#unfortunately we didn’t have the means to take the kitty home

[97keanu]

Premise: You and Ted share your first pumpkin patch outing together and return home with more than just a few pumpkins…

Tags: fluff, sweetheart!ted, after excellent before bogus!ted, Halloween activities ensue, short but sweet.

Words: 1.1K

A/N: This is apart of my KeanuWeen event, I am using the prompt “Pumpkin Patch”. Join our community here to see more community wide events!

Crisp bursts of orange and red leaves crunch under your shoes, your hand warmed despite the chill of the October air by your lovely boyfriend, Ted. He walks in a pair of tattered old blue jeans and his brilliant orange jacket that matches the leaves. He sees you admiring him, a soft smile on your face. He flips his shaggy, dark hair about, and smiles that big goofy grin of his before checking in on you.

“You liking our totally rad date so far?” He nods excitedly as he speaks.

You can’t help but blush at his dorky behavior. You and Ted haven’t been dating long, and even though some people may be put off by his laid-back skater attitude, you admire him for his realness. You know if you ask him anything you’re going to get an honest answer, and truly, you don’t think he could lie very well if he tried. Having that security relaxes you beyond belief.

“I’m having an amazing time so far, Ted.” You pause your walk to turn to him, your old sneakers lifting to their tiptoes as Ted leans down to meet you for a quick kiss, his lips soft and kind.

“I’m so stoked to see the pumpkins,” he admits with a grin after your lips part. “I wanna get two really big one’s for us to carve out, I wanna put our bands logo on mine!”

“Oh really? Well, I’m sure we’ll find one that’s like totally, what’s that word you like to say,” You pause, trying to remember. “Bonafide?”

Ted laughs, the kind of laugh that comes from your core, when you find something to be really outrageously funny.

“No, bodacious! Like, you’re a totally bodacious babe for saying that.” He laughs as he corrects you, and you can’t help but find yourself laughing along.

The two of you continue to walk hand in hand, the farm the pumpkin patch is on coming into view. The golden light of the late afternoon bathes the farm in warmth, the fall colors bright and gorgeous. The lazy wind rustles the leaves that snake between your feet, and you watch as other couples and families arrive to find their own perfect pumpkins. You consider just what you’re going to put on yours as you pass through the gates to the farm.

Kids laugh as they run through the pumpkin patch, tiny shoes barely missing green vines and orange, round pumpkins ripe for the taking. Others pick their choices up, weighing their options literally as they decide which will be their prized pumpkin for the night. You wander through the patch aimlessly with Ted, meandering here and there, laughing at funny shaped ones and considering others.

“Look at this one! It, like, totally resembles Bill’s dad!” He picks up a small, bumpy yellow gourd and you have to admit, it does kind of look like Bill’s dad now that he mentions it.

You see a particularly large pumpkin, and you bend down to inspect if it has the proper proportions and orangeness, when you hear a faint meow from behind.

A tiny black and white farm kitten has nestled up behind the pumpkin, greeting you as you come near.

“Oh. My. God.” You say, hardly believing your eyes.

Ted’s head flicks up from where he’s looking as he hears you exclaim, and he bounces over to you with wonder.

“What’s up, babe?” He says, tilting his head in confusion and making his scruffy hair fall into his eyes.

“Ted, you’re not going to believe this.” You say as you scoop up the kitten and slowly turn around to reveal him.

“Woah! That’s totally excellent!” He comes closer, his big puppy dog brown eyes softening and his large hands slowly inching closer.

“I know!” You whisper with excitement as the sleepy kitten curls up against your chest where you gently pet him.

Ted lets the back of his fingers gently stroke the cat’s fur, and the kitten turns to him, looking up at him with big, newly green eyes.

“Oh man, can I hold him?” Ted’s voice is full of excitement that he’s thinly containing, trying to be as quiet as possible.

You lift the kittens warm little body, and he protests softly with a few meows, but ultimately makes it into Ted’s cupped hands. The kitten fits in his tan hands perfectly, curling back up and letting Ted hold him close.

“Rad! I’ve never held a kitten before!” He tries to keep his bouncing to a minimum, only gently rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet.

You hear the soft sound of the kitten purring and you smile as you pet him in Ted’s hands.

“I think he likes you,” You glance up to see Ted’s enourmous smile widen even more. “He’s purring.”

“That means he likes me?” He confirms with you and you nod. “It’s like he has a little engine in there or something!”

“You can keep him if you want,” A voice calls out from nearby, old and slightly gruff.

You two turn, the kitten still sleeping in Ted’s hands, to see an older man leaned up against the side of an even older red barn.

“We got so many of those farm cat’s out here, was hoping someone would pick one up with their pumpkin this year.” He points to the kitten as he speaks. “Looks like that one’s taken a liking to you, boy.”

Ted nods, his excitement clear to see.

“Oh, are you sure, Mister?” You check, not so sure.

“Oh yeah, we try to offload some of the summer kittens around this time. Won’t cost you anything but the price of the pumpkin you pick out with him.” Despite his seemingly rough edges, the man seems genuine. “Just looking to get them to good homes is all.”

Ted’s all but ready to say yes, and you look into those soft brown eyes of his and can’t muster yourself to tell him no.

“Do you think your apartment will let you have a pet?” You try to be the responsible one here, knowing that a pet is more than just something cute to have.

“Yeah! Our neighbor has one in their window all the time!” Ted responds.

“And you‘ll take care of him? Feed him, and play with him, and get all his shots up to date?” You cross your arms, trying to seem tough, but it’s so hard to hide your budding smile.

“Of course! It would be most excellent to have a chill kitten like this as a pet!” His excitement at the thought of it all is clear.

“Alright.” You say, unfolding your arms, and sighing with fake resignation,

You close the gap between you and Ted, hugging him and the kitten.

At the end of the day, you and Ted return to his apartment with more than too great big pumpkins, but a kitten named ‘Patch’ as well.

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Hellooo may I ask if you plan to continue the kny cats series?

KNY Kitties | 4

Sooner than the quadruple had liked your friend had returned and was eager to take her cats home

And while the sad mews from the kittens broke your heart it was nice to see the Magenta and Waterbug reclaim their role as guardians

Once again alternating between following you around the house and watching the kittens

While you’d like to say all was back to normal it was not

The blonde Turkish angora with rainbow eyes seemed to be finding himself at your place more often 

With a new friend named Snowflake 

Turns out your friend who owned him did return from her trip 

But she had fallen in love with the idea of traveling and had convinced her boyfriend to do the same

Which meant you were left to take care of both of their cats for the foreseeable future

As disappointing as that was having the new short hair around helped balance everyone out

Keeping the mischievous Angora busy 

Otherwise, life was good 

You were hanging out even longer with your new landlord

And cracking down on the only cat that seems to be escaping from your home:

“Okay, my babies! I’ll see you all in a bit I just have to make a quick run! Behave please!”

The sound of your voice suddenly disappearing behind the door caught everybody off guard. As far as they were concerned you were just getting a snack in the kitchen, you’d said so after getting up from cuddling with Magenta. The kittens who had previously tried to fall asleep beside Giyuu immediately snapped awake to go to the door to mew sadly. As though their crying would bring you back they held their little protest for a few minutes, deciding to sit by the door to wait. Giyuu figured he’d check on them before speaking to Muzan who was taking this opportunity to rub himself all over your clothes. 

“Oi Muzan. Aren’t you stretching yourself too thin?//”

Without looking up the former demon king only intensified his scent smothering. 

“How so?//”

“All week you’ve been jumping between being a cat and the ‘landlord’s son.’ Is there no stress on your body to be switching so often?//”

“No, I’m as infallible as I was in the past.//”

Giyuu hides the distasteful flicking of his tail at the prideful assumption. He didn’t really care if Muzan was caught, he was only worried about the rest of them transforming. If that time were to come.

“Ne ne Akaza-chan! Who do you think will be transforming next?”

The striped short hair groaned trying to slink away from Doma as they entered the bedroom. Giyuu’s ears twitched as he made his move to stay on the bed. Better to stay out of their way but still watch the Uppermoons.

“For all you know, it could be me!”

“Please we’d all be in trouble if it’s you.”

“Why wouldn’t you like it if we all go and live with our Master?”

Muzan perked up from the folded clothes to do his best to glare at his subordinates continuing to make biscuits on them. 

“I wouldn’t let you live with me.”

“What?! Master why?!”

“(Y/n) would get the wrong idea about me and I will not have you disrupting my relationship with them.”

“How mean! Would you say the same with Akaza?”

“....No.”

“Whhyyyy?!”

Giyuu refused to say anymore jumping off the bed to the front door. He planned to check on the quiet kittens rather than listen to the useless drivel that was this conversation. He hoped none of it would be considered true. But if this was going off of physical prowess from their past lives that would be a likely scenario rather than Tanjiro. Giyuu was disappointed to see that Tanjiro hadn’t had the same changes he noticed Muzan was having before he first transformed. 

When he finally entered the kitchen and doorway of the house he found the kittens precariously stacked on each other while standing on the counter, attempting to grab some treats. Recently you’ve been trying to teach the kittens some commands and tricks. Unfortunately for you, the kittens were smart enough to wish they could have those treats all the time. 

“Tanjiro, Nezuko, Rui! What are you all doing?//”

A series of ‘uh oh’ and hushed whispers told him all he needed to know. Easily he hopped up on the counter to safely break up the little stack they had going on. They proceeded to whine and complain as he sent a scathing look to all of them–specifically at Tanjiro.

“Tanjiro what is this? I would’ve expected more from you.”

“It’s just that they were both hungry and they were crying–”

“That’s no reason to do this. If you’re so hungry you’ll wait until (Y/n) gets home.”

“But–”

“No, buts. Off the counter.”

But of course, as the kittens begin to slink away preparing for the drop-down, Muzan intervenes. 

“What seems to be the problem.”

Giyuu prepares to speak only to be beaten by Rui. Who proudly tattles as though Giyuu was in the wrong. 

“The old man says we can’t eat even though we’re hungry!”

“--Hey!”

Muzan probably already aware of the true situation coyly sits at the bottom of the counter. 

“Well, that’s not right then.” 

With a smooth snapping of bones, the human form of Muzan stood tall and more than able to reach for the treats. The kittens cheered letting out happy mews as he opened the bag and began leaving some food out. Giyuu groaned in the only way a cat can. 

It is then his dark blues spot the small device above the refrigerator.

“Mu—!//”

Before he could get it out the door swung open. It is then that Muzan turns completely naked to look horrified at the main doorway where you had your phone’s light flashing with a picture and your jaw hanging open. 

“OH MY G–”

[kaoyuuji]

adopting a kitty !!

boyfriend! s.gojo x non-sorcerer! f!reader - . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁adopting a kitty headcanons ! . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖”How are you? I’m doing okay Unlike my heart, that feels like it’ll explode” . ݁ ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹ 🎧

༘˚⋆𐙚｡ on what felt like the hottest day of the millennium, gojo satoru was inside his house, enjoying a nice cold popsicle. Despite the boiling heat suffocating his body, he was in a peaceful state. Simply enjoying his lazy afternoon on the couch. that is until his beloved partner came home from her day job… with a white kitten in her arms.

⋆𖦹.✧˚ She tried to sneak past her lover, as if he didn’t hear her come inside. “andd where are you sneaking to?” — She froze. “i thought you were sleeping!” He shifted his body to look back at you, and sees the baby kitty in your arms. His eyes widen.

“andd what is that?!”

“a kitten.. i only wanted to bring it inside to give it some water!” — “really?” — “no..(*ﾉ▽ﾉ)”

༘˚⋆𐙚｡ of course he didn’t even bother arguing against you keeping it, he’d never deny you anything!

“as long as it doesn’t claw this face.. it can stay.” were his only conditions ┐(￣ヮ￣)┌ ..

⋆𖦹.✧˚ Gojo-Jr is the name y’all(gojo) chose, i mean the little kitty looks just like him! Big blue eyes and the fluffiest white hair, and the prettiest face! Truth be told, he’s ૮ ˙Ⱉ˙ ა excited to raise this kitty than you are !! “What if it’s a girl?” You asked — “Let me have my moment (name)!”

༘˚⋆𐙚｡ You have sooo many photos of Gojo and Gojo-Jr sleeping together! You’ve never seen your boyfriend more at peace while sleeping, you can tell how much peace this baby kitten brings him. — And the two of you are proud parents, you take many photos of Jr and show all of them off to anybody in a 5 mile radius.

⋆𖦹.✧˚ Gojo is so attached it’s as if it’s his real child :> They’re always sleeping together, Gojo-Jr lovesss to nuzzle in the crook of your lovers neck, or the middle of his lap. Your favorite part of a long day is coming home to seeing your boyfriend resting peacefully with a baby kitten in his lap.. a very cute scene!

༘˚⋆𐙚｡ The oneee thing Gojo can’t stand about Gojo-Jr is the amount of hair he sheds. “(name) we have to take Gojo-Jr to the vet. This can’t be normal!” He’s constantly complaining, but he always quickly forgives his baby. I mean look at it!

⋆𖦹.✧˚ Yes Gojo bought a cat leash for the kitten. And yes he 100% plans on using it when it grows up. “We have to get its shots before it can go outside!” — “The pet of the strongest can handle a few fleas (name).” — “?!?”

༘˚⋆𐙚｡ Unfortunately Gojo-Jr got fleas after its first day outside due to its fathers recklessness (￣ ￣|||) .. Of course he took care of his pet with the most expensive vet care, your orders! Ever since then Gojo has learned his lesson too.

⋆𖦹.✧˚ And yes for halloween he did buy Jr a itty-bitty mask just like Gojos, and YESS he did show off the many pictures to his students the day after.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡ Megumi is 100% Gojo-Jrs babysitter when the two of you are busy. He doesn’t mind of course, anything for you (If it were Gojo asking he'd deny immediately. jkk!) Megumi sends pictures of Jr every other hour. (per Gojos request) , and after spending a day with the kitten Megumi understands why the two of you love it soo much! Despite him being more of a dog person >_>

⋆𖦹.✧˚ in the end, this baby kitten became an official member of your family! Anddd this might be the closest to having a real kid the two of you will get to anyways (￣ω￣;)

[greensagephase]

Nonviolent Communication Head Canons (Platonic Roommate Edition)

Pairings: Spider-Man!Miguel O'Hara x Spider-Woman!Reader Word Count: 1.6k A/N: Based on my fic Nonviolent Communication, here are some platonic roommate head canons of Miguel and reader, whose apartment building caught on fire and led her to move in with Miguel (temporarily, unfortunately for both of them). You don't need to read the fic to read this! Masterlist

Thank you for reading!! ❤️

Routines and things Miguel loves about living with you (mans wishes you’d stay longer)

★ You learn each other’s routines quickly, and by quickly, I really mean it. You know what time the other wakes up, when you start your night routine, when or how you do your laundry, etc. It doesn't take very long for you to get used to each other and your routines, it just clicks and makes sense.

★ I head canon that Miguel is not a morning person, and you quickly find that out, which is fine to you regardless of whether you’re a morning person or not. You enjoy the silence while you both drink coffee before heading out to do your things.

★ Talking about coffee in the morning, you’ve both made who makes the coffee first a silent competition. Whoever makes it that morning, wins. Miguel takes it seriously but only because he likes to make the gesture of making you coffee (one of his love languages is acts of service).

★ Another one on coffee (For my readers, are we surprised here? Coffee makes an appearance in like every chapter lol), Miguel makes cafe de olla more often because you live with him. Sometimes (let’s be real, all the time), your love for it is what makes Miguel head to the kitchen and start making it. Sometimes he tells you he's going to make it if you're there with him (he tends to make it more on the evenings) and when you're not, it's a surprise for you. At those times, when you're somewhere else within the penthouse, the scent reaches and lures you to the kitchen. This always amuses Miguel! On rare occasions when you don’t show up to the kitchen because you don't catch scent of it, Miguel goes and finds you to give you a mug. Sometimes he brings pan dulce along!

★ On pan dulce, Miguel finds himself buying it more often. He always buys your favorite and makes sure it’s the most fresh.

★ He buys pan dulce so much more often that the people at the store already know what kind he usually buys. They wonder if he has a special someone because he always buys for two and he always looks so concentrated on picking the best bread. Of course, they don’t ask him but they have a guess he does.

★ Coming home, Miguel really appreciates (loves) arriving to the penthouse and finding you there. The penthouse used to be a place Miguel didn’t like much. He found it cold, foreign, and empty. Nothing like a home. However, that has changed little by little because of the new memories he’s made with you and also because of your temporary stay with him. He really enjoys seeing the lights on, music sometimes playing, mundane sounds coming from the kitchen, etc. The penthouse feels like a home, and it brings great peace and comfort to Miguel.

★ You try not to leave your belongings around, partly to avoid making it look cluttered and because you like an organized place but also because you’re respectful of Miguel’s home. However, Miguel likes seeing your things laying around like your jewelry or hair accessories. If you use hair ties/scrunchies, he likes to look at them and sometimes plays a bit with them (kitty behavior), just admiring them in a way. Again, it’s comforting to Miguel to know you’re there at the penthouse with him and seeing these little reminders of your existence and stay at the penthouse, warms him up!

Cooking and Baking Head Canons

★ Miguel loves cooking for you! He always thinks about what meals to cook ahead of time and now that you’re living with him temporarily, he takes the chance and cooks for you as much as he can before you start trying to cook as well because you don’t want Miguel to feel like cooking has fallen entirely on him. Miguel wouldn't mind though, I think we know that already (iykyk). And not because your cooking is bad, but again because Miguel is big on acts of service and this is a way for him to express that he cares about you. Plus, the man knows his way around the kitchen!

★ If you're reading the fic, then you know about burritos de tinga. Miguel makes them more often now that you're living with him because he knows you love them! If you don’t know how to make them and you’ve asked how, Miguel has shown you!

★ On some evenings, you cook together! It’s a really great time for bonding and you talk about the day or sometimes talk about memories from your past. You both work very well in the kitchen, as if you’ve done it your whole lives! 👀

★ Sometimes (or maybe a lot, depending on you) peppers are used for the cooking and often times you find yourselves in coughing fits (iykyk about the peppers) because of it! After your coughing fits, you usually glance at each other and try not to laugh about it. It’s like, your little inside joke!

★ Miguel doesn’t bake but you do! You bake treats at least once a week and Miguel always looks forward to it! He loves your baking (he has a sweet tooth)!! And you equally love baking for Miguel and seeing his happy expressions while he munches on cookies, a slice of cake or pie, etc. It brings you happiness to bake for someone else other than yourself, just like how you used to bake for your Peter (deceased boyfriend) and you.

Cleaning

★ After cooking, you usually split up the task of cleaning. You finish quicker if you work together! There are times when either of you make the call to clean the mess yourselves, especially when the dinner is a bit more intricate and it’s cooked by one of you alone. It's your way of showing care for each other!

★ Miguel didn’t want you to do this, still doesn’t, but you both clean the penthouse together. You split up tasks! Miguel always tries to give you the least hard ones whether because of the labor or because he finds them to be “dirtier” tasks, even when you say you don't mind. Random Miguel head canon: He definitely uses Fabuloso, the lavender one.

★ You've both created a shared playlist of your “cleaning” songs and you better bet, Miguel definitely has the señora songs. Lyla plays it for you guys!

Evenings

★ Some evenings, you hang out in the living room together, and other nights, you give each other space in different parts of the penthouse, respecting that you both may need some alone time.

★ Since you moved in, Miguel has begun to read more. It's always being one of his hobbies but over the last few years since he discovered the multiverse he hasn't read much, on top of the fact that it reminded him of Gabriella since he used to read with and to her. However, seeing you reading on some evenings has inspired him to start reading again!

★ On the topic of books, since you read more often, you tend to finish more books than he does. Miguel has begun to ask your review on the book once you’re done. If it’s a positive review and something that sounds like he’d enjoy reading, he has Lyla add it to a digital TBR.

★ When you hang out together in the evenings, sometimes you both fall asleep on your respective couches, across from each other. Lyla pops up sometimes to see what’s going on, or to report something to Miguel only to find you both sleeping with the TV on with a telenovela playing. If you read part 15, then you know what Lyla thinks about that! She's read research on a theory that suggests people sleep better when their loved ones are around. 🤭

★ You have movie nights! It turns out you really enjoy the movies from Miguel’s universe, so every few nights you guys pull up whatever the version of Netflix, Hulu, etc is in Miguel's universe. There's snacks included, of course!

★ Some nights, you stay up late either watching something on TV or just talking. Time just seems to fly by when you’re with each other! It's like, you're in your own little world!🥺

★ Music! On some nights you both simply sit in the living room and listen to music from Miguel’s record player, the one you gifted him for Christmas. You continue to share music with each other like you have in the past!

Random Ones

★ You sneak snacks to each other, even when you’re both in different areas of the penthouse. You’re both respectful of each other’s alone time so you always just slide it over, or place it on the nearest surface as a little “here’s something for you.”

★ Miguel learns about all your hobbies! He already knows of a few but living with you means he also gets to see you unwind and take time to actually engage in those hobbies, and any new ones you may be trying out. He really enjoys seeing you have fun and take that time to nurture your interests! It's led him to think of his own, at least the old ones he used to enjoy, and considering starting them again!

★ Sometimes you leave little sticky notes around the kitchen and Miguel always loves finding them.

★ Your friendship has deepened since you moved in! It feels like neither of you hold back much from sharing what’s on your mind with each other anymore, any walls between you have fallen down. Miguel is especially more open and playful!

★ If you know how to drive, Miguel has told you about his vehicle and where the keys are just in case you need to go somewhere! He tells you about the flying feature and even demonstrates!

Thank you for reading!! ❤️🫶🏼

[thesweetroro]

Hiya! I just discovered your account and I'm so happy someone is making new content of this series (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥) So I don't know if you have been reading the manga but if you did could you write some headcanons of how would it be cuddling with Mei,Ido,Kojiro and Orochi? (If you don't know any of them do it with Samon,Honey,Tsukumo and Kenshiro)

Unfortunately i didn’t read the manga but i’ve seen those characters! and as soon as i could be able to read the manga i promise to tell you guys all 💗, but in the mean time i only can be able to do anime characters 🙂‍↕️.

And thanks for making a request + putting afford to care if i read the manga , i was gonna be so disappointed to turn you down.

𐙚 ˚🍥(cuddle buddy,pt.2!)｡˚ ᡣ𐭩

꩜ Requests 🩰 .ᐟ

── .✦ 🎠 Building (4+5+13+3)

── .✦🏷️ the inmates + guard

ꪆৎ

⋆｡🐩𖦹°🍥⭒˚｡⋆(kenshiro)

The puppy that he is , craving cuddles but as his ago denies!

He would be whimpering when he finally gets to have you in his office after being pent up all day and stressed out , just laying in his couch telling him how much you like his fancy old man smell.

Love and love to cup you and cover your up by his (Coat, cloak?) i don’t know you name it but you will get that peace of fabric around you.

His favourite thing to do when you slowly start to kiss him from one finger and end up kissing him underneath his eye gang.

I would say that man is ASMR lover so please go clean his ears and scratch his hanging hair.

More willing to cuddle when it’s the weekend it’s really REALLY hard to get that man out of bed or him letting go of you.

𐙚‧₊˚🐉✩ ₊˚🏯⊹♡(samon)

Good luck with trying to have him in one place,he loves you and your smell and your warmth but also,he can’t give up his work!! especially when no one can get the job done for him as he wishes for.

When you guy first started dating you would never leave each other arms and always cuddle and sleep together at one time both of you went out to some mall and he got you a big stuffed hello kitty .

Now when he became really busy he comes home or his office and sees you sleep or cuddle her,he regrets every walking muscle he used that day to get you her.

When he finally gets free and come cuddle you, he can see how upset you are when you look away and ignore him , but of course he knows how to make it up for you( whatever you like).

But after all you guys are cuddling back together and yapping about everything and tell you he misses you and how shity work as always and that he is SORRY.

His favourite thing in cuddle is to eat ice cream with you and get to be babied by you and lay on you and talk about how he would kick that stuffed kitty.

ꪆৎ

༘⋆📼˚ ༘ ೀ🎎⋆｡˚(tsukumo)

Sucker for cuddles or any affection from you , and since he needs alot of comfort that could help improve your relationship better! like when he feels comfortable he gets to open up and brake the personality.

Likes it even more when you’re on top of him with the prettiest thing to wear taking a little picture with his camera he got for you as a girl to get your memories together! looking so beautiful gorgeously delicious .

Would adore any and every thing you do and say to make him feel better in your arms and when someone else says something else he pull “but my wife said yes”.

Drive him crazy is the best part about it for him ,like slowly and gently take off his mask off of him and doing his skin care for him or try a trick or makeup.

And when you guys are almost asleep he talks about his behind the scenes stuff then both of.

. ݁₊ ⊹ 🍯. ݁˖ . 🎯݁༉‧₊˚.(Honey)

He doesn’t even try do denie it he loves being thrown in your arms in any change “ so i cut my finger accidentally while playing cards” “how did you?.-” “so you’re not gonna hug me and kiss me and tell me im gonna b alright?”.

A simple guy used to start his day by skincare routine and then just continue his day,but that was along time ago now he won’t even leave the bed just to hold you even more “no babe it’s cold,it’s winter, we will get sick”.

Everything you do is this guy’s favourite thing no matter what is it,but what about what he does? he likes having you oh him as he kisses you on your forehead and your neck then starts tweaking on your smell.

And plump on your back until you sleep.

ꪆৎ

hope you liked it 💋!.

[pterodactylterrace]

Unapologetically Team Green Take:

Alicent

Ok, I’m going to call it now. They decided Maelor being Aegon and Helaena’s child was green propaganda. In F&B Helaena couldn’t even care for herself, let alone her remaining children.

Aegon allegedly gives Maelor to his mother to raise as her own. No mention of the surviving twin being given the same treatment. They will likely decide to give Alicent at least one bastard just to drive home the feeling of “see? Evil hypocrite!” Even though Alicent is a widow and not putting her illegitimate son in the succession.

It was rumored that Daeron would be an Alicole bastard, but then how in the fuck did he hatch his dragon? I’m getting the vibe that Tessarion was hatched to Daeron, which wouldn’t be possible unless Viserys was his father. I can already hear Condal now “everyone kind of forgot that only Targaryens can hatch a dragon egg” “it’s green propaganda that only Targaryens can claim dragons”

Just waiting for all the “Alicent is a hypocrite and a slut!” Hate to start rolling in. The only issue is that her paramour is a member of the kingsguard. And he is willingly breaking his vow. A vow Aegon doesn’t seem to even really care about that much. It sounded more like a suggestion when he told his kingsguard pal that he was supposed to be celibate. Plus, isn’t the vow that they would father no children, not that they wouldn’t get their freak on? I mean, maybe it’s splitting hairs, but the point of the vow is that they won’t have anyone or anything else they would put before their duty. Isn’t it kind of null and void if the resulting child would be a member of the royal family? Not to mention, Alicent took Ye Olde Morning After, so they are actively preventing him from fathering children.

Aemond

Speak High Valaryian between my legs to me

That smooth, cool voice just effortlessly tearing into Aegon. That had no business being THAT hot.

It’s nice to know Aegon wasn’t planned on being there. At least they have some sort of brain in their heads.

My take is that Aemond gave Aegon a chance, and came to his aid when it was clear he couldn’t win on his own. I also prefer to think that he didn’t mean to roast his brother.

We see Aemond walking around the crash site with his sword out. He is in the process of sheathing his sword when Cole approaches.

He exchanges no words, just points to where his brother and Sunfyre are.

My guess is they will try to frame it as “Aegon was a big dumb dummy and we needed him out of the way”

Aegon

He is so upset no one is listening to him. Can’t say I blame him.

His broken HV 😭 especially in comparison to Aemond’s easy grasp of the language.

“Mom, why are you in my room?”

Alicent has no idea the morning her son has had and her words are most certainly what pushes him over the edge.

The little kitty cat bapping of the pitcher off the table 😭

OH MY STARS AND GARTERS, THE SUNFYRE BOND!!!

Just a happy golden boi giving his rider a chest boop with his snoot. I may never recover from this. This is how I imagine TGC greets his dog when he gets home.

Sunfyre doesn’t need HV commands, he knows what Aegon wants. (Lemme guess Condal, Sunfyre just kind of forgot dragons only understand HV, it’s not because of their bond)

Golden Boi doing his absolute bestest!!! Poor baby has 0 battle experience. What he does have is a drunk rider and a can do attitude!

Maybe drunken dragon fighting was a bad idea?

The golden flames tho!!!!

Cole

Finally using his head for more than something to put his helm on.

It was a good plan. Kudos for the thought that went into it. Unfortunately, no one accounted for Aegon drinking and flying.

Not Gwayne instantly thinking Cole planned on Aegon showing up at the exact worst possible time.

Riding hard to get to Aegon, even as Aemond and Rhaenys fight overhead.

First thing he does when he regains consciousness is resume his search for Aegon.

Falling to his knees when he sees his eldest surrogate son burned and broken after his first taste of battle. He may not fully respect Aegon’s authority, but he still cares for him as a person. As his son.

Sunfyre:

WE WERE ROBBED

We needed more Sunfyre! He has been on screen for like two minutes, but in those two minutes he showed so much personality. The boop! THE BOOP!!!!

He throws up a wing against Vhagar’s flame to protect Aegon.

When they fall, sunfyre curls around Aegon to protect him.

Vhagar

How TF did they manage to hide a mountain of a dragon in the woods?

She is a real one for that nap, though 😂

Aemond said “wait” and she was like “thank FUCK!” And just flopped back down for a snooze.

How is this giant somehow also a master of stealth?

I understand Meyles being able to sneak up on Sunfyre, she is a very fast dragon, but Vhagar is noted to be slow.

But somehow she just manages to pop out of nowhere and snack on other dragons no problem.

Grabbing Meyles by the leg and roasting her. Grandma knows how to handle these hatchlings!

Conclusion:

Can we please have more focus on the dragons in a show about war between dragon riders? They are more than just transportation devices. They have personalities. I WANT TO SEE MORE OF THAT. Not more Syrax and Caraxes. Syrax is less of a dragon and more of a chicken pony, and we have seen the noodle boi so much. Show us the Green dragons FFS. They have less. It should be easier to show all of theirs, but instead we are constantly shown the dragons being used to patrol or transport the blacks. The one other time we see Vhagar it’s from miles away while she is patrolling KL. Also, why are none of these riders practicing evasive tactics? That seems really important. Instead they just fly at one another, clash, lock and bunny kick the shit out of their opponent.

I would just love to see them actually doing something with their dragons other than just using them as horses.

[yandere-mha-blog]

Part 6

word count:2352

Keigo enters the scene yay!

You and your mom made plans to go out shopping for some school supplies

“Mom, aren't I a little old for this?” you asked “ I mean high school was one thing, but i'm going to college.”

“Nonsense, this brings me back.’ she said holding up to stationary sets “now Hello Kitty or My Melody?”

“I like the Cinnamoroll one behind you.” you pointed

“Perfect, let's get you this one.” she said and put it in the cart “Now your dad has already found a nice dorm for you, so we should go get some moving boxes soon.”

“I'm moving out already.” you said

“(name), me and your father will be thirty minutes away from you.” She explained “Do you want to stay home for college?”

“No..it's just I spent a while away from you guys, don't you want me at home for a bit.” you said, she smiled

“Of course we do, but I think having your own space, with no boyfriends, will do you some good.” She said, patting your shoulder “Unless you want to stay home.”

“Hmm…” you pondered “I think having my own palace would be nice, but are you sure you and dad are okay with it…after what happened.”

“Of course, I do want what's best for you, but I guess in the past I thought I knew what was best for you and did not consider what you wanted.” She said with a small smile “No matter how far away from home you are, you will always be my child , okay.”

You gave a small nod

“Great, now you will need some new clothes, I'm guessing your old clothes are still at his place.” He grimaced 

“Unfortunately, i didn't even really choose them he just kind of bought them for me.” you said, and you heard your moms hand crack from clenching it in a fist

“Is that so, well let's go to somewhere you want and we can get you some clothes, i mean you mostly wore your school uniform, and the rest were pajamas.”

“Thanks for reminding me.” you said, as she checked, and the two of you headed toward one of the clothing store, you grabbed a couple pair of pants, a couple shirt and a few skirts, and a hat that looked pretty cute

“Oh I didn't know this was your style.” Your mom said “you look so cute!”

“I'm not sure if it is my style, but I like it.” you said

“Great you can wear the outfit out then.” she said

And after a long day of shopping you two returned home, to see you dad springs  bunch of boxes

“Honey,what are you doing? Where did you get those?” your mom asked as you set the bags on the table

“What do you mean?” He asked, “we've had them in storage forever.”

“You mean to tell me, you kept the boxes from our move that was 16 years ago?” she said “Gross they are probably filled with mold!”

“They are not, i check them myself.” he said

“You expect our daughter to put her stuff in 16 year old moldy boxes!”

“They aren't moldy and even if they are old they still work!”

You pulled a bread bun from the cabinet and took a bite, glad to know your parents were the same as usual, eventually their yelling turned into laughter, whenever they argued it was not really anything serious.

“Mom, dad, can we have fried chicken tonight.” you asked

“Sure sure.” your mom replied, as you took a box up to your room 

“I'll start packing.” you said and went to your room, you didn't really have all that much, the only thing that would be a pain to take with you would be your furniture.

You reached into your bag and pulled out the necklace Dabi had gotten you, before throwing it in the trash

“Jerk.” you mumbled and confined to pack up, your mom knocked on the door a while later saying the food was here.

Had to be some of the best fried chicken you had in a while, it was nice to have some sense of normalcy, still there was  nagging voice in the back of your head that made you feel like you didn't deserve their kindness, after what you said to them that night you left, and that they just wanted you out of the house as past as possible, so they wouldn't have to deal with you.

“Earth to (name).”your dad said “You okay?”

“Something is bothering me.” You said “I don't know if I can be independent.”

“Oh I see, moving out jitters.” Your dad said “well let me tell you something, when i first moved out, the toilet flooded the first week i was there and i didnt have a toilet plunger, so i ran over to my next door neighbor to see if they had one, and lo and behold…they didn't have one either.”

“Dad, I really didn't need a story about how you clog toilets.” you said

“Hey that's not the point of the story, my point is that no one is ever really ready to be independent or move out, but if you have any questions, you can always give us a call.” He explained

“So I should get a plunger before I move out?” you asked

“Yes..but that's not the point.” he exasperated

Finally the last box was in your dorm room, you let out a long sigh  as your dad cracked his back

“Okay next time we are hiring the movers.” He said

“I tried to tell you.” Your mom said as she looked around  “Wel this palace sure is nice, and look you have such a nice view of the fountain.”

“Oh I do.” you said as you looked out your bedroom window, it beat looking at a brick wall

“Whelp.” your dad said and slapped his knees “this is the part where we let you go.”

“Don't frame it like that.” your mom said “But we should get going, you have a lot of unpacking to do.”

You three came together for a group hug

“You are going to do great.” your dad said 

“And if you have any trouble, we are only a phone call away.” your mother added, you three let go and they went on their way, you closed the door and looked at the boxes that scattered the area.

It felt weird to have a space all to yourself.

Putting everything together was straight forward, but now you were really hungry, you were sure you could get something delivered to your place, you placed the order and went back to unpacking stuff for your bathroom.

You sat on the floor eating from the to go box and looked out the window, the sun was going down, you looked over and made sure your door was locked. It was going to be weird sleeping in a new place all alone.

You spent the rest of the week putting stuff away, making sure it all had a new space, and cleaning lots of cleaning.

You tried the tub out and glad the water came out hot, eventually you got used to the space and could sleep with no problem. 

Overall your tiny space was nice and friendly, but you knew classes were the next day and even if you did grow comfortable here, the thought of going back to class made your skin crawl.

What if it's just a  repeat of what happened in highschool, what if all your classmates hated you, maybe dabi was right, maybe it would be the same thing over again.

No, that guy was full of shit, you would be fine.

But what if you weren't

It's going to be fine

Sure keep telling yourself that, you always find a way to mess up when it comes to relationships.

Needless to say, you were dead tired in the morning, you took a sip of your iced coffee as you headed into your classroom, a couple of people were they and chatting among themselves looking at the paper, should you go up and say hi, introduce yourself, your throat felt dry and you approached them, and eventually made way to the stairs and sat in the very back.

You took out the syllabus and read over it, your eyes pecked over the sea of people, you were thankful you didn't recognize anyone from your old school.

The teacher made his way in

“Hello everyone, i am glad to see you printed the syllabus out, now we will be starting this class going over the semester.” He said, you were about ten minutes into the boring lecture when the door opened, a man with blond hair that looked a it like a birds nest came through

“Hey teach, sorry i am late, what did I miss.” he said as she slung his bag over his shoulder bag that kept

“It's the first day so you get a warning.” The teacher explained as he looked as his papr “you better not make this a habit of yours mister-”

“Mister, please, i just go by Keigo.” He said waving him off “now where do i sit?”

“Have a seat anywhere.” the teacher explained

“Anywhere?” Keigo said

“Just take a seat.” The teacher quipped, Keigo looked around the classroom and his eyes fell to the back row, where only you sat, you prayed that the loud mouth wouldn't sit next to you.

God must of had his headphone in because he plopped down right next to you, you kept a straight face and looked at the papers, he leaned over and whispered

“Hey…what did I miss, I got a little lost.” He said, you looked at him, and wow those had to be the most golden yellow eyes you had ever seen, they almost reminded you of a bird you saw when you went to the zoo.

“Oh just a couple of dates when the tests are going to be held, there are 6 very important ones that are worth 10 of our grades each.” You examined as you pointed at the dates “the other 40 percent are going to be out homework and assignments.”

“Oh cool.” He said “thanks.”

He searched through his bag and pulled out a red pen and started circling the dates. You went back to listening to the teacher, a part of you wondered why you showed up, since you already read all of this.

“Hey.” he whispered again “I can't help but wonder, why are you the only one sitting in the back?”

You had to think of a dumb response quick, last thing you wanted to do was trauma dump that being around to many people makes you sick 

“The ac is better back here.” you responded and give yourself a mental facepalm, great now you are the weirdo

“Oh so that's why I feel a draft.” He said 

“Hey you two in the back.” The teacher said, and the class looked at you two “Stop talking and pay attention.”

“Yes sir.” Keigo said and gave him a salute, yup you wanted to crawl into a hole and die, now the teacher was going to hate you just like your last one, and the eyes of your classmates you could feel them.

Everyone went back to looking at the teacher and you really wanted to run to the bathroom, but if you did that what would the teacher think, that you were sassing him.

You are so thankful the class was done, you went out the door, before anyone could use a word to you, you felt like you wanted to throw up.

“Hey wait up!” you heard the loud blond guy say, you kept walking “hey girl was I was sitting next to!”

“Yup thats me…” your thoughts trailed on as you looked back and how the hell did he get next to you so fast.

“Oh good I found you, you dropped your bunny pen.” He said, holding out the blue pen.

“Oh, thank you.” You said “it's a dog though.”

Oh my god shut up, he is going to think you are annoying!

“A dog really?’ He said and gave a closer look. “I mean…maybe I could, actually I can't see it, designers did it intentionally to trick people huh.”

“Uhh…maybe?’ you said

“Haha rhetorical question.”  He said “Still you really saved my ass back there, why is the teacher so serious, I mean it's the first day you know.”

“I want to make an impression.” you said as you put the pen back in your bag.

“That's gotta be it.” Keigo said “also I never got your name.”

“...it's (name).” you said as you went to look for your next class when a guy on a skateboard road by almost hitting you, Keigo pulled you back

“Hey! Kaito watch it!” Keigo yelled

“Sorry hawks.” The guy said

“Don't apologize to me, apologize to the girl you almost ran over-and he is gone.” Keigo said

“Hawks?” you said out loud by accident

“Oh that's just a nickname.” Keigo said “a few people called me.”

“Why do they call you hawks?” You asked, wishing you didn't, you really shouldn't be getting involved with people, you knew what happened last time you did.

“Oh I'm sure a smart girl like you will be able to figure it our.” He said “but just call me Keigo, kay?”

“Alright.” you said as you adjusted your bag “i have to get to my next class now.”

“Oh right we have a second class to get to.” Keigo said ”well see you tomorrow (name).

He raised his hand for a high five and you flinched

“Sorry I have to go.” you said and rushed off, you felt like slapping yourself, seriously how awkward could you be.

Keigo stood there for a second, he pieced the puzzle together of why you flinched when he raised his hand, and why you seemed to jumpy at things, he sighed maybe he came on a bit too strong.

[thebardisabird]

Ohhhh nooooooo not his little girl! Alright, alright, you’ve got it. Sometimes feelings are hard! Hope you don’t mind, but I made you partners! Papa!Ichimatsu (and a little x GN!Reader), under the cut:

It was an accident.  He was usually so good at being able to reel himself in these days, but even for Ichimatsu the world can be too much at once. A broken cat tree. New litter being born. Angry customers complaining about the smallest details. Blow after blow after blow Ichimatsu’s patience wore to near nothing. So when his six year old daughter squealed in delight that her father was home from work, she unfortunately didn’t expect the reaction she was given.  He’d procured a management position at the cat cafe he simply used to frequent, allowing him to do the thing he loved most after spending time with his family - take care of cats. But after this tumultuous day, not even his little girl’s excitement could cheer him up. She had a million different questions to ask him. Some about the kind of kitties they had, some about what he did for work today, and so on. Her final question ended on whether or not he’d take her out for ice cream after dinner.  “Not tonight, kittycat, Papa’s tired.”  He thought that would be the end of it. But the little huff she let out and the persistent “Daddyyyy can we can we can we can we” tore the very last shred of composure he had.  “NO!” Ichimatsu snapped, hands on his hips as his face screwed up in annoyance, “Papa is TIRED! Now that’s enough!”  Her eyes widened like saucers, tears pooling in them after realizing she was being yelled at. With her fists balling in her dress, she burst into a wailing sob, running off to her next parent who was in the kitchen. All of the anger that Ichimatsu felt immediately dissolved after seeing his daughter cry...because of him.  “ICHIMATSU!” you shouted from the stove.  He winced harshly at your tone - he knew he royally fucked up. 

--

Ichimatsu was made to wait until after his daughter had her bath. The poor dear was so hurt by his words and his screaming that she refused to eat dinner with him. It took a lot of your own convincing to get her to let him apologize.   The purple clad matsu sulked as he warily approach his daughter’s room. She held her calico kitty plush close to her chest, silent as she watched him approach. Ichimatsu felt guilt rise up in his throat, feeling like less than garbage with the recollection of what transpired. He gently sat down on her bed, fiddling with his sleeves. The struggle to find his words were apparent.  “Papa...?” her little voice called out to him. Her bottom lip trembled and immediately she tossed aside her plush to throw her arms around his neck, “I’m sorrrryyyyy Paaapaaaaa”  Her soft sobbing was garbled with unintelligible words save for the phrases “had a bad day” and “ice creeeeeam”. Ichimatsu felt his heart shatter to pieces; he gently scooped his daughter up in a comforting hug. In a soft sway he shushed her tears,  “Papa’s sorry...a bad day doesn’t mean he can be mean to you.” God, he felt like shit. How could he have ever let his stress become a reason to make his daughter cry? She sniffled at his words, “It’s okay, Papa...maybe a hug makes it better?” He cuddled his little girl close, “It does, kittycat...it does.”  He put her to bed not ten minutes later, the exhaustion of her tears finally catching up. As Ichimatsu exited the door and slipped down the hall, you managed to stop him before he reached your bedroom.  “She was pretty upset before, wasn’t she?” you sighed. Your husband turned to you, his face wet with unrestrained tears. Another sigh left you before you smiled sympathetically. Arms coming around him you cooed, “C’mon ya big softie, let’s get you to bed too.”  “Sh-Shut up!” he would retaliate, wiping furiously at his eyes before more tears would follow. 

[adamwatchesmovies]

Nine Lives (2016)

While I didn't enjoy this film, that doesn't mean you won't. No matter what I say, the people involved in this project did it: they actually made a movie. That's something to be applauded. With that established...

A movie like Nine Lives feels like a mistake. Certainly in 2016, when everyone involved knew better. A premise this tired and unoriginal had no business playing in theaters. I saw this movie at home and felt a little more than embarrassed. Had I seen it on the big screen or told another human being “One ticket for Nine Lives, please!” I might’ve died of shame.

New York business tycoon Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) is a workaholic who never made time for his now-adult son David (Robbie Amell), ruined his first marriage and is on the verge of losing his second wife, Lara (Jennifer Garner). Their daughter Rebecca’s 11th birthday is days away and she only wants two things: for her father to be there and for him to bring her a cat. Redirected to a mysterious pet store owned by Felix Perkins (Christopher Walken), Brand adopts a cat named Mr. Fuzzypants. Moments later, an accident puts his body into a comatose state while his mind takes residence inside Mr. Fuzzypants.

Every time Nine Lives introduces a new story element, character, or plot point, a new wave of indifference splashes over you. Brand desperately wants his new skyscraper to be the tallest building in North America but a rival company is set to overtake the title. Who cares? As a cat, he overhears his wife talking about a man and suspects she may be cheating on him. So what? It’s not like we like him. Brand’s family is losing hope that he’ll wake up and begins considering pulling the plug. Good. Being stuck in a cat's body might’ve been the best thing that happened to him. Not because he’s learning any lessons - because it’s put him in a position where he can’t bully everyone around him anymore.

I understand what this “family comedy” wants to do. Brand is an egotistical, selfish jerk. This cat magic will teach him a lesson. Unfortunately, him being a cat means there’s no one for him to bounce off of, no one he can win over by showing how he's changed because he can’t talk or communicate with anyone. Sure Brand makes a couple of limp-wristed attempts to reveal his true identity to his family but his efforts are in vain and he gives up quickly. Director Barry Sonnenfeld is not interested in telling a story, he just wants to lead us from one lame cat joke to another while Spacey sits comfortably in a sound booth and narrates over the abysmal footage shown.

This movie is cheap and lazy. The special effects are terrible whenever the cat is on-screen. If a real cat appears, it frequently interacts with unconvincing sets. If the picture needs a CG kitty to fly through the air or do some acrobatics, you’ll wince. The character arcs are obvious to everyone watching even if they haven’t seen this scenario a thousand times - which they probably have. It’s a dusty script that’s been given a few dabs of fresh paint in the form of references to viral videos, social media and cellphones.

I’ll admit it. I laughed a few times but these chuckles are not enough to dissuade me from giving the film the lowest score possible. No executive watched this film and thought “this is good”. Every actor who read the script finished the last page with a sigh and said “well, I’ve got to pay those bills SOMEHOW”. Even the animal handlers must’ve questioned some of their career choices once they set foot on stage. There are no excuses for Nine Lives. (November 29, 2019)

[lionheartslowstart]

Busy Bee

Feeling stagnant drives me crazy and stresses me out beyond belief. It makes my skin crawl. I hate feeling like I’m not accomplishing anything, like I’m not moving forward. Unfortunately, there tend to be pockets in my life when this exact thing happens. Whether it’s due to specific circumstances outside my control, or even just due to being disabled, there are periods of time where I’m just not able to accomplish anything. And it would appear I am currently sitting in one of those pockets.

Don’t get me wrong, in this case, it’s for wonderful, happy reasons. In a few weeks, my parents are taking me to Paris. I’ve never been and always wanted to go. Recently, my parents explained to me that it’s actually a graduation gift, which confused me because I graduated seven years ago…but this trip was eventually planned for May of 2020 (which obviously didn’t happen), only two years after I graduated, so I suppose it makes sense. I’m so excited to go. A week with my parents in one of the most beautiful cities in the world!

And then, as soon as we get back, “Thomas” and I are going to start the process for adopting kittens! We decided to get two because kittens tend to do better together, especially when they’re already bonded. Yes, we’re a little concerned about my allergies, especially with no balcony, but I’ve been doing really well with the shots (two years now), and we can always open all the windows if I need some fresh air. Plus, we plan on harness and backpack training the cats as soon as possible, so they won’t be indoors 24/7, AND we have a Roomba (her name is Millie) that we can run once a week to keep up with all the fur and dander. So we’re really really hoping my allergies don’t make pet ownership a struggle. (And even if it is, I’ll just have to tough it out for 15 years because there is no way we would just give the cats back! That would be cruel.)

Cats tend to have a difficult time adjusting to new spaces. So even though we’ll have bonded kittens who will have each other for comfort, I’m sure they’ll be scared and it will take them time to adjust. And not just to the space either. They’ll also need time to adjust to us as owners. Since Thomas is at work all week, that means I’ll have to be the one to stay home and look after them. It would be wrong to throw these kittens into a new territory and then leave them completely alone. So I intend on taking two to three weeks (the recommended time) to let them get to know me and help our little kitties build a schedule with food and play. I have accepted that those few weeks will be a full time commitment on my part. (And of course, Thomas will help out on the weekends when he’s home, though it unfortunately may mean the cats will take longer to feel safe with him.)

With the France trip coming up, and then the immediate commitment to homing new kittens, this is clearly not the time for me to be making big life movements. That mainly includes submitting auditions for film and television, as well as finding a part time job. I’ve been wanting to work part time for a while, even though it’s really scary and I’m afraid I won’t be able to maintain that kind of stamina long-term. But I have to try. I miss having a schedule, and historically, working a small job has increased my energy in other areas of my life. (This according to my therapist of eight years.)

Still, not having anything to do career-wise has me on shpilkes. So at the very least, I’m trying to keep myself busy and fill my time with activities that feed my soul in the meantime.

I have recently resumed my foreign language courses, which currently include Spanish, French, and Yiddish. Plus, thanks to my mother getting me into K-Dramas, I plan on adding Korean! (Though that probably won't happen until after I return from France, since obviously French is the current priority.) I've always loved learning languages, and they always seemed to come pretty easy to me, most likely due to strong pattern recognition thanks to autism. However, my understanding is that Korean has a completely different syntax from the other languages I've learned, so I'm excited to really challenge myself. 

In addition to spoken languages, I’ll be starting ASL lessons soon, too! I'm SO excited. I've always wanted to learn ASL, and I'll be learning from a close friend of my mother's, who is just the kindest woman ever.

Furthermore, after three years of dealing with shame and fear, I've finally started taking motorcycle lessons again! I'm doing really, really well, if I do say so myself.

And of course, I’ve signed up for more classes at my pole studio now that I’ve moved back to the area. (Hallelujah.) Unfortunately, I did have to take a mini-hiatus from both pole and motorcycle lessons since during my last lesson I dumped the bike and it fell on my foot…and then I was sick…but I'm back, baby! I've already booked my next dance class, and I'll hopefully be booking my next motorcycle class soon too (my foot has not totally recovered and truthfully I probably should wait longer to go back to pole BUT I miss it way too much).

On top of all of that, I've resumed making spell jars, and have begun to expand into other practices as well.

All in all, it's been a busy few weeks!

I’m realizing I tend to get bogged down by what I’m NOT accomplishing, instead of what I AM accomplishing. Especially when what I’m NOT accomplishing has to do with career goals. I have an obsession with working, or perhaps more accurately, being able to work, as if that’s the most important thing in a person’s life. I know it’s not, that there are so many more important things, but there’s a lot pressure in our society to hold a job, as well as the pervasive idea that your ability to engage in labor is somehow tied to your worth. It’s an incredibly ableist (not to mention capitalist) ideal, and I’m working hard to unlearn it. Like I said, I’m doing my best to fill my time with the hobbies I enjoy, and what’s more, allow myself to enjoy them without feeling guilty. I have to keep reminding myself that just because I’m not working, doesn’t mean I’m not busy!

[nimbus-cloud-90]

Alrighty good chaps: here we go again!

Disclaimer and important things: There are two characters I do not own and their Agni and Bella. Those characters belong to @computerglitch306 and @shadie-cat , I'm just trying to create something cool with 'em.

——————————

Chapter Four:

Some Allies Would Be Nice.

When I stopped bawling my eyes out, me and my godly helper raided the store, although not without dragging me along as we ventured further into the dark and damp store. Even as we walked outside I could still feel the moss growing on the store floors beneath me.

“Hey, I’ve gotta split, uh, you know how to summon me, see ya.” The god said and patted my head as he disappeared. I was sad to see him leave but I can’t be dependent on him all the time I suppose. I walked along the cracked sidewalk, the moonlight illuminating the path, blinding me slightly in the process. I take out my map to see where I should go:

This journey you take is no easy task.

But luckily for you, you at least have a map.

Once upon a midnight dreary.

Ask to take a midnoon ferry.

Although don’t say I didn’t warn you about this boat.

No one is allowed to ride without a means for hope.

The fuck kinda map is this?

"A literary map because I think you're smart enough to figure it out."

Now I remember why he pisses me off so much. But unfortunately for me this is the only companion I’ve got. Along the road we walk past Garrison Sanatorium, the only building that seems at least somewhat kept up to date.

On the outside at least.

I start walking towards the building.

"You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me."

"Look I’m pretty sure this is a hospital, and I only have a small bottle of peroxide and tiny Hello Kitty bandaids!"

"What’s in your fucking bags then!"

"MOSTLY FOOD! And I have a gun and ammo."

"If I ever decide to open your bags, and I see they’re empty, I’m going to laugh at you."

"And you’re never going to get that satisfaction, because I packed so much in these bags!"

"Sure, sure, well have fun in the scary hospital!"

I wish he didn’t point that out, because now I’m terrified.

The building, while still relatively well kept, gave me an eerie feeling, with its big ass windows and old England cobblestone pathway. I felt a chill go up my spine as I stared at the statues as their lifeless, grey and stoney eyes stared back at me. They were statues of children, some in wheelchairs, some in crutches, most without, but they were put next to doctors who made my stomach tie in knots. There were dead flowers and overgrown weeds in the yard, but I do not know what insane person would go outside in this for some landscaping. The building was completely made out of marble.

The building looked like an abandoned god temple.

Oh gods the building looked like an abandoned god temple….

I panicked on the inside as my stubborn feet refused to stop moving, so I could turn around and go home. I walked up the FIFTY FUCKING FLIGHTS GODS of stairs, and pushed the silver doors open.

It was really, really dark.

"Well, what did you expect?" I said nothing to my dickhole guide as I pulled out my trusty Dollar Store flashlight. I expected some kind of ruin like: dirty floors, broken windows, leaky ceiling, but it’s very well kept.

There’s even some nice furniture in here!

I then heard the shuffling of feet.

Well, shit- I didn’t even have time to pull out a knife when I saw someone rushing toward me. They pushed me over and my back landed on the floor, the figures mitch-matched eyes staring into my soul. I felt something shock my body.

“OW THAT HURTS!”

“OH FUCK I’M SORRY!” The person suddenly gets off of me and backs off quickly.

“Nile, come on man, I was so close to knocking the guy out!” Another person, a more feminine voice, said.

“NOW I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO BE SORRY ABOUT THANKS A LOT BELLA!”

“Okay, Nile, let’s not point any fingers at anybody. You’ve said some things, I’ve said some things-” Before I let them argue more, I pulled out my gun.

“HANDS UP I’VE GOTTAGUNNOBODYMOVE!!!!” They both raised their hands up, or I think they did they're silhouettes showed me they did.

Shit I hope this thing is loaded.

“What are you doing here, explain yourself!”

“HAVE YOU NOT SEEN OUTSIDE!?!?!” The one that was called Bella said, “IT’S A FUCKIN’ MORGUE OUT THERE!!!!”

“I might’ve noticed.”

I’ve noticed it for the past two years thank you very much.

“Aww, that sucks I hope this ends for everyone too soon, I hope….” The one called Nile said, I think because it’s still dark as shit in here. The tone they had was, although awkward, very sincere and very kind. It was super sweet.

Alright, this one can live, the other person, I haven’t decided yet.

“NILE!!!”

“What?”

“WE ARE BEING HELD AT GUNPOINT RIGHT NOW!!!!”

“Well, this whole thing for them still sucks so my statement is still valid!” They said in a hushed voice.

“You didn’t answer my question!”

“Okay, geez, we were being chased by a thing and had to run in here real quick to recover our stamina.” The Bella voice said.

Shit this story is plausible, okay, I guess they both can live.

I lowered my gun and sighed. I heard shuffling steps behind me and an immediate, “DON’T DO IT AGNI!!!” from both of the people in front of me. Then the shuffling stopped, and I heard a sigh.

WHEN WAS THERE A THIRD PERSON?!??!?

“But they tried to shoot us….”

“They’re just a bit freaked out we’ll be fine. So what bring you in this corner of the town?” It took me a second for me to release Nile was talking to me.

“Um, I’m trying to find some medical supplies.”

"Ha, find."

“YOU SHUT UP IN THERE!!!” I said out loud in front of strangers.

“Who are you talking to?” The Agni person asked.

“Uhhhhhh-”

“Is there a ghost I can’t see in here?” Nile question aloud.

“What?”

“Imagine that, a spirit medium that can’t see ghosts.” Bella said playfully condescending.

"Huh, wait-"

“SHUT UP, I’M STILL A GROWING BOY!!!” Nile said so loudly my hair stood up on end.

And I remembered what happened last time I was in a dark, damp, and spacious room.

“Uh, Nile is it, um we should probably refrain from making as much noise as possible.” I whispered.

“Oh right I forgot, oops.” He whisper shouted and I can hear the shrug the followed that statement. “And yeah, that’s my name. Nile. Nile Bolton.”

“Holy shit that’s cool.” I tried to keep my voice down in case we might garner some attention.

“I know right! Well not everyone agrees unfortchanately—”

“Oh, come on, someone has to know how dorky that name is.”

“I don’t know…it’s pretty cool….” I try and stand up for Nile’s honor.

“Okay nerds, while you’re conversing about Superman and Spiderman, I’M going to find that guy’s supplies for em.” Bella said as I heard footsteps start walking away from us.

“WAIT A MINUTE!!!” Nile shouted, again, and took off after Bella.

“Oh, oh, okay then.” Agni muttered behind me. I wish they’d move so I stop being paranoid that they’re holding a knife behind me, “Didn’t know she’s the leader of the operation.” They whispered to themselves bitterly as we followed the other two.

"Look at you making friends, I’m so proud of you my boy!"

"Look, they probably have other things to do than follow me on this quest."

"Does it look like they have better options?"

I decided to ignore him until I could come up with clever reasoning.

"You're still talking to yourself." Agni muttered.

"I KNOW!!!"

——————————

We found some bandages, rubbing alcohol and some cottonballs, a vending machine that’s now broken and empty, some small blankets, and some asprin!

Any more supply raids and we’ll need more bags to carry it all in. All of the blankets, food, and my now apt sized first aid kit take up most of my duffel bag.

We finally walk out into the daylight, was I in there that long it was at least noon when I walked in here, and I shut my eyes because of the brighest the sun has ever been.

When I opened my eyes again I looked at the people around me.

There was a someone with red hair and dark clothing. A person with dark skin, green hair, green eyes, with round glasses, maybe freckles, with dark jeans, two rings on each finger, and a mint green hoodie. And then the person right beside me immediately entranced me:

They were wearing white fluffy jacket, but also had on a black Green Day tee. They had a spikey choker necklace, and black and white heart piercings in both ears. They had long, wavy blonde hair, and a single brown strand of hair. I seen light freckles on their face, and heterochromic eyes, one green one blue. They had black stained jean pants on and white and black Nike tennis shoes.

I knew for a fact who this person was, not because I knew them prior no, I knew them because I feel the pull, the entracement, and the boldness of said person’s voice that kept attempting to make small talk while searching for medical supplies. The person that stood up for me when everyone else wanted to kill me.

The person standing right beside me was none other than Nile Bolton, and I would never forget that.

“So…..where are we off to next?” NIle asked, he had a smile on his face and a lobster in his hands…..

Oh gods he has a lobster in his hands. HOW DID I NOT NOTICE THIS!?!?!?!

After recovering from the lobster bombshell “Wait you want to go with me?” I asked NIle.

“Yeah, I think it’ll be fun.” He said and smiled more.

“Woah, woah woah, who said we were going with them Nile?” Agni asked in the loudest voice I’ve ever heard from them so far.

“Well, what better things do we have to do Grass Boy?” Bella interjected.

He looked shocked and mildly offended at said Grass Boy comment.

“Come on Agni, what do we really have to lose?” Nile said in an uplifting, but serious tone.

“OKay…fine, I’ll come along I guess.” I heard Nile’s little yay that pierced the depths of my brain, “But if he points a gun at me again, I will stab him.” Agni says without hesitation.

“You know what, that’s fair.” I said as we walked down the fifty fucking flights of steps.

——————————

here's the chapter I've been most excited about you can tell because it's longer than the others.

Well everyone I hope you enjoy this mess and pray that the party doesn't get stabbed on this journey.

@ask-and-i-answer don't think I forgot about you :) you're not getting out of this that easy :)

[lovelyyandereaddictionpoint]

Are we getting a third part for yandere demon slayer as cats? 🥺

KNY Kitties | 3

For a while, a new routine seemed to be established

With Magenta making more occasional visits

The cats seemed to be less…frazzled if that was the word

You were still trying to find out where the hole was this cat kept escaping from 

But every time you set up a camera a fluffy white tail or adorable kitten’s licking on the lens

Your dearest friend continued to stay on her vacation, meaning a fluffy and highly groomed Douma got to stay longer

While it seemed Snowflake (Rui) didn’t mind the beauty, the other kittens seemed to despise him

Which had you worried

You figured between Magenta and Waterbug they had some reference but even you were aware that these two tended to be irregular at times

“Maybe you kittens need a few more role models…”

So to remedy this you take up more cat-sitting typically from your neighbors and friends you’d become a cat dealer to

“Alright, everybody let’s welcome our guests! This is Poser, Crybaby, Cherry Blossom, and Fire Streak!”: 

The flashy Hashira proudly posed as he watched himself be recognized by the burgundy and ombre kittens. As well as the blue-eyed cat who perked up with familiarity. The reunion for Tanjiro was a great motivator; since he had become a kitten his goals have been very short-sided. Be pet, be held, be groomed, fall asleep, get (Y/n)’s attention–it sometimes concerned him but seeing the somewhat clear-headed Hashira loudly divulge ideas on how to get home, made him so happy. There was even talk of bringing you with which would be even better! He was sure Nezuko agreed as they both curled up next to Hinatsuru as Uzui divulged his plans for the future.

You monitored their actions a bit automatically pinpointing why they had their specific name. The Egyptian mau wearing your friend’s jewelry truly seemed to be something of a model, always making a point to pose as they chirped and meowed in the trailing kittens’ direction. The other three all females were overall really affectionate with the kittens even willing to groom Snowflake who had been lingering closely behind. You couldn’t help your chest flutter when the kittens were lulled to sleep in a pile of purs and watching the guarding formation that seemed to be taking place on the cat tree they had claimed their own. 

Unfortunately not all the cats seemed to be getting along. The crew of four didn’t even acknowledge Waterbug, only giving him curt meows before loudly meowing to the kittens. While it was…sad it was nothing compared to their reaction to your friend's rainbow-eyed Turkish angora. Hissing, swiping, and actual attempts at his neck were made; none of which were discouraged by your form of punishment. No amount of separation and refused cuddles would stop them from fighting him off. And since they were the larger group you, unfortunately, gave them cuddle priority when they announced themselves in the room. Guarding the pile that had formed around you Poser wouldn’t allow Rainbow to be in the same space, sending meows of warning anytime he got too close. With tired eyes and rhythmic petting of someone’s head, you fell asleep. 

‘I wonder how they’ll react to Magenta…?”

To say Muzan was unhappy with the sight before he would be an understatement. He slipped out for twelve hours and you’ve somehow brought in more cats?! He thought this season was over! Stalking in he had half a mind to attack the sleeping cats but his kittens were curled into them better yet you which had him confront the hashira on guard. 

“What’s this? Does the demon king wish to confront me?//” Uzui quipped letting his spotted tail flick with aggressive intent. Whereas Muzan sat with narrowed eyes barely focusing on the cat in front of him and more so on you behind him. 

“They are mine.//”

“Who is, demon?//”

“(Y/n) and the kittens clearly had my scent all over them.//”

The other cat gave the equivalent of a boisterous laugh, “Yours? Well if that’s how we’re measuring they’re mine now!//”

Muzan growled prepared to barrel past them to awaken you only to be stopped by two of his lackeys. Female cats with their claws withdrawn and defensive intention behind their stance. For once in a long time the demon king felt truly challenged as they refused to be intimidated.

“Do you know who I am!? You’ll regret ever crossing me! Getting in my way will be your undoing!//”

“Not now. Now we are on equal grounds.//” Hinatsuru’s voice was firm, her speckled fur bristled as she curled further into you, blocking Muzan’s sight of the kittens. “Face it, demon king. We are stronger here and much more equipped for caring for them. Stand. Down.//”

He hated how right she was and the cat’s fearful design begging him to back down. But he wrestled with his mind, his advantage against all who got in his way was the human-like form. Surely he was ahead of them! Able to imitate the authority of a human easily. It’d be a pleasure to watch them cower with regret. But a blue-eyed gaze had him hesitating in what would follow. What would he do if you awoke or if you noticed how much they fought against him would you notice? Would you care? Could he take being rejected by the one who plagues his mind with every waking moment? 

He knew the answer. 

So he turned away retreating to your hamper to bathe in your scent. This was a battle and not the war…he’d just had to bide his time. And while it was agony to see this time spent with you and the kittens bonding with demon slayer and shinobi; he could wait…couldn’t he?

[marchleader]

…

“I shouldn’t be surprised I could be such a Coward.” Inno says. “Really this whole situation has been an exercise in how truly rotten we all are. Everything wrong about all of us on full display…”

She slumps down right next to her. “Do you think our lives are like this because all of us are bad kids? All of us who commited the act knew it really wasn’t God’s plan but ours. Do you think this is his punishment? Not just Milgram but being in this place right now…”

——

“A friend of mine! She’s not easy to contact but I think she might enjoy surprising people.” Young Her says.

“As for your second question…” Her tone becomes more somber. “I…I’ve been thinking about that. I’m sure a lot of us want to go back home, a lot of people here have people waiting for them back home or responsibilties to take care of. There are a lot of adult versions of us that were just going to get some groceries when this happened.”

“But, I can’t deny that a lot of situations are unsafe, dangerous or even fatal. A lot of our lives are…undesirable, to say the least. I don’t want to force anyone to return if it could possibly put them in danger. I didn’t even return home when I had the choice back in my world…” she pats Her Partner on it’s head. Didn’t return home…? Does that mean she doesn’t live with their parents anymore?

“If I may interject,” Cat suddenly says. March looks over and notices that the Kitty has somehow fallen asleep during all this excitement. “As someone in a rather…unfortunate situation I do appriciate your concern. But also I think I’m…doomed to go back no matter what. That could be true for the case of some of the others. I don’t want you to put yourself in harms way for nothing.”

Amane frowns. “But it’s not nothing.”

"Cat!" "Cat!" Several Amanes call out for each other by nickname, and it seems that Cat is a really common one.

Tiger follows Inno out into the panopticon. Panopticon? Is that what this is? It looks... off? There seems to be way too many hallways for this to be the panopticon that they know.

There are so many of them out there. Many in straitjackets. Many with cat features. Some that are actually cats. Big cats. Some flying in the air. But they are all unmistakably Amane.

"What happened here..."

-

Meanwhile, the other Tiger shields the more injured Amane from the bustling crowd. It's probably best to stay put until Cat finds us, but it's dangerous for this one to be out here...

( @marchleader )

[brokeitwiththepowerofmathamatics]

Fanfic - A Question Begging not to be Answered

This was written for @marzfartz! I was your Holiday Truce santa! There were two prompts that I was focusing on for this, I’d say which ones, but that’d kind of be spoilers now wouldn’t it? A Question Begging not to be Answered

Johnny was having a great date night with Kitty, but when Phantom came to him looking for a fight, well... he wasn't the one to turn the other cheek. Unfortunately, some problems aren't easily solved by misapplied violence.

It had been a pretty good night. The date with Kitty went amazing, and Johnny had the lipstick marks on his cheek to prove it. The two of them had stopped by a gas station earlier and liberated some drinks from the place. Sadly nothing boozy, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. 

The two of them agreed that hitting up a liquor store would have probably gotten Danny on their case, and the last thing the date night needed was a run-in with Amity Park’s Phantom.

Sadly (for Johnny), Kitty had asked him to take a ride around town while she went home to freshen up for the second half of their date night. While they had done their best, Johnny had still attracted the attention of Danny, and he seemed rather pissed. 

Not a clue why either. It wasn’t like they had hit any of Danny’s normal hang-out spots. 

Johnny’s cycle was fast, but Danny was faster. Danny cut him off by landing in the center of the road. If Johnny had been any human, it probably would have caused an accident. As it was, Johnny was able to keep his motorcycle upright as he was forced to pull one of a hell a turn.

Johnny revved his engine as Phantom took several steps toward him, cracking his knuckles and rolling his neck. “Alright, Johnny, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way.” He put his grubby hands on Johnny’s bike and leaned in. “And I really hope you want to do this the hard way.”

Johnny shrugged. “Welp… If you insist.” Immediately, before Danny could do anything, he stomped on Danny’s foot and then elbowed him in the chest. It gave him enough space that he could swing his feet off his bike and then throw a solid punch at Danny’s face. 

He’d been meaning to do that ever since Danny kept getting in the way of his and Jazz’s dates. 

Unfortunately for Johnny, Danny was actually a pretty decent fighter, since he spent all of his free time fighting as Phantom.

Johnny could relate to that, though he didn’t have any real reason for it, it just felt good. 

Danny ducked under Johnny’s swing and countered with a blow to Johnny’s stomach. If Johnny had been alive, he probably would have been puking right now. 

Instead, Johnny got a grip on Danny’s arm and threw the teen off the road. 

Danny hit the ground and rolled before standing up. Johnny raised an eyebrow as Danny raised his fists to get ready to fight again. 

The two of them were ghosts; they didn’t fight with fists. They fought with powers and ectoplasm. 

Fistfights were for letting stress out. 

“Shadow, move the motorcycle,” Johnny ordered. He felt Shadow peer up at him, but after a moment Shadow flew off and got on the bike. 

“Alright kid, you want a fistfight? You got one.” 

Then Danny charged him. 

Johnny let Danny tackle him, and the two of them tumbled off the road and into the ditch next to it. Johnny swung Danny around so that he was on top of him. Johnny slammed his fist down into Danny’s face and smirked. That was as satisfying as he had hoped it would be. 

The brief distraction though was enough for Danny to grab him and buck. The two of them tumbled again, this time with Danny on top.

Danny took a page from Johnny’s book and punched Johnny square in the face. Unlike Johnny, he didn’t stop. 

Johnny brought his arms up and covered his face as best he could as he weathered the blows from Danny. The teen let out a shout with each thrown punch, but other than the first couple of blows, they weren’t connecting as well as they should have. 

Eventually, Danny got tired, and Johnny used that moment to bring his forehead into Danny’s nose. Something that for a mortal probably would have left them with one hell of a bloody nose, but since the two of them were dead, the blow was only enough to make Danny fall back and give Johnny a chance to stand up. 

Danny scrambled to get up. Johnny had no intention of letting him do so. He ran over and reared back to kick Danny’s head.

Danny shouted and jumped from his awkward position to try and tackle Johnny. 

“Nuh-uh, kid,” Johnny said, grabbing Danny and kneeing him in the stomach. “Last time, I let you do that.” He said kneeing him again. “We’re off the road now.” 

Danny tightened his grip, and Johnny was reminded this was a kid who routinely threw around ghosts three or four times his size. “Well, you shouldn’t have!”

Johnny’s thought as he was lifted into the air and smashed into the ground wasn’t that this was going to hurt, but rather…

“Dude… you’re off your banter game today.”

“Well, you’re off your face game!”

Johnny didn’t even dignify that with a response.

“Okay, yeah, that wasn’t any better”

Johnny sat up off the ground and rubbed the back off his head. “Okay, seriously, dude… What the hell is eating you?”

Danny folded his arms and looked away. “What do you mean? I’m fine!” 

“You don’t normally come bugging me for a fight — I go to you for a fight,” Johnny said, dusting himself off. “And we don’t usually take a lot of damage from punching each other’s lights out. That’s what ghost powers are for.” 

Danny blinked. “I thought you weren’t getting hurt as much as you should have…”

“No, that’s 'cause you’re not very good at a straight-up fistfight,” Johnny said, walking over and poking Danny in his rather noodle-like arms. “Seriously dude, what’s going on?”

Danny batted Johnny’s hand away and narrowed his eyes. “Why do you care?”

Johnny shrugged. It was a valid question, but Johnny never really hated Danny. Even with Danny ruining his dates with Jazz, it’s not like Johnny wouldn’t have done the same. “Cause you wouldn’t be out here picking a fight with me if you were good.” 

Johnny felt Shadow bring the bike back around and Johnny walked over to the cycle and opened up one of the saddlebags and rummaged around for one of the soft drinks that he and Kitty had lifted from the gas station. He tossed one at Danny and then twisted off a cap for himself. 

“Let me guess, something going on with your girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend?” Danny repeated, staring at the bottle like it was going to bite him.

“You know, that goth chick…” Johnny waved his hand about as he tried to remember her name. Eventually, he gave up. “Uh…What’s her name?”

“Sam,” Danny answered, rather quickly for someone who wasn’t sure who Johnny was talking about.  “But we’re not dating.”

“Yet.” 

“Why does everyone keep saying that?”

Johnny ignored that question and instead brought the conversation back to what wanted. “Seriously though…” He trailed off when Danny got a pensive look on his face. 

Danny opened the bottle and took a swig. “Hey, Johnny… How did you know you…” 

Danny trailed off and Johnny waited a moment for him to finish. The kid never did. Memories of Jazz worrying over her brother during their dates flashed through his head. She complained that Danny didn't know how to ask for help. It was kind of annoying that the kid could ruin their dates even without being there. 

It was also kind of endearing how much she cared. If he and Kitty had a Jazz in their lives, well…

No use thinking about things he couldn’t change.

"Did I know what?" Johnny prompted when it became clear that he wasn't gonna continue. 

Danny swallowed and fiddled with the bottle in his hands. "How did you know you were dead?"

Oh… 

That was a hell of a question. 

"Why you asking?" Johnny deflected. 

Danny looked up at Johnny. "How long have we been doing this?" 

"Uh, a few minutes?"

"No, I mean like… how long have I been fighting you guys… you coming out of the portal?"

"Oh, that, honestly kid? I don't know. Time gets weird for ghosts."

"Weird huh…" Danny repeated, mulling over that as his eyes unfocused. He shook his head and brought his attention back. "It's been two years, Johnny… and look at us…" 

Johnny did, trying to see what Danny was seeing. Nothing stood out to him. Johnny was dead, had been for decades. He was a ghost and they don't change. He was still the exact same punk that he was when he died. 

Meanwhile, there wasn't much to say about Danny either. He was still the same lil brat that stuck his nose into everybody's business. 

Then it clicked. 

"I haven't changed," Danny whispered. "Tucker and Sam — they've had growth spurts."

Jesus. Now Johnny saw why Danny came out looking for a fight. Hell, after they died, he and Kitty had one hell of a fight. They were both horrified and shocked, blaming each other even though they both knew they shared the blame. 

"My parents say not to worry, my dad didn't start his spurt until late in his sixteens. But…"

"Fuck, kid…" Johnny sat down next to his bike and leaned back against it. Danny mirrored him. 

"When I'm Fenton… I have a heartbeat, and I do have some bodyheat… but…"

Johnny waited a moment longer before prodding the kid. "But what?"

"All of you have powers, you have Shadow, Kitty's kiss, Ember's mind control… but I don't. What if my power is pretending to be human?" 

Johnny didn’t have an answer for him. The fact was Johnny wasn't the philosophical type. What he did know was that once when he touched Kitty, he felt warmth.

Now everything was cold. 

"If it is…" Johnny began. "I'm jealous of your powers…" He knocked back his drink and drained the whole thing. The carbonation should have burned. 

It didn't. 

"But fuck, you’re asking the hard questions out here…" Johnny threw the bottle off the side of the road. Danny frowned at the act but didn't say anything. "How did I know I died? Honestly, kid, it was the pain." 

Johnny reached into the saddlebag and grabbed the first bottle he could. Grape soda. Why the hell did Kitty grab that? Whatever. He twisted the cap and took a sip. He could barely taste it. 

Johnny sighed. "When we died, it was an accident. Kitty caught me looking at our waitress's ass, and she got mad. She kept yelling at me while we were riding back to her place. I tried to tell her to wait till we got back. It had rained that morning… I lost control of the bike and we started sliding. I grabbed Kitty and was holding her as I was sliding along the concrete…" 

Johnny sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "You know how they say it's not the fall that kills you? It's the sudden stop at the end? Yeah… Slid right into a concrete barrier."

"Johnny, I'm so-" 

"Save it, kid!” Danny jumped and flinched away. Johnny sighed. He fought down what he wanted to say, and instead just ran his hand through his hair. “Just… don't. Alright?" Johnny hadn't meant to snap, but he really didn't want to hear that. Besides, it wasn't like the kid knew. "Anyways, it hurt. It was this horrible pain—it blinded everything. I couldn't think, I couldn't… I couldn't do anything. Then after forever, I started getting used to it."

Danny frowned. "You mean…"

"It never went away…” Johnny said, looking down at his hands. He clawed at the ground beneath them, tiny stones dug underneath his nails, but he could barely feel them. It was like he was watching it happen to someone else.  “Or… at least I don't think it did… everything is just… muted now."

Danny looked forward, lost in a memory that Johnny was thankful he didn’t share. "I know what you're talking about…" 

"I gotta ask, kid,” Johnny began, shaking out his hand, “why come after me? Like… I get it, but Jazz is always talking about healthy coping mechanisms…"

Danny shrugged and sipped at his drink. "I can't… I can't talk to anyone about this. Jazz would psychoanalyze me." Johnny tipped his drink toward him in acknowledgment. That was very much a valid point. "And Sam and Tucker… they might not have pushed me in the portal, but they're the ones who said I should go in…"

Danny shook his head and buried his face in his arms. "They might have killed me…"

The two of them didn't say anything for a bit. They just sat in silence off the side of the road. A passing car approached and slowed as it drove by. Johnny grabbed Danny and turned him invisible, along with the bike. 

When the car passed, Johnny let go of Danny and stood up. "You good now, Danny, or do you need to whale on something for a while? Punching someone is good catharsis if you ask me." 

Danny rubbed at his face. "No… I… I don't think I'm in the mood right now."

"Sounds good, let me know if that changes. We can go find the Box Ghost if nothing else. 

Danny smirked. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea…"

"Hey, I'm full of good ideas. I swear!" Johnny said, getting on his motorcycle. "Listen, Kitty's back in the zone waiting for me. I'll head there now. So…"

"Yeah… Johnny? Thanks." 

"No problem, kid," Johnny said, before revving his cycle and speeding off. 

If he was lucky, maybe Ember would still be hanging out with Kitty when he got back. 

Though he wasn't known for his luck. 

It actually took a week till Johnny saw her again. A rather unfortunately timed world domination scheme on Ember's part meant she was, unfortunately, the outlet for Danny's frustrations and she decided to keep her head down for a bit. 

Which fortunately for Johnny meant that Kitty wanted to check on her. 

"I'm gonna be out for a while, Johnny. I'm gonna camp outside Ember's door till she lets me in."

Johnny scoffed. "You'll be there for a while."

"Nah, I'll just sing Camptown Races until she gets annoyed. I give it fifteen minutes, twenty tops."

Johnny waited a moment, pretending to think it over. Kitty would get suspicious if he jumped on this. He turned and walked past Kitty. "Come on, babe, I'll drive you over." 

Kitty frowned, but followed. "Alright, but don't hit on her too much, alright?"

"No promises," Johnny said, laughing. Kitty dope slapped him for that, but definitely not as hard as she could have. He'd call that a win. 

It didn't take long on the cycle to get to Ember's lair. Kitty hopped off the cycle giving Johnny a kiss as she did so. She walked up to her door and pounded on it. "Ember! Open up! It's Kitty and Johnny!"

When there was no response Kitty started again. "Ember if you don't open this door, I'm gonna start singing, and Johnny will join in." 

"Kitty… I suck at singing. You know this. "

"Exactly."

Kitty let out a yelp as the door burst open and slammed against an unseen force. Ember was on the other side, panting. "Kitty… I swear to every ancient in the ghost zone if you start singing again, friend or not, I will-"

Kitty walked past her into her realm. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, I've heard it before." She wandered over to a couch pit filled with pillows and threw herself into it and started lounging. "I wanted to just come by and check on you."

"How the fuck do you think I'm doing?" Ember growled. "I got my cute ass beat by Phantom." She frowned and looked away. "He had a real bone to pick about it too."

Kitty frowned and leaned forward, at the same time Johnny walked into Ember's lair and Ember snapped her attention to him. "And what's this loser doing here?"

"Ember!" Johnny began. "Is that any way to talk about your best friend's boyfriend?"

"When she can do better than you? Absolutely."

"Huh," Kitty interrupted, "and how is it going with Skulker again? Oh, that's right. It's not."

Ember glared at Kitty and Johnny stepped exactly where he didn't want to be, between them. "Whoa, hey now, I appreciate it Kitty, but uhh … is she wrong?"

Kitty frowned and tilted her head. "Actually… what are you doing here? I thought you were gonna head back right away."

Johnny shrugged. "Well, actually, I wanted to ask Ember something…" He rubbed the back of his head. "It's a bit awkward though…"

Ember rolled her eyes. "No, I am not gonna-"

"You changed how you looked after you died, right?" Johnny interrupted. The two women froze and the room became deathly still. Johnny continued on before they could really tear into him for bringing up her death. "I ran into a young ghost recently… they felt stuck as they were." 

Ember looked away, staring off into a point a million miles away and several years ago. "Stuck, huh… that's a nice way of putting it. Trapped is better, maybe imprisoned…."

Kitty jumped up from where she had been sitting and flew over to Ember and grabbed her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Johnny said nothing, but he wouldn't have brought this up if he didn't think it was important. 

He also couldn't tell them it was Danny who needed the help. If he told them what was going on, that the kid was struggling with his death, they would still have helped. Even if they didn't like it. 

It was an unwritten rule, solidarity in death. They all had experienced it, and no one wanted to go it alone. 

But, Kitty couldn't keep a secret to save her afterlife, and Ember had just gotten beat by Danny. Not to mention they hung out with Spectra occasionally. 

He would never think Kitty would use another ghost's death against them, but others would. 

He'd never be able to live with himself if some ghost tortured another, let alone Danny, with their death because of him. 

"I don't know if every ghost can do it," Ember began, tearing Johnny out of his thoughts. "You and Kitty never changed your forms, and I have never seen you two shapeshift. But it's like that…" Ember placed her hand over her heart. "It's… it was hard. Staring at myself, as I was. Who I hated." 

Ember shivered and then looked Johnny in the eye. "Changing your form is a permanent shapeshift. You feel what you want and press it into your soul. If they can shapeshift, then they can do it."

Johnny tilted his head, slotting that information into his mind. He hadn't known Ember could shapeshift, but now that she explained that form changing was shapeshifting that made sense.

Ember chose who she wanted to be. No wonder why she didn't let it go. 

"Thanks, Em," Johnny said. 

Ember folded her arms and glared at the floor like it had offended her. "Well, sorry it's probably not as helpful as it should be, but…" 

Johnny shrugged. "It's a start, and by the sounds of it, it's not like you could walk through someone changing their soul…"

"Yeah…" Ember looked up at Johnny and gave him an appraising look. "You know… of all the people to ask me that, you're the one I'd have thought the least likely to ask.  Especially for someone else."

Kitty draped herself over Ember and smiled at Johnny warmly. "Johnny can be full of surprises!"

Johnny put a hand over his heart in mock offense. "Are you two insulating that I'm not the type to help someone in need?"

"Yes."

"Ouch, but fair."

Danny didn't sigh as he closed his locker. He couldn't. If he did, Sam and Tucker would have known something was wrong. 

"No?" he answered Sam, trying to put as much confusion into his voice as possible. "I'm fine. I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

Sam looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. Her lips pursed as she warred with a desire to push, to try and get to the root of the problem, but also to try not to be overbearing. 

It took a lot of effort on Danny's part to keep looking up at her. 

"Seriously, dude." The attack came from Tucker of all people. Danny hadn't expected that at all. He must have been slipping.

He was better at hiding things than this. 

Tucker put a hand on his shoulder. Once that would have been comforting, but, with Tucker having started growing early, it felt more patronizing than anything else. "Come on, man, something has been bugging you lately."

Danny tried not to flinch away, but Tucker took his hand away as if it had burned. Danny looked down to check if he had accidentally iced his arm at the contact but saw nothing.

Tucker just looked hurt. 

Danny picked up his backpack, ignoring their stares. "Guys, I'm serious, I'm fine." 

He wasn't. He might be dead. His friends were growing, moving past him. They were learning and gaining skills that would help them in life, help them with future jobs and careers. 

Danny last night learned how to shoot icicles out of his hands, because Skulker wanted to skin him. 

Tucker opened his mouth to say something, but Sam interrupted. "If you say so, Danny." She gave him a soft smile, but her eyes were shining and wet. "Just… you know you can tell us anything, right?"

Danny didn't want to tell them they might have killed him. 

"I know, Sam."

Sam straightened her back. "I… need to go see how the club is doing. I'll catch you guys later?"

Danny smiled. This was something he could handle right now. "Want to meet up at the Nasty Burger after? Or what about-" The other option was lost in a gasp of cold and frozen air that left Danny's throat. 

He groaned and dragged a palm down his face. "Assuming that I can finish whatever this is in time…"

"If you can't,” Sam began with a smirk and a nod down the hall, “I have a Fenton bazooka in my locker."

Tucker raised an eyebrow. "How has the school not found that yet?"

"They have, but I saved Ishiyama like… five times with it, and Lancer twice. At this point, I think I could carry it into class and they wouldn't even blink."

Danny looked around and saw no one. He handed Tucker his backpack and transformed. "I'll catch up with you guys later, alright?"

"Sounds good man."

"Later Danny, be safe."

Danny phased through the walls of the school, trusting that icy chill in his chest to guide him to the ghost. It felt like the ghost was near, but running away. 

That was unusual, normally they gloated first before leading him into a trap. 

When they stopped in the locker room though, that’s when things got really weird. 

Johnny phased into the visible light spectrum, leaning against a locker. "Sup, kiddo."

"Johnny?" The question left Danny's mouth before he could catch himself. 

"In the flesh! Er… so to speak."

Danny last looked around the locker room. It was deserted. The athletes had already left for a game. His feet touched the floor and he transformed back into Fenton. 

Back into a fake life. 

"What are you doing here?"

Johnny shrugged. "Look, after last time, I asked around. There are some ghosts who don't look the way they did when they died, you get it?"

Danny blinked before he felt himself get blown back by what Johnny was implying. "Are you saying…"

Johnny rubbed the back of his head. "I know this doesn't solve the real problem, but it might help some. You know?" Johnny folded his arms and indicated the mirror nearby. "They said it's like shapeshifting, but a little more. They said it's like you're pressing it against your soul and imprinting that on it, whatever that means."

Danny slowly walked over to the mirror. Johnny's description wasn't much, but it was infinitely more than what he had. 

And…

Ever since the accident, Danny had always been more aware of himself. He often felt like he was constrained, he could feel the edges of where his spirit pressed against his corporeal form. 

It was an itch, it was a pressure, it was comforting and irritating all at once. 

Danny had a lot of practice shapeshifting, sometimes when he was fighting, he reacted to an attack before he could mentally catch up to what he should do. The result would be a stretched-out body, or a misshapen limb that was just outside the range of the attack. 

It was easy, too easy, for him to stretch his human body just half an inch. 

His spirit filled the gaps, rushing in like water, filling the space that he had created. He wasn't entirely sure what Johnny meant when he said 'pressing against his soul', but he knew freezing. 

He shuddered with his core, and a chill spread out across his body. Starting in his chest, creeping along the bone and sinew leaving rigidity in its wake, then down across his limbs, leaving an ache in his joints and fingers. 

Danny looked down at his hand. The watch that was a gift from his mother, a reminder to be home on time, was now cutting into his wrist. 

"Johnny… am I dead?"

"I don't know, kid… I don't know." Johnny walked over and stood behind Danny. Danny knew what to look for, and he could see the changes between them now. They weren't much, but they were enough for Danny right now. 

"Thanks, Johnny…"

"No sweat, kid…" The two of them were silent, as they ignored the tears streaming down Danny's face. 

"Want to go find the Box Ghost and let out some misplaced aggression?"

" Please! "

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Graveyard Siblings (3)

Some for revenge and some sibling bonding.

[Masterlist]

(Part 1)(Part 2)

-------

Adrien was next to be visited. Plagg woke him up from his sleep.

-------

“Kit, wake up. I want camembert.”

“Plagg, silence. You are not getting any cheese if you do that.”

“Sorry, Adrien but you are not my ‘master’ anymore.”

“Plagg? Why are you here? Where’s the ring?”

“The ring is as far away as possible and kept safely away. I am here because someone wants to talk to you.”

“Who?”

A cloaked, hooded figure stepped out of the shadows to his room.

“Kitty. My Chaton. Did you miss me?” A sweet, familiar but yet so terrifying voice came from the figure.

She pulled down the hood to reveal Ladybug with a wicked-looking black mask with white lenses.

“What am I talking about? You do miss me. Your Bugaboo. Too bad I don’t feel the same, Adrien.”

Lightning flashed and it started to rain. The mask was gone, revealing his dead classmate, Marinette with chilling red eyes. The pigtails grew longer and curved upwards, giving the illusion of her having horns. Twin blades flashed and she leaped towards him. (Damian gave them to her with some lessons in exchange for spending time with, babysitting, the kwamis.)

Adrien scrambled away from the bed in the nick of time. A sword impaling the spot where he just was.

“Plagg, help. Where is the ring? I need to transform.”

“Sorry, kitten. I am not telling you. Even if you did have the ring, it’s not going to be much help.”

“Kitty, stay still. Then, we can be together. Just like you wanted.”

Adrien continued to dodge.

“What do you mean?” He all but screamed at Plagg.

“Pigtails, here, is a vengeful spirit. She’s not going to stop until she is satisfied. How about asking her what she wants?”

“Ladybug, what do you want?”

“What I wanted was a partner I could rely on, someone I can trust with my life, someone who wouldn’t stab me in the back for his own selfish gain. I wanted a friend who would have my back and not tell me to keep quiet at the price of my mental health and my relationships with people I care about. WAS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?!”

She managed to get a cut on his left cheek.

Soon, he was on the ground, bleeding out on the round.

“Tell Hawkmoth that he better watch out. Because-” lightning struck and Plagg and Ladybug had disappeared, “his downfall is coming.” Her voice echoed through his room.

Adrien laid bleeding until Natalie opened the door after hearing a crash from the room and came to check on him. As she called an ambulance for Adrien, she wondered if it wasn’t too late to ask for redemption and be spared from Ladybug’s wrath for her part in her murder.

Adrien had the word ‘TRAITOR’ carved into his back. Forever reminding him of his crimes.

--------

He wasn’t in school for a week after the incident. They all were told that Adrien had an accident while fencing.

Gabriel was a little panicking now.

He hired an exorcist, (John Constantine got a hefty amount and did a few flashy magic tricks to appease Gabriel but he didn’t lift the curse Maria put on the place. She is not someone to be on the bad side of and he thinks that he can’t lift it even if he wanted to.)

Emilie gets a little sus at Gabriel when he brought this strange man with a British accent into their home after their son got attacked in his own room with security tighter than Fort Knox.

She doesn’t buy that ‘accident’ bullshit that her husband, son and even Natalie tries to sell her. She thinks it is connected to what happened while she was in a coma.

-----

Adrien has a curse too.

(Credit to @raeuberprinzessin for giving me an idea)

He couldn’t act like the ‘Perfect Adrien’ in public anymore. Acting more like Chat Noir at first then, later a spoiled brat. His friends thought that he was finally rebelling against his father and encouraged it a lot.

Adrien started criticizing other people, strangers at first then to the people working on the photoshoots to his fans to his other school mates, people in his class and his friends. (The curse planted ideas into his head about what he should say and he said them all without thinking about the effect it has on other people)

People started avoiding him not liking his attitude and his comments about how they should behave and change something about them because he doesn’t like it that way and guilt-tripping them when he doesn’t get his way. Even Nino started to distance himself after he saw how Adrien talked to a fan.

The public thought it was a phase but as he got progressively worse, people started despising him. Adrien doesn’t realize this of course so far, happy that his father let him get away with ‘ruining the Agreste image.’ (Gabriel was worried about a potential vengeful ghost and making sure his wife didn't know about his stint as a supervillain. There was also the fact that the Afterlife made more sales than him again and managed to get on the cover of Vogue when he should have, dammit.) He was finally able to say what he wanted to without repercussions. Until he realized when Nino and everyone else cancelled for a hangout for the third time that week that he was slowly losing his friends.

He panics and tries to fix the situation. He didn’t want to be alone again.

He talks to Nino about it and to his horror, he couldn’t stop himself from saying many things that were a little hurtful. (Second part. The moment he realizes he is going to be alone. He is going to find out that yes, lies can hurt people. He is going to see it happen firsthand.)

Nino moved seats and told Adrien that their friendship was on hold until he apologized.

Soon, nearly every time his mouth opened, lies and insults about his friends or their embarrassing secrets came spilling out. Everyone hated him now and Mme. Bustier tried to give him a reprimand about his behaviour, which when he tried to defend himself, he found himself unable to speak.

He managed to explain to his father what caused his unpopularity by writing what happened to him. Unfortunately due to his poor behaviour before the second part of the curse was activated, his fan base was dwindling and people didn’t like him anymore so there was a hit on the Gabriel brand.

He no longer has to do modeling, clearing his schedule. But no one would spend time with him.

The best solution he could do with his predicament was to keep quiet and endure the loneliness and the glares of his classmates at school. Adrien was relegated to the back and nearly everyone avoided him. He was now a social pariah.

Even Lila avoided him because of her own curse which made Adrien turn into one of her previous victims. (She also didn’t ponder why Marinette rarely appears compared to the others.)

If Adrien felt a tiny bit remorseful or guilty for making Marinette keep quiet or betraying Ladybug, he can gain a little control over what he says.

The curse can be broken if he apologizes to Maria herself or to her grave.

------

The first few months, while Marinette adapted to living with the Waynes, Jason stayed over at Wayne Manor because having Maria living with him at his apartment wasn’t a good idea and he had no clue how to take care of a teenage girl.

On paper she is adopted by Bruce because Jason can’t. (Some CPS reasons.)

Making Jason a little more salty towards Bruce. “I found her first. I called dibs.”

Brought Maria to meet the other Outlaws and they adopted her too. “Hey, guys. She’s my sister first.”

Jason was the one to teach her how to shoot a gun because he was ‘the most capable’ of teaching her.

The first few months were a little tense with Marinette not fully trusting them and the same with the rest of the Batfam.

Jason warmed her up a bit to him by telling a little of why he took her here.

He was also the one to book them flight to Paris with Bruce’s credit card so she can tell her friends that she wasn’t dead in person.

They bonded more after stopping some nefarious plot in Paris while they were there. Let’s say Gentleman Ghost and something involving the catacombs in Paris. (I watched some Batman: Brave and the Bold for childhood nostalgia.)

Kwamis were animal-shaped and they were interesting creatures to be around. And very very curious.

There was a stressful day for Maria when all the Kwamis decided to play hide and seek. Damian somehow got roped into helping her as the only available person in the Manor and he will deny that he enjoyed it.

Damian is the little brother she always wanted and she is more tolerable compared to his brothers. There is also the fact that she trusts him with the kwamis and deep down, he feels super-honoured. (I just love older sister!Mari)

Tim and her being insomniac/coffee buddies. There has been many many interventions to stop this.

I get that Marinette is this selfless person and loves making people happy but she has siblings now and them eating the stuff she made for herself to enjoy, should get on her nerves after a while.

She makes a box with booby-traps in which she puts in her cookies and food.

There are many different layers of traps because this is the Batfam and each of them is non-lethal and more ridiculous.

Okay, I once read a fic about Marinette making a bear-trap style box to hide the Miracle Box so this box is also like that but kept for food. (Traps and Sneaks by quicksilversquared)

Someone (I vote a hungry Dick or Jason, maybe a suspicious Bruce) made a mistake of putting their hand into the box and the first trap activated.

Screams filled the house.

Everyone came down including Marinette.

Bruce asked, “Who did this?”

“It was me.”

“Why?”

“They kept eating the cookies.”

“There are other ways to stop them from doing that you know like a ‘Do Not Touch’ sign not a death trap box.”

“They are non-lethal.”

Bruce locked it away but Tim later stole it to tweak it and store his coffee. ------ (Part 4)

[jayeray-hq]

Twin Kittens (Part 1)

Hey everyone! This is my part for the Paws and Claws Collab that was with @katslutski The theme of the collab was hybrids (puppy/kitty/bunny etc) so if you’re interested check it out!

Unfortunately as usual I got excessively wordy, so this is going to be split into three parts. This part alone is about 20K words and we're only about a third of the way through! so it definitely had to be split up.

If you like this feel free to check out my Atsumu or my Osamu masterlists!

While there is no smut in this part there will be in the future thus this story is 18+ minors DNI please!

TW: Previous mentions of past abuse, gaslighting, verbal, death threats, hybrids have been treated like slaves before

This story is Fem Reader x Atsumu x Osamu but there will be no actual incest. While there will be a threesome at the end the boys won't ever touch one another sexually.

“Are you alright?” your neighbor Ojirou asked, a concerned look on his face as he watched you listlessly stir your drink with the straw, playing with the melting ice in the glass.

The two of you were actually good friends, having lived peacefully side by side for over five years now. You’d met on the very first day when you moved in, you’d been struggling to open the door with a large box in your arms and he’d rushed to the rescue. He and his hybrids diligent Kita, the blue merle border collie, and sly, sleek Suna the Siamese cat, had all pitched in to help you get moved in and settled. You’d been good friends with all three of them ever since.

It was his turn to host your traditional Friday night dinner, so you’d gone over to his apartment determined to enjoy yourself. However, something must’ve given away the rough day you’d had, because all three of them had been casting you concerned looks all night and trading glances when they thought you couldn’t see.

It was apparently Aran’s job to confront you about it, though both hybrids were looking at you expectantly. Well, Kita was looking at you expectantly, Suna was pretending not to pay attention, his phone in his hands, but you could see him watching out of the corner of his eye.

“What makes you think something’s wrong?” you asked determined to at least give it a try.

The stern look you got from Kita and the sympathetic smile from Ojiro told you how ultimately fruitless the effort had been, so you caved in with a sigh, pushing your glass away so you could slump face down on the table burying your head in your arms. You’d tell them, but that didn’t mean you wanted to be necessarily looking them in the eye when you did.

“You know how I went to that thing with some of my girl friends today?” you asked tiredly.

There were acknowledging hums all around even from Suna who you saw from the corner of your eye was no longer pretending to look at his phone and instead watching you like some rare breed of animal in a zoo doing something particularly fascinating.

“Well it was fun, great even,” you told them with a small quirk of your lips, “Right up until we started talking about significant others. Apparently two of them are getting married soon, one has a baby on the way, and the rest are in steady loving relationships or have openly declared they aren’t interested in that kind of thing. So guess who was the only sad single there?”

“Ah,” Ojirou acknowledged a well of sympathy in his voice.

“And of course once they found out, they were like ‘oh I think my husband has a brother’ or ‘oh I have this great friend from work you’d just love,” you ranted, earning a quiet snicker from Suna, which prompted you to lift your head up so you could dig back at the cat hybrid who looked to be having far too much fun at your expense.

“They even asked me why I didn’t date my nice neighbor, the one I’m always hanging out with,” you added on ruthlessly, ignoring Ojirou’s shocked sputters, “But I told them he was in a committed relationship. They were skeptical at first, but then I told them that I was sure because someone is extremely loud, enough that I’m forced to use headphones to drown out the yowling.”

Poor Ojirou was coughing, clearly dying of embarrassment, and even Kita had the faintest red tinge to his cheeks. Unfortunately, Suna, unbothered as ever, simply smirked at you, which confirmed some of your suspicions that he’d been doing it on purpose, the brat.

Heaving another forlorn sigh you decided to give up and give poor Ojirou a break, making a mental note to make it up to him somehow. The poor guy really didn’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire between you and Suna.

“So, I spent the time being relentlessly hounded until it was time to leave,” you continued on, pretending not to notice Kita patting Ojirou’s back sympathetically, “I tried to explain to them that I just don’t have the time and energy it takes to go out and start dating people, that work was taking up too much of my time, but they weren’t having any of it.”

“It sounds like a rough time,” Ojirou told you, with genuine sympathy, the man too kind even after you’d embarrassed the hell out of him, “like when I go home and baa-chan asks when I’m going to settle down and get married.”

Suna let out an involuntary hiss at that, and Kita’s shoulders stiffened up a bit. Even though hybrid-human relationships were accepted and even almost expected between them and their owners these days, it didn’t mean that everyone accepted them as ‘true’ relationships. There were a good chunk of people, mostly conservatives and the older generation who believed that human/human relationships were the only valid ones.

This was no doubt because of the fact that most hybrid children, once they hit eighteen chose to go to hybrid adoption centers rather than staying with their parents. This was partly because it was one of the few good ways to get out from under your parents roof.

Hybrid rights had come a long way from when they’d first been implemented a few decades ago, back when they were considered something of a toy and a pet, not better than a slave. However, they technically still required a human ‘owner’ to do things like go to school, find a job, or even be out in public unsupervised.

There were people working to change that of course, and you’d donated heavily to the cause and actively supported it, but change was slow going, so for now it was what it was. It didn’t help that there were a good deal of people around like Ojirou’s grandma who viewed hybrids as less than human, and would probably never acknowledge his relationship or any children they had, especially if the children were hybrids too.

It was something you’d listened to him vent about more than once, happy to lend him a listening ear, especially since he’d done the same for you plenty of times over the years.

“It wasn’t quite that bad,” you admitted, giving him your own sympathetic smile, “but it was rather depressing.”

“Do ya even want a companion like that?” Kita asked her reasonably, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard ya talk about wantin’ a relationship other than rantin’ about a few failed dates here and there. If ya don’t I don’t see why it should be a problem, and not any of their business either.”

“Except I think I kind of do,” you admitted with a grimace, to the practical dog-hybrid who always gave solid, dependable advice, “I never planned to spend the rest of my life alone you know? I just always put my career first figuring relationships could come later, when I had more time, but now I’m starting to wonder if later will ever come.”

“And ya don’t want to date?” Kita asked with a slight frown, “I’m sure ya could make time if ya really wanted to, we could change our dinners around fer a while maybe?”

“No way,” you protested immediately, “Dinners with you guys are my only bastion of sanity. Plus I’m not even sure I want to go out and meet people, frankly at this point I’m not even sure I know how. It just… gets a little lonely coming home to an empty apartment sometimes you know?”

“So why don’t you get a hybrid?” Ojirou asked, his tone eminently reasonable despite the shock of what he’d said.

“A hybrid?” you repeated a little dumbfounded, “Me?!”

“Well why not?” he defended, stroking his recently grown goatee with his thumb and forefinger, “You’re wealthy enough to afford one, it would solve your companionship issue, and you wouldn’t have to date anyone, just go to a hybrid adoption center and find someone you’re compatible with.”

When he put it like that it did sound reasonable, even if it wasn’t an idea that had ever occurred to you. A lot of your friends, not just Ojirou, had hybrid companions, one of the weddings discussed earlier that day was even to a hybrid even if it wouldn’t be official until they could get proper legislature passed. You just had never really considered it an option for yourself.

“Do you think I could?” you asked with a light frown, turning the idea over in your mind, the question directed more at Kita than anyone else, both because he was always the most reasonable of the three and because as a hybrid you thought he’d probably be more qualified to answer whether you were a fit ‘owner’.

However to your surprise it wasn’t Kita, but Suna who answered first informing you in his normal lazy drawl, “You’d do well with a hybrid I think, probably something lower energy, like a cat, and we’re pretty self-sufficient as you know, so you wouldn’t have to worry about leaving it home alone like you would a pet.”

“He’s right,” Kita agreed, after a thoughtful pause, “Personally I believe ya would do well with a hybrid, ya get along with us well enough. Plus if yer worried we can help ya look after them. Suna needs a playmate anyway, he’s been getting’ up ta too much mischief lately when Aran and I ain’t here.”

Suna didn’t even bother to protest, just shrugged, completely unbothered by the accusation. Figuring you might as well take advantage of the situation you asked a few more questions, all of which were answered by your friends who all had a lot of input on what kind of hybrid you should get.

You left that night with your head stuffed full of information, after telling them you needed time to think it over. Getting a hybrid was a lifechanging thing and you didn’t want to run off half-cocked. It had gotten you an approving nod from Kita and a supportive pat on the shoulder from Ojirou. Suna had simply given you a knowing smirk, as if the smug cat hybrid already knew exactly what you were going to do as you walked out the door.

You stared up at the hybrid adoption center, not quite sure how you’d ended up here. For the last week or so, ever since Ojirou had brought it up you’d had hybrids on the brain. You’d found your eyes wandering to look at them when they passed you in the street and idly daydreaming in your down time what it might be like to have one waiting when you came home and fantasizing about what kind you might get.

Normally you were very focused and productive at work, but somehow, you’d found yourself scrolling through different sites, putting in research into what kind of facility you should visit and what you’d need to do. It had gotten bad enough that some of your coworkers had noticed your distraction, which was the final nail in the coffin.

You’d already known which center Ojirou had used to choose Kita and Suna, and so at the end of a particularly long day, quietly dreading heading home to your empty apartment you’d instead found yourself driving over to the center.

It was on the smaller side when it came to hybrid adoption centers, privately run and owned by Azumane Industries, a fashion line that created clothes that specifically catered to hybrids. Ojirou had, had nothing but good things to say, and so gathering your courage you left your car to head resolutely inside.

The lobby was rather quiet, only one other patron and two people manning the desks, both of whom looked up when you entered. You were a bit surprised to see the only two workers in sight were hybrids, one a silver cat of some type and the other clearly a German shepherd.

In hindsight it made a lot of sense to have hybrids be in charge of the adoption of other hybrids as they would likely know best how to match people up. However, you rarely saw that kind of practicality when it came to hybrids especially because you knew there was a lot of prejudice out there.

You offered the cat a hesitant smile, stepping up to the desk, the smile he gave back one that was both kind and welcoming as he introduced, “Welcome to Azumane Industries Hybrid Adoption Center. My name is Sugawara, how can I help you today?”

“I’m looking to adopt,” you admitted, unsure what else to say you tacked on, “My friend recommended this place to me, so here I am.”

“Well, we’ll take good care of you,” he assured you calmly, “Usually we do this by appointment, but you’re lucky. It’s a slow day and we have an opening, so I’d be happy to start the process with you if you’re willing.”

“Great,” you told him with a quiet sigh of relief, glad that he could fit you in. Honestly you should’ve known that a place like this would require a call ahead at least. It would’ve served you right for being so impulsive if they hadn’t been able to squeeze you in, “Just tell me what I need to do.”

Sugawara offered you a sly grin, one that reminded you of Suna as he promptly pushed a large stack of paperwork in your direction and handed you a pen. You grimaced at the sight of it but set to work, quietly filling out the forms one by one and handing each of them to Sugawara after so he could log them into his computer.

The forms reminded you of a loan or job application in a lot of ways, asking after your health, your income, your living situation, if you had a criminal record, any previous experience with hybrids etc. It took you quite a while to fill them all out, and by the end of it your wrist was sore and you’d signed your name more times than you cared to remember. However, since Sugawara had been filling in as you went you didn’t have to wait long to move on to the next step.

“Congratulations,” he told you with an amused smile, watching as you massaged your wrist, “You’ve been approved to adopt from our center, which means we now get to the fun part.”

“Fun part?” you questioned a little warily, having learned from Suna that a cat hybrid smiling at you didn’t necessarily mean good things for your sanity.

“Tell me about what kind of hybrid you’d like,” he told you leaning forward, elbows braced on the desk as he watched you intently, “Do you have any preferences? I’ve read all your information as we’ve gone along so I have some ideas, but I’d like to hear from you what you think you want.”

“I’m not sure where to start,” you admitted, feeling a little overwhelmed.

“That’s alright,” he assured you, “That’s what I’m here for. Let’s start with species, that’s always good and will narrow things down a bit.”

“I know I want a cat or dog hybrid,” you told him immediately glad to have some kind of answer for him, “Rabbit and rodent hybrids have heats and ruts too often for me to handle given how busy work keeps me.”

Heats and ruts were one of the big things that separated hybrids from humans and were part of the reason it was hard for them to find and hold down jobs. There were two kinds of hybrid within each species, alphas and omegas.

Alphas were usually more aggressive, stubborn, and willful. You needed to have a more dominant personality to have an alpha hybrid otherwise they’d walk all over you. Alphas also had a period called a rut, where their hormones skyrocketed and made them want to breed with anything and everything. It was a really uncomfortable time for them, and made them even more aggressive.

Omegas were generally more passive, quiet and compliant. They tended to be favored over Alpha hybrids as companions because of their more docile nature. They had periods called heats, which were similar to an Alphas rut, the only difference being they wanted to be bred rather than to breed. It made them needy and clingy the entire time.

Both heats and ruts lasted anywhere from a couple of days to a week depending on the species of hybrid. Dogs and cats had week long heats, but they only happened two to three times a year, whereas rabbit and rodent hybrids only lasted a few days, but happened every week and a half to two weeks.

You knew it wasn’t necessarily expected for a hybrid owner to stay home when their hybrid was in heat or rut, but you also knew it was those times that hybrids tended to be more reckless. Most of the research you did advised that you should if you could, even if you weren’t the one who was going to be sexually intimate with your hybrid. There were of course hybrid heat centers, where hybrids could go to find willing partners and get their needs taken care of, but you’d heard horror stories about places like that and didn’t want to use one unless you absolutely had to.

“There are medications to manage heats and ruts,” Sugawara pointed out reasonably, a slight frown on his face.

“I know,” you agreed, “But I did some research and it looks like most hybrids don’t like to take them because they have nasty side effects, like potential infertility, mood drops, and weight gain. If there’s a rodent or rabbit hybrid that wants to voluntarily take the medication then that could be fine, but I’ve heard only a few ever want to risk it.”

Sugawara looked surprised for a moment, then slowly nodded, “It’s good you’ve looked into things, and it’s nice to see someone who’s come prepared. I’ve heard a bit of that too, so no rabbits or rodents. Do you have any preference Alpha versus Omega?”

“Not really,” you admitted with a helpless shrug, feeling a little bad for not being able to narrow down the criteria for him, “I’m pretty open so long as they can fit into my lifestyle, are a little more independent, and think they’ll get along with me.”

“Well you’ll at least have lots of options,” Sugwara assured you, with a smile that told you he wasn’t off put by the fact that you didn’t know exactly what you wanted either, “Does that mean you don’t have a preference for breed either?”

“That’s right,” you agreed with a firm nod, “I just want someone who’s going to be compatible with me, everything else is secondary.”

“Okay,” he told you cheerfully, “I’m sure we can do that! Though it might take us a little bit to narrow things down. Since you aren’t picky you might as well come with me to start looking. Daichi can you manage the desk on your own?”

“Sure,” the german shepherd hybrid agreed, from where he’d been sitting quietly, keeping watch over the two of you and typing away on his computer, since there was literally no one else in the lobby, “Just keep a radio on you so I can call you back up here if it gets busy Suga.”

Your soon to be guide agreed with a smile, plucking one of the aforementioned radios up and attaching it to his belt, before standing up from the desk. He stretched in a very feline manner, then ushered you towards a door that led toward the back of the building, tail swishing peacefully behind him.

“Each species of hybrid has its own floor,” Sugawara explained as he led you through the hall, “Bunnies are on the top floor, rodents underneath them, cats on the second floor and dogs here on the first. Each floor has four separate wings, separated into categories depending on whether the hybrid in question is male or female, alpha or omega. These wings have private rooms in them and are connected by a shared space.”

“We’ll be going into the shared space,” he explained pausing outside one of the doors, “It’s where hybrids come both to hang out, and to meet people. If a hybrid isn’t interested in being adopted by a specific human they’ll simply return to their rooms until the human leaves. This way we ensure that no one gets coerced into adoption. We also keep a close eye on things with security cameras in the shared space, for both the safety of humans and hybrids. Before we enter the room, I need you to give me verbal consent to allow yourself to be filmed.”

“That’s fine,” you told him, more than a bit impressed with how thorough and organized the whole thing was, along with the lengths they went to, to ensure everyone’s comfort.

“Alright then, let’s introduce you to the dogs,” he teased, with a confident smile.

The minute the door opened, almost every head turned in your direction, making you feel a bit awkward and unsure. Some of the hybrids were in their human forms, ears and tails the only hint of their non-human status, while others were lounging around in their secondary animal form.

The animal form of a hybrid was indistinguishable from a normal animal of the same breed. The only thing that might give it away was the high level of intelligence. Your research told you that hybrids tended to act more on their instincts when in animal form, which could be both a good thing and a bad thing.

Case in point, the minute you entered with Sugawara one enormous grey and white speckled dog came bounding over barking his head off. He was absolutely huge, and only the madly wagging tail kept you from cringing back as he charged over, his barking immediately setting off a few of the others.

You got the wind knocked out of you a bit as he collided with you, though thankfully the door was behind you, and kept you from being knocked off your feet as he placed enormous paws on your shoulders, burying his face in your hair and sniffing enthusiastically. You froze, unsure exactly what to do in this situation, and more than a bit uncomfortable.

Luckily Sugawara immediately came to your rescue, shoving the big dog off as he scolded, “Bokuto! What have I told you about jumping up on our guests!”

The big dog immediately began to whine, tail tucked between his legs, and you wanted to feel bad for him, except you were still a bit unnerved.

“Sorry about him,” Sugawara apologized with a sigh, “He’s harmless I promise, just incredibly enthusiastic about new people.”

“It’s okay,” you assured him, hesitantly reaching out to Bokuto palms first to see if he might be interested, only to have him turn away. Unsure what to do you glanced at Sugawara, whose tail was swishing in clear agitation.

“Ignore him,” the silver haired cat hybrid told you, “He’s just sulking because he got scolded. In fact, better yet ignore all of them, since they can’t stop being rude and barking.”

This last bit, along with the fierce glare that accompanied it was leveled at the room in general, earning some sheepish looks from a couple of the dog hybrids who were in human form, and managing to quiet several of the barking ones who were in animal form.

“Come on,” he urged with one last flick of his tail, “I should’ve started you with the cats anyway. You seem like a cat person to me, and I assure you they’ll have much better manners. If you don’t find what you’re looking for there, we’ll come back, but let’s explore the cat option first and give them time to recall their manners.”

You allowed him to usher you out of the room and toward the elevator, trusting his judgment. It was funny that he’d said you were a cat person, as he was actually the third cat hybrid to have told you so, Suna being one and the Siamese hybrid of one of your coworkers being the other.

It took you less than a minute to get up to the next floor, and when Sugawara ushered you into the cat hybrid room you could immediately feel the difference. There was no noise for one, just a bunch of curious eyes turned in your direction, but it didn’t feel hostile at all.

Sugawara quickly introduced you to the cat hybrids, telling them you’d come to adopt and had ‘just been slobbered all over by the dog hybrids’ so if they could all ‘mind their manners’ that would be great. You were a little amused at the exasperated hybrid’s antics, and you weren’t the only one, if the quiet snickering from a hybrid with particularly messy hair was any indication. However you were also grateful to him for being so diligent as he introduced you to everyone.

Slowly, several cat hybrids meandered up to you, some in human form, some in cat form, though some also stayed in place clearly observing everything. You chatted lightly with the ones in human form, while letting the ones in cat form do as they pleased, answering their questions and asking a few of your own.

It was a much more relaxed experience, something you were infinitely grateful for after the sudden chaos of the dog hybrid room, and you had to wonder if the cat hybrids who’d pegged you as a cat person hadn’t been right after all. You were in the middle of quietly talking to a lovely female alpha hybrid named Shimizu when Sugawara’s radio blared to life. Apparently, the front had gotten rather busy and Daichi desperately needed his help.

“Will you be alright if I leave you here?” Sugawara asked you seriously, “This shouldn’t take too long, and Shimizu is more than capable of looking after you.”

“Sure,” you agreed, after a quick glance at the hybrid in question, who gave an acknowledging nod of her head, “I don’t mind.”

“Good,” he agreed with a bright grin, before rounding on the rest of the room, “And all the rest of you better behave or I’ll hear why!”

With one last warning glare around the room he turned on his heel and left, leaving you in Shimizu’s capable hands. The two of you continued to talk amiably as several cat hybrids came by in one form or another to sniff at you or listen in on the conversation from nearby. A number of them only came over for a few minutes, lingered a bit and then left, spreading back out to the room or going into the hallways that led to their private rooms, however a good chunk of them stayed nearby as well.

Chatting lightly with Shimizu and a few of the others you found you really liked the poised and graceful cat hybrid and might’ve looked into adopting her. Unfortunately, Shimizu quickly made it clear that she had some plans of her own, that included getting herself and her young and adorable munchkin kitten hybrid Yachi adopted by one of their frequent visitors.

She was however, more than happy to give her own opinion on some of the other hybrids around, most of whom seemed to respect both her and her opinion a lot. You were listening to Shimizu tell you a bit more about Yachi, who was watching from a safe distance, clearly anxious, but also unwilling to leave, when you felt something paw at your leg.

A quick glance down revealed a long haired fluffy looking cat, in shades of silver and white who was staring up at you expectantly. None of the other cat hybrids had actually dared to touch you, a few coming close, but none making actual moves to greet you.

A little intrigued you crouched down so you’d be closer to his eye level, and extended your hands for him the same way you did for Suna when he was in his cat form, giving him a choice about whether he wanted to be touched or not. The cat hybrid eyed your hands thoughtfully for a minute, before sauntering within reach, nudging his head against your palm.

Taking your cue you allowed yourself to pet him, gently rubbing at his silky ears and enjoying the feeling of his thick, plush coat. His back arched pressing closer into your hands, eyelids lowering in contentment as you carefully massaged your fingers through his fur in a way you knew Suna enjoyed.

A rumbling purr escaped his throat and you couldn’t help the pleased smile that crossed your lips at the sound as he pressed his way closer to your torso, entering the circle of your arms and keeping himself there. You were caught up in petting him for a moment and didn’t immediately notice, but after a few seconds you realized the room had gotten very quiet.

It had been quiet before, as cat hybrids didn’t make a lot of noise in general, but now it was almost deathly still outside the small purring sounds from the cat under your hands. You immediately froze and glanced up at Kiyoko who was watching the two of you with wide eyes.

“Is something wrong?” you asked, more than a bit concerned.

“You pet him,” Shimizu murmured, more to herself than to you.

“Should I not have?” you asked worriedly, moving to pull your hands away, “I’m sorry I didn’t realize. I pet my neighbor’s cat hybrid all the time when he’s in the mood for it.”

The cat hybrid under your hands made a noise of protest as you pulled your hands away, giving Shimizu what you assumed to be a rather annoyed look based on her baffled and slightly contrite expression.

“No,” she assured you quickly, “We like to be pet, physical affection is important to hybrids. It’s just that particular one doesn’t usually allow anyone to touch him.”

“Do you mind?” you asked the hybrid in question, holding out your hands again.

He gave an agreeing mew and pressed his head to your palm, which you assumed meant you could resume petting. The fur under your fingers was clearly well taken care of, soft and plush and you truly wouldn’t have minded continuing to pet him until he got sick of you.

However, you were interrupted by a furious yowling sound that immediately made you jump, your head snapping up to search for the source of the noise. It turned out to be another long haired fluffy cat, this one in shades of gold and white who came charging out of the halls and ran straight at you.

You didn’t even have a second to react as the cat that had been in your arms darted around to hide behind you. Not that it stopped the oncoming golden one who didn’t even bother to go around and instead went right over you, claws digging into your arm as he attempted to get at the silver one.

You let out a yelp of surprise and pain, as he launched himself off your shoulder at the silver cat behind you who immediately darted out of reach, running around you in dizzying circles with the golden one fast on his heels both of them yowling, hissing and spitting, clearly having some kind of argument.

It only took a moment for you to regain your bearings and decide you needed to put an end to whatever this was, since poor Shimizu didn’t look at all ready to step in, an utterly appalled look on her face. Luckily you had quick reflexes and managed to snag both cats around the middle and stand up quickly, the abrupt shift immediately silencing both, no doubt shocked by your interruption.

“I think that’s quite enough of that,” you scolded firmly, as you hefted the two carefully, keeping them firmly separated. They were a bit heavier than they looked but certainly not too much for you to keep aloft.

“You,” you scolded the golden one, gently shaking him, who had turned to stare up at you with wide copper colored eyes, “I don’t know what he did to you or why, but I’m sure whatever it was could’ve been resolved without the ruckus. I also don’t appreciate being climbed on or used as a spring board.

“And you,” you gently shook the silver one in turn, who looked equally surprised to be addressed, “I’m not sure if he deserved whatever you did or not, but you shouldn’t have been causing a ruckus either, and I don’t appreciate you using me as a shield.”

“From what I understand, in order to be here you have to be considered adults,” you continued firmly, “So I suggest you act like it, and figure this out between yourselves without dragging innocent bystanders into your mess!”

With that you loosened your grip, fully expecting both of them to jump to the floor. However, both continued to simply hang limply in your grasp, watching you with curious eyes that you realized rather abruptly were almost completely identical.

“Siblings huh?” you asked no one in particular, nodding to yourself, “I suppose that explains a lot.”

“Are you alright?” Shimizu asked you worriedly, “You’re bleeding.”

A quick glance at your arm showed you were indeed bleeding, small pinpricks of blood welling up from where the golden cat had dug his claws into you. It stung a bit, but you didn’t think it was too bad.

“I’m alright,” you assured her, kneeling down and releasing both cats, since they seemed disinclined to continue fighting, and you wanted your hands free, “Though I’d appreciate some disinfectant and some band aids if you’ve got them.”

“Of course,” Shimizu assured you with a quick nod, “Just let me get them and I’ll be right back.”

The elegant hybrid moved with enviable grace and speed as she exited the room, leaving you alone. A quick look around the room showed that almost every eye was now on you, and you heaved a sigh, not exactly pleased to be the center of attention, especially since none of them did anything but stare, none of them bothering to approach, just look.

You glanced down in surprise when you felt something touching your leg, only to find the golden cat headbutting your shin, rubbing his face against your calf affectionately as he twined his way through your legs.

“Does that mean you’re sorry,” you asked, crouching back down and offering your hands to the pretty, fluffy cat.

He immediately rubbed his face against your hands too, which you took as permission to continue your petting, rubbing your hand affectionately over his head and earning a happy purr from the feline who arched happily into your hands.

You were distracted from your petting by a paw, which came to rest on one of your wrists, the silver cat watching with obvious envy in his pretty copper colored eyes. Luckily for both of you, you had two hands, and you reached out to pet him too after assuring it was okay. The golden cat clearly wasn’t too happy about his brother’s presence, but didn’t kick up a fuss, instead pressing himself closer and becoming more insistent as he purred ever louder. The silver cat didn’t seemed to pay him any attention though, simply soaking up your attention and affection.

“Here,” Shimizu offered as she came back, first aid kit in hand, “Do you need any help getting bandaged up?”

You were about to accept her offer, as attempting to bandage your dominant arm was always a pain, when you felt something strange under your hand. You turned your attention back to the cat hybrids you’d been petting just in time to see the silver one shift, form becoming large, limbs extending, body lengthening and bulking up until he stood in front of you in human form.

You blinked, utterly startled as you stared up at him, taking in his appearance. He was incredibly handsome in his human form, with the same silvery grey hair as his fur in cat form in an undercut and bright bronze eyes that peered out at you from under heavy lids. He had a strong, slightly square jaw and thick eyebrows, with blunt cheekbones and cupids bow lips.

He was also surprisingly big, at least six feet tall, and maybe a bit more than that, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt that clung to his chest, showing off the definition of his muscles. To top it all off he had two cat ears poking out from his silvery hair and a fluffy tail that was slowly waving back and forth as he looked at you.

“I’ll do it,” he told the two of you, his voice pleasant and lightly accented, his hand held out to Kiyoko gesturing for her to pass him the first aid kit, “I’ll bandage ya up. It’s only fair since the moron who scratched ya is too busy bein’ pampered.”

That earned a hiss from the golden cat, who immediately began to shift under your hands. You watched in surprise and no small amount of awe as he turned into a carbon copy of the other man who’d appeared, only with golden hair, ears and tail. You’d realized the two were related, but you hadn’t realized they were identical twins. Twins were really rare for hybrids, even more rare than human twins. As such they were usually snapped up for adoption right away, so it was rare to see them in any sort of center.

“If ya hadn’t stolen my puddin’ I wouldn’t have chased ya and scratched her in the first place,” the golden cat hybrid hissed at his brother.

“Well if ya hadn’t eaten my onigiri, maybe I wouldn’t have had to eat yer puddin’” the silver haired one retorted, his tone and expression both flatter compared to his sibling who looked like he might lunge at his twin at any moment.

Not wanting to get in the middle of a literal cat fight you held your own hand out to Kiyoko, who gratefully placed the first aid kit in your hands, then plopped down to sit cross legged on the floor. Your sudden movement startled both cat hybrids who turned to look at you, but you pointedly ignored them as you worked on opening the kit, and pulling out the things you’d need.

“Here I got it,” the golden haired one told you, plopping down beside you, “That scrub ain’t right about a lot of things, but he is right about this. I scratched ya, and I should fix ya.”

You gratefully held your arm out to him, and watched as he gently dabbed the scratches with disinfectant, grimacing slightly at the sting. You were distracted enough by his careful movements that you almost didn’t notice the other twin, right up until he gently smeared Neosporin over the scratches, placing small bandages over the deeper punctures.

“Thank you,” you told them both when they finished, automatically reaching up to pet their heads, but then pausing as you realized the gesture might not be as welcome in their human form.

Your worries were quickly allayed through as the golden one practically fell into your palm, soft, happy purring noises leaving his mouth as you gently scratched the base of his ears. His twin however didn’t immediately move for you, and you turned concerned eyes on him, worried he might be offended. The minute he saw you looking though he immediately leaned forward, pressing his head to your palm, his own soft purrs leaving his throat as you carded your fingers through his hair.

“I’m back,” a familiar voice sang, the door to the room sliding open to reveal Sugawara, with a cheerful grin on his face, a grin that was immediately replaced by wide eyed shock as he saw you and the two hybrids who were nearly in your lap with how close they were pressing towards you.

However, shock melted into fury as his eyes saw the open first aid kit and the bandages on your arm, his words nearly a hiss as he demanded, “What happened?!”

Both hybrids immediately stiffened under your hands, drawing closer to you, either looking to protect you or looking for protection you weren’t sure. Either way you allowed it, rubbing your hands over the backs of their necks in a way that always seemed to sooth Suna as you answered, “We just had a bit of a mishap is all, but we’ve cleared it up.”

“Are you sure?” Sugawara demanded anxiously, “We were told when they were brought in that they’d had a bit of trouble before, but they never mentioned that they might attack humans.”

The golden-haired twin seemed to bristle, and if he were in cat form you were sure all his fur would be puffed out as he glared at Sugawara. His twin didn’t look nearly as bothered on the surface, but close as you were, you could see how tight the muscles in his neck and shoulders were as if he was about to spring forward at any moment.

Instinctively you pulled the golden twin toward you, tipping him over into your lap. Despite his size it wasn’t all that difficult given he’d been practically leaning all his weight on you. He let out a yelp of surprise, but stayed still as you buried your fingers in his hair, keeping his cheek pillowed on your thigh. Your other hand gently squeezed the back of the silver twin’s neck, both holding him still and reminding him of your presence.

“It wasn’t an attack, simply an accident,” you assured Sugawara, as you soothed your thumb over the tense muscles of the silver one’s neck, hoping to get him to relax, “A bit like what happened with the dog hybrid earlier.”

“If you’re sure,” Sugawara told you, watching your pet the twins with wide eyes, like he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing, “Does that mean you’ve decided to take them then? I know you were a little worried about adopting one hybrid so I never imagined you’d want two at once.”

“What?” you asked, a little overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of information, and the assumption he’d made.

“You’d have to take both of them,” Sugawara explained gently, “Admittedly sometimes twins are separated, but we don’t do that unless they want to be separated, and in this case both of them have stated they want to stay together.”

“That makes sense,” you agreed, with a smile. It was good that the center accommodated things like that, and you made a mental note to thank Ojirou for directing you to such an upstanding place.

“Should I get paperwork started?” Sugawara asked, with an answering smile, “If you’re taking the twins it will take a bit more work than usual, so I’d like to get started right away. No pressure though, you don’t have to make a decision today if you don’t want to.”

“I hadn’t really thought about adopting them,” you admitted, and felt both twins stiffen under your hands, so hurried to reassure them, “We haven’t had a chance to chat much yet. I’d like to talk to them a little bit first before we make any decisions.”

“Of course,” the kindly hybrid agreed with an understanding nod, “We’ll give the three of you some space and let you get to know one another a bit better.”

“Thank you,” you told him politely, waiting until he’d ushered Kiyoko a little bit away, clearly trying to give you some sense of privacy despite the fact that they were still well within earshot for hybrids, and likely interrogate the elegant female about what exactly had happened while he was gone.

“Do ya not want us,” the golden haired one asked you, once the two were gone, rolling over in your lap to peer up at you with wide copper eyes, the hint of a pout on his lips, and a little bit of hurt in his eyes.

“I don’t know yet,” you told him honestly, gently stroking his golden hair away from his eyes, “We don’t know each other, yet do we? Do you even know if you want to come with me?”

The two cat hybrids glanced at each other, clearly communicating silently with each other for a moment before turning back to you. The golden haired one had apparently been elected spokesperson because he was the one to admit, “We wouldn’t mind goin’ home with ya.”

“But you don’t even know my name, do you? And I don’t know yours either,” you pointed out, utterly baffled that they’d apparently already decided.

“I heard mister pleasant over there when he introduced ya,” the silver haired one told you with a shrug, “But if it matters so much to ya, I’m Miya Osamu and he’s Atsumu.”

“I can introduce myself ya know,” the golden haired on hissed, doing his best to glare at his brother, though you were sure the effect was entirely lost considering he was apparently refusing to move from your lap and was upside down, “And I didn’t get to hear yer name.”

“That’s because ya were sulkin’ in our room,” Osamu pointed out.

“And whose fault is that huh?” Atsumu demanded with a grimace.

“Yer own,” Osamu countered, looking utterly bored as he peered down at his brother. Atsumu made to lunge out of your lap, but was stopped by your hand pressed firmly to his forehead holding him in place. You took advantage of his moment of distraction to introduce yourself, gently rubbing behind his ears until he started purring again.

“And ya wonder why we want to go with ya,” Osamu told you sardonically, watching the two of you, “I ain’t ever seen anybody who could get ahold of Tsumu like that.”

“Do the two of you always squabble like that?” you asked, a little amused and a little concerned, “If I didn’t know better I would’ve thought one of you was a dog hybrid with how well you’re getting along right now.”

“It ain’t always so bad,” Osamu told you, turning his face away though you thought you saw the faintest hint of pink to his cheeks, “We’re just a little restless is all. We haven’t been here long so it’s just new, not as much freedom as we’re used to either bein’ cooped up for most of the day.”

“Surely they let you out if you want out,” you questioned, a little appalled that the center might be keeping hybrids like prisoners.

“Well sure,” Osamu answered turning back to you, his head tilted to the side as he studied you, “But there are only so many places a hybrid is allowed without an owner ya know.”

You winced slightly at the blunt statement, but couldn’t refute it. The law stated that all hybrids had to have a registered owner, and it was then up to that owner to set limits on the hybrid, about where they could go and what they could do. This was because if the hybrid caused any trouble, it was always on its owner to take responsibility which made things quite limited for them at times. There were lobbyists working to change that of course, as it was viewed as inhumane, but for now the law was the law.

“Did you have more freedom before here then?” you asked curiously, “I’ve heard this place is pretty good.”

“It’s not bad,” Atsumu piped in, his voice content and rumbly as he turned languid eyes in your direction, clearly not wanting to be left out of the conversation, “Better than the first center we were at when we first went up for adoption.”

“So you’ve been adopted before? Or did you just get moved from one of the other centers?” you asked curiously, only to have Atsumu go absolutely rigid under your hands as Osamu hissed at him, clearly angry with his brother, who’d apparently revealed something he shouldn’t if the way he shrank away instead of hissing back said anything.

You glanced between the two of them warily, unsure what to do as Atsumu pulled himself out of your lap so he could look at Osamu. The two of them were clearly communicating, both their tails swishing back and forth in clear agitation.

“We had an owner,” Osamu admitted at last, his words clearly careful as he peered at you from underneath the fringe of his hair, “But we didn’t get along with him so he surrendered us ta the shelter again and they sent us here.”

A part of you really wanted to ask why exactly they hadn’t gotten along with their old owner, but given the way Atsumu was refusing to meet your eyes, his nails practically digging into his thighs where he sat next to you, you got the feeling it would be kinder not to. Instead you carefully redirected the conversation back on topic and asked, “And what makes you think you’ll get along better with me than your previous owner?”

“Yer nothin’ like him,” Osamu told you bluntly, effectively shutting that avenue of conversation down.

“If you say so,” you told him calmly, holding his gaze until he glanced away, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

It was clearly a sensitive topic, and you didn’t want to push. You’d just met the two of them today after all, you certainly wouldn’t have liked it if they tried to pry into your past, fair was fair after all.

“What do you picture yourselves doing all day?” you asked instead, figuring you might as well.

“Doing?” Atsumu repeated confused, tilting his head in a manner that you couldn’t help but find rather adorable.

“I’ll be at work most of the day during the week,” you explained patiently, “Which means you’ll be by yourselves for quite a bit of time. You’d be more than welcome to laze around if you really wanted to, but I figured I’d ask.”

“What kind of things are we allowed to do?” Osamu asked slowly, a strange look on his face that you couldn’t quite interpret.

“Anything within reason,” you told him with a helpless shrug, “I have money, it’s not an issue, so long as it’s legal, and doesn’t have the potential to hurt me, you or anyone else then I see no reason to place restrictions. My neighbor has a dog-hybrid who works a small rice farm that Ojirou bought him, but his cat-hybrid Suna spends most of his time either lounging around their apartment or playing sports with some of the other hybrids who live in the neighborhood.”

“Which sport?” Atsumu asked, eyes bright, all hesitation forgotten in the face of this new information.

“Volleyball I think,” you told him with a shrug, “Ojirou and I have gone to watch a few games, though I don’t think it’s just volleyball either.”

If Atsumu had been a dog-hybrid you were sure his tail would’ve been wagging a hundred miles an hour with how eager he looked, copper eyes bright in his face as he told you, “I like volleyball. Do you think he’d let me play?”

“You’d have to take it up with Suna, but I don’t see why he wouldn’t,” you admitted cautiously, earning a happy smile from the hybrid.

“What about you Osamu?” you prompted gently, “Do you play too, or is there something else you’re interested in?”

The silver furred hybrid looked startled to be addressed, but then slowly admitted, “I like to cook.”

“That’s amazing,” you praised, “I live on take out a lot of the time, unless I’m headed over to Ojirou’s or Kita, his dog-hybrid makes an extra bento for me. I really should cook more, but I tend to be on the go a lot and don’t want to dedicate the time.”

“It’s a bit of a shame though,” you admitted, feeling more than a bit sheepish, “One of the best features of my apartment is the kitchen and I hardly ever use it.”

You continued to chat lightly with the twins learning quite a bit about the two of them in the process. Atsumu was definitely the louder twin, always eager and a bit blunt with his words, always saying the first thing that came to mind. Osamu was quieter than his twin, letting his golden furred brother do most of the talking for the two of them. He wasn’t necessarily shy per se, and would answer when spoken to, but he seemed content for the most part to quietly observe before adding his two cents in.

The two of them together were utterly charming, which made you wonder just how they hadn’t been adopted yet. You were fairly sure it must have something to do with the reason they’d been returned to their adoption center, though for the life of you, you couldn’t guess what that reason might’ve been.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Sugawara cut in gently, interrupting Atsumu telling you all about the last volleyball game he’d played in, “But the center is closing to visitors in a few minutes.”

“I’m sorry,” you apologized immediately, hurriedly scrambling to your feet, feeling more than a bit guilty, “I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten.”

“That’s alright,” Sugawara assured you with a kind smile, “It sounds like the three of you are getting along well.”

“I think so,” you admitted, glancing at the twins who’d both risen to their feet as well, both of them far more graceful than you could ever hope to be.

Both of them were watching you, Atsumu with tentative hope clear on his face, and Osamu completely unreadable except for the agitated twitch of his tail which told you he wasn’t pleased your conversation had been interrupted.

“I’m glad,” Sugawara told you, “Do we have any kind of decision made?”

“I…” you started glancing between the twins, who were both looking at you. Gut instinct meant you wanted to say yes. You’d gotten along well and you thought you might continue to enjoy one another’s company. They seemed like they’d slot into your life pretty easily. However you were still a bit hesitant. Adopting one hybrid had seemed like a big deal, but adopting two?

Plus you’d only met them today. Maybe you were being overly cautious but a single day didn’t seem like nearly enough time to get to know someone before inviting them to live with you, no matter how much your heart urged you to say yes.

“Actually, it doesn’t matter,” Sugawara interrupted, an apologetic expression on his face, pulling you from your thoughts as he explained, “We wouldn’t have time to finish the paperwork before it’s time to close, so you wouldn’t be able to take them home with you anyway, not today at least.”

“But…!” Atsumu tried to protest, but quelled as Sugawara shot him a stern look.

“I think that it will be good for all of you to sleep on your decision,” the cat-hybrid told all three of you firmly, gently beginning to usher you from the room, before telling you, “You can come back tomorrow if you like. We’re open at the same times then.”

“Alright,” you agreed, following after him without a fuss, only to pause in your tracks at a heartbreaking mewling sound.

You turned around to see Atsumu staring after you with devastation written all over his handsome features, his hand outstretched like he was trying to reach out and physically stop you from leaving. Before you’d really thought about it your feet had carried you back, and you’d pulled the hybrid into your arms.

Atsumu clutched you tightly, burying his face in your neck and rubbing his cheek against yours in a move you recognized as scenting. You let him do as he pleased without protest, gently running your fingers through his soft golden hair. However, you were conscious of Sugawara waiting for you, so you gently extracted yourself after a few minutes.

Turning you saw Osamu watching you with an unreadable expression on his face, but you stepped toward him, offering your open arms anyway, waiting patiently. You were rewarded for that patience as he stepped into your hold, nuzzling at you the same way his twin had on the opposite side.

“I’ll come back,” you found yourself promising, “I have work tomorrow, but after I’ll be here.”

Osamu drew back and peered into your face, copper eyes boring into your own, clearly searching for something before nodding, “We’ll hold ya to that.”

You let Sugawara usher you out after that, but found yourself tearing up a bit as you followed after him. You desperately didn’t want to leave the twins behind. Somehow, someway you’d gotten terribly attached to them in just a few short hours.

Your sniffling apparently caught Sugawara’s attention, because he turned around and hurriedly fumbled a packet of tissues from one of his pockets.

“I’m sorry,” he told you apologetically, “I thought maybe you wanted more time to think things over. We can still do paperwork tonight if you want I don’t mind staying a bit late.”

You looked at him, startled that he’d apparently picked up on your hesitation as you gratefully accepted the tissues, dabbing at your eyes and blowing your nose before replying, “No, no you’re right. It’s not a decision I should make impulsively. I do want to think it over I just…”

You trailed off helplessly, unsure what to say or how to explain that you’d gotten incredibly attached and were currently having a crisis as your head and heart were at war with each other. However, Sugawara apparently understood as he nodded in clear sympathy.

“Don’t worry,” he assured you, “That’s completely understandable, adopting a hybrid is no small thing. Those troublesome twins will still be here waiting for you tomorrow, so take all the time you need to think it over.”

“I will,” you told him, then tacked on sincerely, “Thank you, for all your help today. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he told you with a bright, pleased smile as he walked you to the door, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“See you tomorrow,” you agreed with a smile, letting yourself out and heading back for your car.

The drive home your thoughts were absolutely full of the twins, and what it might be like to have them with you. Your heart and your mind were at war with one another, your heart desperate to run back to the center as soon as it opened in the morning for the cat hybrids, and your head worrying about what it might mean to have both of them and why they’d been returned to the center by their previous owner.

You were so preoccupied with your thoughts that you almost didn’t notice Suna as you walked passed Ojirou’s door, headed to your own.

“What is that?” Suna demanded, his voice making you pause in your tracks.

“What is what?” you asked him baffled as he strode toward you nose in the air, clearly picking up something.

“You smell like hybrid,” he informed you his tone accusatory, watching you with narrowed golden eyes.

“Do I?” you asked mildly.

“You do,” he affirmed, “Doesn’t she Kita?”

“Doesn’t she what?” the collie hybrid asked, emerging from somewhere deeper in the apartment.

“Smell like hybrid,” Suna explained, his tail twitching languidly behind him and eyes alight with interest.

“You do,” Kita agreed, after carefully scenting the air, “Two of them actually.”

“Really?” Suna asked, clearly surprised, moving closer to sniff at you again, “You sure?”

You held still, too used to his behavior to be bothered by it, partly amused and partly annoyed at the cat hybrid who was clearly digging for information.

“Yes I’m sure,” Kita told him calmly, “They’re very similar, but there.”

“They’re identical twins,” you explained, figuring the jig was up anyway, and hoping maybe Ojirou or Kita would have some advice that might help you with your quandary.

“Ho?” Suna asked a purr of interest in his voice as he inhaled and nodded to himself, then asked slyly, “And what were you doing with these twins to have their scent on you so thoroughly?”

“Is Ojirou home?” you asked Kita, completely ignoring Suna’s question, earning a chuckle of amusement from the Siamese.

“He’s here,” Kita agreed, “Did you need to speak with him?”

“Both of you, if you have a minute?” you questioned hopefully.

“For you? Always,” Kita assured you kindly ushering you in.

“Oya, I think I’m hurt,” Suna told you as he followed along behind, a feline smirk on his face, “What about me? Don’t you want my advice too? After all they’re cat hybrids aren’t they?”

“They are,” you agreed with a huff as you plopped into your normal chair, “But are you going to give me good advice, or are you going to say whatever you think will be most amusing for you?”

“What’s this about cat-hybrids?” Ojirou asked, emerging from the hallway, where Kita had gone to fetch him.

“She’s thinking about adopting twin cat-hybrids,” Suna informed him before you had the chance to speak up, smug as the cat who got the canary.

“Are you really?” Ojirou questioned with a grin, taking his own seat.

“Yes,” you agreed, shooting the smug Siamese a look for interrupting and stealing your thunder, “I went to that adoption center you recommended today.”

“That’s great,” Ojirou told you, leaning forward in his chair eagerly, “How did it go?”

You explained your meeting with the twins, happily accepting the drink Kita pressed into your hands, which was your favorite, as the collie hybrid got everyone settled and then settled in himself to listen. You talked about how much you liked them, but your wariness about getting not one but two hybrids, and the strange issue with them having a previous owner and being so cagey about it.

“I can see why you’re wary about used goods,” Suna noted.

“Don’t call them that,” you snapped, despite the fact that you could hear the tinge of sarcasm in his voice and knew he didn’t really mean it, unable to help yourself, “people aren’t like items, and shouldn’t be treated like them.”

“She’s right,” Kita told the Siamese sternly, “Even as a joke, that was a rude way to refer to them.”

Suna slouched in his seat, looking thoroughly chastised as he admitted, “I know you don’t see them like that. You’ve always treated us just like normal people.”

“That’s because you are just like normal people,” you told him, stroking your fingers through his hair to let him know you forgave him, “Just with enhanced senses and a different set of instincts at times.”

“I don’t know why you think you need our advice,” Ojirou pointed out reasonably, “It sounds like you’ve pretty much already made up your mind, you clearly adore them already.”

“It’s just a lot,” you admitted, “Do you think I can handle twin hybrids? Especially since I’ve never even had one before? I mean, I’m not like you, none of my family ever had one growing up, and the only ones I really know are Kita, Suna, and a couple that come into the office with Tendou from time to time.”

“We’re not exactly children,” Kita reasoned, logically, “We don’t actually require all that much care outside of the basics, which I know you’re monetarily able to provide, and companionship, which is the whole reason you decided to seek out a hybrid in the first place. One or two, does it really matter? It might even be better as they’ll be able to keep each other company if they get lonely when you’re gone, and I see no reason we can’t help you look after them too.”

“You’d do that?” you asked the collie hybrid, surprised.

“Of course,” he agreed with a tiny smile, “We’re friends are we not?”

You smiled at him, touched, and extremely reassured by his ever cool logic. It did make sense, and quelled some of your worries, plus knowing the extremely reliable hybrid would help you out if you needed it was incredibly comforting.

“I wouldn’t worry about them being returned to their center,” Suna told you, surprisingly serious, “Hybrids get returned for all sorts of reasons, but most of the time its owner incompatibility rather than behavioral issues. Plus that center wouldn’t let you adopt them if they thought they’d give you trouble.”

“But Sugawara did say they’d heard the twins gave someone trouble,” you admitted, recalling the conversation with the worried cat-hybrid.

“Yes, but they didn’t give you trouble,” Suna pointed out, “We cat hybrids tend to make up our minds pretty quickly about people. It sounds like they decided they liked you, and unless something really terrible happens they’ll keep liking you, we’re terribly stubborn that way.”

“If you’re really worried you can always ask the center about it,” Ojirou told you, “They keep records, and would probably tell you, especially if it’s a concern about their adoptability.”

“I don’t want to pry into something and lose their trust,” you admitted, even as part of you was incredibly tempted to do just that.

“Then maybe try asking if the center if they think whatever the issue was, will be an issue with you,” Suna reasoned, “And if they say no then let it lie and adopt them, and if they say maybe or yes, then tell the twins you can’t accept them if they can’t tell you what the issue was.”

“That seems fair to me,” Kita agreed with a nod, “Just make sure you’re honest and tell them you asked, just in case.”

“Okay,” you agreed, letting out a relieved breath, “Okay that sounds really reasonable to me. It’s just… do you think I’m rushing into this too fast? I mean going to the center today was an impulse.”

“I don’t think so,” Ojirou assured her thoughtfully, “You’ve been thinking about it for a while, haven’t you?”

“She’s put so much thought into it she’s actually over thought it,” Suna interjected wryly before you had a chance to answer.

You made a face at him but couldn’t actually argue. He might have a point about overthinking it. Reassured you spent a good couple hours talking with your neighbor and the two hybrids as they answered more of your questions, and you told them about the twins.

Eventually however you headed home, determined now to get at least a little bit prepared for the arrival of your two new housemates tomorrow. Luckily it wasn’t dirty, but running a load of laundry and doing a little vacuuming never hurt anyone. You didn’t have a whole lot for them and didn’t know what kind of things they might have or need, but hopefully your office with pull out futon and guest bedroom would suffice for now until you could take them shopping.

Falling into bed that night you let yourself feel your excitement for the first time. You were adopting a hybrid, not just one but adorable twin hybrids. You couldn’t wait to bring them home and maybe put an end to your loneliness once and for all.

Osamu glanced slowly around the room, trying not to look at his twin, the clock, or the doors to the main area of the shared living space the way Atsumu was. Yesterday had been a bit of a revelation. He’d never actually expected to approach the woman who’d shown up looking to adopt. After what happened with their last owner he’d never expected to ever actually want to be adopted again. However, somehow he’d found himself entranced by her, and he had no one but himself to blame.

When he’d initially strolled over, it was because he’d known via his bond to his older twin that he’d finally realized that Osamu had snagged his pudding for himself and was throwing a fit about it. He’d thought that his twin wouldn’t dare make a fuss if he was with a potential owner.

The rules of this place were pretty lax compared to the first center they’d lived in. It allowed them a lot more freedoms. It let them come and go from their rooms as they pleased rather than on a regimented schedule, and allowed them to turn down any potential adopter that they didn’t like, which had felt utterly shocking and unprecedented when he’d first been told about it. They gave them a small allowance they could spend or save as they chose, and even let them deal with their heats and ruts in whatever way they chose, including with other tenants so long as birth control was used.

It honestly felt like heaven compared to the first center they’d been at, and maybe even better than living with their previous owner even before everything had gone to shit. He wasn’t sure he’d even ever wanted to leave, which he’d been assured by several other tenants was also an option if he so desired.

However, the one rule that was the same between both centers was that they weren’t allowed to cause trouble with the humans that came looking to adopt. This was only good sense considering how much the law favored humans in cases of hybrid vs human issues. However, unlike the first center they’d lived, this one at least didn’t threaten to put them down if they misbehaved.

They’d been young back then, everyone in that center was, all of them below the age of twenty-one, because anyone who reached their twenty-second birthday disappeared and was never seen again. Thus he hadn’t known it was actually against the law to kill hybrids, none of them had known and the caretakers had perpetuated the rumor that those who reached twenty-two were killed instead of shipped off to other centers in order to make them that much more desperate to be adopted.

It had made him more than a bit bitter once he’d been with their new owner long enough to learn more about what was and wasn’t allowed when it came to human hybrid interactions. The man had actually found their previous beliefs amusing and had laughed at them more than once for being so naïve.

It was positively galling, and had made his hackles rise more than once. However he’d known better than to lash out and had better impulse control than Atsumu who’d been punished by their previous owner more than once for acting aggressively. Fortunately, Osamu had never liked being made fun of, and spite was a powerful motivator, meaning he’d practically memorized any and all of the laws that had to do with hybrids.

It meant the few times their owner had toed the line with Atsumu’s punishments that he’d been able to cite the law to pull him back, right up until their owner had decided he no longer cared and pushed too far, leading to them being removed from his home and put back up for adoption at this new center.

They had been here for just over a month and while several people had been interested in adopting the ‘rare gold and silver hybrid twins’ he had absolutely refused to engage with any of them. It was probably why that female alpha hybrid had been so shocked when he’d first approached.

He’d fully intended to just use the human to keep Atsumu at bay, right up until she’d crouched down and offered her hands to him and he’d gotten a whiff of her scent. He’d known from the few lessons their ma had bothered to teach them that hybrids relied a lot more on their sense of smell than humans did, and that scent was the basis of the instinct that told them who would be a good mate and who wouldn’t.

He’d originally thought compatibility could only be found with other hybrids, after all he’d met plenty of humans before both when he’d lived in the adoption centers and with his previous owner and never once had he gotten a hint of compatibility with any of them. He thought he could be forgiven for completely losing his head and giving over to his instincts as he caught the scent of the most compatible person he’d ever met.

Her scent was honestly indescribable, and his instincts had him purring within seconds as he tried to rub her scent all over himself. She’d obliged, petting him with fingers that had felt magical, her touch kind and soothing and perfect as she rubbed his ears, carded fingers through his fur and rubbed her hand along his back.

He’d been lost in a dizzy haze of touch and scent and probably would’ve remained that way if not for the fury of his brother, which had jolted him out of it. It had been like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head pulling him from his happy haze and reminding him of the whole reason he’d come up to the human in the first place.

He probably should’ve run off, but hadn’t been able to bring himself to move very far, instead darting around to hide behind her. He’d thought that once Atsumu saw her he’d stop and at least hold off attempting to get vengeance until later, but he’d overestimated his brother again, who was apparently more incensed than he’d guessed about the lost pudding.

Instinct had kicked in and before he’d really thought about it he was running away from his brother, darting around her legs in a game of chase that was both amusing and a bit annoying, especially when he could tell how much it was pissing his brother off, his sibling’s annoyance pulsing down their bond in waves of sparks.

He wasn’t sure how long it would’ve continued, as they’d actually run around like this until someone got tired before, usually Atsumu as he got fed up and didn’t have the patience to keep going. However, he’d suddenly found himself plucked right up into the air.

He’d been amused when she’d scolded Atsumu, though the amusement had faded a bit when she’d decided to scold him too, leaving him feeling properly chastised. He’d been more than a bit pissed off with his brother when he’d realized the nice smelling woman was bleeding because of him, though there’d also been a small frisson of fear, wondering what the consequences would be.

However, to his surprise she hadn’t actually seemed all that angry with either of them. Instead she’d immediately accepted Atsumu’s apologies as his brother, who’d managed to get a lungful of her scent had cuddled up to her. He could feel Atsumu’s deep interest in the human. His brother clearly also scented compatibility with her, which wasn’t surprising given they’d shared almost everything else in their lives.

He’d found himself more than a little bit jealous as he’d watched his brother soak up her attention. It had always been like that to an extent. Atsumu had always been the more outgoing one, the one who attracted attention, who wore his heart on his sleeve and somehow managed to win people over despite his often crass personality. Osamu had always kind of faded into the background as he was much quieter and had better control over his emotions, the silver to his gold, the shadow to his light.

Normally he didn’t mind, but this time being forgotten had stung. They’d always competed with each other, but most of the time he’d been humoring his brother, or simply hadn’t wanted Atsumu to win rather than wanting the prize of winning himself. This time though it had felt like more than that. No way was he going to let his brother steal her all to himself.

Before he’d really thought about it he’d reached out a paw, and to her credit she’d immediately offered him a sweet smile and resumed her wonderful petting. Atsumu hadn’t been pleased, but he hadn’t cared a bit.

It hadn’t surprised him at all that when Shimizu had come back with the first aid kit that Atsumu had insisted on taking over when he’d been the one to offer first. The two of them had continued to quietly compete over her attention as they fixed up her scratches, though he could at least feel his brother’s guilt for inflicting them on her in the first place, which did help sooth some of his annoyance with his older twin.

It was utterly gratifying that even when she had Atsumu literally in the palm of her hand, she’d still looked for him too. He’d tried to shove the feeling down and away, trying to remind himself that neither he nor his brother actually wanted another owner, but found it wasn’t working well. The combination of her scent and her fingers as she massaged her fingers through his hair enough to make him want to curl up in her lap and never leave.

He’d thought they might get in trouble when Sugawara returned. His fellow silver cat-hybrid belonged to the owner of the center, and took his job very seriously. He wouldn’t allow any of them to make trouble, and while he respected him, and admittedly envied him a bit for the clear trusting and loving relationship he had with his owner it didn’t stop him from wanting to claw his eyes out for bringing up their past in front of her.

Right when he was considering attempting to verbally eviscerate the other hybrid and damn the consequences his brother’s shock had pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned just in time to see her pull his twin into her lap. The feel of her hand gently squeezing his neck from behind practically made him limp with pleasure as Atsumu’s own bliss at being so close to her combined with his own to thoroughly distract the two of them, though not so much he didn’t notice her excusing their behavior and ensuring they didn’t get in trouble.

However, both of them had snapped to attention when the other hybrid had asked her if she wanted to adopt the two of them. He’d been able to feel his twin’s building hope, his impulsive brother apparently forgetting all about not wanting another owner, already clearly more than half in love with her despite not even knowing her for a day.

It was a trait he both hated and envied in his twin, the ability to be so impulsive, to move on so quickly and let go of past hurts. It wasn’t something he was capable of. He knew he was a grudge holder and far slower to trust than his brother was. He liked to think it served him well and kept him from being as naïve as Atsumu could be, though there were times it made things difficult too.

He’d been unsure whether he wanted her to state her intention to adopt them or not, right up until she’d said she hadn’t even considered it. It stung more than he’d expected, his own small hurt amplified by his brother’s though both of them had been somewhat soothed by her explanation that she wanted to know them better.

It was extremely reasonable and made him like her all the more, knowing she was the cautious type, more like him than like Atsumu, even if he simultaneously wished she’d been a little more impulsive just this one time and said yes instead. Though he found himself heartened by her honesty. That she’d actually asked them if they wanted to go with her rather than making any sort of assumption had settled things for him.

He hadn’t needed Atsumu’s silent pleading to forget their original plans to agree that maybe they should give this human a chance, though it did make it easier in the end to agree as he wasn’t the only one who wanted it.

They’d both tried to win her over, and though they’d accidentally fallen into squabbling more than once she’d handled it like a champ, not at all put off and even amused by it if the smile was any indication. However, despite the fact that they were the ones trying to win her over, it seemed every word she spoke was actually meant to win them over instead.

She was nothing like their previous owner, who’d been strict with his rules and harsh with his punishments. In fact she didn’t speak about punishments at all. He wasn’t naïve enough to think there wouldn’t be any if they misbehaved, but the freedoms she was offering in turn more than made up for anything she might throw their way.

The biggest hiccup had been when Atsumu mentioned their previous owner. The horror and guilt he’d felt from his twin was the only reason he’d managed to keep himself from doing more than hiss at him. His stomach had sunk when she’d gently pressed them for answers, but he knew they had to give her something.

He’d tried to give her as little as possible unwilling to volunteer the information, both because he hated even thinking about their time with their previous owner and because he was afraid she might somehow decide she didn’t want them because of it. In the end she’d changed the subject herself, and not brought it up again, but as she’d walked away from them with Sugawara, leaving them behind he’d wondered rather despairingly if that hadn’t been a mistake.

It didn’t matter that she’d turned around to comfort them when Atsumu had been unable to keep his heartbreak quiet. He’d known the minute she walked out the doors the chances of her coming back were slim to none. That was the other thing that remained consistent between this shelter and the last. Once a potential owner walked away claiming they needed to ‘think on it’ they never came back.

Still he hadn’t been able to turn away from her embrace, or to stop himself from scent marking the opposite side of your neck from the one his twin had claimed, laying his own personal stamp with the faint hope it would remind you to come back for them. However, no matter what you’d said, he couldn’t bring himself to hope. He knew hoping would only lead to more disappointment, and he wasn’t like Atsumu he wouldn’t be able to bounce back from it.

Not that his twin was making it easy on him. His brother’s hope was so fierce it was almost painful and he could feel the slightly desperate edge to it. He’d gotten attached to her, not that he could blame him, he was more attached than he wanted to be too. However unlike him, Atsumu had fill faith you were coming back, so much so he’d actually packed up his room into the bags they’d brought from his old place and was ready to go.

Nothing Osamu or any of the others, who also seemed to understand how small the chance was that she’d come back for them, said could sway him. The moment it had passed three o’clock Atsumu had brought hjs bags out to the shared living area and began to sit vigil, waiting for her to come back.

Stubborn as ever his twin had ignored all the pitying looks sent his way and the fact that slowly but surely time had slipped by, leaving just half an hour until they were supposed to close. Though his face was resolute, his brother wasn’t actually stupid and Osamu knew it was only stubborn pride keeping him in place. He could feel the slow onset of his twin’s hurt and despair as each minute ticked down.

He’d contemplated leaving him, going to his own room to wallow, but he knew he could never abandon his twin. They’d been through everything together, and he certainly wasn’t going to leave him now.

He was trying to figure out if he could coax his brother into leaving his post when the door swung open, revealing Sugawara, who had a wide beaming smile on his face. His fellow silver hybrid cast a quick glance behind him before ushering his follower into the room.

He barely caught a glimpse of her before his brother practically launched himself at her, but it was enough to freeze him in his place, because it was her. She’d actually come back after all.

His brother had wrapped himself around her, burying his face in her neck and clinging to her like favorite a stuffed toy, not that she seemed to mind, if the hands she was running over his hair and back meant anything. He couldn’t quite hear what they were saying, the words too quiet to hear over the sudden near painful hope and the rapid beat of his own heart at the thought that she’d come for them.

Atsumu’s joy was practically burning through him, combined with his restored faith and smug satisfaction that he’d been right all along about her coming back for them. It probably should’ve annoyed him, but he found that all he could really feel was a bone deep sort of relief.

“Where’s your brother?” she asked, as she finally managed to gently extract herself a bit from his twin’s embrace, though he noticed he didn’t let go entirely, one of his hands laced firmly with hers.

He immediately stood, letting himself fall back into his more human skin as he made his way toward them, not waiting for his brother to out him. She seemed to spot him immediately and the relieved smile on her face was enough to make his traitorous heart skip a beat.

“Osamu,” she greeted warmly, more warmly than he thought he’d ever been greeted by anyone before as she opened her free arm in an inviting gesture. It was maybe a little pathetic how readily he accepted that embrace, but he couldn’t bring himself to care, as he fell into her hold, face automatically nuzzling against the side of her neck that Atsumu had left unclaimed. A rumbling purr left his lips as he felt her press her face against his affectionately, as he allowed himself to cling to her for a bit.

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she murmured to him quietly, her arm squeezing affectionately around his waist, genuine regret in her tone, “My boss made me stay a little longer than usual, and then there was an accident on the freeway. I called ahead though and Sugawara has almost all the paperwork done. I just need to collect the two of you, do some signing and we’ll go home okay?”

“Really? Yer takin’ us home?” he almost didn’t recognize his own voice given how weak it sounded, the quaver in it making him feel utterly ridiculous and overly emotional, something that was supposed to be his twin’s job, and frustrated him enough that he bit his lip nearly hard enough to bleed as he wrestled with himself, trying to get back in control of his emotions.

“Yeah, as long as you want to come, then I’ll gladly take you,” she offered with a gentle smile that made his heart squeeze nearly painfully in his chest, “Though there’s something I need to admit to first.”

He froze a little at that, staring at her anxiously as Atsumu also looked on, his blabbermouth brother finally silent and clearly wary. She carefully released him, though she still reached for his hand, peering between the two of them, anxious but also obviously determined. He allowed her to grasp her fingers, squeezing them automatically, anxiety making his heartrate skyrocket and bile rise in his throat.

“I asked the center about your previous owner,” she confessed, the words automatically making his heart drop, as he wondered numbly what they could’ve told her. Had she asked for the details? Was she afraid now? Had she changed her mind or decided to add some stipulations to their adoption?”

“I didn’t ask for details,” she clarified, her voice managing to cut through the haze of panic that had been rising in his chest, “All I asked was if they thought whatever had happened with your previous owner would cause trouble for me, or put any of us in any sort of danger.”

That didn’t actually sound so bad, and was even fairly reasonable the storm of hurt and anger that had been building behind his anxiety slowly dispersing the more he thought about it. He noticed that his grip on her hand had loosened a bit, and he retightened his hold, hoping the center had responded in a way that reassured her. Given that she was here, talking to them, he thought it wasn’t unreasonable to be hopeful.

“They said none of us would be in any danger, otherwise they never would’ve offered to take you both in, in the first place, and that they were sure you’d be alright with me,” she explained, her hand gently squeezing his in return.

He wasn’t sure if the bone deep relief he felt was his or his brother’s but he couldn’t bring himself to care, too caught up in the surging hope that followed it as she asked, “So, even knowing that I asked that, are the two of you still willing to come home with me?”

“O course we want to go with ya, right Samu?” his brother replied instantly, nuzzling into her neck insistently, clearly begging for attention, attention she seemed more than willing to give if the affectionate smile on her face was any indication. When she looked at him for confirmation all he could do was nod in agreement, unable to find the words for how very much he did want it and unwilling to sound ridiculous again.

The next half hour passed in a strange almost dream like haze, as he packed himself up, his smug brother clinging to her and gloating over how he was already finished, soaking up her attention as he made a mental note to get back at his annoying twin later. Once he finished packing all there really was, was a couple of signatures before he found himself in a nice car that was speeding along the highway.

Atsumu was chatting away in the front seat, practically bouncing as he asked their amused new owner anything that popped into his head as he tried to digest what had happened. Somehow, someway, they had an owner again.

You smiled to yourself as you listened to Atsumu babble away happily in the seat next to you. The golden furred twin hadn’t stopped bouncing since you’d showed up at the shelter, clearly over the moon that you’d come back for him. Osamu was quiet in the back seat, and you might’ve been worried he was happy to come with you if not for the way he’d scent marked you, almost frantically his hand clutched tightly to yours as you’d signed the paperwork to take them home.

It was pretty clear both twins had thought you weren’t coming back for them, and it had broken your heart a bit, and made you even more resolute that you’d done the right thing for all of you. You’d been anxious the whole day to get back to them, not nearly as focused on work as you probably should’ve been, which had been part of the reason for your delay in the first place.

You’d panicked more than a bit when you’d encountered the accident on the way there, afraid that you’d break your promise to the twins. It had only been Sugawara’s kind voice, assuring you that he’d start the paperwork while you drove and even stay open late if necessary for you to get there, that had kept your guilt and panic at bay.

Now that you had them with you weren’t quite sure how you felt. Dazed that it was actually happening, excited for what the future might bring, and a little anxious about all the changes you’d have to make in your life even as you looked forward to those changes more than anything.

However, before you headed for home there were a couple things you needed to do first. Luckily you would hopefully find everything you needed in one place, at least for today. You wanted to give them time to settle in a bit, more shopping could come later when they’d decided what they needed.

“Where’s this?” Atsumu asked, pausing in his excited babble to look at you with confusion, as you pulled into the large parking lot, “Ya don’t live here do ya?”

“Don’t be stupid,” his brother huffed from the backseat, “Yer gonna make her think we’re some kind of bumpkins, ya know what a mall is Tsumu.”

“O course I know what a mall is,” Atsumu blustered, twisting around in his seat to glare at his twin, “I just thought maybe she had an apartment nearby is all. Who knows how rich people live?”

You huffed in amusement, reaching out without thought to ruffle his ears affectionately. The golden haired hybrid froze for a minute under your touch, and you wondered if you’d done something wrong, freezing as well, before a rumbling purr left his chest as he pressed his head further into your hand.

“You’re too cute,” you murmured almost to yourself as you gently scratched his ears and stroked your hand over his face and neck, unable to keep the smile from your lips.

“We’re only stopped here for a quick couple errands,” you explained to both twins, reluctantly pulling away from Atsumu who offered a pout but didn’t protest, “I noticed you don’t have as much as I thought you would, and I want to get you more comfortable collars to wear when we’re in public.”

Both twins hands immediately flew to the simple brown leather bands around their necks. All hybrids were required to wear collars in public to identify them as belonging to someone. The collars had a tag on them, which was essentially a small chip that had all their owner’s information in it, that when scanned would tell someone how to get in contact with their owner. It was to ensure they behaved and that if they didn’t their owner could be forced to take responsibility for their actions. Any hybrid who walked around without a collar immediately had the police called and was brought in and held until they could figure out why they were without.

You’d heard horror stories about the way such hybrids were treated, innocent hybrids who’d accidentally lost a collar somewhere and been so traumatized when they were finally returned to their owners that they were never the same again. Which of course was why you were determined it was never going to happen to your twins, even if a part of you balked at the idea of putting a symbol of ownership on another sentient being. Judging from the looks on their faces, Atsumu’s much easier to read than Osamu’s they’d heard stories too, and neither of them bothered to protest.

“Come on,” you urged gently, climbing out of the car yourself, “The sooner we get the unpleasant stuff done the sooner we get to the good stuff. I’ve got a couple things in mind I’d like to get you both as welcome home presents, but if there’s anything else you think you want or need feel free to ask.”

“Presents?” Atsumu asked eagerly, practically bounding out of the car.

“That’s right,” you agreed with a small laugh, watching him sulk a bit as he realized his brother had beaten him in securing your free hand, Osamu’s fingers laced with your own and a smug smirk on the silver hybrid’s face, “So keep close and let’s get going okay?”

Luckily the mall wasn’t too crowded, and while the twins got more then their fair share of admiring looks, doubtless both because of how good looking they were and how rare twin hybrids in general were, no one actually dared to approach your group, even as Atsumu practically bounced around glancing around the mall in fascination and reminding you more of an eager puppy than a supposedly slightly older cat hybrid.

Osamu was much more dignified and kept close to your side, though judging from his wide-eyed look that he couldn’t quite hide behind his stoic façade he was just as in awe as his brother. You were starting to get an impression of their previous owner and it was far from good.

You’d known that some owners kept their hybrids close to home, either because they were overly protective or possessive, and it had always rubbed you the wrong way. Ojirou had always allowed Kita and Suna to do as they pleased for the most part, treating them as capable adults and equals, more like roommates than the pets some treated their hybrids as and his was the example you were going to strive to follow.

It was why your errands today were so important, because while you would happily have let your twin hybrids run around as they pleased dressed however they pleased a collar was unfortunately the one thing they couldn’t be without, especially if they were going to go outside without you.

Luckily the mall was outfitted with several hybrid specialty stores and it didn’t take you long to find one dedicated entirely to collars. Both twins were a little wide eyed at the selection, and neither seemed to know quite what to say as you roamed through the aisles together looking at the selection.

Several of them made you grimace in outright distaste, the collars boasting accessories like inward facing spikes or tracking devices that would alert the owner if the hybrid tried to leave their home. It made you feel a little sick to your stomach, so you instead turned to the less intrusive ones.

“Do you see anything you like?” you asked the twins, squeezing Osamu’s hand affectionately, “You don’t have to wear collars in the house if you don’t want to, but you’re going to need them if you want to leave when I’m not home, which means you’ll probably be wearing them a lot, so make sure to pick something you like. You can even pick a couple if you want it to match your outfit for the day or whatever I don’t mind spending a little more to get a handful of chips programmed.”

Both twins blinked at you owlishly clearly startled by the offer, which made your heart hurt for them, even as they hesitantly turned back toward the displays, looking more closely than they had before.

“Do ya have any restrictions?” Osamu asked bluntly, not quite looking at you as he eyed a display of thick leather ones that didn’t look comfortable in the slightest.

“No,” you assured him, “I’m not the one who has to wear it.”

Osamu nodded slowly, and seemed to be taking his time as he perused the collars. You let him do as he liked, allowing him to lead. You’d only loosened your hold on him once, thinking he may like to wander the store like his brother and not have to tow you along with him, but the way his hand had reflexively tightened on yours in response had put paid to that assumption and you’d immediately re-laced your fingers together.

In the end Atsumu approached you first, holding a collar out to you hopefully. It actually looked like it was meant more for a dog hybrid, thick black leather with steel spikes on it, making it look fairly fierce. Personally you thought it was gaudy and was probably going to be uncomfortable, but you tried not to let your distaste show, after all you’d said anything they wanted and you’d meant it. Luckily in the end you didn’t need to say anything.

“What the hell is that?” Osamu demanded when he caught sight of the collar in his brother’s hands, the disgusted look on his face letting you know his feelings quite clearly.

“It’s a collar scrub, what else would it be?” Atsumu replied with a sneer for his twin you were beginning to think was automatic.

“I’m not the scrub you are,” the silver twin sneered, “Because only a scrub would wear somethin’ like that.”

“Oy,” Atsumu interjected, with a fierce glare, “She said we could have what we wanted.”

“Yeah but she probably thought ya had some sort of taste, she doesn’t know you well enough to know how scrubby ya are scrub,” Osamu hissed back.

“Alright guys,” you interjected gently, squeezing Osamu’s hand and reaching out to gently ruffle Atsumu’s ears, aware of the eyes of the cashier which had definitely turned in your direction given the twins were getting louder and louder by the second, “Let’s try to keep it to polite volume levels in public hmm?”

“Sorry,” both twins grumbled, identical pouts on their faces that made you giggle.

“It’s alright,” you assured them fondly, “Just try to be good okay?”

They nodded though Osamu clearly needed to get the last word in as he turned to you with pleading eyes, “Ya think it’s an abomination too don’t ya?”

“I said you could have whatever you wanted,” you told him diplomatically, “If this is what Atsumu likes, then of course he can have it.”

“Ha, see!” Osamu demanded of his twin, clearly seeing right through your attempt at diplomacy, “She thinks it’s ugly too!”

“Do ya really think it’s ugly?” Atsumu asked you sulkily eyeing the collar in his hands.

You’d known before that you were weak to pleading eyes, but it turned out you were even more weak to the pleading copper eyes of your hybrid, the thought that he might be sad tugging at your heartstrings.

“I just worry you’ll be uncomfortable,” you assured him, letting go of Osamu’s hand and gently cupping his face in your hands, rubbing your thumbs along his cheeks affectionately, the same way you did for one of the hybrids that occasionally came to your office to sulk when his owner brought him to work but didn’t pay attention to him.

Atsumu immediately leaned into your palms, heavy lidded eyes half-shut with bliss as you explained, “It’s summer right now, and there’s no padding so it will be hot, heavy and probably chafe. Plus didn’t you say you wanted to play volleyball? Won’t it get in the way? I can definitely get it for you if you like it, but maybe pick something else too, okay?”

“Kay,” your golden twin agreed, sounding completely and utterly content as he nuzzled into your hands, making your heart melt in your chest.

“What about this one?” Osamu offered, pulling your attention away from his brother.

He was holding a collar in his hands, one that actually looked more like a necklace a thin but sturdy looking cord of leather fastened with a silver chain in the front that clasped on both ends to a silver hoop that suspended a solid silver disc in the middle that on close inspection revealed that it housed the chip needed for identification.

“That looks really nice,” you praised, letting out a breath of relief at his choice. You weren’t a big fan of the collars in general, but seeing it look more like a necklace made it seem far more tolerable. Plus it was black and silver and thus would probably go with just about anything he chose to wear.

Letting go of Atsumu to take the collar from his twin, you completely missed the smug smirk directed over your shoulder by Osamu as you inspected it, though Atsumu certainly didn’t, giving his twin an annoyed glare above your head.

In the end, while Atsumu sulked and complained about it, he did actually put the original collar he’d offered back and go with Osamu’s choice, even though you offered to get him both. He refused, sulking slightly all the while, but remained insistent that he only needed the one, even though you ended up buying four collars total, so you could have two back-ups. Though he did insist on holding your hand to make up for the disappointment.

Luckily the manager didn’t seem to mind having to program all four collars, tapping away at the computer, while Atsumu sulked a bit by your side and Osamu somehow managed to all but radiate smug superiority. The cashier carefully ringing up your purchases for you as you pulled your wallet out.

“A word of advice?” the cashier offered as you waited for the programmed collars, surprising you with his forwardness.

“You’re too indulgent with them,” he continued on, not giving you the chance to refute the need for him to speak, “Hybrid’s need a firm hand. You’ll spoil them if you let them get away with raising their voices in public and causing a scene. Don’t ever let them forget their place.”

You felt more than saw both twins bristle on either side of you, and gently squeezed Atsumu’s hand, before laying your hand over the back of Osamu’s neck. You wouldn’t care a bit if they wanted to verbally eviscerate the man who was eying them with clear distaste, a distaste you were almost sure stemmed from jealousy given the lascivious looks he probably thought you hadn’t noticed levelled in your direction. Unfortunately, you also didn’t want them to get into trouble, and weren’t quite sure what the law said about how hybrids were allowed to defend themselves from humans, something you planned to rectify as soon as possible.

For now however you weren’t about to let the twins get in trouble and cut in your tone as cold as you could make it, “I don’t remember asking for your opinion, nor do I care about what you think in the least. I’ll treat them how I want to treat them, which means I’ll spoil and pamper them as much as I like. I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself in the future if you want to keep this business running. As it is I’ll be sending my complaint to your superiors. Let’s go guys, we can find other collars elsewhere. It’s not like they’re hard to find.”

“Wait! The chips are already programmed and you haven’t paid,” the manager protested, standing up from the computer looking utterly appalled.

“Should’ve thought of that before your employee opened his mouth, and decided to spew his unwanted bile everywhere,” you countered with a shrug, “I’d consider finding better employees in the future if I were you, or at least teach them to keep their mouths shut.”

“But the chips can’t be removed from these collars, they’ll be completely ruined,” the manager put in, sounding more than a bit despairing.

“I’m sorry,” you told her, feeling genuinely bad for the woman, after all it wasn’t her fault the other employee was an ass, “But that’s not my problem. I refuse to support any sort of business that would treat its customers like this.”

The glare she leveled on her fellow employee was utterly ferocious and had him cowering back in his seat. Not that you could blame her for being upset, each collar was about three hundred USD so the sale they were losing out on was enormous.

“I can offer you a discount?” she tried hopefully, “Fifty percent off?”

You tilted your head thoughtfully, but didn’t reply instead turning to look at the twins who’d clearly been more than ready to follow you out of the store, “What do you think?”

“Us?” Atsumu asked, clearly baffled.

“Yes, you,” you told him with a fond smile, “You’re the ones who got insulted, not me, and they’re your collars. I’m happy to buy you whatever you like from wherever you want it, whether that’s here or somewhere else.”

“Seventy-five percent off,” Osamu bargained from her other side, taking you by surprise. You turned to see him watching the manager with shrewd eyes, and when it looked like she would protest he added in, “Seventy-five percent off and we won’t leave bad reviews on every site we can or send letters of complaint to upper management.”

“Agreed,” the manager huffed, shooting another vicious look at her employee, one that clearly read that it would be coming out of his salary.

You huffed, amused at Osamu’s bargaining, gently massaging your thumb against the base of his neck affectionately before releasing both twins and moving to pay, only spending a quarter of what you’d originally planned.

“Nice work,” you praised the silver hybrid once the three of you were out of the store and out of earshot.

Osamu shot you a sly smirk, looking exceedingly pleased with himself as he walked beside you. Atsumu had claimed your hand this time, so he was carrying the bags, though it didn’t seem to bother him in the least.

“Now that, that’s taken care of, let’s go grab your gifts,” you told the twins, tugging them along to the PineApple store.

“Presents?” Atsumu asked eagerly, practically bounding along beside you, your intertwined hands swinging back and forth between you.

Laughing you simply pulled him with you into the store. Both twins were wide-eyed as you browsed through, clearly unused to the cutting edge technology on display, both of them exceedingly cautious with the expensive looking tech. It took some gentle urging, but eventually you managed to get phones and laptops picked out for each of them.

“Isn’t this too much,” Osamu asked you in an undertone, clearly worried as an employee walked Atsumu through getting his laptop set up. It turned out that of the twins Osamu was definitely more technically savvy and loved his new laptop, though Atsumu had already managed to download several apps and games on to his phone and was thoroughly enjoying them as well, “It’s expensive.”

“I have the money,” you assured him gently, “And besides, everyone has a phone these days. I want you guys to have them in case you get in trouble when I’m not home and need to reach me, like if you got lost or hurt or simply need a human to ensure you’re treated fairly. I’d feel awful if you needed me and I didn’t know.”

“The laptops are so you don’t get too bored at home, though I hope you’ll find things to enjoy outside the apartment too,” you continued, absently stroking your hand up and down his back.

“Will you be wanting hybrid trackers in the new phones?” the employee asked, her voice professional as she began to ring up your purchases.

You hesitated. On one hand you hated the idea of invading the twins privacy, and on the other you knew that you fully intended to let them roam as they pleased so wouldn’t it be better to have the tracker just in case? A quick glance showed that Osamu was impassive as ever, and even Atsumu just looked bored, not paying any attention whatsoever, instead tapping away at his new phone.

“What do you think?” you asked them, more than willing to hear their opinions on the matter.

“You’re the owner,” Osamu told her, apparently speaking for both of them as he gave an unconcerned shrug, which wasn’t helpful in the least.

You grimaced a bit trying to think of a compromise before finally pulling out your own phone and asking the employee, “Is there anyway to ensure all three of the phones will track each other?”

“Let me go ask,” she told you politely, turning away to go grab someone more knowledgeable.

“That’s fair right?” you asked hesitantly, “This way you know where I am too and can come find me if you need me.”

“Yeah,” Osamu agreed, giving you a look that you thought might be something as close to awe as you’d seen on the silver haired hybrid, “Yeah that’s fair.”

The employee quickly returned and confirmed they could indeed make all three phones track one another, and in the span of a few minutes managed to get your purchases complete. Feeling like that was probably enough for now, you led them back towards the car.

It was starting to get pretty late, and the minute you’d exited the mall Osamu’s stomach had given a loud rumbling growl. Atsumu had made fun of him for all of a minute, before his own stomach betrayed him. You’d shaken your head at their antics, but allowed a surprisingly eager Osamu to order whatever he wanted for carryout from the Chinese place near your apartment.

One quick stop for the food, and you finally managed to bring your new hybrids home. Both of them were a little quiet as you led them up to your apartment, staring around and clearly taking everything in. Either Ojirou, Kita and Suna weren’t home, or they’d decided to give you time to settle with the twins as they didn’t emerge from their apartment as you arrived in the hallway and fumbled the door open.

“Here we are,” you told them, hitting the lights, “Home sweet home.”

Both twins were laden with things, carrying their purchases, the food, and their things from the adoption center. Still looking at them was enough to make your heart clench. It had only taken one trip to bring everything up, but despite hybrids being stronger than normal humans it still made your heart clench to see how very little the twins actually had. Each of them only had a medium sized suitcase of things, and Atsumu had a worn volleyball but that was it aside from the things you’d bought them. It was something you were determined to fix for the future, but for now you’d make do.

“I know you’re hungry, so unless you want to settle in for a bit first we can eat and then I’ll show you around,” you offered.

The twins exchanged looks, but nodded in clear agreement. You pointed out the bathroom just in case, but then brought them to the kitchen, trying to show them where everything was as you pulled utensils from the drawers. Osamu clearly paid much more attention to her explanations than Atsumu did, though both diligently helped her set the table.

The food was really good, and thankfully sparked more conversation, even if it was more subdued than earlier, all of them worn out from the long day they’d had. Osamu was clearly very interested in food, and not just in eating it the way his brother was. You managed to coax out that he’d cooked for their previous owner from time to time, and told him that as long as he was careful he was more than free to use her kitchen and anything in it for whatever he wanted earning what felt like her first real smile from the silver haired twin.

Despite how tired they clearly were, both twins helped you clean up. For the first time since you’d first discovered the lovely little Chinese restaurant there weren’t actually any leftovers, the twins having consumed everything you said you didn’t want. As they worked you noted it really was kind of nice, even if things were quiet, to have the company as they went about their tasks.

“Alright, so I wasn’t sure if you’d want your own rooms or if you’d want to share,” you told them, gesturing for them to follow, “We’re going to have to do some shopping either way, since they’re your rooms and I want you to be able to personalize them any way you want, but I think they’re pretty equal in size.”

The twins stared at you, clearly surprised, glancing at each other, to the rooms you’d offered, to you, and back again, the gesture making her more than a bit nervous. You’d thought there was plenty of space for the two of them, but maybe they didn’t see it that way?

“We get our own rooms?” Atsumu asked at last, finally breaking the silence, his voice quiet and disbelieving, copper eyes huge in his face.

“If you want them, then of course they’re yours,” you assured him, concerned, “I still have to clean out my study, but I didn’t want to delay adopting you and I don’t think it will take too long. There’s a pull out futon in there, though you’re more than free to share if you want a bed, or I can take the futon and one of you can have my bed for now. I’ve certainly slept on the futon before and I don’t mind.”

“You’d give up your bed?” Osamu repeated, looking like you’d just smacked him over the head with a fish, more surprise on his face then you’d thought him capable of showing.

“Just until we find something for you,” you told him, a little puzzled at his surprise but with the sinking feeling that your suspicions about their former owner were correct.

“But, why?” Atsumu asked you, wide eyed and a little teary.

“Because, you’re mine now,” you assured him, unable to quite find the words you wanted to say, but hoping you were conveying your feelings at the very least, “And I’m going to do everything I can to keep you safe and happy.”

The sad mewling sound he made in response to your words was enough to break your heart, as he pitched forward squeezing you into his chest and burying his face in your shoulder. You pressed your cheek to his hair, rubbing his back soothingly with one arm even as you automatically opened the other one for his twin, a gesture that was slowly becoming more and more familiar to you.

Osamu didn’t sob the way his twin did, but the way he squeezed you tight let you know he was just as moved as Atsumu even if he was quieter about it. Seeing their genuine gratitude for what you felt was common courtesy broke your heart, but even as it ached and you did your best to soothe them you swore to yourself, to love and care for your new hybrids so they’d never want for anything ever again to be the best owner it was possible to be after all they deserved nothing less.

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