#we printed out cute Halloween decorations for him to put up in his little office area since he likes the decor I put up in the ER

[insanechayne]

~ ~ ~

[cals-sunflower]

road trip confessions (c.h)

summary: feelings are the best when it’s reciprocated back.

-

it was around 12 pm when you walked through the door of calum’s home. as soon as you closed the door, you took off your boots revealing your cherry printed socks. “cal where are you?” you yelled out to him. duke heard your voice and ran over to greet you. you then picked him up laying small kisses on his fur.

“oh hi baby! i missed you so much,” you mumbled to him and smiled while sitting him back on the floor. “wow sometimes i think you love my dog more than you love me,” calum walks from out of the kitchen with wide arms ready for a hug. of course, you pull him into a warm embrace.

“well duke is just about the cutest dog ever besides petunia, southy, and moose but you’re pretty okay,” you joked pushing his shoulder. he leads you guys to sit on the couch and pulled your legs into lap like he always does. “so no i missed you for me,” he pouts like a child making you smile. “obviously i missed my favorite aussie, the last time i seen you was literally like three months ago before quarantine,” you leaned forward to bring a hand to rub his cheek. it was really no secret to anyone that you guys were always touchy-feely with each other. wether calum had his hand on the small of your back or you intertwining his hand with yours. everyone knew you guys had feelings for each other but you two.

“and now i feel better, thank you for that,” he kissed the palm of your hand before you let go of his face. calum feels his phone vibrate next to him, so he looks down and sees it a zoom call link that ashton sent to the group chat. “who was that?” you asked him. “ashton sent a zoom call link to the group chat,” he replied quickly. he does know facetime is a thing, right?” you furrowed your brows. Cal shrugged his shoulders grabbing your hand to pull you into his office where his computer was.

calum typed in the zoom code and password waiting for the video to pop up. “hey guys,” an overly excited ashton says while everyone else said their hellos. “so ash what’s this all about?” you questioned the need for a zoom call.

“we should go on a road trip!”

“ashton you know there’s a lot of us. how are we all gonna fit?” michael pointed out the obvious. “well we could get one of those rvs. plus It’s only me, kaykay, luke, sierra, you, crystal, y/n and cal. i think we could make it.”

“wait that sounds so fun! we haven’t hung out together in like forever,” crystal states. “yeah let’s do it,” you shrugged your shoulders with a smile.

“great pack something to swim in.”

-

the very next day ashton came over to pick you since you were the last one they had to get. you put your bag into the rv and walked inside.

“there are you babe! i missed you so much,” sierra pulls you into a tight embrace and you reciprocated. “i missed you too si and of course i missed the all of you guys!” you make your rounds hugging everyone else and pet all of the dogs that where laying down. then you place yourself next to calum meanwhile ashton starts driving to whatever he’s planning on heading to.

“you look really pretty today,” you turn your head towards calum and gave him a smile. “even in my sweatpants?”

“technically they’re my sweatpants you thief but yeah you look great in anything,” he presses a kiss to your cheek. “you guys are so cute it’s literally sickening,” luke fakes a barf sound making you laugh.

“anyways, ash where are we going?” michael takes a glance away from his phone to look at ashton. “we’re going to this waterfall and i-“

“A WATERFALL? oh my gosh i’ve been dying to go to one but nobody would take me,” you clapped with a bright smile on your face. “excuse me ma’am, i believe i was talking,” he laughs to himself, “how come you never asked cal to take you?”

“oh i didn’t think he’d be into that,” calum looked at you as if he was partly offended. “hey, you know i’d take you anywhere. only one phone call away babe,” he would’ve taken you to the moon if you asked him to.

“i’ll hold you to that.”

-

everyone was quick to change into their swim wear, ready to get out and see the sights. the sun was blazing with the perfect amount of warmth, definitely the best day to go out. you stop to take in where you’re at. it was gorgeous and you didn’t ever want to forget this moment.

“c’mon love, everyone is already in the water,” calum tugged lightly on your hand to gain your attention agin. “where’s your head at?”

“huh, sorry i was just taking in the view. it’s really pretty.”

“yeah, the view is really pretty but i think you’re prettier,” you hide your face into your free hand laughing at his cheesy comment, “no, don’t hide your face now sweetheart. you should be told everyday you’re gorgeous.”

“calum, stop being a flirt and get your asses here!” you guys laughed at ashton yelling even though there were people that turned and looked at him.

“let’s race?”

“oh you’re on princess,” you take off running but it didn’t help seeing as he was right behind you. he eventually jumped in the water first and you couldn’t help but to stare at his tanned chest decorated in his tattoos.

“see something you like?” you scoffed shaking your head, “you wish hood.”

“you’re not wrong, come in the water babe,” you put your hand in his and he pulled you in. you realized your faces were closer now, the built up tension was real.

“hi.”

“hi gorgeous,” calum holds your face in his palm letting his thumb brush over your cheek. “are we on the mutual feeling right now or am i over thinking this?”

“I have been in love with you since we had that movie night at ashton’s house a year ago. remember? it was on halloween and we were watching scary movies. you cuddled up against me and i knew then that i didn’t want anyone else in my arms but you.”

“cal, stop it you’re gonna make me cry. i’m in love with you too but i don’t remember when i actually fell in love with you, sorry,” you pouted making him laugh. “hey no, don’t apologize babe there’s nothing to apologize for. my dream girl just told me she loved me back!”

“kiss her you idiot!”

calum smiles before bringing in your face closer and connected his lips to yours. you felt it all, the butterflies, the fireworks and everything in between. since sierra wasn’t in the water yet, she took her phone and captured the moment for you guys. there was a little rainbow in the back, the waterfall and you guys sharing your first kiss with each other. pulling away you smiled at him.

“if you’ve been in love with me since last year, why haven’t you said anything to me?”

“why haven’t you said anything to me?”

“don’t be a smartass calum.”

“i’m kidding y/n, i love you.”

“i love you too babe. now, i believe we have to go to our friends,” he tightens his grip on your waist, “do we really have to do that? i like keep you to myself.”

“you’re so possessive already huh?”

“only for you sugar,” he winks at you and places a kiss on your forehead.



[mss4msu]

Call Me Doctor. (Chapter 15)

Summary: Fresh out of graduate school, you had somehow landed a spot in the faculty of a prestigious university. The small anthropology department has too many faculty and too few offices; sharing an office does not go as you expected.

Pairing: Professor!Steve x Professor!Reader

Words: 3166

Warnings: Feelings

A/N: I have a lot of feelings from seeing Endgame, so there’s a lot of goofiness in this chapter and some ties to the Avengers because I need that. The chapter is real long because I have a lot of feelings and it’s been awhile. This chapter was supposed to happen in October, but then life happened. I started drafting it at Christmas and then wrote more on Mardi Gras, and then planned to release it before Easter, but here we are. Happy almost Free Comic Book Day and May the Fourth. (Please just pretend it’s Halloween bbs)

Catch Up On the Story Here

You spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze. Every time you tried to concentrate on something work-related, your mind went to Steve; the sweetness of his smile, the warmth of his hands, the passion in his kisses. You shook your head, trying to get Steve out of it.

“Order and organization, that’s what I need,” You said to yourself, pulling out your planner and a pen.

You hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out what to put. You thought of writing “Brunch with Steve,” but that didn’t seem to capture the emotions you were sure both of you had felt.

First Date with Steve - you wrote. You wanted to dot the “i” with a heart, but talked yourself out of it in fear of anyone ever finding and reading your planner.

You looked back through the previous weeks. It had been almost 2 months since you had been at the university. Almost 2 months since you had met Steve. It felt like much longer, which you attributed to the academic bubble; regardless of how much time passed in the “real world” the stress of academia always made it feel 10x longer. Of course Steve’s mood changes had also made time drag on. You flipped to the week to come and your heart began to beat rapidly.

“Oh shit!” you yelled to yourself.

Saturday, October 31st - It was written in black and orange on the page and you had even doodled a witch’s hat and ghost next to it.

“How could I forget my favorite holiday???” you scolded yourself.

You frantically got up and rushed to the closet in your hallway. You found your tub of decorations and carried it into the living room. You pulled out cobwebs and witches’ hats and little skeletons. You unwrapped jack-o-lantern lights and laid them on the floor next to the tub. You went back to the closet and moved all the coats around until you found it; the piece de resistancé, a Mummy scarecrow. You frantically ran around your apartment hanging everything up, taking it down, and hanging it again in a different spot because it looked better. It took two hours for you to finally accept the placement of everything. You sat on the couch and admired your decorations. Although the apartment had already begun to feel like home, having all of your decorations up solidified the feeling.

You pulled your computer out of your bag and opened your email. You typed all of your colleagues names into the “To:” section and made the subject for the email “Sorry for the Late Notice: Halloween Party!”

Dear All,

Sorry for the late notice, I’ve been so focused on the museum project that it completely slipped my mind that Halloween is a week from today. You are all welcome to my humble abode on Saturday to celebrate all things spooky. Haunted happenings will begin at 7:00pm. Costumes are encouraged! Plus ones are of course welcome too!

See you Monday,

(Y/N)

Your finger was still pushed down from clicking send when your computer dinged with a new email notification. Your heart pounded as you looked at the sender and opened the response.

I look forward to attending.

--Steve

You reread his email a few times, your heart sinking slightly, as you figured Steve would show more emotion after your date, at least what you thought had been a date. But looking at the time stamp of his email bolstered you back up. Steve was notorious for never responding to emails, so to have a response immediately after sending you knew was special.  

You spent the rest of the weekend going through your cookbooks to find the perfect spooky snacks, perfecting your Halloween playlist, and going through your tub of costumes to find the perfect choice for the weekend. You put on a few scary movies as you worked to set the mood.

Monday morning, you were in a fantastic mood. You had in your candy corn earrings and were wearing your pumpkin socks under your dress pants. You got to your office to find it unlocked. You walked in to see Steve and James intently staring at Steve’s computer screen.

“What are you two up to?” you asked as you sat down at your desk and pulled your computer from your bag to review your powerpoint before class.

“Nothing,” Steve grunted, his cheeks turning red.

“Just prepping for this weekend,” James smiled slyly at you.

You grinned, “Doing some costume shopping?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” James winked at you, “Alright, place the order Stevie, I’ve got to go to class. I’ll leave you two to have some alone time.” He raised his eyebrows at you as he stood to leave the room. “Oh, and I almost forgot!” He put his hand in his bag and pulled out a picture frame, “I got you both a new office decoration!” He turned the frame around and you saw the zoomed in photo he had taken of you and Steve in the coffee shop.

“Buck,” Steve growled, getting up and going towards his friend.

“See you later!” James put the frame on the table and quickly ran out of the office.

Steve went to the table and picked up the picture frame, “It’s actually not a bad picture,” he said, his voice softening now that you two were alone.

“May I see it?” you asked, walking over to him.

He handed it to you, and you felt a shiver as your hands brushed each other. It actually was a cute picture, the two of you cuddled up on the couch together.

“Do you want it?” Steve asked you.

“Oh, um, I mean…” you were caught off guard, unsure of what the right answer was. “Yes?”

“Was that a question?”

“I mean, of course I want it! But I only want it if you don’t. James is your friend first, so if you want it you should have it, but of course I would love to take it if you don’t.”

“You should take it, (Y/N). I can just have him print me another.”

You smiled up at Steve, “Thanks.”

The rest of the week seemed to drag on, which you knew was because you were so looking forward to the weekend to celebrate the most glorious of all holidays. Friday night came and you began to prep food for the party. You peeled grapes and put them in the freezer to serve as eyeballs in the witches’ brew punch. You made little witch hats out of Oreos and Hershey’s Kisses that you then encircled with little bands of colorful frosting. Saturday morning you got up and began to bake. You dyed breadstick dough green and shaped it into fingers, placing an almond in as a fingernail. You then got out hot dogs and crescent roll dough and cut arms and legs into the hot dogs before wrapping them in strips of dough to make mummies. Once the baking was complete, you did all the dishes so the counters wouldn’t be cluttered.

You looked at the clock and realized you only had 3 hours before everyone was set to arrive and you were a mess of dough and dishwater. You hopped in the shower, got out, and dried your hair. You did your makeup and curled your hair into big waves. You decided you’d wait until right when people arrived to put your costume on, as you didn’t want to be sitting around in it for longer than you had to. It was a great looking costume, but it wasn’t the most comfortable.

You saw that there was just an hour left until everyone arrived, so you went back into the kitchen to begin setting everything out. You set the table with all of the food and were impressed with yourself with how it had all turned out. With just a half hour until people arrived, you decided to mix up the witches’ brew. You put lime sherbert, sprite, lime-flavored vodka, and some sparkling grape juice into a large plastic cauldron on your table. You then added in the frozen grapes and some gummy worms.

With just 10 minutes to go until 7pm, you decided it was time to get into costume. You made sure the corset was laced properly and used the side-zipper to get your top on. You were hesitant about the hot-pants of your costume, but figured you could just have a blanket around you if you felt embarrassed. You put on your bracelets and secured the crown onto your head. Just as you were putting on your boots, you heard the buzz of the intercom.

“Hello?”

“Hi, (Y/N). It’s getting very crowded down here!” you heard Natasha’s voice and the clamoring of other voices around her.

“Then you all better come in,” you laughed, buzzing them in.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door. You swung it open and saw a very full hallway filled with your costumed coworkers.

“Welcome!”

“Thanks, (Y/N)! Ooh, James is going to be pissed,” she laughed as she looked at your costume, but she quickly changed the subject before you could ask why, “I brought some wine that had a spooky looking label, where would you like it?” Natasha asked as she walked in. She was dressed as Indiana Jones and you saw Bruce behind her, dressed as Lara Croft.

“Hi, (Y/N),” Bruce said without making eye contact as he followed Natasha into the apartment. He looked slightly embarrassed of his costume, as he kept tugging the shorts down, so you knew Natasha had convinced him to wear it.

“Ahhh, (Y/N), you look hot af,” Wanda said hugging you, “I’m so happy to have another person with such an affinity for the supernatural.”

“Did you just finish The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina?” you asked her, seeing her platinum curled wig and the black dress with a white collar.

“Yes and it was amazing!”

“Yes, Sabrina was absolutely fantastic,” Vis said sarcastically, stepping forward from behind her. He was dressed as a black cat, complete with a little tail.

“Salem?” you asked with a laugh.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Vis replied.

“Oh, shut up!” Wanda pushed him into the apartment. “Also, I brought some ghost-shaped cookies!” she yelled as she walked away.

“I have come stag!��� Thor proclaimed as he walked through the doorway.

“And dressed as the god of thunder!” you proclaimed right back. You were relieved he hadn’t brought Loki, as you hadn’t spoken to his brother since your date with Steve.

“I’ve had this costume for years. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Thor grinned as he went to the living room.

“Pepper! Long time no see!” you said as Tony and Pepper entered the apartment.

“Which one of us are you talking to?” Tony asked. He and Pepper were dressed in salt and pepper suits, and Tony was dressed as pepper.

“Tony thought it would be funny to be me for Halloween,” Pepper said, rolling her eyes.

“It’s amazing,” you laughed.

“Thank you,” Tony grinned.

“Please, don’t validate him,” Pepper sighed as she and Tony went to the living room.

“(Y/N), hi,” Clint said as he walked in, “This is my wife, Laura.”

“Hi, Laura, so nice to meet you! I hope everything is going well with the new baby.”

“It is a lot,” Laura smiled, “So thank you for this opportunity to get out of the house.”

“I see you’re both dressed in the appropriate costumes for it though!” you replied, seeing they were dressed as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl.

“We decided this year’s family costume would be Incredibles themed since there are five of us now,” Clint grinned.

“That is truly amazing. Please, come on in.”

You looked out into the hallway, but saw that it was empty. Your heart started to race in anticipation, but given that they were so late last time you hosted a party, you tried to calm yourself down. As you closed the door, the intercom buzzed.

“Hello?” you thought your heart was going to pound out of your chest.

“Hi, (Y/N),” Steve’s voice came through the intercom.

You buzzed them in before he could say anything else and what felt like an eternity later you heard a knock on your door.

You yanked the door open and saw Steve and James standing in the hallway. Steve was dressed as Superman, his blonde hair slicked back except for a small curl on his forehead. James stood next to him, dressed as Batman.

“What the hell (Y/N)!” James exclaimed, looking you up and down, “We were trying to do a couple’s costume and you made it weird by having us look like a throuple now!”

You smoothed the Wonder Woman corset over your stomach and anxiously adjusted your crown, “I’m so sorry, I had no idea you were planning to do a couple’s costume together.”

“It’s FINE,” James huffed as he stormed past you.

“We do a couple’s costume every year,” Steve shrugged his shoulders. He looked you up and down, “You look amazing, (Y/N).”

You blushed, “Thanks, Steve. So do you.”

Steve walked into your apartment and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek before going into the living room.

You waited a second for your heart rate to decrease before joining the group. You could hear James grumbling about his ruined costume plans.

“(Y/N), this food is fantastic!” Thor rumbled from the couch.

“And this punch is disgusting and I love it!” Wanda beamed.

“The decorations are amazing,” Natasha said, looking around. “This apartment isn’t that big, where did you store them?”

“I prioritize holiday decorations over all else. I think I own more costumes than I do regular clothes.”

“Then why don’t you go change,” you heard James grumble under his breath.

Steve came and sat next to you with a full plate of food, “Just ignore him,” he whispered to you.

You gave Steve a half smile in reply.

The night continued to be eventful. Wanda shared spooky stories she had encountered in her research. Steve educated everyone about the history of using superhero outfits as costumes for Halloween. Thor choked on a grape. And when “Thriller” came on the playlist, everyone tried their best to do the original dance. James eventually forgave you and decided documentation of you, Steve, and himself in your superhero costumes was necessary and subsequently forced everyone into a photoshoot. Bruce and Vis were not happy with him.

“Well, I think it’s time for us to relieve the sitter,” Clint said, taking a final drink of punch as Laura yawned and stood up.

“Mind if we hitch a ride back home with you?” Natasha asked, pulling Bruce up off the couch.

“We drove you here, it’s not like we would just leave you,” Clint replied, groaning as he stood.

“Didn’t stop you from leaving me that time in Budapest,” Natasha snarked back.

“You and I remember Budapest very differently,” Clint laughed.

“Pepper, are you ready to go home?” Pepper asked Tony.

“Yes, dear. And thank you for FINALLY accepting the costume,” Tony grinned.

“We should probably go as well,” Wanda said, “I have some...things...to attend to at home.”

“Wait, she isn’t actually a witch is she?” you couldn’t help but ask Vis.

“I don’t feel comfortable answering that question,” Vis sighed.

“Well, Steve, should we go too?” James asked.

“Um...yes...I guess we should? Unless (Y/N) needs help cleaning up?” Steve directed the questions at you.

“I think I can manage it,” you replied, your heart fluttering.

“Are you sure?” Steve asked, looking deep into your eyes.

James realized what was happening, “Steve, you know what, maybe you should stay behind and help (Y/N) clean up. I’ll see you tomorrow buddy.”

You said goodbye to everyone and shut the door with a sigh.

“What can I help you with?” Steve asked from behind you, startling you, as you had forgotten he was still there.

“Um, I really just have to put the leftover food in tupperwares and then clean out the punch cauldron. You really don’t have to stay if you have other things to do.”

“You want to break apart the two strongest members of the Justice League?” Steve asked, stepping closer to you.

“I mean, Wonder Woman is definitely the strongest, but I think Batman is actually….”

Steve stopped your words with a kiss, pushing you against the front door. You tried to put your arms around him, but your hands got tangled in his cape and you couldn’t help but start laughing.

“Let’s clean up first, Superman,” you walked into the kitchen, grabbed tupperware containers, and filled them before putting the leftovers in the fridge. Steve poured out the dregs of the cauldron and began to wash it. You filled the dishwasher with plates and cups and straightened up the pillows on the couch.

Steve dried his hands off on a towel and joined you in the living room, “You know, last time I was here you said I could take a look around. Is it possible to get a personal tour?”

“I’d be happy to,” you smiled, “Let’s start at the front door?” You took his hand and led him to the door. “So this is the hallway, it leads everywhere. To the right is the kitchen, straight ahead is the living room/dining room combo, and up there to the left are the bathroom and bedroom.”

“How practical.”

You pulled him to the right, “Here is the kitchen, I believe you’ve been in here before. And if we walk forward we have the dining room and the living room, which are actually just one big room.”

“What a lovely set-up you have here. Brilliantly decorated.”

You blushed, “Then if we go around this way,” you walked him to the hallway again, “We go down a smaller hallway and we have the bathroom on the left,” you opened the bathroom door and flicked on the light, “complete with a Halloween pumpkin soap and all your regular bathroom furnishings. And on the right,” your breath hitched, “Is the bedroom.”

You hesitated for a second before opening the door to the bedroom. You took a deep breath, opened the door, and turned on the light.

“Here in the bedroom, we have the closet, and a dresser, and the,” you gulped, “bed.”

You watched Steve’s eyes roam around the room, and you were thankful you had thought to clean it this morning while the mummies were baking. Steve cleared his throat and you saw he was staring at the picture frame on your nightstand.

“Oh, um, I can explain that,” your heart was racing and you had no idea how you were actually going to explain it.

Steve’s hand tightened around yours and he gently pulled you onto the bed with him, “You don’t have to,” he whispered in your ear before kissing you passionately.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Call Me Doctor. Tag List:

@ashislost​ @wantingtobekorra​ @zlixlle​ @arlenesrose​ @crazy--me​ @grey-raven​ @queenkitten95​ @chook007​ @tequila1984​ @yallneedtrek​ @ssweet-empowerment​ @guera31​ @justmesadgirl​ ​ @sofipatey​ @fourtyninekirbygamzeegirl @rainbowkisses31 @writing-for-a-chance @sp2900 @notkikibear @itzmegaaaaaaan @partiallyinthecloset @moonstruckhargrove @ishipmybed @chrisevansisdaddy13 @straybattie @angryteapot @fandom-addict-aesthetics @hazellnut94 @abschaffer2 @hadesgirl1015

Steve Rogers/Chris Evans Tag List:

@patzammit​

Permanent Tag List:

@sophiealiice​​ @mrsdeanwinchester19​ @thisismysecrethappyplace​ @ailynalonso15​ @221bshrlocked​ @hazellnut94 @libbymouse @nerdypinupcrystal @hufflepuffchloe

[tessmontyart]

2018 Year In Review

Another year, another review 💕(I actually typed most of this up before 2019 and then got distracted, whoops)

To put things short, 2018 has been AWESOME :D Exhausting and fast, but awesome.

I started it off pretty uncertain how things were going to go, dreading it would be a repeat of 2017′s boring TAFE courses and endless job rejections. But the miracle happened - a 2D animation studio opened up near me, I applied, did an animation test and got the job!

The job was a contract from 1st of April - 21st of December, so I spent the majority of my year going to work to animate characters for a really crazy but hilarious new kids show called Spongo Fuzz and Jalapena, due to air mid 2019 :) 

It was honestly the most fun job I have ever had and I can’t wait for the next project! 🎉 I have never been this exhausted in my life, though. 😅I had already booked a whole bunch of conventions before I got the job, and didn’t want to cancel them so I was working nonstop - Animation during the day and intensive convention prep every night. 

I also had the bright idea of creating a full colour 26 page comic -with a tight deadline - so I was madly working to the point I didn’t even have time for dinner half the time :’) I am sort of happy with the comic, but also kind of wish I never had the idea in the first place. 😅

I tabled at a ton of conventions; Melbourne Supanova, Central Coast ComiCon, Other Worlds Zine Fair, Sydney Supanova, SMASH and Canberra Gamma Con. If next year doesn’t go so well on the job side of things I’m hoping to add a few more conventions to that list - Brisbane Supanova, Oz Comic Con and Animaga to name a few. I’ve already booked Sydney Madman Anime Festival!

2018 was the year my partner and I celebrated our 4th year together, and he never fails to amaze me with his continuous love and support. I was too sick to attend the first day of SMASH, so he set up and ran the whole stall for me while I stayed at home. Same with Sydney Supanova, I was too bogged down in animation work and couldn’t afford to take the Friday off, so he set up and ran the stall for me on Friday, then we ran the stall together on the weekend. He also tended to my every need when I broke my toe, cooked all my meals when I was busy with work and even packaged + posted all my Etsy orders every day because I was always working during post office hours. He listened to all the problems I was having with my stall setup and helped make shelves and decorations to make it look and function better. I was getting stressed because my desk space was too small, BAM he bought me a brand new desk with plenty of storage. I was getting stressed that I had so much on my convention to-do-list and couldn’t keep track of all my project ideas, BAM, he sets up a whiteboard and helps me brainstorm everything so I can keep track of all my thoughts and ideas and what to prioritise for future conventions. I didn’t even ask him to do any of this, he just loves to help me and make me happy and I am forever blissed and happy to be able to spend my life with such a wonderful human! 

(Home made High Tea I made for him on Valentines Day) 

Arsty Highlilghts / accomplishments:

🌸I designed 9 cute Houseki no Kuni acrylic charms which have been doing really well at conventions!

🌸I also drew a cute series of ‘Sleepy Gem’ Houseki no Kuni / Steven Universe holographic prints, which I’m quite proud of 😊

🌸I created my 2nd enamel pin design, which already needed 2 reorders because they were so popular! ;w; I never knew I could make something that so many people love *sob* I’ve already planned to make these into a series! (already designed some deer ones, and thinking of doing foxes next ^_^ )

🌸I also tried getting gold foil prints done for the first time, which was pretty cool! I got the american sizes mixed up though so I might try for the bigger size next time :) (grainy photo cause its a screenshot from a video)

🌸I’ve been taking steps to make my stall look more ‘professional’, and got a really neat wooden sign made for me by my friend as_sweet_as_jasmine!

🌸I’ve started revamping my favourite series of posters - the Eevee Gijinka girls :) I plan to have them all done and ready for 2019s conventions! 

🌸This was the year I got an iPad, so I could do digital art on-the-go. Honestly its helped me so much, and I can’t wait to be able to use it more (sorta didn’t get a chance to touch it while i was working!)

🌸I got Copic Markers for my birthday so I had a whole new medium to play with! These mixed with using a brush pen for inking really make my inktobers pop and I’m eager to draw more with them  :) 

🌸Speaking of Inktober, it was a huge accomplishment for me to put effort into a decent artwork every day this year! Usually theres a few dud ones when I lacked inspiration, but I somehow managed to make it work ;w; So when it came time to printing the books, theres 31 illustrations rather than 25 like the others :) Also the whole rainbow theme idea came from how cool I think it would look flipping through a rainbow book - so I managed to make that happen and couldn’t be happier!

🌸I passed 1000 sales on Etsy!! 😱As well as 1000 followers on instagram! Crazy right??

General 2018 highlights

🌸2018 was the year one of my best friends got married! I made cute little clay wedding cake toppers for her :)

🌸The year Owl City’s 7th album Cinematic came out!! All the tracks are so GOOD and exactly the sound all us hootowls were longing for. Also Be Brave is a tearjerker, in a good way. What an amazing human Abbey is to Adam <3 

🌸The year Spyro Reignited Trilogy came out!! It’s absolutely amazing, and I love every second of it. Every time I play it I just can’t help but stand there looking around at every detail because everything is just so gorgeous *_* And the nostalgia is so real.

🌸Not exactly a highlight but the year Tumblr went NSFW free, and lost hundreds of thousands of users 😂I’m still here though. Got a dumb tradition to keep up ya know.

🌸The year my work had a hilarious Christmas party where we had to dress up as a character from Spongo Fuzz and Jalapena. It was the first time I actually put effort into a cosplay by myself 😂(possibly the last) (wont put a photo up for embarrassing reasons)

🌸the year I broke my toe for the first time xD;; definitely not a highlight but a first! I couldn’t walk for weeks! it sucked!!! T__T

🌸The year my friend successfully funded his kickstarter for his own cartoon ‘Nurry Brothers Adventure World’ :D So proud of him. I’m gonna help him animate!

🌸The year Lano and Woodley reunited with their amazing show ‘Fly’!! I loved it so much I saw it twice :D 

🌸The year I tried doing Halloween for the first time - I bought a bunch of lollies and chocolates and decorations on my letterbox/door to let people know I was participating. I got 2 different groups of people at the door, 5 people all up 😂More than I expected tbh!

🌸I tried Ruby chocolate for the first time! It was ok .. just kinda tasted like berry yoghurt flavoured white chocolate though ;w; 

SO! What’s coming for 2019?

I’m not really sure at the moment, but I have high hopes for Cheeky Little Studios (the animation company I worked for) - so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see if any of their next projects get concrete start dates :) I’m not as terrified of the year as I usually am when its just one big question mark. I know I can make decent money through conventions and commissions in the meant time so I’ll just continue doing what I love! 

LAST YEAR I SAID:

“I am crossing my fingers for an animation job I applied for a while ago” - I GOT IT! :D

“I plan to do even more conventions. Hopefully I can get into Oz Comic Con!" - didn’t end up applying because I was busy with the job, but keen to try for 2019 :)

"I’m keen to apply for like Animaga in Melbourne, as well as Madman Anime Fest in Brisbane and Melbourne.” - didn’t end up doing so for the same reason above, but that might change this year :)

“I also want to make a lot more non-fandom things for market stalls, as well as a comic and zines!” - I made the comic, as well as 3 inktober zines and a cute ‘if I fits I sits’ cat zine! As well as a bunch of cute original enamel pin ideas and my whole inktober was original art :D 

“Hopefully I’ll hit 1k followers on fb/ig? :D that will make me feel important lol” - I hit 1k on instagram!! I felt very important xD

“I’m also hoping to go on a holiday this year." - I didn’t, for job reasons ... buuut I’m booked in for a cruise in Italy / Greece this September that I’m extremely excited for!

“PLEASE BE KIND 2018, I’M BEGGING YOU 😱” - You were very very kind to me, 2018. 2019, please follow suit! 

(man this is the 7th year of review I’ve done. Can’t believe I’ve been on tumblr this long 😅)

[2017] [2016] [2015] [2014] [2013] [2012]

[kittycat-cas]

A Halloween Surprise!

Words: 1338

Pairing: Jensen x Reader 

Warnings: None, unless black cats and abandonment trigger you. This is just a fluffy drabble! 

This is a fanfic for @torn-and-frayed's Halloween challenge based on the propmt black cats. A big shout out to @plungerwhisk for being my beta and @beacon-hills-chance-harbor for the awesome Instagram edits! 

"Hey Jen? Did you hear something?" 

Jensen frowned in concentration, listening for anything. You immediately ran down the alley way, leaving Jensen to run after you, confused by your sudden outburst.

You leant down, in front of a box next to a large trash can and picked something up. You had your back to Jensen but he heard you unzip your hoodie, and place something inside, hugging it to your chest. He heard you speaking so quietly and softly that even he strained to hear it. That's when he heard it, a small squeak. 

"Hey? What've you got there?" Jensen moved towards you slowly, as to not startle the creature. Was it an animal? He put a gentle hand on your shoulder and slowly turned you around. Snuggled to your chest was a small black kitten; he looked half starved and was shivering, but Jensen could hear the soft purrs the cat was giving off as you held it close and gently rubbed your thumb back and forth over its small head.

"Who could do something like this? It's tiny, where's it momma?" You started to panic looking around. "Here kitty, kitty?"

"Y/N sweetheart, someone might have abandoned it, the mom might not have been able to cope or..." he trailed off.

You know what he meant, placing a gentle kiss to the top of the small animal's head.

It was getting darker and the pair of you had to return to set for a few more scenes. "Let's head back to set, we can warm him up - get him some water or milk from my trailer."

You weren't needed for the next scene; the other make up artist offered to take over after hearing about the situation. You and your new found family member waited for Jensen in his trailer. You warmed up some milk, dipping your finger in the small saucer and letting the kitten suckle from your finger.

It didn't take long before Jensen walked back through your door, smiling at the pair of you.

"I've found a 24 hour veterinary office nearby, it's where Jared takes Arlo, how about we get this little guy checked out?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," you sniffed, holding the kitten closer to your chest. You took off your beanie, deciding to wrap the kitten up warm in there before you headed out.

The pair of you arrived at the vet’s office and made your way to the reception desk. Jensen explained and filled out the forms before a vet lead you back to an exam room. You placed the cat down on the table, still snuggled in your beanie, letting the vet get a good look.

"He's a little dehydrated but shouldn't need a drip. He should be with his mom, ideally. He's a little small for his age too, probably the runt of the litter."

"Is that why he was abandoned?" you asked, picking up the kitten again. He began to suckle at your finger again as you cooed.

"It's hard to say, the owner could have or his mom, you're lucky you found him with the cold nights coming,” the vet explained.

Jensen smiled at the pair of you, exchanging a few more words with the vet about his condition.

"So, if you two want to leave him here we have plenty of staff available to help rehabilitate and re-home him when he is older."

"No!" You whispered, covering the kitten's ears. "I mean can't we keep him?"

"If you want to yes, I can get one of our nurses to give you some equipment and milk to tide you over for tonight and talk you through feeding schedules and care."

"Yes, this little guy is coming with me, you'll never be abandoned again sweet boy! I'm going to call you Binks, huh? You like that little Binksy?"

"Hocus Pocus?" Jensen smiled.

"Of course, plus it's Halloween this month, perfect name for our perfect little guy."

---

It turned out Binks was also blind in one eye, but that only made you love him even more.

"Did you know black cats are one of the most abandoned?" you told Jensen as you leant over his shoulder. He had Binks wrapped in a blanket, a small bottle of milk in his hand that the kitten was suckling off, every now and then a drop falling out of his mouth. Jensen let out a chuckle as he wiped up the drops. The vet said he'd need to be on milk for at least a week or two, depending on his age and how to gently wean him from milk to solid foods.

"I can't see why. You know, I never was a cat person, but this little guy is great."

"So tomorrow, we need to go shopping for supplies!" You exclaimed. "I've already made a list, we need wet food, the vet said we can try weaning him off the milk soon. Which means he also needs food bowls, he'll need some blankets, a scratching post-” you continued, listing everything he needed or you wanted for him. You wanted to give him everything since he had such a bad start in life.

Jensen nodded in agreement. "Whatever he needs."

"Since when did you go soft?" you asked him.

---

The next morning as promised you left Jensen at home with Binks while you went to the pet store. Jensen knew maybe he should have sent a chaperone along with you, and that thought was confirmed when you came through the door with two big bags and a box with 'cat tree' printed on the front.

The next few days consisted of the two of you mixing solid food with Binks' milk and letting him lick food off his mouth and your fingers. The weaning process was quite easy, and before you knew it he was seeking out the small plate of wet and dry food you left him.

You played with him every day and much to Jensen's mock annoyance, he spent most nights cuddled around either one of your necks or on either of your chests.

---

"So, I've been asked to do a shoot for the EW Halloween magazine, so I was wondering if I could take Binks along? We could get some good photos with him and we can bring some attention to black cats around Halloween and adopting instead of buying animals?"

Of course you let him, knowing how cute the pictures would be of your two favourite guys. Jensen didn't let you come, wanting it to be a surprise for you when it came out.

With Halloween finally a week away, you and Jensen had decorated the house and your garden with pumpkins and decorations. That's when the pair of you decided to introduce Binks to the Supernatural family officially before the magazine came out. You staked a smaller pumpkin on top of a bigger one next to the fall decorations adorning your porch and placed Binks on top. You snapped a picture and decided to use this as the picture you wanted to use to show the world your new addition.

---

When the magazine came out you couldn't help but smile at how cute the pictures were. Jensen was dressed in a suit, holding Binks in his hand as they both stared right into the camera. You were surprised at how well they came out; you knew how hard it was to work with animals sometimes from what Jensen had told you of the dogs and the snake! The article inside was exactly what you had hoped for too, linked to your Instagram post and the thousands of comments about adoption and people's own stories pouring in you knew you'd made the right choice.

Halloween night came around and you were hiding from the trick or treaters, spending a quiet night in. You both spent the evening cuddled with a blanket and candy. Binks was spread over both of your laps, happy and purring as you watched the film that started it all; Hocus Pocus.

[theredpendulum]

Chapter 1: Welcome

“Alright, that’ll be thirty-four eighty-one. Go ahead and insert your card.” My smile is getting tired. I hate this town.

The middle aged white woman at my register has already snapped at me twice in the last two minutes, and I’m not gonna lie to you. I’m having violent thoughts. 

She swipes her card, and I repeat to her that it has to be inserted since it’s a chip. While she reads the LCD screen she opens and closes her lips like a sixth grader, mocking me for speaking. Once the transaction processes, I wish her a good day, and she leaves the store in a flurry of leopard print leggings and Barbie-pink cowgirl boots.

“I hope your car’s heater is broken, you smooth-brained troglodyte.” I whisper through my grinning teeth quiet enough that she can’t hear me.

“I hate customers.” Jeb pulls his pocket knife out to open a fresh box of plastic bags to reload his station. It’s chipped here and there along the blade, and the handle has a long thin crack going down the left side. I hate that I’ve worked here long enough to be familiar with that stupid knife.

“Me too. At least we’re getting paid.” I shrug.

Jeb nods while distractedly cutting small notches in the edge of the now empty cardboard box, and his eyes look unstable. Distant, and turbulent. 

“You should put your knife away before Aubrey sees you have it out.” His eyes roll back into his skull.

“Whatever.” He mutters and stabs the box. Lifting the box like a slab of ham on a carving fork, he begins to carry it to the back. I watch him go for a moment to make sure he actually closes his blade. He does.

Working with Jeb is like… well he’s a 16 year old boy. That should be sufficient information. He can be funny, and friendly, and bizarrely entertaining, and just the worst sometimes. Today feels like an off day for him. I wonder what went wrong in his morning. Maybe Henry dumped him. They’ve been having drama lately. I should ask. There’s only about five customers in the store right now, and they’re all still milling around aimlessly so we probably have a minute or two to chat. I can see him coming back over. His eyebrows look like they weigh a hundred pounds each.

“Hey.” I tap my fingers on the counter.

“Hey.” He’s got a rubber band in his fingers. He’s twisting it and squishing it into a wiggly blob of dusty red rubber. 

“So… How’s Henry?” I bite the inside of my cheek. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.

Jeb looks up at me like I just gave him socks for Christmas.

“He’s fine.”

He sucks his teeth, and stretches the rubber band across his hand, and aims at me. I flinch, and he pulls a half-dead smile. He switches his aim to the ceiling, and lets go sending the rubber band into the brightly colored foil snow man above our heads. I catch it, and toss it in my drawer.

“Hey! That’s mine!”

“I’m taking self-protective measures.” I wink and aim finger guns at him. “Pew pew.”

The rest of the day goes by just as boring and frustrating as usual. A man asks me if my hair is a wig, a woman tells me that her apples are apples, and a child asks me if I am pregnant. I’m...definitely not. When 10pm finally makes it’s blessed arrival, Jeb and I wish our last customer a good night, and then play Mother Mother from my phone while we wipe down the registers and sweep the floor. My feet feel like ground beef. My shoes are coming off.

“It’s a sin that these stupid Christmas decorations are up already. We literally just had Halloween. The Spook Gods are gonna be displeased by Craig’s heinous actions.” I enter my employee code, and take my till out of the drawer.

“Yeah he’s gonna get hexed or something for sure. We have witches in this town, you know. Henry told me.” Jeb sticks his broom between his legs, squats, and cackles.

This makes me crack up. I’m glad today hasn’t completely beat the immaturity out of him.

“You look like Discount Harry Potter. And they’re not that kind of witch. They just like collecting crystals and wearing black.” I walk past him into the manager’s office to count up my till. Jeb makes fart sounds to himself to the rhythm of the music and resumes sweeping. 

“Hey Aubrey.” I sit down at the desk, and start punching numbers. “It’s all wiped down out there.”

“Cool. Thanks.” My Manager has drifted off to another universe. The sounds of some kind of puzzle game beep and boop from her phone. 

*fwAHP*

“OW. WH?!” 

Jeb cackles at the doorway at having successfully hit his target. I look down at the desk in front of me and see the rubber band. 

“I should’ve put that in my pocket, you wiener.” I rub my forehead, and wish Aubrey a good night.

Jeb waves to me as he walks out the door. “G’night, Marlo!” he crows.

“Night, Jeb!” I half heartedly salute him, and sit down to put my sneakers back on. I would just carry them, but I remember seeing broken glass outside when I got here.

By the time I have finished tying my laces Jeb has driven away, and Aubrey has made her way to the door. 

“Let’s go.” She motions for me to follow. 

I flop my bag onto my shoulder, and step out the door. She turns the key, and gives the door a test tug to make sure it’s secured.

“Hey have a good night.” 

She gives me a tired smile, and a wave before climbing into her car and pulling away. I throw up a peace sign and head to the back of the lot towards my beat up 2001 Honda prelude. There’s duct tape on the back bumper from a hit and run that happened four years ago. I still haven’t gotten around to replacing that yet… I should do that at some point… I’m so tired. I open my door and climb in. I want nothing more than a hot drink, and some me time. My legs are numb from standing up all day.

Suddenly, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Warm air is being blown onto my skin from behind. I’m not alone. Horror injects itself into every cell in my body in a single millisecond.

“Welcome.” 

A voice like a creaking floorboard rasps behind me. My keys fly out of my hand, and I lurch out the door. I leave it hanging open and run towards the store front. “HELP!!! HELP ME!!!” I scream as loud as my panicking heart and lungs can muster. I don’t slow down. I slam into the front door, and grab the handle. I desperately tug, but the dread is only getting stronger within my body. I know it’s locked. I watched Aubrey lock it.

I turn too look behind me to see if anyone is chasing me. No one. Nothing there. There isn’t a living thing in sight. There are tears running down my nose. I can’t breathe right. My lungs are twitching and lurching like beetles turned onto their backs. I stand still clutching my sleeves for a moment. It’s completely quiet. The moon lights up the lot with a cold distant glow. The moon is usually comforting to me, but right now it feels menacing. 

What do I do??? ….911! I’ll call the cops!

I scramble to get my phone, but I quickly realize that it is sitting hostile in my bag on the front seat. Whoever is in my car has everything. My phone, my wallet, my keys, …I’m dead. I’m so dead. My eyes shiver and start to squeeze out sharp cold tears. 

“Crap.” My voice cracks as it shudders back and forth. I can feel my knees wobbling, my back muscles twitching. I have to decide on something to do. My feet sting. I can’t stand here at the shop door all night. I step slowly towards my car. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe it’s just exhaustion. I know I can have an elaborate imagination. I might be freaking out over nothing.

“Hello?” I call out. 

Nothing.

“HELLO?!” Louder.

Nothing.

I walk closer and closer to the dangling door. It looks like a dislocated jaw. I hate this.

I hate this.

I hate this.

I hate this!

I HATE THIS!

“If there’s anyone there, I’ll beat the- the SHIT out of you!” I yell at my car. I ball my fists up, and raise them to my chest.

Nothing. Not even a rustling. 

“I’m serious! I’ll end you!” I say with a little less conviction.

“This is your last chance! h-Here I come!” I step slowly towards my car and look into the back window. I don’t see anyone. My car is completely empty except for my bag which lies undisturbed on the seat. My keys are still on the floor. Frick. I’m not okay. 

“Get home. Get in, get home, get in. Just get home.”

I get into my car as fast as I can, and shut and lock the door in one motion. My head on a swivel, I stick my key in and turn. The engine makes a wheezing warbling sound and then sputters into a steady hum. That’s not normal. I don’t have time to worry about that right now. I speed out of the parking lot like a squirrel on caffeine. My leg won’t stop bouncing as I drive. It still feels like someone is in the backseat. I check the rear view mirror a thousand times in the fifteen minutes it takes me to drive home. At the first stop sign I reach I stand on the break, and crane my neck back to check the floor in the back in case someone is crouching down back there. There’s nothing. I’m still scared. What if I’m being followed?... I can’t think about that. That’s too scary right now.

I pull into my driveway, and sprint to my front door. Feeling paranoid now I jiggle the knob to make sure it’s still locked since I left it this morning. It is. I unlock it, go inside, and slam the door behind me. I lock the knob and the bolt. I can’t stop shaking. Everything hurts. I might vomit. I turn on the lights to my living room and kitchen, and grab a chef’s knife from the block. I carry it with me to the pantry and retrieve the kettle and a box of red raspberry leaf tea. I need to calm down. This is the part of living alone that seriously sucks sometimes. I have no one here to watch my back if something happens. I need a dog or something. A really big dog. 

I make my tea, and sit down at my computer. I load up Pitchfork, Cottage Simulator. The wholesome artwork and cute villagers in my little pixelated mountain town will hopefully at least bring my heartrate down. I work on my little carrot garden, trade some wool for a fish at the little market, and get started on decorating a new room in my cottage. The next several hours melt away into the night. Eight-bit guitars and hot herbal tea are really great for anxiety attacks. 

Lying in bed, my room feels crooked. The energy is bad. My body is a lot more calmed down, but my brain won’t settle into place. I really wish I had a dog… 

[mavengers]

Letters to the Editor

Steve Rogers x reader

Warnings: some swearing, light mentions of sex, mostly just fluff (it’s really cute guys)

Words: 3k

All credit goes to Marvel.

Tag list: @littlewolfieposts @seargantbcky @cutecuddlycalpal @irepeldirt @its-sophia-xo-love 

AN: GUYS! This is my first fic of 2017 and I’m SO sorry I haven’t been posting, as many of you know, I was dealing with some pretty intense shit but I’m feeling well enough to resume writing. Thank you all for the love and support you guys have shown me. This is for you guys.

“What’s got you so smiley?” Clint smirked, taking a sip from his beer. Steve had been sporting the biggest smile ever since he got home from what was supposed to be grocery shopping with Bucky, who looked like he was about to go back into cryo if he heard Steve keep talking about it.

“Yeah, Stevie, go ahead and tell them all of what you told me. I’m going to take a shower.” Bucky said, turning and leaving the room. This was all Steve talked about on the way home and when Steve’s excited, he never shuts up. He looked like he was about to pee himself with how excited he was.

“Spill it, Cap.” Sam said. If there was ever a minute where unicorns and rainbows felt like they were gonna spill from Steve’s mouth and lungs, it was now.

“I’m writing a book!”

You sat back at your desk after your lunch break, hot cocoa in hand. You pulled your cardigan tighter around your chest as you recovered from the cold New York weather. Jeannie, your assistant, popped her head in. “Ms. Y/L/N?” You hummed against the lid of your cup of cocoa. “The girls want to know if you’re up for drinks after work tonight.” You nodded and smiled at her as she closed the door to your office and went back to her desk out front.

You spun yourself around in your leather office chair, lightly laughing to yourself. The girls were never going to believe this.

“You’re writing a book?” Sam asked as Clint began cackling in the back. “Dude, that is the second least cool thing for a superhero to do.”

“What’s the first?” Steve asked, his brow furrowing.

“Going grocery shopping.” Clint spoke up. Steve frowned as he turned and put his re-useable grocery bags on the countertop.

“Well I think writing a book would be cool. I got a lot of little kids looking up to me, why not give them a look into my history?”

“You sure have a lot of that.” Tony said, walking by and grabbing an apple from the grocery bag, taking a bite.

“I didn’t wash that!” Steve exclaimed. Tony paused, taken off guard by Steve’s outburst.

“I’m sorry, do you want to wash it now?”

“Did you hear…?” Your co-worker, Jamie began, leaning forward in her seat to start what you liked to call ‘gossip hour’. You took a sip of your martini and popped one of the olives in your mouth. “…Delanie from printing is hooking up with Harold?” Your olive nearly rolled out of your mouth as your jaw dropped.

“Harry? He’s married to Sophie!”

“I know. God, what a pig.” Jamie said with a look of disgust. As she sat back in her seat, another of your co-workers, Sheila, leaned forward to share.

“Well what I heard today was that someone landed a major client. Y/N, do you happen to know anything about that?” She smirked and you couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Maybe his name will ring a bell? Steve Rogers?” She sounded out his name and you took a nonchalant sip of your drink again as the Jamie and Nicole gasped.

“No way!”

“You got Captain America to write you a book?!”

“I didn’t get him to write me a book! I just ran into him on my lunch break and we got to talking and he told me he was curious about writing a book!” You said innocently. You smiled when the bartender came by and topped off your martini, adding a couple extra olives, just how you liked.

You stumbled out of the bar at 1:30 in the morning, early for you. You groaned when your phone began vibrating loudly in your purse and you pulled it out, putting it between your ear and your shoulder so you could take your heels off. “Hello?”

“Oh, hey. Did I wake you?” Someone asked.

“No, who is this?” The noise of cars whizzing past you and people talking loudly from various other bars made it difficult to understand your caller.

“It’s Steve, Steve Rogers.”

“Right, Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N.” You smacked yourself in the face. Of course he knew your name. Why would he call a total stranger?

“Hey, uh, are you okay? It sounds like you’re on the highway.” You looked around at your surroundings. Bars with people stumbling out of them (much like yourself), busy streets, sketchy alleys.

“Uh, not exactly.”

“Where are you? It’s late and you sound like you’re in a bad part of town, let me come get you and I’ll walk you back home.”

“Uhhh… you know that bar with the fake palm trees and weird fish curtains?”

“The Pink Dolphin? That’s right down the block, I’ll be there in five minutes. Stay there.” He clicked off the line and you couldn’t help but smile to yourself. Captain America coming to your rescue. You were going to refuse and tell him you’d be fine and catch a cab, buutttt it is Steve Rogers offering to walk you home and it would be a decent way to talk about the book.

The cold air helped bring you back to a slightly sober state and you began spinning yourself around a street pole, nearly jumping out of your skin as an arm circled around your waist, beginning to walk with you. “You do realize you’re pole dancing in the middle of the street, right?”

“And grabbing me off the pole before saying hello was just as good of an idea?” He stopped, leaving an arm still wrapped loosely around your waist.

“Fair enough. Well, if I’m walking you home, lead the way.”

You and Steve had been walking and laughing for about five minutes now, taking your time on getting back to your studio apartment. “You know, one of these days you’re going to step on a piece of glass.” He laughed.

“Yes and I’m sure you’ll be there to come patch me up when that day comes, but come on. Have you seen these things?” You asked, gesturing to your heels. “They’re like four inches tall! These shoes are purely for decoration.”

“Okay, whatever you say, doll.” You both laughed and quieted down for a little. You stared down at your bright pink heels that dangled from your fingers. Steve’s jacket had done little to warm you since he had given it to you five minutes ago. You could feel the goosebumps raising on your legs and you couldn’t wait to get home and get into your pajamas.

“So what made you want to write a book?” You asked, breaking the silence. He looked ahead, smiling and biting his lip.

“Well, I’ve always wanted to. I want to be a bigger inspiration to the kids, you know “you can do anything if you really feel passionate about it”. Cheesy, but true.” You nodded thoughtfully, a guy who cared about kids? What a dream. “But truthfully, I don’t think I would’ve ever gotten around to it if I hadn’t bumped into you on the street the other day.” You laughed, slightly blushing.

“You mean when you made me spill hot chocolate all over a copy of James Patterson’s manuscript?” He put his hands up in defense.

“Hey, I bought you another hot chocolate, didn’t I?”

“What a gentleman.” You said and he chuckled.

“Is this you?” He asked, pointing up to the tall skyscraper in front of you. You nodded, and before you could say goodnight:

“Do you want to come up?”

The elevator ride up to the 16th floor was painfully long, especially when you had always wondered what it would be like to have sex in an elevator. You pushed your key in the lock and thanked God that you had decided to clean up for once only the night before. You couldn’t imagine Captain America in the mess that usually was your not-so-humble home.

“Wow, it’s nice in here.” Steve commented, looking around.

“Yeah, perks of being a ‘big shot editor’ as people like to call me. It’s nice, but too big for one person.” You said. “If you excuse me, I’m going to go change out of this dress that’s currently suffocating me and into something actually comfortable.” You walked into your room, nearly ripping the tight dress off of you and stripping of your stockings.

 And that was when you remembered it.

All of your laundry, including pajamas, was being dry-cleaned.

And all you had for pajamas was a Captain America onesie that you had bought as a last minute Halloween costume last year.

You mentally groaned and placed your palm on your forehead, cursing yourself. Okay, you began to rationalize, he just picked your drunk ass off the street and brought you home. He’s spilled hot chocolate all over James Patterson’s manuscript. Wearing a Captain America onesie is the least embarrassing thing either of you could do right now.

Before you knew it, the onesie was on and you were shouting to Steve who was sitting on your couch, probably wondering what was taking you so long. “You have to promise not to judge me! It’s laundry day and this is all I have!” He pulled his eyebrows together, confused.

“If all you have on is underwear, you can wear my shirt to cover yourself- oh.” He said when he saw you step out of your room, fully clad in the onesie and he bit his lip to stop the loud laugh that was threatening to come out. “You look cute.” He said, barely trying to hide his grin.

“I think I could pull off the suit better than you.” You challenged, cheekily.

“I’m sure of it.” You laughed, grabbing your laptop and sitting on the couch beside him, pulling up all your publisher’s website.

“Okay, so basically what happens is you send me a chapter or two of the book every week or so, I make corrections or add notes, send it back to you. That continues until we have a manuscript and then we send it to get published.” Steve nodded as he stared at the laptop. “Nervous?” You guessed. He nodded again. “Don’t be, it comes easier than you think. Just imagine that you are the reader. Write about what you want to read and hear about.”

“I wanna hear about you.” He said, and you couldn’t help but look down and smile, willing away a blush, but he seemed completely serious.

“Well what do you want to hear about me?” You asked. He seemed to be contemplating his questions, which unbeknownst to you, there were many swirling around in his head.

“What made you want to become an editor?” Ah. The question you had mainly only been asked at interviews or on dates with guys that you were sure weren’t listening to you after you began talking. But Steve? Steve seemed to genuinely wanna know. You shrugged.

“My mom and dad were both editors, which, while seems nice, was actually horrible. They were always fighting over clients or sneaking into each other’s offices and reading the other’s manuscripts so they could steal ideas from one another,” you paused to take a breath, and Steve was still looking at you, possibly even more curious than before. “It just sort of felt like I was destined to be an editor. In high school, they had me taking college English courses.”

“Is that why you’re single? You don’t want to risk ending up like your parents?” The question seemed to spill before he could stop it, and he grimaced, but you only laughed.

“Partly, I just try to steer away from people who are either in my profession or people who are interested in pursuing my profession,” he laughed and you smiled. “But mostly, I just haven’t met my prince yet.” He smirked to himself.

“Does it have to be a prince? Would you settle for a captain?” You felt your cheeks and ears heat up and you smirked back.

“Well that all depends.” You nonchalantly shrugged, looking away and biting your lip to hide your smile.

“On?” He raised his eyebrows.

“If the captain settles for me.” He laughed again.

Later that week, after you and Steve’s night of flirting, you were sitting at home on your laptop.  Boxes of Chinese takeout were sprawled across the coffee table and you had the evening news playing in the background. Your pin-straight work hair had been thrown haphazardly into a ponytail and your black and white Adidas joggers matched your black tank top.

You were on the last few pages of James Patterson’s new chapter when your laptop chimed, signaling an email. You switched tabs to your email and smiled when you noticed the sender was steve.rogers18@gmail.com. Attached to the email was a pdf of what seemed to be the first few chapters of his book. “Sorry, James, Alex Cross is going to have to wait a bit.”

Halfway through reading, you noticed that in addition to Captain America being a very good author, in the middle of one of his sentences, he had tucked in “dinner @ castro’s? 7:30?” You laughed, picking up your phone besides you and taking a picture of it before sending it to Steve with the caption “you’re such a dork, see you at 7:30 :)”

“It’s like I’m seeing a whole new side of you, Rogers.” Clint commented. Bucky clapped Steve across his back.

“It’s because he’s got a date.” Bucky said, proud like a father to a son at his first baseball game. A chorus of surprised sounds echoed through the conference room and Steve dramatically rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t contain his smile.

“With who? The old lady at the supermarket who always calls you ‘hot stuff’?” Sam snickered. Steve threw a pen at him, only fueling Sam’s laughter.

“Her name’s Y/N.” Bucky sing-songed. Natasha gave Steve a pointed look.

“Isn’t that your editor?” She asked.

“Oh yeah, she’s real pretty, isn’t she, Stevie?” Right before Steve could speak up and tell his best friend to screw off, your picture was pulled up over Tony’s phone.

“Y/N Y/L/N. A 26 year old editor who resides in New York City. She went to Yale and graduated top of her class. She grew up in Long Island and is an editor for famous authors such as John Green, James Patterson, and Gayle Forman.” Tony said. Steve sighed, unable to say anything as his team analyzed you.

“Rogers, I swear to God, if you fuck this up, I’m going for it.” Sam said, admiring your picture.

“Hey, can you hand me my pen back?” Steve asked Sam. His friend nodded, handing him back the pen. Steve took it in his hands, looking at it almost lost in thought, before gearing up and flinging it back at Sam.

7:30 saw you sitting neatly in a candlelit table in Castro’s. Your hair was curled, falling in perfect waves that framed your face, which was done nicely with a red lip and cat-eye liner. You had your best dress on; a black velvet dress with a plunging neckline, exposing a bit of cleavage.

The second you saw Steve, you swear your heart stopped and you nearly dropped your martini. He was wearing a red button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, tucked into a pair of neatly pressed black dress pants. He pulled out the seat across from you before sitting down. “Sorry, I’m a bit late, I know. But I have an excuse.” You urged your mind to stop focusing on his biceps and onto his words.

“Saving the day?” He chuckled.

“Unless saving the day is code for ‘being harassed by my friends’, then sure.” You laughed as you took a sip of your martini. You could feel his eyes on you, looking at you in a way that he hadn’t yet seen. He had seen lunch rush you, drunk you, editor you. He had yet to see you like this; all done up. It was all for him, and he was shamelessly loving it.

2 weeks and 4 dates later, you received another two chapters from Steve. He warned you that these two were most likely going to be the hardest to write. You didn’t know why until you opened up the pdf. In big, bold letters, at the top of the page was “CHAPTER 3: PEGGY CARTER.”

You tensed up, not sure if you were ready to hear about how great the love of his past life was. You considered sending it to Sheila or Jamie, but this was your job, and you were his editor before you were his date.

You were expecting to feel heartbroken over what he wrote about another girl, but instead, your heart fluttered. He talked about her in such a way, showcasing how strong she was and how big of a part she played in Steve’s life, and you briefly wondered if he talked about you like he talked about her. Granted, you were no Peggy Carter, but he liked you a lot. You knew that.

You especially knew it when in the bottom, right-hand corner of the page, he added a footnote.

“Peggy Carter was an amazing woman in her time. Presently, there are many other woman just as amazing and bad-ass as her. I’m lucky enough to be dating one of them. I’m also madly in love with her.”

You didn’t even realize how wide you were smiling until your cheeks began to hurt. You immediately picked up the phone, taking yet another picture and sending it to Steve, with the caption: “still a dork; but a dork that I am also madly in love with.”

[jeffreyrwelch]

Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween

The post Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween by Heather Marcoux appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

For grown-up goths and those with a (usually hidden) dark side, Halloween is the greatest holiday of the year. We get to dress up as whomever we please and eat candy guilt-free. What could be better? Well, ask any dog lover and they’ll tell you: Even the best night of the year is better when you have a dog by your side. If a night without your dog sounds like a nightmare (Eeek!), we’ve got some ideas for a dog-friendly Halloween.

Plan a pup party

Stock you canine Halloween party with treats for pups. Photography ©peanut_roaster | Getty Images.

Celebrating this spooky night with a handful of your closest canine pals (and their humans, of course) is a great way to get in the social feeling of this spirited holiday without taking your dog out into streets overflowing with overstimulated trick-or-treaters. Kids on sugar can be scary for dogs, but a backyard filled with fur friends is always welcome.

If you’re planning to light jack-o-lanterns, display them high enough that wagging tails won’t knock them over, or, better yet, swap the traditional tea light candles for a more pet-safe LED mini light.

Stock your bash with treats for the pups (like the ones in the sidebar) and a trickle of wine for the humans, and you’ll all be howling at the moon long before midnight.

Curate chilling dog decor

They’re kind of creepy and yet kind of cute — plastic dog skeletons are a hot Halloween item for retailers in recent years, with Frontgate, Home Depot, Amazon and other stores offering different styles and breeds.

But beware: Chew-happy pups may find those plastic bones irresistible, so keep these decor items out of reach unless you want your chewer to go faux-cannibal on his plastic counterpart.

Make your own DIY decorations

Find a breed-specific stencil for your pumpkin. Photography ©Missing35mm | Getty Images.

If you believe plastic dog skeletons belong in veterinary schools and not your living room, use your DIY skills to make some less frightening dog designs. Pumpkins aren’t just good for a dog’s digestive system, they also make a pretty good canvas for a canine portrait.

If you’d rather cut paper than pumpkins, breed-specific cookie cutters make a great stencil. Make a bunch of pooch-shaped cutouts on plain white paper, and you’ve got a pack of dog ghosts you can leash along a length of ribbon, or fix to walls or windows with double-sided tape. Use a Sharpie to add bones, and your phantom pups are transformed into chilling canine skeletons.

Decorate your dog — literally

GSD Nixe became an internet sensation when Bryn Anderson posted a pic a few years ago. Photography ©Courtesy Bryn Anderson.

Instead of creating a Halloween masterpiece in your dog’s image, why not turn your dog herself into a decorative Halloween masterpiece with a little nontoxic, pet-safe paint?

Bryn Anderson’s dog, Nixe, is known around the internet as the “original skeleton dog,” after a picture of the German Shepherd Dog sporting some spooky makeup went viral thanks to Reddit a few years ago. Bryn painted her first design on Nixe in just 15 minutes using organic, nontoxic makeup, and she suggests that decorating a dog in such a way can be a fun way for well-trained dogs who aren’t into costumes to participate in Halloween dress-up.

Over the years, the duo’s designs have gotten increasingly complex, and Nixe usually just sleeps while Bryn paints her fur. Bryn says having a solid “stay” command is key before attempting a project like this unless you want to be the one wearing the paint.

“Get them used to it a little bit, practice painting them with water and a brush, just to make sure they know the sensation, and practice,” she says. Bryn typically brushes Nixe’s fur with a liquid makeup that wears off very quickly but suggests Halloween-loving dog lovers might want to try Pet Paint, a spray product, for a longer-lasting design and easier application.

Abe Geary is the founder of PetPaint. He says the colorful, pet-safe spray paints make for easy Halloween decorating because users can reapply on stencils to paint their dog’s design.

“It’s temporary,” Abe says. “Essentially, it’s a better, safer version of the colored hairspray that you use on your kids or yourself.” Abe says it’s best to get dogs used to the sound of the spray bottle before attempting to give them some Halloween hair, and both he and Bryn stress that, of course, only dogs who are comfortable with being decorated should be.

If your dog is up for being painted, a skeleton design or some tiger stripes could help him feel festive at your pup-friendly Halloween bash. Abe adds that decorating your pet with paint is a great way to turn a Halloween accessory, like a bandana or a pair of wings, into a full look, without having to put your pup in a costume.

Some dogs, like Nixe, would much rather wear paint than clothes. Halloween is fun, but a dash of dog makes anything better, and the spookiest night of the year is no exception.

Tell us: What are your plans with your dog this Halloween? Will your dog dress for the occasion? What are your tips for having a dog-friendly Halloween?

Thumbnail: Photography  ©Phidophotography.com.

Heather Marcoux is a freelance writer and two-time dog mom to GhostBuster and Marshmallow. Despite their movie-inspired names, Heather’s dogs aren’t in any web series — but they are on the web as the @ghostpetson Instagram. You can find Heather on Twitter.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you!

Read more about dogs and Halloween on Dogster.com:

Are These Halloween Dangers for Dogs Lurking in Your Home?

Halloween DIY: A Lightweight Witch Hat for Your Dog

How to Get Your Dog Into a Halloween Costume

The post Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween by Heather Marcoux appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

[stiles-wtf]

Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween

The post Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween by Heather Marcoux appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

For grown-up goths and those with a (usually hidden) dark side, Halloween is the greatest holiday of the year. We get to dress up as whomever we please and eat candy guilt-free. What could be better? Well, ask any dog lover and they’ll tell you: Even the best night of the year is better when you have a dog by your side. If a night without your dog sounds like a nightmare (Eeek!), we’ve got some ideas for a dog-friendly Halloween.

Plan a pup party

Stock you canine Halloween party with treats for pups. Photography ©peanut_roaster | Getty Images.

Celebrating this spooky night with a handful of your closest canine pals (and their humans, of course) is a great way to get in the social feeling of this spirited holiday without taking your dog out into streets overflowing with overstimulated trick-or-treaters. Kids on sugar can be scary for dogs, but a backyard filled with fur friends is always welcome.

If you’re planning to light jack-o-lanterns, display them high enough that wagging tails won’t knock them over, or, better yet, swap the traditional tea light candles for a more pet-safe LED mini light.

Stock your bash with treats for the pups (like the ones in the sidebar) and a trickle of wine for the humans, and you’ll all be howling at the moon long before midnight.

Curate chilling dog decor

They’re kind of creepy and yet kind of cute — plastic dog skeletons are a hot Halloween item for retailers in recent years, with Frontgate, Home Depot, Amazon and other stores offering different styles and breeds.

But beware: Chew-happy pups may find those plastic bones irresistible, so keep these decor items out of reach unless you want your chewer to go faux-cannibal on his plastic counterpart.

Make your own DIY decorations

Find a breed-specific stencil for your pumpkin. Photography ©Missing35mm | Getty Images.

If you believe plastic dog skeletons belong in veterinary schools and not your living room, use your DIY skills to make some less frightening dog designs. Pumpkins aren’t just good for a dog’s digestive system, they also make a pretty good canvas for a canine portrait.

If you’d rather cut paper than pumpkins, breed-specific cookie cutters make a great stencil. Make a bunch of pooch-shaped cutouts on plain white paper, and you’ve got a pack of dog ghosts you can leash along a length of ribbon, or fix to walls or windows with double-sided tape. Use a Sharpie to add bones, and your phantom pups are transformed into chilling canine skeletons.

Decorate your dog — literally

GSD Nixe became an internet sensation when Bryn Anderson posted a pic a few years ago. Photography ©Courtesy Bryn Anderson.

Instead of creating a Halloween masterpiece in your dog’s image, why not turn your dog herself into a decorative Halloween masterpiece with a little nontoxic, pet-safe paint?

Bryn Anderson’s dog, Nixe, is known around the internet as the “original skeleton dog,” after a picture of the German Shepherd Dog sporting some spooky makeup went viral thanks to Reddit a few years ago. Bryn painted her first design on Nixe in just 15 minutes using organic, nontoxic makeup, and she suggests that decorating a dog in such a way can be a fun way for well-trained dogs who aren’t into costumes to participate in Halloween dress-up.

Over the years, the duo’s designs have gotten increasingly complex, and Nixe usually just sleeps while Bryn paints her fur. Bryn says having a solid “stay” command is key before attempting a project like this unless you want to be the one wearing the paint.

“Get them used to it a little bit, practice painting them with water and a brush, just to make sure they know the sensation, and practice,” she says. Bryn typically brushes Nixe’s fur with a liquid makeup that wears off very quickly but suggests Halloween-loving dog lovers might want to try Pet Paint, a spray product, for a longer-lasting design and easier application.

Abe Geary is the founder of PetPaint. He says the colorful, pet-safe spray paints make for easy Halloween decorating because users can reapply on stencils to paint their dog’s design.

“It’s temporary,” Abe says. “Essentially, it’s a better, safer version of the colored hairspray that you use on your kids or yourself.” Abe says it’s best to get dogs used to the sound of the spray bottle before attempting to give them some Halloween hair, and both he and Bryn stress that, of course, only dogs who are comfortable with being decorated should be.

If your dog is up for being painted, a skeleton design or some tiger stripes could help him feel festive at your pup-friendly Halloween bash. Abe adds that decorating your pet with paint is a great way to turn a Halloween accessory, like a bandana or a pair of wings, into a full look, without having to put your pup in a costume.

Some dogs, like Nixe, would much rather wear paint than clothes. Halloween is fun, but a dash of dog makes anything better, and the spookiest night of the year is no exception.

Tell us: What are your plans with your dog this Halloween? Will your dog dress for the occasion? What are your tips for having a dog-friendly Halloween?

Thumbnail: Photography  ©Phidophotography.com.

Heather Marcoux is a freelance writer and two-time dog mom to GhostBuster and Marshmallow. Despite their movie-inspired names, Heather’s dogs aren’t in any web series — but they are on the web as the @ghostpetson Instagram. You can find Heather on Twitter.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you!

Read more about dogs and Halloween on Dogster.com:

Are These Halloween Dangers for Dogs Lurking in Your Home?

Halloween DIY: A Lightweight Witch Hat for Your Dog

How to Get Your Dog Into a Halloween Costume

The post Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween by Heather Marcoux appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

[grublypetcare]

Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween

The post Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween by Heather Marcoux appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

For grown-up goths and those with a (usually hidden) dark side, Halloween is the greatest holiday of the year. We get to dress up as whomever we please and eat candy guilt-free. What could be better? Well, ask any dog lover and they’ll tell you: Even the best night of the year is better when you have a dog by your side. If a night without your dog sounds like a nightmare (Eeek!), we’ve got some ideas for a dog-friendly Halloween.

Plan a pup party

Stock you canine Halloween party with treats for pups. Photography ©peanut_roaster | Getty Images.

Celebrating this spooky night with a handful of your closest canine pals (and their humans, of course) is a great way to get in the social feeling of this spirited holiday without taking your dog out into streets overflowing with overstimulated trick-or-treaters. Kids on sugar can be scary for dogs, but a backyard filled with fur friends is always welcome.

If you’re planning to light jack-o-lanterns, display them high enough that wagging tails won’t knock them over, or, better yet, swap the traditional tea light candles for a more pet-safe LED mini light.

Stock your bash with treats for the pups (like the ones in the sidebar) and a trickle of wine for the humans, and you’ll all be howling at the moon long before midnight.

Curate chilling dog decor

They’re kind of creepy and yet kind of cute — plastic dog skeletons are a hot Halloween item for retailers in recent years, with Frontgate, Home Depot, Amazon and other stores offering different styles and breeds.

But beware: Chew-happy pups may find those plastic bones irresistible, so keep these decor items out of reach unless you want your chewer to go faux-cannibal on his plastic counterpart.

Make your own DIY decorations

Find a breed-specific stencil for your pumpkin. Photography ©Missing35mm | Getty Images.

If you believe plastic dog skeletons belong in veterinary schools and not your living room, use your DIY skills to make some less frightening dog designs. Pumpkins aren’t just good for a dog’s digestive system, they also make a pretty good canvas for a canine portrait.

If you’d rather cut paper than pumpkins, breed-specific cookie cutters make a great stencil. Make a bunch of pooch-shaped cutouts on plain white paper, and you’ve got a pack of dog ghosts you can leash along a length of ribbon, or fix to walls or windows with double-sided tape. Use a Sharpie to add bones, and your phantom pups are transformed into chilling canine skeletons.

Decorate your dog — literally

GSD Nixe became an internet sensation when Bryn Anderson posted a pic a few years ago. Photography ©Courtesy Bryn Anderson.

Instead of creating a Halloween masterpiece in your dog’s image, why not turn your dog herself into a decorative Halloween masterpiece with a little nontoxic, pet-safe paint?

Bryn Anderson’s dog, Nixe, is known around the internet as the “original skeleton dog,” after a picture of the German Shepherd Dog sporting some spooky makeup went viral thanks to Reddit a few years ago. Bryn painted her first design on Nixe in just 15 minutes using organic, nontoxic makeup, and she suggests that decorating a dog in such a way can be a fun way for well-trained dogs who aren’t into costumes to participate in Halloween dress-up.

Over the years, the duo’s designs have gotten increasingly complex, and Nixe usually just sleeps while Bryn paints her fur. Bryn says having a solid “stay” command is key before attempting a project like this unless you want to be the one wearing the paint.

“Get them used to it a little bit, practice painting them with water and a brush, just to make sure they know the sensation, and practice,” she says. Bryn typically brushes Nixe’s fur with a liquid makeup that wears off very quickly but suggests Halloween-loving dog lovers might want to try Pet Paint, a spray product, for a longer-lasting design and easier application.

Abe Geary is the founder of PetPaint. He says the colorful, pet-safe spray paints make for easy Halloween decorating because users can reapply on stencils to paint their dog’s design.

“It’s temporary,” Abe says. “Essentially, it’s a better, safer version of the colored hairspray that you use on your kids or yourself.” Abe says it’s best to get dogs used to the sound of the spray bottle before attempting to give them some Halloween hair, and both he and Bryn stress that, of course, only dogs who are comfortable with being decorated should be.

If your dog is up for being painted, a skeleton design or some tiger stripes could help him feel festive at your pup-friendly Halloween bash. Abe adds that decorating your pet with paint is a great way to turn a Halloween accessory, like a bandana or a pair of wings, into a full look, without having to put your pup in a costume.

Some dogs, like Nixe, would much rather wear paint than clothes. Halloween is fun, but a dash of dog makes anything better, and the spookiest night of the year is no exception.

Tell us: What are your plans with your dog this Halloween? Will your dog dress for the occasion? What are your tips for having a dog-friendly Halloween?

Thumbnail: Photography  ©Phidophotography.com.

Heather Marcoux is a freelance writer and two-time dog mom to GhostBuster and Marshmallow. Despite their movie-inspired names, Heather’s dogs aren’t in any web series — but they are on the web as the @ghostpetson Instagram. You can find Heather on Twitter.

Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you!

Read more about dogs and Halloween on Dogster.com:

Are These Halloween Dangers for Dogs Lurking in Your Home?

Halloween DIY: A Lightweight Witch Hat for Your Dog

How to Get Your Dog Into a Halloween Costume

The post Ideas for a Dog-Friendly Halloween by Heather Marcoux appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.