#the cat practically leads the dogs around to do its bidding

[bigskyandthecoldgun]

nancy wheeler is a dog person. specifically, a Big Scary Dog person. she owns two enormous dobermans and has named them the cutesiest names possible. think of the sugary-sweetest name you can think of and then double the cuteness. they are the most well-trained dogs anyone has ever met in their entire lives. they would kill for her if commanded. they also think they are lap dogs and insist on snuggling with her as much as they can. they have designated beds in her living room with their names neatly embroidered in pink on each one. their barks are intense enough to give a passerby a heart attack. they both have pretty little pink collars that nancy rotates out for a new one every couple of days. their teeth are the sharpest teeth you’ve ever seen and they use them to bring nancy her notebooks and newspapers as gently as they can. she would die for them, but they would never let that happen. if she sits down beside them, they tower above her. it’s ridiculous.

ofc, if you wanna make it ronance (which i always do), when robin and nancy move in together, and the dogs can no longer fit on the bed with them (they are too big), nancy moves their beds from the living room into the bedroom and they sleep at the foot of the bed. someone once tried to break in and before robin could even dial 911, the dogs had it handled. nancy didn’t even have time to bring out her handgun before the dogs had the intruder pinned to the ground. they wagged their tails the whole time. robin loves them. she is also terrified of their power. nancy runs the house and all three of them—robin and the dogs—are perfectly aware of this.

[btsinwonderland]

A Drop of Poison - Ch. 8: Conversations

A Loki fanfiction!

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“I can take you back to your room!” You said, reaching for Valkyrie’s bag to carry it for her.

She clicked her tongue at you. “Will you stop fussing about with me, I’m fine! I can carry my own things.”

You smiled tightly and nodded. Valkyrie sighed and put a hand on your arm. “But, I appreciate what a sweetheart you’ve been to me. Thank you.”

“What are you going to do now that practice is cancelled?” You said.

Valkyrie shook her head. “Ugh, I don’t know. I’ve been itching to get back to the field but we can’t even do that! I don’t even know what happened, Freya. One minute, I got the quaffle in my hands and all I care about is that goal. Next, everything’s gone to shit and I’m getting pecked to death by these damn birds.”

“And now Ken’s missing,” you said. Your lips were chapped with dryness.

“Yeah, it seems like our last year won’t be as fun as we thought…” Valkyrie said, a gloom appearing over her face.

You bid each other goodbye for the day and went to your separate common rooms. You did not want to leave her on her own, but throughout your friendship, you found that letting her be was sometimes best. Valkyrie did not like being coddled too much and appreciated the space. You knew she would reach out when she was ready, and you would wait for her as always.

With Valkyrie’s presence gone, you were left to think about your own problems. Professor Laufeyson had already occupied nearly half of your thoughts earlier on, and now he took over most of them. Behind every question, you wondered if he knew something or was a part of it in some way. It had become a strange mystery that you had no way to resolve since he did not tell you anything.

Upon entering your room, you sat on your bed and pulled out a book from your side table: Spells for the Common House Cat. The dark red leather was faded, but the wording still kept its former gloss. You ran a hand over the cover gently. “Alright, you came to me for a reason, and I’m going to find out what it is.”

You opened the book to reveal a random page. Once again, gibberish greeted you:

Capture grunting mermaids and the secret to life is in the cherry pies. They are so good and open fresh like market Thursdays! Hate to spill the dogs and cats, but it is not in good taste to leave the wine hanging from the bedroom. I cannot dream in rainy houses and Leah makes sure of it!

“What are you trying to say?” you said aloud.

You peeled through a couple more pages and though it was different, none of it made any sense. The entire book was filled with words, and yet, none of them meant anything to you. The name Leah came up several times, but even that did not stir any recollection within you.

From your robes, you pulled out your want and pointed to the middle of the open book. “Aparecium,” you said, and a speck of light came out of your wand and disappeared into the pages of the book.

For nearly a minute you waited, and nothing happened. You raised your wand to try the spell again when the words on the pages vanished. The now blank yellowish white parchment paper faced you and readjusted in your bed. “What are you?”

You sat there staring at it when you had the idea to take out your quill and inkwell from your drawer. Taking the book and quill to the small desk against the wall, you sat down and wrote in the middle of the blank page, Hello. Your words gradually disappeared, as if the ink absorbed into the book.

For several seconds, there was nothing. And then, words appeared in the middle of the page - in the same rushed scrawl that had been in the book before. Hello there, it said. Then it disappeared.

You sat back for a moment, shocked. You took a breath and then dipped your quill into the inkwell. My name is Freya Eves, you wrote.

Your words disappeared again. And in their place new words appeared in the other script, Hello Freya Eves, my name is Leah Mai.

You swallowed, your nerves sizzled with excitement and a bit of fear. You wrote again: Do you know about the Tesseract?

You waited.

Yes.

Your heart sped as you wrote: Can you tell me?

No.

You leaned forward in disappointment. But then more words appeared.

But I can show you. Let me take you back fifty years ago…

You jumped when you felt yourself being pulled inwards towards the book. The surrounding air compressed, and you found yourself sucked into a spell. One moment you were in your bedroom and the next, you were in the hallways of Hogwarts. However, everything was in a desaturated sort of colour; as if it were an old film.

Students passed you in the hall talking in anxious whispers, and someone nearly walked right into you. You wandered down the hall and spotted a beautiful black-haired girl, skin as pale as the marble on the facades. She was leaning on the stone railing and staring curiously up the stairs.

“Are you Leah Mai?” You said.

The girl ignored you and continued to look up the stairs.

You spoke again. “Hello, can you hear me?”

She paid no attention to you, as if you were invisible and inaudible. You followed her gaze up the steps and saw a much younger Headmistress Frigga, looking extremely grim while a group of professors carried someone on a stretcher down the stairs. That someone had a white sheet over their body and face. As they descended the steps, a hand slipped out from beneath the white sheet and you saw dark blood drip on the floor in little beads. A small gasp escaped your lips.

“Mai!” Said Headmistress Frigga in a stern voice.

Both you and the black-haired girl beside you turned your head to face her. The girl answered in a calm voice. “Professor Frigga,” she said, walking up the steps.

Frigga crossed her arms and gazed down at the girl. “It is not wise to be wandering around this late hour, Leah.”

The girl looked down and placed her hands behind her back. “Y-yes professor. I suppose...I had to see for myself if the rumors were true.”

Frigga clenched her jaw and unclenched. “I’m afraid they are, Leah. They are true.���

“About the school as well?” Leah said. “I don’t have a home to go to, they wouldn’t close Hogwarts would they, professor?”

Frigga sighed. “I understand Leah, but I’m afraid Headmaster Oppin will have no choice.”

“So if it all stopped? If the person responsible was caught,” the girl said, hands firmly clasped behind her.

Frigga leaned in with a curious, yet gentle, look. “Is there something you wish to tell me?”

The girl raised her brows. “No, madam. Nothing.”

“Very well then, off you go.”

Leah walked up the steps and around the hall. You glanced at Frigga one more time before racing up the steps to catch up with Leah. She went down the dimly lit halls, descending a curved set of stone steps into the lower levels, which you were unfamiliar with despite having seven years of exploring the halls of the school. Leah stopped where there was a statue of an old woman holding a lantern. The lantern cast a yellowish colour over the grey stone of her face. Leah tapped the woman’s nose three times with her wand, once on the left cheek, and then ran her wand across the woman’s lips. The statue’s mouth opened large enough for Leah’s fist to fit through. She pulled out a beautiful cloak of silver and blue.

When she put it on, her entire body disappeared. Then, she placed it overhead, and you were alone in the corridor. You concentrated and could barely see a pale outline which moved quickly past you and back up the stairs. You realized she was completely invisible, but the book wanted you to follow her, so you did.

You went to the Headmaster’s floor, where the halls were dead and empty save for two hushed voices. There was one very tall, thin man with a salt and pepper beard down to his waist, which he stroked frequently. The other was a burlier man, but shorter. His face was stern, and he had an eyepatch over his left eye. There was a black raven perched on his shoulder. This man had an air of power and seemed to be speaking passionately.

“We cannot deny that a student is manipulating the creature, Oppin!” The stern man said. His eye blazed with anger.

The tall thin man, Headmaster Oppin, you presumed, spoke. His voice was a gentle rasp. “Odin, none of our students are capable of such dark sorcery, you must know that.”

You staggered back at the realization that you were staring at the Minister of Magic himself, Professor Laufeyson’s father.

“The Dark One has risen, and his shadow lingers here. Doesn’t the Michaels boy prove that?”

Oppin gazed at the floor through his bifocal glasses. “They found his body just by the Black Lake...it was in two pieces, Odin.” He removed his glasses with a grimace and rubbed his eyes. “I do not know what we should do.”

“We need to use the Tesseract.”

Oppin glanced up at Odin, looking almost upset. “We cannot use the magic of the Primis!”

Odin shook his head. “You have no idea how many good auror’s we have lost at the ministry, Oppin! Tell me where the Tesseract is. You merely delay what will be,” he said, with a hiss. His raven flapped its wings before settling back down.

Oppin set his mouth in a thin line and gave a resigned sigh. “I am sure I will deeply regret this decision, but I cannot bear to lose any more students. Come,” he said and led Odin into his office. You followed them up the steps, with the pale figure of Leah in front of you.

They rushed through the door when Oppin spoke. “Deep in the Forbidden Forest, there is a Weeping Willow with black leaves. At the heart of it is a hollow which leads down into the caves where the Tesseract was found at the bottom of an underground lake. We dared not touch it, and I am the only wizard left who remembers where it is. They erased their own memories to relieve themselves of the burden of the Primis.” His voice was grave.

You saw the pale outline of Leah twitch before she bumped the open door and raced out of the room. Oppin and Odin briefly glanced in her direction before returning to their exchange. You thought you should follow her, but you stayed by Odin, transfixed by their conversation.

Oppin spoke again. “Do you really think this will stop the monster?”

“It will stop the one controlling the monster,” Odin said.

You felt a pull from behind you as the compressed feeling came over you again. No, I need to know more! Light surrounded you as you passed through the book and found yourself thrown back into the chair in your room. You nearly lost your balance and toppled over, but gripped the edge of the desk. Your heart fluttered wildly from what you had just seen and your hands shook.

You knew where the Tesseract was and that it was the key to stopping the monster in the Forbidden Forest.

For a moment, you wondered why events were repeating fifty years later. And a dangerous question arose in your thoughts. Who was controlling the creature now? Your stomach churned when a certain dark-haired and blue-eyed professor came to mind. In your heart, you believed he would never do such a thing. But with everything happening, there was little he had given you to trust him. You wanted to reach out to him, to tell him everything, but your doubts clouded all your hopes. It was up to you now to find the Tesseract and save Pom’s brother.

That night, before dinner, you followed the same path from the book and descended the circular stairs to one of the lower levels of Hogwarts. You nearly jumped from excitement when you saw the familiar statue of the old woman and the lantern. Cobwebs covered her face now. Upon pulling out your wand, you tapped her nose three times, once on the left cheek, and then ran your wand across her lips. Her mouth gaped open, and you reached inside apprehensively. Feeling the softness of cloth, you pulled out the cloak and marvelled at it. After dusting it off, you put it on and cried out in surprise when your entire body disappeared.

“Thank you, Leah!” you said aloud.

You arrived at the Great Hall with the cloak tucked away in a cloth bag. Upon eating a quick meal of pea soup and pumpkin bread, you searched for Mo. He was in the hall with Nila, standing suspiciously close as she giggled at something he said. You hid in a corner and put on the cloak. Sneaking up behind him, you pulled his ear.

He swatted his head, and Nila gave him a strange look. “Are you alright?” she said.

Mo glanced behind him, right through you. “Um...y-yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

When he turned back, you kicked him gently on the rear, and he jumped up. “Alright, you bastard! Who’s messing with me?”

“Listen, I have to go, I’ll talk to you later Mo,” Nila said and rushed away, giving him a sideways glance.

“What the hell is going on here?” Mo said, exasperated.

You bent over laughing and pulled the cloak off to see the initially angry, then stupefied expression on Mo’s face. It took you a few minutes to stop laughing so you could explain yourself and your plan. He stood in silence, gaping at you, while he listened.

“Are you bloody mad?” he said, after you finished.

“No, I’m just the only one who can help find her brother. The creature is guarding the Tesseract, making sure nobody gets to it. That thing could be the reason everything’s been going to shit!”

“Why don’t you tell a professor?” Mo said, crossing his arms.

You rolled your eyes. “Mo, we have absolutely no idea who is controlling this monster. It could be a student, but have you thought maybe it could only be a powerful witch or wizard who could even conjure this kind of magic? A professor would be much more likely…” you said, dreading the thought of Professor Laufeyson.

Mo sighed. “So let me get this straight. You want to sneak out in the middle of the night, go into the forest where this monster lives, get the Tesseract and then what? Magically fix everything?”

“And find Ken,” you added.

“You’re mental.”

“Will you help me?”

“Of course.”

“Then let’s go get Pom and find her brother.”

***

Loki sat in his office grading assignments. So many poor performing students. What has magic come to these days? Some kids were barely trying. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. An icy breeze blew through the room and knocked a few papers off his desk. He cursed and went to go pick them up. Glancing outside, he thought he saw the faintest movement of a tree branch move against the wind. He gazed out the window suspiciously, but there was no other trace of movement other than leaves blowing against the castle.

The girl surfaced in his mind.

“I don’t want you to die.” She had said.

He laughed at himself for being so utterly pathetic that a single word from a stranger would move him so deeply. Loki dared not admit how his heart pulsated at the girl’s words. He thought of her face, quite beautiful, though she clearly did not know it. She was the kind to grow into her confidence, which was just brooding below the surface. It was that confidence that moved in her body, in her hips, whenever she ran from him. It was that confidence that gave him snarky replies to his accusations. And it was that confidence that gave her dark eyes a defiant glow. Loki chuckled at how silly it all was. She was everything that she needed to be, and yet she had no idea.

“Don’t do it,” he said to himself as he unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk. He sighed as he retrieved a folded piece of blank paper and placed it in front of him. This was a shameful ritual he developed recently. It started when he grew suspicious of the girl’s knowledge regarding the Tesseract. He simply needed to know where she went and who she spoke with. That was all. Reconnaissance only.

As the days passed, he found himself searching for her location on a whim. Finding ways he might run into her again.

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,” he said, pointing his wand to the center of the paper.

The paper filled out with intricate floor plans of the Hogwarts grounds and little footsteps with name tags showing every single person in the vicinity. He spared a passing glance at the name Frigga Borson, pacing in her office. As he searched the castle, he saw the name Thor Odinson in this office with Valkyrie Brunnhilde. At this late hour? Curious, he would have to tuck that information away for later.

“Where are you, little minx?” He said, exploring the map.

From the corner of his eye, he caught movement outside of the castle walls. He unfolded the map to its outer limit, just at the start of the Forbidden forest. He moved the map closer to his face and nearly crumpled it in his hands as he recognized three names grouped closely together, wandering towards the forest.

Mo Darwish. Pom Clemmens. Freya Eves.

Loki cursed and shut the map. “Mischief managed,” he said as he grabbed his coat and nearly ran out the door.

What was that damned girl up to now?

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Chapter Footnotes

I'm sorry for the late post, I was supposed to post this yesterday but things got so busy this weekend. I made time today though and finished what I hope is an interesting and fun chapter! The plot thickens....

Sending you happy thoughts and good vibes :)

[ruffiorocks]

Kara owning a Tamagotchi

Imagine Kara being desperate to have a pet, but Alex and Lena tell her that its not practical. Kara is hardly ever at home, when she isn't running around National City chasing down leads for stories she’s out being Supergirl. Kara knows they are right but she isn't happy about it. For the next few weeks Lena and Alex are forced to watch Kara mope around, Alex rolls her eyes at Kara being silly, but Lena can’t bare to see Kara this sad. On a visit to the Luthor Family Hospital Lena sees a little girl playing with a small hand held device, she curiously asks what the toy is and the little girl tells her its a tamagotchi. Lena has never heard of such a thing, so the little girl explains that its a digital pet she can raise and feed, play with and teach tricks to. That’s when it hits Lena, this is the perfect solution to Kara’s pet problem! She thanks the little girl and bids her goodbye, the little girl however shouts after her and warns her that the pets can die if they arent taken care of properly! Chuckling to herself Lena tells the little girl she will be careful! 

Lena calls her personal shopper and asks her to go to the toy store and pick up a tamagotchi, preferably one that hatches into a puppy. She also sends lots of new toys to the children's ward as a thankyou to the little girl. Later that night Lena goes round to Kara’s loft and she presents Kara with the tamagotchi. Kara is ecstatic! It may not be a real puppy but she loves that Lena has done this for her, and she will be able to prove to both Lena and Alex she can totally do both her jobs and take care of a pet! Lena is so happy and pleased with herself that she’s managed to make her precious and adorable Kara so happy! 

Things go well to begin with, the pet hatches into a golden retriever puppy that Kara promptly names ‘Krypto’. She learns to feed and play with him and teaches him some tricks. Unfortunately ‘Krypto’ is a very demanding digital pet, he always wants to be fed and played with (its not lost on Lena and Alex that this digital pet is so much like its owner). Kara takes the thing every where with her, she is caught feeding him at work which does not impress James, but its not a serious problem. But thats only the beginning, Kara drops everything the moment she hears Krypto beeping for some food or for attention. She takes him on dates with Lena, she brings him to game nights, she even interrupts sex with Lena once because Krypto needed the bathroom, Lena was NOT impressed and Kara was regulated to the couch for the night, when Lena came out to tell her she was forgiven she saw Kara lying on the couch playing and talking to the damned digital pet! 

Things become really serious though when Krypto ends up at the DEO and Kara stops paying attention to Jonn and Alex. She even stopped in the middle of a fight to feed Krypto. Alex had had enough and she banned Krypto from the DEO. Kara is devastated! She has to go to the DEO but she can’t take Krypto with her, and he needs constant attention or he’ll die! ‘He’ll die Alex!!’ ‘Its a bloody toy Kara! Reset it!’ James follows Alex’s lead and bans Krypto from Cat Co as well. Kara turns up at L Corp for lunch with Lena all sulky and Lena asks what on earth is the matter? After she learns Krypto isnt allowed at either one of Kara’s jobs anymore she is at a bit of a loss for words, she wants make Kara smile again and tell her its OK to take Krypto to work, but she doesn't want to make things uncomfortable between her and James, and she certainly doesn't want to set a precedent for allowing toys to be brought to work! Kara starts to cry, ‘he’ll die Lena!’ Lena rationally knows that Krypto is a toy, he can be reset and the issue will be resolved, but Kara isnt seeing it like that, she put a lot of time and effort into getting Krypto exactly as she wanted him! Lena tells Kara she wishes she could help, thats when Kara suddenly looks up and a smile spreads across her face! ‘Lena!! You could take care of him!!’ Lena is taken back by that ‘erm.. Kara?’ ‘Its perfect Lena!! You are your own boss! No one can tell you to put him away!’ She is looking so longingly at Lena that Lena simply cant say no, she knows she is going to regret this! But she smiles and says ‘OK Kara, Krypto can stay here with me’. Kara bounces up and down with glee and wraps Lena in the tightest of hugs. 

Lena knew she was going to regret this! That damned toy beeps non stop! Even a real dog doesnt need to eat that many times a day! It really was just like its adorable but pain in the ass owner! Lena finds herself taking Krypto into her board meetings with her because she left him in her office one time and Kara heard him beeping for food. Lena had come back into her office to a very unimpressed Kara. She tried leaving the toy with Jess but even Jess has her limits and Lena found Krypto lying on her desk when she got back from a meeting. Lena knew the final straw had come when she was presenting a proposal to an investor and Krypto wouldn't stop beeping!! Oh no the damned thing had to go! But she couldn't just tell Kara she wasn't looking after him anymore. So instead she hacks into Krypto’s settings, she takes the afternoon off and modifies him so that Kara can put him on pause so she can live her life and only deal with Krypto when she has the time to. She also adjusts the life span and makes sure that Krypto can not die no matter what Kara does or if he is neglected. 

Kara at first is a little miffed that Lena risked Krypto’s precious little life by messing with his settings. But when she learns that Krypto can no longer die and she can put him on pause. She can finally have him back with her and still do both her jobs. Alex is thankful that Kara is now focused back on the job, James is glad Kara is no longer writing ‘Krypto’ in all her of her articles and Lena is glad that her and Kara’s sexy time is not getting interrupted anymore, because Kara has been warned that Krypto is to be put on indefinite pause while she and Kara are together, and he is definitely banned from their bedroom!!  

[rhinocio]

Voltron Fic Recommendations

Unsurprisingly, I’ve hooked my attention onto a new fandom of space gays, and boy oh boy has this series turned up some phenomenal stories. 

Back With A Madness (Champion) by Mytay (Keith/Lance, Shiro/Matt -- Action/Adventure)

Lance gets himself mixed up in an underground fight club tournament in a bid to protect a local family and one by one draws the rest of the team into the fray, leading to extensive anxiety, battle practice, espionage and rigging, and way too many cryopod visits for a growing boy.

Has the most unique romantic confession scene I’ve ever seen in fanfiction, a healthy heaping of platonic affection between all characters, fun OCs, and an intreguing subplot involving Shiro and a clone.

The Dreaming Dark by Pterodotyl (Keith/Lance -- Thriller/Adventure)

The Garrison Trio comprise a deep sea explorative team tasked with diving 14,000 metres into the Kraydah Trench in search of answers as to what happened to the Kerberos Mission, and in doing so discover something a little more... monsterous.

By far the most well-researched story I have ever read. The author is a sweetheart and crafts amazingly cinematic scenes, and there’s a curious political subplot simmering in the background. The character interactions are gold, and things shift between fine and terrible so quick you can’t put the fic down. Lance has the voice of a chipmunk for two chapters. A close second on my Coolest Story Ever list.

Goodnight, Travel Well by Europa_report (Keith/Lance, Shiro/Allura -- Horror/Thriller)

The team discover a silent planet with a terrifying history, and awaken something with a very deep-seated grudge. Caught in a 400 day countdown until certain doom and with their leader missing, the paladins are stuck desperately searching for a way to defeat all-encompassing evil while handling undead invaders, an ancient curse, uncontrollable wormholing, and a baby. 

Witty, wildly inventive, harrowing and so absolutely endearing in the character affection department that each new chapter makes me cry at least once. Tops my Coolest Story Ever list for its absolute complexity and complete deviation from the fanfiction norm. Cinematic to a fault. Heartbreakingly romantic and sweat-inducing terrifying. This is not a fic to pass by.

Ghost of The Future and Shadow of The Past by Wittyy_name and Zizzani (Keith/Lance -- Adventure/Romance)

In a freak ancient tech accident, Lance is launched exactly a year back in time... and his past self is launched a year forward. These two fics run concurrently, and between all the avoidance of “spoilers” by each team and the standard run of missions with one very out of place paladin, it becomes very obvious that doing the time warp is not good for a person, especially when you do it again.

I’m a sucker for loop distortion anyway, but these two stories really stretch the concept by creating two parallel event sequences that effect each other in real time. The romance is heavy, the paradoxes mind-bending, and the these fics get bonus points for being the final push I needed to start learning Spanish.

Homesick At Space Camp by Kobot (Keith/Lance -- Drama/Romance)

After realizing that Lance’s antagonism has been keeping Keith from really connecting with the team, he makes it his solemn duty to be the Best Possible Teammate, even if that means sticking his foot halfway down his throat and roping them into pretending to be lovers for the sake of avoiding Keith’s engagement to an alien.

Absolutely hilarious chapter titles, solid characterization, and a play on the fake relationship trope that’s quite grounded and realistic. Charming and sweet. Lots of dancing, an epic final battle worthy of the Jak series, and an exceptional butt-ton of all over gay.

Nothing’s Quite As Sweet by Dimpleforyourthoughts (Keith/Lance, Shiro/Allura -- Drama/Romance)

Keith works at a the world’s worst cafe due to debt and a simple lack of anything going on in his life; Lance works four different jobs and also across the street. Cats ensue.

Honestly this is the perfect coffee shop AU, no challenge. Have you been having a shitty day? Do you like soft non-sexual romance stories? Are you the opposite of a dog person? Look no further. Side effects include great need to snugglebum it up with gourmet lattes and overwhelming sense of hope for your own potential to change someone’s world.

Never Saw You Coming by Dimpleforyourthoughts (Keith/Lance -- Biography/Drama)

Keith has always been ready to run, to reach the stars, and to die, more or less in that order. Lance Fucking McClain repeatedly throws wrenches into all three of those ideas. 

Repeat contender DFYT is back again because my dudes I couldn’t show you the soft fic without its bookender. Part Keith exposition and part romance story, this one is heartaching to a fault and pulls no punches. The rough and tumble idiot boys in love poem you’ve been hunting for.

Hearts Don’t Break Around Here by Klancekorner (Keith/Lance -- Drama/Romance)

They’ve been wheeling around each other since first grade, always with one foot in the other’s orbit, no matter the fights or fears or losses. Keith realizes he’s fallen in the same way the moon would if it arced too close to the Earth -- quickly, irreparably, and ending in disaster.

This seems to be an AU that already has a reputation, and for good reason. The song I Found by Amber Run encapsulates its core emotion, by which I mean the scenes are well-suited to a prime-time YA drama, and that at its heart this fic is daringly romantic. The author builds characters from the ground up and fleshes them out so fully that they might as well have called the entire cast OCs with canon name tags. I got weepy, I admit it.

The Purity of Sin by IcyPanther (Platonic Keith/Lance -- Action/Drama)

Being kept away from their lions and trapped on a hostile desert planet of short, angry cat-people would be difficult enough had they not gotten Lance wrapped up in sacrificial cult magic with a three day countdown. Thankfully, Keith is nothing if not determined to keep them both alive, no matter the cost or consequences.

Talk about a whump fic, but one with some solid worldbuilding, good characterization, and a satisfying, fit-for-TV climax. Great for those times you want affection and care between your characters but none of the romance. Allura cosplays as a cat.

[thdvlwrsprd]

the dark messiah ;

The first time he had ever killed anyone he was three years old.

Being that young, Anton couldn’t regulate the many abilities bestowed upon him at birth. The zealots adored their new Prince – but they also feared him. He knew this. He could see it in their eyes and in their minds that they hoped they wouldn’t be next. Some embraced their fate in the hopes they would see their glorious god, Satan, in Hell. Some limited their exposure to the young Prince. But Anton knew this. They were not worthy.

The victim in question was a woman tasked with taking care of him, as many of the other zealots were men; they refused to partake in women’s affairs, choosing instead to teach him of their lord and savior. The woman was nice, enough, but she was naive and feared his power. She was weak minded, easily manipulated, and quiet. Anton’s inability to control his gifts caused her to lose her mind. According to the clergyman, she had hallucinated and suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. During the ordeal, the woman ran around in fits of hysteria, screaming, claiming she was bleeding from the inside out. She could hear voices echoing in her head and see visions, people, ghosts, as if they were there in front of her. As if she could touch them.

Anton could only watch, unblinking, as the woman bled from her nose, eyes, and ears. He witnessed her as she flailed about and ran into walls, knocking over candles and books. He sat there and watched with black eyes until she seized and fell onto the floor with a heavy thud. Her eyes were open and staring, dead. They matched his own soulless gaze.

Those that didn’t fear him before feared him then.

His powers grew in strength as he grew older. Not only could he cause insanity in those that were weak minded, but he could command them to do his bidding. Hypnosis was one of the gifts he enjoyed the most, but it was also the most disciplined. He learned that eye contact was a must, otherwise the link between his mind and theirs would be broken. But once he connected with a victim, he could get them to do anything. He’s used them to do various nefarious deeds, and just for fun, he’d have them kill themselves. It was a game to him, trying to figure out new ways for someone to end their own life. He could see inside their head, feel their panic, their fear, and it gave him pleasure to see the light leave their eyes. They knew what was happening to them and that only made him happier.

Anton’s other gifts came in waves – he found he was fluent in multiple languages, and through the years he would soon become well versed in all. If there was a language not already ingrained in his mind, he would only need to be exposed to the language in question to absorb it. His ability to learn new languages at the drop of a hat transferred to his intelligence as well. Learning new skills was a breeze for him and it reflected in his capability to rise through the ranks quickly when he started his career in Wall Street where he became the youngest known investment banker. Because of this intelligence, he had grown exceedingly arrogant.

Arrogance meant mistakes. This mistake lead to Anton’s death, but he grew aware of another ability three days later when he found himself alive in a morgue. A day had passed after he initially was murdered before anyone found his body in an alley. The police couldn’t ID him –  there were no records to be found. No criminal record, no dental records, not even a birth certificate. Nothing but a business card with his birth given name. The metal bed he laid on was cold, incredibly cold. He knew he had been killed, he knew he had died when he was greeted by Hell and its fire, but he didn’t expect to be kicked out and sent back to the land of the living. Hell would spit him out sooner and sooner as he aged, and depending on the severity, his death would be short lasting. Shoot him in the head and he’ll come back within the minute. He learned in the coming years that mortal men could kill him, but they couldn’t keep him down. On the other side of that coin, however, Anton learned there was one who could truly destroy him, in all sense of the word – a demon named Zarathos.

Along with his ability to hypnotize humans, Anton could urge animals to follow his command. Dogs and cats were the easiest as they were domesticated and prone to having a need to please their owner. Birds and insects were also an easy pick as their minds were smaller. Larger animals, such as horses, required a gentle hand and constant eye contact, not unlike humans. His powers stretched further, giving him the capability to affect objects around him. In fits of rage as a young boy, windows would shatter in his presence, metals would warp as if they were under tremendous amounts of pressure – unfortunately, this seemed to be the slowest evolving gift Anton’s been given, as well as the least controllable. If he needed to use this in a pinch, losing control of his emotions usually did the trick.

As he continued to age, his powers grew with him. He became increasingly aware of other supernatural entities around him and was able to locate them by following their trail. He could practically smell their energy on buildings, objects, and even people. There was a downside – he was unable to determine their power level, at least, for the moment, but he was able to sense how much energy a particular entity was giving off. He could also distinguish between those being of demonic or angelic origin to those who were merely connected, such in the case of Sister Sara, the Caretaker’s daughter, who he had revealed as being a gateway to Heaven. Within the same realm, Anton can use satanic incantations and prayers to give him strength, but everything comes with a price. His life ended when he became too weak to defend himself after trying to escape using a portal he had created. But he was just a boy then.

Despite the gravity of his situation, there are a few fun things Anton has been able to do. Like his ever holy predecessor, Christ, Anton can turn water into wine and into blood. He can heal others of their ailments and even bring them back from the dead – these he doesn’t do often, at least, he never bothered to growing up. They required far too much energy, and just like the incantations, could be deadly. Although, now that he was older, he seemed to have a handle on regulating his own demonic energy.

At the age of thirteen, he found that when he grew angry, defensive, and even when he was wounded, his appearance changed. His veins would become more apparent, darker, maybe even an inky black, beneath his skin, which also changed into a greyish, pale, translucent color. His pupils bled into the entirety of his eyes, giving them an all black appearance. His fingernails grew sharper into what would look like claws, and his teeth experienced the same change. Because of his skin being far more translucent than normal, his then sharpened teeth would show through, giving him an almost skeletal appearance. Atop his head sat a crown made of horns that grew out of his skin, roughly in the spaces just beneath his hairline, not unlike the crown of thorns that sat atop Christ’s head. They varied, alternating between one to four inches in length – the two horns that were the longest protruded out from his forehead above his eyebrows, giving him an obvious devilish appearance. However, these more drastic transformations fluctuated depending on his emotion level, something he measured extensively while he was young.

As an adult, Anton had full control over this transformation and even tested his physical strength, noting he was much more resilient to bodily harm and was capable of almost superhuman feats. But it wasn’t until the recent years of his life that he learned he was created as an extension of the already existing demon, Blackheart, who was incredibly powerful and someone Anton admired. Because of this, it was apparent that he wasn’t as human as he thought he was. With that thought in mind, he was hopeful his powers would rival Blackheart’s and become enough to where he could take on the Ghost Rider himself. 

It was only a matter of time.

[doggie-woof-blog]

Is Your Dog Eating Poop? Yuck!

How to Stop Dogs From Eating Poop

In a hurry? Discover how 2500 people stopped their dog from eating POOP!��Go Here NOW ===>>> Stops Poop Eating In A Few Days!

10 Essential Tips to Prevent Nasty Snacking

Most new owners are delighted by puppy antics but puppies eating poop prompts anything but smiles. It could be any animal’s feces, too! From your cat’s litter box to their own stool, even a neighboring horse or cow pasture, puppies do not discriminate in who’s poo they are willing to eat. While many puppies will grow out of this phase to some extent, there are steps you can take to discourage and stop the behavior.

Dogs eat poop

Dogs eat poop.

Watch Now: Why Do Some Dogs Eat Poop?

Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

Dogs commonly eat their own or another animal’s droppings. No matter what species of animal does it, there’s even a technical term for it in the animal world: coprophagia.

This behavior typically first appears in pups at about four to nine months of age and the frequency tends to increase after one year of age. The good news is that most pups outgrow the habit. The bad news is that some dogs hang on to the nasty practice their whole life. Shih Tzus are one breed that appears to be more prone to the behavior.

There are a variety of reasons why your puppy is eating poop:

This is normal behavior for mom-dogs that must clean up after their babies, and some of the pups may end up mimicking this behavior.

When you wave your hands, shout with disgust, and chase the puppy all over the yard, that’s great puppy entertainment. Chasing can actually reward the behavior and encourage your puppy to play poopy-keep-away.

Other times, poop eating stems from boredom. Pups left out in the yard alone have little to occupy their time with, so they may turn to the one thing that’s readily available.

Eating other animals’ waste may have to do with taste. Cow and horse manure may contain undigested corn or other ingredients that are appealing to your pup.

The cat’s litter box may as well be a puppy snack bar! Cat food contains more protein than dog food, and as a result, feline waste tastes good to dogs. Not only is this unsanitary, but it also puts kitty’s tail in a twist to have a dog messing with its personal toilet.

Cats pestered in their bathroom will often look for another place to “go, ” such as behind the sofa.

Illustration: Doggie Woof, 2018

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How to Stop Poop Eating

It is best to put a stop to this behavior before it gets out of hand. Parasites are often transmitted through feces, so having a dog who sees it as a treat puts their health at risk. There are a number of things you can do to put an end to this nasty habit:

Puppies may eat waste to get your attention, which means even yelling rewards their behavior. If you catch the pup in the act, don’t make eye contact or speak. Instead, interrupt the act by shaking a can full of pennies or clapping your hands loudly.

For bored pups, increase playtime to a minimum of 20 minutes or try aerobic exercise twice each day. If your puppy is left in the yard while you’re away, increase the number of toys available. A treat-spiked toy such as a Kong filled with peanut butter offers a tastier, healthier alternative.

Prevent access by walking your puppy on a leash and leading it away from a pile once the business is done. Offer rewards for leaving stools alone. Teach the puppy to “come” and sit in front of you after each bowel movement—their own or the other dogs’—and offer a fantastic treat while you pick up the waste.

Some dogs may eat their own stool when it hasn’t thoroughly “processed.” In these instances, a more digestible food may help. Ask your veterinarian for a recommendation. Remember to make a gradual change in the food as a sudden change could prompt tummy issues.

Make the stool unappealing by adding a spoonful of canned pineapple, canned pumpkin, or spinach to the pup’s meal. Include a dash of MSG in the food, which changes the consistency so dogs won’t find the waste as appealing. Commercial products such as For-Bid may help as well.

Scoop and clean the cat box as often as possible. Leaving droppings any length of time is asking for trouble. Automatic cat boxes sweep the feces into a bin within ten minutes of the cat’s deposit.

Place the litter box on a table or counter out of doggy reach. If the cat doesn’t object, a covered litter box might deter the dog but allow the cat access and privacy.

Use a baby gate to keep the dog out of the cat’s domain. Some cats can jump over the standard gates, or you can install it a couple of inches off the ground so kitty can slink underneath while the jumbo-size pup can’t get through.

Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the cat’s food so its waste becomes softer and less attractive to snacking dogs. A spoonful of canned pumpkin added to cat food also changes the taste, consistency, and appeal of the stool. Many cats relish pumpkin as a treat.

Finally, if you can’t be around to supervise, muzzle the miscreants.

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[purrcraze]

5 Facts That Show How Incredibly Smart Maine Coons Are

Maine Coons are amazingly smart … besides being cute, cuddly and sociable. While there are not many studies done on the realm of cat intelligence, there are several telltale signs that Maine Coons as a whole are far from dim-witted:

Maine Coons are very sociable, easily trainable and are instilled with an innate hunter’s instinct. They understand cues and are even able to solve problems. On top of that, they learn how to communicate with humans easily and are able to pick up human emotions.

Fur-real! It’s certainly wonderful to have companions that don’t just laze around in their own little world. On the contrary, Maine Coons are acutely aware of their surroundings and are able to remember information.

Let’s look into the traits of Maine Coons that disclose these furry creatures’ intelligence:

1. Maine Coons have top-notch survival skills

Have you noticed your Maine Coon stalking for prey? While stay-at-home Maine Coons are domesticated, they hold on to their hunter’s instinct and can be found practicing by playing with toys or catching rodents.

In fact, Maine Coons are among the top cat breeds for hunting mice and are known to be able to assist with rodent troubles.

Believed to have originated from seafaring cats that accompanied the first settlers in the U.S., Maine Coons were held in high regard by farmers in Maine (where this breed hailed from) as a mouser.

Maine Coons can hunt on the ground and on trees. It has strong, athletic bodies to accompany its excellent predatory senses. Aside from exhibiting hunting abilities, Maine Coons are physically adapted to survive harsh winters.

Its striking feature, which is fur that is longer and more voluptuous around the neck leading down to the underside, is for extra warmth while trudging on snow and ice.

Maine Coons have bushy tails that can be curled around its shoulders as an added protection against the wind. Their magnificent multi-layered coat is water-resistant, tying in well with the fact that many Maine Coons love water (and even swimming).

Yes, your Maine Coon may wait for you to fill its food bowl, but there’s undoubtedly a capable hunter inside it.

If you find that your Maine Coon is street smart and able to rely on itself just as a hunting cat would, chances are, it has an above-average intelligence level for cats.

2. Maine Coons are incredibly sociable

Being the gentle giants they are, Maine Coons are sociable felines that enjoy the company of humans.

Demonstrating social behavior requires a measure of intelligence, and while cats typically display their affection towards humans by purring, rolling and kneading, Maine Coons are able to go the extra mile.

These cats are known to greet their owner at the door and “join in” daily activities. They might even offer you gifts (albeit unwanted ones) to show their appreciation or bring you toys to coax you into a play session.

Regardless of their age, Maine Coons are known to enjoy playing. Just like dogs, they love a game of fetch, and this is partly how they earned their reputation as the “dogs of the cat world”.

Another quality which Maine Coons display that is typically associated with dogs is loyalty to its human family. Maine Coons make excellent family cats because they are good-natured and affable.

They rarely show aggression and for this reason, they can live alongside children. These cats love the attention of the young ones and might even tolerate silly games like dress-up! On top of that,

Maine Coons also get along well with friendly dogs and other pets. If you want to learn more about that, read this article to learn why Maine Coons and dogs are a perfect match!

Our Maine Coon, Maze, loves to be near us.

All that said, Maine Coons are usually independent. While they are sociable, they are not needy and will not demand attention.

3. Maine Coons can be trained and they learn easily

It’s common knowledge that dogs are easier to train than cats. In fact, training cats is almost an impossible task… or is it?

Some people believe that cats are trainable, but unlike dogs who are generally eager to please and collect rewards, most cats just choose not to comply.

The truth is, there are cat breeds that are more trainable than others, and Maine Coons are one of them. This is partly attributed to its wide memory capacity.

Maine Coons might run to you when it hears a can of food being opened, and it might hide when it sees you with a cat carrier. They are also sensitive to changes in a schedule or breaks in a routine precisely because of their good memory.

Memory, combined with intelligence, is how Maine Coons learn to associate actions with rewards. These curious cats can be taught through positive reinforcements to come when called by name and to sit upon command.

As Maine Coons love to interact with humans, they make great feline trainees.

Want to teach your Maine Coon to give a high five?

Try this: Float your hand above its paw. When it touches your hand, use a clicker to make a clipping sound and then reward it with a cat treat (note that petting as a reward does not cut it for cats). If it does not respond, initiate contact by tapping its paw.

Your Maine Coon will associate the clipping sound as the prelude to getting a reward, and it will soon understand that it is being rewarded for the hand-to-hand contact.

Hover your hand higher and higher, palms towards your Maine Coon’s face, and throw in a phrase like “give me a high five!” as you progress along the training.

With perseverance, your Maine Coon might just be giving you high fives daily!

Even more remarkable are Maine Coons that learn to do tricks without your help. Some of them demonstrate problem-solving ability by opening doors with a lever handle to get out of a room.

Others are able to turn off a light switch or even flush a toilet by emulating a human’s behavior.

4. Maine Coons easily learn to communicate with humans

As a Maine Coon owner, you may be used to opening the door when your cat keeps meowing near it, or feeding your cat when it comes pawing at you in bed.

While these responses to your cat’s actions come naturally, it’s worth stopping to ponder the many ways that your Maine Coon is able to communicate with you.

A smart Maine Coon knows how to be persuasive, using their repertoire of communication tools to get you to do its bidding. Usually, this involves getting food, being let out or into the room or house, or even getting the litter box cleaned.

Maine Coons can be so persuasive, you might even wonder if you own the cat… or if the cat owns you.

5. Maine Coons are attuned a human’s feelings

Of course, cats are not wholly selfish creatures who always takes and never gives. Maine Coons, in particular, are often attuned to their surroundings and receptive to their owners.

They know they are a part of the family, and within the family, they recognize who dotes on them the most.

They will express their affection to their favorite humans and are often aware when their owners want some company.

On the flipside, a Maine Coon can identify and learn to avoid someone who often pesters it. It could also understand when their owner is upset with it, especially if you “punish” it with a scolding or by putting it out of sight.

They might even learn from their mistakes.

Even rarer but not entirely unheard of are Maine Coons that can sense a human’s emotions. These lovable creatures are able to gather when their owner is feeling distressed, and even offer some comfort through physical interactions.

How to test your Maine Coon’s intelligence

While there are no formal tests to determine a cat’s IQ, you can get a measure of its intelligence through observation and Q&A.

To get you started, go through the list below:

Does your cat hunt for rodents?

Do you feel reluctant to leave your cat by itself for a day even with food?

Does your cat wait for you to come home if you usually do so at a fixed timing?

How does your cat react to you when you come home?

Does your cat respond when you call its name?

Does your cat come to you when it hears you open a can of food?

Does your cat enjoy playing games?

Can your cat play a game of fetch?

Does your cat hide at the sight of a cat carrier?

Is your cat able to perform a trick?

Is your cat able to learn how to perform a trick?

What would your cat do when it is hungry?

Has your cat ever woken you up for food?

Has your cat ever signaled for you to open a door?

All these questions are related to the five points mentioned above. Upon answering them, the gauge of your Maine Coon’s intelligence would come to you instinctively.

Now, answer this question: Are you surprised by how intelligent your Maine Coon is? Let me know in the comment section below!

[kirkclowers10-blog]

What Is actually A Well Behaved Pet?

When. a close friend's or loved one's dog passes on, sending a sympathy card for dog owners may be a really nice motion. She was actually the most caring, faithful canine i ever before had, and pretty smart to. this was actually determined our team needed a puppy dog to have our minds off of her. Training your pet to answer in not-so-easy scenarios, especially when he finds yet another pet dog that has certainly never been social is actually another aspect from" how you can train a canine" instruction that will definitely be actually covered.

A pet dog requires a specific amount of vitamins, minerals, fats and also healthy protein to preserve a well-balanced character. I have actually constantly been a solid supporter of using a harness on a dog or even feline, it is actually better on the creature certainly not Jasminefit-2017.de to become drawn by the back. She was actually boldy tackled through a brand new neighbors dog and now has know that behavior as well as is doing it to our various other household pets !!!! If the pet has nothing at all to carry out while alone, I likewise think that area to play is actually certainly not therefore beneficial. Keep in mind that you are attempting to avoid any sort of mistakes and at the same time construct really good practices in your younger pet dog. So if you correct them, you've actually just instructed your canine that if they provide a warning, they'll be punished. If a secondary receives out of collection, the alpha forerunner in a canine pack would sometimes bite or be physically dominating. One final aspect, pet cat hair ... my mama was actually distressed when the pet dog perished however thus allayed she really did not to vacuum tidy the carpet daily anymore. Hi there my pet dog is a 2 year old collie cross and has actually recently stopped carrying out the lavatory on his evening walk despite the fact that our experts have him out for Forty Five mins around 9pm. If your canine is actually continuously drawing out off you, a retracting lead will certainly do a really good task. Our pet that was component prairie wolf never carried out that, and also neither performed her puppies that our company elevated. Try to crate train your canine just before a hurricane, then stay nearby to let him out if points do certainly not go therefore effectively. If you organize to maintain your guard dog inside your home, you ought to always have a supply from food as well as water accessible, as he will be there when you aren't. The majority of people try various types of actually disciplining their dog- they bang their leg in to the canine's upper body as the dog leaps, tossing the pet back. Fred isn't really only a dog that has found out the best ways to open doors, switch on lightings, etc. Joe is actually a guy from religion as well as devoutness, and he supports rescue groups as well as therapy canine instruction. But if you tell them after you provided the pet dog out, they are going to be actually distressed you failed to inform all of them and also will not possess bid farewell to the pet as well as offered her a caress and also caress. As I enjoyed the reddish plastic container at the canine park drainpipe its water, I thought of the dehydrated pet dogs on the ground. The tailored collar are actually primarily utilized for acknowledging the pet dogs in everyone. You could begin to exercise your canine on asphalt or tough surfaces to erode the nails typically.