#now i understand why humanity's favorite animal is dogs

[kiyo-cant-write]

octavinelle with animal lover reader ✧･ﾟ

Summary: This Yuu has always loved animals since they were young, fish and mammals alike. They venture to see the ocean life in Octavinelle, meaning both the fish and the fish people :)

TW/CW: None

Notes: pre-relationship, gender neutral reader, they/them pronouns for the reader, the reader is implied to be Yuu/Ramshackle Prefect

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[Name] had always loved animals. Dogs, cats, even fish! They were all so cool. When they were little they had been interested in fields of work involving animals. As they grew up, the love never faded. Even in this Twisted Wonderland, it remained. But... with some new sides.

Now that focus was directed elsewhere. Here at NRC, there were merfolk and beastmen. It was all too cool. They had to ask, they had to investigate. They wanted to know more, to know everything!

They walked into the Mostro Lounge and approached...

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Azul Ashengrotto

Azul is a very busy man and he doesn't expect part of his day to be... this. [Name] catches him off-guard, something he doesn't like.

He is used to the weirdest of people asking him for things.

People always want things from him.

However, someone asking about his merform really makes him unsettled as he doesn't care for the form himself.

He sighs as soon as the questions begin but doesn't stop them.

Sadly, he is fond of this human and he lets them yap at him.

They apparently like octopi. He is oddly flattered by this sentiment.

In the end, Azul answers some of [Name]'s weird questions.

He offers them a few non-sinister smiles as well.

All for free, of course. He's a benevolent force after all.

Azul was startled when [Name] first burst into the Lounge and asked to speak to him. Well, asked was putting it nicely. They entered the room and beelined for Azul, much to his frustration. He had been working but doubted he would get anything more done now.

"Yes, [Name]-san?" he asked them after a moment, "What did you need from me?"

His voice was calm and collected as he smiled his businessman's smile at them, hoping to make this quick if it had anything to do with Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola, or even that cat, Grim.

"I wanted to ask you something, Azul."

[Name] seemed confident today.

"Ask me what, exactly?" Azul asked them.

"I want to know more about merfolk. I've always loved animals and there are so many animal-like species here... I just need to know more!" they explained.

Azul was at a loss for words. They wanted to ask him about his... About merfolk? That was odd. It had to be a joke, right? This was...

"Can you tell me about them? Or yourself?" [Name] asked.

They had a look on their face that made Azul want to give in, much to his annoyance. Why was he okay with this? He didn't understand it.

"Alright, ask away with the questions then," he told them.

They smiled again as they asked their question.

"I was wondering if you can regrow your tentacles!"

"What."

Azul was once again at a loss for words. The octomer offered them an incredulous look. What the fuck? Why would you need to know that?

"I was wondering if you c—"

"I heard you the first time," he shushed them, "Why?"

"No reason, just curious," they told him.

He sighed. Today was going to be a long day.

"Alright, so you are just wondering about this trait in octopus merfolk," he repeated, for them or himself it was unclear, "I suppose the simple answer is... yes, I can."

"You can???"

[Name] seemed surprised.

"That's so cool! That's part of why octopi are some of my favorite animals! They're so magical to be able to do things like that!"

[Name continued to prattle on about octopi. But... For some reason, it felt a bit personal and Azul felt his face heat up.

"Is there a-anything else you'd like to know?"

"Well—Azul are you okay? You look like you have a fever!"

"No, no, I'm quite alright," he assured them, and the discussion continued.

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Jade Leech

Jade is always "polite" to those who come into the lounge.

He knows this human so he humors their questions.

He kindly reminds them that they need to buy a drink to stay.

"If you don't buy a drink I am afraid I will have to send you away..."

He sheds a few fake tears as he says this.

He knows that [Name] will understand he is kidding.

(He is serious about the drinks though)

Jade happens to be working when [Name] shows up.

He continues to do his job while they chat, slowly having them do lounge tasks alongside him while they talk. Feed two birds.

He finds it cute that they like morays this much.

Jade wonders if you would talk to him about his terrariums.

Even though he wouldn't mind showing off his merform, he is too busy with work and tells [Name] that it would hinder his work.

"I am very sorry, [Name], that is not a service the lounge provides."

Jade smiled at the sight of [Name] helping to bring orders to tables and check on the patrons of the Mostro Lounge. It was certainly helpful to have an additional set of hands during the busy hours. They had come asking questions about merfolk, asking one of the few they knew at school... It had resulted in work time for them.

The Octavinelle Vice Housewarden would say he felt bad if it did not benefit him immensely to have their time and energy today.

"Next order, [Name]-san," he reminded, handing them a tray as they came up to the counter once more, "Three more to go, I believe."

"Jade, will you really tell me more about merfolk if I do this?"

"Yes, of course," Jade told them, "You see, a deal is a deal and we at the Mostro Lounge take these things very seriously."

He gave them a close-mouthed smile that [Name] trusted.

They gave a quick nod and took the next order to its table.

"Hehe," came the soft laugh from Jade as he watched them go.

They trusted him too much, he was sure of it. But it was almost endearing when he thought about it, the blind trust of someone so kindhearted. He had to admit it interested him why they had trusted so easily. He was not as outwardly threatening as Floyd but he was certainly no saint either. Some said Jade was scarier than Floyd.

"I'm ready for the next one!" [Name] said, having returned while Jade was thinking, "Eh? Jade? Are you okay?"

The "shady" smile of Jade's returned as he nodded to them.

"Ah, of course. I'm alright. Let us take these last ones, shall we?"

Together, the pair delivered the last three orders to their customers who were eagerly waiting. Jade took two while [Name] took one with both hands. They had made quick work of the growing number of orders that had piled. Jade noted that he needed to edit the scheduling for the Lounge. This was not enough workers. Was it?

"Will you answer a question now?" [Name] asked as they headed back toward the Lounge kitchen, "Or is there more work to be done?"

"It would depend entirely on what your question is, [Name]-san," Jade told them, being surprisingly honest at that moment.

"I want to know what merfolk are like! What do they look like or do under the sea?" [Name] asked him, sparkling as brightly as gold.

"I see, I see," Jade mused as he thought, "I am afraid that I cannot show you what a merperson looks like today. It would hinder the productivity of the Lounge and Azul would not like it."

[Name] pouted and Jade only chuckled at the response.

"I can perhaps explain a fact you might like, though," he told them, "Would that suffice? One fact from a moray to a human."

"Ooh, okay!" [Name] agreed with a smile.

Jade admittedly found it a bit cute, but he didn't say anything about it. That would be a sentiment he shelved for another day.

"Us moray eel merfolk are bioluminescent."

"You glow? Like a glowstick?" they asked.

"What is a glowstick?" Jade returned the question with a question.

"You shake them and then crack them and they glow."

[Name] demonstrated with violent miming.

"...We glow but I do not think the shaking nor cracking is required."

"Oh..." they replied, pausing before they smiled again, "Cool!"

[Name] still seemed just as enthusiastic about it even without the added violence. Jade had to admit, maybe he wouldn't mind teaching them more should they desire it.

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Floyd Leech

Floyd having a bad mood day or not is the deciding factor for how he reacts to someone who is this enthusiastic about his species.

Let's assume you find him on a good day for your own safety.

Floyd laughs at you for asking. He thinks it's funny you like eels.

He thinks it's even funnier than they are asking him about eels.

"Do you ask the beastmen about themselves too?"

Still, it's kind of cute, he has to admit.

He answers questions, some better than others.

He gives some interesting facts here and there.

He isn't stupid, he just doesn't care for lessons much.

When [Name asks him about his merform, he smirks.

This just got very interesting :3

What a generous offer, as Azul might say.

Floyd watched [Name] as they listed off their favorite animals, among them were eels. He gave them a toothy grin as he heard the words leave them, the kind of expression that would send most people running to the opposite end of the damn school.

"Ne, Shrimpy. Do you really like eels that much?" he asked them, leaning a bit closer to them to stare at them with heterochromatic eyes, "Are they your favorite animal of all? That'd be fun."

"I like all animals, though," [Name] told him with a laugh, not seeming to mind the space, "But I am pretty fond of eels."

"All eels?" Floyd asked, hinting at the answer that would satisfy him.

"Well, I mean all eels are cool," they said before looking at him and smiling a moment later, "But I like morays the best."

"Good! We are the best there is," Floyd agreed, a grin still sparkling on his face as he laughed along with the human guest, forgetting his work.

He could waste time a bit with them. Azul would only get so mad and he was boring anyway, so serves him right. There was no way Floyd was in the mood to cook right now. He was in the mood to chat with Shrimpy about their favorite animals.

"So what else did you want to know?" Floyd asked, leaning against one of the plush chairs in the lounge as he watched them.

[Name]'s eyes sparkled.

"I really want to see what a merperson looks like..." they said, "Are they really so fishy?"

"Hmm? Why don't you find out, then~" Floyd said, taking [Name]'s hand as he walked them over to one of the larger fish tanks that decorated the space and climbed into it.

[Name] was amazed by the massive form that Floyd took on when outside of his human disguise. He was turquoise, with stripped patterns on his body and arm and ear fins that matched his coloring.

"Think us merfolk are nice then?" Floyd teased, "Want to join me?"

[Name] nodded, though it was unclear to which part of the question.

"Come on then!" Floyd said, giggling, reaching to pull them into the tank with him, "Aa, so nice~"

[Name] felt the cold water on their wet clothes that were now sticking to their body. They leaned up against Floyd who was so tall in this form. Or would it be "long"? Is that a better word? They didn't know.

This calm lasted only for a moment...

"FLOYD. WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Azul's voice could be heard from across the room.

"Oops~ caught by the bossman," Floyd said, laughing again even if he seemed a bit miffed about being interrupted.

Even if the Lounge was busy and Floyd was on shift, he would always see it this way: Azul was interrupting his time with Shrimpy.

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Thank you for reading! Likes and reblogs are appreciated! Do NOT repost my writing/headcanons as your own >:c Check the top of my blog for the inbox status and read the rules before requesting. This is not a twst-only blog! ^^

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

SO works at an animal shelter and our skeleton walks in once and is now ever animal in the shelters favorite person

SO is really jealous

Undertale Sans - Well sorry not sorry about that. What can he say? He's very popular. You told him you were concerned about what type of skeleton he is. Now it's pretty clear he must be some kind of gigantic sloth skeleton or something. Every animal wants to nap on him.

Undertale Papyrus - Papyrus is actually a little overwhelmed by all the dogs around him. He doesn't know who he hasn't pet yet and it's stressing him out knowing one dog might feel less loved than the other ones. He doesn't care about what you think right now, he's too focused on trying to understand why terrible people would abandon such sweet babies. By the end of the day, he's asking you to adopt one.

Underswap Sans - He swears he did nothing, stop looking at him like that! He didn't even know that guinea pigs, which are neither from guinea or pigs, were a thing! He's lying in the enclosure, entirely covered with guinea pigs and he's not regretting anything. They're all squishy!

Underswap Papyrus - If I were you, I wouldn't be jealous about that. You should worry about how the hell you're going to convince your giant golden retriever of a boyfriend to go home without his 150 new dog babies. Honey never wants to leave again. That's his people. What do you mean he can't take all of them home? You can't let them sleep in this horrible place in the dark! That's abuse! What is they cry and no one hears them? D: He's devastated when you drag him out of there, begging you to at least take one home or he could never forgive himself lol. He's going to guilt trip you for weeks to get his fourth dog and he's not going to change his mind so good luck with that.

Underfell Sans - He's a bit uncomfortable, a lot of parrots on his arms and on his head. He doesn't understand why you're mad, he's literally terrified to move right now. Please take them back? Red is not exactly an animal person, not with birds at least, and he's a little confused right now. He's not sure how to escape this situation.

Underfell Papyrus - What? You're jealous? Good! He's a volunteer in a rescue as well and he told you he had a nice touch with the cats. Now you can see how true this is because he is clearly the best in all he does. Cry like a loser while he pets all the cats like an epic villain. Don't you know cats prefer scary people because they are better at protecting them from predators? You swear he just invented that. You're so mad.

Horrortale Sans - Well, you saw how the animals are all attracted to him in the farm so it's not a bit surprise all the dogs and cats are dying to come to see him. Even the most fearful dogs are all crawling on his lap to get affection. He just sits in the dog playroom while you work and have fun with the little furbabies. You wish you could do the same.

Horrortale Papyrus - He acts smug and silly because he likes to tease you, but you can see he's actually really happy about that. He didn't have that much love in a long time and even if it's little rabbits and not humans or monsters, he's happy. He even sits on the floor to stay with them and it's quite a while now, to the point you're a bit concerned about his back. But he's too happy to disturb him for now. He can have that moment.

Swapfell Sans - You can't believe it honestly. Chinchillas only choose one special person and somehow it's Nox. You wanted to be their special person! That's so unfair, you're trying to socialize them for weeks! Nox acts like he doesn't care and all but you surprise him by searching the internet to see what he needs to buy to take care of chinchillas. He's not asking you by the way. He's taking them home.

Swapfell Papyrus - You stop watching him for two minutes and then he comes in the room holding a huge raccoon in his hands and asks you to adopt him. You're so confused. There's literally no raccoon in your shelter??? Where the hell did it come from??? Rus is very proud of himself though. And he's definitely getting home with that thing, either you say yes or no. He's ready to squeeze it in his ribcage.

Fellswap Gold Sans - Wine is not happy. He has cat hair everywhere on his handmade suit and he's slowly dying inside. He hates cats. He hates all animals really, why the hell are they clinging to him like that? He's distressed and keeps staring at his S/O intensely to have some help. Unfortunately, you're way too amused to come and save him. It's rare to see Wine lose his mind.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - You let him have his fun. Coffee is crying right now, buried under a pile of big dogs. He's a bit overwhelmed and can't control his feelings anymore. All you can see are his two arms, trying to hug as many dogs as he can. He's never getting out of the pile. It's the best day of his life.

[mushroom-the-trauma]

I want to try and yup about those guys. I have so many thoughts about them, but it is all over the place so idk how much coherent it will be. Should I explain each design separately and then compare them or just go with a flow?

A lot of yupping and more doodles under the cut

Well, they have strange relationships as both gods of war and I tried to put some personality in their designs besides just mixing their sacred animals. Which is owl and snake for Athena and dog, snake and vulture for Ares. So, they share the title, the tail and wings(they are like a war angels lol).

Athena has a lot of forms of her stuff, like her hand armor turns into a shield, and her spear can transform into a different weaving tools, and she like a goddess of crafts and smart war(so tricks) would make other stuff to transform or just find other use for them. But Ares is straightforward and simple guy so he does not like all those transformations and tricks. His axe can turn into a shield, but he almost never uses it because he despises it and because he is god of courage and no coward to hide behind the shield. He can take a blow. He uses it in emergency to protect those he cares about more like.

Ares also has more human like face while Athena is full on owl. It kinda shows how Ares is more grounded and more close to the people, while Athena is always somewhere high untouched and doesn't understand humans and is kinda unreachable for every one. Not like the others.

Ares is also has a lot of scars and is much more rugged. His cloak and wings are tourn to shreds, while Athena is all perfect and put together. It once again shows different how Ares is grounded and Athena is walking higher above the others because she is genius and the favorite. It also shows how Ares have lost before and learned to lose while Thena have yet have to fall, but now she thinks she is untouchable and can think her way out of everything. For this reason she also wears her helmet up all the time, except the battle, because she thinks she doesn't need a protection and prefers wider vision over useless safety. But Ares wears his helmet all of the time, because he knows he is not the all powerful and all knowing, and for intimidation. I also like to think he has a bit of a complex about his face scares, and how easily he shows his emotions so he is trying to hide it(but he is no coward no).

I already touched it a few times, but even so they love each other as siblings they have a huge problem (mainly Ares) because of Athena being favorite and being seen as superior and better at everything to him. Yes, he is simple and straightforward but he is not stupid. He is just looks dumb compared to genius Athena. But he is also much closer to humans and understands them and emotions better. He knows how to use it to make them fight , to build courage and determination. Yes he is not always wins, but he knows how to lose and sometimes it is as important. He is passionate and he loves his sister, but he is bitter about her being always praised by everyone while he gets scorned for every misfortune and misdoings, or for showing his emotions.

And I maybe made Athena a bit antagonist, but it was unintentional. It is not like she realizes that, she is really bad with emotions and doesn't understand them. She doesn't care about praise and can't see why would it be a problem. She loves her little brother (yes it is my hc), but doesn't know how to show affection or why is he so irritated and mad with her. She assumed it just what they are doing, fighting and bickering, because it is what Ares likes right?

I can't remember anything else right know, I may return and add some more lately. But yeah, wanted to explain their designs but ended up just spilling angst lore

@thereareotherwaysofpersuasion I know you saw pictures, but as a person behind my motivation what are you thought on this duo?

@please-be-nice-im-sensitive @please-be-nice-im-sensitive-2 what do you think?

[666writingcafe]

An Interview With Lucifer

Part Three of A New Series

Question One: How do your friends describe you in a word?

Cranky.

Question Two: Who would you want to be stuck with on an island?

If I was limited to just one person, then MC. If there were multiple people, I'd add Mammon and Barbatos.

Question Three: What are you hiding now?

Treats from Cerberus. Not because he isn't a good dog, but because he's found their original hiding place and has been digging into them constantly, and the treats I give Cerberus are rather expensive, so I can't exactly afford to buy them every day and ensure that other stuff gets paid for.

Question Four: Do you prefer mountains or beaches?

It depends on my mood. If I don't want anyone to find me, then definitely mountains, but if I'm feeling a bit romantic, then I'd hit the beach.

Question Five: What is your hidden talent?

I can juggle. And I don't mean that in the metaphorical sense--although I can do that too--but in the literal sense, like a circus clown. It's one of the ways I relieve stress, because I can just shut my brain off and focus on keeping the objects I'm juggling up in the air.

Question Six: What makes you laugh?

You'll get a satisfied chuckle out of me whenever someone I dislike gets what they deserve, but if you want to hear a true, unrestrained laugh, either get me drunk on Demonus or put me in a room with MC when they're in a good mood.

Question Seven: If you were a thing, what would you be?

A metronome.

Question Eight: If you have no GPS, how would you find your destination?

I'd print out directions. (But what if you were unable to do that?) Then I'd ask the locals where I need to go. I may be the Avatar of Pride, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to admit when I'm lost. (someone yells out, "that's a lie, and you know it!") And if all else fails, then I'll get to my destination through sheer determination.

Question Nine: Describe your three best qualities.

Apparently I'm patient, kind, and loving. (Why do you phrase it like that?) Because I wouldn't necessarily call myself any of those things, but I trust that the person who did wouldn't lie to me about such things. (And who might that person be?) MC.

Question Ten: Would you consider yourself a cool person?

I'm going to lean towards no. I'm far from being a trendy person. Just ask any of my brothers. (What about MC?) You'll have to ask them. I know they like spending time with me, but I honestly don't know why. Usually I'm busy with paperwork, and it's not like that's terribly interesting.

Question Eleven: What is a skill you want to master?

Baking.

Question Twelve: What would you do first if you won a human world jackpot?

Pay off any debts MC may have.

Question Thirteen: What one aspect of the human world would you change if you could?

I'd make it legal to punish animal and child abusers by inflicting the same types of torture onto them as they did on their victims. (That's rather serious, Lucifer.) So is abusing those that are unable to understand why their supposed family is hurting them.

Question Fourteen: What is your preferred card or board game?

Let's just say that I'm not allowed to play any tabletop fantasy games unless I can ensure that all of my work is complete. (Why's that?) You've met Levi, yes? (I have.) Now, imagine me behaving like him, and you'll have your answer.

Question Fifteen: What is your current favorite app on your phone?

Don't make fun of me, but there's this app where you can send messages to people and it shows up on their phone in a cartoony heart. (Are you talking about the viral Candy Heart app?) ...yes. (That's actually quite sweet.) It was MC's idea, and I initially did downloaded it just to amuse them, but I've come to enjoy using it as time has gone on.

Question Sixteen: Would you go to space if you could?

I'm content with merely looking at pictures of space.

Question Seventeen: What kind of museum or exhibit do you prefer?

I like learning about the history of different objects. Looking at their evolution fascinates me.

Question Eighteen: What kind of humor do you prefer?

I'll throw you a curve ball: I enjoy a nice pun from time to time, even if it would be classified as a "dad joke".

Question Nineteen: Do you prefer driving a car, a motorcycle, or a bicycle?

Oh, a motorcycle, by far.

Question Twenty: When was the last time you climbed a tree?

This is going to really show my age, but the last time I climbed a tree was when I was a young angel. *pauses* Thinking about it is making me want to do it now. Being up in the branches is quite peaceful.

Question Twenty-One: What is your strangest habit?

There are times where the only way I'm able to fall asleep is to hang upside-down like a bat.

Question Twenty-Two: What is your weirdest fantasy?

I'll give you an oddly specific one: if I'm ever able to retire, I'd like to buy a farm somewhere in the human world countryside and raise livestock and plant fruits and vegetables with MC. (You've brought them up several times in this interview.) You could say that I have a soft spot for them. (Or that you love them.) Well, obviously. They're a wonderful person to be around. I'd like to spend the rest of my life with them if I could. (You mean, their life.) Listen, I don't choose my words lightly. What I say is what I mean, one hundred percent.

Question Twenty-Three: Here's something a bit more light-hearted: would you rather fight a shark or wrestle a lion?

The lion. I can't swim nearly as well as Levi can.

Question Twenty-Four: How do you want the world to end?

By my hand.

Question Twenty-Five: Would you like to be shorter or taller?

I like my height just the way it is. (What if you had to choose one or the other?) Then I suppose taller. I don't feel I'd be able to intimidate people as well if I was shorter.

Question Twenty-Six: Who is the annoying person you want to get rid of in your life?

I don't necessarily want to get rid of anyone, but I'd like to seriously alter the behaviors of Solomon and Mephistopheles.

Question Twenty-Seven: Which artist and/or song dominates your human world music playlist?

I'll give you both: Metallica and "Adore You" by Harry Styles.

Question Twenty-Eight: If you had to go to prison, what would be the reason?

Treason.

Question Twenty-Nine: What is the most critical trait you seek in a friend?

They have to be able to keep secrets.

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick, @5mary5, @expressionless-fr

[bigball-thefrog]

Hello There!! I was kind of wondering if you could maybe write something along the lines of the reader loosing their animal companion ,like a dog, during a fight or something. And the reader falls into a depression and Sanji or Zoro or any other strawhat tries to comfort them and be there for them. I’m kind of going through something similar and i’m struggling with it :/. But if you can then that would be great, if not it’s perfectly okay.

Hello, I am so sorry for responding so late. A lot of stuff has been happening but thank you for the suggestion, I enjoyed writing it and I hope you're doing better and I hope this can cheer you up a little. I hope you don't mind that I decided to to both Zoro and Sanji (Separately)

Warnings/Tags:

Mention of animal death

Alcohol and getting drunk

Reader doesn't want to eat with Sanji's one

Angst to comfort

______________________________

Narrator POV

When you joined the Strawhats you brought along your animal companion with you, no one minded and in fact, they all loved them! It was fun to have an actual pet around and not just Chopper. They helped relax the mood, they were fun to play with, they were helpful with taking down enemies sometimes. But during one specific battle, you got really injured and despite putting them in a safe place, your companion came to the rescue, and yes they did save your life, but used theirs to save yours. Seeing your animal companions body, you freaked out. Awakening either your haki or devilfruit, that enemy was quickly taken out. But now, the enemy was taken down, the kingdom was celebrating and the rest of the Strawhats were feasting and partying to their hearts content, except for you. You were still mourning the loss of your companion, and your friends wanted to help.

Zoro:

Zoro saw how you were mourning your animal companion and didn't really understand. He made a comment on how you could just adopt a new pet and after receiving a few beatings across the head, (not just from you) he started to think. To him, an animal dying is nothing compared an actual human dying, but now here you were mourning over something he thought could just be replaced. Wanting to understand more about why the death of an animal is upsetting you so much, he grabbed some bottles of alcohol and sat next to you. It was a bit awkward at first since Zoro didn't know what to ask so he just offered you some alcohol. Taking a swig from the bottle, you felt a tiny bit better but not much. After a few more drinks, Zoro finally managed to speak and asked you to tell him a story about you and your companion. You began speaking and telling Zoro about one of your favorite memories with them and Zoro began to understand why you felt so close to your animal.

After the story, Zoro asked for another. Another story lead to another and soon you were surrounded by the people attending the party, listening to the tales of you and your companion. All the adventures before you joined the Strawhats, how you two trained in those two years, and just about any other memory about your animal companion. And it felt good, it felt good to remember your friend, it felt good to tell other people about them and get them to love them as well. Zoro sat back and intently listened to everyone, and now he understood why you were so upset about losing them, animals have their own unique personalities and each one still loves and feels the same way as humans, yes they show it differently by preening or marketing their scent on you, but they still love and feel the same just as humans.

Zoro now sees you companion in a different way. Before he just saw them as a pet that the crew kept on the ship for entertainment, but now he sees that your animal companion was a member of the crew like everyone else.

Sanji:

When Sanji noticed how you kept to yourself during the party, he understood your pain better than Zoro did. He loved your little companion, they provided a morality boost to everyone in general but Sanji especially. He has a soft spot for animals (Despite all the animals he's killed in the show) animals never waste food, and Sanji loved a challenge of coming up with recipes safe for your pet to eat. And it hurt him when your companion died during the fight, but it hurt more seeing you out of character. You just sat by yourself, not even eating or drinking and Sanji wasn't going to have any of that! So he grabbed the best food and drink from the feast, put it on a tray and made his way over to you. He sat down next to you and placed the tray in front of you and sat down next to you. When you refused to eat, saying you weren't hungry, Sanji huffed and decided to feed you himself. Bringing up the fork to your mouth, he gently nudged the food against your lips. You hesitated but the empty growling feeling in your stomach made you decide, you opened your mouth and let Sanji feed you.

After your stomach was full you breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back, your mood had lifted but not by much. Sanji still wanted to help but he didn't know how. Wanting to make you smile Sanji decided to tell you a story of when your animal companion stole food from the kitchen and he had to chase them around. It made you chuckle a little and Sanji smiled, so he went on to tell you more. Soon enough the rest of the crew joined in, telling stories of all the funny moments with your companion. Playing chase with Luffy, Trying to drinks Robin's coffee, Sleeping on Nami's maps, Stealing Franky's speedos, making little noises while Brook played music. Soon the whole party was listening in and laughing to the stories of your companion. You noticed Sanji had become quiet and noticed he had disappeared. When you were about to ask when the doors burst open and Sanji walked in with an entirely new feast of food based on your companions favorite treats. Now with the extended party, you joined in, drinking and eating and telling everyone about your animal companion and how great they were

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

With either side by the end of the celebration and during the days when the the kingdom you were in most likely needed to be rebuilt, a statue of your companion was built, so everyone would remember their bravery to protect their owner and friends, and their compassion to give their life for yours.

______________________________

Once again I hopr you enjoy and I will post again soon

Kelly🐸

[thevoidstaredback]

The best thing that came out of his meeting with Batman and Nightwing in Gotham several days ago was that they had said something to the other heroes. Danny was no longer being hounded by hypocritical helicopter parents with guilt complexes bigger than Bruce Wayne’s company.

Also, that was probably the only good thing to happen in Gotham in a while, no offense to The Lady.

The investigation was…going. It was much easier now that he didn’t have to worry about everyone and their dog trying to check in on him or ask invasive questions, but no progress had been made in way of getting some actual answers for the case.

As he’d said he would, Phantom had gone to the Realms to ask if She knew anything. She did, he was sure of it, but She wasn’t telling him. In fact, he’d wandered for nearly an entire day (Home World Time) without finding anyone who could give him answers. When he left, he swore he could hear Her giggling at him.

Constantine had basically kidnapped Nightwing and had started a World Tour to talk with the Protections Spirits that resided in Graveyards and Hospitals in the places where each victim called home. Sometimes, they even came across a City Spirit to question. None of them had any answers, either, other than “human? made” and “magic?”. It was very frustrating for everyone involved.

Nightwing, on the other hand, was very excited about the new field he was getting to explore. Batman has banned magic from Gotham, for very good reason, but that means that no one in Gotham really knows how to interact with the stuff. Sure, he’d dealt with it before, but that was only very short interactions before Z or Raven took over.

He didn’t know why Phantom had told Constantine to take him with to talk to Spirits, but he wasn’t really complaining. When he’d asked the magic user, the only answer he got was “He likes ya. Don’t know why, but you’re his favorite bat.”

Nightwing was flattered. He was not above lording this over his family. Tim, especially, had been very upset to learn this.

In order for Nightwing to actually be able to interact with any of the Spirits, Constantine had given him an Opol Coin. The coin was apparently a gift from the House of Mysteries to Nightwing. It allowed him the ability to speak to and understand anyone or thing that was considered dead without the help of an outside source as long as he carried it on his person. Including, but not limited to formerly living beings, plants, animals, and objects.

It gets very loud, all those whispers.

Naturally, he’s going to have someone put it on a chain and never willingly let it leave his person.

“What’re we doing back in Gotham?” Dick asked. Not that he was complaining, just curious.

Constantine took another drag from his cigarette before answering, the smoke blending in seamlessly with the song covering the city. “Bludhaven’s City Spirit won’t be helpful to us.”

Dick blinked. “There’s a City Spirit in Bludhaven?”

“Yeah, but he won’t be of any help.” He stubbed the butt of his cigarette out on the ashtray on the table. “Even if they could help us, he likes to spend most of their time in Gotham.”

There were..several things to unpack there. “He/they? Bludhaven uses he/they? We’ve been calling Bludhaven a sister city since it was founded!” He really hoped Bludhaven wasn’t offended by being misgendered like that for forever.

Constantine lit another cigarette. “You really think Spirits of any kind subscribe to a binary?” He shook his head. “What is Batsy teaching you?”

That didn’t answer whether or not his city - or as he his city’s? - was offended at being called a sister, but he was going to take the non-answer as a ‘no’. Moving on. “Gotham..I haven’t met her, but when Phantom was here a while ago, he said that she protects her own.”

“She’s a City Spirit, of course she protects her people. City Spirits are Protection Spirits on steroids.”

“But they way he phrased it… and he kept looking behind me and B, but there wasn’t anyone there.”

“Because you couldn’t see her.”

“I know that, but-”

He sighed. “Have you ever felt eyes on you when no one’s around? Noticed a knife or a bullet too late to dodge, only for it to miss you despite it being on a perfect aim?”

“Yeah..?”

“That would be your City Spirit. Lady Gotham doesn’t like when bad things happen to her favorite people. Bludhaven may seem like a kid, but he fought Gotham herself to have you under their protection.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I don’t stick my nose into your business, so don’t stick your nose into mine. Now be respectful and focus; she’s here.”

“Who’s..?” Dick paused, his eyes finding trying to pick out the new person in the cafe. No one had come in since they’d arrived an hour ago, but there was someone new walking to their table. She was beautiful in a tragic way, like a black hole. Her dress was black, stained crimson in places, fraying and torn all over. Her skin was as pale as a skeleton, her bones nearly visible through. Her hair was greasy and clumped together, the colour of platinum under the dirt and debris. And her eyes, enhanced by only the barest hint of smeared make up, were bluer than ice. She was beautiful like Aphrodiotie, but tragic like Icarus.

He’d never seen her before, but Dick knew exactly who this was.

“Lady Gotham,” Constantine stood and bowed his head to her, “An honor to meet you.”

She held a hand to the Brit, her claw-like nails perfect and painted black. “Likewise, Hellblazer. You are spoken highly of.”

“Oh?” He seemed genuinely surprised as he sat down after Lady Gotham, “A pleasant surprise.”

She hummed softly. There was a bit of grit to her voice, and echo as well. “Only those who matter speak of you. You are held in high regard in the Realms, taking care of Her King has made Her and Her people thankful to you.”

Dick could practically hear the capitalizations of her words.

Constantine looked ever so slightly bashful. “That’s, um, a lot.”

Lady Gotham smiled at him, her blood stained lips expressing humor. “Continue as you are and you will do fine.”

“Thank you.”

She turned her full attention to Dick and he found himself even more enamored with her, little details he’d missed before popping out. There’s green in her eyes, her eyeshadow’s lavenders, and she’s missing her left earring. “Richard Grayson, my child, it’s good to finally meet you.”

He suddenly found himself scrambling for words. “You-you, too, ma’am. I had no idea you were, well…” Good going, Grayson, you made a fool of yourself!

The Lady’s laughter cut through his thoughts, harsh like The Joker’s, but well meaning like Uncle Clarks. “It’s alright, dear, no need to be so stiff.” She addressed them both now, “I assume you have questions for me?”

Constantine cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you for meeting with us, m’lady. There’ve been attacks on a global scale, the victims falling into comas. We’ve been unable to find any relation between victims, nor has there been any agreement on whether this has been caused by magic or not. The other Spirits we’ve talked to have been unable to provide any insight on the situation.”

“And you believe I may be of more assistance?”

“You are highly regarded yourself, ma’am. We’d be fools to not at least ask you.”

Lady Gotham considered the two for a moment from across the table. “You will find that unresolved pasts will always come back to haunt you. Old enemies to reappear, old loves to return, old families pulled together again. My advice to you is to start at your beginning. Fate is a circle and humans rarely learn from their mistakes.” In a blink she was gone again.

Part 15 Part 17

[littlemisslipbalm]

Demonology: Me & My Dog

Series Summary: A new demon has come to Nashville. Josh and Jake's ways of life have been thrown off by her arrival. The angel and demon have lived with an understanding of one another, but with Y/N stirring up trouble and asking questions, they're forced to work out a new normal. And why is she so powerful for a human turned demon anyway, that's unusual, right?

Jake Kiszka x f!reader and Josh Kiszka x f!reader

A/N: This will be at least three parts! This first part is more about Josh and the reader, the second will be more Jake and then we will see with part 3 what is to happen. Please let me know what you think with comments and reblogs and messages to my inbox!! I want to talk about this bc I have been so excited to share it!!

Word Count: 5.4k | Warnings: alcohol consumption, strong language, allusions to sex - minor descriptions of sex but not descriptive smut (still 18+!!), dubious comprehension of angel/demon mythology, like this is fiction fr so if it does not make sense i am sorry but idc (but am also open to suggestions thx)

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Part 1: My & My Dog

When being told to stir up some trouble on Earth, Y/N was more annoyed that she had to go back at all than excited that she was moving up in the ranks. Afterall, she’d only died 50 years ago. It was already time to go back? She thought she had eternity down here. 

From what she’d heard from other members of the underworld, it’d just gotten worse since she’d left. Prior to 1976 had been a riot for her (1976 was not her favorite, but dying usually wasn’t in people’s top ten greatest moments), but now it sounds worse than Hell itself.  

Still, like a good little demon soldier, she trudged through the dim back rooms to find the dull office that would provide her with the necessary documents to take a corporeal form and inhabit the physical sphere for an extended period of time. 

“Can I bring my dog?” She asks, kicking at a piece of garbage on the floor. It littered the entire ground around her feet. 

“Dog?” The servant of hell inquired. 

“Chupacabra,” She corrects.

“Sure,” Their eyes raise from filling out the paperwork to the little animal beside her. “Extra form you need to both sign. Says he’ll suck the blood of at least five animals per earthly week while he’s there. We don’t do ESAs here.”  

“Fab,” She sighed in relief and scratched behind the ears of her dog that she had re-encountered shortly after arriving in Hell. 

The chupacabra placed his paw in some mysterious blood that had formed in the pewter catch-all dish sitting beside the papers and then pushed it onto the form. Signed, sealed and soon to be delivered. They were getting out of Hell. 

-

When she materialized on Earth, she wasn’t sure where she was exactly. The home office didn’t give that information, you just had to figure it out yourself. She had been hoping for her hometown of Los Angeles or another major city center she’d never been to before. Maybe London or Tokyo would be a fun change of pace. 

After walking what felt like 20 miles, but was probably half of that given that she wasn’t used to physical legs anymore, she came upon a sign as to where she was. A mural to be exact. 

It had only been woods and fields for the first half, but then there were more buildings. Coffee shops, bagel shops and something that was called a ‘Vape’ shops. Everything advertised themselves as historic music sites. But it wasn’t until 1504 Demonbreun St. that she fully ascertained she was in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. 

“Welcome to Nashville”

“Fuck yeah,” She smiled. A friend back in the day had been from here and told her about it a few times. It wasn’t a major capital city or home, but it was a city alright. And where there was nightlife, she was sure there could be trouble. 

She spent the rest of the day checking around her surroundings. Finding the place Hell had given her to lodge in. It wasn’t much but she remembered earthly delights and planned to spruce it up, give it a vibe. She wrote a note on the wall with a deep red pen she had brought with her a list of items she needed. Couch, rug, bed, posters, an electric guitar and lots of wine and clothes. The ink dripped down the wall and she smiled, swiping at it and placing it to her lips. 

She passed the rest of the daylight hours with great displeasure for the living people around her who barely seemed to notice her. Not that she looked any different than them, but it just bothered her that no one was as friendly as when she’d last been here. No one bothered to say ‘hello’, all they did was stare or talk into their rectangular devices she had realized were portable telephones half way through the day. 

Broadway St. seemed to be the place Y/N thought she’d find the most possible trouble. It was lit up like the Sunset and if it weren’t for all the horribly dressed people surrounding her, she would’ve felt right at home. 

At one of the bars, she got free shots from the bartender with a flash of her eyes. From the regular dark brown iris, they flashed an entire eternal glassy black. He smiled dreamily in the abyss and walked away after she winked at him. She swung back the shots and made her way to the dance floor. 

Raising her hands above her head, she began to dance. Her black lace dress hugged her curves and shifted with her. Her silver jewelry glinted dangerously as she moved. The lights in the bar shifted to stay red instead of the flashing multi-colors that had bothered her when she entered. She moved her hips to the music and slowly it transformed from a poppy song she didn’t know to Led Zeppelin. 

Robert Plant’s voice got everyone dancing the way they should and the vapes transformed into cigarettes and she smiled to herself feeling alive for the first time in a long time. Maybe being back wasn’t so bad. She drank more and danced more and saw people getting drunk and making out in corners and thought debauchery worked as trouble. Job done for the day. 

She relaxed into the sway of the music, writhing around like a snake as her skin grew dewey with perspiration. A tug at her arm brought her out of her euphoric state. All night she had made sure no one would bother her, but whoever this was didn’t seem to follow her rules. 

She opened her eyes, fully black once more as she stared at who was holding her wrist. She tugged back but his hold was secure. He pulled her to the side of the dancefloor, a space conveniently opening up. 

“Get your hands off me! What the fuck, man?”

“You can’t be here,” He spoke calmly. 

She narrowed her eyes at him. He had on a white plain t-shirt and light wash jeans, with opalescent beads hanging around his neck. His eyes were an oddly familiar light brown. His hair was shaved on the sides, creating a sort of mullet that she mildly appreciated if he hadn’t been so rude as to pull her away from her fun. That mullet exposed the golden earrings in his pointy ears. 

There was something different about him. None of it was in his physical form but she felt it, vibrating and extending around him. As if he had invisible light passing around and through him even in the dark dingy bar lighting. 

“Says who?” She finally tugged her arm free from his hold and crossed her arms across her chest, pressing her breasts up in the process. 

His eyes flicker to the movement before pressing his lips into a thin line “Says me.” 

She rolled her eyes, unimpressed. “And you are?” 

“Joshua. I protect this town," he says. He wrings his hands around the gold bracelets on his wrists. “You can’t come into these bars and just mess with everything about them. It’s wrong.” 

“Yes I can, Josh,” She smirks. “I’m a demon as you clearly already can tell. I can do whatever I want.” 

“Oh my God,” Josh sighs, exasperated already. “There’s already a demon here.” He knew the other one quite well and was at least able to keep him in check. A newcomer would mean more work. 

She shrugged. “Not my problem, angel. Hell sent me up here, guess they’re not happy with the other one’s performance.” 

She moved to go back to the bar for another drink when Josh looked like he was a million miles away. He’d really killed her buzz. Josh’s mentioning of another demon made her stop and ask as an afterthought: “What’s this other demon’s name?” 

“Jacob–er, uh, Jake,” Josh corrects himself. He hadn’t gone by Jacob since, well, since before, even if Josh wished he could just call him Jacob. 

“Groovy.” Her smile is wicked, her lips painted a red so deep it resembled dried blood. “Displeasure meeting you, angel. Come find me if you ever want to have a real good time.” She kissed his cheek before disappearing behind a group of people. 

-

Two weeks later, Y/N was seated on a bench in the park with her legs kicked up. She looked like she was a dead body–which more or less, she was, but the way she was sitting was unusual for someone who was supposedly alive. Her dog was perched unnaturally along the backrest, soaking in the sun he had missed. They looked out of place. 

She had come out in the midday to see if she could start any fights in the park. She’d quickly learned that malfunctions with their little handheld phones really upset the modern humans so she liked to mess with wifi and electrical connections every odd day or so just to keep up the no-good work. 

Her black RayBans covered her eyes as they surveyed the green grass for potential targets for a bit of a row. She sat as far away from the people as possible, so she had enhanced her vision as if using a zoom function. But soon something white blocked her vision. 

“Angel,” She practically growled. Her dog actually growled, sitting up. 

“Mind if I sit,” Josh asks pleasantly, eyeing the dog with caution. It looked like a normal dog, but a clip in his right ear and a strange red shimmer in his eyes made Josh think there might be something hellish about him. 

She took her feet off the bench and pushed her sunglasses up off of her face. “Finally want a taste of what you’re missing?” 

“No,” he states flatly. His eyes were still wandering between the creature and the demon. She was dressed in all black, typical. The dog was between cream and the lightest brown he’d ever seen, atypical. “Is this your dog?” 

“Yeah.” She smiles softly for the first time. Her hand goes to pet him between his ears and down his small snout. “He was waiting for me in Hell back’n the day. They made him a chupacabra for me as a ‘Welcome to Hell’ present.” 

Josh’s eyes widened in surprise. What had she done in life to receive a present in Hell? “They like you down there?” 

“Eh…I think I’m just a descendant of many a troublemaker. They knew I’d be an asset, especially when I arrived so early.” 

Her dog slipped into her lap. For a moment, he shifted as he stared at Josh. Big ruby eyes glowered at him, all his hair was gone, leaving something more resembling a pale soft dog-rat. Disturbing and wretched, nonetheless. He wrinkled his nose at Josh. 

Josh tried to smile, feeling awkward. Jake had insisted he find this demon Josh had encountered, needing more information about whether he was really in trouble or if it was procedural. Why Jake wouldn’t do it himself, Josh never got as many answers as questions he asked. 

“Do either of you have names?” 

She grinned. “Is this twenty questions? Why so interested in me?” 

“Just want to get to know my opposition,” Josh says lightly, praying for her to feel extra kind today. Afterall, she was a demon who was originally human and it was only a little while ago from what she seemed to like. He was pretty sure she’d only been down in Hell for 50-60 years, that was barely a human lifetime—and yet it was longer than hers. Far less than Jake. Maybe he could neutralize her, get her to see the bright side. 

“His name is Rune, now, but it used to be Rori.” She rubs over the dog’s hair, happy that he was softer on Earth. “He responds to both–for me. Not sure what he should be called now we’re back.” 

Josh waited patiently. The breeze was cooler than usual and looking at her, he had to assume it was her as well. She seemed far too powerful for a run-of-the-mill demon who used to be human. But she also seemed extremely unlikely to answer his questions if he got too personal. 

With her eyes uncovered, Josh watched them move around as she thought about something. It was almost like she was tracking something or doing some long form math equation in her head. Like she didn’t know what her name was and was looking for the answer. 

“Mine…well, now you can call me Sal.” She winks and Josh straightens in his seat, feeling strange. “Gonna write about me in your diary now, Joshua?” 

Josh pretends to laugh with a clipped “ha ha.” She smirked again, sliding closer to Josh on the bench. Rori grew annoyed and hopped off her lap, slinking off to climb a tree in hopes of finding a squirrel. Sal extended a delicate hand to Josh’s shoulder, beginning to play with the fabric of his shirt. He smiled tightly, not having anywhere to go if he wanted more answers. 

“You said you arrived early?” Josh’s voice is high as he feels her touch moving down his arm. Thankfully, being an angel kept him from feeling her entire influence, but her physical touch was enough to feel something…unholy. He didn’t want to imagine her abilities on mortals. “What did you mean?” 

“You’re fun,” She beamed. “If I show you some tricks I picked up in Hell, will you show me something?” 

“It depends what you want to see,” Josh tries to be diplomatic. 

Her head throws back in laughter. “Not that. No, I want you to want me to see that.” Her hand wanders to his wrist and toys with the bracelet before slinking to his thigh. Her voice was low and sultry, lips pressed to his ear. “Desperately.” 

Josh was starting to feel like he might have to leave. His breathing had turned shallow and he couldn’t stop staring at the carnelian stone hanging between her breasts. Her hand’s touch left him and she laughed again bringing him out of his reverie. 

“Hell, you’re pretty cute…I was a 27 club member.” She shrugged, turning away from Josh to stare out at the people again. “Had my heyday in the late 60s/early 70s and went out the same way I lived. Fast.” 

Josh thought about the 60s and the 70s. He’d admit those decades were a bit of a guilty pleasure for him. Nashville had been fun, not as crowded. He watched her again, seeing her eyes narrow looking at the couples and the groups of friends. 

“You weren’t from here?” 

“LA. Broadway’s kinda like the Sunset Strip, just a bit more loser-y…NashVegas, just like Liv said.” 

Josh was about to protest, but refrained, letting her reminisce. She did miss her friends from back then. They’d gotten up to so much trouble. Sometimes too much. 

“Best of times, worst of times kind of thing y’a dig?” She tapped the heel of her boot like she was trying to shake off something unpleasant. “Just glad I had my dog for most of the time. He followed me everywhere and everyone’d let ‘im in because he was such a doll. Died ‘bout three years ‘fore me.”

The more she spoke the more her accent of a bygone era of California popped up. Josh couldn’t deny how sweet she sounded when she spoke about that thing, demonic as the pair of them were. 

“How long’ve you’ve been up–er, down here?” She asked, barely realizing she had to correct for him. 

Josh cast his eyes to the sky, thinking. “Since the beginning. That’s like, 8000 human years, I believe.” 

“Get the fuck outta town!” She exclaimed, jumping in her seat to face him. Her eyes were alight with hellfire. “You’re a proper angel then?” 

Josh chuckled. “They don’t really take new hires upstairs, I’m afraid. Only very special occasions. It doesn’t happen much these days.” 

She regarded him for a moment, inventorizing him again now that she deemed him far more interesting than before. “Yeah, I was on a special list when I came down. Only a few others in my line, everyone else had to wait in this huge waiting room. It was…repulsive and I’ve been in the alley behind the Whisky.” 

Josh tilted his head, looking over her once more. He felt like he should know her, but he couldn’t understand from where. She looked so familiar. Her hair seemed to shift every so often and he couldn’t be sure if it was the light or mood dependent. He didn’t prod at her mentioning the special treatment in Hell, didn’t want to alert her to the fact, that from what he knew, that was extremely rare.

“Have you told your demon friend about me yet?” She asked.

“He’s not my friend,” Josh responds automatically. 

Her eyebrows raise as she turns her head back to him, scanning him for understanding. A killer upon its prey. 

“Secret lover?” She guesses. 

Josh can’t hide his face of disgust. “Jesus! No!”

“Homophobic?” She asks with a look of distaste. Not being for the gays was so not groovy. Half the musicians she hung out with back in the day were gay. And she wasn’t one for choosing when it came to sexuality. 

“No!” Josh cries. “I am more than an ally to that cause, not that angels really have sexualities…it’s just.” He sighs, rubbing at his neck confusion. “He was, is–I don’t know, my twin.” 

“Oh!” She beams, eyes once again lighting up in intrigue. She enjoyed learning things, it helped for using it against people at the end of the day. “So he’s also a proper demon. Fell and all that.” 

“Yeah, don’t remind me.” He sounded pained, as if he was reliving the entire thing. 

“Wow…” She blows out a breath. “That must be funky.” 

She continued when Josh said nothing. “Y’know ‘cause he’s your brother but also he’s–” She finished her statement by sticking her pointer fingers through her hair and wiggling them around. 

“Yes, I am aware.” Josh shakes his head. 

She stood up and stretched her arms over her head, revealing her stomach below the flowy lace top she was wearing. “Great catch up, I guess, angel. Wanna trade tricks later? I’ve already worked through most of the main bars here and I’m getting bored.” Nothing was keeping her interest, since every place she had to transform into her liking. 

“You want to hang out with me? You want to hang out with an angel?” 

She grinned, turning around herself once before dropping her arms and stalking back towards Josh, standing directly in front of him. She leaned over him, watching him straighten his neck and swallow thickly. His eyes flickered from her face to the carnelian again. 

“Everyone else is too easy around here. I need a challenge.” Her lips were right in front of his. “You seem like the perfect remedy for a wayward soul like me.” 

-

Josh wasn’t exactly sure why he agreed to meet the demon at some speakeasy she said she needed to try. He wasn’t fully sold on calling her ‘Sal’, something about it felt off to him. She didn’t even really seem to care for it either. Jake, he knew, was vehement that he wished to be called Jake. 

Jake was probably why he had come to the back door of a pizza joint that was actually the door to the underground speakeasy. He’d asked for more information on her. When Josh had inquired why Jake couldn’t just do it himself, his twin finally fessed up that he was actually not currently in Nashville at all. Leaving the heavy lifting to Josh, like always. 

Begrudgingly, Josh entered another bar with plans to meet a demon. Heaven forgive him. It was smokey inside the brick-walled cavern. Small candles lit the tabletops and narrow bar top. A small dance floor was packed as people danced slowly to a jazz band. In the corner of the room, he saw her hair almost glowing in the dark and he made his way over. 

She was dressed in a black pantsuit, with no undershirt, just a black lace bra and her same necklace. Rori wasn’t present, from what Josh could see, but based on their conversation earlier he had a feeling the demon dog was around, lurking. 

She groaned when she saw what Josh was wearing. 

“Angel, man, do you have any other clothes besides that?” She shook her head in disappointment. 

“Of course I do,” Josh huffed, looking down at his clothes not understanding what was wrong with them. 

“Change.”

“I can’t perform miracles just to change my outfit. That’s wrong.” 

“That’s wrong, it’s wrong,” She parrots what she thought was becoming Josh’s mantra. “God, Heaven sounds so stifling.” She rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers with impatience.

In an instant, Josh was dressed in a red velvet jumpsuit with sequins around the neckline. His arms were on full display, muscles bulging while the velvet hugged his torso and lengthened his height. He smooths at his hair and feels something come off his skin. On his hand, he sees glitter. He looks at her again and then down at his new clothes. She was eyeing the bulge veering to his right thigh. 

“Much better.” She grins. 

Josh rolls his hand in front of him quickly, almost like a benediction, and once again his outfit has changed. Now, he was in a cream and grey jumpsuit that was far less flashy of his own with his favorite sigil emblazoned on the chest. He left the glitter and sat down. 

Her unamused look makes Josh feel a little hot with shame. 

“A little miracle to make sure I don’t look like a demon can be forgiven.” 

“You looked foxy but whatever.” She rolls her eyes and flicks a hand at the table, producing a bottle of red wine for both of them. “You drink, surely. C’mon, don’t act like your demon brother hasn’t corrupted a few of those precious angel feathers.” 

Josh can’t help the smile that falls over his face. Not sure what was so endearing about her at this moment. The romantic jazz might have something to do with it. He loved jazz. He takes the drink gratefully and they sip in companionable silence. She was subdued. 

With one bottle down, they start a second and this is when she offers to show Josh a trick if he’ll show her something again. He shrugs in compliance, feeling well on his way to drunk. 

“But won’t the other people in here see?” He adds. 

“No, they all know to mind their own business. Plus, it’s dark in here.” She winks and suddenly Josh is staring at only her head. 

He can seriously only see her head and neck. She moves closer to him and now Josh is certain, she’s made her body disappear. She was a dishonest-to-god floating head. Her head glowed gold for a moment as she twirled in a complete 360 to really show herself off. Josh’s eyes were as wide as possible trying not to cry out in amazement. Then the rest of her body reappeared, straddling Josh’s lap. With her arms draped over his shoulder, her all black soulless eyes gazed into Josh’s, practically paralyzing him with her fiery warmth and intensity. 

“So what do you think, angel?” 

“I, uh,” Josh stuttered. He placed his hands firmly on her hips and moved her off of him. “That’s impressive. What’s it good for?” 

“S just fun,” She shrugged, undetered by Josh removing her from his lap. “Let’s dance and then you can show me your wings or something.” 

Josh didn’t have time to protest, as she grabbed his wrist with one hand and their second bottle of pinot noir in the other. 

She took a swig before letting it float in the air beside them. Her body swiveled around the dance floor, placing herself in Josh’s arms as he swayed respectfully. She sighed and sunk into the movement, drinking from the bottle every so often. When the song changed, she turned to face Josh, handing the wine to him. He drank obediently, which she felt was a triumph. 

Hands draped over his shoulders again, she pressed her body against his. He was strong, she could feel his toned stomach. Her regular eyes met his and she tipped her nose against his. He looked stoicly back at her, determined to be friendly but not fall into the trap she was so clearly laying for him. 

“You’ve got so many defenses up,” She whispers. “Why not do what you want for once? Loosen up. Indulge.” 

Josh smiles down at her and moves his lips to her ear. Polite as ever, he speaks soothingly. “I am having a lovely time with you, Sal.”

She groans, pressing his hands to her hips again, where the curve of her ass was. “I can gaurantee you’ve never had what I’m offering you…” 

Josh smiles knowingly, unconvinced. “I’m afraid I’m above your temptations. Is seduction your main area of expertise?” 

She glares at him, but there’s a glint in her eye. She loved the chase. The difficulty. 

“Debauchery in general, but with how many people wanted to have sex with me in my first life I have a specialization in seduction and desire.” 

He shrugs, moving his hands to a respectful place on her waist. His touch is light, but she feels the pressure of his thumbs pushing at the exposed skin. She smirks and snakes her lips up to his ear. 

The gold hoop glints and she flicks her tongue over it. “I could just show you what you’re missing. If you’d allow me to put it in your mind, we wouldn’t actually do it. You’d be in complete control. Halo intact. C’mon just a few images…it’ll be informative.” 

Josh sighs as the tug of her teeth on his earring. She was bad. Terribly good at her job. He understood why she was here. Jake wasn’t even in town. Damn him. If he did his job a little better, Josh wouldn’t be contemplating allowing a demon into even a small recess of his mind. But, Jesus, did he want to just see it. If it wasn’t real, it wasn’t really a sin to indulge. 

She stares at him, waiting for his response. Her hands run over his shoulders and chest. The music swells and Josh’s hands tighten on her waist as he looks up to the ceiling, praying for forgiveness. 

“For educational purposes,” He starts and she grins. “I will allow you to show me how you do your job. So that I may be able to thwart your wrongdoings better.” 

“It’s just a little sex,” She licks her lips. “Igniting passion in people makes more babies for you to teach heavenly values or whatever. God likes sex, Josh.” Her voice is sickening, it was like she was dripping in a delicious scent that Josh can’t get out of his head. Twisting his values and her intentions into something evil that somehow made wicked sense.

He’s been careful to only open up a small piece he knows he can close, but he almost loses his footing when he finally feels her stinging lips on his. She licks into his mouth and he’s about to protest before the images begin to flow through his mind. 

‘Good thing your brother doesn’t have to transfer information like this, huh?’ Sal says within Josh’s mind. 

Guiltily, he feels himself laughing. Though his physical body is still locking lips with her. 

The room she brings him to in his mind is dark, a red lamp in the corner where two bodies are rolling around. Sighs of ecstasy filling his ears. The smell of sex hanging in his nose.

‘You’re really missing out, angel. Could show you the best thing life, and death, has to offer.’ Her voice is softer in his mind. 

The scene changes. He’s staring up at her above him. Her hips are working over him steadily as her naked breasts bounce in front of him, her necklace is the glowing light now. Her voice is sinful as she moans praises for Josh. How good he feels, how big he is, how strong he is. The scene changes and he’s driving into her with her legs over his shoulders, she’s smiling sweetly up at him with her mouth open, repeating his name like a prayer. It shifts and she’s pressed face down in the grey silk pillows, her body spread out for him as he grunts and growls, thrusting ceremoniously into her as she screams for him to keep going. It’s melodic, every bodily sound and the scene of their physical bodies uniting is hypnotic. Like it was pre-ordained that he would fit so well inside her. He feels euphoric as it shifts once more. She is back on top, his hips press up into her as she grinds down. Their faces are pressed together as Josh holds her body close to him. Arms enveloping her fragile frame. The room is quiet as they are pressed skin to skin, her lips meeting his gently. Sharp gasps escape their trembling lips.

‘Okay, enough,’ Josh pushes away from the scene, feeling both aroused and confused. 

In the speakeasy, she pulls back from the kiss with a wipe of her lips. She runs her hands through her hair as she watches Josh. She had shown him every one of his fantasies, placing herself at the center of them. They weren’t particularly raunchy, it was all about connection to him and for once she didn’t tease. 

“I like you, Joshua,” She says, truthfully, allowing him to pull their bodies a little apart. 

He was flustered and confused and embarrassed, but he also didn’t want to run. She had kept her word, shown him a few things and left. He didn’t fully understand the words she had just spoken.

He shakes his head, an awkward smile on his lips there on accident, and she stares at him wistfully. 

“I haven’t had someone in my mind in a very long time.” 

“It’s okay,” She soothes. “You really are an angel. Maybe on this earthly plane for too long since you clearly have carnal desires, but they were sweet. Every man’s mind I’ve looked into had vile and cruel desires…” She paused, looking past Josh. “Even in my first life, all the men I knew wanted to hurt the women they supposedly loved.” 

Josh’s eyebrows shot up in shock. 

“The closest you got to dirty was having me in do–”

“Okay!” Josh cut her off. “I think it’s time to call it a night.” He turned and walked swiftly through the crowd, parting easily for him–definitely not a misuse of his miracles. 

“Fine,” She grinned wickedly and whistled for Rori, sauntering after Josh. 

Back on the street, it could’ve been daytime with all the lights compared to the speakeasy. She squinted her eyes in distaste, thriving in the dark and wishing she had brought her sunglasses.

Josh was turned away from her so she tapped on his shoulder, wanting his attention. Wanting to see him again. He turned slowly and the look on his cherubic face was troubled. She frowned, about to ask what got his wings in a twist. 

A shadow stepped into Josh’s light. His hair was long and messy, in need of a wash. His silver jewelry shined heavy on his tanned chest. His black button up was almost completely open exposing his torso and he held a wide-brimmed black hat loosely in one hand and a guitar case more carefully in the other. His eyes flashed yellow when he spotted Y/N.  

She straightened her posture under his gaze and gave him a defiant look. Rori growled, but stayed behind her legs. 

Jake ran his tongue over his bottom lip, taking in the woman shaped devil before him. “You must be the new demon in town.” 

She tilted her head at him and looked between Josh and Jake. “And you must be your brother’s keeper.” 

He took a menacing step closer, narrowing his eyes at his angel of a brother before returning his gaze to her. “Something like that. Now, farewell…or don’t, I don’t care.”

She opened her mouth to speak again but no sound came out. 

His eyes flashed again as he turned on his heel and said tersely, a command, “Josh.”

The pair disappeared into fog that had appeared as suddenly as the older demon along the nighttime sidewalk and then she watched it dissipate moments later, leaving no trace of the creatures. The men. The angel and the demon.

-

to be continued... join the taglist

[skeletwinsauaskbox]

i guess i should put down some notes.

snow white was nice. quite the accomplishment for humanity from what i heard. but... honestly, i fell asleep halfway through watching it. still liked it, though. it's relaxing.

same with pinocchio, except i think i had nightmares about it as a kid. can't remember much, though. must've just been weird childhood stuff. you know how it is.

fantasia and its remake(?) are the kind of movies i like to watch late at night. and by late at night, i mean 2am.

dumbo's cool. not much to say about it.

i actually really liked bambi as a kid. dunno why, it must've been all the cute animals. now, it's just a nice movie to watch for nostalgia's sake.

i don't remember much of the three cabilleros.

i only really remember the mickey and the beanstalk story. you know why. you know why.

ichabod and mr toad scared me so badly as a kid i still can't watch it now. nope.

honestly... i actually really liked the mouse scenes the most in cinderella. i dunno, i just didn't care for the main plot all that much. i didn't come for that. i came for goofy mice shenanigans, that's what i like to see.

alice in wonderland made me laugh a few times. great movie.

i liked the captain hook stuff, but i, uh, also got bored halfway through the movie. it takes a lot to keep this skeleton's attention, i'll tell you that.

lady and the tramp was soooo cute. what? the plot? uhh... two cute dogs go on adventures? and spaghetti comes in, i think? cute dogs, though.

i got called sleeping beauty once. to this day, i can't decide whether i'm flattered or offended.

even more cute dogs, this time, most of them are babies. gosh darn it, i want a dog... not 101 of 'em though, hell nah.

maaaaaaagic wizaaaaaard dueeeeel. and that sums up all i remember about it.

i wonder if papyrus hates the jungle book because of how many times i made him watch it. i still love that movie.

robin hood, but animals? sign me up, please. i love me a chaotic good fox hero.

winnie the pooh is cute. that's all i have to say about it.

i think my brother watched the rescuers. personally, i don't remember ever watching it.

the fox and the hound... i think i might cry just thinking about it. yup, i can cry.

the black cauldron scared me a lot as a kid. hey, i was a skittish kid, alright?

the great mouse detective was a cool movie. i would rewatch it just for the ratigan scenes.

why should i worry? why should i care?

the little mermaid! oh, it's one of my favorites. i love laughing at how stupid everyone was. one of the best films to rib on, in my opinion. and ribbing is how i show my love.

beauty and the beast is a classic, of course. so is aladdin. and the lion king... and the hunchback of notre dame. these are all really good movies.

greek mythology has always been fascinating to me. and while this movie got it completely wrong, it's still entertaining, so it gets a pass.

mulan was great, but it still scared me as a kid. unlike ichabod and mr toad and the black cauldron, though... i think it actually made me like it more? huh.

hehehehehehehe, that hunter's death in tarzan still catches me off-guard. i'm sure papyrus hates me for laughing at it every time...

you just gotta understand the comedic genius behind the emperor's new groove? are there more thrilling, dramatic, emotional movies out there? yes. but are they the emperor's new groove? no. i rest my case.

atlantis and treasure planet are awesome and underrated. go watch 'em.

i know i should be enamored by the goofy alien that is stitch like the rest of you, but watching lilo and stitch just makes me wanna hug my brother and cry. i don't know why.

brother bear is cute. and that's all i remember of it.

is it weird to say that i liked home on the range? i mean, it wasn't a great movie, but i liked the villain. it's just a really goofy movie, i just can't.

chicken little... eeeehhhhh. no. just no.

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee meet the robinsons eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. what? you haven't watched it? G o w a t c h i t . N o w .

the animals were cute, but bolt is just okay.

the princess and the frog had great music. and talking animals. and it's funny. what else could i ever want?

the whole time i watched tangled, i kept thinkin' about what it would be like to have hair that long. like... wow, rapunzel. what hair products do you use? can i borrow some? papyrus really needs some for his own "luscious locks".

wreck it ralph is cute and fun and it made me cry. okay, it didn't actually make me cry, not really, but i cried on the inside. does that count?

ugh... don't tell my brother this. i used to like frozen, but papyrus ruined it for me by screaming the songs at the top of his ribs 24/7. it just gives me a migraine, honestly. left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. wait... teeth? however i taste, it tasted sour. and it wasn't the sweet and sour kind, either.

big hero 6 was probably the first movie to make me sob as an adult. freaking tadashi, man. i could almost imagine papyrus in his place. don't tell him i said that.

remember, anything after this message ain't canon... yet.

i liked zootopia. animals. it's just not my favorite, that's all.

moana made me laugh a lot, actually. i still quote shark head to my brother, hehehe.

ralph breaks the internet was fine as a movie, but i was honestly bored by it. the most entertainment i got out of it was making fun of it. it was okay, but i wouldn't watch it again.

the frozen sequel. okay. papyrus hasn't ruined this movie for me. yet. i'm still wary, though.

i found encanto surprisingly cute. i don't know why, i just did. maybe it's the whole "fixing a family" thing. i'm a sucker for stories like that.

wish was weird. i dunno, it just felt off to me. i guess it was okay for what it was...

[slocumjoe]

some things I love about the companions 💞

Ada; is best girl. She's a cool ass robot who gives me glue and doesn't judge me. No, this is not my "transformers prime permanently rewired my brain" bias for robots. At risk of sounding like a 12 year old boy, Assaultatrons are just badass designs. And she's blue!

Cait; is a lot funnier than anyone gives her credit for. Also, weirdly educated? For example, she wonders if Raiders like tunnels as a "Freudian" thing. Few people she'd have met would known about Freud, so she'd have to have gone and read about it herself. Also also, is on Danse's level of romantic sweet talk. Girl makes me swoon.

Codsworth; somehow hates the wasteland more than X6. His wording and tone is very optimistic but you can tell that, underneath his chipper facade, Codsworth is so fucking grossed out by everything he sees. Also, the only two companions he doesn't trust to keep you safe, are Piper and MacCready. Make of that what you will.

Curie; X6-88 (like, 10 years old) calls her unqualified and she (200ish) basically tells him to get the fuck back in the play pen

Danse; Sending his eyebrows to space by showing the smallest amount of care and affection. I'm pretty sure this man would die if someone asked if he was okay.

Deacon; talks a big game about being a liar, and being very good about it, but if you don't read that 'recall code' ASAP, he bugs you about it constantly because he hates lying to you. It's not even that you're being naive, he genuinely hates that he's being trusted when you were supposed to question him.

Dogmeat; my favorite thing about Dogmeat is that I'll spend an hour scrapping all dog houses in Sanctuary, make him a little area in my backyard with a house, food bowl, toys, a rug, and classical music, and he thanks me by getting up on my countertops to sleep, using my antique pie collection as bedding.

Gage; Wears a fake eyepatch and throws hissy fits when my army of sexy chads curbstomps his furries, Nepo babies, and Joker stans. This is entirely wishful thinking and I get why this didn't happen, but I would have liked an option to convince him "Hey, I'm coming back with my army to wipe out all these raiders, but I'll give you a chance to join me or leave since you also seem to hate these chuckleheads." I appreciate his shady convict uncle vibes. I would let him teach Shaun how to cheat at cards.

Hancock; takes mentats to feel "intellectual" when he has the second highest INT of all the companions. Also, his puppy dog eyes. "IM FERAL NOW" as he gets his ass kicked by a legendary god roach

MacCready; dork man. he has more cliche stock line jokes than Deacon. I unironically vibe with his taste in trailers, fucking LOVE leopard print (fake bc we don't fuck with wasteful animal hunting like that). He's a very cozy companion to travel with, for lack of a better description. Like if a thermos of soup was a human.

Nick; Nick is what I imagine Mac would be like as he got older—just a laid-back weirdo who wants whats best for you and will insult you so you understand that. I love his tacky ass agency sign. I wish you could put him in other clothes, because I need him in a bathrobe wielding a cane against my enemies. Just really succumb to the grumpy uncle vibes.

Old Longfellow; reminds me strongly of my old neighbor, an elderly southern gentleman who was a sniper in the military, had a chunky rottie named Baby, and once watched me play Fallout and gave his opinions on the design of the weapons in game. That man is now in Thailand with his girlfriend. I've never traveled with Longfellow but I'm pretty sure its a 1 to 1.

Preston; if you don't take Preston to Quincy, I don't blame you, because oh man, does he not have a great time there! Preston sounds five seconds away from snapping his gun over his knee and going for strangulation in Quincy. King shit.

Piper; I was pretty harsh to Piper but I love her gaslight gatekeep girlboss approach to her life. She's like an adult Junie B Jones. Piper has never had her shit together and is self-medicating with sugar harder than Hancock and Cait do with drugs. She's a cringefail woman. If Bethesda was brave they would have gone with her pixie cut concept.

X6-88; a blank canvas for me to go wild on with the fanon. But I love how he's just an asshole 10 year old murderbot that's scared of heights, thinks Power Armor is so cool he privately fangirls over Danse, is scared of children, and gushes over how awesome the Survivor is to his courser buddies. What a babe.

[chunkymamatam]

Hi omg welcome back! Thank you so much for the detail on your description about the classes! When and if you have time, I would love to hear more! Have you had classes with Crewel yet? And are there any other teachers aside from the ones we know from the game? Thats something Ive always wanted to know! Also, have you gone to Sam's shop yet? How is he? He is my favourite staff member!

Oh and how long did you stay? Did you experience any events ingame and maybe some that werent in the game? Have you gone to anyones homecountry like the events?

PS: If there are too many questions, feel free to chose some to skip! I dont want to overwhelm you :) <3

It's not too much to answer the questions! There's only 2 asks now including this one and the other one if for one of my fanfic blogs so I should have enough energy/time now lol

First The rest of my classes for the current semester:

Animal Language Class

No Magic required

Consists of basic body language of different animals that might accompany you on your journey through being a "Proper mage" as Professor Trein would put it lol. This includes cats, dogs, rats, etc (basically any animal you can find in a Disney film.)

As the class goes on you learn how to decipher what they're actually saying verbally and non verbally. Unlike here animals are sentient, they will make fun of you later trust me. Ace and Deuce are frequently the victim of this lmfao

Its pretty difficult for me personally but I'm bad at communicating with humans so I wasn't really expecting any less lmfao Its as difficult as learning any new language in all seriousness so if you find that hard then welcome to the club I made cookies.

Difficulty: 4/5

Potions/Alchemy (Creation/material studies)

Magic materials will be provided by class instructor, minimal magic is needed from the mage

Consists of different creation techniques, what materials have what properties, what the different potions do, etc. There's a potion for anything and everything, most only having temporary effects but some are more permanent (base level and under specific conditions). Honestly this is one of my favorite classes. Its the most fun in my opinion.

It's not at all difficult because we're allowed to have our recipes at all times.

Difficulty: 1/5

Spell casting

Magic required

Now this is where being magicless really sucked (I still got a really good grade). I wasn't able to participate much in the begining and I was stuck memorizing spells I would never be able to use. I shit you not this man (The prof) looked at me and said

"You may not have the proper abilities to cast spells but I'll be sure to turn you into a grimoire of them by the end of this class"

Honestly stayed true to his word ngl. The amount of notes and textbooks and reciting the damn things, practicing proper spell casting formation/posture. I could instruct the other students at this point. I'm having flashbacks just thinking about it lmfao

The class consists of the actual spells, the motions needed to enact each spell, the proper posture to take when casting. We learn what each spell does, and the proper situations to use them in, etc. It is mostly just actually casting spells though and a I've only relatively recently learned how to use magic. I'm getting there with the help of Azul and my professors tho.

I wouldn't say its the worst difficulty wise but my memory is decent when it comes to academics.

dificulty: 3/5

Astrology

This class consists of studying the stars, constellations, planets, and the moon cycles and how they affect the magic we produce.

"Just as the ocean is affected by the moon and the stars, so too is our energy and magic."

Corny shit but accurate and factual lmfao. It's a really easy class and that's really all there is to it. It's mostly so you understand why your magic is stronger/weaker on different days. this also used as a reference in other classes. Like "X spell is more affective during Y Moon cycle"

Difficulty: 1/5

There's definitely more classes that I don't know of yet but we'll get to them eventually!

''Have you had classes with Crewel yet?"

Yes! I'm actually his favorite student weirdly enough lol. He's chill as long as you act right (paying attention to the lesson, doing your classwork/homework, etc). This man fr defended me from these bitch ass guys who were like

"She doesn't even have magic why does she have the top scores????"

To which he responded "Maybe if you were as diligent of a student perhaps you could also be part of the top scores, until then however, return to your seat"

Never felt safer with a teacher I swear.

"Are there any other teachers aside from the ones we know from the game?"

Yeah. I can't remember their names right this moment cuz I haven't been back there in a minute. My mental health has been ass and I fell out of love with shifting for a long while but I'm back now! I'm hopefully going back soon. I miss my boys and my classes. Mostly my boys tho. I'll have to share who they are and what their names are after I go next.

"Have you gone to Sam's shop yet? How is he?"

I have! Actually when I got my monthly allowance from Crowley (I manifested that in with the intention method cuz I'll be dammed if that cheap bitch fucks me over) it was the first place I visited. He sells damn near everything you need to live on campus. I got soap, an African net sponge (its called Savanna net sponge cuz ✨Afterglow/Sunset Savanna✨) and some lotion. I barely had enough for my groceries after that month. I was living on Ramen and the school allotted lunch (。﹏。*) This being said be prepared for Sam to over price everything. This is a rich people school and I mean eat the rich and all but PLEASE HAVE MERCY

As for how he is as a person, he's really chill. Very nice but he is still a salesman so keep that in mind with your interactions. He may have mercy if he's feeling generous (pity) lmfao. Jokes aside hes actually pretty nice outside of his business. He allowed me to talk to him about struggling with living with Vil for that month with his unseasoned dry ass chicken 😭

"How long did you stay? Did you experience any events in game and maybe some that weren't in the game?"

Currently I'm dealing with STYX and Idia's overblot. Up until that point its been about 6-7 months over there. Everything in the main game happens so fast and in such quick succession. I've experienced the Halloween events, birthdays, and the New Year events. I didn't participate in Sams event cuz I was dealing with living with Vil training for the SDC/VDC and calming down from everything with Jamil. TBH there might have been events that weren't showcased but I was just too busy with the main events and classe/hanging out with other students.

"Have you gone to anyone's home country like the events?"

Not yet but we are staying at Rooks many homes while on our way to STYX to rescue everyone rn. Hopefully soon tho because Idk it seems like a lot of fun to learn more about my friends and their homes.

[bonesandpoemsandflowers]

I am not any less sad about the dog. I have merely discovered, over the past few months, that even fewer people than I expected understand. He was not just some animal I loved--and I say this as someone with a great love and respect for animals and the bonds we form. The bond we have with dogs is different on a species level. The co-evolution is unique to the point that dogs do gaze recognition just like we do: they read human faces in the same order humans read human faces. They understand pointing innately, as no other mammal does--chimps included. And on and on and on...

And yet it's also true that Ernesto was not just some dog, and not just my dog. He was eerily and irritatingly intelligent, which is why I couldn't have him watched by just any one. I was in more of a dialogue with that dog than many people are with their human spouses. I showed him things in my hands, offered them for a sniff. He would stop on walks after sniffing something particularly interesting, and then look back at me, offering me a moment to check out what he'd found. I would lean over and look, and only then would he move on. We did not always understand each other but also: he had those talking buttons towards the end of his life, and he used them. So I do also literally mean that this dog and I talked. We spoke. With words.

Were his favorite words "food" and "no" and "now"? Sure. But frankly, are my favorite words that far off? Are yours, if you really think about it?

Part of my frustration is my usual frustration. People write about dogs as silly and ever cheerful and I find this to be a disgustingly shallow and simplified view of dogs, actually. I do not find it heartwarming in the least. A poet writing about the ever happy nature of all dogs does not strike me as insightful. They strike me as stupid about dog behavior. They strike me as a poor ethologist with only rudimentary capacity for theory of mind at best.

People talk about dogs as harmless, as stupid little not quite people who live artlessly in their homes.

Dogs on the whole are far more complex than you think.

But it's also--oh, all my life I've been head over heels for the working breeds, the hunting dogs. Big dangerous intelligent dogs, bred for their capacity to make snap second decisions independently because you, the human, cannot possibly shout out precise commands fast enough to pin down a wild boar. You and the dog work together, but for some parts of the hunt? That dog is fucking freelancing, baby. That dog is improvising. Or take the livestock guardian dog--you're not instructing him on anti-coyote tactics. When the predators show up late at night, it is all up to that dog to figure out how to play it.

They're smart. They have opinions. Ernie was just also really invested in conveying his opinions about things. And the talking buttons aren't just about the talking buttons; the talking buttons allow you to confirm, with words, the translations of nonverbal cues. He was thrilled when he got a button for "no"! But he also didn't need a button for "no" because he said "no" very clearly with a disdainful scoff/sneeze/chuff. And I know this because when he had the button and I would ask him to do something he did not want to do, he would go: scoff/sneeze *button mash: "NO"* scoff/sneeze.

(translation: NO. no. also: no.)

But all of that aside, all that extra connection and tenderness you get from communicating in your own native tongue, and knowing this little being is making the effort to communicate with you in the way you want and understand

(even though he thinks it's stupid and he often sneezes disdainfully at the buttons before deigning to use them)

(I cannot confirm this but there was a look he gave me sometimes that I would swear meant something like: "I know that you know what I mean, and you don't need me to use the buttons but I will do it to make you happy. But it's stupid." lingering eye contact, defiant posture, more intense eye contact, eventual punchy button usage)

But ALL OF THAT ASIDE, all of it.

When most people say "my pet saved my life," they mean something heart warming and emotional and that's nice and important. I'm not knocking that.

But when I say it

What I mean

Is that more than once this dog put his life on the line for mine. At least once, I absolutely would have died. I had no answer for the size of the physical threat upon us. And the other two times I can clearly think of--my odds weren't great. Sans dogs, my odds were, like. Bad. Pretty shit, actually.

So did that dog have a bite history? Technically, yes. Did he ever get in trouble for it? No, because ultimately he had flawless target selection and he understood when someone--dog or man--truly meant me significant physical harm.

So here's what it is, right. Here. Listen.

That dog saved my life. More than once. Very literally. I mean in a flesh and blood way, an immediate way, a non-metaphorical way.

He could save me and so he did, more than once.

And ultimately, when he needed it, I could not do the same. I could not save him from lung cancer. And yes, he was 13, only 3 months away from 14. And he was a big dog, and they mostly don't live too long. Sure, sure, sure.

But the point is he handed my life back to me. And I couldn't do that for him. You know? Not all the love and worry and time and money and care I put into it made the difference. The surgery prolonged his life by a few months and his quality of life was much better for it. The chemo did nothing but at least it didn't hurt him.

I tried. Yes.

But Ernie Dog, when he tried for me, succeeded.

And I don't know how to explain the debt of that to people. I think it's too uncomfortable for people to think about so they rush to platitudes. "You did your best!" Sure. And it wasn't enough. "You did more than most anyone would!" Yes, but most people suck. Even the people who have the money often suck. No shade to those who don't. "He was loved!" Obviously. And he loved me. Thus why he saved my life. And I couldn't save his. Exactly. That's my point.

So there's nothing to do with that but live with it, and no medicine for me now besides time.

But fuck. So few people get it. And I get that there's a limit to how long people will listen to you about your dearly departed dog. But mostly I don't want to talk about it because almost nobody understands. Do you know what it is to have someone prove they would die for you? I do. It's a horrible debt even when a human does it.

It's even worse when it's a dog.

[noildoof]

Hello Ive seen that ur into a lot of like "obscure" media and was wondering what anime, cartoons and comics u were into or what u'd recommend , Im very curious , love your art!!!!!

There's a lot, tbh I'm not even sure where to start, but let's see...

Angel's Egg isn't really that obscure anymore, but at the time I first watched it and got obsessed, it was. I still consider it to be a masterpiece and my favorite movie of all time, tied with Alien.

If you're over 18, I highly recommend Malice@Doll. It's a surreal, disturbing 3D anime that moves a lot like stop-motion. It has a lot of parallels to the Biblical story of the garden of Eden, with humans in the role of an absent God and machines doing the same things they've always done because... well, that's what they were made to do. They don't have free will. There's a lot of really interesting stuff to think about - the tradeoff of innocence for knowledge, trading an immortal mechanical body that can't feel for a flesh one that can feel pleasure but also pain. Again though, this anime gets pretty disturbing, and although it's not meant to be arousing it does have sexual content. It's not appropriate for minors.

My favorite bad anime is The Humanoid. It's very campy and one of the most 80's anime I've ever seen. The characters (mostly Alan) talk a lot about coffee, for some reason. Enough that you can make a drinking game out of it. The soundtrack is actually really good, I have it on vinyl.

Go watch Chargeman Ken right now. I mean it. Each episode is only 5 minutes long, so you have no excuse not to. You'll understand why I'm recommending this anime once you've watched it, it simply has to be seen to be believed. My favorite episodes are Dynamite in the Brain and When the Cuckoo Clock Strikes 3.

A lot of people seem to hate Bounty Dog, but I will unironically defend this anime to the death. I think it's good, or at least perfectly serviceable for a 90's direct-to-video anime. It has a weird piss-yellow color palette though, and it's not a filter - those are the actual colors used in the paint, I would know having cels from this.

This is very particular to my tastes (people who know me will understand why), but I binged Brigadoon not long ago and loved it. It's a very strange series in a way that's kind of hard to describe. Fundamentally, it's about a relationship between a girl and a mecha that develops into a romance, so I guess it's shoujo. But it's also an action series. And a comedy series. And a drama series. And a horror series at times. It defies genre categorization in a way I don't see very often. The closest thing I can compare it to is The Ancient Magus's Bride, as the relationship between Marin and Melan is pretty similar. With Dr. Seuss and Evangelion thrown into a blender.

Cool World is... not a good movie. At all. But damn, are those backgrounds nice. It has a particular "look" to it that is awesome as fuck, I just wish the actual story wasn't so stupid. I implore the people who say dumb shit like "Hazbin Hotel is just "SEX! LAUGH NOW!"" to watch Cool World, because that is literally what Cool World is. It's pretty to look at, but the entire plot and all the jokes are just "Don't have sex with cartoon characters---- OHHHH he just had sex with the cartoon character." But if you can get past the painfully unfunny "comedy" and stupid nonsensical plot, it's very nice to look at and has a great soundtrack.

... that got really long-winded, damn. Here's some other recommendations:

Anime:

Weathering Continent (also an untranslated light novel series) Laughing Target (also a manga) Mermaid Forest (also a manga) Mermaid's Scar (also a manga) Curse of Kazuo Umezu (also a manga, untranslated) California Crisis Twinkle Nora Rock Me (so bad it's amazing, also an untranslated manga) Nayuta (also a manga, untranslated) King of Thorn (also a manga) Umi no Yami, Tsuki no Kage (also a manga, but not fully translated) Dragon's Heaven (also a manga, untranslated) Lily-C.A.T. Magnetic Rose (not really that obscure but it's a masterpiece) They Were 11 (also a manga, dunno if it was translated) E.Y.E.S. of Mars Iblard Time Venus Wars (also a manga)

Manga:

Eko Eko Azarak (haven't seen much of it but I like what I've seen) Any of Rumiko Takahashi's short stories Black Jack (definitely not obscure if you're an oldtaku like me) Anything by Kazuo Umezu, especially Drifting Classroom

Movies:

The Banshee Chapter Space Mutiny (watch the Mystery Science Theater version) Yellow Brick Road

Misc:

Mary (Scissor Sisters music video) Daicon IV (anime Electric Light Orchestra music video) Apollo 20 hoax videos Cybersix (Argentine animated series) Skydoll (Italian comic, adult-only) Yoko Tsuno (Belgian comic)

[starrook]

anniversary munday

celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is. repost, don't reblog. only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing! happy anniversary, TOA! here's to many more years spent together.

Name: Bren

Pronouns: they

Birthday (no year): Nov 6th

Where are you from? What is your time zone? NJ, EST

How long is your roleplay experience? 10+ years

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? Warrior cats official forums back when they were around! Stumbled into fanclans first and then went into human OCs with PJO. FERP was my first time playing canon characters.

How were you introduced to TOA? Heh.

Do you have any pets? I currently have Klein, 7 month old Standard Manchester Terrier. Recently said goodbye to Frisky, 15 year old terrier mix and my childhood dog.

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) Right about now, late summer-early fall when the weather is starting to get reasonable.

What is your IRL occupation? Office admin/events coordinator.

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? I try to keep up with my art! I also like to listen to financial podcasts.

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? HSR and Sudoku

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: If I had to pick a type, maybe normal? As for Pokemon I have a soft spot for all dog pokemon but Dachsbun and Mabosstiff knocked it out of the park for me.

Tell us some funfacts and trivia about yourself! I am allergic to raw apples. My favorite childhood snack was cut apple with salt and lime and I miss it so much. Apple juice hits but it's not the same. I also wrote a couple of supports for the Gay Fates hack way back when! Though I wouldn't want to read them now tbh hahah old writing....

How did you get into Fire Emblem? I was... maybe 14? I saw Awakening, thought it was interesting and picked it up only to rage quit at chapter 9 (was too focused on marrying Frederick asap that the rest of my army was behind). Then I got interested in Fates and the rest is history.

What Fire Emblem games have you played? I've played Awakening, Conquest, Shadows of Valentia, Sacred Stones, Three Houses (GD Route) and Engage. ...The only games I played through the end were Sacred Stones and Three Houses—

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: First was Awakening! I have a soft spot for Fates gameplay.

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! I don't play favorites :weary: Alcryst grabbed me like no one else has tho tbh I'll give him that.

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! Volug/Nailah. I know I said I got into FE through awakening but my actual first introduction to Fire Emblem was through a youtube video that was showing off the laguz transformation and attack animations. Please understand this was in the midst of my middle school werewolf phase.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? 😳 Not a crush per se but (slaps noise cancelling headphones on Alcryst before dunking his head into a toilet bowl) Diamant is neat :)

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? - Awakening: First Frederick, now Lucina - Fates: First Silas, now still Silas - Three Houses: First Claude, now probably still Claude - Engage: I didn't get that far. My first choice was Diamant but I fucked up and he's too far behind to support now, so I'd go with Pandreo

Favorite Fire Emblem class? A good armor knight is worth their weight in gold. Donnel!Kjelle, Louise, and Effie were beasts in my playthroughs.

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? If I was a Fire Emblem character I would be dead <3 But if I had to be playable I would be an early game cleric/support unit type.

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? Regular civilian! But if I had to pick a house, absolutely Golden Deer

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boons: Faith, Heavy Armor Banes: Literally everything else. Maybe Authority budding talent?

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? Firene, they have good weather

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) Tee-Oh-Ay

Current TOA muses: Alcryst and Claude

Past TOA muses? Nanna, Lukas, Arval, Niles, Silas, Lyon

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Claude!

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? The fact that I wrote three moon-associated archers is completely coincidental!!!!!! I like grounded characters that can be both amicable and absolutely vicious when the situation calls for it.

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Tiki is one of those characters that I think I could RP well but I'm not confident I would be able to keep up with the Archaneans. Rhea is similar, but where I trip up with her is that bc she is such an important central character esp to Fodlan's history I'm intimidated by the idea.

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? Emotional scenes... anything where there's love and family involved gets me crying

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? FELL XENOLOGUE ALCRYST!!!! Alcryst in situations basically

Favorite TOA-related memories? Claude surviving Ree's Hundred Hand Snake bitch double boss from Unlocked Hell.

Present or past tense? Present.

Normal size text, small text, no preference? Normal, formatting is a pain

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 F!Shez! I'd like to play female characters actually.

[wheelin-after-midnight]

40.

What would you do if right now the love of your life walked in and asked you to marry him/her?

There are reasons I can't legally get married and my girlfriend is aware of why. So the most it would be is a commitment ceremony. I would say yes, but I would ask if she'd discussed it with Derek and whether our relationship is still to remain open post ceremony.

Do you trust your friends?

Yes.

Would you move to another state or country to be with the one you love?

I would if it were feasible and accommodations could be made. Neither of those things are true at this point in my life.

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?

Absolutely not!

Name two things you would NOT tolerate in a relationship?

Gaslighting and emotional neglect. I've been through enough of it in my life that I'll never tolerate it from a partner too.

Which one of your friends do you think would make the best doctor?

Idk. I can't picture either of my two close friends being doctors.

Are you afraid of falling in love?

There's always a fear of going through the bad things I've already gone through again, at the hands of someone different. But love is always a risk. Most things in life are. Being in love is pretty much letting a stranger into the deepest corners of your heart, handing them all the darkness, all the trauma, all the passion, every last little important piece of yourself. You're giving them the ammunition they need to utterly destroy you and trusting that they're of good enough character that they won't.

Is there someone who pops into your mind at random times?

My Nan is on my mind pretty much every day since I've had to be without her.

Would you stop talking to your friends because you hooked up with a new person?

I can't stand when people do this. My ride or dies were there before I got into any relationships and will be there long after the dissolution of any relationships. If my partner doesn't understand or respect the absolute preciousness and significance of each of my friendships, she ain't the one. Luckily, my girlfriend does and is. :)

When was the last time you flew in a plane?

2004.

What did the last text message you sent say?

"That's good"

What features do you find most attractive in your preferred sex?

Physically it's eyes, breasts and hair. Beyond physicality it's depth, understanding, gentleness, humor, empathy, passion, compassion.

Fill in the blank. I like _ .

My cat more than a lot of humans around me.

What is a goal you would like to accomplish in the near future?

Get to a point where I don't pray for death every waking moment and for my brain to stop catastrophizing about the fallout of this move, even though I'm not optimistic about it in the least right now.

If you were to wake up from being in a coma for an extensive time who would you call?

I doubt I'd be able to think clearly enough at first to articulate a desire to call anyone.

How many kids do you want to have?

I always wanted kids. At least one, but unfortunately I can't have children. :(

Would you make a good parent?

I would've been an awesome mum. I'm not confident in myself in a lot of other ways, but I've always known that. Deep down into my bones.

Where was/were your ID picture(s) taken?

The place I had to go get them done at that's required by the government.

What is your middle name?

I'm not sharing. I hate it.

Honestly, what's on your mind right now?

Too much. I'm filled with profound dread and sadness.

Shoe size?

11+

What are you wearing right now?

Vintage Whitney Houston t-shirt and zebra print leggings.

Righty or Lefty?

Righty.

Can you make a dollar in change right now?

Yeah.

Best place to eat?

Lately I've been wanting to go back to Kelsey's.

Favorite pair of jeans you own?

I own none. I got rid of them when I lost weight.

Favorite animal?

Horses, dogs, dolphins. My cat. I love all animals.

Favorite juice?

None.

Have you had the chicken pox?

Yes.

Have you had a sore throat?

Who hasn't?

Who knows you the best?

My Nan did. She's dead. Now I'd say it's babe.

Do you get along with your family?

Ehhh.

Do you wear contact lenses or glasses?

Glasses. I suck at putting in contacts.

Ever been in a fight with your pet?

I have full on discussions and arguments with her, she's very vocal. We play wrestle and she likes to playfully bitch slap me. I don't know how else you'd "fight" with a pet, unless you're asking whether I abuse my animals, in which case that's just horrendously sick and I would never. She's my child and my best friend all at once.

Been to Mexico?

No.

Did you buy something today?

No.

Did you get sick today?

No.

Did you miss someone today?

Always.

Did you get in a fight with someone today?

No.

When is the last time you had a massage?

Nippy steps on my back and stomach and gives me them every night and every morning. :) she's a very good masseuse/biscuit maker.

Last person to lay in your bed?

It's just been me and Nip for a while.

Last person to see you cry?

No one. Just Nippy.

Who made you cry?

My mother.

What was the last TV show you watched?

Just some YouTube videos.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Idk. Hopefully we're not doing dinner. I don't plan on going.

Who do you think will repost this?

Maybe some of my followers. Idk.

Name of the person you got this from.

@alsjeblieft-zeg :)

Are you happy?

No. I'm basically the furthest I could be from happiness right now.

[reallyprofoundkryptonite]

I always find it weird how people essentially handle Krogan and Eret as

“Oh Eret joined the dragon riders so he he’s good now!” And “Krogan never joined the dragon riders so he’s objectively evil and we should hate him.”

When in reality with the situation about Drago and whatnot, both Eret AND Krogan were in an abusive situation with Drago, and Krogan, was most likely in that situation far longer than Eret was anyways. Krogan was called “Drago’s Star Pupil” by VIGGO HIMSELF. (You know, everyone’s favorite villain.) and it leaves enough to state that Krogan was most likely a literal child when Drago got his hands on him.

The other things that I will point out is that if this is true, from what I remember, Drago is 55ish in httyd 2, and essentially that could hint at the fact that Krogan has been with Drago since Krogan was around five, which would make Drago 35.

My point is that, despite the fact that we’ve actively seen Krogan doing bad things, a lot of his actions can essentially and very easily be boiled down to just following orders, and the fear of being hurt by Drago. Eret clearly has PTSD (thanks @rodimus75leek for pointing that one out Btw) but if Eret has PTSD from Drago, then so does Krogan, especially since Krogan has suffered from twenty years worth of abuse from Drago.

The reason why Krogan NEVER thought to abandon Drago was because he most likely had Stockholm Syndrome, and/or he thought that he was desreving of the horrendous treatment that he was most likely subjected to at a young age because he thought it was normal for someone “Like Him” to be treated as nothing more than a tool.

Krogan’s behavior, underneath this thought process, is also completely understandable because that is how the human mind works. If faced with stress or threats, the human mind will force itself to DO AS TOLD, because like any animal, the survival of itself is far more important than the individual’s moral code. And this is a proven theory.

The fact that this is also a very complex thing, that can be scurried down to whatever is that whenever people are making jabs at Krogan, and then proceed to hold Viggo Grimborn up on a pedestal like he is better than Krogan in any way is also disgusting. Viggo isn’t better than Krogan. He’s worse, objectively.

No matter how you put it, pre redemption arc Viggo is not a sympathetic character. While he may have had trauma in his past, Viggo committed war crimes that broke the Geneva Convention on several occasions, such as going after civilians that were not involved in a war he was fighting, simply because they were allied with his current enemy.

Pre-Redemption arc Viggo Grimborn’s sole intention for dragon hunting, was for the money. He said it himself. He is not a monster, he is a businessman. He doesn’t see the things he’s doing out of pure greed as evil because at the end of the day, he was essentially the How to Train Your Dragon version of Elon Musk. A multibillionaire dragon hunting CEO who only cares about profits.

Going back to Krogan, the worst things he’s done on screen is the singetail breeding program (which you know, happens all the time with people breeding dogs irl), and the fact that Krogan killed someone on screen. Which guess what? VIGGO DID THAT TOO.

Calling Krogan evil, simply because he never reached out for help or sided with the dragon riders, is gross. It is victim blaming.

[melodytaylorauthor]

Positive reinforcement

I have a dog training and cat behavior service as a side hustle.

Not because it makes me a ton of money, but because I love animals, have worked with them for years, and because I enjoy helping people understand their pets better. If I can get a few bucks for that, great. The whole business is more for me and the animals.

When I got started training my own pets, I studied clicker training and how to use it, and I absolutely love it. Animals pick the clicker up so fast, and the principles of a reward-based system are incredibly useful.

Clicker training is where I learned the behavior terms “positive reinforcement,” “negative reinforcement,” “positive punishment,” and “negative punishment.” “Positive” and “negative” in behavior connotations are more like the positive and negative used in painting or photography — “negative” doesn’t mean bad, or punishment, it means “goes away” or “empty.” Thus:

“Positive reinforcement” means to reward desired behavior. So something pleasant happens in response to desired behavior. For example, when you tell your dog “sit,” and she does, and you give her a treat.

“Negative reinforcement” means to remove or withhold a reward for unwanted behavior. Something pleasant goes away in response to undesired behavior. For example, if your dog barks when you tell her to sit, you don’t give her a treat, even though she can see it.

“Positive punishment” means to punish unwanted behavior. Something unpleasant happens in response to undesired behavior. For example, if you tell your dog to sit, and she barks instead, you yell at her or hit her.

“Negative punishment” means to remove an ongoing punishment once desired behavior is given. Something unpleasant goes away in response to desired behavior. For example, your dog pulls on the leash, so you jerk on her collar, and when she stops pulling, you stop jerking.

FYI, punishment never works. Neither negative nor positive.

Reinforcement works. Both negative and positive, though positive is more effective. A better response to undesired behavior is to ignore it or ask for a desired behavior that the animal knows and reward that.

You may have noticed that yourself if you have a dog — jerking on their leash never gets them to quit pulling. People say things like “dumb dog!” when it doesn’t work — no, dumb human. What you’re doing isn’t working, maybe try something else?

Here’s why I’m bringing this all up on my writing blog:

People, for whatever reason in our current society, are taught from birth to use punishment. It’s used on us, we’re taught to use it on each other, on our pets, the police and justice system uses it to keep order, it’s used in schools on students, it’s used at businesses to keep employees in line,  and we use it on ourselves in our own minds when we think.

It. Doesn’t. Work.

I was wondering why we keep doing that, to each other and to ourselves, when behaviorists teach us that there is a more effective way. I wasn’t looking to answer the world’s problems or anything, just pondering imponderables. And suddenly, something important hit me right between the eyes.

When you don’t sit down to write, because you’re tired, because you don’t feel inspired, because your favorite show is on, because your brain is wrung out, whatever, you are trained to think: “I should be writing. I’m bad at this. I’m not a real writer. If I don’t sit down and get 100 words right now, I can’t have ice cream. Bad writer.”

You know what happens? Nothing. You don’t write, and you don’t get a break you probably need because instead of resting, you’re beating yourself up about not writing. So then the next time you “should” write, you’re tired and stressed before you even begin. So that makes it even harder to get started.

Instead of making you more likely to write, it makes you LESS likely to write.

It kind of sounds like “no ice cream” in my example is negative reinforcement, but reinforcement is all about what the subject actually wants. Some dogs want food only. Some want kind words, or a pat on the head, or a favorite toy, or a minute of play time. Humans can be a little more complicated. What you ACTUALLY want is not ice cream — you want to be proud of yourself. Ice cream is incidental. And in this instance, you’re implementing a negative punishment on yourself — shame — until you go write. Just like a dog on a leash getting yanked on, it doesn’t work. Or if it works one time, it doesn’t feel good, and you say things to yourself like, “Why was that so hard? I must be lazy or stupid or not really want this. Bad writer.” None of which helps you to write the next time.

When you sit down to write for five minutes, and then you give yourself a mental high five and go get some ice cream, you know what happens? You finish the longest book you ever wrote in half the time you ever wrote any other book, that’s what happens. Ask me how I know.

This is important information. We should be taught this all over the place, from the time we’re born. This is how you get your friends, family, kids, pets, and yourself to do the things you want. Ignore or redirect unwanted behavior, reward desired behavior.

Instead what we’re taught is the exact opposite. We’re taught to punish everyone. And then we get all pissy and butt-hurt when we don’t get the results we’re after — from anyone, including ourselves. “Well, I gave them consequences — why aren’t they acting better??”

“Consequences” are punishment.

Punishment. Doesn’t. Work.

This is also information it’s taken me far too much time to put together. I’ve been trying to figure out why I was able to write my longest book in the shortest amount of time. I wrote that book in 2010. Thirteen years ago. I could never figure it out. But I wrote the book so fast because I had just come out of a two-year bout of writer’s block, so ANY writing done felt amazing. It was easy to write for five minutes and be super proud of myself. I’d spent two years not even being able to write one single word. But once writing became commonplace for me again, my old habits of guilting and shaming myself fell back into place. It’s taken so much longer to write any other book — including the ones I wrote after that long one — because I’ve been shaming myself over how long it’s taking. And I only just realized this.

It’s time to retrain my brain back to that reward system.

Come on girl, stop barking and sit!

Good girl!!