#puma flats

[naboomah]

Puma really devoured with the flats in the early 2000s

[jellybracelet]

Sam's little puma sneakers my beloved

[bones-n-bookles]

Inner cover of Lives of Game Animals by Ernest Thompson Seton, Volume 1 part 1.

The Cougar's Head, from life by E T Seton, 1886

A very detailed drawing of a mountain lion head

[ouisoo]

[frankhightower]

A little more to the left

If you think bunching up to fit in the photo is a new thing "Because selfies", you got another thing coming. Of course, you needed someone to look through the camera (with a curtain to shade the viewfinder to be doubly sure) and tell you if everyone fit in the early days, which was good because they also held up the flash: a literal tray on a stick filled with flammable powder. This is a birthday gift for a friend. Character design and background photo belong to him, outfit designed by me. This sketch on: Twitter, Deviant Art, Fur Affinity, Ko-fi, Mastodon

Posted using PostyBirb

[m3vl0vesu]

╰☆☆ 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 ☆☆╮

A/N: I don't really have any tw but it's probably gonba be sad, so be warned. I'm writing this with no hours of sleep and the worst mood in a while :). Also a oneshot, I was asked to write something gut-wrenching but I don't know if it is. Batsis!reader is 15-17 Your thoughts

@moraxussy I don't think it's as gut-wrenching as you hoped, sorry!! I hope you like it though :)

One of a bats closest relative is a puma, ironically they have nothing in common. Bats come in big groups, there always surrounded by at least one other bat. Pumas are solitary animals, they don't share their territory. They're recluse, and more viscous than bats.

You were more vicious. You didn't control your anger and grief, it controlled you, but you had to find a way mange it. Tomorrow was a special occasion after all, well that's what everyone was saying but...it didn't feel like it. Tomorrow, Bruce was bringing Selina Kyle over. The famous kleptomaniac aristocrat, also known as Catwoman. The thief turned...bat? You weren't exactly sure but it'd be nice for her and Bruce to finally clear up what they were. It must've been serious if she was going to have dinner with the family. Then again, you never really saw your dad be in a committed relationship. ... 'Dad'...nope still didn't sound right. Even after all the years living together he didn't deserve that title, at least not from you. The daughter of Bruce Wayne? it sounded so foreign to you, people saying that-it sounded wrong. No, you were your mothers daughter. It didn't matter if you couldn't picture her face anymore...yeah.

.

.

. For this special occasion you needed something special to where! You chose a vest suit, an off-white shirt underneath the brown, tattersall patterned vest. Paired with some old, black palazzo pants. It was a similar outfit your other had worn a while back, you saw it an old magazine rotting in the corner of your room. It felt nice to be dressed up for once, it'd gave you a reason to finally take a shower. With everyone making a big deal out of this you had a little hope that they would acknowledge you today. Maybe Selina could change things around here.

But as people ran chaotically in the hallway and different aromas travelled into your room, you realised something. Jason wasn't here. What. No, no...you couldn't survive these without him. Your leg shook as you waited for the phone to pick up. He was the only one that properly acknowledged your existence without being cruel. He was your favourite brother, favourite sibling. I mean the bar was low but, favourite nonetheless!

"What's up Star?" His voice sounded hoars, had he just woken up? Your irritancy only growing when he used that nickname. It was usually nice when he called you it, but right now it was the last thing you needed. "Don't call me that Jay. Where are you?" ...

The silence was deafening, he cleared his throat and it made you want to cry. "I'm sorry...I'm not coming kid." No. That wasn't fair. "Tch-Then can you...pick me up?" Your voice desperate as you hated all of it. A room full of people that don't even know you, and a stranger. It was personal hell. "Look, Star, I really think you'd benefit from thi-" You ended the call, scoffing, you pushed yourself off your bed.

.

.

.

She's so pretty She sat on the right side of Bruce. Who was, per usual, at the head of the table. Soon the peaceful moment turned loud. The sounds of knives scraping against plates, Steph's nails tapping the table, Tim an Damian bickering back to hell. Huh, the chicken was just out of your reach, usually Alfred would put it closest to your seat. After a few embarrassing minutes of reaching for it, and no one helping you, your just grabbed whatever was closest. At one point you swore you locked eyes with Tim while you were still reaching for the chicken and he just flat out ignored you. Maybe it was time to speak "uhm...can you pass...can you" why was this always so hard? "Can I...Can you pass the chicken please?" Now you were sure people heard you. You watched as Grayson picked up the plate and gave it to...Selina. Of-fucking-course.

"What am I, chopped liver?"

Shit. Your shoulders tensed up and your hands balled into fists on your lap. You were in so much- "Ha." Huh? Did she...laugh? Whatever. "Sorry...can you pass the chicken please?" She nodded, was it getting hot in here? Or was it just everyone looking at you?

"You never told me she had a sense of humour." She said, her soft smile shining as she turned to Bruce, the her eyes squinted. "I don't think you told me much about her at all actually." That sounds about right. He probably doesn't even know much about you. Her elbow leaned on the table and her chin rested on her fist. "Your Mother...she was a model right?" With those words she instantly got your attention, with your eyes shining you nodded. "Yeah! She was"

With the nod of her head she leaned back in her chair. "That outfit...she wore something similar to it." Oh you definitely like her.

Before you could respond, someone had to open their mouth. "She wasn't a very famous one." Damian said, his annoying voice once again ruining your mood. "Damian." Bruce muttered. You scoffed, usually these comments would be ignored. "privileged asshole." You poked at your plate, not really hungry anymore. In fact it felt like you might throw up, or break something. "What did you call me?" He said sitting up in his chair. "I called you a privileged asshole." You banged your fork onto the table, no everyone's attention was on you. From the corner of your eye you could see Tim's scowl, it was surprising him and Bruce weren't related. You couldn't take it when he slandered your mother, but for some reason you were the villian. "Star. Don't be like that." Dick nudged you, only making you recoil with disgust. "Who said you could call me Star? Don't call me that, dick." You heard your name being called, Alfred standing to the side. He was warning you. "Sorry-" "No need to be a bitch about it." Of course Steph had to join in, you felt your mouth open, ready to spew an infinite amounts of insults when you heard your name being called a second time. Pushing the chair and table hardly you walked behind him, being led to the kitchen. "I apologise for her behaviour." Bruce's voice rung in your ears. Fuck this. .

.

.

You stood, arms crossed out tapping your foot. "You need to have some decorum-" "Decorum? Me? What about Damian?" You hated arguing with the old man, you hated when he was upset at you. The tears were already pouring, could they here this? The door was slightly ajar after all. "Master Damian has been through a lot-" "Okay?" Your voice shook, it was so wrong. But it felt right, right screaming like this. "Yes. Yes he has, and? So have I."

Alfred, mouth was agape for a second, he hadn't seen her this upset before. "Now Miss...you can't compare-" Great now you lost first name privileges. "Right. Everyone's been through tough shit, guess what? So have I!" Your voice getting louder, the anger pulsing through your veins. "I've been hurt and I'd never treat them like how I've been treated!'' Your arm extended out to the door, your other hand slapping your chest. Where your heart would be.

"WHY!...Why is their pain different from my pain?"

The question hung in the air, you held back sobs. Alfred looked tired now, almost guilty. His composure wilting slightly. "It...that's not what I mean-" Now that you had started you couldn't stop. "Do I not deserve the same amount of recognition, the same amount of love?" You felt yourself taking a step back, your whole body shaking. It's like it had a mind of it's own. "You do deserve it, please calm down..." Calm down?. Calm down? She wanted to shout at him, this wasn't fair. "You know what Alfred?" The breaths getting shorter. "What Miss.." "I wish I had stayed inside that day, I wish I burned with my mother." He looked visibly shaken for a moment, his voice gave it away. "You don't mean that." "I mean it. That way I would've died with her, knowing she loved me." Your voice got quiet at the end, barely above a whisper. Why was it always this way? What did you ever do to them. You hated this, you weren't their family. With every similarity there was difference, not a Wayne and not a Bat. But even so why couldn't they accept that and accept you.

.

.

.

The butler placed whatever he was holding down, you didn't know what it was and didn't care. The sobs were too hard to control, it made your body ache. He stepped closer, arms wide as you fell into them. Clinging on like you were going to fall apart.

A/N: Why does this suck lol

[magicalmanhattanproject]

(Most) QSMP Characters As Dog Breeds

Etoiles – Great Pyrenees

Literally the reason I made this whole goddamn monster of a post. Sometimes a man is just So dogboy. Specifically, livestock guardian dogboy. Pyrs are massive, immensely strong dogs that are bred to protect flocks of sheep from wolves and bears and they are very, very good at it. They are fiercely loyal, but also independent and comfortable spending time off on their own and making their own decisions as they wander the borders of their flock's territory. While they're phenomenal at guarding the sheep, they don't have any business herding the sheep or trying to get the sheep to go anywhere in particular.

Philza – Border Collie

Herding the flock is the job of a dog like the collie. The whole point of them is to keep a whole massive flock all in one place and all moving the same direction. Keeping them together, keeping stragglers in line, making sure everyone is accounted for. Border collies in particular are considered the smartest breed of dog on the planet, making them highly adaptable to a wide range of new situations. On the other hand, a collie that doesn't have the space to roam freely and keep itself occupied can easily turn bored, anxious, and destructive.

Roier – Calupoh

Also known as the Mexican wolfdog as it was made by hybridizing with wolves, the calupoh is used for both herding and guarding livestock. While it's not hyperspecialized for either role like the pyrenees or collie are, it can more than hold its own in both. They tend to get along well with both children and other dogs, making them excellent family dogs.

Quackity – Chihuahua

He's short, he's loud, and he likes to start fights he can't possibly win. What more do you want from me? Chihuahuas also happen to be one of the oldest native Mexican breeds alongside the Xoloitzcuintli.

Tubbo – Cairn Terrier

Stubborn, clever, and prone to excessive barking, Cairn terriers are nonetheless loyal and protective of their family. They're playful with family and get along great with children. Bred to chase down vermin, they love digging holes and chasing after whatever catches their eye. They are also known to enjoy chasing things and digging holes. Some of their hobbies include digging holes and chasing after things. They are much less fond of being told to stop chasing or digging.

Tina – Lhasa Apso

The lhasa apso is decidedly not a working dog. Their job is to sit around looking pretty and being brushed and doted on until they hear any suspicious noise that might disturb their peace, at which point they start barking to alert the actual muscle to get to work. That being said, they're more than willing to do the biting themselves if they decide the muscle is too slow to react.

BadBoyHalo – Pit Bull

The pit bull is a breed surrounded by rumors, misinformation, and flat out lies. For one thing, it's not even a breed. It's at least eight breeds that people lump together because they assume they're scarier or more aggressive or dangerous than average, including weird made up lies about locking jaws and nonsense like that. On the other hand, other people will argue that every pit bull is completely 100% harmless and neither would nor could hurt a fly. The truth of the matter is that a dog can be sweet and loving and playful and affectionate and also muscular and toothy and capable of lashing out when hurt or scared or simply because it has a prey drive that it hasn't been properly trained and socialized to restrain.

Jaiden – Beagle

Everyone loves a beagle! They're chill, sweet, eager to please, and down for anything. This makes them a preferred breed for animal testing.

Missa – Siberian Husky

Incredibly dramatic creature. Everything that is going on in the husky's life is the most important and portentous thing that has ever occurred and it will tell all you about it. Loudly.

Carre – Dogo Argentino

Although they sometimes get folded into the "pit bull" label, the dogo is a mastiff bred to hunt pumas and wild boars. They have strong prey drives and love to chase, but are very affectionate with their families. They can also have problem with dog aggression if not properly socialized, but do well with human strangers.

Bagi – Bloodhound

If there's one thing bloodhounds are good at – better than any other dog at, in fact – it's following a scent. They have the best sense of smell of any dog and can follow trails long after they would have gone cold for anyone else. The problem is this leads to an obsessive tendency. They find an interesting smell to follow and they follow it no matter where it's going or who is trying to get them to stop.

Pierre – Pyrenean Shepherd

Another sheepdog, this time bred specifically to work with the Great Pyrenees. Highly intelligent, highly motivated, if they cannot find any problems to solve, they will create them.

Fit – German Shepherd

A trustworthy, versatile breed, German shepherds have the power and strength for aggressive guard and attack dog roles as well as the intelligence to work as service or search and rescue and dogs. In fact, these are some of the most likely dogs to get themselves a job.

Mariana – English Greyhound

Large, long, lean. Little loony.

Wilbur – Borzoi

Large, long, lean. Little loony. (Floppy hair version)

Spreen – Ovcharka

Type of dog to make you go "holy shit is that a bear!" and type of dog to make a bear wish you saw right.

Niki – Hovawart

Native German breed known as a guard for the home and the farm. They are very protective of children and loyal to their families, but take a while to warm up to strangers.

Mouse – Papillon

The smallest of the spaniels, the papillon is not a lapdog. They are highly intelligent and highly energetic and require plenty of daily exercise to meet their activity needs. They're friendly and outgoing and great fun to be around.

Rivers – Boxer

You know, because she boxes...

Pol – Basset Hound

These days, the basset is a companion dog that's perfectly content to lounge around the house all day and not get into too much trouble. And it's these days that we're worried about, right?

Felps – Brazilian Terrier

He's just a little guy who loves to dig.

Antoine – Dogue de Bordeux

An ancient French breed with a weird looking face. The dogue is calm and friendly with children, but aloof with strangers and serves well as a guard dog.

Baghera – Poodle

Look at that silly dog with that funny haircut! Surely that can't be a highly intelligent and effective hunting dog. Nope, none of that here. Just the funny haircut dog. Hey, did you hear the joke about the goldfish?

Cellbit – Fila Brasileiro

Bred from mastiffs and bloodhounds, filas are massive dogs with incredibly powerful tracking instincts and prey drives. They are loyal and protective of their family and especially children but can be aggressive with strangers if not properly trained.

Maxo – Portuguese Water Dog

Please stop trying to keep him on land. Please. He just wants to get off the island. You know, to swim.

Vegetta – Burgos Pointer

Native Spanish breed of gundog. About as close to purple as a dog can get. Generally mild mannered and even tempered, but a hunting dog to the core, they need space to run and roam and make some trouble for small animals.

Foolish – Golden Retriever

A gorgeous specimen of classical doghood. Bred for a similar role to pointers. Known as goofy, charming housepets, but also extremely intelligent, diligent, and hardworking. And gorgeous.

Pac - Irish Wolfhound

Introverted, intelligent, and easygoing, but prone to becoming destructive and morose if left alone for too long. Unreliable watchdogs due to their friendliness towards strangers.

Mike – Campeiro Bulldog

Powerful, strong, and active, with a real fighting spirit and a temper that's slow to activate but powerful when it's there.

Slime – Pug

I'm out of pictures. You know what these look like. Specifically with the most smushed face possible. Why would you breed this dog? Try again.

Cucurucho – Rat

Literally canon.

[cocomanga]

To DeServe You. - Ch.01

Pairing: Choso Camo x Fem!Reader,

CW: JJK AU, Angst, Good Boy Kink, Praise Kink, Size Kink, Oral, BDSM, Unprotected Sex, Edging, Drunk Sex, Aggressive Sex, Overstimulation, Yan(dear)y Choso🖤

Note: please block me if my work is not your cup-o-tea. I do not own any of the character art. Please respect my blog art.

Total WC : 9.6K

TDY Masterlist | AO3 | Wattpad | Playlist

Synopsis: Reader is working hard, meeting new people in a new town, and runs into someone she never thought she'd see again. After she left an impression on him that he never forgot, he vows to do anything he can to solidify a connection between them that will cause her to stay by his side for good.

So.... OMG y'all... I decided to just let it go. lol I would have edited, and edited, and edited until I made myself an entirely different story😩 I hope you guys enjoy. 😊

..... Minors: You have no business here. Love you, but please don't ....

▶TDY Playlist

Ch.01 - Unexpected

↞ ··· ↠

There he was again. 

That guy, “Mr. Kamo,” in the same spot. 

Curiosity bloomed more inside you every time you walked by and saw him sitting there. He sat alone, as always, nestled at a table in the corner of this fine dining restaurant.

It’s been nearly four months and he never missed an opportunity to show up, the light gleaming onto his face from his laptop as he sat comfortably in what appeared to be gray designer medical scrubs and black Pumas.

He ordered a light meal since it was late evening, just as he did every week: a Hibachi Steak appetizer, a side spinach salad, and a Hennessy XO.

He seemed to be a considerably quiet man: kept to himself, and was always polite and respectful to the staff and other customers. Yet, though the walls of the front half of the restaurant were lined with windows at each table, he made sure to sit at that one, specifically. Your table, every time he arrived.

At this point in the night your body was really starting to hurt. Two doubles, twelve hours each, and it felt like you’d been on your feet, shocking them with pressure from each step on the cement tile every second of each day.

“Girl, your table is ready to leave,” Shoko muttered, rushing past you.

“Okay, thanks! I’m bringing them their check now,” you replied with a quick huff, as you ripped the receipt from the printer at the computer and grabbed one of the puffy checkbooks from the stack next to it.

Finally, I can get out of here.

You whined to yourself as you rushed over with the thin piece of inked paper in your hand, along with the hope of receiving a fat tip.

“Hey! When do we get our dessert?!”Your customer at the last table yelled. They’d ordered it less than two minutes ago.

Two tables left in your section, and you, Shoko and Yuki were the last three on the shift. You turn to your frustrated customer, apologetic since you knew desserts were made-to-order. Like they care.

“I’m so sorry for the wait. It’ll be out in just a moment, sir,” you replied, hoping they’d calm down.

“My dude... relax. She’s working on it.” A kind and familiar voice is offered up as you set the book with the check down on the customer’s table.

You look over to see your regular, the handsome “Mr. Kamo”, addressing the customer in an attempt to correct their rude behavior.

You were surprised to hear him speak that way, since he was usually so quiet and reserved.

“That’s not my problem!” The customer griped.

“It kinda is your problem, though,” Mr. Kamo advised as he sat back in his chair, legs stretched out, feet firmly planted flat on the ground as he spoke with his hands. “You asked for a made-to-order dessert. So yeah, waiting for it to be made is part of the process, right?” He continued. 

You smirked in his direction, appreciative of him sticking up for you.

Shoko then emerges from the kitchen with his plate. You breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks,” you said gratefully as you took the plate from her hand and set it in front of the customer.

“No problem girl. Done and done,” she mumbled under her breath, rolling her eyes toward the table as she handed you a new check without the dessert on it.

“Tough night again, right?” Mr. Kamo muttered, his voice as deep and buttery as always as he tucked his signed credit card slip in his book, handing it over to you. No doubt with another large tip scribbled onto the total in chicken scratches.

“Yeah. You know how it gets around here when there’s a concert downtown. It’s always good to see you though, Mr. Kamo,” you reply, accepting the book from his outstretched hand.

“Just ‘Choso’. I’m sure we’re about the same age right?” He said, smirking as he glanced up at you from his laptop.

You’d never seen a man up close so beautiful and mysterious. His layered, jet-black hair was thick and healthy, hanging past his large eyes in long strands, the sides and back stopping just at his shoulders.

He’s pretty tall, with a perfect athletic build, solid and noticeable even with his baggy clothing. As gorgeous as he was, he had ... a scar... on his face, stretching clear across the bridge of his nose, a scar that oddly intensified his appearance, making him even more of an enigma and, somehow, even more attractive. You glanced down at his bare ring finger, wondering what his story was.

“Here you go,” you turned to slide the dessert guy’s new check to him. “Thank you so much for waiting, sir. Your dessert’s on the house. ““

He huffed as he snatched the checkbook from your hand.

You turned to see Choso glaring at the customer. If looks could kill, the guy would legitimately be dead.

Hot and protective sure is a hell of a combo. You lock eyes with Choso, flashing him a warm smile with a blush, mouthing a ‘thank you’ for helping make your night at least a little better.

A smile curled up into the corner of his full lips as he asked, “Got big plans after work?

“Uh... Well, I can’t say yet,” you reply with a sigh, “since my girls usually have what we’re doing in mind already by the time I finish my shifts.”

You shoot a quick glance up at him from the money you’re counting after you’ve pried it from the pocket of your apron, and notice he’s watching you intently with his hands interlocked in front of his mouth.

His intense gaze often puzzled you. Possibly making you a bit ... uneasy? Though, you couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. He was a stunning man. And seemingly as sweet as they come, but there was something so familiar about him... A familiarity that seemed to cause a shyness to creep up into your belly in the form of butterflies.

You began folding the cash, stuffing it back into your pockets as you glanced toward him again, “My back and feet are really killing me so I may just ... go home.” You sighed as you sat down at his table, crossing your foot over your knee.

It was common for him to sit there for a bit after most of the customers had gone home. You’d make small talk with him, mostly about random nonsense, and he’d close down the place with the last stragglers, the regulars that received free drinks here and there.

As a result, you, and a few of the employees got to know him a little, though he rarely, if ever, offered much personal info about himself. Most of the time, your collective questions were met with just “yes” or “no” answers.

“You should do some stretches before you go to bed tonight,” he advised as his eyes traveled up and down your presence.

You frowned as you squeezed your foot through your non-slip shoe. “You think so? I try to do them in the mornings.” You muttered through gritted teeth as you pressed on a particularly painful area.

“That’s good too, but considering how hard you work here, and the pain you mentioned, stretching before bed will help with blood flow and relax your muscles. Might also help you get some better sleep,” he continued, observing your tired, glazed over eyes.

“Oh, okay,” you frowned, cocking your head to the side. “I hadn’t considered that, especially since I’m usually so exhausted by the time I go to bed. At that point, all I can think about is sleep...Thanks. I’ll try it tonight,” you said, as your smile spreads a little wider across your face.

If you didn’t know any better, you might have thought you’d seen him blush a bit as he averted his eyes back down toward his computer.

“So... I’ve been kinda curious about you,” you prompted, “What do you do, Choso? I see you come here in scrubs most of the time,” you inquire, genuinely interested.

“They’re actually Masseuse tunics,” he replied, glancing down at his clothes, then back up at you, resting his cheek in his hand.

Your eyes brightened at the information you’d gained, “Really? Are you a Massage Therapist?”

“Hey!” Shoko interrupted, yelling across the empty restaurant toward your table. “Are you gonna get clocked out or are you staying here to lock up?”

She turned her attention to Choso, “Mr. Kamo, we’re trying to get outta here!” She whined.

He chuckled, looking over to you. “Guess we both better go huh?”

“Yeah,” you turned back toward him with an apologetic smile as you raised your index finger to Shoko, gesturing to her to give you a minute.

Choso closed his laptop and grabbed his things from under the table. “You guys working tomorrow?” He asked, standing tall as he whipped his bag over his shoulder.

“Actually, no. Thank God,” you rolled your eyes, “I can’t imagine being here again tomorrow. I’m off from both of my jobs for the next couple days.”

“Both jobs? You have another one?” He quizzed, surprised.

“Yuuup. Well, most of us here are working toward other things. Shoko’s in medical school, Yuki’s training to be a mechanic, and I’m a social worker at a non-profit nearby.”

“Wow. That’s... amazing. And a lot,” he says with his eyebrows raised.

“Well, this place is a damn good side hustle,” you chuckled as you stood with him.

“Seems like it,” he uttered, appearing intrigued by your words as he smiled, his gaze softening. 

His anxious eyes traveled over to where Shoko stood, quickly averted to the floor, then back up to meet yours. “So... I'm uh... I'm having people over tomorrow night. You think maybe you'd wanna come by?” he offers.

Your head snapped up to face him as a wrinkle formed between your eyebrows and your lips flattened into a hard line. You slowed your pace to nearly a halt, as you walked him toward the front.  “That's different... you've never invited any of us out...”

“Yeah, I know...” he muttered shyly. “But since I've been coming here, I noticed you seem to be a pretty chill group of girls. Believe it or not, I've been wanting to for a while.”

“Really?” You asked, curious what kind of gathering he had in mind.

“Yeah. You, Shoko and Yuki,” he shrugged, “it'll be just a handful of friends. Nothing crazy. A few people, a few drinks.”

You take but a moment to deliberate. You figured you'd seen him and chatted with him more than enough times to accept his invitation, and the idea of being that much closer to him seemed to flare a spark inside you.

“Sure.” you shrugged. “Why not? I'm in. I'll ask the girls if they wanna come.”

He nods, a shy smile gracing his face, “Cool. Why don't you plug your info in my phone? We'll keep in touch.”

You paused for a moment, taken aback by the idea of exchanging info with him suddenly as he passed his unlocked phone over to you. You always wanted to, but it never dawned on you that he'd actually initiate it so casually.

“Um... Okay...” You take his phone gently and add your info, handing it back as your eyes travel up toward his face, his hooded gaze and vacant expression locked on to you as you place the device back into his hand.

Your big eyes glanced up at him and back down to the phone in intervals as your lips disappeared into your mouth and blood flooded your cheeks.

His eyes seemed to survey every one of your features before he finally spoke. “See you later then?” He asks with a subtle smirk as he moves toward the door, pressing in the golden handle to leave as he waved back toward Shoko's agitated glare.

You walked over to her with a wry smile on your face as you approached.

“What were you guys over there talking about for so long?” She asks as you follow her out the back door for her end-of-shift smoke.

“He was inviting us out tomorrow night.”

“Really?” Her face mimicked the same confusion yours did. “Out where?”

“His place, apparently,” you shrugged, shaking your head, “said he's having people over and wants us to come by.”

“Wow. Sounds cool. Seems like a great guy, too,” she lights up and takes a puff as she finds her stool she kept outside to sit on. “'Cept I think he's just trying to get you over there.”

“Huh?” You uttered, “What makes you think it's just me?”

“What do you mean?” She huffed, “He's been sitting in your section every week, consistently, for the past few months. You're telling me you haven't noticed he's into you?” She asks, as she takes another drag of her already half gone Newport.

“Oh come on. I mean, for all I know he just likes the window seat,” you shrugged. “It'd be kinda arrogant for me to assume he's just there for me.”

“Tch... How much did he tip you?” She asked, with her eyebrows raised.

“Oh, damn I didn't even see. You called me over before I could look at his check,” you dug inside your apron and grabbed the last black book you had inside and opened it.

Your lips parted slightly mimicking a jaw drop when you saw the number. “Shoko...” you said, as you looked over at her, wide-eyed.

She glanced over your shoulder at the check. “Are you kidding me?!” Shoko chuckled, nearly choking on her cigarette as she saw his tip was two-hundred dollars, on top of the mere eighty-five bucks he'd spent on food.

“What the hell?” You said, frowning as you slapped the book shut.

Shoko giggled, “That's damn near five-hundred dollars he's spent on you this month, just coming to eat at your restaurant,” she murmured.

“He tipped you too, when he first started coming here!” You whined, a poor excuse to justify your position.

“Girl, please,” he gave me like forty bucks that night, and it was only because you weren't here!” She retorted, laughing. “Meanwhile, he's made you a regular monthly expense.”

You sat there in shock, realizing she's probably right, but not understanding what the hell he's doing. “Who does this? And … If that's the case, why hasn't he just asked me out? It's been nearly four months.”

“He just did, right?”

“Yeah, but after that long? I don't get it,” you said, completely perplexed.

“Look, let's just show up tomorrow night and see how it goes. Maybe you'll get some answers then,” she opened the back door, staring with raised brows, holding it open for you.

“Just exactly how long did you plan to have me waiting in here?” Yuki asked as she saw the two of you coming back in from the rear patio.

“My bad, Yuki. You know, you could've just come outside with us.” Shoko grumbled.

“And end up smelling like cigarettes? No thanks,” she retorted. “Can we please get out of here, I don't like hanging out where I get paid.”

Shoko huffed, “Oh my god, woman, alright. Let's get home.”

↞ ··· ↠

“Are you sure this is the place?” You asked Shoko as she drove down the dark road full of trees.

“That’s what’s in the GPS...” she said, frowning. “Unless he gave you shit for directions.” She let her window down a bit as she lit another cigarette.

“It’s awfully dark back here,” Yuki complained, with a turned-up nose, barely making out the trees whooshing past the window though the pitch black.

“Yeah it is...” Shoko squints through her smoke and the faint glow the headlights provided, regardless of the brights.

“Looks like we’re finally close at least,” Yuki interjected, peering at what was a glimpse of a few lights in a house at the end of the road as she rolled her window completely down. “Shoko, God. I really don’t wanna smell like cigarettes when we get there.”

“Oh, be quiet, you’ll live,” Shoko retorted.

“Oh ... my god,” you replied, picking up on what Yuki saw, the building finally coming into view. “Looks like we’re ... here?”

Shoko was seemingly just as shocked as you. ”Whoa,” She muttered.

As the headlights of the car illuminate the property, you pull up to a beautiful, eclectic, mini-mansion nestled away in the middle of this thick forest. The wheels of the car rumble softly as you roll up onto the smooth bound resin driveway of a three car garage.

“What does he do again?” Yuki asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. “You said he was a massage therapist?”

“Well, we were getting to that part but...” you started, as you shook your head, your eyes darting every direction, taking in the beautiful surroundings.

Shoko shifted the car into park, then turned it off. You all paused, gawking at each other, ears perked as you made out distant sounds.

“Hmm, I hear music... let’s go in. I’m a hell of a lot more curious now.” Shoko grins as she makes her way out of the car.

You all exited the vehicle, then walked slowly up the stairs to the front door as the tall glass windows displayed a perfect view inside the house.

An adorable young guy with pink hair flung the door open, wafting the cool air around as it seemed to pull you in. “Hey, what’s up? You guys friends of Cho’s?”

“Yeah, thanks,” Shoko says as she introduces all of you.

“I’m Itadori, Cho’s younger brother. Come on in,” he said with a bright smile as he stepped aside to let you through the door.

One of the first things you notice is the scent. It was a fresh, yet herbal aroma with a hint of dark musk. Strong enough to be obvious, but not overwhelming; lightly overpowered by the smell of the food.

You step into a huge room, onto the beautifully finished hardwood floors of a space so vast and open, you could see straight back into the kitchen, and beyond to more large windows connected to a door leading to the back of the house. 

The second floor was also visible from there, and as your eyes traveled upward, you notice a huge, wooden, intricately carved chandelier fixture mimicking tree branches, hanging from the ceiling, it’s lights brightening the entire space.

There were plants everywhere. Hanging plants, potted ones on the surfaces and a few large houseplants strategically placed about, a couple of them mini trees, stretching up nearly ten feet. There were even dried herbs hanging in the open kitchen.

The place was lit dimly but sufficiently, as the bulbs from the chandelier reflected beautifully off the windows. The entrance opened to the living room. A staircase along the exposed brick wall to the right of the door lead up to the next floor, the wall adorned with a few abstract paintings.

The kitchen, where Choso stood talking to two handsome guys, was full of modern stainless steel appliances, and every area was spotless. The taller guy was making drinks with a huge smile on his face.

The atmosphere was breathtaking. Warm, and inviting. You’d only just arrived and already didn’t want to leave.

“That’s Todo and Ino in the kitchen with Cho,” Itadori said as he locked up the front door behind you. “Make yourselves at home.” he walked over toward the quartz top island bar in the kitchen where the boys stood.

“Holy sh-...” Shoko mouthed to you, amazement plastered on her face as she looked around. “Let’s see how these drinks taste,” she says, smiling widely.

The three of you wander over to join them. You’d never seen Choso this way before. He looked so happy and relaxed in his element.

“He seems a little different here, right?” Yuki whispered to you.

“Yeah,” you agreed.

“Hey girls. Thanks for coming,” Choso’s face seemed to light up as he popped what appeared to be a piece of dark chocolate into his mouth.

That smile, though small, formed a tiny dimple between his cheek and his mouth. You didn’t see that often, if ever, considering his usually quite stoic expression. But you sure as hell wouldn’t mind seeing more of it.

“Thanks for the invite,” Yuki said cheerfully. “This place is gorgeous.”

“Thanks,” Choso replied. “Did you find it okay?”

“We did, though we were a little worried when we realized it was back here in the trees,” Shoko jokes.

He chuckled under his breath. “Yeah, sorry about that. It can be a little confusing. Especially in the dark.” He looked over to you, his eyes slightly hooded, piercing. His smirk still playing at his lips as he leaned against the counter. “You want a drink?”

“Sure,” you answered, trying hard not to keep gazing curiously at him as if you’d never seen him before. He somehow felt even more familiar now that you were in his space. You really did feel almost at home.

His eyes softened even more, blinking once sleepily as he spoke. “What do you drink?”

Gah... that face would surely be the death of you.

“Uh... I guess it depends. I should probably take it easy though, since I didn’t really eat much for dinner.”

“Hmm...” he said, contemplating as he finished his chocolate. “Ok... one Bloody Mary, coming right up. I’ll even add a celery stalk.” He said, his eyes almost refusing to tear away from you as he turned to make it.

You pressed your smile in, flattening your lips into a thin line. Fine and clever. “That’s actually perfect. Thank you”.

“Of course. I hope you can relax while you’re here.” His demeanor emitted a quiet confidence, but was contradicted by the slightest bit of timidity, making him all the more beautiful.

You tried focusing your attention toward your friends, yet Shoko and Yuki had already become preoccupied with talking to the other guys. It was becoming a little more obvious that Shoko was right.

You watched as he meticulously crafted your drink in a metal shaker first, then poured it into a small mason jar with a handle, adding a salt mix to the rim, then dropping in a celery stalk and ... a skewer... with food on it?

You frowned in confusion, having never seen anyone make a bloody mary look so ... delicious. He added chicken breast cubes, black olives, and cheese from the snack plates he had out. It was crazy.

“Wow. How did you learn to do that?” You asked, fascinated by his ease.

“My mom,” he responded with a small sigh, “she’s brilliant in the kitchen.” He’s quiet for a beat, then asks, “Come outside with me?” as he nodded toward the back door.

He grabs both glasses and walks toward the door behind the kitchen, which led out to his enormous fenced backyard, the entire area surrounded by even more lush green land.

On your way out, you eyeballed the girls so they’d have an idea of where you were headed. “So... I’m more curious than ever now, Choso. What is it that you do again?”

“Yeah, we didn’t exactly get to finish that conversation, did we?” He blushed as he looked down at the drinks in his hand, passing one to you.

You shook your head, taking a sip. Your eyes brightened, brows furrowing as the flavor hit your tastebuds. “Wow, that’s good. Even a little spicy. Yum...!” You giggled, sipping more.

“Thanks. I’m glad you like it,” he said with a grin, obviously pleased with his handiwork.

He sits down on one of the chairs in front of a crackling fire pit. You sit at an angle next to him on another chair. He took a sip of his drink, minus the food.

“So... I actually have a doctorate in Hematology and own a Massage Clinic.”

Your eyes grew wide as you sipped. “What?” Surprise and genuine interest gracing your voice. “Wow... Y-You own one?” One of your eyebrows shot up. “Well, that explains the sound advice you gave me before,” you huffed, smiling brightly.

“Yeah.” He chuckled. “I worked pretty hard in college. Nothing mattered to me more than getting out on my own to make enough to take care of my mother.”

“Your mother?” You echoed, curiosity growing behind your eyes and voice. “Where is she now?”

“Well, she and my father separated when I was in college. Things were... difficult. But she’s doing well now. I actually got this place relatively cheap off of her. It belonged to both my parents. She moved back home and didn’t want to sell it outside of the family,” he explains to you.

You nod slowly as he elaborates and you hum, “I’m glad she’s well now. This house...it’s immaculate. Looks like they put a lot of work into it. But so did you, right? Now that I know what you do, it definitely suits you.”

He looked up at you with a warm smile, “Thanks. It’s pretty convenient for work. A lot of the herbs I use for tinctures and aromatherapy are here on this land. I even work from here when offering services to some of my VIP’s.”

You raise your brows, intrigued, “VIP’s, huh?” It was proving to be exciting getting to know him. Turns out he was far more interesting than you thought, but you wanted to know more.

“Yeah, some of my clients I went to school with, and some I met at events. Business just grew from word of mouth. I can’t say I’m good at networking.” He looked up at you after a pause. “But...I’m actually curious about you, too. How did you end up getting into social work?”

“Well, after I finally chose a major at college, I studied for the degree, then received an opportunity here in this city to work at a great place.” Another smile spread across your face as you looked out into the dark green of his vast backyard. You took a deep breath and continued, “It’s good money for the time I’m there, but I’m not as often as I’d like to be. I do love it, though.”

“So, at your part time job you help people, and at your full-time job you serve people?” Choso asked, his lips turning up in one corner.

You glanced down into your glass with a huff, “Yeah. I guess I do.”

“Who’s serving you?” He asked, his eyes burrowing into yours as he peers up at you from his position in his chair, one eyebrow raised.

You return a shy glance in his direction, your brow furrowing a bit, eyes fluttering as you search your brain for what felt like an answer to a trick question.

“I uh... I dunno,” you sighed, and silence falls between you. “I suppose I could ask you the same thing, ’Doctor’.”

“Touché,” he murmured, letting out a small chuckle.

You laugh softly at his reply. “But... there’s something else that I don’t understand. I mean, you’ve been visiting us nearly four months now, and never invited us out. Why tonight?” You squinted, “And ... What’s with the crazy tips?”

He smiled, looking down at his drink, his feet planted flat on the ground, resting his elbows at his knees. He took a deep breath and looked up at you as if you already had the answer.

Your head cocked to the side, curiosity obvious on your face, not to mention, your apparently very strong drink was starting to kick in.

“What’s a guy like you doing coming to a restaurant on a weekly basis, just to drop large bills on a woman you just met?” You press further.

He continued to hold his head down toward his drink as you spoke, swirling it around in his hand. His eyes flick up suddenly towards you. “Tch... You’re just as fiery and tenacious as always.”

“Always?” You echo; the buzz in your head created by that delicious drink traveling quickly through your system, the smell of it, even the fragrant greenery outside complimented it.

The more you relaxed in that atmosphere, the more you noticed about him, his features grew more attractive to you by the second.

Aside from the effects of the alcohol, a warm feeling washed over you. It was as if his meticulously curated environment had created a sense of relaxation that enveloped you. Clearly, he’s good at his job.

“Yeah,” he says, eyebrows raised, nodding. “Do you recall your last year of college?”

“Mmm...” you hummed, taking another sip. “Yeah. Well, most of it. I dealt with a complicated situation back then.”

“What kind of situation? If I could ask,” he requests gently.

You let out a soft sigh, strangely not finding it hard to open up at this moment, “I ended up in a coma for three months of it,” your brows formed a hard line in the center, “I really don’t even recall the reason. I just know I ... woke up in the hospital after having been out of it for that long.”

Choso frowned as he turned his gaze toward to you. “I’m sorry something like that happened to you,” he said as he looked out into the lush yard in the back of his house. “How badly were you hurt?”

“Well ... I had a concussion, a broken leg, and a fracture in my ribcage,” you tell him. As you took a breath, the aroma of burning wood blended in with the fragrance of herbs and the taste of fresh tomato, basil, and ... something else on your tongue. “According to my mother, I had been... attacked... by some of my classmates.”

“Attacked,” Choso uttered, still peering out into the yard, the word reverberating much more like an echo as opposed to a question.

“That’s ... awful,” he frowned, “You’re okay now though, right?” He asked, his gaze now raking over you as if searching your body for wounds.

“So far so good... I have a few scars though, of course,” you huffed.

He paused, slowly nodding. “Did uh... did you have a lot of friends back then?” his voice, lower and softer than before.

“I’d say I had a few. One in particular that I was really close to: Utahime. She’s still living in my hometown. I did have one other ... acquaintance ... of sorts. But... before we could get close, we kind of separated.”

“What do you mean ‘separated’?” He asks. You’re too buzzed to notice how seemingly interested he is in this topic with the endless questions.

“Well, he was a shy guy. Super smart and a bit of a mess. Wore glasses... He took a class with me, Psychology, but was one grade below me. I tried talking to him from time to time when I’d see him around since he was alone so often. I even tried helping him once. But it didn’t go well.”

“What happened?” He inquires almost immediately.

“Uh...” you frowned, sighing, lips scrunched up in one corner. “It’s kind of a blur...” you said, squinting as you shook your head. “I can’t even remember his name at this point. I don’t remember much at all about him except that I felt so...” you looked over at Choso, “comfortable with him.”

Your eyes darted back out into the yard, your expression softening as you spoke, thinking about this old friend of yours as you sigh softly. “He was brilliant, too. And quiet. I remember admiring how well he grasped the material.”

You stirred the remainder of your drink with your bamboo straw, continuing on, your frown deepening as you remembered the not so pretty parts of college...

 ”Some guys with a fraternity...ugh, they were such jerks... ridiculed him all the time. Masked it as joking around,” you scoffed quietly, shaking your head, “They kept taking his glasses, mocking him... It was so childish. I remember they broke a pair. It pissed me off ‘cause he never bothered anyone. I reported them but it was brushed off.”

Choso’s eyebrows jumped as he rolled his eyes. “Yeah... it was kind of a mess there,” he grumbled.

Your eyes flicked in his direction as he sat on the chair, “Did I tell you what school I attended?” You asked, now swaying a bit as you peered at him. Maybe you mentioned it in passing, but you didn’t recall doing so.

The crackling of the fire rang louder than his voice in your ears. He prompted you to continue. “But ... What happened to him after that?” He asked, taking another sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving your face.

You cocked your head to the side, “I don’t remember,” you said, as you ripped your gaze away, turning it toward the floor, in hopes that the blank canvas would help refocus your mind and maybe trigger a memory.

It’s silent for a beat, as your gaze trails over the floor, then back up to the vast forest ahead. He does the same, both of you just basking in the silence of the surrounding nature. Fragrances and flavors seemed to come to life in you senses, a tinge of particular floral and musky aromas surfacing in your palate.

You sit with your last sentence for a moment, thinking about how people come and go in life, the alcohol really making you dwell on it, and you bring your gaze to him.

As you begin to speak, he looks back to you curiously, “Isn’t it both beautiful and heartbreaking how people can come and go in your life? How they exit after they have fulfilled their purpose? Kind of like... hah, like a theater stage being life. And they exit the stage once they have finished their role, and you don’t see them until the credits - the credits being when you die, but even then, you probably won’t acknowledge them if the font is tiiiiiny,” you squish your thumb and index finger together with a little giggle, but Choso doesn’t share your humor in the matter.

He looks hurt. Pained, even.

“I’m sorry,” Choso says quietly.

“What?” You said, squinting in his direction. “That was so long ago. It’s really nothing to be concerned about now. Thank you, though.”

Choso put his glass down and stood, walking over to you, stopping a foot in front of you. “No, I mean, I’m sorry,” he said firmly, staring into your eyes with an intensity you hadn’t seen before.

“I um ...” you looked up, gazing at his concerned face. “It’s okay. Seriously. It’s ... not that big a deal anymore...” you breathed, wondering why or how this conversation suddenly became so much heavier.

“I’m sorry I did nothing,” Choso grimaced a bit as he spoke, cringing at his own admission. “I was a coward,” he held his head down in shame, as if in confession, as if spilling secrets that had been hidden, concealed in dark places within his heart.

“What?” You whispered again, gawking at his face - that pretty face - and your head tilted slightly, “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You were so good to me,” he says, his eyes moving to meet yours. “Those assholes... they called me ‘So-So’. Tch. After everything, I really worried about you when you didn’t come back to school.”

You peered at him through your lashes for what felt like far too long. He holds your gaze, and you can see fear, hope, and regret swirling in those dark eyes of his. 

What does he mean? He sees your internal battle, and he breaks the eye contact, casually looking down to his shirt where there were a pair of glasses sat snugly over the first fastened button. 

You blink, slowly, the expression on your face morphing into one of shock.” Oh my god,” you gasped, unable to believe what... who you’re seeing.

Choso remained frozen in front of you, a slight hunch in his back, his eyes surveying your features which finally appeared... scared? Or just confused.

At that moment, it was impossible to know what to say. You found it very strange that you hadn’t registered the fact that a pair of glasses had been present there the entire time, though you acknowledged that your attention was drawn mostly toward his face since you’d arrived. Had he ever worn those to the restaurant?

It was as if you’d been under a light form of hypnosis, a daze of sorts that you’d somehow found comfort in. Though somewhere deep inside you, you were relieved the familiarity you felt toward him could now be traced back to a source.

“It’s been a really long time. I know,” he spoke softly as he hovered, no, towered over you. “I’m really sorry... for what happened.”

You were stunned, yet tipsy as you stood there, letting the revelation stew inside you of just exactly who had been sitting so close to you, having conversations with you, practically just paying you for the past few months.

Your breaths passed through your lungs much faster now as your eyes widened, taking in each part of his face, his body, his appearance, not knowing whether to be pissed, or to ask him how he’s been and be happy you could see him again.

The fact that your perception of him had completely shifted, that he’s now an entirely different person, someone you vaguely knew, weighing a thousand pounds on your chest as you took in this, “glowed-up” version of him.

“You asked me a question earlier,” Choso says, “That’s um...” his lips flattened into a thin line, “one ... of the reasons I’d been going to the restaurant. I came to see you every week because... I wanted to repay you.”

“Repay me?” You stood, staring, completely taken aback. “For what?”

“I feel... responsible,” he said as he straightened up. “Responsible for what you went through...for what happened.”

“How are you responsible?” You ask, heart hammering in your chest.

“It’s my fault. If you hadn’t been friends with me...” he shook his head. “I just have to make it right.”

“Friends with you?” Your face contorted in confusion. “You think that somehow caused a problem?”

Choso kept his head down, the look on his face a mix of sadness and frustration.

“Choso, I don’t even remember what actually happened. There were witnesses, but... It could’ve been a complete misunderstanding. Or even a total accident. To be honest, it’s a lot to rehash. Based on what I do know, I don’t understand your ... perception.”

The tipsiness in your body had numbed the feeling of revisiting this topic somewhat, and it hits you all of a sudden. You looked around, beginning to feel slightly dizzy, but very confused, not realizing you’d allowed a couple of tears to fall from your face.

“I um... I have to go,” you finally manage to get out.

You looked around for somewhere to put your glass down as you stood, shocked it wasn’t already shattered on the ground.

Choso stepped toward you, “Please–”

“No, it’s okay,” you interrupted, your hand raised as a silent request for him to keep his distance. “I just... I need to leave,” you tell him, shuddering as you exhale.

Your eyes darted back and forth as you attempted to gather your thoughts, remembering that Shoko and Yuki were inside. You turn to grab the handle of the door and push it open, walking straight past the four souls in the living room who now had terribly worried looks on their faces once they processed the look on yours.

“Shoko... um... will you...” you swallow thickly, “will you please take me home?” Your voice quivered as you worked to keep your flushed, teary expression to yourself.

Shoko panics a little, confused as you cross the room to the front door where she follows you, “Of course.”

Both her and Yuki’s attention turn to Choso, his expression pained as he stands at a ‘safe’ distance from you, yet making sure you get out okay.

“Is everything alright?” Yuki asks, obviously worried.

“Fine,” you nodded, “Totally fine. I just need to go,” you said, forcing a smile as you headed toward the door, both of your friends in tow.

Choso nods gently at her and Yuki, averting his eyes downward, then toward his friends. He walks over to the front door and locks it as he watches you get into the car and disappear back through the woods heading home.

↞ ··· ↠

You had actually lost sleep last night. Your brain was riddled with thoughts that kept churning repeatedly in what felt like an endless loop.

You never imagined running into anyone from your past, and of all people, him. Especially after having moved to an entirely different city. You had all but forgotten the heartache that came with that experience and now...

It happened a long time ago. Nearly ten years. But the PTS attached to it took years to shake, especially since there really wasn’t much closure, only questions and confusion.

No one had ever bothered to apologize for what happened, and up till now, the only ones who acknowledged it were your parents and the police who had investigated based on eyewitness testimonies and hunches.

Not to mention your hospital bills and time lost, having to retake missed classes, and the embarrassment of having gone through something so horrible. And since you transferred schools immediately after that, you never imagined anyone from there would be back within your proximity, and such close proximity, at that.

How did he even know where I was? I’ve been here over a year.

You couldn’t make sense of why this was happening. As you completed your morning rituals, your phone rang. A call from Yuki.

As you answered, you noticed a single text message from Choso.

Choso: ”Please forgive me.”

Your heart thumped once, heavily in your chest. I can’t believe this.

You answered the call from Yuki. “Hey.” 

You had briefly yet vaguely explained things to the girls in the car on your way home last night.

“Good morning, how are you feeling?”

“You know, I really don’t know?” you huffed, staring at the message he sent. “He texted me this morning. This feels so strange. I thought that whole experience was far behind me.”

“What did he say?” She asked.

“‘Please forgive me’. That’s all.”

“What is he asking you to forgive him for?”

You let out a heavy sigh as you processed that. “I really don’t understand it myself. And to be honest I’m not sure I wanna know.”

“Why?”

“Well, I don’t recall why things happened the way they did. After what it took for me to get past the stress of it, I can’t say I have the desire to dig it all back up again. I don’t get why after all this time he’d show up here.”

“Is your gut telling you something’s wrong?”

You took a moment to consider it, “Actually, no. I don’t remember ever having a single negative feeling around him during school.”

“Well, he’s been pouring money into you for a while now, do you think he has an ulterior motive or something?” She inquires.

“I truly have no idea,” you sigh.

“Maybe just talk to him a bit more? Find out what he wants. That’ll give you some more answers at least. Then you can decide whether to cut ties if necessary.”

“Yeah. I guess that makes sense. I mean, it’d be great to know that much.”

“I’m curious what the hell was going on with the fraternity. Were they really so wild at this university that this behavior was blatantly ignored?”

“Well, he definitely wasn’t the only person to experience them, they were just meatheads being assholes as far as I know. It was frustrating, though. That’s one of the reasons I bothered to intervene. Even I got tired of it.”

“Yeah. Can’t say I blame you for that. I would, too. But look, don’t allow yourself to feel pressured to deal with it all right now, though. Just...take your time and handle it the way that’s best for you,” she says gently.

“I’ll do my best not to wrack my brain over it.”

“Will I see you tomorrow at work?”

“Yeah, but only tomorrow night. I’ll be at the center in the morning.”

“Alright. Relax ok? Make sure you sort out exactly how you feel first.”

“I will. Thanks, Yuki.”

You bid each other goodbye and hung up. Your eyes flicked around a bit as the wheels in your head turned, already neglecting to keep your promise to Yuki not to worry. You gripped your coffee by the handle of your favorite mug, curling your legs up on the couch as you stared at his text.

You: When I was hospitalized, why didn’t you come to see me?

Choso: ...

It took a while for him to answer, you watched him type, then delete, then type, then delete again, evidenced by the bubble appearing and disappearing. You weren’t sure if he was making up an excuse, or actually having a hard time with the question.

Choso: I couldn’t face you.

Choso: Not after everything. Not until I could repay you.

You feel your heart clench and start to beat faster as you read his messages, and you type your response quickly with the first thought that comes to mind.

You: It happened long ago. The damage is done.

Choso: And it’s my fault. I’m sorry.

Choso: I’ll work to make things right. As long as it takes.

Choso: I could never make it up to you but please let me try.

Choso: Please.

The more honest you were with yourself, the more you were able to simply admit that you weren’t quite sure how to navigate this situation.

You: Why did you take so long to tell me? At the restaurant...

Choso: I wanted to talk privately.

Choso: In a better environment. & I didn’t want to scare you.

You sit and stare at your phone, and then up into space as you visualize his face in your head. It’s so crazy that it’s really him.

The guy you helped gather his things after he fumbled his books. The one who sat at the library studying alone only to be harassed by a group of random students with apparently nothing better to do.

What happened to him was pretty fucked up. He didn’t deserve that.

But of course, neither did you. 

Who is he now?

He’s older, maybe wiser, but ... what could you expect from him?

He’s been to the restaurant many times, and was never stand offish, or fearful... not to mention his appearance. He was practically unrecognizable as your old classmate.

But... he was still warm. Still sweet. Still brilliant.

It was just so strange seeing him again. Being in contact with him again. And it seemed that you’d spoken more in these few months than you had the entire time you were acquainted with him during college.

Choso: I just want to do right by you.

You: ... I gtg for now Choso. Ttyl ok?

Choso: Ok.

↞ ··· ↠

You were already tired by the time you went back to work the next day. You suspect it was mental exhaustion. You had talked to a few kids at the Center earlier in the day, and they had actually lifted your spirits, but you couldn’t help how difficult it felt to just get back to normal.

After a few hours there, you had finally made it to the restaurant, walking in through the back door, just in time to pick up a full section of four tables.

“I’m sorry about this,” Shoko apologized as you were wrapping your apron around your waist. “Mahito is an asshole. He talked to the customers at the door and sat them all at your tables even though we told him you weren’t here yet.”

“Ugh! What the hell is his problem?” You griped.

“I wish we knew,” Yuki answers, “Don’t worry though, we got all of their drink orders. We’ll just transfer all of the checks to you when you’re ready.”

“Oh, I have the best friends everrrrr! Thank you!” You gave them a grateful look and smiled softly as you grabbed a checkbook from her.

“You’d better remember that when it’s time to pool tips,” Yuki quipped.

“Ha,” Shoko laughed, eyeing you playfully, “For real.”

“Oh don’t worry I won’t forget!” You called out as you rushed toward the front. You were already a little tired from having worked that morning, but your second wind was coming on.

You check yourself in the mirror in the doorway to be sure you’re straight before you head to your section, scraping any lint from your crisp uniform and apron. You saunter over to your section, and...lo and behold.

A familiar face sitting at your corner window table.

He was breaking his routine.

He had just been there a few days ago and wasn’t scheduled for at least until the rest of the week was over.

Yuki walks by you, raising her eyebrows as she heads to her tables and mouths, telling you with her eyes as well, “Talk to him.”

Neither of your friends had bothered mentioning that he was there.

 You quickly cut your eyes at her before you approach him, your smile fading as you drew closer. “Ahem ...” You clear your throat as his head is buried in his laptop. He was wearing all black today, relaxed and casual with black combat boots and a hoodie, hair down, looking particularly ravishing.

“What can I get you tonight?”

“I don’t need anything else but this right now,” he says as he nods toward his Hennessy, his dark locks falling over his face, quickly swiped behind his ear as he stares up at you.

“Okay,” you reply, turning away. “I’ll be back in a few min–”

“Except...” he grabs your arm to stop you, “you can tell me what I can do for you.”

“Um...” you laugh nervously as you look down at his strong hand wrapped completely around your tiny wrist. “Choso... come on... I’m a little busy right now.”

“Okay, okay. I know. But if you’d just tell me real quick, I’ll be cool,” he says, taking a sip of his drink, using his free hand, his eyes raking over your form.

“We’re ready to order,” another table calls over to you.

You glance over to them before turning back to Choso. “I have to go...” 

“Alright,” he says, slowly releasing your arm, causing your hand to slide through his, his fingers tracing your palm as you pull away.

Choso sat there. All night. Just as he had the last time he was there.

Ironically, his presence made your night easier, considering you didn’t get other customers sat in that spot.

You were finished with work by 9:30, feeling completely drained as you cashed out. You walked toward the front to leave, only to see Choso sitting at a table close to the door, waiting.

Your stride slowed as you approached, “You know you could just text me, right?” You mumbled.

“Obviously. But why, when I can see you in person?” He stood up from the chair, causing you to look up at him as he slipped the strap of his bag over his shoulder, both of you, just standing there for a moment.

“Come to my house. Have dinner with me.” He paused, “I just wanna... talk,” he gazed down at you through his darkened eyes, taking in your form and your sweet face as his eyes landed on your lips.

“It’s late,” you sighed, averting your gaze down to the floor as you tried to hide the heat rising in your cheeks from his intense stare, “And I’m tired.”

“This weekend, when you’re off,” he suggests.

You took a deep breath, figuring you may as well hear him out. You nod once and exhale slowly, “Okay.”

Choso nods, towering over you, savoring your presence one last time with a hint of satisfaction on his face. “Cool. Friday night then,” he says, his smile warming your heart as he disappears through the double doors.

“That looked like a positive interaction,” Shoko jokes as she heads toward the front door to take you home.

“Well, we’ll see about that. I have no idea what to expect from him honestly. Besides more apologies,” you laugh a little, making light of the situation.

“That’s a start, right? I mean, he’s been on your ass for months now,” she teases, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. He’s definitely persistent. I’ll give him that,” you mumble, watching him through the windows as he hops in his car and pulls off.

Shoko chuckles at you, an unlit fresh cigarette between her lips, “Alright. let’s go.”

↞ ··· ↠

Choso picked you up in his deep green Rivian. As he opened the door for you, he had to help you to hop up inside. Another pleasing aroma, cedarwood, perhaps?, filled the space of the ride, the lights softly illuminating the interior against the dark of the night, the soft music adding a sweet touch to the atmosphere.

After you’d settled into your seat, he closes your door and walks around to his side and climbs in, looking as amazing as always, his glasses tucked  in a black henley with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and gray sweatpants.

His hair was down, his tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve of his right arm, his muscles flexing as you watched him shift the truck’s gears. The way he lit up your insides, you’d definitely call him hot. But, you remembered, that wasn’t always so.

However, he was always sweet, making his sexiness even more attractive now.

You tried keeping your eyes on the road, stealing glances at him every so often as he took control of the car, and of where you were going. There seemed to be a sense of comfort and relaxation that came with that, which you loved.

You glanced down at his legs as they stretched out underneath the dash, one knee waving back and forth as he kept his right hand on the wheel, the other pressed against his pretty lips, his focus straight ahead.

If only things weren’t so complicated.

You arrived at his home, and as you walked into the beautiful foyer, you could already smell some of the food he’d begun to prepare.  

“Dinner will be ready in a minute. Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thanks” you replied, following him through the main room to his grey quartz island as you sat on the opposite side, observing him closely while he made his way around his kitchen. 

As beautiful and strong as he was, Choso had a grace about him that was almost mesmerizing. Every movement, intentional. Every intention, deliberate. He lifted each vegetable up to take in it’s aroma before cutting, as if the fragrance was the final quality assurance test it was required to pass before use. 

His tendons flexed clearly against his muscles as he carefully chopped each one, their juices barely spilling onto the cutting board by way of his razor sharp knife. Choso calculated every motion, and savored every moment as he moved, as if the journey toward the end of his process was equally as pleasing as the reward he would receive for the final result.

He served the plates on the corner of the island, as he sat across from you. “Enjoy.” he prompted.

He’d prepared a perfect Kobe steak, medium rare, with seasonal veggies and truffle mac and cheese. And boy, was it divine. The steak practically melted in your mouth, seasoned perfectly with herbs, the veggies were crisp and fresh as if he’d picked them himself, and the mac and cheese was decadent and rich. 

“That was ... so good.” you raved, one eyebrow hiked up. “Did your mother influence your cooking skills also?” You ask him as you finish the last of your drink and set the cup down gently.

He smiles softly, his gaze traveling up to yours, “Yeah. She told me, ‘A man’s gotta know his way around his own home’. I learned plants from her, too.”

“She seems like a wonderful woman,” you reply, the tender look of nostalgia on his face making your heart skip a beat, and his deep voice vibrating you to your core.

“I’m glad you agreed to come,” he murmurs, that beautiful smile peeking again.

“Yet ... I really am still wondering why you invited me,” you tell him, “Choso, I hate to sound too... forward. But...is there something you want from me? I’ve been trying to figure it out, and I just ... can’t.”

He glanced up, locking eyes with you for just a moment, looking away quickly as if the contact had somehow triggered him. 

“Look... I know I can’t change the past. And I’m actually genuinely happy that ... despite how fucked up everything was back then, we’re in good places in life. I just... I can’t help but feel like I’m indebted to you.”

“Indebted?” You shook your head, rolling your eyes in a huff, upset that he feels so much guilt still, “Choso, I’ll admit. I was shocked when you told me who you are. It really threw me off. I spent a lot of time getting over what went down back then. So yeah, seeing you here, now... it was... debilitating. I don’t know. Maybe I realized I needed something...some kind of closure? But you’ve apologized... for whatever it is you think you’ve done. We can leave it at that.”

He leaned against the island, his body facing in your direction, his eyes studying your face, following your every gesture, his gaze sorrowful. “I really am sorry. I wish you could understand how sorry. I regret not standing up to them on my own to begin with, but I regret even more that I wasn’t there for you.”

You purse your lips for a moment and let out a soft sigh, and he continues.

“It’s crazy how this kinda shit follows you into adulthood. For a long time, I let what they said about me shape who I was. And not being who I wanted to be made it worse. I was fucked up. For many reasons.”

He stood from his chair and walked over to you, and you feel your breath hitch as the distance between you grows shorter. “You don’t know this … because I never told you. But... your presence in my life meant … the world to me.”

You turn the stool and your body toward him, your legs propped up by your feet as you observed his expressions. His sincerity remained at the forefront as he spoke, sparking memories of the sweet guy you were once so kind to.

“You were one of the only people who made me feel like myself. Like someone who mattered. Like who I was meant something. All I want now, is to repay you for what you were for me. I’d like to do the same for you.”

Your heart clenches and you swallow as your brain processes his words.

He stepped closer, “You were always sweet. Always helping. Always kind. Even now. You haven’t changed. After everything that’s happened to you.”

You blink, your eyes glassy as tears cloud them for a moment.

“But...Choso, what have you been doing all this time?” You think aloud, your eyes shrinking into a squint, “You created a great career, a home...why haven’t you put this behind you?”

He shrugged, lips curling downwards a little, “I found out that you’d moved here after I started my practice. My mother had already been planning to move out of this house for a while.” he spoke softly, “I got busy focusing on my work, building this life,” his eyes scanned the room.

“I came here...” he continued, “hoping to be closer to you.”

↞ ··· ↠

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Special thanks to the lovely @ashasdiary for not only beta reading for me, but for her wonderful support and helpful notes that pushed me to take this story to the direction I'm currently so in love with! 🥰😘 .

. Thanks for reading! ✨🩸✨

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M.List | Ch.02 (Coming Soon) ↠

Notes: As always, I welcome any and all critiques, suggestions, and comments regarding my work, since I truly feel all of those may make me a much better writer! I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to read my little stories, and if you'd like to be tagged in releases, don't hesitate to comment below! 😊💖

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[moralesmilesanhour]

if you believe in me - 03

summary: Miles is hiding something from you. wc: ~1500 a/n: Writing this chapter was very enjoyable especially near the end! I think Imma start adding songs to listen to while you read if you want so: Crush on You - Lil' Kim Mrs. Postman - Black Pumas Funkdafied - Da Brat Hop Out the Van - Offset Enjoy <3

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"You do this math shit like it’s nothing," you muttered as you watched Miles solve one of the questions from your calculus homework, using his notebook as a flat surface. “What’s your secret?”

At no point did his pencil slow down as neat calculations flew from it like he was on autopilot. Miles even numbered the steps for you.

 "The numbers just agree with me," he shrugged, circling his answer on your worksheet for emphasis.

You sat behind him on his bed with pages of homework scattered everywhere. When you draped your arms around his shoulders to lean on him, you felt them tense. Your eyebrows creased in concern.

“You good, baby?”

Miles turned his head slightly, amusement playing on his face. 

“That’s a new one.”

“What?”

“ ‘Baby’.”

“You don’t like it?”

You pecked him on the cheek and felt the dimple forming as he smiled. Miles relaxed his shoulders.

“It’s…fine. Thought you’d be a little more creative, though.”

“How about…” you hummed in consideration before taking a glance at Miles’ glasses, which hung from the front of his shirt. “Arthur!”

Unfortunately, your genius was met with complete silence.

“...What?”

“You know, the lil’ aardvark from–”

“I know who Arthur is,” he interrupted. “But why am I him? I don’t follow.”

You fumbled for a moment, having assumed that he would automatically get it.

“Well–Cuz he wears glasses, and all his friends got on his ass for it.”

Miles blinked, remaining unimpressed. You gave up.

“Alright, what about Riley? Like, from ‘The Boondocks’.”

His blank stare remained.

“But what if I take my braids out? Then the joke doesn’t work.”

“Then you’ll be Huey.”

“Come up with somethin’ else.”

You sucked your teeth playfully. “You makin’ this real difficult for no reason. How ‘bout ‘Kilo’?”

His brows knit together. “Who’s ‘Kilo’?”

“Kilo as in kilometers. Because your name…” you trailed off.

You could see the gears turning in his eyes before it finally clicked, and the beginnings of a laugh flashed across his face.

“I’m good, right?” 

“You’re mad corny,” Miles said beneath a giggle, attempting to hide his face behind his palm. “Don’t ever say that shit again.”

“Come on, Kilo is cute!”

He shook his head good-naturedly and held up your worksheet. “Finish your homework.”

You tightened your arms around him and refused to move.

“Uh-uh, you gotta gimme a nickname too, now.”

His back deflated in a sigh. “If I give you one, will you focus?”

“Mhm.”

“Fine, I’ll call you…well, what do you wanna be called–? Ow!”

You pouted, and smacked his left shoulder.

“You gotta come up with it yourself, stupid.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll call you…” Miles turned to face you. His wide eyes scanned your features, searching for something to latch onto. “Elf.”

“Excuse me?”

“You got big ears.”

“Miles, stop playin’ with me–”

“What? There are cool elves. Like Zelda.”

“Call me Zelda, then. That's pretty!”

“That's why I asked you first,” Miles said with a lopsided grin. “I'm not good with nicknames, I rather call you your name name. Now, are you gonna finish this problem?”

You groaned in disappointment before taking the pencil and worksheet from him. 

“Fine. You’re no fun.”

Seeing the problem-solving process on paper at least made the math easier to get through. Soon you were quiet, brows knit together and lips pursed with focus. 

As you worked, Miles watched your twists fall in front of your face each time you tilted your head.

Back and forth. 

Back and forth. 

The warm light of his desk lamp fell on them at such an angle that the oil that had been used on the strands gave them a soft sheen. 

Without thinking, he reached over to brush one away from your face, making you flinch in surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“I-uh…” he stuttered, pulling his hand away, “I’m making sure you’re focused.”

You squint. “...Uh-huh.”

Miles looked away awkwardly. “Your hair’s nice.”

“Did ‘em myself,” you replied proudly, and a lightbulb goes off in your head. “Ooh, I could re-do your braids if you ever need fresh ones!”

The boy blinked again, and part of you expected him to outright refuse the offer. But a tiny smile spread across his lips instead.

“I’ll think about it.”

Miles stared at you for a moment, gnawing at his bottom lip like he was hesitating to do something when his phone lit up.

He unlocked it and his brows furrowed; he appeared to be reading something. 

Miles glanced at the time, and his stomach dropped:

9:50. How did it get so late? 

“Fuck,” he breathed, expression darkening. “Mami, I gotta go. It’s late.”

You sat up and checked your own phone with a wince. “Damn. Your mom left a half hour ago.”

Miles stood and took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. He said his next words as if they pained him, “Guess we gon’ have to drop you off, then.”

You looked at him warily. “Wait a minute, who’s we?”

-

The worn leather of the car seat made you shift uncomfortably as you sat with your arms crossed. The woody, citrus scent of a cologne that was likely discontinued a decade ago overpowered your senses.

“You sure you don’t wanna sit in the passenger’s seat, Miles?” boomed Uncle Aaron’s deep voice over a Da Brat track turned up too loud.

“I’m good,” Miles called out next to you. “Let’s roll.”

As the engine of the vintage car revved beneath you, you glanced behind you at what was in the trunk. You raised an eyebrow at the tarp that covered…whatever the hell was in there.

Miles didn’t talk about his uncle often, but the murkiness that seeped into his voice and the hardness in his eyes every time he said “my uncle” didn’t exactly endear you to the man. 

“You live a couple blocks from here, right miss?” He addressed you politely.

“She has a name, tío,” his nephew interrupted with a laugh.

“My fault, my fault,” Aaron chuckled. “What’s your name? Maybe I know your folks.”

“Y/N L/N,” you answered. You kept the distaste out of your voice, raising it an octave.

The red traffic light illuminated the man’s long face when he turned to you. 

“L/N,” he pondered the surname, before nodding in recognition. “I went to high school with your momma! She doin’ alright?”

It’s too dark for Aaron to see you press your lips together before answering, “She’s doing fine, thanks for asking.”

“Did every adult within a ten-mile radius go to the same high school?” Miles asked.

“Wasn’t nowhere else to go without moving to Jersey, might as well have.”

Nowhere else to go that they could afford, you added mentally.

The image of the tall, bulky man that appeared on television to announce things once in a while materializes in your mind’s eye. 

His small, bald head is almost engulfed by his hulking boxy figure. Ever since he became mayor, you started seeing more fancy coffee shops pop up, all square and painted white. Nothing ever changed on your side of the pond, though. Your mother always shook her head solemnly when he announced some new project, or budget, or whatever.

Miles shifted in his seat, and the clank of metal from his backpack pulled you away from your thoughts. You turned to him with an amused look.

“What’s in your bag? It sure don’t sound like school books.”

He froze, and an oppressive silence suddenly descended upon the three of you as you quickly realized that you had said something you weren’t supposed to.

He and Aaron shared a quick glance, and you caught an eyebrow raise from the latter. Miles blurted out, “Robotics club stuff. I finish all our competition entries at Unc’s house ‘cuz it’s more space over there.”

You nodded slowly. When he scanned your face for a reaction, you knew you had just been lied to.

“That’s cool,” you replied pleasantly. “You should show me one of your projects sometime!”

Anger simmers in your chest watching him sigh quietly with relief. Barely a week, and he seemed to be proving Tianna right.

An automated voice chimed, “Your destination is on the right.”

The car slowed to a halt as Uncle Aaron pulled over.

“That’s me,” you announce, unbuckling your seatbelt and sliding your bag over your shoulders. 

“Get home safe, Y/N.”

“You too, Mr. Davis. G’night, Miles.”

You don’t look back at him before shutting the car door behind you.

And then there were two.

“I told you to make sure Rio takes her home,” Aaron sighed, massaging his temples.

“I know, I know,” Miles thrust his hands into his pockets. “I lost track of time.”

“Forget your head if it wasn’t attached to your neck.”

“You think she believe me?”

Aaron looked his nephew in the eye through the rear-view mirror.

“Imma be honest witchu, man, that girl ain’t stupid. She ain’t believe shit you just said.”

“I’m that bad of a liar?”

The man laughed heartily.

“It’s not even about that, man. Can’t lie to your girl. That’s rule number one.”

Miles frowned. “The hell was I supposed to tell her? I had to lie.”

“Exactly. You put yourself in a position to have to lie,” Aaron explained as he began to pull away from your house. “Don’t make it a habit. You ready?”

Miles pulled up the red mask he had on beneath his chin, concealing the lower half of his face. “Born ready.”

[sonicjustbecause]

Humans are hard to include in worlds filled by anthros (Sonic aestetic analysis)

Aestetic... a word I like.

This kinda work. Both of them have about same cartoonish proportions, similar head size, similar hands and feet size. The human girl has a thicker body and is bigger, but humans are tricky to include in a world with anthros.

The fact is, since we are humans, the specie is particularly familiar with us. What we are is written in our DNA. If you ask to a blind person to draw a fellow human, the drawing will turn out correct, the very same a person with normal sight woyld do.

So is tricky to avoid the uncanny valley and keeping them recognizable as humans. Humans are also rather large overall compared to hedgehogs and other beasts as specie. In fact we are included in the great apes group. Alongside the gorillas we are the also the tallest so pretty much big animals (but we are also slim).

Actual hedgehogs are as big as human hand, or so. Sonic doesn't need to be this small. Just more balanced.

Humans are always been a presence in Sonic world. Eggman is the most well known. And he has large hands and feet, like Sonic and the other. But his proportions are quite realistic and I think he should look bigger because actually, his head is smaller than Sonic's and the other...

In this scene from Sonic X it works well. Eggman's human features are exaggerated (like the typical human long nose compared to the flat noses of the other apes), and his head is about as large as Sonic's, making him fit the enviroment.

Those are very a little bit awkward. When I complain that the size are awkward is because of Eggman's small head.

This is no-no! She just doesn't match in the universe. Like, she belong somewhere else. Small hands and feet, anime proportions, vintage Italian style doll face...

Back in the '80s I saw some that were even closer to what Maria looks like. There were even drawings of girls who just looked like Maria around, some hanged on walls in my granparents home, I just can't find them not even online (the last time I saw them I was 16).

(Shadow likes those pictures...)

Surprisling Mario fits greatly despite being part of a completely different universe.

With modern style...

And even with SatAM style

Both in Sonic and Mario, humans tend to have small eyes.

Roundish head, large hands and feet, noodle limbs just like the beasts... Eggman obioulsy has small eyes. I figure them being about roundish, like Mario's.

Now, we see some human eyes there. A western aestetic just look better within Sonic world (the aestetic is pretty much western overall, being based on rubber hose style). Maybe hands and feet size could be more balanced...

I don't like Eggman having Majin Bu style eyes like in SatAM and AoStH. I've read somewhere he has regular human eyes. There (Archie) he looks as if he is possessed by an entity, so I wonder, Sonic should try to save him at this point? I imagine is to show that Eggman is a psychopath, but it doesn't do the job. The shape and size of the eyes is fine.

This is a joke... 'never mix styles' I was told 'Characters should look like they're part of the same universe!'...

Even Eggman was changed to have a realistic look, and it sucked.

Elise should be with Cloud Strife and Sephirot, not with Sonic, if we are talking about the style.

Outside Sonic series...

Top Cat

A human and six cats. They fit perfectly in their universe. Like Sonic, the cats are bigger than real cat, still smaller than humans. Heads look perfectly in proportions.

Now, here we are in the opposite territory. The feline is bigger than a human. In fact he is a puma.

Just to show how well human and anthro blend togheter in Hanna&Barbera works. In addition they also have actual four legged beasts, like Scooby Doo.

In Japan antros are rare, yet it can still work it the style is consistent. In Dragon Ball and Dr Slump we have plenty of anthro characters who blend well with humans. And there are also actual four legged beasts.

Some Japanese anthros

[likkolo]

here's a short chan/changbin drabble with autistic chan and fat changbin having a relaxing morning in bed <33 hope this isn't controversial but i love headcanoning chan as autistic and i just think there's so much potential for these two as feeder and feedee ✨

It’s almost seven on the dot when Changbin starts to stir, just like he does every morning. Chan smiles. He thrives off of consistency and routine. He likes for things to be predictable. So many aspects of his life are simply out of his hands, but Changbin is one of the few constants he can depend on.

A low, sleepy rumble starts in Changbin’s chest before turning into a growling sort of yawn. He punches his fists into the air as he arches his back in a big stretch, and then goes completely slack against Chan’s body. A high-pitched little whine of contentment follows, making Chan giggle softly at his adorable boyfriend.

They like to call Changbin their sweet little bunny, their fat little piglet. In reality, he’s more like a plump puma, a big affectionate cat who likes his belly rubbed so much that you forget all about his powerful muscles and sharp claws. 

“Channie,” Changbin murmurs. “Belly rubs?”

“You’re so predictable,” Chan laughs. He pulls Changbin closer, glad that Changbin is content for now to cuddle instead of running off to the gym or the studio. Not that Changbin is ever in much of a hurry to get to the gym these days. He still goes, of course, still enjoys lifting weights and keeping his muscles built, but his priorities are different now. He has another hobby that he and Chan enjoy doing together.

“Chan?” Changbin squirms in Chan’s arms, as if he’s trying to get even closer. “My belly.”

Chan reaches for the hem of Changbin’s shirt, pulls it out from beneath the hang of his lower belly. He draws the hem up over the curve of Changbin’s gut and watches as the soft fat spills out of the shirt and into a mound on top of Chan’s own flat stomach. 

“My big gorgeous boy,” Chan murmurs. He can only lie there for a moment, admiring the sight of Changbin’s bulk piled on top of him, the contrast between his smooth, muscled stomach and the hill of doughy fat spread over it. He takes a pinch of flab between his fingers and his thumb, shakes it to see the fat wobble and ripple. “Can’t believe I made you this big.”

Changbin grins, a beautiful smile that rounds the apples of his cheeks and shows off his adorable double chin. “Love getting bigger for Channie.”

Chan squeezes Changbin’s belly as a lick of arousal runs down his spine. 

Then Changbin is pouting in that adorable way that emphasizes his jowls and shifting so that more of his belly is pushed onto Chan. “I want rubs,” he whines. “You know too much jiggling and pinching starts to hurt me.”

“Drama queen,” Chan says, affectionately rolling his eyes. But he lays his palm over Changbin’s belly all the same, begins to rub in soothing circles that leave Changbin snuffling contentedly into the crook of his neck.

The motion starts to lull Chan into a more relaxed state as well, allows him to turn off his brain and focus entirely on the weight of Changbin’s belly pressing down on him. It’s comforting and solid and one of the most reassuring sensations Chan has felt in his adult life.

It didn’t take long for them to realize—once Changbin was heavy enough to have such a big belly—how much Chan enjoyed having it on him in whatever way he could get it. How much it helped in quieting his brain and calming him down. Changbin never questioned it. He simply accepted it in the same way that he accepted Chan’s shaking fists, the little sounds he sometimes made, and his aversion to certain sensations.

And Chan especially enjoys it when they’re lying skin-to-skin like this. He loves the shared body heat that would normally be too warm for him, the slide of their soft skin as if his and Changbin’s bodies are melting together. The sight of his defined abdominals being overtaken by the spread of Changbin’s soft, malleable fat.

More than anything else, Chan loves the sheer weight of it. He loves how heavy it is pressing down on him, the proof of how big Changbin has gotten for him. He loves to imagine what it must be like for Changbin to have to carry so much weight everywhere he goes, if it’s a constant reminder to him of how much Chan’s influence has changed his body. 

Chan keeps rubbing Changbin’s belly, and marvels at how perfect Changbin is for him. At how perfectly he wears the weight he’s gained, as if he was always meant to get this big. It feels so right to have his arms circled around an overweight Changbin, and Chan knows without a doubt that he couldn’t be happier.

[diabolus1exmachina]

Puma GTE 1600

This 1975 Puma GTE   is powered by a 1.6-liter flat-four paired with a four-speed manual transaxle. Features include fiberglass bodywork, chrome-finished bumpers, quarter louvers, 14″ wheels with staggered tires, and front disc brakes. The fiberglass fastback-style body was built on a Volkswagen chassis.

[ariesgamesandminis]

Restocks are up from Iron Wind Metals!

20-181 Liberator Cruiser 20-250 Anubis ABS-3L 20-264 Marauder MAD-9S / MAD-5R 20-278 Heavy Hover APC (Standard) (2) 20-289 Daimyo DMO-1K 20-300 Odin Scout Tank (Standard) (2) 20-309 Blizzard Hover Transport (Standard) (2) 20-332 Behemoth "Stone Rhino" 2 20-346 Crimson Hawk 20-396 Avatar AV1-O Prime 20-418 Huron Warrior HUR-WO-R4L 20-440 Fireball ALM-7D / ALM-8D 20-474 Peregrine Attack VTOL 20-5010 Koschei KSC-3I 20-5030 Onager 20-5054 Mjolnir MLR-B2 20-5082 Gyrfalcon (Standard) 20-5093 Lament LMT-2R 20-5094 Jackalope JLP-BD 20-5096 Dragon II DRG-11K 20-5130 Kheper KHP-7R 20-5168 Vixen 6 20-5207 Black Knight BL-9KNT 20-5214 Jade Phoenix Prime 20-628 Athena Combat Vehicle (Standard) (2) 20-655 Fire Scorpion 20-690 Owens OW-1 20-723 Warrior Helicopter H-7 20-752 Canis (Standard) 20-756 Akuma AKU-1X 20-793 Hollander BZK-F3 20-800 Hex Bases (4) 20-818 Drillson Heavy Hover Tank (2) 20-854 Hunchback HBK-4G 20-913 Perseus P1 Prime 20-941 Men Shen MS1-O Prime 20-977 Cestus CTS-6Y 20-9122 Battleforce Hex Base 99-201 Large Flat Top Hex Base #1 99-202 Large Flat Top Hex Base #2 AC-010 Large Cast Stem BT-007 Rottweiler Battle Armor BT-028 Cavalier Battle Armor BT-029 Sloth Battle Armor BT-031 Infiltrator MK 2 BT-063 Track Bike BT-067 Golem Battle Armor BT-120 Sabutai Mech Scale Fighter BT-134 Gray Death Legion Battle Armor BT-164 Tracker Surveillance BT-189 Kobold Battle Armor BT-199 Asura Md. Battle Armor BT-224 Heavy Jump Infantry BT-231 Ironhold Battle Armor BT-237 Recon Infantry BT-238 VTOL Infantry BT-239 Jump Support Infantry BT-256 Branth Aerial Beast Infantry - In Fight BT-276 Maxim Hover Tank (3058) BT-303 Vulture Mk III Prime BT-315 Chimera CMA-1S BT-319 Wheeled APC BT-320 Tracked APC BT-346 Griffin GRF-1A BT-350 Doloire DLR-OD BT-364 Gabriel Hovercraft BT-368 Cecerops Protomech BT-371 Davion Infantry (3) BT-372 Savannah Master Hovercraft BT-373 Centaur Protomech BT-375 Gorgon Protomech BT-381 Basic Inner Sphere Battle Armor (3) BT-383 Longinus Battle Armor (3) BT-385 Grey Death Legion Battle Armor (3) BT-386 Undine Battle Armor (3) BT-387 Gnome Battle Armor (3) BT-388 Salamander Battle Armor (3) BT-389 Purifier Battle Armor (3) BT-390 Fa-Shih Battle Armor (3) BT-391 Fenrir Battle Armor (1) BT-412 Amazon Battle Armor BT-436 Buraq (Standard) Battle Armor BT-466 Wheeled Scout (2) Closed & Open Top BT-476 Ares ARS-V1E Apollo FT-025 Samurai Mech Scale Fighter OP-013 Thor E ATM Pod OP-067 Puma E Pod OP-093 Fenris "Ice Ferret" D Left Arm RFLIICLTD-11 Limited Edition Rifleman IIC 8 20-208D Wolverine Antenna 20-393F Gladiator "Executioner" Prime Small Jump Jet Sprue 20-5182C Catapult CPLT-C1 Arm Sprue 20-5182D Catapult CPLT-K2 Arm Sprue 20-685C Bandit Hovercraft Gun Sprue 20-741H J-27 Thumper Tow Vehicle Gun 20-770B Axman AXM-1N Arms / Head Sprue 20-983MSR Mad Cat MK II Missile Rack 20-994D Marauder Bent Leg 20-994I Marauder Small Gun Sprue 20-994I Marauder Small Gun Sprue

[bonefall]

Do you have plans to add more wildlife? I'm early in research for Forest Territory wildlife and God, did they miss out.

There's PONIES, Bonefall. PONIES!!!

(I've been looking at New Forest because that's what it's apparently based on, even if it's not I'm still using it as a base point)

I do have a couple plans to add more fauna! Specifically, wild boars are going to be largely replacing many of the fatal encounters with badgers and foxes. It bothers me how badgers act like small bears, cats ducking and weaving under their legs as if they're huge, when they're barely larger than a cat.

"Then the badger roared!!" Girl no it didn't. I'll SHOW you a roar,

[guy who's only ever played spore: "getting some serious spore vibes from this..."]

But yeah if you look into British ecology, you are going to find a lot of places that REQUIRE semi-feral wild livestock. New Forest in particular is a great example-- first the pigs are sent out for 'pannage' to clean up acorns and nuts, then the cattle, sheep, and ponies are turned out to graze.

This is because these environments have evolved with these animals in mind. Moorland in particular needs regular grazing and/or burning, else it will turn into sparse woodland. There's even talks of reintroducing the European Buffalo, but so far there's one place in southern England with 3 individuals (it might be 4 now, but they were delayed in importing a bull because of the pandemic last I checked).

I actually moved out of New Forest for my redux though! I'm up north, and my tail is in Wales. It matched the bizarre geography of canon a lot more, there's no mountains in that part of England. Here I marked us on the map,

"Why exactly DID you move, Bones?"

The sun sets in the west The TNP journey sent them west to the ocean, because they have to be standing on a west-facing beach to watch 'the sun drown'. Soooo.... they can't have gone to Bristol, because you will see Wales across the Bristol Channel, and the sun will not 'drown'. Does that mean they went to Somerset?? They CAN'T have gone to Somerset, because...

Southern England is flat as a board There is no mountain in that part of Somerset. The closest mountain is Exmoor, in Western Somerset/Northern Devon. Either way, that's a long ass journey which makes it even more ridiculous that cats can travel back and forth alone. (Btw you could make this work, but you'd need to make the Journey a lot longer and harder... or move the starting point further west. There is also a cryptid called the Beast of Exmoor which could have been Sharptooth. It is described as a puma-like cat.)

Northern England is generally better preserved There's more forest coverage and conservation the further north you go, generally. The rivers are healthier, there's less invasive species, more rare NATIVE species, etc. It's not perfect (ALL of England got decimated ecologically by the Victorians and the Postwar suburban expansion) but it does give me more breathing room.

Not to mention that the Lake Territory looks just like the Lake District. For real it even has the little meeting island. Look,

[majingojira]

The Logistics of Predation and Creationism

Creationism is a bur, with a lot of arguments against it, but one I favor doesn't come up much. The Logistics of Predation.

What I mean is, predators are naturally competitive with each other, as are any animals that share food sources. So, the role of 'top predator' can be in dispute.

Creationism's "All Prehistoric Animals lived at the same time" approach to biology underlines their failure to understand just how diverse and varied prehistoric animals truly were.

Illustrating that by just listing the large mainland land predators of North America down to the subfamily/family is... something that amuses me, because it just keeps getting bigger than you expect it!

Allow me:

First, we need to start with the current predators of North America:

There are Wolves and Coyotes (Genus Canis); Black, Brown, and Polar bears (Ursus), Mountain Lions (Puma), the occasional Jaguar (Panthera), the American Alligator (Alligator), and American Crocodile (Crocodylus). The smaller of these animals is 53kg on average, so we'll use that as our 'cutoff' point.

Now, Creationists have this concept called "Kinds" which they equate to the Linean concept of Family. This doesn't mean much here, as each Genus listed here is also the sole genus over 53kg in North America for that family.

Following the Geologic Column, the first step down adds the following apex predators:

Within the existing families, we get Cats (Saber-Toothed Cats, the American Cheetah, the American Lion), Dogs (Dire Wolves), and Bears (Short Faced Bears), so I won't "Count" them for this list, but they are worth a mention at least. The first new "Kind" is...

Cave Hyenas - Yeah, Hyenas made it to the Americas, but only via the polls. The animal was a subspecies of the spotted hyena, known as Crocuta crocuta spelaea. The species was found in Alaska and Northern Canada, but no further south than that.

Inside the existing families, we have: the Bone Crushing Dogs/Wargs of the Borophaginae sub-family; and the Dog-Bears of the Hemicyonidae subfamily of Bears.

The Terror Birds - Mostly known in South America from the genus Titanis, standing 2-2.5 meters (6 and 1/2 to 8ft) tall and 200kgs (440lbs) in weight, is found from Texas to Florida, and into Central America from there. It was a beast to be reckoned with that can and would peck you to death with its pickax beak and gut you with a kick -- and yes, it had a raptorial claw like a Dromaeosaur of old to make their kick that much deadlier. It could run as fast as an ostrich and its beak could crack bones.

The next "Kind" we get appears in what is known as the Cat Gap, where there were no cats in the geologic column. Instead, we had other things:

For new families, there are:

Megalictis - A ferret as heavy as a jaguar. This is the first truly large mustelid that we have in North America. Proportionally, it's like an upscaled Wolverine (this thing was almost than twice as heavy as even the heaviest Wolverine).

Amphicyonidae - The Bear-Dogs, not to be confused with the Dog-Bears. They had the long snout and tail of a dog but with heavy bodies and flat feet of a bear. There are three sub-families within North America and a LOT of species for each genus in the fossil record.

Entelodontidae - Pig-Like Omnivorous giants with the attitude of hippos. Oh, and the biggest, Daedon, was as tall as a man at the shoulder with a 3ft long skull with a bone-crushing bite. Sometimes they are called the "Terminator Pig." Though technically, they were more closely related to hippos than true pigs. So, an omnivorous land-hippo that's 6ft tall at the shoulder. Let that simmer for a bit.

Hyaenodontidae - Creodont predators unrelated to hyenas, built with heavy heads full of massive blade-like teeth. Pretty dumb all things considered, but brute force incarnate.

Barbourofelis - Despite appearances, they are not Saber-Toothed Cats. They are feliforms, but they are not felines and not part of the same line as Smilodon and its relatives. They were bulkier, dumber, and had different ear designs. But straight up? It's hard to tell them apart as a layman but is notable for having 'sheaths' for their saber teeth.

Nimravidae - Another group of "False" Saber-Toothed Cats. Shorter legs, a different inner-ear configuration is another case where it's hard to tell just from the skeleton that it's not quite a cat by a layman. The ones to count as 'top' predators in North America is limited to Hoplophoneus, Pogonodon, and Dinictis (which is just within if we round up).

Oxyaenidae - A smaller group of Creodonts, but still producing a few large predators such as the Patriofelis (90kg) and Palaeonictis (30kg). They were sort-of cat-like in appearnace (particularly Patriofelis) but were nowhere near as intelligent and more head-heavy.

Mesonychidae - Hooved Wolf/bear-like predators. The largest of these, Ankalagon, was the size of a grizzly. Other Genus include Pachyena, Mesonyx, and Harpagolestes.

Borealosuchus - A Not-Crocodile Crocodilian. Despite claims of being 'living fossils', crocodilians were an extremely diverse clade in the past. This is a link of sorts between that odd past and their present. The largest species of this could get as big as a Saltwater Crocodile.

Boverisuchus - A land-living/hunting crocodilian. It would have looked like a crocodile but with longer, straighter legs. These animals galloped like horses, even having hooves on in place of claws on their limbs. This animal could stand up on its hind legs as well. It would have been more active and dangerous than a similarly sized alligator. With slashing teeth, its bite would wound prey heavily with one bite. Its tail was also rounded and heavily armored, making it a potent defensive weapon.

From here on out, we get to the Dinosaurs.

Troodontidae - The "Brainy" dinosaurs, despite mostly being small, could get quite large. Some teeth and other remains indicate specimens between 64 and 195kg. The largest of these, the Alaskan Troodon, may be a case of polar gigantism and Island gigantism.

Tyrannosauridae - This large family of very large carnivorous dinosaurs has been split into several sub-families. North American ones include Albertosaurinae (Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus), Daspletosaurini (Thanatotheristies, Daspletosaurus), and Tyrannosaurini (Tyrannosaurus). Outside those three are Nanuqsaurus, Teratophoneus, and Lythronax.

Tyrannosauroidea - A bit more primitive than Tyrannosuaridae, many being the ancestors of the big famous ones above. These include Dryptosaurus from New Jersey, Appalachisaurus from Alabama, and the smaller Stokesosaurus from the Jurassic period of Utah.

Carcharodontosauridae - A family of large carnivorous dinosaurs designed for ripping flesh from large targets. As big as the biggest Tyrannosaurs. This includes animals like Siats and Arcocanthosaurus.

Eudromaeosauridae - "Raptors". These ranged from coyote-sized to bear-sized. In North America, this included mostly the Dromaeosaurinae. Featuring: Yurgovuchia, Deinonychus, Utahraptor, and Dakotaraptor (unless that's an Unenlagia relative).

Azhdarchidae - A terror of the skies, Quetzalcoatlus and its relatives form a family of gigantic, giraffe-sized pterosaurs which behaved like storks. This means that they would be gobbling down things as big as people. It's 30ft+ wingspan would darken the skies and terrorize the land.

Deinosuchus - This early Alligatorid (not a true member of the family) grew to the size of Tyrannosaurs and lived mostly in saltwater/brackish conditions.

Allosauridae - The Allosaurs and its relatives. Large open-living predators of sauropods. This includes the famous Allosaurus and the gigantic Saurophaganax. It seemed to have favored the planes compared to other therapods found nearby.

Megalosauridae - Including the giant Torvosaurus. Another large carnivorous dinosaur. One of the first to be over 3 tons. More of a forest dweller, it was among the last of its kind.

Ceratosaurus - Another predatory dinosaur with a large horn on its nose. Seems to have favored wetter, forested environments.

Dilophosaurus - Notable for its distinct crest and was actually powerfully built and strong, rather than the small spitter-of-venom seen in the movies. Its crests were even more pronounced and bizarre, too.

Coelophysoidea - Slender, usually coyote-sized dinosaurs, some of them, like the wonderfully named Gojirasaurus could get quite large, over 100kgs. And, c'mon, it's Gojirasaurus! Named in honor of Godzilla! We have to include it.

And that's it for dinosaurs.

Postosuchus - An early attempt to make something like a carnivorous dinosaur, but from a more crocodilian base. Heavy head, powerful hind legs, but not quite the same thing. Scalier, bulkier, dumber, less agile. Still, something to be feared.

Ctenosauriscidae - Another "Croc Trying the Dinosaur Thing" Family that didn't survive the Triassic. These animals had large sails on their backs like Dimetrodon. Arizonasaurus is the only genus known from North America.

Poposauridae - Really good "Dinosaur" mimicking Crocodilian-line archosaurs. Some were mistaken as dinosaurs at first, but we figured the differences out with more fossils. The best-studied of these is Poposaurus, which looked like a stereotypical carnivorous dinosaur, but with more fingers, more scales, and different ankles/hips.

Phytosauridae - Fake Crocodiles. They are archosaurs, but not Crocodiles in any other sense other than the niche they fill. The key difference is the placement of the nostrils. Some of these could get HUGE too. Brachysuchus, Centemodon, Leptosuchus, Machaeroprosopus, Pravusuchus, Protome, Redondasaurus, Rutiodon, Smilosuchus, Smilosuchus, Wannia, and Angistorhinus are known genera.

Temnospondyli - A large group of amphibians, technically a sub-class, but to the layman, these are all "Crocomanders" - amphibians filling in the crocodile-niche. On average, they were crocodile-sized and shaped. Only a few bucked that trend, such as Eryops, whose squat body made it very frog-like in appearance. These included multiple families of large predatory amphibians: Tupilakosauridae, Eryopidae, Metoposauridae, and Brachyopidae. Tupilakosaurs were like big mudpuppies or modern giant salamanders. Eryipids were more rounded, like frogs with tails, only as long as a man. Their jaws were more alligator-like, but with extra teeth in the roof of their mouth for added damage. Metoposaurs were among the most commonly found in certain environments, with flat, rounded, triangular heads and salamander-y bodies. Brachyoopids had shorter, boxier heads and were flatter overall.

From here we leave the Mesozoic and go to the Permian. Records of North America in this section of the column are... incomplete. The last era of it is utterly missing for land vertebrates. So, we don't have records of fun things like Gorgonopsids.

We have:

Steppesaurus - This animal is controversial. It may be a Sphenacodontid, but it has also been classified as Phthinosuchid, but that is controversial given how old it is. We may never know what it was, but it was BIG for its time.

Varanopidae - Named after Monitor lizards, they are closer to mammals than to their namesake. The largest of these could be the size of a Komodo Dragon, but more active.

Sphenacodontidae - Here we get something people will recognize again: Dimetrodon, but it also includes predators like Ctenorhachis, Sphenacodon, Secodontosaurus, and Ctenospondylus. Some had sails on their back like dimetrodon, some had a half sail, and some had no sail at all. They all had early differentiated teeth. Dimetrodon is of particular note given how many species there were (19 of them lived in North America), ranging in size from that of a lion to that of a house cat (D. natalis).

After that, there are smaller predators of note (such as seagull-sized dragonflies) but none meet our definitions for apex predator in terms of mass and habitat.

So, with bringing it down to the Family level, that still leaves 39 Large Carnivores running around at the same time. Even on the same continent, this is an absurd number of carnivorous animals! Imagine trying to get a drink with all that to be alert for!

And that is just one of the many reasons why creationism is absurd.