#sometimes uniquely good dogs make bad owners feel like uniquely good owners

[healingheartdogs]

Saw a post earlier of someone being like "see how my puppy isn't bothering me while I eat and is minding his own business playing in the other room? That's because in this house animals aren't ever allowed to have people food from the moment they come home with me so they never even learn to want it." The post and most of the comments on it were very high and mighty "I'm a better owner than other people, I'm the boss of my dog, I don't allow my dog to offend me by showing desire for highly desirable resources" attitude and were very much judging other people for not having the same boundaries and annoyances about dog behaviors around food with their own dogs in their own homes and I just like... absolutely can not relate at all, tbh. There is a type of person who uses phrases like "people food" unironically, thinks that dogs being allowed to have good things that are usually intended for humans is somehow offensive and wrong, gets annoyed by a dog even being allowed to exist in the same room when people are eating, and thinks a dog just looking at them for more than 30 seconds while they have food or hanging out watching them doing stuff is the dog bothering them and being rude, and every time I encounter this type of person it makes me wonder why they even own a dog when they clearly hate natural dog behaviors and are bothered by dogs just wanting to be around people, do things with them, and receive human attention more than once in a blue moon.

When I make breakfast after I wake up and take it to my room to eat Hermes always eagerly follows right behind me because he expects he's going to get something from me. That expectation is almost always correct, and I feel absolutely zero shame about it. Him laying calmly at my feet or next to my chair quietly watching me eat is not "bothering me". He's quite literally not doing anything to be a bother, he's just patiently chilling. If a dog hanging out nearby and calmly watching while people eat bothers you enough to consider that bad nosey behavior that is deserving of you ridiculing other dog owners for allowing it that's uhhh... weird af? At least to me it's weird, sorry not sorry. Like maybe you actually just don't like having dogs around then if they can bother you without even really doing anything? Cuz IDK about y'all but I love my dogs hanging around me and wanting to be close to me and even seeking engagement from me. I love them being excited about being around me and following me around because they know I give them good things. I also like having their attention and eyes on me in general - especially Hermes, as a dog of a breed that is often more environmentally focused than handler focused and whose attention I've had to work for and earn. Looking at me is something that I specifically reward all my dogs for and immediately start to capture during their initial introductions to clicker training because I find it to be beneficial during training sessions (as well as a good way to charge the clicker), so it would be ridiculous and unfair for me to get annoyed by it and discourage it in other scenarios like when I'm eating. In fact, I see Hermes calmly laying down nearby and politely seeking eye contact with me whenever I look his way while I'm eating my breakfast as a sign that he knows how to act to get what he wants because he understands his training well, and that he is putting that training to work by being an attentive calm good boy and waiting patiently for me to respect my end of the deal that I have taught him and give him his reward for the behaviors he's offering that I have repeatedly asked him for in the past.

Also like... if he is in the way somehow while people are eating or if we're eating something he can't have and I don't want him near us just in case someone drops something (even though he has an extremely solid leave it, still better safe than sorry) then I just tell him to go to his bed??? and then share a little bite of my food with him to reward him for going to lay on his bed if it's safe or give him something else like a couple of small dog treats or a pork chew on his bed if my food isn't dog safe. After that he will stay on his bed and keep being a calm patient boy because he's learned that staying on his bed after being told to go to it means he will continue to occasionally get more treats or small pieces of my dog safe food tossed to him for the duration of his time there until he is released. Often times because he's working so hard to be calm and patient to earn a few bites of my food he just ends up falling asleep next to me or on his bed, which is definitely the opposite of being bothersome. I like to thank him for that patience and calmness by gently waking him up to share the last bite of my food or give him a little treat jackpot and some praise before releasing him.

Maybe I'm a "bad" trainer (lol) but I enjoy spoiling my dogs by sharing some of my dog safe "people food" with them in moderation, and you can definitely share "people food" with dogs without making them annoying or untrustworthy around food. Despite what the person who made that post seems to incorrectly think, simply letting a dog have a taste of "people food" sometimes does not create unwanted bothersome behaviors around food. Rewarding unwanted behaviors that bother you instead of wanted behaviors that don't bother you is what causes that. That's it, that's the sole cause. Like... you could just only share food with them if they're being calm or waiting patiently on their bed or whatever it is you want from them during meal times. Boom, the "bothering" problem is solved and your dog still gets to enjoy a special treat. In fact, my experience as a dog trainer is that the high value and novelty of that special "people food" treat often makes the rewarding of the not-bothering behavior you want from them while you eat much more motivating and effective than giving them one of their regular treats or chews as a reward or distraction, so the settling down not-bothering behavior you want is even more likely to be consistently freely offered up in the future since it is so highly rewarded.

When I've had clients in the past express concerns about causing begging by giving their dogs "people food" or tell me they feel guilty about it because they've been told by people like that poster I saw that it's a bad thing to do in general, this has been my advice to them - not to stop doing the whole sharing thing that makes them and their dog happy, but just to make it more productive for the kind of relationship they want to have with their dog and the behaviors they are wanting to see. It's a simple solution that can turn a meal into a nearly effortless high value training session for teaching settling during household activities and around food, which is something that is a common frustration to achieve for a lot of inexperienced dog owners. If you handle your dogs sometimes being given bits of food scraps as treats this way then everyone wins, especially the people who like to spoil their dogs and share food with them (which is VERY NORMAL TO WANT TO DO BECAUSE WE ARE A SOCIAL SPECIES THAT BONDS THROUGH RESOURCE SHARING) because now those people can turn that desire to spoil their beloved companions into some easy training. Just be sure to consider if ingredients are dog safe or not and be mindful of oversharing and sharing foods with high fat content because maintaining a balanced diet is important for health.

Also that OP apparently doesn't realize this yet based on the wording of their post, but if you have a dog that is at all decently food motivated then just ignoring them while you have food and never sharing is not going to teach them to leave people alone in the presence of food and never try to seek food from anyone. This is especially true if anyone ever accidentally drops something around your dog (it'll happen eventually) and they snag it and self reward because you never actually taught them not to do that, or if anyone else in your house isn't as firm with that boundary or is unable to enforce it consistently and ends up giving them food purposefully or accidentally (as can often happen in households with children or that sometimes invite guests over). "I don't ever share people food with animals in my house starting from day one and I ignore them when food is out so they never learn to even want it to begin with" is not training your dog to leave food or people who are eating food alone. That's doing nothing and hoping that your new puppy or dog doesn't care about the delicious smells of food or people gathering together in the house for food related activities multiple times a day enough that they will quickly get bored and give up on trying to investigate all "people food" related activities for the rest of their lives without you training them, which is an absolutely ridiculous expectation. Just not ever giving a dog any of your food doesn't make it stop smelling like food to them and won't magically make them never be curious about seeing what you have and if they can get some of it. They don't have to be given food by you off your plate to know that it smells interesting or to figure out that seeing you eating it means it might be something they can eat. Having a superiority complex about NOT actually training your new puppy how to act around food and ignoring them as "training" instead is certainly funny, in a "not funny haha, funny weird" kind of way. It's also pretty irresponsible since some foods that humans eat are dangerous to dogs. Instead of just ignoring them when food is around and hoping they'll learn to leave all food that isn't their dog food alone on their own, a responsible owner should actually be actively teaching their dogs to leave food in general alone unless it is offered to them, even when food is left where they can easily get to it.

Anyway, if people could just stop being weird about dogs doing normal dog things and existing in spaces around humans, do some basic research on dog behavior and how dogs learn before getting a dog, actually train their dogs to the minimum level required to make themselves not be regularly upset at their dogs for acting untrained and "bothering" them, and stop developing weird superiority complexes because they get lucky for a while right after bringing home a new dog or puppy and it manages to not cause them any problems or upset them yet... that would be cool.

[fleshsigil]

today i laid down - review

//content warning: discussion of depression/self-harm/suicide

And we let it out Where they can't see In my room, up your arms Who will you dress as tonight? And why's it always me?

this EP was an especially hard thing to review for me. probably even harder than the sky may be, considering the subject matter and backstory, but i think it's something i absolutely need to recommend anyway because it needs to be heard.

today i laid down is a cathartic, lilting fusion of post-rock and classic alt-rock released in 2023 by kai wesener under the pseudonym bl4ck m4rket c4rt. when i was originally recommended this, i was skeptical; i don't rate music with numbers because that's stupid, but needless to say, it is now in my top 3 EPs of all time. i think it is truly one of the best pieces of music that i have ever listened to.

today i laid down consists of only six songs, but it feels like a full-length album. i can't explain it. the soundscapes and crescendos are constantly mutating, but still cozy and acoustic. the mostly acoustic sounding instruments lend the songs this beautiful, shoegazey texture that is incredibly lush and full of life. at times, there are cowbells, triangles, pianos, and xylophones that also add an extra layer of depth and beauty to the songs. the only thing that i can really say about the actual songs is that they're fucking amazing. there is not a single bad, or even okay, song on this entire EP. each one has its own unique identity, but they still fit together perfectly as a whole. there are parts with rich, warm synths; there are parts with psychedelic keyboard sounds. it all works. kai obviously has an incredibly good ear for music theory and sound design, because the songs manage to be pretty catchy while also having this unique, ecstatic, layered feel that not much else has. there's the transcendentality of sigur ros, the blown-out shoegazey textures of mogwai and my bloody valentine, and the warmth that radiates from most acoustic indie rock projects. a few of the songs are shorter than 3 minutes or so, and still manage to feel drawn out and constantly changing. i think it's a masterclass of instrumental layering and rock fusion.

the lyrical content combined with the cathartic, yearning instrumentals is what makes this EP truly impactful and haunting. if you don't pay attention to the lyrics, then the EP might appear somewhat happy, or just wistful. if you take into consideration the events that transpired a few months after the EP released, these lyrics, which are barely audible over the drone of the guitar, are utterly fucking haunting. they are no longer empty threats or thoughts converted into music. the lyrics themselves detail traumatic memories, self-harm, feeling inadequate, not wanting to get out of bed, and dying together but alone. saying that what happened after its release made the EP "better" is completely untrue and completely distasteful; if anything, it's all the more haunting and fucked-up. the lyrics went from something being sung to a collection of thoughts, painting a picture of the mind of someone who was suffering. i have been in that headspace before, and still am sometimes, and this EP is like a reminder to not let myself succumb. not like a cautionary tale, but more of a fucked-up testament to the fact that depression is real and immediate and it kills people; it hurts everyone around you, too. the first time that i read about the backstory of the EP, half an hour later i was listening to it again, looked at the cat on the album cover, and almost cried. all i could think about was the fact that the cat probably misses its owner a lot, or wonders where he's gone. then i thought about my own dog, and the fact that she would probably miss me a lot too, and i told myself i would try my best to not let myself give in.

this EP is truly one of the best things i've ever heard, lyrical and thematic impact aside, and incredibly cathartic. it emanates blissful, bitter acceptance and hollow warmth. overall, it is a must-listen, even if the subject matter doesn't pertain to you.

rest in peace, kai.

LINKS TO EP ON SPOTIFY AND BANDCAMP BELOW

(i post music recommendations sometimes, if you want more of that kind of thing, you should follow me)

(PS: i totally lied about doing a happier album that's not about crushing depression, who knows what i'm going to review the next time. probably more sad shit.)

[firelightfoxes]

do you find mudi people to be gatekeepers? Before I started asking actual people I read up a lot on them on many diff breeders/ club websites and from all the info I found I thought they fit me well so I went on fb to ask… the amount of people I got telling me I do not want a mudi, that they are incredibly difficult dogs with XYZ bad traits and that I’m lying if I say I’m ok/ want that was insane. It honestly sounded like they hate their dogs?? I mentioned I wanted to dabble in sports but wouldn’t mind a dog who wouldn’t do them, and half of the comments were either jumping down my throat because ‘most mudis do not do well in sports and you shouldn’t get one solely for that’ and the other half were telling me to get serious because dabbling shows a lack of commitment and mudis need a job. I’m half thankful I’m not in the US and wouldn’t have to deal with that community if I end up with a mudi. Anyway, with all that, would you mind giving a rundown on mudis/ any resources(like sites) on their temperament? Sorry for the rant it’s just been very frustrating 😅.

hi!! this is a great ask. i'm really sorry you went through the gatekeeping bullshit, it seems to be pretty rampant. i actually made a small post on this a little while back but i'm too lazy to go find it.

so, i feel like that gatekeeping comes from one of two places, and sometimes both:

the person wants to feel really special about owning a rare breed, so they make it seem much more difficult than it really is to scare away potential new owners and keep the breed as unpopular as possible so that they can continue to be Special

the person wanted a unique sports dog that wasn't a border collie but didn't realize that not all mudis will excel in sports or even be able to tolerate a sporting environment, and they legitimately regret getting a mudi (i literally saw someone say this almost word for word).

so you kind of have two overlapping schools of thought there, and the second one is a bit more valid than the first. so, i wouldn't really advertise mudi as like, a competitive sport prospect breed. they certainly CAN excel at sports, they are quick, intelligent, and very biddable. but they also dislike repetition and can be quite sensitive, which can make it hard to nail down important foundations and also it can be hard for them to stay stable in a trial environment. ideally, a mudi would not be this unstable, but unfortunately it does happen. so like i kinda understand where a person with #2's idea would be coming from but it still is unpleasant and gatekeepy. and it's also not the breed's fault if you got one for uniqueness without taking their entire temperament into account.

either way, if you're reading about mudis and you think they might be a good fit, that's awesome! i think my number one recommendation would be to meet them before getting one if possible. they truly are unique little guys and it's hard to describe that without having met one. i think they're the perfect dog to dabble in sports with because they're most happy when they're with their person, whatever you might be doing.

as far as places to learn more about the mudi, i really like this article, and i would recommend reaching out to some breeders! Wodan Kennels and Graves Farm are two great kennels run by people who love the breed and would be happy to help you learn more about them (regardless of if you want to get a puppy from them or not).

also, i saw your other ask and no worries :) i really liked how in-depth your ask was so i intentionally wanted to answer it bc gatekeeping almost kept ME out of the breed and look at me now!! it's important to be realistic but still welcoming and some people just don't get that.

thanks for the ask and sorry that it's an essay!!

[whumpzone]

Linden & Colton - 15

(masterpost)

another exercise in triggering col, haha. ever since ive had whumpy daydreams as a child ive liked thinking about the caretaker brushing the whumpees teeth. this was meant to be fluffier but i like how it's become something unique to colton <3

CW: NSFW, triggered whumpee, heavy references to n0ncon oral sex, dehumanisation, pet whump

-

Something was bothering Linden as he stood in front of the bathroom mirror one morning. He could hear the uncertain thumps of Col’s footsteps downstairs- sometimes he could hear him dragging his feet, scared to lift them entirely off the ground. He turned his attention back, trying to figure out what was annoying him.

Then he realised, as he looked into the small jar on the side of the sink. Col’s toothbrush was bone dry. There weren’t even flecks of toothpaste down the handle. He frowned. He really, really couldn’t let that happen. He thought about how if Colton only spoke, he might have noticed sooner, might have caught it on his breath, but he stopped himself. It’s not his fault.

The bathroom looked directly through to the staircase, and as Linden walked out he caught the familiar pair of eyes peering up at him, before Col quickly drew himself back behind the wall.

But Linden had seen him, and they both knew it. It was as if Col could tell already that he was in trouble. He rarely pulled back from Linden in any way, but today he was already halfway across the room by the time Linden had descended the stairs.

“Have you been brushing your teeth?” he asked plainly, not knowing how else to go about it.

Col shook his head, of course he did, but there was a brief second where Linden could see that he was considering lying. He liked that.

. . .

Pet had to confess, but it made him feel hot and prickly with fear. He had been bad. Master’s voice was firm and clipped. He was disappointed in him.

“You have to,” Master ordered, and Pet nodded immediately. Okay, okay, I will. I won’t hesitate. “Why haven’t you so far? Were you- was it because you thought you weren’t allowed? Or were you… scared to? Does it hurt?”

Pet’s head started to spin, and he cringed hard as Master sighed, heavy with frustration. “Sorry, sorry. Way too many questions, I know. Besides, it’s not- wait!” Master suddenly looked up at his pet intensely, and like a poorly-behaved dog, he flinched. Master hardly seemed to notice, though, as he continued, “You said the other day, didn’t you, that you can’t hold a pencil well? It’s hard to grip it? Is it… is the toothbrush too hard to hold properly?”

How did he know? Pet nodded, defeatedly. He had tried, fuck, he really had, fighting a losing battle in the wee hours until he could have wept with frustration. He glanced down at his hands. For a brief moment there weren’t clean and unbound, they were bleeding, the wire was cutting into him, cutting to the bone it felt, and he could barely twitch without the pain shooting all the way up his arms. The memories were so real, sometimes. And wasn’t it helpful that the pain never truly left? It had followed him from his old owner’s house to the streets all the way to Master’s front door and beyond, a phantom trailing along his joints, keeping him reminded of his place.

“That’s okay. I can help.”

Master’s voice pulled him from his thoughts, thankfully, and as he turned to stride upstairs Pet followed him meekly, hands cradled before him.

He was ordered to sit on the lid of the toilet while Master busied himself. It made Pet stiffen up. It looked eerily similar to when his old owner had something big planned, and he made his slave sit helplessly and watch. When Master turned to him, holding the toothbrush like a weapon, the association was so strong that it made Pet whimper and duck his head. Oh, god, he was so bad.

“I’m sorry,” Master said, and it truly sounded like there was feeling behind the words, like he really meant it. It was cruel. “I don’t have a choice.”

You do, Pet thought, even though it was disobedient. Master always has a choice. Master controls everything.

“This is for your own good,” he said. “You understand, Col?”

Oh, Pet understood well. He had endured many horrors for his own good, and this was not among the worst. He would gladly submit to Master’s strange ritual.

But then- “I promise it won’t be too bad. Can you open up?”

Pet gasped. He was back, he was back there, not again, please please please not again. He was strung up and completely defenceless. He wasn’t in control, he never had been, he was an object and he was being used.

He opened his mouth wide, letting his tongue sit over his teeth. Master punished him if it even looked at if he’d try to bite. The corners of his vision started to gloss over.

Then. A hand gently brushed his jaw. Fingers pressed into his skin. Holding him in place? Making sure he stayed good?

He let out a pathetic cry of fear.

. . .

“Col, Col, I’m so sorry, I can tell you’re scared,” Linden said, as Col’s eyes started to glaze over. He hardened his voice, “Col! Stay with me, sweet, come on. You’re being brave, come on.”

He should just get it over with, he realised, and pushed the toothbrush in. Col started to close his mouth, and Linden gripped a little harder on his jaw. He wanted to at least exhaust all his other options before he physically pulled the boy’s mouth open.

“Keep your mouth open, there we go. Now just hold still.”

I’m giving him orders. But it was the simplest way, it was so quick, it was to help the boy. Linden gritted his own teeth. He could worry about the ethics of it later.

Colton’s teeth weren’t as dirty as he’d feared, and Linden made light work of brushing them down. He checked in on Col every so often. His eyes were still glassy, but he seemed at least half-there.

“You okay?” A small huff of affirmation. “Good. Almost there.”

It felt so strangely intimate, brushing his teeth. As if he hadn’t already seen him stark naked in the damn bath. I dunno, he thought. I’m so close to him. He’s sitting so still. There’s nowhere to run.

He finished up just as a strand of frothy toothpaste started to crest over his lip and drip down his chin, some of it along Linden’s fingers. Col rinsed, scooping the water into his mouth with his hands in a rigid claw shape, and then looked in Linden’s direction for the next order.

“Well done, Col. That was important, and you sat there like a wonderful rock and made it so quick and easy. I’m very- I’m very happy with you. We’ll work on holding the toothbrush, yeah? But for now we can head downstairs and get on with the day.”

Col nodded, a bit dull, but Linden decided not to push him.

. . .

Pet felt himself coming back as soon as he was allowed to close his jaw. He wasn’t quite sure what had happened. It felt as if Master had just brushed his teeth, like he said. And yet-

And yet he was rinsing out his mouth, and the taste wasn’t minty anymore but something far more foul, and he was being told how well he took it, how he made it so easy, how he made Master happy. He was back there because he could never escape, never truly.

Master finished talking, evidently, and turned to leave. Pet trailed after him, his eyes filling with tears, but he managed to keep his shaky breaths quiet. Master was happy with him and Pet’s feelings didn’t matter.

-

first half of the taglist!

@newbornwhumperfly @whumpadump1939 @firewheeesky @whump-me-all-night-long @captainseconds @grizzlie70 @unicornscotty @lave-whump @princessofonward @cupcakes-and-pain @bumbumbea @whumpfigure @yet-another-heathen @secretwhumplair @whumps-up @as-a-matter-of-whump @getyourwhumphere @itzagoodthing @whumpymirages @soapparentlyilikewhumpnow @zipadeedooda-drabbles @penny-for-your-whump @briars7 @legallylibra @angel-stars @loyds-of-registry @tears-and-lilies @badluck990 @rosesareviolentlyread

@vickytokio @neuro-whump @thingsthatgo-whump-inthenight @whumpsy-daisies @control-whump @theydy-cringeworthy @starnight-whump @cursedandtired @jo-doe-seeking-inspo @justabitofwhump @glamrockgregory @rippedjeansandfadeddreams @genesissane @justbreakonme @addyez @httyd-chocolate

[beyondspaceandstars]

While You Sleep

Chapter 1

Relationship: Bucky Barnes x Reader Warnings: angst, mention of violence Summary: Soulmate!AU - Throughout life, you're given glimpses of your soulmate through dreams. As you sleep, memories flash in your mind showing you the life your soulmate has lived. Everyone around you raves about how their soulmate reads great books or volunteers in their spare time. But you can't relate as your dreams end up being more like nightmares. Through initial images of death and violence, you come to learn your soulmate is the Winter Soldier. A/N: I had this idea one day and initially it was just gonna be a one shot but then i said screw it. i’ve never really done a full chapter story/series so...? Here I go? I’ve written most in advanced so I know I actually have some sense of where this is going and tbh i think it’s gonna be interesting but i love soulmate!au anyways :)

masterlist | taglist | read on ao3

The nightmares always felt the same. 

In your mind, clear glimpses revealed him - the brooding, long-haired man. He typically wore a mask and that same unforgiving yet disconnected look in his eyes. A metal arm would glimmer every now and then and you’d quickly find him wielding guns or twirling knives. The most uncomfortable acts were those of when he’d use just his hands. 

You didn’t really know the people he was affecting. Some looked important, some seemed like casualties to whatever bigger fight was being played at, but they all came in quick glimpses. Part of you felt that he didn’t care enough to remember them. He had no connection, just a goal. There was always more of a focus on what he was doing and making sure it was done. You could tell that was what he was feeling, what he was seeing, and frankly, it was of the disturbing kind. 

You had grown up hearing friends and family gush about all the wonderful, fascinating soulmate dreams -- because that was what they were supposed to be: dreams. Lovely, lullaby dreams showing one the life their soulmate was living. Giving the other a glimpse at their feelings, their adventures. Hopefully making you want your person.

Your parents loved reminiscing about how they saw each other playing with friends as kids or volunteering at shelters in college. Your friends had been equally fascinated, constantly gossiping about what books their soulmates had read or how their eyes would light up when they played with their dogs.

But you weren’t getting that. Instead of seeing your soulmate read their favorite book, you watched him take down what felt like an army of people. You saw him marching on command as if just a machine.

Part of you thought you were broken. Why were you only getting to see the bad things? Was there nothing good about your person? Had they lived for nothing other than these missions?

It was a weird combination, what you felt towards him. To say you weren’t at least intrigued would be a lie because, at the end of the day, this man was your soulmate. No matter how unnerving or confusing it was, you two were paired. While you didn’t know if he actually knew it, you felt it. You felt the pull in every knife flip. In every stab. In every mission. In every accomplishment.

Even time he was forced to go dormant -- because, yes, you could see the ice. You could see the shocks. 

Your soulmate dreams were nightmares. And they ached and pulled at you. 

***

You were already awake when sunlight began seeping into your room. This wasn’t a new occurrence -- the sun and you seemed to like to play a game to see who would rise first... You, it was always you lately.

The dreams were distorted memories last night. You didn’t see it all like it was interrupted, but you could tell it appeared to be a past memory. There was just something about the intensity visually this time that was weaker. It was less fresh than previous ones but still held feelings, strength. It was a confusing phenomenon, an old thought transmitting between the soulmate lines, but wasn’t unusual for you by any means.

Sometimes you received memories from your soulmate that dated back to the 70s, sometimes 60s. Things he had seen that weren't even from your decade which raised so many more alarms. It prevented you from getting any sort of age range. Sometimes people received memories their soulmates had learned of, like hearing a story of a wedding and depicting it, but they never lasted. Usually they were one-off casualties but these you had persisted. They had to be from him.

While confusing beyond all means, something you never could think about discussing with others, it gave you a little hope that maybe, just maybe, things had…stopped. Whatever rampage or mission your soulmate was on (had been put on?) was finished. Especially being a memory that came from just a few years ago. For once, maybe there weren't new nightmares for your soulmate to produce. 

But you couldn’t get your hopes up. They could be right back at it tonight so you couldn’t allow yourself to ponder it no matter how much it all bugged you. You force yourself to get up and on with the day. Rising as you had watched the sun do so. 

You pulled yourself out of bed choosing to ignore the sleep-deprived headache threatening to creep up. Shuffling around your bedroom, you collected your work uniform wherever you had really tossed it throughout the space. 

Once dressed for the day, you moved on to making yourself presentable to actually get on with work. While you only just worked in a coffee shop -- not exactly the epitome of luxury -- tips were key and people liked their barista to actually look alive.

You finally got out of the door just moments later, homemade bagel sandwich in tow, all complemented by the fakest, brightest smile you could muster as you made your way down the city sidewalk. 

You quite enjoyed the work commute, being able to weave in and out of the people, your mind instinctively wondering if he was here. Was he milling around? Hiding in the shadows? Planning something here or there? What to do next? 

You figured most likely not, but you still looked even if the idea of him was enough to make you shake in your boots. Besides, you didn’t even totally know what you were looking for. The eyes and hair only revealed so much. The glimmer of his hand, though, that sure was unique. You could still see it in flashes throughout your mind. 

So, you harmlessly let your eyes wander on the street. Checking over the faces, the posture, the appearances of them all but none of them could tug on that part of your heart. Granted, it was sort of ridiculous. Your soulmate had been proven to maybe not be the kindest person in the universe but something had to happen if the two of you were paired. And you were just the right amount of daring to see it through.

You finally made it to the coffee shop after your leisure browsing of the city people all bustling, brain set on getting one place or another. They were just exhausting to even look at.

The bell above the door jingled as you entered. The shop was mere minutes from opening and your coworker was already setting up, nearly ready to bring in the morning rush. She greeted you with a weak, tired smile. You responded with one of your own. Seamlessly, you two fell into it all, moving in silence. Prepping, brewing, cleaning.

Work was going much smoother than normal for the day. You seemed to fall into your tasks with ease as you served the morning crowd. You had your normals’ orders memorized and the new customers wooed at your speediness. Tips were coming in nicely as well, you noted. You and your coworker worked together, as if in a tango behind the counter. 

The day seemed that it would continue on just as smoothly as the morning had. Things started to taper off nicely around the afternoon. The shop was mostly filled with college students in between their lectures. They nursed their coffees as they typed away so determined with their homework. 

You and your coworker took the brief moment to lull around. She was aimlessly sweeping by the sugars while you cleaned the same spot over and over again on the counter as you watched the television in the corner. 

The owner had put in the TV a while ago citing it drummed up service but you never actually found proof of that. Instead, it sat high up on the wall, above the windows, muted at all hours. He at least allowed the closed captioning to be on which was what you were reading as you pretended to clean. 

Some midday news program was on. A graphic flashed signaling that they were going into one of their “investigative reports.” You stopped your movements with the rag as you watched the news graphic transition to a portrait picture of a man from the waist up. He...

Something made your stomach drop. Your heart twisted in familiarity while your brain sounded the alarm. Those eyes. That arm. You could feel all of it practically radiating from the television. Letting go of the towel, you let out a gasp at the true shock when it suddenly clicked in your head. 

Everything slowed down around you. Customers began staring, concerned. Your coworker was calling your name, asking what was wrong. But you couldn’t do anything. Your eyes were glued to the television. Something crushed in you as it began adding up. 

Eyes. Arm. Feelings. Emotions. Eyes. Arm. Feelings. Missions. Scene after scene, you went over everything that had been stored -- forced -- unconventionally in your head.

You read the name on the closed captioning followed by his title. Who he was, what he was. 

It fell into place. All of it. It was him, yes. The dreams -- no, no. The nightmares. Your word repeated it over and over again. Him. All him. James Buchanan Barnes. The Winter Soldier.

[milkybonya]

hello smiling anon here :) can i request nct 127 as boyfriends? ur astro as boyfriends post was so cute :)

Anonnie im sorry i made you wait so long TT this is the busiest week of the year so far and i had to stay focused to prepare for it, but i hope you enjoy~

NCT 127 as boyfriends ♡

link to Astro version

Warnings: food mentions

what i listened to while writing: To My Youth by BOL4

Taeil

sweet to the MAX

always singing around the house and serenading you

multiple movie nights with you in one week where you eat a whole bunch of junk food together and cuddle the entire time ;3;

becomes flustered very easily when you reach for his hand or hug him because he doesn't like skinship

but strangely with you, his heart skips a beat??

helps you when you're stressed by enveloping you in a hug and not letting go until you feel better

not overly clingy but not distant either - he's the perfect bf !!

knows when to give you space and when he needs to invade your space and give you lots of kisses >:)

not big on fancy dates, just wants to bask in your presence

wherever he is, as long as you're there, he's happy

i don't know why but i imagine his hand getting clammy when you hold it because he's so nervous,, then he gets all shy and embarrassed about it :")

Johnny

always taking photos of you

literally has a folder in his phone named '[y/n]'

so whipped for you omg he literally giggles any time you lock eyes

so EMBARRASSING cause of all the bad jokes he cracks and how tough he tries to act

"[y/n] do you wanna feel my arm muscles?"

waking up next to him each morning would involve you thinking he’s asleep and staring at him until he pulls you closer into his chest and presses his lips to your forehead ;3;

takes you on really creative dates like going to markets, going for drives, walks through unknown paths

if y’all are not seeing each other in person, he’ll constantly be texting or calling you

always sends you photos of things that remind him of you

the type to pretend he’ll give you your coat, then he doesn’t, but then he does because he loves you :”)

quite clingy in the sense that he always wants to be near you, holding your hand, hugging you, kissing you, whatever it may be

Taeyong

such a sweet and loving bf :”)

the type to buy you flowers and be that classy, romantic boyfriend

he’ll leave handwritten notes around the house and will send you good morning texts if you guys are apart from one another

the two of you are definitely the cool couple

but you’re also the couple who laughs hard about the most random things

like Taeil, knows when to give you space and when he should be there for you

will respect your sense of independence and root for you to succeed in your own things!

but also gets clingy sometimes and just wants a few hugs and kisses :”)

acts cute and pouts in front of you a lot 

but only in front of you, never in public or in front of anyone else

listens carefully whenever you’re sad and lets you rest your head on his shoulder, cry all over him - he lets you do whatever you need to do to be happy again, and he’ll try his best to cheer you up too :D

Yuta

loves reading with you, it’s one of his favourite things to do :”)

sometimes just ends up staring at you which leads to him pulling you towards him which leads to cuddling while reading and for him to kiss the top of your head an infinite amount of times

omg he will let you braid his hair or play with it or do all kinds of things to it

painting each other’s nails !! and searching for unique accessories in stores!

he’ll just buy an accessory and give it to you like “i just know this will look good on you, please try it on!”

i feel like he’ll be very honest with you about everything

so you both have nights when you talk for hours about your thoughts

and in the morning forget all about it by watching something while in bed hehe

will like exercising with you from time to time so you both stay healthy!

always thinking about you and your health, both mental and physical

you might be able to convince him to get a couple outfit :o

Doyoung

Like Johnny, likes taking photos of you but does it a bit more shyly

puts on a cool front all the time but he’s quite shy ;-;

loves to bake with you and actually takes it quite seriously

he’ll chase you around if you smudge batter on his face >:)

makes home dates fancy by lighting so many scented candles that the smell actually becomes unbearable

when you go on walks together, he’ll hide behind you every time he sees a dog, and you always have to apologize to the dog owners on his behalf because he’s scared :”D

likes to lie on top of you when you cuddle, with his weight on his legs which are on either side of you so he’s not crushing you, just so he can trace the shape of your face with his fingertips

if you cry, he cries and if you laugh, he’ll laugh - i feel like that’s how he’ll comfort you, by empathizing :”)

likes to go on car rides with you where the two of you are just singing songs 

always makes sure you’re eating your meals and staying hydrated - brings you food if you’re busy or forget

gets you really thoughtful gifts for special days but also throws a few meme gifts in there

Jaehyun

that bf who invites you to watch him play basketball just so he can take off his shirt in the middle of the game and watch as your face turns red

i feel like he’ll tease you in that ^ way a lot - he’s always trying to fluster you

he likes peaches so imagine going peach picking with him !! you’ll take such cute photos together and if he’s taller than you, he’ll pick all the peaches that you can’t ;3;

always trying to cheer you up whenever you’re sad - why can i picture him doing aegyo TT

this one time it rained when you were on a late night walk with him and he took off his jean jacket, held it above your heads as you ran home, but you ended up wet anyway :”)

super comforting whenever you’re sick or don’t feel good

constantly complimenting you and shows you lots of physical affection

always hugs you when he sleeps because if you’re not there, he’d just be hugging the blanket instead

not incredibly sentimental but always tries his best to show his love for you

tried to make breakfast in bed for you and dropped a whole bunch of cutlery on the floor :D

went through your phone and saved his name as ‘peach’ in it

Winwin

(this is from WayV as boyfriends, that’s why it looks a little different <3)

SOFT ANGEL

SOFT SOFT SOFT

did i mention he’s soft?

always worried about you 

genuinely cares about your feelings

a lot of “are you okay?” and “you’re not mad at me, right?”

if you’re ever in a bad mood, he’ll run to the store real quick and grab your favourite food for you

A LOT OF CUDDLES AND LAZY MORNINGS

he doesn’t like skinship but loves to hold you :’)

too shy to show affection in public tho

will hold your hand at the most

even if he does that, he’ll hold your hand in your pocket because he’s so shy

pls protecc him at all costs

is willing to do anything for you

sometimes you have to ask him how he genuinely feels about something

because he can’t say no :(

please make sure you tell him you love him regularly, or he’ll be sad :(

a lot of stay-at-home dates like watching movies

watchiNG ANIME (if you like it, of course)

“let’s just do whatever you want”

wiLL CRUSH YOU IN MOBILE GAMES

“i beat you! now give me a kiss >:)”

Jungwoo

if you also like to eat, y’all will have the most epic food dates omg

literally travelling to countries just to try the food there - that’s what it will be like

most of your dates involve food, but also a lot of walking dates so you can burn it off :”)

yet also many movie nights on the days where you don’t want to walk

he’ll learn your speaking habits and will imitate you whenever you get annoyed or angry 

likes to play soccer with you, even if you’re bad at it (so he can tease you), but if you’re good then he’ll enjoy trying to beat you

he’s the one who roasts you the most yet also cares for you the most

likes to kiss your neck because he can smell your natural scent, but if you hate it then he’ll do it to tease you or he’ll stop if you seriously tell him to

imitates kdrama male actors and actually makes your heart flutter by doing those things

and when you see the actors kissing in a drama,,,, you already know what he’s about to do

when you’re upset, he’ll hug you tightly and stay with you until you feel better

Mark

y’all have a shared playlist that you always add songs to so you can listen to it during car rides or when cuddling 

he keeps everything and anything you give him, whether it be a candy wrapper, flowers, a belt, shoes, anything

prepares really sweet gifts for you - a lot of songs or meaningful things

claims that you’re his muse and sometimes just stares at you for 5 minutes whenever you drop by his studio

“you’re my sun, i’m photosynthesizing so just stay right there”

he’s shy and gets flustered easily when you kiss or hug him, even when you just hold his hand

you have a tradition with him each fall where you go to a park, gather all the leaves to make a pile so you can dive into it

usually ends with you falling on top of him and the two of you just laying there for a long time

voice calls that last for more than 8 hours will become a thing when you date him :”)

always jokes about things related to marriage like ‘wow imagine if we had our wedding here’ and laughs awkwardly but he’d actually love to marry you 

takes you on trips that he claims are for him to get inspiration for music writing but he really just wants to spend time with you

Haechan

you already know what you’ve signed up for, right? chaos, absolute chaos - but in the best way

super clingy, always holding onto your arm or hand

whines when you don’t give him hugs or attention

bought a big plushie that reminded him of you so he can hug it when you’re not there and he misses you

he’s such a baby omg he’ll love being babied by you

makes hand crafted, diy gifts that clearly have his entire heart and soul in them

likes singing karaoke songs with you because if too you’re shy to sing alone, at least when he sings with you, he can hear a bit of your voice

cannot live if you’re sad or upset - he’ll do anything to help you feel better

cuddling is his favourite thing on this planet and he’ll wrap his legs around you so the two of you become an entangled mess, yet somehow are still comfortable

texts you random things like ‘i just saw a dog’ but also says stuff like that out loud to you

acts strong and cool sometimes like when you’re watching horror movies but fails miserably :(

ah, have you made it to the bottom? thank you for reading <3 were you by any chance looking for a sign? because this is it, this is your sign. i wish you luck with whatever it is that you must or must not do ;3;

[bonny-kookoo]

A machine that feels:

One does, one doesn’t | SHORT | PJM x MYG x Reader | ❤️🌩🔞❗️🤖

Pairing: platonic(?) PJM x Reader, platonic(?) MYG x Reader, JJK x reader

Genre: romance, Android!AU, Angst!!, mature

Warnings: past sexwork (it’s only a tiny bit mentioned but still), poor robo boys were treated like trash, but it’s okay they’re in good hands now, confusion, clumsy yoongi- but more like verbally clumsy you’ll get it trust me, timid jimin, he’s so soft, do I smell romance blooming hmm...

Summary: seeing Jungkooks drastic changes into a right direction, both Hoseok and Taehyung decide to bring their Androids, Yoongi and Jimin, two former pleasure bots to the shelter- to introduce them to you and Kook, and maybe help them recover just as great as the military Android did. But there’s the issue; while jimin wants to learn how to feel, Yoongi doesn’t seem to be too eager to learn..

Jimin likes to feel.

It’s somewhat of a little reminder that, against what’s always said about him and his kind, he is actually alive, and doesn’t just pretend to be. He doesn’t understand most of the emotions he’s gone through in the past, the fear of openly expressing them still present, even though he knows that he’s not forced to be a certain way anymore. He’s still filled with bitter fear, and embarrassment whenever he interprets something wrong.

The only way he knows how to express his emotions was physical, after all.

It’s still heavily frustrating to him that Taehyung doesn’t want that from him. Jimin isn’t sure why the young man bought him in the first place; his whole purpose was physical pleasure, so why was this person telling him that he’s more than that?

He tries to make sense of it, but he can’t find any conclusion that seems logical for him. He knows he’s bad at household chores, barely managing to operate the rice cooker at this point. He’s bad at doing laundry, since his eyes had been damaged and can’t distinguish color that well anymore. He’s not very helpful at helping his new owner around the animal shelter either- too fearful of hurting the dogs and cats and little pets around to really do anything by himself.

He wants to be helpful, but he can’t think of a way he could ever be.

And it fills him with confusing emotions he doesn’t understand, things he detects as sadness and dissatisfaction and disappointment in himself. He just wants to understand.

He just wants to feel.

Yoongi however, doesn’t.

He knows what’s hate, knows what’s anger, knows what’s frustration; his past owner having joked around that the hit to his head had knocked some human sense into him by accident.

And he hates it.

He doesn’t get why Jimin craves to understand emotions so much. He’d been totally comfortable being used every day back at the place he’d been employed- it had been irrational that he had suddenly felt something like disgust at being touched by strangers. He doesn’t know himself why he suddenly started to hate physical contact, doesn’t understand why his body suddenly didn’t listen to basic commands anymore.

Maybe he had been broken when blow had hit his head.

Because there’s moments he feels guilty about something he can’t seem to pinpoint. When he gets into a argument with Jimin or Hoseok, he tends to use harsh words, and it doesn’t hurt him immediately like he knows it should. It bites him back way later however, when he has to observe the aftermath of his actions and words used, and even though he knows he has all the right to talk like he does, he still feels guilt. He still feels sadness. He still feels..

Tired.

He’s an Android, so simply charging should help his body regain energy again. At first he’d thought his batteries might have been damaged as well, but their capacity was still at 97%- a healthy amount for an Android his age.

So why did he feel tired all the time? Exhausted even?

He really didn’t want to feel.

Jimin watches the small puppies with worried optics as they all excitedly run towards him, instantly trying to crawl all over him as they Nop on his clothes or play with their litter mates around him. “He likes you.” A female voice comments, and his system instantly craves to know who it belongs to.

Turning around, he spots a female human, smiling at him gently as she opens the gate carefully, stepping inside the playpen the puppies are running around as she sits down close to him. It feels weird to have her so close, for some odd reason it makes him nervous.

He’s nervous often nowadays.

“What’s your name?” She asks, and jimin swallows, trying to sort out his current system operations and scans before he stutters.

“J-M095.” He answers, because that’s what his name was. But you simply giggle. Did he say something wrong?

“So you’re Jimin, yeah? Taehyung had told me about you.” She says, and he nods. If you’ve heard about him, you know of his purpose- and he’d learned that humans weren’t too fond of conversing much with a pleasure bot. “It’s nice to meet you.” You suddenly say however, bowing a bit as you still smile friendly. “I’m Y/N.” You tell him, and he nods, throat suddenly dry.

He has to avert his eyes, your visuals too strong for his internal system to fully support at the moment. You know what he is, right? Why were you so nice to him? He was just an Android-

“Baby!” A Voice says, and Jimin turns, spotting a young man- no, an Android, giving you something. A water bottle? “Please rehydrate. You have not consumed any water in the last 52 Minutes.” He says, and you get up, accepting the bottle as the Android leans closer until his dark hairs can touch your face-

A kiss?

Jimi a optics move frantically before he hastily averts them, feeling weird to have witnessed this. He knows what that gesture was, what it meant, but he wouldn’t have thought that you.. but another scan of the other Android just tells him that it’s a military model with a rebooted system. Yet when his eyes follow the dark haired Android named JJK walk over to the bigger dogs he’s even more confused.

Why is he petting them?

Now, again, jimin knows what this gesture means to humans. But androids can’t feel satisfaction or other positive feelings from simply touching an animals coat.

Right?

“Aren’t they cute?” You comment, and jimin perks up, before averting his eyes again.

“I.. guess they do possess all distinctive features to be considered as such, yes.” He says, and you notice the very unique sound of his voice. There’s a very mild metallic undertone to it that you think you could fix if he’d ever let you- and one of his optics also seems to be faulty, as it moves quite slow and erratically compared to the other.

“Hmhm.” You say. “But do you think they’re cute?” You ask, and Jimin looks at the puppies. There’s several running around, playing and roughhousing with their brothers and sisters. He’s more comfortable with the lone one currently clumsily climbing into his lap however. It’s shy and seems to shake a little, watching her mates with a sense of slight fear. “You can pet her. I think it would help her feel less scared.” You say gently, and Jimins hand slowly comes down, touching the soft fur of the puppy, jumping away a bit as it looks up, trying to lick at his palm. He tried again, and feels a weird sense of comfort run through his system.

He likes this.

“You’re cute too, Jimin.“ You day, and Jimin suddenly looks up, furrowing his brows. It’s the first real glimpse of his face you get. „I know you’ll say no, but humans think of things as cute when they appeal to them in a certain way too.“ you explain, your past experiences with Jungkook helping you to explain these things to the Android in front of you.

“Taehyung says I can no longer offer my services.” He hesitantly says, and watches as your cheeks turn a bit red in embarrassment. He likes the giggle that escapes you however.

“I- that’s-“ you start, before you clear your throat. „And that’s true. You should decide on your own with whom you want to connect like this. You’re your own person.” You say, and Jimin nods.

Maybe he wasn’t yet.

But maybe he was becoming his own person.

“I do not think that a bunch of old felines can fix the errors in my system” Yoongi comments, as he’s practically shoved into the cat-room by Hoseok. He flips down in the middle of the room like a child throwing a tantrum, simply sitting with his arms and legs crossed, uncaring and passive as he hears Hoseok sigh.

“Just.. try.” He mumbles, before his presence leaves.

Yoongi is alone for a while.

His scans show several bodies inside the room with him, but nothing moves for a while as he waits. If he lets himself think about it, if he were to be a cat, he wouldn’t get close to him neither. There’s no reason to; he has no food to offer, doesn’t know how to properly play with cats, and they all seem too old to enjoy these things either.

But he feels connected to them, in a way.

Because he too, is an old model with outdated soft- and hardware, that no one wants anymore. Maybe they should built shelters for androids? But then again, he could also simply be scrapped for parts as a last purpose. He doesn’t understand why that has not happened yet.

“Oh?” A female voice sounds, and suddenly, there’s movement.

The old bodies awake, stretching their limbs before they start to move towards the origin of the sound. “They like you.” He comments, and your body comes into the range of his sight, as you sit down in front of him. He’s not interested in humans, but he does note that you are a very visually appealing person. You nod, before putting some treats into his lap. He doesn’t know if he should be offended or confused by the action. “What’s the purpose of that?”he asks, before picking up the small bag.

“They’re a little wary of you- you’re new, and they haven’t had the best experience with people until now. So-“ you say, opening the bag for him when you notice him struggling. His body was weak these days- but he was glad that you weren’t commenting on it. “Sometimes you gotta help them a bit. Lure them in, you know?” You say with a smile, before you show him how you put a treat on your knee, bringing the cats closer.

He mimics that action.

He watches them intently, until he hears you giggle. “You’re making them nervous if you watch them like a predator.” You say, and he doesn’t know why he suddenly feels shy, but his system doesn’t seem to be in his control suddenly. “What’s your name?” You ask, and he scoffs a little.

“You already know who I am, and why I was brought here. Your question is simply used to lead to something you call ‘smalltalk’ which is something I’m not interested in participating.” He says, and immediately wants to slap himself. He doesn’t know why he feels the urge to do it, but he does- the guilt flowing into his veins as he awaits you leaving. But he can only sense you nod.

“That’s okay. We can just be quiet then.” You say, and his system halts for a second or two. Because he doesn’t want you to be silent- he likes the sound of your voice, he just doesn’t want to talk. There’s no input he could give, because all his words ever did was hurt and offend.

And even though he doesn’t know you, he doesn’t want you to feel neither of those things.

“You’re..” he starts, suddenly feeling weirdly hesitant. “In an intimate relationship with one of the androids here. JJK.” He states, and you nod, with no hesitation he could detect. You didn’t seem shameful at all about it.

“What about it?” You ask, and he slowly reaches out his hand towards a scruffy looking cat that seems weak on his legs. He slowly leans forward to sniff the hand of the Android however, as Yoongis optics watch the scene intently.

“That’s not his purpose.” He states, and you nod again.

“He doesn’t have one these days.” You say, and yoongis brows furrow as his face shows confusion. You decide to explain as the scruffy cat suddenly bumps his head into the palm of the Android, who begins to scratch the cats neck as if on autopilot. “He can decide on his own. The relationship is because we both love each other a lot- I’d never force anything on him.” You say, and Yoongi nods in confirmation as the other cats slowly brush their body’s against his back and knee.

They’re becoming comfortable around him.

And he can’t help but feel as if it’s because he’s comfortable with you.

“This is very inconvenient.” Yoongi comments, as Jimins worried expression shows how sorry he feels for the words of the older Android.

“He doesn’t mean it like that-“ he starts, but Yoongi cuts him off.

“I do.” He says, and you laugh as Jungkook brings you some parts you’ve requested.

“It’s fine. I know it’s not as professional as it could be.” You say, and Jungkook sits down close to you as his arm places itself around your middle while he watches you work on Yoongi’s arm.

“It’s better than nothing. Your physical strength had been declining to a mere 32%- after swapping these parts you’ll be up to almost 80% again.” He comments. “You should express a bit more gratefulness considering this is done out of pure generosity.” He says, icy blue optics watching Yoongis red ones.

“Please don’t fight-“ Jimin says, and Jungkook turns around to face the shorter Android.

“We are- not fighting though?” He says, and you giggle again. Everyone turns towards you.

“Guys please let me work, you can all be cute later.” You say.

“Your Home is very nice.” Jimin says as he sits on the couch with a cup of warm tea in his hands. He likes the feeling of warmth against his skin.

“It’s very small.” Yoongi deadpans, and Jimin looks at him instantly, as Yoongi grumbles out. “But it.. fits the definition of a ‘home’ quite well, I suppose..”

The corners of Jungkooks lips turn upwards into a small smile as he looks at you next to him. “It is a home.” He confirms.

And maybe, it’ll become a home to them too, one day.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Rover Dangerfield (1991)

If you’re a hot new comedian at the top of your game and you want to make the transition into full-length motion pictures, watch Rover Dangerfield. Take heed of its warnings. This is how NOT to do it. Don't make writer, co-producer, and star Rodney Dangerfield's fall be in vain.

Rover (voiced by Dangerfield) is a fast-talking, wise-cracking, gambling dog living in Las Vegas. When he upsets his owner’s boyfriend, Rocky (Sal Landi), he is thrown over the Hoover Dam to drown. Luckily for our canine protagonist, he is saved. Grateful at first, he’s horrified to discover that he now lives on a farm.

I wish Rover Dangerfield was egregiously unfunny, insulted your intelligence, or unsightly. . Then there’d be more to talk about. This is a film so mediocre it becomes a forgettable waste of everyone’s time and effort. The animation is ok, sometimes dipping its toe into sub-par. The best way to describe it is “generic”. Rover is modeled after the real-life comedian. He sticks out as unique. Everyone else looks like they’ve been pulled from some other random late 80’s/early 90’s animated picture. The humans look realistic while the animals are cartoony. Some of them behave like real animals, others are semi-anthropomorphic. There’s no consistency and evidently, little care was put into the designs. The acting? It’s ok. There's not much to say about it. The writing offers more inspiration. Not to say that it's inspired; you’ll find yourself wondering “haven’t I seen all of this before?” The city slicker in the country thing’s been done countless times. Slapping on a "cartoon dog" skin doesn't make it revolutionary. Tasking Dangerfield with sly comments doesn’t do much either, mostly because every snarky remark he dishes out is neither innovative nor fresh. Almost as if the best material had to be saved for stand-up routines, or got neutered to be inoffensive.

Rover Dangerfield is a head-scratcher. What's the point? Why not allow Rodney to really show off his comedic talents? Did he look at his notes and seriously think “Hey! This is great! It’ll have the audiences rolling in their seats to see me as a dog!” It's like they came up with the title, and then the creative juices stopped. The "plot" is little more than a bunch of sketches between musical numbers (did you ever want to hear Rodney sing? No? Too bad). No one older than 8 would find them funny, none are memorable regardless of your age. It all feels more like padding for a story that barely makes it to 74 minutes than a musical achievement.

You could make a lot of jokes at the expense of Rover Dangerfield. It’s “The movie that deserves no respect” or perhaps you could comment that showing this film to your children is much crueler than anything his character did in Natural Born Killers. But coming up with such jokes wouldn’t be worth your while, not for this movie. It’s more bland than bad, but with nothing actually “good” about it, The best I can offer Rover Dangerfield is a 2/5. (On VHS, July 7, 2012)

[sputtersparky-tm]

Here’s the fanfic I wrote yesterday...

  Sorry it took me a bit to post this, my girlfriend came over and then we got distracted with videogames... and... then I ran out of energy to edit this puppy...

So without further ado, a late Valentine’s gift to all you lovely people who follow me out there...

A Blooming Romance [A Liquidator x Bushroot Fanfiction]

(Transferred from my Wattpad Drafts)

 The rain trickled over the glass making up the greenhouse. Spike laid dormant by his owner and best friend he so loyally stayed by through thick and thin. Sighing as he lifted a leaf of his rose bush, Bushroot sat limply over the delicate plant. Spike tilted his head, approaching Bushroot as he sulked over the rosy reds growing so beautifully.

  Nudging his arm, Spike wriggled himself into Bushroot's space. With a lick over his cheek, Bushroot's sullen look of shame evaporated into a soft smile. "Oh Spike, at least I have you through it all."

  Spike nodded as he knocked Bushroot onto his back with a pounce. "AH!" He yelped being flung backwards. Succumbing to his friend's demands, he lifted his leafy hands to pet Spike's head.

  "Feeling lonely? Only have your pet as a companion in life? Wanna have some wet, wild fun with your watery wonder of a partner in crime?" The gurgled voice of the well known water dog startled Bushroot from his moment with Spike.

  Leaning his head back to look where the voice came from. "Oh! It's you! W-W-What are you doing here? Is Negaduck doing a heist today?" Bushroot became excited at the hope of being distracted from the dreary day.

  "As vile and hateful as he is, I'm sorry to say I haven't heard anything from Negaduck all day. It seems this Valentine's Day shall go without the evil escapades of the five of us." Liquidator shook his head and pretended to brush dirt off his arm. As he approached his leafy green friend, Bushroot had gotten onto his feet.

  "Darn it... Well then that brings me back to my original question!" Bushroot furrowed his brows.

  "Hm, well my company's Valentine's special sales are skyrocketing, and I figured I would have something to do today, but it seems all I have is just my money and my shallow company to keep me company." Liquidator started off bragging. His expression saddened a little as he saw Bushroot's bemusement. "And, it seems sometimes even a million dollar company isn't enough to satisfy the humble heart of this hound dog." He splashed his hands to his chest as he gestured.

  Bushroot scoffed. "Oh, so I suppose you want my help kidnapping some sad sap so you can have a little fun today?" He knew it was close to improbable that he would really have any fun of his own today.

  "Hey now! I may be clever and villainous but that doesn't mean I don't believe in consent! After all, I am very prideful of my position on the top of the Capitalist lifestyle. And what more is Capitalism than even the poorest of the poor being able to choose as little as what water they drink?" Liquidator defended himself.

  "T-That's n-not exactly corre-"

  "SO! What do you say, my dear partner in crime? Would you like to join me for a night on the town? The evening may be young but there's nothing wrong with starting our romantic outing early!"

  "Are you asking me out on a date with you?" Bushroot seemed appalled at first, he'd never been asked out by a man before, well there was that one time in college, but he already had his eyes set on a lovely young lady from the technologies field.

  "I think you owe me your answer first before I give you mine." Liquidator smirked deviously.

  "Uhhh..." Bushroot felt his heart skip a beat, his cheeks growing as red as the roses beside him. He hadn't thought in all his time of working alongside Liquidator that he'd ever be interested like this. At one point, he'd thought that there would maybe be something between them, after all they went so well together, it was almost fate that they'd both been mutated into their current forms! But Liquidator came off as such a square of a man, nothing more than the stereotypical heterosexual businessman who may even go so far to take bribes from all the worst people, worse than even the dreadful Dr. Slug!

  "Well?" Liquidator pulled Bushroot from his flustered silence.

  "S-Sure!" He blurted out, shaking from his nerves at the idea of being asked out by someone so confident. He immediately felt himself going down the slippery slope of his usual routine when it came to new people being in his life. He shook off the toxic temptations of growing dependent upon his date for the night. He didn't want to come off too strong. Taking a deep breath, he looked up to Liquidator.

  "So it's a date then! Shall we be on our way?" So smoothly as he normally did, he locked arms with his Bushy compatriot.

  "Oh, y-yes! Spike, please watch the house while we're out?"

  With a nod of confirmation, the two mutants were out in the rainy world.

_

  Darkwing Duck had gotten a call to a local restaurant about two very uniquely unmistakable villains hijacking a normal Valentine's Day dinner service.

  Having done his normal entrance, he now held his iconic gas gun pointed at Bushroot and Liquidator, who previously sat peacefully at a table. "Stay seated and surrender, or suck gas you sultry sickos!"

  "Oh, can't we just have one nice dinner without you bugging in? You're no better than a parasitic case of morning glories!" Bushroot rolled his eyes and slammed his hand to the table below him.

  "Lonely? Bitter? Why don't you mind your own business or face the wrath of the Liquidator!" The Liquidator announced as he began winding up to attack the cape-cladded duck.

  "Say, since we haven't ordered dinner yet, why don't we just make our own? Pan-Seared Duck, anybody?" Bushroot lifted the candle alongside the wooden roses that had been decoration at their table.

  "Wouldn't that hurt the roses though, Bushy?" Liquidator paused in concern.

  "No worries, these are nothing more than flammable fakes! Created from the mulched remains of long lost brethren. If anything, this is actually pretty poetic!" Bushroot explained as he set the bushel of roses alight.

  "Amazing." Liquidator said softly under his breath as he watched his date's face glowing from the flames.

  "Hey! You love sick losers, either surrender or risk being humiliated by the stunning strength of Darkwing Du-UCK!" Darkwing dropped to the floor, dodging the burning bouquet that had been chucked at his face.

  By this time, it was only the three of them in the restaurant, 1 v 2, Darkwing Duck was surely overpowered. He yelped as he was chased all around the restaurant, now struggling to get control of the situation. Just as he was about to get ahead of the game with a fire extinguisher and a sponge from the kitchen, all power went out inside of the building, leaving them in the darkness.

  Bushroot struggled to find his nearly crystal clear date, but his bewilderment didn't last long as he felt a cooling grasp wrap around his waste as he was carried out of the building, leaving the real loser behind.

  Stopping on top of an abandoned tower's rooftop, Liquidator put Bushroot down.

  They stared silently at the city-scape below for a moment before Bushroot broke the silence.

  "That was the most fun I've had while on a dinner date EVER!" He chuckled as he looked at his date.

  "Anytime you want a good time, all you have to do is call!" Liquidator smiled at Bushroot as he imitated holding a phone to his ear.

  "W-Why do you suppose the power went out back there?" Bushroot glanced over the blackened city scape. "It seems we weren't the only ones who dealt with a blackout..."

  "Hm, seems you're right, I wonder if Megavolt is going to town with one of his devices..."

  "Gross." Bushroot shook his head in disgust.

  "Says the one who went on a date with a man made of water." Liquidator nudged Bushroot lightly.

  "Hey! T-That's different, my date is actually a living being! Way better than any c-cold-hearted robotic piece of machinery that that cooky rat fawns over...!" Bushroot paused for a moment as he thought to himself.

  "Uh-huh." Liquidator began humming in disbelieving agreeance as Bushroot went on.

  "He's super handsome, for one thing, really suave and intelligent, he also has a great personality, he knows when it's time to get serious and when it's time to have fun. He's also very slick and clever..." Bushroot's words faded as he looked to his date who nodded with a cocky smirk gliding over his muzzle. "What?" He asked nervously fidgeting with his hands.

  "Bushroot, I know how you can be with people, you're very clingy and you often care too much." Liquidator started.

  Bushroot slumped and began to feel his heart race as he felt his nerves go up. Had he come on too strong? His mind began to race with all the anxious thoughts that had not plagued him since his fling with Posey.

  "So I want you to know something. Don't worry about being overly clingy, because regardless, I'm committed to you just like I am to my business. I may seem cold and uncaring at times but just know that no matter what, you're the only one I want. I mean, I don't exactly believe in fate but think about it, we're perfect for each other. You're a plant, I'm living water, it's almost too much to accept us as simply a coincidence!" Liquidator went on.

  Bushroot's heart was toyed with as one minute it was racing from him being nervous to him being romantically enthused. Liquidator stopped himself, turning to Bushroot he reached out his paw and to hold Bushroot's leafy green hand.

  "All this to say, I know it's too soon to say it but-"

  "I love you." Bushroot cut him off.

  "Hey! I was gonna say that!" Liquidator snapped back playfully.

  "T-Too bad! I-I-I said it first!" Bushroot smiled meekly, hoping to not mess anything up.

  "Hm, seems I'll have to take another first in retaliation, huh?" Liquidator cocked an eyebrow at Bushroot as he thought to himself.

  "O-Oh? And what first would that be?" Bushroot's demeanor changed to being more submissive as he prepared for the worst.

  "Oh nothing, but after all that action, wouldn't you like to lie down and rest?" Liquidator suggested.

  "O-On this floor!? Oh I-"

  "Bushroot, you sleep on literal dirt, I don't think this is very different, but here..." The Liquidator then shot up and power-blasted a clearing on the dirty roof just to appease his date.

  "Whoa... I-I-I guess a little rest wouldn't hurt... besides, knowing that egomaniac, Darkwing is probably out looking for us..." Bushroot slowly lowered himself on the clean patch. "I guess you could say in this case it's best to lay low for a while, huh?" Laughing nervously, he watched as the Liquidator shook his head at his pun.

  Laying next to Bushroot, the Liquidator took his date's hand. "May I have you answer a survey for me?" He asked, gazing over the stars above.

  "S-Sure! It won't hurt!" Bushroot smiled carelessly.

  "On a scale from 1 to 10, how would you rate this date?" He began.

  "Definitely a 10!" Bushroot nodded.

  "How would you rate your man of the night?" Liquidator went on.

  "Mmmm, that's a tricky one..." The Liquidator looked intrigued as Bushroot hummed in thought. "I'd say your rating scale hardly cuts it for my answer, but I suppose I'll settle on a mere 10!"

  The Liquidator smirked, if he was able to, he'd be blushing. "Oh, why thank you..." He responded, holding back a flattered chuckle. Clearing his throat he went on. "How- I mean-" He quickly pulled himself back together. "Would you go on another date with me?"

  "Oh, that's easy! Of course I would!" Bushroot beams.

  "Excellent, any final comments or questions before I conclude this survey?" Liquidator grinned.

  "Hmmm, well, next time we should totally show Darkwing what for! And also..." Bushroot looked away from the night sky above, clearer than it normally was without the light pollution. "Thank you."

  "What for?" Liquidator asked curiously.

  "Taking a chance on an old plant duck like myself... most wouldn't care to."

  "It was only a matter of time before I got the courage to ask you out." The water dog shrugged nonchalantly.

  Bushroot scoffed. "You? Needing courage?"

  As if on cue, Liquidator chimed. "It's more likely than you think!"

  "I don't believe it!" Bushroot rolled his eyes.

  "Better believe it!" The Liquidator rolled over and hovered his face over Bushroot's. Leaning in closer, the Liquidator stopped as his muzzle was about to meet Bushroot's bill. "Or should I get a scientist to back up my claims?" He said in a low voice.

  Bushroot's face went red as he became flustered. "I-I-I-I-I uh, um, well..." He sputtered, stuttered, and stammered until his bill was closed by a kiss. Bushroot's eyes widened in shock, before he relaxed and enjoyed the moment.

  Moving away from Bushroot's mouth, the Liquidator rolled off of him. "Now we're even."

 Bushroot sat up and stared at Liquidator with a shocked expression, beak agape in a struggle to find the words to say.

  "What do you say we take refuge at my place until the morning comes?" The Liquidator lifted Bushroot up onto his feet.

  "Oh! u-uh sure! Of course! Yeah! Uh, I mean... sure." Bushroot quickly cooled his excitement.

 "No time to waste! The night is still young so we ought to act fast!" Liquidator scooped Bushroot into his arms again and carried him back to his home far above the streets.

  "H-Hey look! The city has power again!" Bushroot pointed out as Liquidator made his way over the rooftops to his company's sky scraper.

  "Oh! It must have been our electrifying kiss that brought the city to life again!" Liquidator said slyly. Bushroot immediately cringed at the awful pun.

  "Don't start with electricity puns! That's Megavolt's thing." Bushroot shook his head.

  "Maybe so, but I do it right!" The Liquidator and Bushroot went back and forth well into the night, staying up far past midnight to just talk and joke and laugh in a new way never before done. A new love washing onto shore with the delicacy of a blooming rose.

[imnotwolverine]

The marriage pact - Wavelength

Henry Cavill x OC Alice - multi-chapter

< Part 1 | Part 2 Wavelength | Part 3 >

Disclaimer: none, perhaps some beach wear? If that tickles your fancy.

Author’s note: It’s romcom weekend, okay? 😘

Word count: 1.949

(Link to my Masterlist)

[ Alice.in.writing.land ]

Dear readers.

Sometimes I wonder. Do I know you as you know me? This morning an anonymous caller called in on the radio morning show to let people know that this Durrell paparazzi craze was hurting the island. Trash everywhere. The dogs barking all throughout the night. All and all, lots of grievances.

Now I know, and I think many people with me, who called. Pitchy voice, concerned about dogs and annoyed with island guests? I’m not going to ring up any names, but.. we know her. And not wholly unimportant: we love her for her concerns, albeit that they sometimes are a bit over exaggerated.

Anonymity only goes so far. And I am rather bad at keeping it, aren’t I? You know my name, my hobbies, my frustrations and how much I love my Jersey. An island that is home to a great many colourful people, wonderful souls. I wonder if any of you readers call Jersey your home too.

And if so.

Have I ever met you?

Just a thought, a blurb, a swindle of the mind. I love you all and wish you, as usual, a splendid Saturday.

Ali

Home is where the hearth is, and in my case, where the waves hit the white sanded beach near my parents place. I remember growing up here so well and I praise myself lucky for having lived here for so long, my family and friends always eager to come over and visit. 

Many a day and night have been spent here, the beach our witness as great memories were made and lifelong friendships forged.

It was, simply put, a very good beach.

I smiled into the early morning sun, a soft breezing caressing through my brown hair as I brushed past the long dune grasses, making my way to my favourite hide-out near the rocks on the far right end. A truly perfect spot for sun bathing without being sand blasted and the water just right for a swim, the sea quickly reaching swim-worthy depths.  

And the best of it was: you had to be a local to know of this place.

It wasn’t particularly easy to reach and thus it was, despite the Durrell craze, desirably quiet in here.  

Reaching my destination I slipped out of my simple summer dress, my sticky skin requiring a quick rinse before I would indulge myself in my two favourite hobbies; sun bathing and writing. Which in all honesty would make up most of my Saturday, as my friends were too occupied with their kids’ soccer practise, grocery shopping or any of the other very adult things to do.

I let the cold water wash away any of those concerning thoughts - how much of a non-adult I was for having reached none of that - and swam out further into the bay.

This was me, at 37. Swimming. Alone.

‘HEY! Ali!’

Okay, not quite alone. BegrudginglyI turned around, my eyes squinting in the reflections of the water. I saw a man wave at me. A dog by his side. An akita..a…hold on..

I felt my heart flutter for the splittest of seconds.

Henry? What the hell was he doing here?

With quick and sure strikes I swam back to the shoreline, the clear definition of Henry wearing a blue shirt and some airy linen pants appearing right next to the spot where I had left my clothes. Panting ever so slightly I waded out of the water, not quite sure what to say or do as I walked up to Henry.

Henry gave me a quick look up and down, then swallowed semi-awkwardly, a boyish smile turning up on his lips.

Well, that hadn’t changed.

‘Hi Henners.’ I said, filling in the silence.

‘Hi Ali.’ He smiled, still a bit unsure of what to say or what kind of face to pull. Meanwhile Kal wasn’t half so hesitant, the large akita pulling on his leash to get closer to me.

I chuckled and ruffled the dog behind his ears, then pointed at my clothes that lay behind Henry. ‘Just gonna..fetch a towel if you don’t mind.’

‘Oh yea sure. Sorry.’ Henry stepped aside and Kal looked up at him, almost as if asking his owner why he was being such an awkward dork.

‘So…long time no see.’ I grinned, wiping myself dry with the towel, Henry’s eyes now averted to the sea - perhaps to watch the waves, perhaps to offer me the slightest of privacy. ‘Yes. A whole 23 hours.’ He smiled, blue eyes gazing at the aquamarine water.

‘And now you are in dire need of some down time.’ I stated, stepping in beside him, the towel now wrapped around my body.

‘Kind of..yea.’ He looked to his side, his eyes far more relaxed and at peace than they were yesterday. Yesterday I met Henry the actor. Today it was..just Henry. I smiled and nodded at a picnic rug I had brought along. ‘You can join me if you want. I even brought cake.’

‘Thanks. I’d like that. Though no cake…unfortunately..no cake.’ He folded his lips in disappointment, then quickly turned them back up into a smile.

‘Alright then. I guess you Hollywood stars survive on salads and champagne alone then, huh?’ We both chuckled. ‘Don’t let my team hear that, or I won’t be allowed to drink champagne either.’ He raised an eyebrow in amusement, sitting down on the rug after I folded it out, moving some of my things to the side.

It was weird to say, but it didn’t feel weird at all to sit here with Henry. Sure, he looked different - older, broader and slightly more sorrowful, but the twinkle in his eyes had remained. Henry was still Henry. My bubbly, slightly chunky neighbour Henry with whom I always loved to play and make homework with, was still somewhere deep inside this man.

‘I heard you lived at your parents now, so I decided to pay you a visit. Yesterday was a bit…eh..’ ‘-Weird.’ I interjected, grinning at him. ‘Yea. I honestly didn’t know you still lived here on the islands. I always thought you’d be one of those mainlanders - living the London dream.’

I shook my head, licking my lips and moving my hand through Kal’s thick fur - the dog now also stretched out, right in between me and Henry. ‘Nope. And perhaps I should have. So far my life’s been a bit..’ ‘Weird?’

We both laughed. ‘I was going to say: different than I expected. But weird would do. At least I feel weird. Living with my parents again at 37. I mean..what’s wrong with me?!’

‘May I ask..why? I mean..I hope nobody’s ill or..’

‘Oh no. This is just me failing at finding a life partner that actually wants the same things from..’ I hesitated again, looking up into Henry’s face and seeing bitter recognition. ‘Never mind I shouldn’t unload all that bullshit on you. Hmm…’ I shook my head and looked back at the sea, my voice quiet, but my mind once more racing.

Just a few weeks ago I had broken up with my boyfriend of seven years. Chris. Whom I had thought to be perfect for me. Relaxed, fun, caring. But unfortunately also; not on the same wavelength. And that is, apparently, especially when you really want to have a family, damn important.  

‘Perhaps I can lift your spirits with the knowledge that I am not doing much better. On the relationship department, that is.’ Henry sighed into the fresh morning air, the scent of hot sand starting to rise up into our nostrils.

It was going to be hot today.

‘Surely you could lift a finger and the women come swarming.’ I grinned, eyes finally meeting his again. Almond browns looking into deep blues. And once more I saw that slither of shyness cross his features. Or was it uncertainty? Sorrow?

It was clear that Henry wasn’t jumping at the fact that women would come swarming at him.

‘Too bad I don’t like swarming women.’ He smiled.

There, you had seen that right, girl.

‘Well then you do know what you want. That’s quite unique for a man.’ I said, realising a tad too late that such a thing was a bit mean to say. Henry furrowed his brow, then tilted his head. ‘I feel there’s something underlying that statement. Something happened?’ His question was honest and open, no feelings hurt. I sighed. ‘Ugh. Sorry about that. Chris, my ex, just left a bit of a sting that’s all. He didn’t want the things I wanted, after years of hesitating on his end. And you know..”the clock’s ticking”.’

‘Well. Same I guess.’ Henry shrugged, making me snort. ‘You’re a man Henry, you can children way into your 60s!’

‘No! No..Not really. I mean..I don’t think I could have children that late. I want to actually be there for them. Be there when they’ve grown up.’

‘Always so considerate.’ I smiled, then sighed again, seeing him return my smile, his eyes holding a pensive glint. That was, until he shook his head, laughing at his own thoughts.

‘What?’ I asked, chewing the inside of my lip.

‘Nothing.’

‘Mmmm..You’re an awful liar Cavill. The lot of you actually. Only your mother could ever keep a straight face.’ We both laughed. ‘Might have to take up some acting classes then.’ He winked.

I rolled my eyes, then continued: ‘Remember when you and Charlie had baked that terribly dry cake? UGH. And then you put so much icing on top it was like the titanic all over.’

‘ALI!’ He exclaimed, embarrassed at the memory of presenting this cake for a local baking contest - which of course went miserably.

I chuckled. ‘What?!’ I smiled with playful innocence.

‘Well I practised in the mean time, just so you know.’

‘Good for you.’ I laughed, earning myself another one of his discerning looks, which made me laugh even harder, louder, snorting as his face melted into one of full-on exasperation.

‘You!’ Henry growled, his long arm reaching out for me and pulling me effortlessly into his chest, making Kal quickly get up and move out of the way - the dog could feel this was not a good place to be right now.

I squirmed, wiggling in his arm, trying to get away from him before he could launch some tickles in my sides. Like the old days. Though now it was so very different. We were grown ups now. Grown ups didn’t do this, right? 

‘Hen Hen! Hen! What if people see us? What if..’ My breath was short, chuckles still escaping my lips as he stopped his assault, his arm remaining locked around me, refraining me from going anywhere else. ‘Like I care.’ He laughed. ‘We’re old friends. Heavens. We were toddlers together. Besides, we still have that pact, remember?’

I looked at him incredulously, then blinked, a blush creeping over my cheeks. ‘The.. pact.’ I mumbled, licking my terse lips, quickly looking back out over the water, not wishing to look into his eyes now he suddenly was so very close. Now his musky scent reached my eager nose.

He smelled so good.

‘And we’re way past 35 Ali.’

‘I know. We’re getting old Henners.’ I sighed, the last of my chuckles melting on my lips, my head quite naturally leaning into his shoulder.

And he felt nice too.

Ugh, it was nice to touch a man again. To be around Henry again. The sweet, chubby boy had turned into a gentle hearted hottie. It left me wondering how it came to be that a man like him hadn’t found a good woman yet.

‘You’re thinking very loudly Ali.’

‘Mmm..then indulge me. What am I thinking about?’

Henry chuckled. ‘Me.’

--

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[ejzah]

A/N: The next chapter of the Agent and the Lawyer. Loosely based off of Absolution. I’m trying something a little different with the structure and not following the episodes so closely.

***

The Agent and the Lawyer, Part 18

“We should run together every morning,” Deeks said as he and Kensi rounded a bend in his favorite beach side path. “There’s this great little convenience store where we can grab coffee and a mostly fresh donut. The coffee’s not great, but the owner is super nice.”

Beside him, Kensi was matching him stride for stride, her breath even despite the pace. She smiled at his description, shaking her head.

“It’s not a good idea to follow a particular routine. It’s too easy for your movements, habits, and location to be tracked,” she explained. He knew how important it was for the team to maintain relative anonymity, but sometimes he thought they all took it a little far.

“It’s just coffee Kens. I’m sure no one suspects me of being a big bad fed or cares where I go.”

“Don’t let Sam catch you saying that. He’ll rip you a new one.”

“So does that mean no coffee?” he asked. It was definitely a part of his routine and gave him the energy to run all the way back home. Kensi groaned and tossed her head back, but didn’t put up any further protest when he led them to Sandune Convenience store. “Hey Frank!” he greeted the owner, heading for the canisters of brewed coffee.

“Hi,” Kensi said, looking a little uncomfortable as she waited for Deeks to fill a paper cup for her. Frank shot them a curious look, but didn’t comment.

“I ran five miles today, Deeks told Frank. Kensi snorted at that and said,

“Uh, that’s a big fat lie, he ran three.”

“So rude,” he said, amused at how quickly Kensi had abandoned her reservations when given the chance to make fun of him.

“I thought you were buying me a donut,” she reminded him.

“Of course, my lady.” He grabbed two Boston Creams and an apple fritter because he knew from past experience that when Kensi finished hers, she’d likely try to steal part of his.

After chatting with Frank for a few more minutes-his oldest daughter would be graduating from high school soon-they headed back on to the path. Their pace was leisurely now as they munched on donuts and drank coffee. It was significantly more enjoyable with Kensi beside him.

“Hey Marty!” A woman called out as she ran by. Deeks waved back without thinking.

“You know, if I was the jealous type, I might be worried about all the women who know you, wherever you go,” she said, gesturing with her cup.

“What can I say, I’m a friendly guy,” he said with a shrug, grinning around the rim of his cup. It was adorable when she got jealous.

“Mm, be careful you don’t friendly yourself into singledom.” He rolled his eyes at her warning and nudged her with his shoulder.

“Oh, come on, Kensalina, you know I would never cheat on you.”

“I would hope not,” Kensi said, looking a little uncertain. “You would certainly regret it if you did.”

“I would never,” he repeated seriously. “You have my promise. I’m not that kind of guy.” He saw her cheeks flush a little and she glanced away as an awkward silence grew between them.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and Kensi reached for hers, seeming grateful for the distraction.

“Hey Eric,” she said. “Uh-huh. Ok, we’ll be there in a bit.” Deeks heard the faint sound of Eric’s voice raise in a question. “Oh, yeah, I promised Deeks I’d pick him up.” She forced a laugh and hung up quickly.

“Smooth,” Deeks teased.

“Shut up. Hetty wants us in OPS. Something to do with a dead antiques dealer.” She tossed her trash in a nearby can and then bent down to tighten a shoelace. As she stood back up, she turned to face Deeks, her expression playful. “I’ll race you back.”

Not waiting for him to respond, she took off at a sprint, her delighted chuckle floating behind her.

“Man, you are so whipped,” he said with a smile as he tossed his own cup and followed after.

***

“Where’s Deeks?” Callen asked when Kensi walks into OPS about an hour later. After they got back to his house, they’d made out in Deeks’ garden for several long minutes. Kensi had been highly tempted to call off work and finish what they’d started a couple weeks ago. Common sense had prevailed and she’d reluctantly left before she took Deeks up on his offer to join him in the shower.

She didn’t mention that to Callen though and shrugged.

“He got called into the office for a last minute legal emergency,” she explained.

“What exactly qualifies as a legal emergency?” Sam asked.

“He mentioned something about a CPS case that isn’t going well. He’ll come as soon as he can.”

She found herself turning to make comments to Deeks more than once while Eric, Hetty, and Nell explained who Sebastian Renner was. It felt weirder than she expected without Deeks by her side. She’d grown used to his comments and, often, inappropriate jokes, as well as his unique insight into cases.

***

Kensi smiled involuntarily when she walked back into the bull pen a couple hours later and saw Deeks sitting at his desk.

“So what’d I miss? he asked.

“Our victim, Sebastian Renner, was an arms dealer, a bunch of spies from other countries are now vying for his black book, and Hetty has an ex-German Police officer named Branston Cole, who might have pertinent information,” she summed up. Deeks looked a little stunned for a second and then nodded.

“Wow, this is the last time I take a morning off. You guys bring out the fun cases when I’m gone.”

“Well, now you get to join the fun too,” she said with a smile, grabbing her gun and slipping it into her waistband. Deeks hadn’t passed his firearms training yet, so he just watched. “Callen and Sam got chased out of Renner’s home by his dogs earlier. Now that they’re gone, Hetty wants us to see if we can find anything else.”

“So did you make it here on time this morning?” he asked, smirking at her. “You seemed a little disorganized and, uh, distracted when you left my place.” She smiled sweetly, pretending she wasn’t currently remembering the feel of his chest, damp with sweat, pressing into hers.

“I made it just fine,” she answered. “How was your shower?” Her voice was innocent, but she let her eyes drop a bit lower than was strictly polite.

“It was cold. Very cold.” Kensi snickered at that as they walked out.

***

“M-O-U-S-E?” Kensi said scathingly as she finished cuffing the two men she and Deeks had just fought. She rifled through one’s suit pocket and found a DGSE ID.

“What was I supposed to say?” he asked. “I’m not and Agent and I’m not LAPD. You guys were shouting out your little acronyms and I felt left out. Which, reminds me, why the hell did you kick an NSA Agent in the groin?”

Kensi let out an irritated sigh and showed him the ID.

“He’s French Intelligence, Deeks. He was lying.”

“You couldn’t have possibly known that though.”

“I had a hunch,” she said with a shrug. Deeks made an outraged sound.

“A hunch. You don’t kick a guy in the nuts over a hunch!” He felt a little nauseous at the thought and resisted the urge to cover his crotch.

“I recognized his accent. It’s not American.”

“He didn’t have an accent,” Deeks said, horrified for the agent who was slowly gaining consciousness.

“I’m trained in linguistics, Deeks. I know the difference between French and English speech patterns,” she insisted.

“You’re insane.”

“Deeks, you’re acting ridiculous.” He ignored her, shaking his head.

“Sometimes it’s like I don’t even know you.”

***

Kensi watched Deeks from a few feet away. She couldn’t tell what he was saying, but his lips were split in a wide smile as he chatted with Sam and Callen several seats away.

They’d successfully apprehended a German spy named Matthias and the FBI and NSA were looking for the rest of the spies. They’d had to leave Deeks behind since he wasn’t authorized to carry a weapon.

Now they were at a nearby bar, per Deeks suggestions and on his dime. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. After a few drinks, Nell challenged Eric to a pool game and had even shed the little sweater she wore of her think strapped dress. There was definitely something going on there.

The combination of Deeks’ considerable charm, which he was working to it’s full limits, and large amounts of alcohol both had even Callen and Sam more at ease than she’d seen them in a while.

Deeks noticed her watching and headed her way. He looked ridiculously pleased with himself.

“Nicely done,” she complimented him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said innocently.

“You know that once they sober up, they’re still going to ride you.” He groaned, dragging out a stool to sit next to her.

“Yeah, well, unfortunately I can’t use the same methods I used with you,” he pointed out. Kensi rolled her eyes.

“Oh, you are way too full of yourself,” she said. He chuckled, resting his hand on the middle of her back. He probably did it without even thinking, but Kensi tensed immediately. She roughly pushed his hand away, glancing around to see if anyone had caught Deeks’ slip.

Fortunately they all were occupied and she let out a slow breath of relief. Beside her, Deeks had gone silent, making her belatedly regret her hasty actions.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. He scratched at jaw, not meeting her eyes, which always a bad sign. “I just didn’t-“

“No, it’s ok. I get it.”

“The team is here and we agreed not to...” she trailed off awkwardly as Deeks filled in.

“Yeah, no, we agreed to keep out relationship quiet. I just forget sometimes.” He sighed, the sound heavy. Kensi looked down for a second, pressing her lips together as she tried to think of some way to brighten the mood again.

“You want to come over tonight when we’re done here?” she asked as a form of peace offering. So far she hadn’t let him past her living room and that was only after she hastily straightened everything. Deeks allowed a tiny smile, clearly realizing her attempt to apologize without actually apologizing.

“I would, but I have to work on that pro bono case. It’s a mess,” he said. Kensi wasn’t sure if it was a convenient excuse, but she felt a small sinking in her stomach.

“Ok,” she said in a small voice.

“Maybe tomorrow.”

“Sure.” She tried to tell herself she was overreacting, but couldn’t help notice the distance Deeks kept between them for the rest of the night.

***

A/N: Ooh, unexpected drama. Don’t worry, I don’t plan to have anything terrible happen.

[akimmito]

Heroes are made by the path they choose

Previous | AO3 | Next

___________________________

Chapter 3

The Paris news continues to speak of the Akuma two days after the event, Marinette is stressed coping with the disaster that remained on her catwalk. Unlike in previous years, Paris is not ready to deal with another Hawkmoth again, and the city's mood fell immediately from the moment appeared. Fashion week continues, but everything feels bad. They have not officially left the apartment since the event, although they have been going to the MT headquarters.

She looks at the cup of chamomile tea that Hugo, her butler?, was kind enough to prepare to help her relax, but she knows that a tea won't help her.

"Mother, we should get out of town. You're pale. ”Damian approaches her and analyzes her posture, obviously she didn't sleep the night before because she was checking the security cameras distributed by Paris looking for the origin of the butterfly, but they are more than five hundred and Max's algorithm barely reduced it to one hundred and twenty cameras. He's concerned about her health, he knows how she gets when she focuses too much on a task.

"Do you want to go to the country house?" She asks putting her head on her arm, dozing off from lack of sleep and the calming effect of chamomile. She just needed a distraction from her mind.

"Yes, you could use a break. Felix can take care of everything in the MT and if they need us, we are a portal away. "He maintains his neutral expression, there are days when he reproaches himself for caring for the woman who decided to adopt him knowing that he's a trained killer, but today is not one of those. She never wanted to change it, not as he thinks his father would have done if he had gone to live with him... Bruce Wayne doesn't tolerate murder, after all. The MT is curious, they dance a lot on the gray line. He was lycky to get them.

"Yeah... you're right." Mariette straightens up and rubs her eyes. If they are going to travel, she must avoid falling asleep until they are in the car on the way to the country house. "That reminds me, we can take Ringo, the vet says that its leg is already better and that he can be transferred from the shelter without problems. "

Damian is encouraged by the news, the little cub was shot in the leg by some thieves, the owner despised him taking it as lost, but he asked his mother to help it heal so that it would not die. The puppy is alive and they can take it to a place where he can be safe and be a happy dog. They made the right decision.

"Go get your bags ready. Maybe we will get to lunch time. "She gets up and picks up her phone, she must notify the employees that they will arrive earlier than planned.

Damian goes to his room being followed by Longg, he must get everything he will carry ready. Not even fifteen minutes have passed when he has everything ready, keeping comfortable clothes to be able to play with his pets in the extensive terrain, very different from his normal residence.

Marinette and Damian live on the top floor of an apartment building just four blocks from the Eiffel Tower, she likes the evening view and even has a window where she has placed a mattress. Damian also became a fan of that same location and became his favorite area within the apartment, although he prefers the Animal Shelter and the country house, both of which were bought especially for him, all because she couldn't fill the apartment with animals (despite of her own desires to do so).

The only pet in the apartment is a very demanding fluffy white cat who likes to be the center of Damian's attention, who gets angry on weekend trips to the country house, where it's forced to live with the others animals ... dirty and unworthy of be a Lenoir. The cat is very proud to be the favorite and it hates with all its might the cat of country house, which always steals the child's precious attention (with dogs it doesn't get in because they are very large, two German shepherds, a Garafiano shepherd and an Australian Shepherd, plus a Bernese Mountain puppy.)

Damian is ecstatic with the prospect of spending six days on the country house, although the cat, named Dafne, doesn't look happy and even growled at the boy when he tried to grab it the first time, now it has already relaxed and brought its bad humor to its transport box. He closes the box and takes his things, now all he has to do is wait for his mother to stop being a mess to they can leave.

"Do you have your suitcase yet?" Marinette asks going from one side to another in the rooms, Damian doesn't even answer her and he only goes out to the living room to wait until she finishes messing up the whole apartment. "Hugo, where are my sketch books?"

They're already packed, Miss Marie. Also the fabric catalog of the next collection and the general balance of the month."

Hugo is a very English man to someone who lived in France most of his life, but she's not going to question him about it (Max did a very good background check). He started working with her a year after founding her brand and somehow managed to discover the MT and is now an unofficial member, making her escapades much easier by having him cover her. She's grateful to heaven for making her cross her path, she would have gone mad without him already.

"Thanks, Hugo."

"Hugo, did you pack the Kwami and Dafne meals?" Damian asks when the man returns to the room. He's eager to leave to meet his pets, he sees them every week, but it's not enough time.

"Of course, the extra order for cheeses was also made for the country house."

"Oh, Hugo! You're the best, I hope you live a thousand years!" Plagg arrives full of joy and almost dares to hug the man, but that is not his style, on the contrary, he cheers for the excellent service. "I wish all my kittens would treat me like you. "

Marinette enters the room with her suitcase and looks at Plagg with mock annoyance, amusement seeping into her gaze. She misses Tikki, she was always the voice of reason, but Plagg has a unique way of keeping her high spirited and, with the stress of her life, very much appreciates his presence, daring to consider he more effective than encouraging words from Tikki.

"Yeah, right? It's not like I paid for all your cheese. ”Plagg flies towards her and repeats the action, causing her to finally laugh at his games. Longg lets out a small snort from his position near the boy, he had not made any noise and that causes others to be surprised by his presence sometimes. Damian rejoices when he sees the others jump off  for forgetting that Longg is active too.

"Shall we go now, mother?"Damian takes out some Dior brand sunglasses and the black mask from his handbag to prevent his face from going out in magazines or social networks without his consent, he doesn't understand what is the interest in them, they are only people with a little money and a brand that becomes more famous after each show. In any case, they shouldn't be interested in him and he detests those who do.

"Yeah, we can go now."                                                

Damian smiles with pleasure putting on his dark glasses, which are already part of his daily wardrobe because he always accompanies Marinette to all kinds of events, the least he can do is learn to combine brands and styles for each time he goes out. He usually opts for black, although lately he no longer cares about trying styles and clothes that he would never have considered wearing.

When they go out to the main entrance, where Hugo is already waiting for them with the car, he have already put on the mask and, of course, a curious spectator treats them as if they were the stars of an Oscar-winning film. At least no one can notice his annoyed expression under the mask.

They enter the car and Damian takes the opportunity to get Dafne out, it prefers to travel like this and  they will not change vehicles as when they leave the country, he can carry it all the way. Everyone thinks that he’s too spoiled, but he considers that it's fair since it's the only animal that he's allowed to keep at home.

As the small Lenoir family moves towards the country house, in the MT, Kagami destroys the training dolls with a saber, under the watchful eye of Luka who, from the second level, watches her move with the fury of a hurricane. He mentally notes placing the doll replacement as part of the following month's expense.

"If she continues like this, she will come looking for us to fight with us." Luka turns to the person who has just entered, Alix stands near him, appreciating the power of the cuts and the lethality of the Japanese woman. "The little demon would have a good training match with her. "

"Mari sent a message, they will be at the country house. "

"How envious, I wish I had a place like that to escape to." She yawns, leaning on the railing. "But duty calls.”She mutters when her phone starts ringing to the rhythm of the Seven Nation Army, which means it's a call from work. Alix walks away just waving.

Luka smiles softly, it's a calm day. Perhaps everyone is a little more tense, stressed and with excitement itching their hands, but it's very calm, life continues its course regardless of the problems that may exist. The insignificance with which life itself deals with the matter gives he the certainty that they will solve it, that this time there will not be a third party that stands in their way of recovering Nooroo.

The voices are loud outside the training room and he can see the moment when Nathaniel and Kim enter arguing, Marc is a few steps behind them looking at them with an undoubtedly irritated expression, as if they had been on that same topic for a long time.

"I tell you, if we were to work with someone outside the MT, it can't be Batman. I love my privacy, thanks. ”Nathaniel says tired, he despises eternally the heartless blonde who brought up that subject only to leave saying he had job. Kim is not an official member, hei tournaments trips and constant swimming training prevent her from being one, so he doesn't fully understand why the MT remains so in the shadows (even with the irony that the Parisian media talks about they with the same frequency as Jagged, Clara and other famous faces).

"He would help a lot, you know."

"Yeah, but he would also discover the Miracoulous and that is a resounding no. Our duty is to protect them and the less people know it, the easier it'll be. "

"They mention it in the news!"

"In fact. "Marc speaks behind them, tired of hearing them repeat arguments. "Since decree No. 35 of the current French government was released, any mention of the Prodigies in the media will be sanctioned according to the provisions of the MT, that is to say, us, and of the Parisian heroes, also us. It has even been included in the Constitution as a secret of identity and provenance for the protection of heroes. Chloe was devastating when she demanded a law that protected us and the Kwami, without lying, she put all the cards on the table without mentioning personal gain. "

Kim is speechless, he really didn't know that. When was the last time he updated on the laws in his country? He might as well break some and he wouldn't know it. To take into account, just like talking to Chloe about it.

"You see? Now that we are done with this, can we train? "

Kagami destroys the last doll at that moment and turns to the newcomers, has released all her frustrations.

They are supposed to be starting the investigation into the new Hawkmoth, but the mayor's office has requested that they refrain from starting the investigation for a week, he does not understand the irrationality of that request. She's very angry at the mayor's negligence, the longer they delay the investigation, the harder it will be to track him down. Still, it annoyed her more the way Marinette and Felix so easily accepted orders… when they don't take orders from anyone, they can move around the edges of the law, but they're not below it.

"Has Mari-hime arrived?"

"She texted that she'd be at the country house with Damian, she needs the break," Marc replies before heading to the locker room to change into training clothes.

"Where's Felix?"

"Work." Nathaniel growls the answer and then follows his boyfriend, just thinking about the blonde makes him bitter. An hour arguing nonsense with Kim is enough to put anyone in a bad mood, he doesn't understand how Max can be such a good friend with him.

Kagami frowns and hands the saber to Kim before leaving the training room, she's angry again. What do Marinette and Felix intend? She rarely understands what goes through their heads.

Luka comes down from the second level to intercept Kagami, she's being overbearing on the whole miraculous butterfly issue. He knows that Marinette doesn't play with the affairs of the MT, she doesn't endanger them on purpose and they don't make hasty decisions, only one person is more cautious than she and that is Felix, if the two agreed to wait, they have something keep in mind.

"Kagami." He calls her, but she doesn't stop. "Kagami."

"I'm not listening to you, you're going to defend them."

"I ask you to think about it more deeply. Mari is very serious about retrieving the butterfly clasp, she knows what she's doing."

"Oh, Yeah. I really believe that." She looks at him annoyed, in front of him.

"You are upset, but don't let anger cloud your thoughts. We are all frustrated, eager to fight, but we will only hit a wall if we rush. You have to know when to take a break, this is a good time. "

She purses her mouth, holding back the words. He's somewhat right, their cannt just run into the unknown pretending they know where they are going. Her only answer is a nod before she resumes her journey, perhaps she should go see her mother and stay away from the MT until the break ends or another Akuma appears, whichever comes first.

_______________________________

Damian @DamianLenoir

Ringo is better and today he will meet his new brothers, he is a very happy puppy.

[Attached photo]

Alix @LostHeroBunnix

Why did I think opening an art school would be fun? I should have kept my skates.

Felix @GrahamV_Felix

Should I yell or yell at the worthless one who flooded the set? I just had to turn on a tap, not recreate the scene of the Biblical Flood.

Nath @NathanielKC_twt

@GrahamV_Felix Being nice and not giving a scare of death to the people around you could help you the other people not flood the set. Did you know?

Felix @GrahamV_Felix

@NathanielKC_twt And become Marie? Is not my style.

Marie L. @MarieLenoir

@GrahamV_Felix @NathanielKC_twt Too much style for you, it doesn't fit with you; p

Chloe B. @BourgeoisQueen

Marie take me with you! @MarieLenioir

Damian @DamianLenoir

@BourgeoisQueen NO.

______________________

Ages:

Tomoe T: 50. Bruce: 45. Dick: 28. Luka: 26. Jason: 25. Marie and her group: 24. Tim: 19. Damian: 10.

[puppyexpressions]

10 Great Apartment Dogs

Are you thinking about adopting a brand new puppy? It can be difficult making a decision on which type to get when all of their faces are just so darn cute! Whether you’re living in an apartment complex now or are about to move, you know you at least want to learn more about dogs that are best suited for apartments. We thought you might. That’s why we compiled this list of the most apartment friendly dogs for your consideration and although we’ve narrowed it down to the top ten, that doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of great pups out there! Use this list as a jumping off point to get you going in the right direction.

1. Pug

This snorting, wrinkly-faced little character with a cinnamon-roll tail is one of my favorite toy dog breeds. He’ll grow to be about 18 lbs (unless you over feed him and make him a big fatty!), follow you around the house, and want to sleep in bed with you. If you can’t stand snoring, then the pug is not your dog. He’ll wheeze louder than your drunken grandpa, who’s passed out in front of the TV. And his beauty is unique. But how can you stare into his cartoon-like eyes and feel anything but love? Unfortunately, due to those bug eyes, pugs are prone to eye injuries. But they’re easy going and affectionate, getting along well with other dogs and with cats too. So if your girlfriend’s high-maintenance Siamese has to stay, you won’t worry about your pug making a meal out of it (he might wrestle with it instead, so let’s hope the cat’s a fighter!).

Take your pug on daily walks and everyone in the neighborhood will admire his cute wiggle as he struts around town. Just be careful not to over exert him. Because of their brachiocephalic (fancy way of saying flat-nosed) faces, pugs can have breathing issues, especially in warm weather. So when you’re outdoors, watch your pug carefully for signs of overheating.

Grooming level required: High. This guy needs you to clean out his facial wrinkles on a daily basis to remove dirt and debris, and also requires daily brushing. Pugs shed a lot, so invest in a decent vacuum cleaner!

Noise level: Medium. Pugs aren’t going to bark without good reason.

Kid friendliness: High. If trained well, pugs enjoy children!

Exercise: Low. Don’t overwork or overheat this little sausage!

2. Bichon Frise

Your Bichon Frise will get along well with other animals, should you already own any. His energy level is high, so be sure to take him for walks in the park and to play indoor games as well. Except scrabble. He’s intelligent, but c’mon, he’s still a dog. If left alone for long periods of time, the Bichon suffers from separation anxiety. Workaholics who spend all day and night at the office will break his fluffy little heart!

Grooming level required: Low. The Bichon’s coat barely sheds, so this breed is good for people with allergies. Bichons do need daily brushing to keep their fur from matting. Also, a monthly bath is required to keep your dog’s coat white.

Noise Level: Low. He’s not prone to yippiness like the poor excuse for a dog that belongs to that crotchety old lady down the hall.

Kid friendliness: Medium. Bichons are good with children, but puppies should be handled by kids only under adult supervision.

Exercise: High. Get your Bichon out of the house regularly for a game of fetch, and practice teaching him tricks at home.

3. Chihuahua

I know what you’re thinking. Yo quiero Taco Bell. Three crunchy tacos supreme, please! But there’s a reason that the adorable Chihuahua is the star of commercials and Hollywood movies: she’s got that it factor! This little baby weighs in at 2-6 lbs, so she can definitely fit in your Fendi handbag. But you don’t need to be a reality show has-been like Paris Hilton to walk around toting one of these babies. Chihuahua’s can be bigger divas than J-Lo if overindulged, so remind your doggie who’s the boss. That being said, they’re affectionate, intelligent and fast learners.

Your Chihuahua’s larger-than-life personality means she’s loud and talkative. Forgetting her size, she’ll probably challenge the Doberman down the block to a fight, so be careful when you’re on walks together. This go-anywhere companion needs a loving owner to take care of her for the next eighteen years. If that scares the bejesus out of your commitment-phobic self, this dog is not for you!

Grooming level required: Low. You only need to brush once a week.

Noise level: Medium to high. These dogs like to talk!

Kid friendliness: Low. It’s too dangerous to have these tiny dogs around children under the age of eight, because your Chihuahua might get injured. But do socialize her around kids.

Exercise: High. Chihuahuas need 20-30 minutes of daily exercise, and are eager to keep playing, so make sure your dog doesn’t wear herself out.

4. Poodle

There’s a reason there are so many -oodle bred dogs (goldendoodle, labradoodle, schnoodle, etc)! Poodles are one of the best-behaved and even-mannered breeds you can own. They’re also hypoallergenic so people with allergies won’t have to worry! The poodle is the second most intelligent dog breed which makes them incredibly skillful and quick learners . Although they are slightly larger in size, they’re also skinny so tend to fall under most apartment weight limits. They are relatively quiet, don’t have large amounts of energy, and tend to get along well with other dogs and humans. Basically, Poodles are every apartment accommodating personality trait rolled up into the perfect pup!

Noise level: Low. You’re more likely to hear your neighbors getting rowdy during a game of Pictionary than hear your Poodle make a racket.

Kid friendliness: High. Poodles love kids. Simple as that.

Exercise: Medium. Poodles do have a good amount of energy but that doesn’t mean they need to be running around in open spaces all the time. Exercising their minds with thinking games and training inside your apartment work just as well!

5. Shiba Inu

This member of Japan’s six native dog breeds is known for her fun personality, pointy ears and agility. Your friends might point out that your curly-tailed Shiba resembles a fox and is like a Ninja Warrior! Weighing in at 20 lbs, she’s nimble, quick, keen and alert. The Shiba is fiercely independent, which is why it’s important to socialize her early with other dogs. This smarty-pants may think she knows what’s best, so look for a trainer who understands this breed’s unique mindset.

Another thing- your Shiba doesn’t like to share her toys. She’ll guard her belongings with her teeth bared. Be sure to give your Shiba Inu enough exercise with a neighborhood walk or jog. But if you take her off leash, be careful-she’ll chase cats (if you live in an urban neighborhood like mine) or squirrels, and could potentially be aggressive with other dogs. If you don’t appreciate her firecracker personality, the Shiba might not be for you. But give her love and she’ll love you right back, charming you with her spunk and loyalty.

Grooming level required: Low, though she’ll shed heavily twice a year. Ready to splurge on that Dyson vacuum yet?

Noise level: Medium. She shouldn’t bark unless something suspicious is going on, or another dog is making her feel threatened.

Kid friendliness: Medium. The Shiba Inu will be friendly towards children as long as they treat her with kindness and respect. No tail pulling!

Exercise: Medium. Getting outside is important for this breed. Make sure she gets a good daily workout.

6. Chinese Crested

Some refer to the Chinese Crested as the worlds ugliest dog? But if you’re sick, your Chinese Crested will lie in bed with you for hours. This 12 lb sack of love will fall in love with you, make you her world, and never leave your side. If you’ve just gone through a soul-crushing breakup, the Chinese Crested will nurse your blackened heart back to health.

This heat-loving canine can lounge in the sun like a lizard, so if you live in the Arizona desert, a Chinese Crested is for you. However, he has no tolerance for cold, and can’t be exposed to it as a means of ‘toughening up.’ Please don’t torture your dog, let him be comfortable!

Like that time you sent your ex-boyfriend two hundred text messages, your Crested also suffers from separation anxiety. Be careful, this David Blaine-esque dog can escape from almost any enclosure, and will dig, bark and climb if he’s freaked out. But he’ll play games, cuddle affectionately, and love your family with all his hairless little heart.

Grooming level required: Medium. Even though he’s hairless, the hair he does have needs to be trimmed. Also, he needs to be bathed regularly.

Noise level: High. Yep, this guy’s a talker. He’ll bark to protect his home, and sometimes he’ll sing!

Kid friendliness: Medium: They do well with kids, but small children could be a danger to the dog because he’s so tiny.

Exercise: Low. Chinese Crested dogs will tire out after about 15-20 minutes of play time and want to go back to their den. But they can jump over low fences, so be careful not to let them escape!

7. Boston Terrier

This tuxedo-wearing gentleman is a dapper and affectionate dog. The only problem? He might be too smart for his own good. 10-25 lbs of stubbornness in a handsome black and white coat, Boston Terriers can be hyperactive at times. But they’re so incredibly cute, all bad behavior is forgiven. Just look at those big round eyes! Not to say that Boston’s are all trouble. Like Matt Damon’s character in Good Will Hunting, they’re fighters on the outside, but loving and affectionate at home. Because they’re in the same class of dogs as pugs (brachycephalic), these guys are prone to over heating. Their funny antics will amuse all your friends, as will their snorting, drooling and flatulence. That’s right- don’t get a Boston Terrier if fart jokes make you uncomfortable. These dogs are usually quiet, but like a true Bostonian, they’ll get scrappy if another male invades their territory. How about them apples?

Grooming level required: Medium. Brush your Boston weekly and wash his face everyday, to check his eyes for redness or irritation. Like the pug, these big-eyed dogs are prone to eye problems.

Noise level: Low, except when another male is on his turf.

Kid friendliness: High. Bostons love children!

Exercise: Medium. These dogs are fairly inactive indoors. He’ll take a walk with you, and he loves to play, but then he’ll tire out and take a nap.

8. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

You fell in love with her as Elizabeth Taylor, Charlotte’s dog in Sex and the City. (If you’re a chick, then like me, you’ve probably seen every episode more than once). The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is intelligent, sweet and tail-waggingly cute. Cavaliers are attached to their owners and like to be spoiled. They shouldn’t be left alone for long, so part-time workers or stay-at-home moms make good owners. Cavaliers are too friendly to become good guard dogs. Please don’t rely on your girl as an alarm system! After barking at an intruder, she’ll probably try to lick his face off. At 13-18 pounds, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the perfect size for apartment dwellers. Cavaliers enjoy a good game of chase; therefore, cats should be ready to play tag. But your parakeet will get eaten…seriously. So yeah, don’t own a bird. You can’t take the hunting instinct out of this English lady!

Grooming level required: Medium-High. Brush their coat 3-4 times a week and bathe the dog when necessary.

Noise level: Low. The Cavalier might bark when someone comes to the door, or she’ll just ignore it and keep quiet.

Kid friendliness: High. She’ll sit on your daughter’s lap while watching Spongebob.

Exercise: Medium. Take her out for walks, but don’t let her off the leash. This poor little princess has no street smarts whatsoever, and might run in front of a car.

9. English Bulldog

There’s a reason the English Bulldog has been chosen as a mascot for so many universities and sports teams. The breed is known for being tough and tenacious, but personally I think the bulldog’s squashy face is too adorable to be intimidating. I mean, look at that broad head and those stubby legs, that funny under bite and all those wrinkles! The laziest of dogs, this 40-50 lb guy is perfect if you want someone to cuddle with. Though they’re courageous and protective of their families, bulldogs are also friendly and playful. You might think it’s cute when your bulldog snores (not so cute when he farts), but beware of the many respiratory problems they’re prone to. You better start pumping some iron at the gym because you’ll need to be able to lift this fatty when it’s time to take him to the vet! Your bulldog will sleep until it’s time to eat again (just like your good-for-nothing ex-husband), so don’t expect a lot of activity from him. Though he loves children, you won’t find your bulldog playing fetch at the family barbecue. He’ll be sitting next to you, waiting for his hamburger patty.

Grooming level required: Medium. Brush his coat once a week and clean the wrinkles of his face every day with a damp cloth. He’s an average shedder: brushing more than once a week will reduce the amount of hair.

Noise level: Low. They are too lazy to bark. In fact, he’s probably asleep.

Kid friendliness: Very high. This tolerant sweetheart will let your toddler torment him.

Exercise: Low. He won’t want to go on a walk, but you need to take him anyway. Once a day is fine. But keep him away from swimming pools and hot tubs. He can’t swim!

10. Bitsa

What’s a Bitsa you ask? A bitsa this and a bitsa that! In other words, a mixed breed, a mutt, a few little slices of heaven all mixed into one great dog. Mixed breeds are great because they tend to not have any super dominant traits. Since they’re a mix of different breeds, their personality traits tend to blend together into a much more mellow mutt. A mellow temperament helps this dog breed adjust to a variety of households and living conditions more easily. Bitsa’s are also statistically proven to be healthier than purebreds, so if you’re spending extra on pet rent or a deposit, you’re more likely spending less at the vet. Lastly, because they are a combination of breeds, you’re more likely to be allowed to have say a pitbull-mix than, unfortunately, if your dog is predominately pitbull.

Noise level, kid friendliness, and exercise all depend on the specific dog you have but can be highly affected by the way they are raised!

[dowggy]

Blue Nose Pitbulls : Breaking Myths & Full Care Guide

Media and Films Portrayed Pitbull as a violent and Dangerous dog and some even portrayed pitbull as a man-killing dog. But in reality, the vast majority of Pitbulls are opposite to whatever they show in media and films.

The media has given them a bad reputation as violent and vicious dogs.  But These Blue nose pit bulls are incredibly loving, loyal, and good with children

Discussed Topics

Overview

Blue Nose Pitbull Behavior

Blue Nose Pitbull Aggression Myths

Grooming

Blue Nose Pitbull Health

Common Injuries.

Toys

Diet

Summary 15 Interesting Facts About Blue Nose Pitbulls

Overview

The name Pitbull commonly refers to 4 dog breeds; American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and American Bulldog

If you see, the only one that has a pitbull name is American Pit Bull Terrier, and others commonly referred to as Pitbulls.

The Blue nose pitbull name was accidental, and These types of Pitbulls came into existence while trying to get a dog with a blue and grey coat.

Blue nose pit bulls are either American Staffordshire Terriers or American Pitbull Terriers Or cross between these two.

Blue nose Pitbull’s not recognized as a separate breed and its existed since the 19th century.

The blue nose is a relatively rare manifestation of a recessive gene. It typically accompanies a blue or blue fawn coat and even blue or grey eyes, making the Blue Nose Pitbull a strikingly handsome dog.

The blue nose Pitbull manifests the crossed gene. They are fit dogs with a more oversized head and broader chest, energetic and playful.

The blue or blue fawn and blue or grey eyes make these blue nose Pitbull an eye catchy, beautiful dog.

Blue Nose Pitbull Behavior

They have small animal aggression to avoid this; you must socialize your pitbull from an early age with other dogs and socialize them to prevent the aggressive behavior.

Your blue nose pitbull may not go well with other pets like cats or other animals, but it doesn’t explain entire Pitbulls behavior. There are many instances Pitbulls go well with other pets and animals.

These Blue nose pitbulls have very high energy levels like other terrier breeds.

And these require lots of exercises and physical activity to drain their energy. If you are someone who is lazy to do the physical activity yourself, I think blue nose Pitbulls are not the one for you

These require vigorous physical activity every day to drain their energy level  reasonable amount of time should be allocated for this

A quick tip

If you are someone living near hillsides Running and hiking, definitely drain the energy of these, and add extra backpack weight will steam off excess energy left off. Please do not add heavyweight backpacks as these may lead to back pain or orthopedic injuries

Harness Usage

Being a responsible Pit Bull owner means using the appropriate leash.

It would be best if you used the appropriate harness as a responsible and loving pit bull owner. Since the use of an inappropriate harness may lead to cervical spine injury or other neck injuries.

A body type harness is much preferred than a neck harness.

Using a harness on a Pit Bull body type gives the handler very little control. Extendable leashes are also inappropriate for this, and most other large breeds, and using one can result in injury to a pet or owner.

An inappropriate harness may lead to an injury to either the owner or the dog. A standard leash is preferred over an extendable leash.

Inadequate exercise or physical activity may lead to destructive behavior, boredom, and anxiety  

Blue Nose Pitbull Aggression Myths

Blue nose pitbull is more likely to be friendly and outgoing with people despite pop culture representation. Pit Bulls are intelligent and curious

Before these were named as aggressive dogs, these were family dogs and loved by children and women, and they have a pretty good sense of humor too.

Grooming

Pitbulls are easy to groom, unlike the other breeds, which need extensive grooming done daily. And due to their short hair, these do not require a bath often, which makes the blue nose pitbull a perfect pet.

It is easy to bathe them at home, and they easily dry quickly as well. Their short hair requires minimal brushing, and that makes it easy to do quick  grooming and wipe down to clean them

Blue nose pitbull will need to have their teeth brushed daily, ears checked and cleaned when needed.

Sometimes bacteria that can get into your pitbull’s ear might have also accidentally scratched their ear, which could have caused cuts and scars. Due to this, you should always check their ears for signs of infections or other symptoms that may concern you.

It would be best if you trimmed or grind the nails most often since they tend to overgrow.

Blue Nose Pitbull Health

You should be aware of some health concerns even though these are sturdy and relatively healthy compared to other dogs.

Even though they require less grooming and bathing, blue nose Pitbulls are prone to skin issues. These issues, not life threatening but treating on time, will keep your pitbull happy.

pH balanced shampoo formulated for dogs, flea and tick control, and a skin healing balm is the right choice for everyday issues.

Pitbull can have issues with their hips & joints as they get older, and they are prone to congenital hip dysplasia, which is common in large to medium dogs.

As an extra note, these are in general prone to more genetic problems as well. Please note these factors before making a purchase decision. Always treat a dog as your family member.

Common Injuries.

Pitbull has a common Anterior Cruciate ligament orthopedic injury.

These injuries mostly occur on active and large breed dogs where ligament in the kneecap is severed and normal function impaired.

It is advisable to make sure your blue nose pitbull does not become overweight.

Gastric Dilation and Volvulus is another severe, life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. Gastric Dilation and Volvulus happen when the stomach “flips” or “twists” (torsion), resulting in a dangerous and extremely painful backup of gas and other material that is prevented from usually passing through the digestive tract.

Toys

Resilient, sturdy toys are a necessity with a Blue Nose Pitbull.

The myth that they have a “locking jaw” is false and ridiculous, but they have a powerful jaw capable of reducing flimsy toys to bits and pieces in the blink of an eye.

Pit Bulls love to play and enjoy chewing but Chew toys should be appropriate for heavy chewers.

Diet

Diet is a crucial factor with this breed. As they are growing, a diet of protein and raw food items is vital in assuring that your dog has a better skin coat, reduces skin problems, and makes their muscles stronger, resulting in an overall better adult dog for you.

Your Blue Nose Pit Bull should be fed a high-quality kibble in a measured quantity twice daily. Avoid fat and unhealthy preservatives and lower in protein and essential nutrients.

Summary

15 Interesting Facts About Blue Nose Pitbulls

1. They Don’t Always Have A Blue Nose

2. They Are Not A Separate Pitbull Breed

3. There Are Several Genetic Conditions that Affect Them

Genetics Conditions Blue Nose Pitbulls Are Prone To:

Allergies

Alopecia

Cataracts

Heart Disease

Immune Disorders

Mange

Neurological Disorders

4. Some Breeders Will Claim They Are A Unique Breed

5. They Can Be Jumpers

The pit bull is one of the best jumpers around and can jump over fences that are 15 feet high.

6. They Don’t Make The Best Guard Dog or Watch Dog

7. They’re Both Smart And Strong

8. They Are Great With Children

9. They’re Athletic And Active

10. They Are Easy To Train

11. Grooming Is Easy, But They Are Prone To Skin Problems

12. With A Good Health Regime, They Can Live A Long Life

13. Sometimes They Are Grey; Sometimes Not

Along with the blue nose, a silver or grey coat is another common trait associated with these dogs

14. They Are Highly Emotional

15. They’re Misunderstood as violent dogs

If you decide to make a Blue Nose Pit Bull part of your family and your dog love, make sure you can be a responsible caretaker before taking any decision; they too have feelings.

Fight the stereotype and Social norms as they tend to be broken and rewritten.

But Educate yourself first.

[red-pill-blue-pill]

Just to make you happy. Keanu Reeves.

A/N: This took me so long I’m so sorry. This is a request made by @i-ask-requests​ I really hope you enjoy it 💖. I hope it doesn’t feel rushed or anything cause I can feel it does. Also little sidenote: i’ve never been to New York i just researched a bit on google maps to get it as accurate as possible. 

Summary: She’s homeless and Keanu helps her out. 

Word count: 5341 (holy shit ??)

Warnings: swearing, violence.

She kicked an empty beer bottle as she exited the bar. The glass rattled on the cold concrete ground and the dainty sound echoed on the now empty street. She checked her watch as she walked away. 2:37 am. A sigh escaped her lips as she took a seat in a nearby bench. A few scraps and cuts decorated her face as a result of a small “disagreement” she just had back inside. She smiled satisfied as she reached into her pocket to pull out a leather wallet, opening it to count that night’s earnings. That asshole didn’t even notice. 

She put the wallet back in her pocket and blew her hot breath into the cold night air of New York as she sunk down on the bench. Her brain was going a hundred miles per hour trying to administer the one hundred dollars she had stolen. She had to spend the night somewhere, buy food and, since she didn't stay the night twice in the same place she needed to pay the small warehouse where she kept all her clothes. 

She had been wandering the streets for a couple of months now. Her job as a waitress didn’t provide an extraordinary income and the rent prices in New York had gone sky-high in the last few months, making it impossible for her to find a new appartment with an affordable rent price and a small deposit. She started renting rooms in hostels, the cheapest she could find and at the beginning it worked just fine. She managed to make ends meet at the end of the month and sometimes she even got some spare money to get herself a little treat. However the owner of her restaurant needed to reduce costs and that meant reducing staff. She was one of the first waitresses he fired. The compensation for loss of employment eventually faded away as she frantically looked for another job. Her lack of studies didn’t help and now she cursed her stupid young self for taking the decision of dropping out of high school. No one wanted to hire a former waitress apparently uneducated. 

When she had to leave the hostel she was completely desperate, she had to survive somehow and that was clear for her since day one. She was going to do anything she could to get enough money to survive. What was the easiest way? Stealing from men in bars. She was a beautiful woman and men bought her drinks willingly, all she had to do was some flirting and some touching here and there. Her skilled fingers slid on their pockets and fished their wallets without them noticing. It was risky and sometimes they got violent, resulting in fist fights and bottles flying. She was skilled in that too. Finally her teenage experiences came to some use; when she dropped out of school she worked as a waitress in her hometown. The bar was a dirty black hole filled with nasty men that always came in looking for trouble. She was the most vurnerable person and forcefully had to learn self defense to kick some ass a couple of times before clients finally realized she wasn’t the one to mess with.

And there she was, sitting on a dirty bench at almost 3 am under a night sky in which she couldn’t even make out a single star thanks to the streetlights that blinded her sight and made the black emptiness above her seem even darker. Her heels hurt her feet and she was certain she was going to catch a cold if she sat there any longer. She didn’t have a phone to look for hostels nearby, she didn’t need it, there wasn’t anyone she could call nor enough money to pay for ir. Luckily she knew the city by heart so she stood up and started walking through the streets like she had a small New York map loaded in her brain, not missing one turn, taking the fastest route.

When she got to the room she took her shoes off and threw herself on the bed, letting out a loud groan of relief. She grabbed paper and a pencil and counted the money once again. The numbers weren’t adding up, she was twenty dollars short if she counted on eating the next day. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she completely forgot to eat something for dinner. Thanks pal, that’ll make it easier. She had to get more money, she had to go to Manhattan and find some fancy bar, one filled with those rich men that smoked cigars, that drank whiskey on the rocks, that had thousands of dollars on their wallet and a gram of coke up their nose. Those were easy targets, often being too high to notice what was going on.

She laid her head back on the pillow and drifted into a deep sleep. She dreamt. She dreamt of a house, of enough money to pay for a mechanography course, she dreamt of a good payed job and the possibility of having a family.

The next day she had woken up early in the morning, ready to follow the plan she had traced. She had skipped breakfast and taken a bus to the warehouse. She had chosen her fanciest dress, her highest heels and her make up bag and put it all in her duffel bag. She had gone to the best hairdressing salon in New York. If you’re going to pretend to mingle with rich people you better look like you are one of them.

She was now sitting in one of Central Station benches, waiting for the clock to hit eight o’clock. She looked at the people that came and went and tried to figure out their lives. Was that short haired woman married? Was that young man in a rush because he forgot to walk the dog? Did that child have a good day at school? Every life had its little nuances that made it unique and in her eyes it was beautiful, even though hers wasn’t as good as she wanted it to be. 

The four-faced clock marked the time and she stood up, almost robotically, heading towards the restrooms. She closed herself in one of the stalls and changed all her clothes. She bumped her knees and elbows against the walls and cursed everytime. This was supposed to be like some kind of movie where the hot spy changes clothes agilely and comes out like a diva turning heads as she walks away. Instead she found herself mistaking the sleeve for the actual head hole, loosing balance as she struggled to put on her shoes and messily putting away her previous clothes on her duffel bag. 

She walked out smoothing the soft fabric of her dress and pulling out her small make up bag, She leaned over the countertop and aplied a thin layer of mascara, a subtle blush and a stunning red lipstick that matched her dress and heels. She took a step back and admired her reflection. She looked ravishing. There was no way a man could resist her. 

She walked to one of the fanciest bars in Manhattan. Jazz music was playing softly in the background and the dim purple and yellow lights made the big place somewhat cozier. The counter was almost empty and she took a seat on one of the leather stools. The bartender came and went as well as the waitresses. The round tables were spread in front of the small stage and were filled with men and women that chattered and smoked incessantly. She made a signal to the bartender and ordered a gintonic. Shortly after, a well dressed man approached her. She played it cool, seeming uninterested.

“I’ve never seen you around.” he spoke as he ordered a whiskey on the rocks.

Bingo.

“I don’t come around often.” she spoke with a sensual tone of voice as she looked at him through her lashes. 

“I believe you. I’m pretty sure I would remember someone this stunning.” 

God, he was so bad at flirting she almost had to supress a laugh.

“I’m Michael.” he said offering his hand.

She took it and shook it lightly. “Nice to meet you. I’m Alice.” Obviously she wasn’t going to give her real name, duh.

They talked for a good half an hour. She was running short on things to tell him about her fake past and he just kept asking and asking. She still had her first Gintonic in her hand while he was on his fifth whiskey on the rocks. He was going to pass out soon if he kept this rythm. His once “great” flirting skills turned into even more awful ones and she knew this was her cue. 

She leaned into him and put her hands on his chest, pressing lightly against his body. His breath hitched and a smile spread across his face when one of her hands slid to his bulge squeezing it lightly. 

“Why don’t you wait for me while I go freshen up. Then you can take me to your place.” she whispered in his ear, licking his earlobe.

What he didn’t notice was the other hand skillfully sliding in this jacket’s inner pocket and pulling out his fat wallet with the subtlety of a professional pickpocketer. 

He smiled as he watched her walk away to the restroom and turned to the bartender to pay their beverages. When he reached out to take his wallet his blood ran cold and he frantically patted all the pockets of his outfit. The gears in his head started turning and his face went red with rage. His long lengs strided along the bar to the ladies restroom. He slammed the door open to find it completely empty. 

“That filthy bitch!” he screamed as he ran to the street, her red dress nowhere to be seen.

She walked through the street, duffel bag in hand and a proud smile plastered on her face. Her heels clicked fast on the concrete as she went back to Central Station to change her clothes again. She hadn’t opened the wallet yet but the weight of it told her she had enough money for at least a couple of weeks. 

She sat on the bathroom stall and went through every single bill she could find. Two thousand and thirty five dollars. That was a whole lot of money. At least it was for her. Her smile grew even bigger and she decided it was time to give her stomach a little treat.

Her favourite New York restaurant wasn’t a fancy one, hell, it didn’t even have an actual “inside.” It was a small street food truck that sold kebab and turkish food. It had a little counter with stools you could sit on if you were lucky enough. She ordered her usual kebab plate and her mouth watered as they prepared the meal. Her stomach groaned reminding her she hadn’t eaten anything for a whole ass day, making her feel bad for forgetting about her wellbeing. 

The stars were aligned and a free stool was waiting for her. She quickly occupied it before digging into her food. The man sitting next to her chuckled as he watched her from the corner of his eye. He had never seen someone devour food the way she was doing it. She stopped and turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s so funny?” she said with her mouth still full.

“Nothing. I’m sorry.” he answered feeling bad with his own rudeness. He lowered his head and kept eating his food while she stared at him. 

He didn’t look like the type to have a lot of money; his brown boots were a dirty mess and his jeans were torn at the bottom. His unkept beard gave him a wild yet sexy touch and his shoulder length dark hair seemed as soft as silk. She was convinced his wallet wasn’t worth the risk. Besides, it would be pure greed.

“Now you’re staring.” he said turning to her once again, catching her eyes inspecting him. A cheeky grin was plastered on his face, in the end he didn’t feel that bad for laughing at her. 

She was younger than him, twenty years more or less. Her eyes still had that curiosity and wonder that contrasted with her tired face. She was beautiful.

Her cheeks turned red but she kept her tough side on the surface. “Now we’re even.” 

He chucked and offered his hand to her “I’m Keanu.” 

She took it and shook it firmly. “I’m Y/n.”

Silence settled between them as they kept eating. There hardly is something as hard to endure as solitude. It creeps into your life and, before you can even notice, it roots under your skin, sinking into the deepest parts of your mind. It was in moments like this that it seemed to dissapear, a wave of relief washing over them and leaving them at peace for a couple of minutes.

“I laughed at the way you were engulfing the food. You looked so happy.” he broke the silence before putting a spoon full of rice into his mouth.

“It’s been a long time since I had a meal this good.” she said sincerely and he raised an eyebrow.

“How come?” 

“It’s been a rough couple of months.” 

He stared at her, inviting her to tell him more about her life. She hesitated. He was a complete stranger why would he care? She hadn’t had a real human conection since she was fired and she could use some venting so she went ahead.

She told him everything and, to her surprise, he seemed genuinely interested in her rant about New York rent prices and how her boss was an asshole. His eyes watched her every movement, nodding his head ocassionally to let her know he was still listening. 

When she finished silence filled the air between the two of them. Y/n was scared he would report the police about her illegal... procedures. She would understand though, at the end of the day she was living outside society norms and rules. She was an outcast.

She had never thought it that way and it hurt to think of herself as that. Everyone wanted to be part of something, even she wanted to be part of something. But not a part of that society that had condemned her to a life of poverty and misdemeanour. It made her so fucking mad to think about how everything had turned out in the end.

He put his hand on her shoulder. The warmth of his palm radiated through her clothes into her skin. “What can I do for you?” 

His question took her aback. What was he willing to do for her? They didn’t know eachother at all. Okay, maybe he also felt that weird connection but it wasn’t that strong.  

A loud laugh came out her mouth and she quickly put her hand over to muffle the sound. “I’m sorry, it’s just, we don’t know eachother.”

“I’ll pay for your course." he smiled sweetly leaving her with mouth agape.

“You’re crazy. No way you’re doing that.”

“Yes, I am. And I’m also paying for an apartment until you finish and get a job.”

She laughed again finding it hard to believe. “No you’re not.”

“For the second time: yes, I am. You need it.”

“I don’t need anything from anyone.” her pride kicked back before she could even process what she was saying.

“I’m pretty sure you do. Look, don’t think of it like charity or something like that because it’s not. I want to help you before you get involved with the police.” 

“Why do you care that much?”

He shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head to the side. “You told me your story and even though you try to laugh at yourself I can see you’re hurting. So I care. And I want to help you.” 

She didn’t know what to say so she just stared back at him. He completely got her all figured out and they had only been talking for an hour. What the actual fuck.

“So you’re going to take the money and shut up.” he spoke again smiling even bigger.

Her mind was racing. This was a huge opportunity to scape the hell hole she found herself in but she didn’t want to owe anything to no one. 

Finally her desperation won. “Okay, but you have to let me pay you back.”

-

She walked out of class. It had been a couple months since she started the mecanography course and she had never been happier. Sometimes Keanu would pick her up to grab a coffee and ask her how she was. Y/n would always insist in looking for a job and paying him back as soon as possible but it was like talking to a wall. He changed topic and pretended he didn’t hear a word she said. 

They became good friends, really good friends in fact. He was the only one she really had, the only one who worried about her, who knew her real story. Hell, he was supporting her financially. 

The age difference, big enough to notice it but small enough to confuse, made people turn their heads on the street trying to figure out whether he was her father or her boyfriend. At the beginning it made them both feel uncomfortable but now they laughed as they watched the faces laced with confusion. 

Sometimes she was confused herself. Her feelings were a complete mess. He would often come to her (his, really) place to have dinner, helping her cook and dancing around the kitchen to the bouncy music she usually listened to. In those moments she knew she couldn’t ask for anything else.

Then she felt stupid. He was a grown up man, with his life almost figured out and supporting her financially. She was still studying and was barely starting to live a normal life. He had much important things to do than to fall for a young needy girl with a dark past. 

He was also confused when he looked at her. She amazed him. How she always stayed positive, how confident of herself she was, how kind. One must think he liked her in spite of her past, but it was the other way around. He liked her because she had faced difficulties and she had been capable of overcoming them. Of course he helped her, he could see that potential from the moment he looked at her, but that didn’t diminish her endeavor. 

He loved spending time with her, it felt like they complimented eachother perfectly. They could be completely themselves around one another. There wasn’t secrets, lies or problems between them, they always talked everything through. Completely transparent.

He felt as if he had to protect her. Protect her from pain, from loneliness, from ending up living in the streets again. It was something he had never felt, an instictive response from his brain, and if he was being honest, he didn’t care where it came from, he was going to do it anyway. 

-

It was dark outside. Manhattan’s streets were eerily quiet that night. Noise and smoke came out the bars whose doors opened to let people take a breath of fresh air. She walked at a fast pace. Keanu had said to meet him two streets away and she was already late. Her heels clicked on the pavement and her hair swung from side to side in a steady rythm. She would lie if she said tonight’s look hadn’t been meticulously thought through. Her black jeans were combined with a silver sequin top that shimmered in the city night lights. A leather jacket was thrown over her shoulders and her silver heels added the final touch. Her make-up was natural, nothing he could notice even if he tried. She wanted to look as effortless as she could. 

A man walked past her, bumping her shoulder hard. He reeked of alcohol and she didn’t even bother saying something, it wasn’t the place or moment to get in trouble. She kept walking but the man stopped in his tracks, turning around to look at her back.

“Well look who’s back in the neighborhood!” he yelled at her and the blood ran cold in her veins. 

She stopped walking for a couple of seconds, resuming her fast pace trying to walk away as fast as possible. She knew who he was.

“Come back here, you bitch! I want my fucking wallet back!” he ran towards her, his long legs striding faster than hers, almost catching up with her a few seconds later.

Her heart was pounding in her head as she tried to run faster but her heels weren't make it easy. She was almost where Keanu told her to meet him but it seemed so far away. 

A big hand grabbed her shoulder, yanking her back harshly and making her loose her balance. In seconds she was laying on the floor while a huge body pinned her tiny one down with such force she though he was going to break her arms. A raging face looked down on her with a stare full of hatred and violence. She had never seen something like it.

“I thought I’d never see you again.” he snarled as his fist collided with her cheekbone. She screamed in pain and fear, knowing he was going to do whatever he wanted and no one would stop him. 

“You stole my fucking checkbook, my credit cards, my fucking money!” he hit her again and again, and her screams echoed in the street. 

“I’m going to fucking ruin you, you filthy whore!” he raised his hand again ready to punch her one more time and she closed her eyes, not wanting to see what was coming to her. But it never came. 

The weight over her body dissapeared and she opened her eyes.

The man was now with his back to the wall with a very angry Keanu keeping him pressed against it. His face was bloody as Keanu’s fist collided with it over and over again. 

She stood up and rushed to his side grabbing his shoulders. “Please, stop!” Y/n cried as his fist stopped beating the man’s face. 

She sighed in relief as Keanu towered over the beaten man, holding the neck of his shirt. “If you ever hit, touch or even look at her again I swear to god I’ll fucking kill you.” his tone was still laced with anger and she thought she was lucky to not be the one he was talking to. 

The man nodded and ran away as fast as he could. 

A cry erupted from her throat as she slowly realized what had just happened. She was almost killed, for god’s sake. It had been the scariest moment of her life. Not when she had to tell her mom she was dropping school, not when she got fired, not when she decided to trust Keanu. 

He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her against his chest. “It’s okay, honey. I promise.” he whispered soothingly. She was staining his tshirt and jacket, a mix of blood and salty tears but he didn’t care, he didn’t give a damn. 

He took her to the hospital to get her face checked out in case she needed stitches. They sent her home at 12 pm and they walked to her appartment since it was close to the ER.

Her face, now clean, looked so much better even though it was starting to swell and it hurt like a bitch. They walked in silence, their steps synchronized and slow, there was no rush. Neither of them really knew what to say.

“I’m sorry I ruined the night.” she said looking at her feet as she walked. “I guess past always comes to get you.” she laughed bitterly. She thought she had left everything behind but in the end you can’t erase a part of yourself. Her actions still had consequences and that night was the proof she needed.

“It wasn’t your fault. He was the one who beat your face up.” he mumbled still angry. 

“Yes it was. I stole his wallet the night we met, that’s why he-”

“I dont fucking care!” he suddenly screamed at her and she stopped in her tracks. “That fucking bastard had you pinned down on the street ready to beat you to death! Don’t you understand? If I hadn’t showed up he would’ve killed you!” he ran his hand through his hair as her eyes filled with tears at his sudden outburst.

She stared at her, anger now boiling inside of her. “Thank you for being my saviour once again, I’ll write it down in my ‘thing’s I owe Keanu’ notebook so you won’t need to remind me everything you do for me.” she spat, her words filled with hurt.

She started to walk away.

“You don’t understand shit.” he said and she turned around.

“What? What is it that I don’t understand?” Y/n yelled back at him. “That you’re always doing stuff for me? That you’re the only one I’ve got? That if you hadn’t been there tonight-” she choked on her tears at the single thought. “I already feel bad enough for not being able to return everything you do for me.” 

He looked at her. Her face was swollen and wet from the tears that fell uncontrollably. “I’d spend on you all the money I have if that meant you would be happy.” 

She stayed silent as more tears came down.

“When I saw him on top of you something in my mind clicked and I went into full ‘murder mode.’” he chuckled and she smiled slightly. “I felt pure fear when I saw you weren’t moving. The thought of losing you is terrifying.” he stated simply. So simply she actually needed a couple of seconds to register.

Keanu walked towards her and she hugged him tight, feeling his strong heartbeat pumping against her cheek. “I didn’t mean that notebook thing I said, I’m sorry.” she mumbled as she wiped her tear stained cheeks.

“I know, honey. I’m sorry I yelled at you.” he kissed and rested his chin on the top of her head. 

They stayed like that for a minute, just hearing their breathings and hugging eachother, trying to get as close to one another as they could. The cold wind blew past them making Y/n shiver and bury her face deeper into the embrace. 

“Let’s go, you’re getting cold.” he whispered and let go. 

They kept walking and she chuckled lightly.

“What?” he asked with an amused look on his face.

“I had carefully prepared this outfit and my make up to look amazingly casual so you would think I was effortlessly cute.” she gestured to her clothes. “And look how it turned out.” she let out a laugh, a sincere one. She didn’t know why but she just couldn’t stop it. Tears prickled in her eyes as she tried to stop her laughter.

Keanu had a confused look on his face but she was contagious and it didn’t take long for him to join her with his soft low laugh that made her crazy. 

By the time their fits of laughter had died down they had arrived to her building. She stopped with her keys dangling in her hand and turned to look at him. She wanted to invite him upstairs just as she had done for about a thousand times before, but this time it was different. All her courage was suddenly gone and she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth. 

“I always think you’re cute.” he blurted out, leaving her with a confused expression. “What you said about your efforts to make me think you looked cute. I already think you are, even when you come out of class with your tired stare and shitty face.” he said laughing, earning a slap on his arm while her face grew redder by the nanosecond. 

“Shut up!” she laughed brushing it off. “Would you like to come upstairs? I could use some company tonight.” she mumbled and squinted her eyes waiting for a negative answer to come.

“Of course. I’ll feel better too if I keep an eye on you.” he smiled warmly and she turned to open the door.

-

“I know I tell you all the time but you did a great work decorating your place. It’s very you.” he sat down on the couch as she went to get some clothes for him to sleep on.

“Very me?” she asked from her room while she opened the closet.

“Yeah, there’s no doubt this is your place. Like, not a single piece of furniture in here is actually yours but you add those little details that end up owning the whole place. Just like you do in people's lives."

"That's so sweet. Does that mean I own your life now?" Y/n said as she came back into the living room with a big tshirt and some sweats big enough to fit him. 

“Pretty much.” He smiled as he took the clothes. 

He went into the bathroom to change while she redied her bed. It was pretty clear that they were going to sleep in the same bed and she wanted him to take the hint. The bed clothing was smoothed out and the extra cushions were lying on the floor. 

She thought about what he had just said. It's always nice for someone to tell you that you are a big part of their life but she didn't know she was so important. Butterflies flew around in her stomach making her feel silly for being so childish.

“That’s a lot of cushions.” he chucked from the doorway as he watched her. 

“Well, I like being comfortable.” she said sticking out her tongue “I’ll be right back.”

She closed the bathroom door behind her and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was all swollen up and purple and black-ish bruises were slowly forming. It still hurt like hell but there was nothing she could do. 

When she came back into her room he was lying on the bed with his back turned to her. His body was rising up and down slowly with his relaxed breathing. She had never seen him so at peace.

She carefully got on the bed trying not to disturb his apparent sleep. The bed shuffled and he turned to look at her. His arms sneaked around her waist and pulled her closer to him, careful not to squish her face against his chest. Her hand reached around him to draw patterns on his back. She felt complete ecstasy. The way his body heat radiated onto hers made her feel at ease, it was everything she ever wanted. 

“Thank you for everything you do for me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Y/n mumbled against his chest, her cheeks burning at the oncoming confession. “I love you.” 

It didn’t hold any romantic meaning (okay, maybe a little bit), it was the truth, plain and simple. He was her best friend, her number one supporter. She couldn’t imagine her life without him and, of course, he couldn’t either. 

“Thank you for coming into my life. You make me so happy.” he kissed softly the top of her head and rested his chin on it. “I love you too, honey. So much.” he whispered.

Her whole body tingled at the sound of those words. She was happy. For the first time in months she was truly happy. 

Her mind travelled to the night she dreamt of living in a big house with her husband and her kids, having that normal life people had. It was only then when it hit her:

she didn’t want a “normal” life, she wanted hers. 

[nindchan]

Cat Lovers: Angelic Act or The Ultimate Anthropocentric Movement?

It begins with a piece of tumblr note written by my dear friend, about her compassion over a stray cats and dogs around her. She tried to find an answer, the reason behind why she had a soft spot for stray animals and ended up with days of thinking and worrying their whereabouts. The answer though, got me thinking. Being a cat lover my self, I was wondering did my actions brought a good deeds to those cats or it just a justification to my oh so anthropocentric action?

First of all animal lovers world is a complex community where sometimes they themselves not always agree with one another's act (trust me, social media war among rescuers nearly reminded me of my good old telenovela days). In a cat lovers world we could find street feeders (those who brought cat food everywhere), Trap-Neutered-Release activists (those who care to neutralize stray cats in order to minimize overpopulation), foster pawrens (those who fostering stray cats until they got adopters), shelter owners (those who have house with many many cats usually stray or given by cat owners), and hoarder (those who keep many many many cats for themselves). Who am I in this world? I'm just an ordinary cat caretaker.

Well I did street feeding sometimes, too poor to do TNR (for now), don't really have time to foster another cats (I'm a phd student with 10 cats for God Shake!), personally not into the idea of animal shelter (any kind of it), (almost become) books hoarder. I never brought stray cats home. Mostly they came to our house for food and stayed for sometimes (Those 10 cats I mention earlier are exceptional, they was born and rise in the house).

Cats are unique creatures. We can't expect them to do what we wanted. In other words we can't really domesticated them. My 10 (not so) housecats consists of playful Kaka, hug-lovers Paula, excellent hunter Hanbeh, attention seekers Belle, solitaire Sally, loving father Trowa, half feral Dalma, sweet Mya, mommy's boy Edric, and energetic Bara. All of them are neutered and vaccinated, but none of them act like normal neutered cats whose spent their times sleeps and eats. NO. They jumping and running around the house constantly. They hunted like a feral cats (usually for cockroaches and lizards around the house, so far only Hanbeh who's came home with mice). They have time to play outside including sunbathing in our laundry room/ rooftop garden, but they all sleeps inside the house. Cages are only used for emergencies such as keeping them when their not in a good condition.

So why did many cat lovers dream of building their own shelter? Does domesticating all the feral cats will bring better life for them? Well... in my opinion it won't.

It's true cats have their instinct to survive, and like any other living creatures they need food and shelter to keep living. The question is, can they find it themselves? Yes they are. They are able to find food, whether by scratching on the street or given by human. The problems comes when nowadays while cats population keep raising, number or bad peoples are also increasing, that's when animal abuse appears on an daily basis. And the cruelest abuse in my opinion is abandonment. You can trust feral cat to find their food but for housecat, it will be a little bit more difficult.

So does all the good deeds cat lovers done are futile? It maybe some kind of anthropocentric act, to do something just because we human thought that it has value. Cats are valuable, we save them to make us feel better. We brought them home to keep us company. We love them when none seems to love us. But they are living creatures just like us. All we can do is love them the way they are. So for cat lovers out there do not domesticated feral cats just because you wanted to feel good. Not all stray cats love being a house cats, sometimes food and shelter are enough. And for cat lovers community, all the good deeds were not futile at all, after all you save lives.

Last but not least, for those who hate cats especially stray cats, remember this. Those feral cats were forced to giving up their hunting ground because humans need more and more space. Those stray once domesticated cats were kicked out form their house because human changed their values. Human, you owed those cats a good life. Be good to them!