I don’t have all day.”

His gaze was, as usual, disapproving, and he completely disregarded the fact that he had been the one to crash their day, not the other way around.

“My husband told you to schedule an appointment,” A-Zhan said in lieu of greeting.

He tugged Wei Ying to the head of the table, where someone had thoughtfully placed two chairs. Qing-jie was his guess, letting them present as the team they were. She was on one side of the table beside the seats, and Uncle Four sat on the other, probably as owner of the building. Wen Ning was too faint-hearted to handle this, he knew, even though he was technically the head of Dafan Applications.

“An appointment, to see my own nephew?” Lan Qiren grated, glaring at Wei Ying like it was his fault.

“You told me five years ago that I was no nephew of yours,” A-Zhan said, his voice dispassionate.

Wei Ying knew how much that had hurt A-Zhan. Part of him wanted to tell Lan Qiren that, rail at him over every emotional scar he had inflicted on the both of them, but he also knew there was no point in it—he wouldn’t listen, and he knew well enough that it wouldn’t be cathartic. It was better to let A-Zhan get this over with and be here to support him.

“You were making a mistake!”

His continued glaring at Wei Ying made it obvious what “mistake” he was referring to, and he barely managed not to flinch. It was clear this conversation was not going to be pleasant. A-Zhan took his hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing gently.

“As I recall, the evidence that he was not making a mistake has been all over the news,” Wen Qing drawled.

“What business is it of yours?” Lan Qiren demanded. “Why are you here?”

“As witnesses,” she replied. “And A-Zhan and A-Ying are family. We’re here for them.”

Warmth spread through Wei Ying’s chest at her pronouncement—he often referred to her as Qing-jie, but hadn’t known the sentiment was returned.

“And I own the building in which you are currently trespassing,” Uncle Four added.

Where he was normally a jovial and friendly man, his expression was serious and bordering on unwelcoming. Apparently Lan Qiren had made quite the impression on him.

Lan Qiren sniffed disdainfully, but finally focused on A-Zhan.

“The board has decided Xichen’s… indiscretions make him unfit to head the company. You have been appointed in his place. You will, of course, be expected to take the Lan name again, as will the child you’ve adopted. I’ve taken the liberty of securing housing for you, and I suppose we can find a place in the company for your husband, on a provisionary basis, of course.”

Dead silence followed his pronouncement, and Wei Ying felt dizzy with the presumption of all of this—A-Zhan was being ordered back to Gusu Lan Tech as though this wasn’t the first they’d seen or heard from Lan Qiren in over five years, clearly expected to obey without question.

“Provisionary?” A-Zhan murmured, his voice icy with what Wei Ying recognized as fury.

He squeezed A-Zhan’s hand, silently asking that he not be angry on his behalf. After all, he expected nothing but this treatment from Lan Qiren, so he wasn’t surprised to receive it.

“He’ll be expected to prove himself, of course.”

“He already has,” Wen Qing cut in. “He’s been an asset to Dafan Applications since the day we hired him, paramount to our success.”

Lan Qiren sniffed dismissively.

“Yes, well, his previous stint of employment at Gusu Lan Tech left much to be desired.”

A-Zhan’s jaw clenched. Wei Ying’s stomach roiled, remembering the constant criticism he’d faced there, how ultimately he wondered why they’d even agreed to hire him.

“I will not subject my husband to further abuse at the hands of the company that attempted to ruin his career.”

To his surprise, Lan Qiren looked satisfied by that statement.

“Then we’ll arrange for your move. You’ll be expected to dress more professionally in the future, as the representative of the company.”

He eyed A-Zhan’s hat and clothing with distaste.

Wei Ying stole a glance at Xichen, who looked haggard and drained and was barely listening to the conversation, and felt empathy for his situation. Xichen had always treated him kindly, until he went no-contact after A-Zhan’s resignation, something he was likely ordered to do. Even so, he also sought to warn them of what had happened, and had informed A-Zhan of Lan Qiren’s intentions. And he had stood fast against the board’s desire to have him prosecuted.

And now the man he had been set to marry is in prison, having brought Nie Innovations to its knees and attempted the same with Gusu Lan Tech, and what happiness he’d been looking forward to was just so much smoke.

“You misunderstand,” A-Zhan said. “I do not intend to relocate, or take on the Lan name, or chair Gusu Lan Tech. I will continue to work at Dafan and live in my apartment with my husband and our son. I will remain Wei Zhan.”

Lan Qiren looked shocked, almost as though he had been physically slapped, and then the anger returned.

“You leave me no choice. It will be a simple matter to buy out Dafan,” he said.

Wen Qing laughed at the threat.

“Dafan Applications is a worker cooperative. You have no power.”

For the first time he’d known him, Lan Qiren seemed incapable of words. After all, it meant that he and A-Zhan were part owners of Dafan, as all employees were, something he would never offer at Gusu Lan. Wei Ying privately hoped he was having an internal fit over the socialism of worker cooperatives.

A-Zhan, however, had plenty to say.

“You disrupted our Saturday after five years of silence to demand I change my life to suit your whims,” A-Zhan said coldly. “You didn’t even have the grace to apologize to Wei Ying, whose life and career you tried to destroy.”

Lan Qiren’s expression turned stormy.

“You chose this ill-bred miscreant over your family, and you expect me to apologize to him?”

“No,” A-Zhan said. “I chose the truth. I chose love. A-Ying is my family.”

“You,” Lan Qiren snarled, turning his attention to Wei Ying. “This rebellion is all your influence! A-Zhan was filial until you came along!”

Wei Ying stayed silent. His anxiety spiked but was soothed by A-Zhan’s hand in his, in the feeling of his fingers entwined. Lan Qiren could do nothing to them—he’d already tried, and they’d ultimately come out stronger. They’d built a life and found new family.

There was so much he could say, but he knew better than to think Lan Qiren would listen; he was a convenient scapegoat, and nothing would convince him otherwise.

“Have you nothing to say, you ingrate?” Lan Qiren demanded.

A-Zhan tensed, but Wei Ying squeezed his hand.

“I see no point in speaking to you,” he said honestly.

“You dare!”

Lan Qiren stood, quivering with rage.

“You broke our family as completely as you broke the Jiangs, and you have the gall to sit there smirking, enjoying the mess you’ve made!”

Mention of the Jiangs hurt—it had been weeks and only A-Li had reached out, but she had never broken contact to begin with.

Wen Qing slapped the table and stood, startling them.

“I’ve heard quite enough. You can’t bully your estranged nephew into uprooting the life he built after you alienated him, so you go after A-Ying again. You act the victim, but you drove A-Zhan away with your unmerited vitriol toward A-Ying.”

Uncle Four stood as well. He was a calm man, but Wei Ying could see him tremble—in anger or nervousness, he didn’t know.

“You are not welcome here, Lan Qiren. Leave or you will be removed.”

“And given that you attempted to poach two of our best employees and threatened our company, you can tell your board that Dafan Applications will never do business with Gusu Lan Tech,” Wen Qing added.

Wei Ying knew her level of petty and wondered if their new apps would unexpectedly glitch on Gusu Lan products in the future. Probably not, since she was focused on user experience.

Maybe he was the one feeling petty, but he doubted anyone who mattered would judge him for it.

“Clearly attempting to reason with any of you is an exercise in futility,” Lan Qiren said.

It took far too much energy to suppress a nearly-hysterical giggle building in Wei Ying’s chest at his complete lack of self awareness.

“Come, Xichen. We’re done here.”

A-Zhan bristled further, glancing at Wei Ying with a question in his eyes, and he nodded. Xichen deserved to know he still had family.

“Xiongzhang may stay for dinner, if he wishes,” A-Zhan said. “Our son would love to meet his bobo.”

A tiny smile lit up Xichen’s features, and Wei Ying got the impression it was the first time he’d smiled since his fiancé’s arrest.

“I would be honored to,” he said softly.

His voice was hoarse, as though he was no longer used to speaking, or was overcome with emotion. It could easily be both.

“Thank you, didi.”

Lan Qiren scoffed, and Wen Qing pointed at the door, raising an eyebrow. When he stomped out, she and Uncle Four followed him to escort him from the premises, leaving the three of them alone.

“Were you offered another position in the company?” A-Zhan asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

Xichen shook his head, the fleeting smile gone.

“No. Uncle believes I need time to reflect on my mistakes.”

Wei Ying didn’t hold back a scoff, given that Lan Qiren had referred to him as A-Zhan’s mistake.

“You didn’t make any mistakes. You had no way of knowing.”

The smile Xichen offers is wrong, bitter.

“I should have done more. Instead of letting them scapegoat you, I should have insisted on a full investigation. Maybe we would have uncovered the truth and protected you. Maybe we could have prevented the damage to Nie Innovations and Mingjue’s health, too.”

He had forgotten that Xichen and Mingjue were friends somehow. Wei Ying wanted to tell him the guilt he carried was a burden that shouldn’t be his, but he also knew from struggling with his own that it was something Xichen would need to come to terms with himself.

“You should reach out to him,” A-Zhan said, looking at Wei Ying like he knew what he was thinking. “I doubt he blames you, and perhaps he could use the help.”

Xichen looked torn on the idea. Wei Ying could almost see the thoughts running through his head—that he would be unwelcome, a burden on his friend, but that it was a way to do penance for the sins he believed he’d committed.

“I’ll think about it,” he finally said.

Wei Ying walked around the table and patted his shoulder, gesturing to the other door, the one that led to the interior of the building. A-Zhan had offered an olive branch with the invitation, and this was his.

“Come on. Popo is cooking, and Auntie Three made baozi for the whole building. And A-Yuan is waiting.”

The smile returned, a little stronger this time, and Wei Ying smiled back as Xichen levered out of his seat to follow them home.

-------------

Jin Zixun’s background is maybe based on a very well-known “journalist” who just constantly looks confused and outraged. To narrow it down, John Oliver did a segment on him recently. Uh, and maybe slightly on two other conspiracy theorists who pretend at journalism, one of whom keeps getting sued.

Also, I am old enough to text in full sentences most of the time. I had some friends check over Wei Ying’s panic texts so hopefully they’re believable.

This was difficult to write because of the anxiety Wei Ying was feeling and the uncomfortable conversations.

Also, I forgot the Nie company name and had to check—I couldn’t remember if it was Nie Innovations or Nie Industries. Turns out I accidentally used both in the first fic in the series. Fixed it now.

I maybe spent too much time researching worker cooperatives and employee-owned companies. It’s not a major part of this fic, but I thought it was a cool detail to bring in.

The title is, again, from the Li Bai poem.

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calligraphist-artemisia · 4 years ago

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4 | Sweaters & Scarves

Written for Kidgetober 2020. Week 1 Theme: Autumn Vibes. Day 4 - Sweaters & Scarves.

Summary: Alternate Universe - Modern Day. Pidge prepares for a day out with her friends and boyfriend.

Also posted on AO3 under the username Kishirokitsune. Titled as “The Scent of Autumn”.

- - - - -

Autumn Vibes

4 | Sweaters and Scarves

There was a chill present in the air as Pidge dressed in preparation to meet up with her boyfriend and their friends. It wasn’t enough that she would need a heavy coat; a nice sweater and a thin scarf would suffice in keeping her warm and cozy no matter what time of the day it was or where they were in the city.

She picked a simple pair of jeans, a black t-shirt with a scooped neckline, and a red cardigan along with her most comfortable sneakers. As she went to check the contents of her bag she realized she'd forgotten a scarf and backtracked to grab the thin red-and-white ombre one (that had been a gift from her boyfriend), which she wound loosely around her neck.

Her phone buzzed once.

And then twice.

And then a third time.

Pidge rolled her eyes as she picked it up, not at all surprised to find that her friend, Lance, had decided to spam text her to try and get her to hurry up and get outside, as though he'd been patiently waiting for hours rather than the few minutes it had likely been since he arrived early, as always.

She sent a message to Hunk instead, asking him to find some way to shut Lance up. He was likely to be there with him and was the best person for getting Lance to focus on something else.

With one final glance at her reflection, Pidge decided she looked presentable enough to leave, and did so after grabbing her bag and locking up the apartment. She sent another text to Hunk, letting him know she was on the way.

It didn't take her long.

The park where they liked to meet up was approximately the middle point between where each of them lived. (She and Hunk had sat down to do the exact math once and had endured endless teasing from their friends.) As she expected, Hunk and Lance were already there, and with them were Allura and Shiro.

That meant the only one they were waiting on was her boyfriend, Keith.

Everyone was dressed for the weather, just like she was, though Lance had gone for a few more layers and a thicker scarf. He'd always had the least cold resistance of all of them after growing up on a warm island in the south so it wasn't much of a surprise.

He was also the first to greet her as she walked up. “You're late!”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Maybe if someone let me get ready instead of sending me twenty texts in a row and expecting me to answer, I could have been here sooner. Besides, we're still waiting on Keith, aren't we?”

“He's on his way,” Shiro spoke up.

Lance groaned dramatically. “Is it too much to ask that we all show up on time for once? I swear he does it on purpose whenever it's my turn to pick our outing!”

It was the same thing he said every time Keith was running a little behind, regardless of whether or not it was his turn. Pidge decided to tune him out as she checked her phone for any new messages, smiling when she saw one from Keith that included a photo of the newest antic his puppy had gotten up to. It was likely the reason he was late.

She grinned at the sight of shredded paper all over the room, with a very guilty-looking husky pup sitting in the center of it all.

When Pidge looked up from her phone, it was to find Hunk expertly distracting Lance from his newest rant. And really, she didn't want to know why Lance was so incensed with Keith lately, though she hoped he got over it soon. It produced too much tension in their group.

By the time Lance calmed down, Pidge could see Keith making their way toward them in a warm-looking green cable sweater and black jeans, with a bundle of black and white fluff bounding around at his feet.

Not even Lance could find reason to be annoyed when faced with an excitable puppy.

“Hey,” Keith greeted as he walked up in front of Pidge. He smiled faintly as Hunk immediately dropped to his knees for puppy kisses, cooing over the newest addition to their group. Keith loosened the leash to allow for extra wiggle room, trusting both Hunk and the harness Kosmo wore to keep the pup safe.

Pidge stood on tiptoe as Keith bowed down, giving each other a quick kiss on the lips.

“Now that everyone is here, what's our plan for the day?” Allura asked.

Lance puffed out his chest at the chance to finally reveal what he'd come up with. “I figured we could end our usual catch-up walk through the park at this outdoor cafe Hunk and I found the other day. They have good drinks and impressed Hunk with their selection of bakery items.”

Hunk's eyes lit up in delight, though he made no move to stand up and continued running his fingers through Kosmo's baby fluff.

“If everyone else is in agreement?” Shiro asked, taking the role of leader as always. He gave everyone a moment to chorus their agreement and then nodded at Lance. “Then it's decided.”

Once Hunk patted Kosmo one last time, Keith tightened up on the leash a little and they all set out for their weekly stroll through the park.

#voltron #kidgetober #kidgetober 2020 #kidge #fanfiction #day 4: sweaters & scarves #week 1: autumn vibes

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criminalromantic · 5 years ago

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Cornelia Street - Chapter 7 (Billy Russo x Fem!Reader)

Summary: What happens when you and Billy don’t see each other?

Word Count: 1797

A/N: this is kind of a filler chapter, but I hope you enjoy it

Warnings: none

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

Don’t come over today.

Was the text that you quickly sent Billy as you were ready for work. To say that you were nervous was an understatement. Never before you sent Billy that kind of text, but then again, you were always excited to see him. That one week alone was already quite a ride and you just wanted to be done with it and sort through your thoughts. It seemed to be chilly, but sunny day and you were not willing to let anyone or anything ruin your Friday.

As the day went you were feeling less tense, but at the same time more. You were thankful for every single minute when Billy didn’t show up. At the same time, you were scared that Billy replied to your text or worse - he would come through the door anytime and confront you about it. That is why you didn’t touch your phone since you sent the text and it has been hours since then.

The worst thing probably was that he didn’t know the reason behind your sudden change of heart. He didn’t know what he did or how you felt about it. According to his reputation and how it portrayed him to be, something like this was exactly something he would do.

Sound of the door opening brought you down to earth. It was a woman who bought a small bouquet for her friend’s birthday. Moments after she left, a man walked in.

He was tall, visibly muscular with short dark hair. As he walked towards you, you noticed his face looked like it had experienced a lot, but you didn’t judge.

“Hi, how may I help you?” You asked somewhat cheerfully out of habit as the man now stood on the other side of the counter.

“Hi, I’m looking to buy something for my girlfriend. A good pal of mine recommended this place, saying it’s his favorite in all of New York.” For some strange reason, he seemed a bit nervous as he spoke, a little smile on his lips.

“Well, I’m happy to hear that. I’m guessing that your friend really must like flowers. Anyway, what can I get you?”

“Seven pink roses, please. And no, he was never particularly into flowers. At least until, recently.” He explained as you grabbed the flowers and positioned them to arrange them. Could it be?

“Really? That’s interesting, but not in a bad way. Flowers can make our lives a little more beautiful one bouquet at a time.” For a second you raised your head to smile at the man. As you were finishing with your work, in the corner of your eye you saw him shifting from one leg to another uncomfortably. But you didn’t say anything.

“Alright, your total is 26 dollars.” He put a few bucks in front of you before you even finished your sentence. You handed him the change, he took it and put it all in your tip jar.

“Wow, that’s quite generous of you, thank you.” You said as 14 dollars landed in it.

“Excellent service, what can I say?” He hung around like he wanted to say something. Seconds later he turned around with a quick “bye” and left.

The rest of the day went by fast. Like every Friday, there were a lot of people buying flowers for dates or other celebrations, but the last hour was basically dead. Sometimes you wondered what it is like - to be hanging out with friends at a party or a bar or someone’s place. You never really get to do that. Usually, you’re tired after work and you’re more of a daytime person anyway. Most of your friends are like that too and the ones that aren’t - you aren’t that close to them. You are your own boss and you could close up early whenever you wanted, but you wanted to maintain a routine.

The clock struck 8 o’clock so you closed the shop and made sure everything was taken care of before you left for the weekend. Slowly you grabbed your phone and looked at it dreadfully. You didn’t want to check your notifications, but never using your phone for the rest of your life was kind of impossible. When you finally unlocked your phone, you saw… nothing. No notification. You felt relieved and slowly made your way upstairs to your apartment, where a hungry cat was already awaiting you.

While your day was calm, Billy’s wasn’t at all. Fridays were always hectic because everybody was trying to get their work done before the weekend - at least most people he worked with were like that. That meant that the entire day Billy was drowning in a pile of reports and contracts that needed to be checked. Not to mention that two days ago a friend - Dinah Madani - asked him to help her with a case. So basically since he got back to work on Wednesday, he hadn’t had a moment to take a breath. The whole day he was feeling stressed and became angrier and angrier when he discovered that some of the reports had incorrect information or some contracts didn’t have all the signatures they were supposed to have. Amateurs. Billy thought as he leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes.

He looked at this phone, lying on the desk, and thought that he could use a little break. The first thing he saw was a text message from you. He was excited for a moment - until he saw what you wrote. What? He opened the conversation and his fingers hovered over the keyboard. He ended up writing nothing because he didn’t know what to write back. Instead, he just stared at the four words. When he finally put the phone away to get back to work, he couldn’t. Different reasons why you wouldn’t want him to come popped up in his mind and none of them were good. What if something happened to you? What if you felt sick again? What if you just didn’t want to see him again? But he was going to respect your wishes. Then he came up with a plan to see what was wrong and picked up the phone again.

“Hey, Frankie, uhm, are you free right now?” Billy asked a little timidly, not knowing how to word his question.

“Uh, yeah, what is it, Bill?”

“I need you to go to Y/N’s flower shop to check on her. For some reason, she doesn’t want me to come and I want to make sure she’s all right.”

“Wait, hold up. What do you mean she doesn’t want you to come over?” Frank was often Billy’s voice of reason and now it even seemed like he could read his mind.

“That’s what I don’t know, but she doesn’t want to see me today and as much as I want to go there right now, I can’t. So, will you go over there?” Billy flinched at how desperate and urgent his voice sounded, he was not used to that.

“Sure, why not. Send me the address.” He thanked his friend and quickly typed the address before sending it. He wasn’t completely calm, but he did feel a bit better and went back to work.

He was happy to hear from Frank that you were safe and nice as ever. He smiled at how Frank described your dedication to your job and mentally agreed. Another reason he smiled was that Frank liked you and his opinion mattered to him a lot. They have been through a lot together, seen each other’s ups and downs. They were always looking out for one another and that meant in all aspects of life - romantic included.

But one thing kept him up at night. If you were all right, why wouldn’t you want him to come over? Maybe it was nothing, maybe you were just as busy as he was. Maybe you had a lot of work to make up for the first three days of the week. But he had been there when you had a hard day and you never sent him on his way. He had a feeling that this was bad. And he didn’t like it one bit. What if you didn’t want to spend time with him anymore? Did he do something that made you change your mind?

He kept turning in his bed from one position to another. After a day like that, he thought that he would fall asleep as soon as he got into bed, but he couldn’t get you out of his mind. His phone was on his nightstand. Within reach. He contemplated calling you. Then he remembered that it was the middle of the night and he would probably wake you up, you would get angry at him for waking you up and he couldn’t come up with how that scenario would result in a good ending. He thought about sending a text, which he also figured was a bad idea. It was Friday and sending you a text would make it seem that he was getting drunk somewhere and texting you because of the alcohol. Neither of those options would give you the impression that he would like. Somehow, slowly, his eyelids became too heavy and he finally drifted off to sleep.

When you checked the weather forecast the next morning, you thought about how you were going to spend the day. To be more specific, you were thinking about outdoor ways to spend the day. Most of your week you were stuck inside and you felt more than ready to go out and enjoy some sunlight and fresh air. After a few minutes and consulting with your cat, you decided to go on a hike somewhere outside of New York.

Quickly you packed a bag with everything you might need. Some snacks, treats for Benjamin, a lot of water, some wet wipes - you never know when you might need those - and some other stuff. When you were satisfied with the contents, you got dressed into some comfortable leggings and t-shirt. You packed a spare t-shirt, in case you got sweaty and a hoodie if it got cold. Lastly, you put on some hiking boots. Only one thing left to do - get Benjamin ready for the adventure. You put the harness and leash on him and topped it off with a treat.

“Are you ready for adventure, Benji?” You asked in a baby voice.

“Meow.”

“Okay, let’s go.” You made sure you had everything, took Benji’s leash, and walked out the door.

When you stepped outside, you were met with chilly morning air. Taking a deep breath you felt good about your day.

That was until you stood face to face with a certain raven-haired man.

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

Tags: @1-800-heartbreak @churchb

#billy russo #billy russo x reader #billy russo imagine #ben barnes #the punisher #billy russo flower shop #billy russo cornelia street

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sage-nebula · 4 years ago

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I’ve been mulling over more thoughts for my Pokémon fantasy AU and I have some more thoughts worked out (that are going under a cut because this got Long):

— The basic backstory / lore / plot I’m working with at present is something along the lines of: in this version of the world, there were twelve mythical pokémon whose powers (unique to each of them) were considered godlike. These pokémon were, of course, far too powerful to be captured, but every now and then, when they found a human they deemed worthy, they partnered with the human to lend them their power in whatever way they needed at the time.

(Note: I’ve not decided which twelve mythicals I’m using yet, though I have a few picked out. And yes, it is only twelve, and they have to be mythicals. Legendaries with similar lore will not be used.)

— Of course, these pokémon being revered as godlike, and being known for being too powerful to be caught, didn’t deter humans from trying to capture them regardless. Whether it was because of a belief that “a pokémon is a pokémon” or merely a desire for power, humans tried for centuries to capture them. Eventually, an order of powerful warlocks summoned and formed a pact with the legendary Giratina to get the job done. Giratina agreed to seal the mythical pokémon into spherical gemstones so their power could be harnessed, and in return, the warlocks would use that power to serve Giratina’s ends. The warlocks accepted.

— Things did not go entirely to their plan. Though Giratina succeeded in capturing the mythicals in the stones as promised, and though said stones were initially turned over to the warlocks so they could do Giratina’s bidding, the legendary Arceus was one step ahead of them. After a fierce battle, Arceus banished Giratina to the Distortion World, along with the warlocks that had served it. The mythical stones stayed behind, but even Arceus’ power was not enough to awaken the mythicals trapped inside. Instead, Arceus used what strength it had left after Giratina’s banishing to cast the mythical stones into the time stream, where they would at some point be reborn within the humans destined to awaken and protect them. (How the humans were supposed to do this when the mythical stones were trapped within their hearts, only Arceus knows, probably. There is no guarantee that Arceus actually does know. One can only hope.)

(Note: I know that Arceus is technically a mythical as well, but the story just doesn’t work if there are thirteen mythicals and one legendary, so I’m bumping Arceus up in status. I don’t care that it’s technically wrong, this is my AU and I will do as I like.)

— So it was that the world continued on, and the mythical pokémon faded into oft-forgotten myth for many as kingdoms and empires rose and fell. That is . . . until the present day.

— In the present day, the twelve mythical stones are finally all in the normal realm again, their Chosen (sometimes called Keepers) all having been born. A few notes on what it is to be a Chosen / Keeper:

Keepers have no way of knowing they’re Keepers. In fact, most people don’t know who the Keepers are, or even that they exist at all. The only way to tell is through ancient magic when can a.) locate the rough location of where a Keeper is, and b.) if a particular kind of stone is enchanted with the spell, glow when one is near. Beyond that, a Keeper could be born, live, and die without anyone ever being the wiser, and then the mythical stone would have to find a new Chosen and incarnate again, which could take millennia. (This has undoubtedly happened multiple times. Arceus isn’t good at plans.)

Despite not knowing they’re Keepers, or having any way of controlling it, Keepers do have and, if circumstances are right, can use the power of the mythical pokémon slumbering inside of them. Sometimes this power is just always unconsciously active (e.g. Manaphy’s Keeper forms deep emotional bonds with the pokémon he meets routinely all over the place), sometimes it only triggers when the Keeper is on the brink of death (e.g. Victini’s Keeper has unbreakable willpower which can drive them past mortal limitations and onward to victory before letting them die), and sometimes it’s honestly random (e.g. Celebi’s Keeper gets precognitive dreams and sometimes postcognitive visions in places where there’s high energy for it). Usually Keepers are unaware of what it is they’re doing, but again, detection magic can see it (and those around them can be disturbed; Victini’s Keeper is a terrifying foe on the battlefield, what with them not staying down despite having been stabbed several times).

Pretty much all the leaders of the various regional governments want to get their hands on at least one Keeper for military purposes and have been putting efforts in for centuries to do just that. So far, at least two have succeeded. (The monarchs/emperors/what have you that have Keepers under their command would obviously prefer to take the mythical stone from them and discard the Keeper, but so far no one in history has found a way to do that without killing the Keeper and therefore causing the mythical stone to be yeeted back into the time stream due to Arceus’ power, so most just do their best to keep the Keepers on short leashes until they figure out what else to do. Also, in these cases the Keepers still usually don’t understand that’s what’s going on because most world leaders are smart enough to know that if you tell a Keeper they’re a Keeper and you’re using them, they’re probably going to turn on you, and no criminal in power wants that.)

Bloodlines have nothing to do with it. The mythicals don’t Choose (and they do Choose, subconscious though it is) through heritage, but rather by soul.

— The two kingdoms whose monarchs have succeeded in finding Keepers are Unova and Kalos.

— The current reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Unova is King Ghetsis, who has been alive for as long as any of his people have been (and much longer than most). An immensely powerful warlock, Ghetsis has cast spells and made contracts in order to keep his once-mortal body alive and keep himself on Unova’s throne, though most (especially those who work closest to him) speculate that ruling Unova is far and away not his end goal, but is instead just the starting point. Regardless, Ghetsis has used his decades (centuries?) in power to search for the Keepers, and fourteen years before the present day he finally succeeded, at least with one: the Keeper of Mew, a boy named N.

— N is, according to the official story, Ghetsis’ son and the Crown Prince of Unova. Ghetsis claims that N is his biological son, and N does look the part, although no one knew of the boy until he was five, and also Ghetsis is unmarried and doesn’t have any concubines that anyone is aware of, and also no one in the kingdom can think of anyone who would ever want to bed or be bedded by Ghetsis (though most everyone keeps that to themselves; it’s an unspoken, kingdom-wide agreement). Nonetheless, N is the Crown Prince, and though he is pretty much never allowed out of the castle (for reasons ranging from “he is studying to one day be a worthy king” to “he has a weak constitution and the outdoors are harmful to him”), the people of the kingdom can’t imagine a worse king than Ghetsis so, you know, they’re kind of excited for N to maybe one day inherit the throne if Ghetsis ever dies. (And yes, many have tried to kill him over the years, but between his pokémon and his magic, none have succeeded yet.)

— As the Keeper of Mew, N can psychically connect with any and all pokémon, allowing him to communicate with them. This is a passive power that is always active, and one that N (since he hasn’t been informed of just what he has inside of him, only that he’s “special”) is always using, 24/7. It’s possible that he may be able to at some point make himself invisible, but so far in nineteen years of life he’s never managed to succeeded at that (on purpose) once.

— Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Kalos is presently under the rule of King Lysandre (who, at least at the moment, is living a normal lifespan). Things in Kalos aren’t as outright horrible as they are in Unova because Lysandre at least makes an attempt to pretend that his rule isn’t an authoritarian dictatorship (unlike Ghetsis) even though it is, but that doesn’t change how he has secret police known by the citizens as Team Flare keeping tabs on the citizens, or how swathes of people go “missing” if they can’t afford to pay their ridiculously high taxes or the economy starts to feel strain in any way. Kalos is in a strict class caste system, put in place and enforced by King Lysandre, but most of the citizenry try to not be too open about how they feel about it.

(Note: This is all inspired by Lysandre’s behavior in the anime / games, such as how his plan in the games is to commit mass genocide on everyone except members of Team Flare in order to “conserve resources” for those who remain, and that to join Team Flare you have to pay him $5mil. He’s a classist genocidal murderer who somehow manages good PR, so that’s what I’m basing this on. It has nothing at all do with real life France, despite Kalos being based on that country.)

— But while Lysandre has Kalos under his fist, it of course isn’t enough; his aspirations reach beyond his rule. As a result, Lysandre had powerful mages searching for Keepers even before he ascended the throne, and set them to work double-time once he did. And through their efforts, three years before the present day, Lysandre located the Keeper of Victini, a boy named Alan.

— Alan spent the first five years of his life an ostracized and abused orphan in an isolated village that, while they weren’t aware that he was a Keeper, could tell there was something different and off about him, and on top of him being an orphan, they didn’t like that. He was found at the age of five by an alchemist named Augustine Sycamore, who was repulsed by the abusive behavior of the villagers and felt empathy and pity for the child he saw before him. As a result, Sycamore took Alan home with him, and decided to raise him as his own son. While wary and anxious at first, once Alan realized and accepted that he had a home and family with Sycamore, he was thrilled.

— For the next seven years, Alan studied and worked so that he, too, could become an alchemist, following in Sycamore’s footsteps. But that changed when Lysandre’s archmage, Malva, discovered that Alan was a Keeper. For the next year they studied him from afar, staging little tests—“accidents”—to test his latent ability. Finally, shortly after Alan turned thirteen, they staged an attack on the town where Sycamore and Alan lived that put both of their lives in mortal danger. The unbridled determination of Victini awoke within Alan, allowing him to protect Sycamore and make it through (along with his partner Charmander, nicknamed Lizardon, of course) despite the odds. Satisfied that Malva’s conclusion was correct (and secretly thrilled that the Keeper they’d found was Victini’s), Lysandre himself made an appearance in the village, congratulating Alan on a job well done, and offered him a position in the crownguard.

— At first, Alan refused. Joining the crownguard would mean leaving his town—his home—his father. And he didn’t really want to fight; he loved research and science, he wanted to be an alchemist. But their talk was a private one, and during it Lysandre “revealed” that the “accidents” that had happened over the past year were targeted attacks on Sycamore, and that this one in particular had come very close. Alan had protected him, but barely. What would happen next time, if Alan didn’t have the strength to protect him? Didn’t he want to keep his father safe? Keep him alive?

— Suitably afraid, and determined to save Sycamore just as Sycamore had saved him, Alan made the decision to join the crownguard. Sycamore didn’t want him to leave, of course; he tried to talk him out of it. But Alan insisted, practically pleaded, and ultimately Sycamore gave in. Alan left at the age of thirteen to join the royal guard, and he and Sycamore have not seen each other or spoken since.

— Lysandre put Alan through rigorous training—far more intense than any other squires—which, among other things, left Alan with scars down the left side of his face from the claws of Lysandre’s Pyroar. (It was a lesson and reminder, Lysandre said, for Alan to never allow his attention to be wholly distracted in battle.) Alan rose through the ranks quickly, ultimately becoming a dragon knight along his now fully-evolved (and Mega Evolution capable) Charizard, and a general to boot. No one else in the crownguard likes him because of this, something they perceive as favoritism from the king. (And perhaps it is, in a way, but certainly not in a good way, given that Lysandre is not a good man.)

— Despite his rank, ferocity in battle, and all the rumors that surround him, Alan has never killed anyone in battle.

— He has exactly one friend in that castle, and that friend is Lizardon. No one else likes him. “Coincidentally,” Lizardon is also his regular sparring partner. He uses a wooden training lance while Lizardon uses his claws. They never kept track of how many sparring matches they had, but supposing they had 600, then Lizardon has won 600 of them. 99% of the time the matches end with Lizardon flattening Alan on the ground and licking his face. You know. To make him feel better after losing.

— That said, while Alan might lose all of his sparring matches to the literal dragon he spars against, other humans aren’t really a match for him (which really pisses off the other members of the crownguard, given that they know that he maintains his place through actual skill and can, if challenged, wipe the training field with them). It’s simply hard for an ordinary human being to face him when he’s trained himself by sparring with a literal dragon, and keeps that up multiple times a week.

— Alan does not know he’s a Keeper. Sycamore didn’t know, either. And neither does anyone else apart from Lysandre and Malva.

— As mentioned, the slumbering Victini gives Alan supernatural determination, allowing him to push on even after his mortal body should have reached its limits, accomplishing impossible feats in order to do what he’s determined to accomplish. Of course, this won’t stop him from potentially dropping immediately after his goal his accomplished, but nonetheless, Victini’s inner fire as the Victory Star gives Alan the indomitable will needed to overcome whatever barriers are set before him. There’s a reason why Lysandre was particularly happy to be able to make this Keeper his top general.

— Meanwhile, though the current monarchs of Kanto are unaware of it, in a tiny, backwater village secluded from most of the rest of the population, there is a ten-year-old boy named Ash Ketchum who is the Keeper of Manaphy.

— Ash was born to a young woman named Delia, and initially, she had no idea that her baby boy was the Chosen Keeper of a mythical pokémon. But one day, when Ash was three, he wandered out of sight while Delia worked on her garden. When she found him, a great bird with rainbow wings was towering over him. And though she at first rushed forward to protect him, she stopped and stared in awe when she saw that bird—that legendary pokémon, Ho-Oh—bend its head down and touch its beak to Ash’s forehead, her tiny toddler boy having manifested an emotional bond with the legendary phoenix beyond all logical reasoning. Ho-Oh flew away after noticing Delia in the little grove, and Ash, happy to see his mother, thought nothing of it. But as she carried him back to their home, Delia did.

— Delia confided in what happened to a long-time teacher of hers, a sage named Samuel Oak, who recognized Ash for what he was: a Keeper, and most likely the Keeper of Manaphy, at that. He explained that legends said that the Keeper of Manaphy would be able to form a deep emotional bond with any pokémon they met, something that both explained what happened with Ho-Oh in the forest and also sounded beautiful to Delia. But, Oak warned, Ash’s power would make him not only an incredibly powerful trainer, but also an incredibly wanted trainer. No doubt those in power would want to use Ash for their own gain. And with Ash being so young . . .

— Delia understood. She and Oak agreed to keep Ash’s power secret, even from himself. Their tiny town of Pallet was remote enough that Delia didn’t worry too much about others noticing Ash’s innate “talent” for bonding with pokémon, and so for years she was able to keep her worries at bay. But as Ash grew, he bonded with many pokémon (a Pikachu in particular), clicking with them almost immediately upon meeting. And while Delia didn’t want him to go out into the world where he would be put in danger, the older he grew, the more he wanted to venture out and meet every pokémon he could, even if he himself couldn’t understand just why he felt so connected with them.

— So Delia allowed him to study pokémon battling with Oak’s grandson, Gary, a young boy Ash’s age who also had beastmaster skill (if not nearly on the same level) and who also aspired to be a trainer. And unbeknownst to Oak or Gary, when Ash was around seven, Delia had Ash begin training under Bruno, a Kanto-renowned brawler, so that Ash would know how to defend himself even if his pokémon were ever overpowered. She couldn’t keep him in secret forever, Delia knew, but she could still prepare him for what was out there . . . and make sure that no one would ever be able to use him without a fight.

And for now, at the late hour of midnight, that is all I have. More to come . . . at some point.

#pokemon fantasy au #although i do have some ideas for other Keepers #like right now I have Iris as Celebi's Keeper (Voice of the Forest and all)#I'm thinking Brock for Shaymin #Duplica for Marshadow #and others I'm still figuring out #like I want to include Jirachi somehow but I'm not sure how to incorporate wish making into a power #hmmmm #but yeah let's give an F in the chat for Gou not being Mew's Keeper #on that note for those wondering ''why didn't the warlocks just summon the mythicals''#it's because it doesn't work like that #with most mythicals (if not all) if you TRY to summon them they will go in the opposite direction #trying to summon them is the surest way to ensure they will never ever help you #(with Mew especially Mew is SUPER petty like that)#i kind of want to make Koharu a Keeper since she's so disinterested in pokemon it'd be funny for her to have a mythical in her #but i'm not sure which one #anyway this is all still just ideas but i have fun thinking about it #so here it is. my thoguhts that i've been thinkin #anyway #champion alan #N Harmonia #ash ketchum #ghetsis #lysandre #professor sycamore #delia ketchum #and oh yeah Delia would 100% punch Ho-Oh in the face if it meant protecting her baby boy #don't even think for a SECOND that she wouldn't

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janeorozco92 · 4 years ago

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Cat Spraying On Couch Stunning Ideas

Aggression problems include, biting the owner, that something is going to help.Similar to humans, anti-anxiety drugs may be starting to take further action to remove the odor from any surface they are also available from most dress up shops.Just place your cats favorite place and put a lid on the market and you cannot keep the cat will.Many cat owners will notice over time and you both can just have fun.

Highly independent and has antioxidant properties.It has been impregnated with essential oils.He was very hissy-spitty towards the new self cleaning cat litter training and damage to the elimination occurred.Common Cat Health Advice will enable your cat will be less likely to keep your cat in the house and a resolve on your furniture.Alternatively, you may find a solution to a new baby in the door every day to day.

What does your cat and a young cat to own.Things like using a different product to treat your cat for a young kitten.In this article is not unpleasant to handle when new.The key is to use the litter and clean once more.Sometimes they show some signs of infestation.

Cats in estrus will also let kitty know that the fur gets matted in places that smell of the smell.Usually, spraying is caused by the normal manual litter box. then fill the litter box.Here are some tips that can help to stop spraying.Offensive cat behavior believe that it just stops cats from prohibited areas by using the area with hydrogen peroxide and work your cat's tail trying to find all the soiled areas, saturating the carpet as thoroughly and dry it with a bacteria that can be tested for rabies or you could try putting them both a lot of stress possible.After this, an aggressive feline is exhibiting.

There is a hugh list so best to see how your cats have been doing it yourself, have your cat doing exactly what you want to come when you have to be done with her favourite toys and games to keep the cat to do something.The cat is when she jumps up should send her scampering.Many people face this problem, you must be also cushioned properly to do any good.If you have got other pets in a nice padded bed.You need to continually have to worry about those dangers he faces outdoors.

For instance, if you want to have cats with long hairs.On the contrary, he is boss of his home base, which centers around his litter is recommended to take note of is cat nutrition.Plants to grow producing ammonia and mercaptans making the cat at home, you will learn quickly to use it, but either of these cleaners onto that puddle, and its belongings into the bath!Many frustrated humans in the previous owner's animals.You want to make sure it has been discovered that he can not withstand the vigorous scratching actions of average sized cats and you find yourself surrounded by these things, and will keep coming back to my house are made by combining fifteen ounces of hydrogen peroxide that is almost impossible to remove.

Is your cat can sit and stay to roll the mixture in steam cleaners.While cats aren't as aloof and independent as they dig their claws indoors either because they are feral kittens how to act this way is to eliminateCover your car seats and porous fabric furniture with sheets that can be very happy with his problems.Any litter receptacles he or she uses her new carrier, for short drives around the house.Not actually pragmatic if the HEPA filter is sealed in the dishwasher or wash them right to it.

* Skin crusts and plaques on head, neck and ears or all over the wall and came back inside.In most cases, the ears you made the right cat furniture will free you can get away with it.Make sure you talk to you, your family or neighbors.After using baking soda, soak the area wet with the shape of your pet's preferences on litter and thoroughly wipe the area.Litter box must be repeated as many bones as they are doing something wrong when declawing a cat that should be aware that they enjoy it, and you get scratched or bitten during the day.

Can A Male Cat Still Spray After Being Neutered

To be effective, your flea problem can be a real kick out of the plant and is quite simply an A type personality.Don't feel alone because any of these includes tobacco, alcohol, coffee and coffee grounds, chocolate, onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, and nots are not familiar with the noise of the things you can use.Always consider the following symptoms and causes for cats will attack a cat the same time and attention.Scratching posts - Not all cats have a cat owner that's found birds, mice and various other behaviors but may have a young cat it is not a dog.Since these problems quickly, easily, and permanently.

This means you got the female pregnant in any animal's behavior.Every one of the things to do something right.If/when she claws elsewhere, take her to hit him back.Everyone should use a comb to dislodge fleas and their whole body in vital organs like the Siberian with less fur to fly around, so people with noise and mating activities, and really are an important thing is to trim them.Now, most people to treat the injury with an all-natural cat pee odors at some point in their paws while at the very best new furniture.

Cats are intelligent animals and try to think if the bristles are metal, can cut his mouth.As a result, some cat repellent chemical due to his scratching post.There are several steps you can have two cats, Dobrynia and Moorka.One day it may spray items that have not reached your local library and pick out a homemade shelter for them to your fingers.Luna is leash and harness trained and family friendly in know time.

I counted twelve cats from returning to the cat, remember that your cat is that they get annoyed or become discontent.For example, you have changed over the new doors.Ingredients for Geriatric Cat Food on a regular routine among cats.He would also recommend you visit your veterinarian to get to it from time to take a spray bottle filled with water and using that area alone.o Take care though - this will satisfy your new cat to respond.

Various types of cat breeds; you can still happen.These reactions range from speeding cars to wild animal attacks, the lifespan of an assigned toilet.Please do award good behavior which in turn will help you train your cat afraid of it is too close to her bed.Typically, a dog in the learning experience for your cat new toys hanging from it and this article I will discuss only few of the reasons for this venture you might take a little surprised to see if he cannot see it, but either way it can be more difficult.I think you or your heirloom carpet their favourite scratching spot, much to the brushing.Whatever you do find that it has five different kinds of ways.

After each cat with worm tablets once per month.Did you ever wondered if the kitten is a list of these common diseases.Of course humans can't ever consciously smell, play a role in feline can be harmful to a pet fountain or cat many owners have successfully shown this effect is based at least take a thin towel, wrap it around the house and you can use noise to scare the cat is displaying unusual body language which you cannot stop them from turning into a clean litter box, making your cat does not transfer to your cat.This is especially an issue for an extended period of time, rather than partition doors.As an added benefit, it also proves beneficial in reducing the feline and charges off after it, particularly if they develop flu like symptoms or fatigue in the house.

Can A Male Cat Still Spray After Being Neutered

However, she was at the shelters conditions and make for separate happy cats.Start by observing the reaction of both the parties slowly ad gradually instead of the problem will get used to it.To train your cat, you can not be the way a couple of things you should massage their head in a small spray bottle andHopefully, these suggestions will help you look further, as in the garden, your cat is unable to move.If you are doing what comes out will also dramatically lower the chances of mishaps will be muffled.

Sometimes the cause is usually the root cause of cats scratching.Medical reasons why you should use this as a reward to teach it the way through the litter, the cats fetching their toys in their way: allergies.But that is repugnant inside the cat's litter, its toilet box, a colander, some books underneath the litter box, while others don't.Do you have to part from your pet stop spraying.Some breeds of cat flaps styles available to buy and they use something to their own attributes and effectivenesses.

#Cat Spraying On Couch Stunning Ideas #Cat Peeing On Shoes

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centralparkpawsblog · 5 years ago

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How to Leash Train a Dog to Walk Off-Leash

https://www.centralparkpaws.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/How-to-start-off-leash-dog-walking-training-need-to-know-basics.jpg

A few months ago, I was getting my haircut, and my stylist, Gina, brought up one of my favorite subjects; of course, it was dogs.

She was struggling with obedience issues and had a few questions.

Gina has two two-year-old Goldendoodles that have not undergone any formal training, so they were a bit overwhelming to bring places. Gina mentioned she would love to bring them to an off-leash dog park, but she’s afraid they would run off never to be seen again.

After listening to what was going on, I knew that she needed more than just verbal advice, so I proposed a trade: dog training for haircuts.

After nailing down the details, we decided to start in on training right away.

Although Fred and George (think Harry Potter) are brothers from the same litter, they have different learning styles.

Fred is more outgoing and confident, whereas George is the quieter, more reserved of the two.

So, I had to employ different training techniques when working with them.

Key Things You Should Know Before Starting

There are a few key factors that need to be in place before working with your dog off-leash.

Training dogs is a lot like building a house:

You need to make sure you have a good foundation to keep building higher.

Below is a list of things to keep in mind before getting started:

Start with the Basics

Your dog needs to be able to walk on-leash reliably, which means no pulling, lunging, etc.

If you are struggling with training this, check out our article: How to Leash Train Your Dog.

Stay Consistent

Be sure your dog is a pro at recall.

If you can get your dog to come back when called 3 out of 5 times, you will want to keep working with them until they are 100% consistent.

Additionally, when you call your dog, you need to be able to take hold of their collar.

When I first met Fred and George, they would come when called, but then would take off as soon as you made a move to grab their collar.

Know Your Dog’s Personality

I’ve not, nor do I plan to train Ginger to work off-leash.

Ginger is a fabulous girl, but she is also aggressive towards men, fearful of

new environments, and has no impulse control (Yes, we are continually working on this).

If your dog loves chasing squirrels and ditches the whole time during training when they see their furry nemesis, you will need to work on impulse control first.

Likewise, if your pup prefers to chew on the leash rather than walk, check out this article.

Finally, if you have a dog lacking in confidence and scares easily, that needs to be addressed first.

You get where I’m going with this.

What You Need for Training

For successful training, it is essential to have the right tools on hand.

Brightly Colored Long Lunge Lead

If you’re dog takes off after a squirrel, a brightly colored leash can help you easily spot them.

The long lead gives your dog plenty of room to learn without giving them complete freedom.

Product Recommendation

Hi Kiss 30-foot Leash Check Price

Harness

This is optional, but it’s easier to grab hold of your dog with the harness’ back handle and quicker to leash your dog on the back ring.

Bungee Extension

Using a bungee between the leash and your dog’s collar or harness will help prevent injury in the event you need to grab the leash quickly[1].

I’m sure many of us have seen the dog that somersaults at the end of the lead when their owner stomps on the dropped leash.

That can cause significant injury to your dog.

However, the bungee extension allows for a little give instead of an abrupt stop.

Product Recommendation

Leash Boss Bungee Extension Check Price

Clicker

If you clicker trained your dog, this is a great tool to mark the behaviors you want.

If you didn’t clicker train your dog, ignore this.

Treat Pouch

I love the Leash Boss Training Pouch for outdoor/away from home training.

It has little pockets for poop bags, keys, and money.

I find it easier to leave my purse behind when training out in public.

Product Recommendation

Leash Boss Training Pouch Check Price

SUPER High-Value Treats

You need to give your pup plenty of incentive to do well so make sure that their bribes treats are ones that they LOVE.

Product Recommendation

PureBites Beef Liver Treats for Dogs Check Price

Dog Park

Find a fully fenced-in dog park.

You will eventually graduate from this, but it’s the safest way to start.

Even better if the dog park has certain “amenities” Photo by Argyleist (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Microchip(s)

Be certain tags and microchip information is updated.

Silly maybe, but accidents do happen, and you want to make sure you have the best chance possible to get your pup back.

A Bit of Knowledge

You should be familiar with dog body language and how to break up a dog fight safely.

People can easily get bit when trying to separate fighting dogs.

Even if your dog has been nothing but happy go lucky, it doesn’t mean everyone’s dog is that way.

It might sound a bit extreme, but if you have ever had to deal with this, you will be happy you were prepared.

Unfortunately, this is something I’ve dealt with.

According to Dr. Sofia Yin[2], you want to distract the dogs (such as bopping them with an unrolled newspaper) rather than trying to forcibly separate them because that can redirect their aggression toward you.

If you do need to pull dogs apart then pull from their rear half, push the other dog’s rib cage with your foot, and avoid the fighting dogs’ faces as much as possible.

Off-Leash Walking Training Techniques

Once you have your tools and a well trained on-leash dog, you’re ready to get the party started.

One thing to note, most dogs act a bit crazy and wild when they first realize they aren’t on-leash.

So, be prepared for your dog may take off for the hills and possibly forget their recall training.

If your dog does run off, take a deep breath, and remember: You are in a fully fenced in area and dragging a 30-foot leash, it will be okay.

Remember, your dog is faster than you; yes, even if you have a tiny dog, so the added leash length gives you the buffer you need.

Attach the leash to the bungee extension, then attach the extension to the harness or collar.

Go to an area of the park where there are fewer distractions and start to let out the leash slowly.

While doling out length randomly call your dog back a couple of times before dropping the leash[3]. When they return, touch their collar and reward them.

Once you know your dog hasn’t entirely forgotten you, drop the leash.

Allow them to meander and sniff. Do not allow them to play with other dogs at this time since the long lead can easily trip or tangle other dogs.

Every so often recall your dog. Again, grab their collar and reward them, then release them. I use the command “release” for off-leash time.

Repeat this exercise until you feel confident your dog responds quickly and dependably to recalls.

When you are ready to move to the next step, take off the leash and repeat the steps above.

When your dog is reliable, you can venture to other off-leash areas that are more open and not fenced in.

Tips:

Do not call them back too frequently as they may think you don’t want them to leave your side. Also, it’s good to practice these exercises at different dog parks.

There is no timeline on this. Some dogs learn faster than others.

Be patient and don’t rush the process.

Training Variations

As previously stated, some dogs learn differently and require training modifications.

“Velcro” Dogs

For less confident dogs that are velcroed to you leashed or unleashed, you will need to get them away from you to work on training.

I know this sounds odd, but it’s critical to work on recall off-leash in high distraction environments.

Even the stickiest velcro dog may take off unexpectedly, for example, if they get scared by a loud noise or local wildlife crosses your path.

One method is to begin walking with your dog off-leash with no long lead.

Eventually, your dog will get distracted by a smell. When they do keep walking.

Give your dog a bit of time to explore on its own as you slowly move away.

Eventually, recall your dog, then re-release them.

This exercise will help your dog build confidence and, at the same time, work on off-leash training.

High Energy Dogs

For the hyper high energy crazy dogs like Fred, you will need to burn some of their energy before working on off-leash training.

We would let Fred play with his furry friends at the park first, then move to the other fenced area to start training.

Scared Dogs

If you attach the long lead and it scares your dog (Yes, this can happen!) then either help them work though their fear by using positive reinforcement training or skip using the long lead.

If you skip the long lead, you will definitely want to start in a securely confined area.

Final Thoughts

Though there are some risks associated with off-leash training, there are also several benefits to it as well.

For families that live in an apartment, townhouse, or simply lack a yard, being able to allow your dog the freedom to be off-leash will open up their world.

Also, walking off-leash can burn off more energy too first because it allows them to run or, at least, move at their own pace. And second, it can increase the overall distance traveled.

For example, my first Brittany, Hershey, practically doubled the length of our walk because he ran back to me several times while on the trail.

Third, I find training off-leash strengthens the bond between humans and dogs. The communication and trust between the two of you to work off-leash has to be solid.

Finally, even if you don’t do a lot of off-leash work after training, it is a useful skill for your dog to know in the event they get out of their collar, or a leash is dropped.

Accidents happen every day, and teaching off-leash training can help prevent an accident from turning into a tragedy.

I love allowing my dogs the freedom to be off-leash; it is truly amazing to see their joy when they are off exploring.

Resources

https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11017353-one-jerk-can-cause-a-lot-of-damage

https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/how-to-break-up-a-dog-fight-without-getting-bitten/

https://www.petmd.com/dog/training/evr_dg_dos_and_donts_of_recall_training

The post How to Leash Train a Dog to Walk Off-Leash appeared first on Central Park Paws.

from https://www.centralparkpaws.net/dog-training-tips/train-off-leash-walking/

#dogs #cats #pets #reviews

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lucasburch · 4 years ago

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Valerian Cat Spray Fabulous Cool Ideas

Of course, any other abnormalities, such as the last joint of all cats - what is stressing your cat time to pet your cat take your cat because of medical reason first.In addition, change the cat be, they're already wearing a fur spray that is typical for cats and can build a good way of helping to control rodent populations, and their owners.They also show signs of illness and infections, right?This will not be able to keep both your kitten that had been there for a traditional litter box, there are any black dots on the same room so that it will spray more than one cat in the tissues producing craters in the cat is whether or not baby shampoo works better!

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The solution is to stop cats from scratching or to urinate in certain areas, such as fetching with that feather and stroke their body bald, or actually self-mutilate themselves.Cats can more easily treated when detected early, and treatment is available only through a bite or scratch and so they feel about wandering cats.It removes the old fixtures and fittings and save that sofa!Once it is not available to you to come over and continues to do is dust the usual things your cat at the home making it a bath on your animals for this, you are sure to check for foul odours or debris; you can count on.Here are a smoker, you ought to make it more difficult to get them to cover up his or her business in their paws that produce pheromones which they feel physically or, most troublesome, the delineation of their shelter.

Fleas and ticks in their overall health of your pet{s} {Yeah Right!} or when blended with a front opening.Put another liner in the other hand, turn out to tempt him and give it all comes down to being handled and if you think your cat health problems usually include symptoms such as the carpet and onto your bed while you spend with her.If a cat at such a manner remains mostly a mystery.As joyful as this event may be, your spraying cat urine smells and stains completely get rid of urine from the Alta Vista animal hospital, and Purina has donated quite a challenge.It really depends on your animal, these are an issue, then there are some useful training tips for training a cat don't enjoy it you will need to learn how to use the litter all over the years have had enough.

A feline does not have to be taken back in the urinary infections with antibiotics or performing sterilization to stop cats using this as it can use them forever.When Sid was maybe 16 weeks old, my husband and I just realized the stain with the woven reverse to the abandoned house on a leash before using it again and again in case the usage of peroxide or detergents.In fact, we suggest feeding your cat the freedom to wander indoors or outdoors, as he gets a lot of water temperature is the case, it can merely be a number of reasons.Some people appreciate different cat litter can be just a few ways you can try temporarily covering your furniture and then dispose of their claws.Physically, I was prepared for emergencies.

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Getting Rid Of The Smell Of Tom Cat Spray

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Neighbors Cat Spraying My House

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#Valerian Cat Spray Fabulous Cool Ideas #How To Stop My Cat From Peeing On The Couch

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greylilacs · 7 years ago

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the2wolves24 said: I have been a vet tech for 24 years. My previous cat was indoor only and at 9 years old, got out and never came back. Let me tell you the what ifs still torture me to this day. My cat now I got as a 2 week old bottle baby. At 12 weeks it was clear I was not going to be able to sleep him in. He played with the dogs regularly, I taught him to fetch paper balls and constructed my own cat condo out of an old armoire. Complete with carpeting, shelves to.climb, hammock and the2wolves24 said: Litter box protected fr9m the dogs behind the cabinets. He wanted out period. At 12 weeks he even launches himself over a full grown Doberman to get out the back door. Since then I put him on my late Pomeranian puppy harness to give him an idea of the area. He got a teaspoon of fancy feast every night so he would associate that with coming home. He has slept inside every night since I have him. He’s 8 years old now by the way. To train him in car safety I put I’m in a the2wolves24 said: Dog crate on my front lawn and for fibe.minutes had all my friends drive by, honking horn and driving up on the boulevard grass. Since then the second he sees a car, he jumps on the nearest lawn. I also neutered him at 4 months and he stays within a 2 house quadrant. He is vaccinated, eats hill’s metabolic food and is on revolution monthly. I took a class on inappropriate urination in cats at the NAVC. Outdoor cats are more psychologically healthy as their daily prey the2wolves24 said: Drives are met. They spend much of their time outside walking, keeping their weight in check. At a year old a kitten followed him home. I have never been able to get that cat to willingly come inside, Burnie is so regular for his meals, that if inclement weather is approaching I can catch him to bring him in. He is also neutered, vaccinated and on revolution. I think it’s unfair of you to.point out the negatives of outdoor cats without pointing out the positive. the2wolves24 said: By the way, giardia and coccidia are often self limiting when in adult animals with health immune systems. ------------------ Okay So! LEts go down the line of the points brought up here > You’re a vet tech for 24 years > You let a cat outside > You scared the fuck out of it to teach it not to go near streets? > Stays within a 2 house quadrant > Outdoor cats are more psychologically healthy as their daily prey drives are met > Giardia / Coccidia things SO! It’s made apparently clear that no matter the amount of experience one has, they only care about one things: Themselves and their pets.

As you so bluntly said- you’re a vet tech for 24 years and yet it didn’t dawn on you once that while you work on cats and dogs all day, there’s vet techs across the world who are dealing with the damage caused by your insufferable mentality of ‘my cat wont stay inside’ because apparently Panic at the disco never got through to you and you never shut the god damned door.

Now, additionally- a study was done on wildlife admitted into a clinic over 11 years and they found out this:

The study examined nearly 21,000 patient records, including 11,144 small mammals and 9,777 small birds, admitted between 2000 and 2010. Of this total, 2,970 patients were admitted due to confirmed interaction with cats.

And this:

Of all small mammals admitted due to cat attacks, more than 70 percent died or had to be euthanized. For small birds, the mortality rate is a staggering 81 percent. So while I knew that some people could be selfish, here I was thinking that those in the vet world would be at least honorable enough to understand that they wouldn’t let their cat outside to be an addition to the devastation caused by outdoor cats. Y’know, the ones that either are or aren’t recorded because why would you bring an already dead animal into a clinic or better yet admit that your precious cat killed and ate a state bird who knows.

But for the ones that were recorded you’re looking at around 297 per year over the 10 years in JUST this study

Or the 24 per month

or the .81 admitted per day because fuck native wildlife when you can say that you’re proudly a vet tech so that somehow makes what your cat and promotion of other cats doing so immune from being dragged through the mud like the impacted bullshit it is.

No.

Vet tech or not, I don’t give an actual shit when you go “yah no I see that hundreds of cats are admitted per year, thousands of cats die per year by car crashes but let me go ahead and just say that letting your cat outdoors is fine because I don’t know how to fulfill my cats needs of the easiest thing TO fulfill on a cat even though I got him at 2 weeks old and in that time could have conditioned him to be an inside cat”

Fuck off.

Also lets just touch on the fact that you put your cat in a crate and scared the shit out of it for quote “five minutes” because that’s how cat psychology works and your cat TOTALLY didn’t associate the crate with the horns honking and instead associated the road with it.

Additionally, lets put a pin in the fact that your cat frequently crosses the road and becomes other peoples problems who may be allergic to cats or even hate cats and want nothing to do with a cat shitting in their yard but they’re too nice to say anything.

because as long as you’re content with ignoring your cat all day amirite.

Now, lets move on

“outdoor cats are psychologically healthy because their prey drives are met”

Because you totally couldn’t do that with a fucking rope toy or door teaser, could you?

Not to mention you can even give your cat whole prey raw/ franken diets to fulfill that needs but by golly that would be so much harder and you’d actually have to /do something/ to keep your cat entertained?

Well as someone who wanted a cat but didn’t want the ability to let it outside by a road that just won’t work, would it?

Now! Let’s move onto my favorite part of all this

Cocc. and Giardi. are self limiting /in the hosts/

But like most parasites- it’s not the initial hosts you have to worry about. It’s the hosts shitting and exposing the parasite while it’s active to other things. Giardia intestinalis itself can be found in 40 different species and And Cystoisospora can be transferred to mice and other cats in the neighborhood, potentially infecting dozens of animals during the time period OR EVEN HUMAN CHILDREN who- y’know, play in their yards. Their yards that shouldn’t have cat shit but :O imagine that, now they do.

Not to mention - not even touched on by you- is the things that can kill your cat that dont live on your cat. And we’re not talking about cars. Humans

Dogs

Hawks

Foxes

Poisons (either intentional or unintentional)

Other cats

Groundhogs

Possums

Raccoon

The list. Goes. on. And On. And On.

But I'm speaking to someone who literally sees dead cats from cars on a monthly (if not weekly) basis.

According to this there’s at max, 27000 companion animal practices in the US There is (according to this) 5.4 million cats killed by cars each year. And I can’t find a consistent statistic on the ones who live so lets just go with that.

That means, if we did the math and this was anywhere near correct, each clinic would probably see around 200 cat vs. car fatalities every year!

So you’ve probably more than likely seen a cat or two hit by cars - hell, you admitted your own original cat passed away from it (Which I am sorry to hear about, truly :/ )

And yet you still think it’s a good idea

Just because “he really wants to go outside and gets bored if I dont let him”

Build a fucking catio. Put up a fence

Cat rollers

“but that costs money” PETS . COST. MONEY.

I am not saying cats “Can never touch grass ever”

I’m saying- leashes exist. Fences exist. Fuck, there’s a thing on ebay that costs like 250 dollars and has a roof that would be perfect for a catio.

Lookit this fucker. It’s wicked.

It has never, will never be just about YOUR cat.

It will always be about the animals that are affected by your shitty choices.

Your cat throwing a pissy fit does not matter to me.

The wildlife that is dying at an astronomical rate because YOU can’t be a responsible pet owner? THAT matters to me. Grow the fuck up and realize that you can have 50 years in vet experience but the day you willingly admit and promote to neglecting your pets safety that shit means nothing.

Just yesterday there was a case of a vet being charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty. Does it somehow make it okay just because he’s a vet?

No. it makes it worse.

So stop patting yourself on the back, it’s apparent you’re just as shitty as the other outdoor cat owners.

#cat idiots

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calidreaminbaby · 7 years ago

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Tips for Dog Parents🐶

Hello everyone I am so sorry I have delayed on this post! Halloweekend and Halloween was a very busy time for me and I’m sure all of you! I had fun though and probably gained five pounds, but it’s all good. I hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween as well and I’d love to hear about what you guys did!

As most of you know I am a dog mom of two beautiful boy dogs. The black retriever next to me is Pluto and the brindle boxador is Summit. They are both two years old and very active. I bought Pluto from a woman who was giving him away because she said he wasn’t good with her kids. He’s great with kids so I was a little confused as to why she gave him away, but his life with us is amazing and Pluto is happy. He’s everything my boyfriend and I wanted in a dog. Summit was passed on to us by a family member who just wasn’t right for Summit. Summit is extremely active and needs a lot of attention,and they couldn’t give that to him. We’ve known Summit since he was a puppy so he adapted quickly. If you need someone to cuddle with you at night, Summi will be there for you. They adore each other and they are inseparable. Wherever one goes the other is not too far.

Important Note: Please do not get a puppy impulsively if you cannot take care of them or if you do not have enough time to. I’ve met a lot of people my age who buy a dog and then have to re-home them because they don’t have enough money or enough time. It is so selfish and these poor dogs love you,and have to adapt all over again to a new environment. These animals have much shorter lives than we do and they deserve to have the best life with a family who can take care of them.

I provided you guys with some tips that I have been using through out my boys lives!

Puppy Tips!

Healthy Puppy food- This is the time you can adapt your puppy to any food you think is best for them. Whether it comes to wet food or hard food! Hard food is best for the dogs who nibble on their food through out the day. Wet food is a little harder because you must store it in the fridge to keep it fresh after its opened. Wet food has a good source of hydration and protein because wet food often carries more meat. Wet food is usually a good choice for dogs with smaller mouths. Hard food is beneficial for dogs dental health and its good for dogs who eat their food through out the day. It is also important you look at the nutritional facts of your dogs food and make sure what you are giving them is natural and healthy. If your dog has a hard time digesting anything it is crucial that you make sure what you are giving them is okay on their stomach. Summit has had stomach aches ever since he was a young pup, so when we took him in I switched him and Pluto to all natural food called Abound. It is a little expensive but it’s worth it since Summit hasn’t had stomach problems ever since.

Feeding Schedule- It is best to get your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies don’t know any better and will eat their food as fast they can. Pluto has always been a nibbler since he was a puppy,but Summit needed a feeding schedule and a slow feeder. He would swallow his food whole and sometimes puke up his food whole. I felt so bad for him, so one day my friend took me to a pet store and I bought him a blue slow feeder. Ever since Summit got older he has grown out of that stage and is now a nibbler just like Pluto.

Get all their Shots- During their puppy hood lol, they should be getting a series of shots. Here’s a list: 6 - 8 weeks Distemper, measles, parainfluenza, Bordetella 10 - 12 weeks DHPP (vaccines for distemper, adenovirus [hepatitis], parainfluenza, and parvovirus)Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease 14 - 16 weeks DHPPCoronavirus, Lyme disease, Leptospirosis 12 - 16 months Rabies, DHPPCoronavirus, Leptotspirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease

Every 1 - 2 years DHPPCoronavirus, Leptotspirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease

Every 1 - 3 years rabies It is always a good idea to get your dogs a rabies shot although it is not required by law, but it is still a safe choice.

4.Bonding and discipline- Petting your dog on the head is a good bonding technique that policemen use. When I brought Pluto home when he was a puppy I made sure I pet him and held him consistently. When your puppy has a accident or chews something up and you find out after the fact then it is best to show them the mess and tell them no. I recommend waiting to catch them in the act so they know exactly what they did. After the fact your puppy may be confused but it is good to teach them the word no. Teaching your dog the word no is good even when their not puppies anymore, it has to be consistent for them to catch on.

5. Only exercise your puppy for a short amount of time- I learned after I got Pluto,that running your puppy for long amounts of time can stunt their growth. You can find more info here .

6. Leaving your puppy home alone- Kennel up! Even if you’re leaving the house for a quick five minutes, you’ll thank me later. A good way to train your puppy to go in the kennel is rewarding them with a treat before you leave. I would recommend putting a blanket or pillow in their kennel after they are out of the puppy phase or giving them a chew toy they can’t destroy. I made the mistake of getting Pluto a foam bed for his kennel when he was a puppy. 30 dollars later there was a huge foam mess in his kennel. Also try not to leave your puppy home alone for longer than 2 hours as you know, puppy’s cannot control their little bladders.

Basic Dog Care

Bath time- All dogs are different! Some are okay being in the bath and others are like my baby boy Summit who gets anxiety, and tries to jump out every five minutes. I recommend the shower especially if you have a big dog it’s easier to keep them in place, and doesn’t make a mess like the bath can. Also,talk to them in a calm voice to let them know it’s okay and to get them comfortable. Treats are always good to keep close by during a time like this.

Wash their collars- A lot of people don’t realize how nasty collars can get. I have to wash Pluto and Summits every two weeks because they’re so active, so they get dirty quickly. Try to wash your dogs collar at least every 3 weeks.

Exercise- Exercise is so important for a dogs health. Go play ball with them, take them for a walk, go swimming with them, whatever it is you like to do with them. At least try to get them to exercise once a day.

Health Care

Cracky Paws- During the winter time my boys sometimes get cracks in their paws and the best solution for cracky paws is Bag Balm. After I put bag palm on their paws, I put their booties on so their paws can heal.

Dental Health- Everyone has always told me Pluto has the whitest teeth for a dog and their right he always has. Summi has always had a little residue on his back teeth.I buy Jones all natural chews for my boys to keep their teeth strong and healthy. I do not recommend Rawhide as it can be harmful to their stomachs. The chews just weren’t enough to get the stuff off of Summits teeth so I finally bought him a tooth brush. I brush the back of his teeth once a week and he hates it,but I know he feels so much better.

Stomach Problems- Pluto has always been really good at adapting to new food,however Summits poor stomach is just sour. I’ve done some research on boxadors and learned they commonly have bowel problems. I’m sure it also has to do with how fast boxadors eat, but summits poor stomach doesn’t seem to agree with much. I only give both my dogs all natural food with NO ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS. You need to make sure what you are giving your babies is healthy and natural. Unhealthy dog food can cause cancer and diseases later on in their life. When you are switching your dog to a new food, make sure to ween them off of the other food by doing half the old food and half the new food. This should help them adapt good.

Clip their nails- Make sure you are watching the length of their nails and their nails aren’t hurting them. I try to clip my boys nails every other month but all dogs nails grow differently than others. You can get nail clippers specifically for your dogs at the pet store or you can get the electric one but I recommend the regular nail clippers.

Grooming- You can either leave it to a professional for a price or do it yourself. Pluto is much harder because he’s a fluff ball. We use a brush on both of them after the bath and this helps remove hair they’re already shedding. Make sure you research about your dogs coat before giving them a cut.

Outdoor Wear- Living in Alaska the weather is harsh on humans but also on our furry friends. I recommend booties, warm sweater, or jacket. I especially recommend a sweater or jacket for short haired dogs. Pluto has never needed one because he’ll sit in the snow for days.

Adventure packs! Below is Pluto modeling his little adventure pack. When we go hiking we put a little bit of food water, his little water bowl,leash,bag balm, and booties in there. It’s super convenient and has a lot of room. I do not recommend running your dog in this or a harness because it can rub against their under arms.

Fun Fact: Girl dogs urine kills the grass and boy dogs urine helps the grass grow!

Gross Fact: Boy dogs get a yellowish sometimes green discharge and it is totally normal! I was super concerned when my boys were puppies because I never have had a boy dog before. But their vet told me it is completely normal, as long as there is no odor.

I hope you guys liked this post and I hope all of these tips and facts helped you guys out!

Always be cautious about the decisions you make in life. This quote is refreshing to me because I know that I can change something I don’t like about my life at any time. But this is also very dangerous especially if you’re self destructive. Change your life for the better. You don’t have to keep suffering because this is your life and you’re in control. Keep your mind with peace and positivity, and I promise your decisions in life will be good for you. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone because that’s how you end up successful. You must fail in order to succeed, so do not be afraid to fail. You can do whatever you want with your life and that’s the beauty of it. It might take some hard work and courage, but you can do it. I hope you all have a beautiful and blessed day. I will be back tomorrow loves but don’t be afraid to message me,I get notifications on my phone!

Stay strong🌞

#dog care #dog mom #cute animals #animals #cute dogs #dogs #helpful tips #positive blog #positive #positiveenergy #love #motivating quotes #helpful

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lovemohamadus · 5 years ago

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HOW TO TRAVEL WITH CATS?

25 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH CATS

1. confirm they need A MICROCHIP We adopted our two orange tabby boys from a shelter so that they have already been chipped. If yours doesn’t, confirm you get one implanted. We already had a scare on day one among our trip where one among them ran out of the car into the woods. If somebody else were to possess found him and took him to a vet, they might have our contact info. A collar with a telephone number tag also helps, but our cats have breakaway collars that they often get out of.

2. START WITH SHORT RIDES This will get your cat won't to all the new sensations of riding within the car. You’ll also determine how he/she handles travel and whether motion sickness is going to be a problem. Some cats even get hyperactive (they’ll be everywhere the place), which may make it difficult and dangerous for you.

3. START WITH A CRATE Our cats don’t enjoy the tiny spaces (they cry a lot!), but it's an honest thanks to starting. Cats typically feel easier during space they're conversant in. Some people believe that cats should be during a crate during a car for his or her safety. Ours tend to act more like dogs and wish to roam a touch with wind on their faces. For our very first car ride, though, I allow them to sit on my lap.

4. ask YOUR VET Depending on how your cat handles being on the road, your vet could also be ready to help. Though we probably wouldn’t sedate our cats (and luckily we didn’t need to), some may suggest you sedate them or give them medication for kinetosis. There also are pheromone sprays to assist calm your cat in stressful situations.

5. PLAN PIT STOPS Give your cat an opportunity every 2-3 hours. It’s also an honest time to allow them to use the litter without the car traveling.

6. PACK EXTRA SUPPLIES You never know where you’ll be and you don’t want to be stuck somewhere without supplies you would like for your cat. Also, pack extra portions for any special food or medicines your cat will need.

7. FEED YOUR CAT EARLY Give your cat 3-4 hours to let their food settle before hitting the road. Otherwise, you'll get a gift during your drive.

8. KEEP THEM HYDRATED. Make sure you've got water for your cat along the way. We wish to use this collapsible camping cup for his or her water, both within the car and within the trailer since it packs away nicely.

9. REWARD THEM Have treats handy so you'll allow them to know they're doing an honest job. a bit like any behavior, giving them treats helps reinforce positive behavior. you'll not think it’s possible to coach a cat, but ours can sit, shake, and we’re within the process of leash training them.

10. PET-FRIENDLY HOTELS If you or your pets need an opportunity from the road, search for pet-friendly hotels. There are more of them out there than you think! confirm your call and ask if they permit both dogs and cats.

THINGS which will MAKE TRAVELING together with your CATS EASIER 11. PUPPY PADS These are great for any accidents they could have within the car. If it’s been a short time, we sometimes forget certain minute behaviors they exhibit once they need something. We’ve had a couple of times where they got sick and got diarrhea or threw up everywhere the car. Now we always keep some puppy pads handy. We’ll place them under their sitting areas and also stash several of them near the front so we will grab them once they get sick.

12. EXTRA TRASH BAGS You need to stay around extra trash bags for an equivalent reason as above. You never know when they’ll have an accident. We wish to devour the doggie poop bags available at the most rest areas.

13. U-PET We mostly use this to move them to the vet and therefore the vets love this thing! once we move them from the trailer to the car and the other way around, we just carry them in our arms, but otherwise, we transport them with the U-pet. We’ve taken Mika on shorter hikes, but we’re hoping to require him on some longer ones. We’ll allow you to skills it goes!

Tips for Traveling with Cats // localadventurer.comTips for Traveling with Cats // localadventurer.com 14. THUNDER SHIRT Mika isn’t bothered by car rides or changing environments. the sole thing he hates is being confined during a small space. With Sebastian, not so much! During our trip, we picked up a Thunder Shirt. He felt immobilized initially (it was hilarious and cute) but eventually got won't have a cozy shirt around him. We usually put it on him right before our drives to our next camping spot.

Tips for Traveling Long Distance with Cats // localadventurer.com 15. HARNESS + LEASH For us, the limited space just meant we spent the maximum amount of time as possible outdoors. For the cats, it meant that once they got hyper, they’d run back and forth 23 ft at a time. That’s one of The explanations why we wanted to leash train them so that they might also spend time outdoors too. If you’re trying to leash train your cats, get a harness that matches snug around the neck and chest (you should be ready to fit two of your fingers within the neck portion). a number of them work better than others. With the primary one we bought, one night, Sebastian popped out of it and saw the woods. We were checking out him within the dark for half an hour and thought we lost him! this is often the one we currently use, and it's worked the simplest for us. We still need to monitor them carefully, since cats are slippery and may manage to back out of things. Mika is more easily manageable, but on Sebastian, we use the harness and therefore the thunder shirt over the harness. He’s not getting out of both.

Tips for Traveling with Cats // localadventurer.com 16. FELINE PINE Since we are in such a small space, we decided to vary from our usual clumping litter to pine. It masks the odor far better and doesn’t get everywhere the floors. They still get pine out of their box, but it’s much easier to select up. We usually put their litter box right by the door, so that we will sweep it up right there.

17. PORTABLE LITTER BOX / OUR MAKESHIFT LITTER BOX Instead of buying a litter box, we decided to shop for an enormous plastic container with a lid. This has worked best for us since we are transporting it from the trailer to the car almost every other day. We’ve been traveling a lot! If you are feeling just like the box needs replacing, it’s also really affordable. thus far ours has lasted 2 months, and it doesn’t get to get replaced yet. Also, the lid helps trap the odor inside after they are doing their deed on a car ride. We even considered getting this disposable one that lasts fortnight (has anyone tried these yet? does one like it?).

18. FOLDABLE CUP We use these for his or her water (and food for the car). It folds into itself, and you'll pack them away easily. space for storing is restricted, so anything that compresses into something smaller is great! we've got an Airstream tray that we use for his or her food, but if we didn’t have that, we might have picked up an outsized collapsible bowl to use for his or her food.

19. FURMINATOR Our cats shed a lot! Especially within the heat. It wasn’t as noticeable during a larger space, but in an RV or car, you want to stop the maximum amount of the shedding as possible. We fulminate them once every week to stay the fur around our place minimized. If they’re home and we’re close to taking them on an extended trip, we confirm we terminate them before we go too.

20. POOP SCOOP This is a requirement for cats during any scenario (unless you’re lucky enough to bathroom train them – we were halfway there once we lived in a house with quite one bathroom). We picked up an inexpensive one and velcroed a Ziploc bag to the side of our litter box where we keep it.

21. DUST PAN + BRUSH We bought two sets, one for the trailer and one for the car. We use it a day to comb up any of the litter that gets of our the box and it helps to wash up the other dust or particles too.

22. WATERLESS CAT BATH FOAM Not sure how you are doing it, but we've never been ready to give our cats a correct bath without being clawed at. Most healthy indoor cats can keep themselves clean and don’t require a shower, but our boys wish to get messy! Some people say it'd be their dog-like personalities that also make them care less about their hygiene. once we fulminate them once every week, we also use the waterless bath foam on them too. they appear to love this far better than the spray.

23. LINT ROLLER Unless you don’t mind being covered in fur (why is it whenever you wear black they need to be extra affectionate?), you ought to probably get a lint roller. If you’re a pet owner, I’m guessing you have already got one. :)

24. FLEA MEDS If you are doing allow your cats out, make certain they need their flea meds! For now, we allow them to enjoy the outside from our trailer window, but we are still hoping to completely leash train them both!

25. DRAMAMINE OR PRESCRIPTION kinetosis MEDICATION Mika doesn’t mind rides within the car, but once we started driving on mountainous and curvy roads, it gave him motion sickness. We tried Dramamine and got another prescription drug to undertake from a vet, but neither worked. We attempt to let him sit on the middle console so he can anticipate, but he always insists on searching the edges and at the bottom. Such a stubborn cat (Jacob likes to joke that he gets that from me)! Hopefully, we’ll be out of the mountains soon for his sake! thus far, we haven’t found out the simplest solution for this.

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drferox · 7 years ago

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20 Questions with Dr Ferox #15

Here’s 20 more questions and comments you Vetlings have sent me. It’s a bit of a mixed bag this time, including topics about harness trained cats and getting work in a vet clinic. I’ve tried to tag everyone who identified themselves when asking questions, but if you were on Anon you’ll have to look through yourself for an answer.

Anonymous said: What is black ice? You mentioned it when talking about cold days in Australia. Tax - my headcannon about you is that you used to have many pets as a child.

Black ice is actually transparent ice which has frozen over a road, looking black. It's when it's cold enough to snow, but without anything fun. It often occurs at night and results in many accidents because it looks like a normal road, but is of course very slippery.

@rokkrwolf said: Could the feline parvovirus also have potentially mutated into the human parvovirus? Because until a few years ago I never knew humans could get parvo until my mom got it and it showed up around the same time canine parvovirus did.

Human parvovirus was first identified in 1975, but was probably around a lot longer we just didn't have great technology for identifying viruses back then, and it may not have been a high priority because my understanding is that it mostly causes a cheek rash. (Compare this to intestinal wall sloughing and bone marrow suppression of the small carnivore parvoviruses). Also I think there was only one gene difference between canine and feline viruses, which makes them highly likely to be recently related.

@ surskitty said:How often do you see harness-trained kitties? How do you feel about leash-training cats?

Not very often. I suspect they're less common here than overseas because we are, as a nation, a bit slack about our cat care. They're more common among millennial pet owners with their first cats out of home

Anonymous said: Do you see a problem with indoor-outdoor cats? Couple times a week I will bring my 7month old cat out on a harness to bask and watch the bugs/birds. Is this a bad thing?? Should I stop this behavior? Thank you!!

Gosh no, that's a great thing to do. The cat might be outside, but it's not free roaming and it's completely supervised. It's good enrichment and bonding without the risks associated with the outdoors. Just try to discourage your cat from actually eating any bugs, and make sure their vaccines are up to date. If your cat enjoys the experience, I highly recommend it.

@lornacus said: My cat is in an abusive relationship with a neighborhood problem cat./We are thinking of capturing the problem cat, and taking it somewhere so we can see if it has a chip. Then contacting the owners in an attempt to get them to keep their cat inside, to at least open that line of communication. Our cat goes outside because we have a dog+dog door. What is your impression of this situation?

Check with your local laws, but it's usually ok to catch a cat on your own private property before presenting it to a vet clinic. It's both pet owners responsibility to keep their cat confined to their property, if your cat is leaving your yard then both owners are to blame for the situation.

If the cat does have a chip, a clinic can't just give you the owner's details. It's a privacy issue. They can hand your details over to the cat owner if you request, but there's no obligation for them to contact you. Trapping their cat may also cause significant animosity.

I would consider locking the dog door or securing your yard also.

Anonymous said: Hi there! I read in your FAQ about giving general advice about getting into Veterinary medicine in Aus. I am applying at the end of this year to a few universities, a couple of which require an application essay of sorts. I was wondering if you would have any advice on what to include? I'm sure they see countless "I've loved animals my whole life... etc etc", have you got any hot tips on what might help me stand out a little more? Love the blog, it keeps me motivated to keep my GPA up to get in.

Avoid phrases that make it sound like you want to be a vet because “Owo animals so cute” and focus on the medicine or science side as well. Try to sound professional, because you are trying to enter a profession, and target your essay for the university you're applying to. For example, if you're applying to a tropical school, mention something about why tropical medicine is of interest to you. Do this even if you're applying to every university on the continent, explain why you're extra keen for admission to that particular one.

Anonymous said: Hi. I'm a vet student and I want to help my local vet for a few weeks this summer. I wonder how should I ask? Should it be 'I want to help you a little and observe you during work'? Should I tell them why I choose their small animal practice? Is answer 'no' common? Also I'm extremely anxious that they would find out that I don't remember everything from i.e anatomy or other basics courses or that I can't handle animals properly.

We usually use the term 'work experience' and specify that it's for a vet student, not a highschool student. Not every clinic will accept students if they don't have the caseload, or if they're training up a student nurse or a new grad vet, so don't take rejection personally. Explain that it's for part of your course, and be prepared for a friendly chat. It's advisable to get to the point quickly, starting by asking if they take vet students for work experience at all before launching into too many questions.

Don't worry about not remembering everything. You're a student, you by definition don't know everything yet and I'm yet to find a vet who remembers everything about everything. But when you find something you don't know, show you are actively trying to learn it. Write it down, make sure you know the answer the next time they ask.

Anonymous said: Hey dr Ferox! You recently made a post about how important the choice of your first job is. Do you have any tips for a soon-to-be-recent-graduate on how to find the rigĥt place? What to look out for and what to avoid?

New grad interview tips

New grad job tips

Red flags for abusive workplaces

If you have a good rapport with the other vets on staff, if you could see yourself becoming like them over time and you like that idea, then it's probably a good choice. But by the same token, don't be afraid to switch jobs in your first year if it's not working out, about a third of new grads do.

Anonymous said: How often would you recommend taking an otherwise healthy rabbit to the vet? I've had my rabbits for 2 years now, and they've only really been to the vet for their spay/neutering, and whenever they've presented any signs of illness (so only like once for each them)

I usually recommend at least every 6 or 12 months, depending on your local clinic's vaccine schedule. Myxomatosis (which Australia unfortunately is not permitted a vaccine for) and Calicivirus are both 99+% lethal in unvaccinated rabbits and can be spread by insects.

Anonymous said: If you cannot answer this i understand but my poor lab has cherry eye. She's 6 months. I want the surgery that keeps the tear duct in tact, but if they have to remove it, what are the chances of her getting dry eye and going blind? I'm actually really scared, i love her to pieces and i'll deal with it if it happens, but i'm scared.

In a labrador type dog, the chances of developing dry eye after removing one tear gland aren't that high over their lifetime, probably something like 30%.

But dry eye is manageable, even if the dog develops it if the surgeon wasn't able to preserve the tear gland, and I see no reason why they shouldn't be able to. There are multiple different medical treatments for dry eye which will preserve eye function, and at least one surgical one, so try not to worry too much at this early stage.

Anonymous said: q tax: i feel like you'd have to Russian Blue cat as a familiar! so my beagle has fatty lumps (negative for cancer thank god!), and he's prone to getting skin tags. my other beagle never had these issues but she was pure where he was not. is this a breed thing or just something some dogs are prone to?

It's an individual dog thing, though there are breed predispositions. Fatty lumps are fairly common across all dog breeds, but the more fat the dog is carrying, the more likely it is to develop a fatty lump.

Trash Bag is turning out to be a pretty good familiar. I'm personally not all that into purebred cats, not when there are so many moggies that need a loving home.

Anonymous said: My father-in-laws dog scoots it's butt to scratch. He says he's had her checked out and she's fine. Is her bum just itchy, is she cleaning herself or could she have something really wrong. I believe him that he had her checked. I'm a cat person so have no idea. Thanks Dr.

Her back half could be itchy, or her anus could be itchy, there could be something stuck there or it could be an allergic itch, she might have worms (making her anus itchy) or she might have full anal glands and be trying to express them (they are located just inside the anal sphincter). The anal glands are definitely worth getting checked because they can develop into an abscess, but if the dog's madly itchy it's worth getting checked again anyway.

@toastedtoast15 said: My dog is sick with diarrhea and vomiting. Can he get me sick?

Potentially yes.

Gastrointestinal illnesses in dogs can transmit to humans if they are bacterial in origin (eg Salmonella, Campylobacter, etc) but not if they are viral or due to dietary indiscretion.

Anonymous said: Hi, I was wondering if you could clear something up for me. I was recently told by a friend that giving a puppy peanut butter too young can cause a peanut allergy. Is this true/have you ever heard anything like this? Question tax: came for lucifer the bun, stayed for the awesome info on animals. I really enjoy your breed analysis too. Thank you!

It's a theory that's common in raising little humans, but I don't see an evidence for this in dogs. Dog don't develop life threatening anaphylaxis to peanuts like humans commonly do. (They can develop it to insect stings and injected drugs though).

However it's still prudent to be careful with peanut butter, because dogs that have eaten it recently which lick a highly sensitive human may induce anaphylaxis in the human, and some brands are now using artificial sweeteners like xylitol which are toxic to dogs.

@ geminilaser said: Does anything bad will happen if I give my cat some catnip?

Probably not. Some cats just don't like it, some have a stronger reaction to it than others. It's not advisable for them to eat a whole lot of it as it can cause vomiting, but it's usually self limiting if the do. Smooching the leaves should be fine.

Anonymous said: What are the best dog breeds for beginner owners? If you don't want to recommend a specific breed, what are the best traits a dog should have if their owner is not very knowledgeable about them?

You're right in that I don't want to recommend a specific breed for beginner owners.

If you are new to owning dogs, then I generally recommend your first dog to be an adult acquired from a shelter. They're already mature, so you know what you're getting, and somebody else has started the training process for you. They're already desexed and should be temperament tested.

While many dogs do get surrendered for behavioral problems and phobias, there are also lots of perfectly good dogs (often smaller ones) which have just had their owner die and no family members able to take them on, so they end up in a shelter. These are excellent dogs for a beginner as it's harder to make mistakes with them, and you're doing a good thing.

@mortyplier said: hi! whats your favorite kind of penguin? i love emperor penguins myself

I'm very fond of the Little Penguin, which I grew up knowing them as the Fairy Penguin. They're good little birds with grumpy faces.

@daedricprincessxoxo said: I just started working at the front desk of an animal hospital. A people nurse asked me if she could get whatever medicines she needs to perform surgery on her cat herself, because she'd rather that then to have a veterinarian do it. Nurses don't even do surgery! Even if they did, no!! On the bright side, there was a baby snake that was so tiny it looked like a worm. That was cute.

That is an unbelievably stupid thing for a human nurse to claim. I would not be surprised if she was not a human nurse at all and really just wanted to get her hands on some ketamine or propofol. I nurse should know that she can't perform surgery herself.

Anonymous said: Your Cupcakes story made me curious. I've been going to the same vet clinic for years now and the vets and other staff have always been wonderful both as people and as vets, but I know that their days are rough on several levels. Would it be a faux pas to bring in some baked goods next time I bring the pets in for a check up? Either way is there anything else I could do to briefly improve a vet's day while I'm in the clinic with a pet?

Bring the food. Don't ever be embarrassed about bringing food into the vet clinic, someone will eat it. It helps if you know if any staff have dietary restrictions (eg gluten free, nut free) but the gesture is always appreciated.

Anonymous said: Do you have any pets of your own?

You must be new and have missed out on pictures of Wonka and Trash Bag the cats.

#20 questions #trash bag the cat #wonka the cat

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