#we work at a doggy daycare and at night when we do the night shift we can sleep

[1ooo-w0rds]

we met on ocean avenue pt 4

A/N: October fic! This chapter was giving me so much trouble especially the ending. @piper-mc-meme this AU is driving me crazy.

Piper @PiperMcMeme posted a tweet: I'm walking towards him rn. My heart is pounding! OMG!

Sam32_blondesuperman: OMG? What's going on? Tell me the tea?

Alicia37: Someone on Tumblr dared @PiperMcMeme to ask Jason Grace aka @BlondeSuperman out.

Sam32_blondesuperman: Holy shit! Get it girl!

Hazel @HazelArts posted a video: @PiperMcMeme Do it for the vine! #McMemeDare #BlondSuperMan #HESAIDYES?! #IKnowVineIsDead #lameJokes

Jones_Star: Holy Crap?!

leafy: What the heck?

eightMarky: Has to be a publicity stunt, right? #HuntingtonHospital

jack_of_some_trades: Isn't he dating QueenRey? She's all over his instagram

PiFi: AWWW! They're so cute together. I ship it. #Jasiper #ShipName#IShipIt

QueenBee: Nah. BlondSuperMan and QueenRey are much better together. They're so hot!

Reyna squinted at her bright screen of her phone, not quite awake yet as she scroll through her Twitter feed. Her notifications were pinging wildly since yesterday afternoon. She immediately muted them to focus on her video edits for her next volleyball video. Reyna wasn't sure when she fell asleep last night. Her laptop sat dead on her floor, thankfully all her work backed up to the cloud.

Reyna pushed her loose hair out of her face as she sat up, crossing her legs underneath her. The said video wasn't clear but she could make out Jason's tall form beside the railing as a nervous petite girl approached him. Her hands fiddled in front of her. The audio was rough with children screaming and loud splashes from the pool.

"Hey, you look new here." Reyna could hear her say. Jason smiled kindly as he inched over, giving her space beside him.

"That obvious?" Jason laughed, lifting his sunglasses. They traded introductions and chatted for a bit. Piper pointed out people with colorful commentary, getting a few chuckles from Jason. He leaned his arms against the railing, waving to someone. Reyna's eyes narrowed as Piper took a deep breath.

"Will you go out with me?" She half-shouted with her eyes closed. Jason nodded his head but before he could say anything, a young man appeared by his side, pulling Jason away.

"Fucking internet." Reyna murmured as she scrolled through the comments and retweets. She was tagged in a good number of reactions. Probably because Jason's latest tweet was of them at Santa Monica beach with Thor. Her phone vibrated signaling a FaceTime call. She arched her eyebrow at the caller id before tapping the green button. "You're an idiot." Reyna greeted plainly as Jason's exhausted face blinked onto the black screen. He groaned, burying his face into his pillow.

"I thought I would get sympathy from you." Jason replied as he lifted his head, pouting at her. His bed hair was a perfect balance between sexy and cute. A dark stubble curved around his masculine chin. Jason shifted to his elbows, unintentionally giving Reyna an eyeful. Her eyes widen before she quickly turned to look at her wall, blush creeping onto her face. Fact: Jason Grace sleeps shirtless. Even from a brief view and tiny screen, she could make out the defined lines of his pecs and abs.

"Sorry," Reyna said, trying to hide her breathlessness. "Here, call again and I'll be nice." She stood up, grabbing a loose cardigan from her chair as she left her room. Hylla sat at the kitchen island, stirring her coffee as she held out her required reading. She nodded to her sister as Reyna plucked a stem of grapes from the fruit bowl. "I promise." Hylla narrowed her gaze at her sister's odd comment.

"No you won't." Jason's voice bounced off the high ceilings of the kitchen. Hylla blinked, definitely not recognizing the voice. 'Who's that?' she mouthed as Reyna head towards the balcony. "You'll still sass me. You're worse than Percy."

"Am not." Reyna countered as she pressed the phone against her chest. 'No one.' she mouthed back before stepping out on the balcony. Reyna settled on their lounging beach chair before pulling Jason back out. "Now, what's your side of the story?"

Jason dragged his hand over his face before flipping over to lay on his bed. For a moment, the world spun showing Reyna a quick glimpse of Jason's hotel room before it filled with his handsome face. "I don't know. One moment we were just talking as she pointed out various people of the cast. Someone called my name and I turned. Piper asked a question and I nodded yes to show I was still listening. Before I could process what exactly she asked, someone pulled me away. She blindsided me."

"And got it all on video." Jason stared at Reyna like she grew another head. "It's a perfect social media storm. The daughter of Huntington Hospital main star asked out current teenage heartthrob and got it all on video." Reyna refrained from mentioning how her timeline was flooded with retweets of the video and people at-ing her with outrageous comments to get any reaction. She wasn't going to feed their curiosity. "Don't look at Twitter. It's a bloodbath."

"Of course it is." Jason groaned. "Excuse me for a second." He placed the phone down, giving Reyna a view of the ceiling. A muffled scream echoed through the speaker followed by excited barking from Thor. The camera shook as the dog jumped onto the bed. Reyna laughed as she could see Thor's long tail wag back and forth. "Thor, not now!" Jason laughed as he wrapped his arm around the dog and reappeared into view. "Having a crisis."

"Dogs don't care." Reyna replied as she leaned back. "Have you ate yet, Jason?" He hugged Thor to his side as he thought. Thor eagerly licked the side of Jason's face who smiled in response. Her heart warmed at the sight. Thor can easily shift his owner's mood. "Are you free today?"

"Kind of." Jason answered as he rested his head against Thor's body. "Just for the morning. I have a table reading after lunch, a meeting with my stylist, a few headshots and then I need to sign the lease for my apartment." Jason ran his hand over Thor's furry bottom. "I also need someone to watch his monster. I haven't found a doggie daycare yet. Reyna?"

"Aurum and Argentum are already suspicious of me from last time." Reyna commented as she looked towards the kitchen. Her two graceful greyhounds slept on their large doggie bed. Like Aurum could sense her, the beautiful dog lift his head and wagged his long tail. Jason held Thor up to the camera as he panted adorably. "Fine, I'll keep an eye on him later. He'll be exhausted running with our dogs."

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Rey." Jason said as she shook her head fondly.

"You owe me breakfast." Reyna ordered as she looked up the address. "Here's the breakfast spot. Meet me there in thirty. Put on your best 'I'm not a teenage heartthrob' outfit please. They have amazing blueberry pancakes, Percy can vouch for that. And they're dog friendly."

"Yes madam. See ya." Jason's image quickly disappeared leaving Reyna alone with her thoughts. She stared at the black screen before pressing the phone against her chest.

Jason is a mess. In reality, he's nothing like the suave characters directors often casted him as. He doesn't have a typical teenager experience, constantly moving around for work. Growing up in the spotlight, Jason played different parts. Reyna often wondered if he knew the difference between himself and the characters he played. Her frown deepened. The video was getting too much attention way too quickly.

Reyna clicked her phone on, pulling up the chat she had with Annabeth. Keep an eye out for him, Rey. "I'm trying." Reyna murmured before heading towards the kitchen.

"That wasn't Frank's voice." Hylla greeted curtly. Reyna sighed, glancing up at the ceiling.

"No it wasn't. I have other friends, you know." Reyna commented as she hopped on the stool beside her. Hylla looked exhausted juggling grad night courses and her coaching job at the nearby high school. After getting her undergrad in psychology, Hylla returned to study sports medicine to help her student athletic better. She reached out, brushing a bit of Reyna's hair out of her face. "He's having a crisis."

"Ah youth. I thought it was Frank by the way you smiled." Reyna touched her cheeks like she could feel the smile. What does Hylla even mean by that? "You only smile that widely after talking to Frank." Reyna's eyes furrowed in confusion. What does that mean? Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Jason: Might be a bit late. Get me a stack of pancakes and bacon pls.

"There it is again." Hylla pointed Reyna's side.

"I… it…" Reyna stuttered, trying to get her thoughts together. "I don't have time for you to psychoanalyze me!" Reyna shouted as she ran to her room. Hylla's laughter rang as Reyna slammed the door, pressing her back against it. Her heart pounded at the implications.

"No, no time." Reyna murmured as she moved to her closet. Her fingers touched the soft fabric of a cute and flattering sundress. She pulled her hand away like it burned. It was just a dress though. It wouldn't mean anything. "Damn it, Hylla. What are you doing pulling ideas in my head?"

"Something casual but nice." Reyna reasoned as she shoved the dress aside, pulling out a red long flannel shirt. Her face flushed at the memory of their first meeting. She only wore her sports bra and short shorts, fresh from practice. She pulled a pair of white jean shorts and a plain black tee. She could pair it with a few bracelets or necklace if Reyna felt like it.

"You look cute." Hylla commented as Reyna walked out, gathering her hair over her shoulder. Reyna narrowed her gaze. She didn't need to know that. "What? It's a cute outfit. Trying to impress someone?"

"You're evil." Reyna murmured as she grabbed her keys. "And you're enjoying this. I do not need this right now. Heading to Sophie's."

"Get me an order of blueberry pancakes!" Hylla shouted as Reyna shut the door behind her.

Reyna twirled her order number in her hand as she scooped out a spot on the beach. Sophie's set up was more like a snack shack instead of a diner. A single counter took orders, pumping out delicious breakfast food and much needed coffee. The aroma of sweet syrup, freshly cut fruit and pancake batter mixed with the salty sea air. Seagulls hovered around, well aware there's food here. Reyna found a spot beside the sand, kicking her converses off, and buried her toes in the warm sand. As long as Reyna could remember, she always loved the beach. She couldn't imagine living without it.

"Wow," Reyna heard a soft whisper behind her. Jason stood there, gazing towards were the deep blue of the water and clear sky met. He waved at her as he approached. "Do you approve of my outfit?" He asked cheekily as he held his arms out and did a small turn. The pair of dark washed jeans hugged his legs nicely. He wore them with leather flip flops like a casual weekender. The athletic tank top revealed his pale arms. Thor tugged at his leash, trying to greet Reyna.

"I'm sure your fashion guru will have a few choice words for you." Reyna commented as he sat down. Jason rolled his eyes, running his fingers through his blond hair. Thor wandered over to her, wagging his long tail as he pressed his furry face against her leg. Thor barked eagerly as he leaned into her touch. "Thor is as cute as always."

"Nothing can faze him, thankfully." Jason murmured as he check his phone once more before tucking it away. "I've muted Twitter, turn off DM on Instagram and silenced my phone except for certain numbers. My manager has been blowing it up with text messages."

"Is it wise to ignore him?" Reyna asked as she tucked a bit of her hair over her shoulder. Jason shrugged. He looked really young right now like how he truly is, not an actor on the big screen, but a confused young man. Perfectly timed, the server appeared with two plates and cups of fresh coffee. Jason's face lit up at the sight of pancakes. "I got you a Julian Ramirez special. Blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon, sweet maple syrup and butter."

"Sweet and savory, something he and I can agree on." Jason murmured, grabbing his utensils eagerly. Reyna handed Thor a dog treat which he eagerly gobbled down and settled at the base of their feet.

"Not going to snap a pic?" Reyna asked as she added some sugar into her coffee. Jason shook his head.

"Nah, this is me time." Jason replied before looking up. "Well you and me time. Social media doesn't need to follow my every waking moment." Reyna blinked at the surprisingly sweet comment he delivered so smoothly. "Oh man, this is so good." Jason exclaimed as he dug into the pancakes, gushing over the fluffiness of the pancakes with the sweet blueberries and salty bacon. It still blows her mind how he's actually here in front of her, in the flesh, not just an image on the screen. How she can just ask him if he would like to hang out and they can, like real friends.

"Well, are you going to ask?" Reyna blinked at Jason's sudden question. They just finished their food, watching the passing people as they finished their coffee. A bit of syrup stuck to Jason's chin as he wiped his hands.

"I was going to let you digest before asking the hard hitting questions." Reyna teased as she handed him a napkin. He took it sheepishly, wiping his chin. Reyna coaxed Thor towards her, picking the puppy up so he sat comfortably in her lap.

"How very kind of you." Jason said as he stirred his own drink. "Shoot."

"What do you think of Piper, honestly?" Reyna asked, running her fingers over Thor's fur. Jason sipped his drink, looking out at the ocean.

"Honestly?" Jason echoed as he turned back. Reyna nodded her head. "She's bold. I don't have the guts to ask anyone out or at least someone I've just met. She's charming, already cracking jokes about people and laughing with me like we're old friends. There's an openness about her that I envy, that I wished I had. She can come off as strong especially if the only thing you know about her is what's going on Twitter and social media. I don't think she's a bad person."

"She sounds pretty great." Reyna whispered as she hugged Thor. "Just got swept up and hunt down by the social media hounds." Jason nodded his head, agreeing. It was the age they live in. Putting yourself out there is easy but scary. People can praise and attack you with just a Twitter account. Reyna has received a few cruel comments over time.

"She a good girl and I don't want to hurt her." Jason sighed as he rested his elbows on the table, cradling his face. "I feel like we can be great friends because god knows I need more friends. But what do I say? Has anyone ever asked you out?" Reyna's heart pound as she met Jason's gaze. Jason is a very attractive young man. Any girl would be affected especially if he looked at her like she held the answer to everything.

"Once." She whispered, her mouth suddenly dry. Like it could sense the tension, Reyna's phone vibrated beside her, shaking the table. The screen lit up with a text message from Hylla. Instinctively, Reyna and Jason both looked down at the device. Reyna swiped the message away, leaving her lock screen. Her expression softened as she looked at the picture.

It's a selfie of her and a young man bundled in warm winter clothing. They were at an outdoor ice rink with twinkling glow of the lamps. The man was of Asian descent with clean dark hair and a boyish smile. His arms wrapped around Reyna's shoulders as they both smiled at the camera. Snow dotted their dark hair but Reyna could feel the warmth and love from the photo.

"Who's that?" Jason whispered, pulling Reyna back to him. An endearing smile curled on her lips as she picked up the device.

"My boyfriend."

[escapingreality1992]

The Calm Effect of Hearts CH. 1

Bucky x OC,

Summary: A girl working at a Doggy Daycare runs into Bucky one night as he escapes from those out to get him. She takes care of him and surprisingly calms him down every time she’s around. As she gets to know him and the Avengers, things begin to click into place and they fall in love with each other. But danger is always lurking around and she’ll get caught in the crossfires. Can the calm effect be enough to bring them together?

In this chapter we are introduced to Abigail Jensen and her run in with Bucky. He is hurt and she tends to his wounds asking if there is anyone she can call. Enter Steve Rogers and we see a mild panic attack which Abigail calmly pulls Bucky out of and she’s not an enhanced individual. Steve notices and asks to call her in case he needs her help again.

Warnings: Slight PTSD, panic attacks, nightmares

   Friday night! Finally, another weekend to relax, I thought to myself as I locked the door to the puppy daycare I worked at and double checking to make sure no one could enter, turned to head to my car. I was the last to leave since I was the cleaner and I had just finished another long shift from vacuuming all the hair from the classroom, allowing me to return to my apartment and completely relax. I unlocked my car and got in, placing my purse in the passenger floorboard and closing the door before starting the engine. I was about to put the car in reverse when someone opened the passenger side door and clambered in, turning his or her full attention to me that someone being a man with shoulder length brown hair and bright blue eyes.

           “Drive!” he told me in an urgent and pleading voice. I noticed then that he was bleeding from his shoulder from what looked like a gunshot wound and my jaw dropped open, panic setting in. Following my gaze, he placed his left hand, his metal hand over the wound and again demanded I drive.

           “If you don’t get us out of here right now, they’ll kill both of us. Please, just drive. I can explain when we get somewhere safe. I’m not going to hurt you, I promise,” he told me, his blue eyes darkening. I nodded and put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot and headed to my apartment. He kept his attention on the roads, I guess checking to make sure we weren’t being followed. Arriving at my apartment building I pulled in a less frequented parking garage residents used, parked in a spot, and helped him out of my car and walked over to the building I lived in. We entered and got in the elevator, rising to the fourth floor and to my apartment where I quickly got him inside.

           “Go sit on the couch and I’ll find something to clean that wound,” I told him, after locking the door. He sat and I exited to my bathroom, looking for the first aid kit in the cabinet and grabbing a few towels and some tweezers, returned to him. Sterilizing the tweezers with alcohol, I tried to work the bullet out gently without causing any more damage and placed a towel against the wound.

           “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you to a hospital? I’m not exactly qualified to do this,” I asked, moving the towel and pouring some alcohol over the wound itself before placing a gauze pad to absorb the blood flowing out. I wrapped more gauze around his arm before taping everything in place. He just shook his head.

           “Is there anyone you need me to call?” I asked him, disposing of the bloodied towels in the trash and going to rinse my hands off.

           “I…don’t know. I’m not sure I have anyone I can call,” he answered me, pulling off his shirt, also disposing of it in the trash.

           “Alright. What’s your name?” I questioned while keeping my distance in the kitchen.

           “Bucky. What’s yours?” he replied, lying back on the couch, draping his bandaged arm off the back.

           “Abigail. Are you sure I can’t call anyone? Any place you can stay? Possibly…” I answered.

           “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. I didn’t mean to ambush you back there but I didn’t have any choice. I had to get away, to escape,” he cut me off, turning his head to face me, hand held outstretched to me, his blue eyes soft. Cautiously, I walked over to him and placed my hand in his. He closed his hand over mine, giving it a gentle squeeze before releasing it and reaching in his jeans pocket to retrieve a flip phone.

           “Steve. Call Steve,” he told me, before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. I opened the phone and clicked down to the name Steve and hit call, hoping whoever it was could really help.

              A few hours later, a knock sounded at the door and I watched as Bucky sat up in a defensive position, chest heaving, panic etched across his face. I quickly went to his side, not touching him; afraid of what boundaries I was allowed to breach, before gently placing my right hand over his.

           “Hey, try to relax. It’s probably just your friend. Let me go see who it is. I’ll be right back,” I told him, before getting up and walking to the door. Looking through the peephole I saw a tall man with blonde hair and blue eyes standing on the other side. He was wearing a gray t-shirt with brown khaki pants and a black leather jacket.

           “Who is it?” I asked.

           “Steve Rogers. You called me earlier. I’m here about my friend,” he answered. I slowly unlocked the door and opened it, immediately greeted by his sweet smile.

           “I’m Abigail. It’s a pleasure to meet you. He’s in the living room. I think you scared him though,” I greeted him, directing him to where Bucky was sitting on the couch, eyes still wide with panic.

           “Hey Buck. It’s Steve. I’m here to take you back to the tower. You’ll be safe there. I promise,” Steve greeted him. Bucky nodded but still didn’t move. I walked over to him, gently placing both hands against his cheeks, the action causing him to shift his gaze over to mine.

           “You’re okay. You’re fine. No one is here to hurt you. You’re safe. Just breathe,” I told him, holding his gaze until his eyes softened and his breathing became easier to him, his hands coming to rest on my arms. He gave a soft tug and pulled me closer to rest his head on my shoulder, his arms wrapped gently around my waist. I ran my hands through his hair, slowly until he released me and got off the couch to join Steve by the door.

           “Go wait in the car with Natasha. I’ll be down shortly,” Steve told him, handing Bucky a shirt, and watched him until he disappeared from sight.

           “You might want someone to look at that wound. I might have cleaned it and wrapped it but I’m not a nurse or a doctor. I wouldn’t want it getting infected or anything,” I told Steve. He nodded and released a sigh.

           “He didn’t hurt you did he? I didn’t know he would go to a civilian. He seemed to calm down around you. Or maybe you just have a calming affect on people. I could call you if we need you for something like this again if that’s okay?” he commented.

           “No, he didn’t hurt me. He just startled me. And yes, you can call me if you need me. I’ll give you my number to reach me if need be,” I replied, before grabbing an index card from my desk and writing down my number to give to Steve. He pocketed it before turning to the door and leaving me alone in my apartment. I closed the door, locked it and turned out the lights before retreating to my bedroom. I stripped all of my clothing off and headed to the bathroom for a shower, rinsing off the rest of the sweat and grime off of my body. Once finished with the shower, I slipped on a nightshirt and crawled into my bed, drifting off to my own dreamland. This was only the beginning of the relationship with the people I would come to know as the Avengers as well as Bucky himself.

[ilovemosss]

also!!!! do this with dogs!!!!! i adopted my dog through SAAP (the stray animal adoption program) he's fully deaf and blind in one eye. i can confirm he has no clue how loud he gets (i adore him but occasionally it has startled me so hard that i then spooked him). he's also the sweetest dog i have ever met. and before i got laid off bc of covid i worked as a handler at a doggy daycare, so i know a lot of dogs. i got a response on my application after a day and a half (the application was sent in on a friday night. they were so excited to have someone apply for him that i heard back on a sunday evening). i later found out that mine was the first and only application sent in.

he's a lot more work than an average dog. when he went to a specialist she said that odds are eventually he'll be completely blind. he also gets really anxious sometimes, and he wont leave my side when he is. but i wouldn't trade him for anything. and i really do think that one of my best decisions ever was adopting my dog.

i also have experience with cats, i used to volunteer at a cat shelter when i was a kid. i went in with my mom. we ended up getting 2 cats from them. one was a kitten who we were told had a heart condition, and that we'd seen countless people pass by because of this. it turned out the vet there was wrong, but that instead the problem was that nobody could hear her heart beating past how loudly she was purring. we adopted her and she really hasn't stopped purring. she's 7 now.

but the other cat we adopted is the one i want to talk about. her name is koko, and we adopted her as an adult cat that we also knew had a disability. for most of the time we knew her she was one of the meanest cats at the shelter. hissing, growling and clawing at anyone that got too close. she had a troubled past. as a kitten she'd been adopted out of the aspca. she'd had a lovely home for many years, but when it came time to move, they left her behind. she was taken to the shelter i volunteered at, and stayed there for at least two years

she was sick, it turned out one of her kidneys was failing and had to be removed. and she was mean. one of the meanest little cats you'd ever seen. but about six months after i started working at the shelter, she got adopted. i was thrilled and so was my mom. until a week later when we came in and she was back. apparently the family had to return her because of their dog. we were about to go on vacation but we decided that after we came back, if she was still there, she was ours. we made that very clear.

about a month later we got back, and we decided to take her home after one of our shifts. it just made sense. we had never seen her so sweet. the way the shelter was set up the cats were able to roam around some (they have rooms set up to allow the cats to live in a space that isnt a 3×3×3' cube), and she wouldnt stop following us. she let us touch her. not for long. but before then i dont think i'd seen anyone touch her

when we took her home, she looked happy. we had other cats, and that was a little scary for her. it took almost six months before we heard her purr. she now loves being pet. it's her favorite thing, directly after getting food. and shes a wonderful cat. she took some work, and if you'd seen her at the shelter you wouldnt have thought it couldve happened. but she's almost an entirely new cat.

so yes, adopting older animals is worth it. adopting disabled animals is worth it. if anything it's more rewarding than adopting healthy kittens or going to a breeder and buying a puppy

This was meant to be a quick warm up, but it turned into a comic that I’ve wanted to draw for a while. This is something that is extremely important to me, and I appreciate it if you read it.

A while ago, I heard a story that broke my heart. A family went a cat shelter to adopt. The daughter fell in love with a 3-legged cat. The father straight up said “absolutely not”. Because he was missing a leg. That cat was that close to having a family that loved him, but the missing leg held him back. Why?!

Many people have the initial instinct of “nope” when they see an imperfect animal. I get it, but less-adoptable does NOT mean less loveable. 9 out of 10 people will choose a kitten over an adult cat. And those 10% that would get an adult cat often overlook “different” animals.

All I want people to do is be open to the idea of having a “different” pet in their lives. Choose the pet that you fall in love with, but at least give all of them a fair shot at winning your heart.

Don’t dismiss them, they deserve a loving home just as much as any other cat. They still purr, they still love a warm lap, they still play, they still love you. Trust me, next time you are in the market for a new kitty, just go over to that one cat that’s missing an eye and see what he’s all about!

[captaindamnron]

Accidental Matchmake

So Tumblr has decided to delete my blog and here I'm reposting this. As I said this is my first time writing after a long time, so I really do appreciate your review and feedback :)

Accidental Matchmake

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey

“Come on, Chewie! Time to come inside!”

Poe rolled over, groaning when he opened his eyes and saw the time. It was early, way too early for someone who had just gotten to bed a couple of hours ago.

“Come on, buddy. I have to get to work.”

The voice pierced through his sleepy fog and Poe found himself smiling despite the fatigue. The voice belonged to his neighbor. He usually worked at night and she was gone all day.

Because of his strange routine, he never really met his neighbor, but he felt like he knew her from listening to her talk to her dog, Chewie. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but her voice tended to carry through his always open windows.

He would hear her telling the dog about work, her mother, her friends, and her dates. Poe didn’t particularly care for those conversations.

“Chewie, buddy?”

Poe sat up at her voice again. She sounded worried. He knew that she didn’t usually have to call for the dog so many times. He could hear her moving around in her yard, probably trying to find her dog. He wondered if he should go out and offer to help.

Throwing back the cover on his bed, he stood and looked around for the jeans he’d discarded before collapsing into his bed a few hours ago. Finding them crumpled in a corner he stepped into them. He was just about to throw on a shirt when he heard a scratching noise. Pausing with the shirt in his hands, he stopped and listened. There it was again.

Pulling the t-shirt over his head, Poe made his way to the back door. He opened it and promptly stepped back in surprise. Just like his owner, Poe had never seen Chewie before. He was not expecting something so...  furry.

“Chewie?” Poe asked. Maybe this was a different dog?

Nope, he decided when the little guy bounced up at the sound of his name, running over to Poe and raised up on his hind legs. Automatically he bent down and scooped the tiny animal into his arms. Chewie started licking Poe’s chin, obviously delighted to have made a new friend. Poe laughed and scratched Chewie behind his ears.

“Come on, pal,” Poe told him. “Let’s go find your mom.”

Walking carefully in his bare feet, Poe made his way over to the fence that separated the yards. It was still tightly closed.

“How did you get over here?” Poe asked, looking down at the little dog in his arms. Chewie just stared up at him, tongue hanging out of his mouth so it looked like he was smiling. Poe huffed out a laugh at the dog’s goofy face and unlatched the gate.

Stepping into his neighbor’s yard, Poe got his second surprise of the morning. He wasn’t entirely sure what he’d been expecting, but a brunette crouching at the corner of her yard wasn’t it. Her back was to him, presumably searching for her tiny dog, and Poe couldn’t stop staring at her ass. It was by far one of the best asses he’d ever seen. The tight material of her trouser hugged it just right and he suddenly found himself grateful he’d put on jeans instead of sweats.

“Um, hi,” he called out, his voice cracking slightly. Smooth, he thought to himself.

The brunette straightened up, whipped around and Poe felt like he’d been sucker punched in the stomach. Holy hell she was gorgeous. He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t help himself. Her big brown eyes were wide with surprise and a little panic, her mouth open just little. Poe realized she was staring at him too.

He barely stopped himself from preening a little under her gaze. “I think I found your dog,” he told her finally, lifting Chewie in his arms just a little.

“Oh, thank God,” she exclaimed, rushing over and scooping the little fur ball out of his arms. The dog seemed happy to see her, peppering her face with swipes of his tiny pink tongue.

“Where did you go, buddy?” she asked Chewie, kissing his furry little face. The dog gave a little yip as if he was trying to answer her.

“He was in my backyard,” Poe interpreted for the dog.

“Your backyard?” she asked, confused.

That’s right, he thought, they didn’t actually know each other.

“Hi, I’m Poe. Your next door neighbor,” he told her, sticking out his hand.

“Hi. I’m Rey and this is Chewie,” she said, putting her hand in his and she shifted the dog to her left hand.

Warmth spread through his hand from her touch. It made him want to pull her into his arms and hold her there forever. It took him a moment to realize she’d asked him a question and he was still holding her hand.

“I know.”

Her face lit up in a huge smile and Poe knew he was done for. He knew, with absolute certainty, he wanted to see her smile at him like that for the rest of his life.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” he asked, reluctantly letting go of her hand.

“I asked how Chewie got into your yard,” she repeated with a small smile.

“I have no idea. I woke up when we you were looking for him and then I heard him scratching at my back door.”

“I woke you up with my yelling?” she asked, her eyes wide with humiliation. It made him want to kiss and cuddle her.

“Don’t worry about it,” he reassured her with a soft smile. “I work from home so I have a weird sleep schedule. I’m just glad the little guy wasn’t lost.” He reached over to scratch under Chewie’s chin and was rewarded with a lick to his hand and cheerful bark. Poe looked stunned.

“He likes you,” she stated incredulously.

“I’m a pretty nice person,” Poe said, shrugging. The dog had begun to squirm in her arms so he reached over and took him from her. Chewie seemed happy with the situation and settled into his arms as he’d been there hundreds of times before.

“No, I mean, I’m sure you are a nice guy. I like you so far, but that’s not what I mean,” Poe stammered out staring at her little dog in the arms of a strange man. “Chewie doesn’t go along with strangers.”

“What do you mean?” Poe asked, confused and trying to ignore her statement about liking him. Man, he was so far gone already.

“My uncle Han gave me Chewie when I moved here, my family did not want me to be all by myself, even if we live in the same city. Long story short, Chewie gets along with my family, but whenever I took him to a public places he would either start barking or be very scared and even shake.”

“Really?” Poe said looking at the puffy goofy ball infront of him.

“I better take him in,” she said, reluctantly. “I have to get him in his kennel so I can go to work.” Poe frowned.

“He’s in a kennel all day while you’re at work?”

“I know,” she replied. “I hate it, but I can’t leave him out or he gets into trouble and I can’t find a doggie daycare that can tame him long enough.” She seemed so upset by the situation.

“He could stay with me,” Poe heard himself saying. Wait, what? Did he just offer to baby-sit a miniature dog for his beautiful neighbor?

“What?” Poe asked him, her tone full of doubt.

He should take it back, but somehow he didn’t want to do that. Chewie liked him and Poe didn’t like the idea of the little guy stuck in a kennel all day. It had nothing to do with the fact that he’d get to see Rey at the of the day.

“Why not?” he asked her. “I’m home most of the time anyway. We could just hang out.”

“What if you need to leave?” Rey asked, still not sure about this.

“Bring his kennel over. I can put him in it if I need to go out,” he told her, finding he liked the idea more and more.

“What is it that you do?”

“I’m a song writer,” he answered, somewhat reluctantly. “and when I feel like it, singer.” People tended to have mixed reactions when he told them what he did.

“Oh no. No, no, no!” she said, shaking her head emphatically.

That was not one of the reactions he was used to, however.

“Excuse me?” Poe’s brows furrowed. What did she have against composers?

“No way. You cannot keep Chewie if you’re a composer,” she told him. “You’ll never get anything done! He may look sweet and innocent, but he can be terror when he wants to be.”

Poe looked down at the tiny ball of fur sleeping in his arms and then looked back at the worried face of his gorgeous neighbor.

“I think I can handle him.” She still looked unsure. “Come on, Rey,” he coaxed. “Let me help you, both of you. We’ll just try it today and see how it goes.”

Rey was silent for a long moment, he could practically see her brain working. Processing all the things that could go wrong. Poe widened his eyes and tilted his head in what his sister called his best “puppy dog face.” He heard her sigh and knew it had worked.

“Ok,” she said. “Just for today.”

Poe grinned, happy in the knowledge that he would get to see her again that evening.

“Why don’t I just take him over to my place now?” he asked, not wanting her to change her mind.

Rey bit her bottom lip and Poe barely managed to repress a groan at the sight. He could see that she was still uncertain about the situation. He stayed silent though, letting her work through it.

“That’ll work,” she finally agreed with a smile. “I’ll go get his stuff together and bring it over, is that ok?”

Poe nodded, trying not to appear too excited. Rey turned and headed into her house. He watched her go before realizing he was staring at her ass again. He shook his head and turned toward his own house.

By the time he entered his back door, Chewie was awake again and squirming to be let down. Poe bent down and gently set the dog on the floor. Chewie took off exploring and instantly Poe realized a problem. The dog was so little he was going to get lost. Poe tried to follow him, but Chewie was crawling around at sniffing in places that were definitely not made for a man his size.

“Hello?”

Poe’s head shot up at the sound of Rey’s voice and cracked against the end table he was currently wedged under.

“Shit!” he swore before he could stop himself.

“Poe?” she called, her voice filled with concern.

“Yeah,” he called back, trying to sound like he wasn’t stuck between his couch and the wall. “I’ll be right there.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Her voice sounded closer that time. He had to get out of there before she saw him. He reached for Chewie, but the little troublemaker had a different idea. He darted past Poe’s outstretched hand, jumped onto his head and crawled across his back.

Chewie gave a little bark when he saw Rey and ran straight for her. Poe closed his eyes in defeat before wiggling his way backwards. There was just no way to look cool doing that, he thought.

Once he was clear of the end table, Poe stood up slowly, brushing his pants off as he went. Looking up he saw Rey holding Chewie, the little traitor, and biting her lips together. Her eyes were twinkling with laughter and she looked so adorable it took everything in him not to reach over and pull her to him.

“I told you he was trouble,” she said laughingly.

“I didn’t realize just how small he was until I got him in here. I was afraid I was going to lose him.” Poe admitted.

Rey nodded holding up the canvas tote bag she had brought with her.

“I brought you a few of his things, they’ll help,” she told him, setting the bag on the coffee table and handing the dog to him. Poe cradled Chewie in one arm and watched Rey pull out more stuff than one tiny dog should have.

“This is probably the most important thing you’ll need,” she told him, holding up what looked to be a tiny clip with a bell attached.

Poe watched as Rey attached the bell to Chewie’s collar. “You can put him down now,” she told him.

Poe obediently set the dog down who immediately began to run around the couch again, the bell jingling as he went.

“Now, you’ll know where he is all the time,” Rey told him as they both watched Chewie. “The rest is his water dish, a few treats and a couple of his toys.” A bit of apprehension was visible in her eyes.

“Hey,” he said, reaching out before he could stop himself and placing a hand lightly on her shoulder. “I’ll take good care of him, I promise.”

Their eyes met and Poe tried to convey reassurance to her in his gaze. He must have succeed because she smiled back.

“I’d better get going. I called my boss to tell him I’d be late, but I have a meeting this morning I can’t miss,” she told him reluctantly.

“We’ll be fine,” he reassured her again.

“Call or text me with any questions or problems. I left his kennel by your back door, just put him in there if you need to leave,” she was firing off instructions and reminders as he walked her toward the back door.

“Poe,” he interrupted. “We’ll be fine. Go to work. We’ll see you later tonight.” She took a deep breath before turning back to him.

“I should be home around 6,” she informed him, reaching behind her for the door knob. “Thank you for doing this.”

“Don’t mention it. Now go to work!” he nudged her gently out the door. He could hear her laughing as she left.

Closing the door behind him, Poe leaned back against it for a moment. The jingling coming from another room in his house reminded him that he wasn’t alone. Smiling, Poe pushed himself back from the door and went in search of the little ball of fluff that was responsible for one of the best mornings he could remember.

[valentinaapower]

Despicable Surprise

Fandom: Supernatural

Pairing: CrowleyxReader

Word count: 1.6k

Warnings: Female!Reader, fluff?, the world ‘hell’ is mentioned a couple times. 

Request: Reader can change her form. When Crowley sees this, he uses it to his advantage. 

Notes: Crowley is so fun to write. Thanks for requesting :)

(Credit to GIF owner)

Years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester had spent the week in a little town in Oregon hunting for you. Just a teen at the time, you had been rallying trouble all over town, appearing as dead figures to people inside their homes in the middle of the night. While you never hurt anyone, the whole town was paranoid and seemingly intrigued at the same time. When the Winchester’s heard about this, they immediately set off in the Impala.

Once they got to the town, they spent hours upon hours researching you and what kind of creature you were. But to no avail, it was like you didn’t even exist. You heard about Sam and Dean from other creatures and took it upon yourself to follow them around town in your true form. You sat close to them at restaurants and followed the Impala around town, you even managed to eavesdrop on some of their conversations.

“Think about it Dean, it’s as if Bobby suddenly came back to life and visited us,” Sam murmured as he and his brother sat in a both at the back of a diner. You sat two seats away from them, listening intently. The name instantly rung a bell. Bobby Singer was one their hunting pals a little ways ago. A smirk formed across your smile as you rose from the booth and walked out of the diner. You walked over to the Impala which was parked in front of the diner and ran your fingertips along it’s cool, black hood, the Winchester’s were going to have a visitor that night.

You waited outside the Winchester’s motel, pretending to read a book. They were chatting about reading over the Lore again as they walked into their room, paying you no mind. You smiled and put the book down, rising to your feet. Your eyes fluttered close, inhaling a deep breath. You felt stars form against your eyelids as your body began to shift. Once you opened your eyes, you looked down at your hands. They were calloused and bruised along with you fingernails which were jagged and chewed. Pleased with yourself, you used the rest of your power to appear inside the Winchester’s motel room.

You sat down in a chair by the front door while their backs were still turned away from you. They rummaged recklessly through a bag which you presumed to full of weapons.

“Sam? Dean?” you asked, pretending to be all confused. A smile was threatening to form on your face as Bobby Singer’s voice spilled from you mouth.

Sam and Dean whipped around, flabbergasted by what they just heard. Dean had a metallic gray gun in clutched between his fingers, it was aimed right between your eyes. Sam looked over to Dean then back to you.

“Bobby?” he asked, taking an uneasy step towards you. Dean puts his hand in front of Sam, blockading him from reaching you.

“C’mon Dean it’s just me,” you acknowledged. You rose to your feet and took a couple steps towards the astonished Winchesters. Dean put his finger on the trigger.

“No..no it's not you. You’re dead,” he insisted. He the pulled the trigger. You watched as a silver bullet emerged from the barrel and flew through your head. It dissipated right after it went through you, but you were not injured at all.

“I’m not a shifter, silver bullets don’t hurt me. Nothing does really,” you groaned and returned to your true form. The Winchester’s faces when they saw that you were just a normal looking teenage girl was laughable.

“Wait...you’re..” Sam stumbled.

“A teenage girl who’s also some weird creature that is immortal and able to shape shift, weird I know. But listen, I am not evil or wrongdoing. In fact, I can help you on you little hunts, if you want,” you suggested.

After you said this, you explained to the Winchester’s your extensive knowledge of hunting and how you were yearning to break free from the boring town you resided in. It took a lot of convincing, but the Winchester’s soon took you under their wing.

Now, after being on the team for years, you fully gained the Winchester's trust and of course, still managed to pull countless pranks on them. Sometimes you’d appear as Bobby, a crossroads demon, or even a girl Dean once with slept with. However, one of your personal favorites was Lucifer which seemed to frighten the Winchester’s every time. Castiel was very confused by this sensation, but you never left him out of a good prank. You often appeared as other angels to him in the middle of the night when he was completely caught off guard. After he realized it was just you, you both shared a good laugh.

For the past couple days, you and the Winchester's had been working on a case involving hellhounds. A couple of hellhound’s were ‘accidentally’ set loose in a town despite the fact that no one made a deal with a crossroads demon. Sam explained to you that, Crowley the crossroads demon and also the King of Hell, was keeping himself entertained by tantalizing defenseless humans. You were intrigued, having never met Crowley

“Sounds like my type of guy,” you joke as Dean plotted out a way to catch the alleged Crowley. Sam snorted.

“Good, because you’re meeting him today,” Sam laughs.

After that, you waited excitedly for the Winchester’s to figure out a way to catch Crowley who sounded a lot like you. Towards the evening, Dean drove you and Sam out towards an old, abandoned storage unit a few miles out of town. There, you set up a Devil’s trap for the crossroads demon.

Sam instructed you to wait behind an old unit until they called you to come out. You obeyed and walked over towards a unit, leaning your back against the cool concrete. You were about to give Crowley the shock of his life. After a couple minutes, you heard Dean begin to recite a summoning. The hairs on the back of your neck eagerly stood up.

“Hello boys,” a cool voice says. Adrenaline ran through your body as you peaked around the storage unit to try and sneak a peak at the crossroads demon. He was decked out in a black suit, rather dapper for what the Winchester’s normally dealt with. Immediately, you took form as Crowley, awaiting on when the Winchester’s would call you.

“So where have your hellhounds been recently? Because whatever doggy daycare you’ve been keeping them at is not cutting it,” Dean chews.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Crowley utters. You watch as Dean nods his head.

“Yeah, I’m sure you don’t. But you don’t want to hear us question you, do ya?” Dean asks.

Crowley looks around the unit, “Considering I am in a lovely Devil’s trap that seems to be the only thing I can do. Although, if there is another option then I’ll take it,” Crowley explains.

“Good,” Dean says, not breaking eye contact with crossroads demon, “Y/N,” Dean calls. You stepped out from behind the unit, a mirror reflection of the demon standing in the trap. Sam and Dean’s eyes widen once they see you, but they don’t say anything about it.

“Crowley, this is Y/N,” Dean murmurs as you step up to the edge of the Devil’s trap.

“Hello, Y/N, you’re very handsome looking,” Crowley sneers as he looks you up and down. Sam makes his way over to you.

“If anything goes wrong just call us,” he whispers.

Dean shifts his weight from foot to foot, “You and Y/N are going to have a little chat. We’ll be back,” Dean says as turns on the ball of his heel towards the exit. Sam follows him.

“What, where are you going?” Crowley asks. The Winchester’s ignore him and walk out of the storage unit, leaving you and Crowley alone. Crowley looks over to you.

“So Y/N, what’s it like being a shifter?” he asks, keeping his tone low. You snorted.

“I’m not a shifter,” you reply in his voice, “I’m something much more powerful than a shifter.”

Crowley perks his eyebrows, “Is that so?” he asks.

You nod your head.

“In that case, what are you?” he asks.

You shrug and begin to walk around the perimeter of the Devil’s trap, “There’s not really a name for it. I’m more of a mutant than anything,” you reply.

“A mutant,” Crowley replies, “Seems pretty cool to me.”

You smile, “Trust me, it is.”

Silence fills the air as Crowley continues to study you despite the fact that you looked exactly like him.

“Do you ever show your true form?” Crowley asks suddenly, taking his hands out of his pockets.

"I'm supposed to be the interrogator in this conversation," you testify.

Crowley doesn't break his eye contact, "I asked you a question."

You stop at the edge of the Devil's trap, looking at Crowley dead in the eye, “Oh Crowley, if you want to see my true form, you’ll have to take me out to dinner first,” you tease, shooting him a wink.

Crowley smiles, “Perhaps I will,” he says.

You feel your cheeks heat up as Crowley lifts his hand and snaps his fingers. Suddenly, you’re back in your true form. The slightest bit of authority you held slipped away before your eyes.

“Hmm,” Crowley mumbles as he looks you up and down. You rest your hands on your hips.

“How did you do that?” you asked impatiently.

Crowley smirks, “I’m the King of Hell, I can do anything,” he says. Shivers trickle down your spine.

He snaps his fingers again and your suddenly dressed in a long and elegant black gown with red undertones. Your feet are done up in tall, red stilettos. Something heavy sits on your head. Your fingers reach up to feel a crown sitting upon your hair. You look down at yourself in bewilderment then back up and Crowley.

“There we go,” he says, obviously pleased with himself, “Now you look like the Queen of Hell,” he smirks.

[dixie78]

What is Your Dream Job?

Show up. 

Dive in. 

Persevere. 

Sometimes you’ll win.  Sometimes you’ll lose. 

Presuming a reservoir of goodness in others can be a risk, and there will be times when the process disappoints you. 

But for those of us fortunate enough to have been a part of this work, to see it up close, let me tell you, it can energize and inspire.

Barack Obama’s Farewell Speech January 10, 2017.

……………………

To write a speech is to love words.

I hear words. I see words. I love words. Sometimes even swear words.

Laid back, eyes lightly closed, I inhale the seductive, burning orange warmth of the sun passing through the silky curtains that are my eyelids, highlighting the tiny capillaries that snake hither and thither, tracing paths and journeys both backwards and forwards.

Opening my eyes, I absorb the blue bowl of the sky curving over, a wide open ocean that flows tones and scents and beckons me to choose a direction, any direction … life is improvisation.

Life is an artistic improvisation. Why can’t our jobs, our vocations, be a part of that art?

We day dream, we night dream. We envision ourselves as Walter Mitty, taking on bold adventures that stir our blood.

We plan and map a direction, but when a shifting tide sends a new purpose or invigorating question to be answered, why wouldn’t we choose the flexible path?

The Yellow Brick Road sends forks our way constantly when we keep our YES open. New directions and exciting visions appear over the horizon regularly like the perennially dawning day.

I grew up with career dreams, some that became satisfying reality, some that lingered and then… evaporated away like whistling steam rising from a kettle.

……………………

I once dreamed of becoming a speechwriter.

Words.

Words can elevate to music. A turn of phrase… a pause… served with a side dish of smile.

Words spoken by Barack Obama, or Winston Churchill, or Meryl Streep or Martin Luther King Jr. have a rhythm and a harmony that seeps inside us, leaving a lingering indentation in our soulful minds of beauty and strength and inspiration. There’s a hit parade of those speechifying moments that play inside our heads….

“I have a dream…”

“… ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country. “

“…if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”

“Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose.”

Symphonies of spoken words.

Donald Trump, despite being wonderful and fabulous and terrific, will never be a music man, a crafter of words that encourage and elevate… only humiliate. More weeds than flowers.

He’ll never give an individual other than himself a wondrous sense of personal hope or pride. Trump vomits children’s fairy tales and tart bubblegum phrases, filling the air with smoggy disharmonic tones.

OK. Enough of the Donald.

Listening to the moving oration of Barack Obama the other night simultaneously resurrected and then laid to rest a childlike dream in my head.

I’ve long held this thin dream of becoming a speechwriter, a winsome wordsmith that polishes those gifted with influence and charisma. For me, mixing a recipe of words into a delicious repast is as fun as making sandcastles on a warm beach, Beach Boys’ harmonies and the salty scent of french fries in the air.

I love the music of words where a phrase or metaphor touches us inside, finding a responsive or reactionary soft spot that carries huge meaning and import. Each of us has our own lifetime of experience, a personal filter that makes us susceptible to universal notions.

Dream jobs exist inside all of us.

In addition to my speechwriting dream, I found one in a bartender’s apron these past two years. I’m on the lookout for more.

Actor, winemaker, undertaker, pilot, baker, bed & breakfast owner, chocolatier, doggie daycare owner, photographer, fashion designer, rock star, interior designer, screenwriter, sushi chef.  There are 4 or 5 fantasies in that list for me.

The list goes on and on and fits each of us in a different way.

The world will take an abrupt and profound turnabout this coming week as the Obama family lifts away in a helicopter to pursue their own future dreams. Feathers in the wind.

As the whirlybird rises, my fragile speechwriting dream will haul up stakes and be thrust into a dark closet like an unloved, unused treadmill or bowling ball. That’s OK.

It’s OK because there is no shortage of dreams and dream jobs that can invigorate and enthrall any of us.

Dreams… like pi, money, love, time, and human imagination are infinite …

Oh, and Zombie movies, I’m pretty sure they’re infinite too.

[powerfulexistance]

I'm pretty furious. Why is it that SD people always get strangers walking up to us and telling us about how they break the law by bringing pets into non-pet friendly areas? I s2g... [Story 1] So I work at a doggy daycare that is part of a chain but the owners make all the rules (ie, don't have to adhere to any standards besides their own). Personally I think this is dangerous. Sure, I get perks like bringing my intact (in heat) bitch to work (just to crate her during my shift-- normally this would be a big no-no at a chain) BUT it also allows for staff to make changes as they see fit. For example we keep several dogs per night to board with us. Some dogs are regulars, some are there for the first time. Several have sever anxiety about being in the building at all and will refuse to eat for days on end. One of the manager's solution to this has been to takes dogs home with herself/let staff take dogs home so they can feel more comfortable. (No no no no no that is not okay. On so many levels. Even if anyone had permission I really think it is waaaaay too dangerous.) Anyways I had a co-worker the other day say that she was going to take a dog home (without asking to) and afterwards FAKE IT AS A SD AND TAKE IT TO THE MOVIES. I could not believe that she had said those words to me. She spent a good five minutes talking about which dog would make the best fake before I threatened tattling on her. And I ended up spending several hours resting after work to get my heart rate down and ensure she didn't do as she had planned. But you know what? Almost every single employee has fucking keys to this place. And we don't have 24/7 human surveillance so really anyone could come in and "borrow" a dog at any point in time. It greatly sickens me to think about honestly, but I do tend to think about worse case scenarios very often. [Story 2] Another fake SD story happened today when another coworker confided in me that she very often takes her little dog into stores because "what are they going to do about it?" I was so upset. I tried educating her on how to get her dog correctly labeled as an ESA which she was thankful for... but in the long run I think that I just gave her tips on how to fake better. It was just a disaster.

[thetruamatrilogy]

I love when one of the littles just starts sobbing because we had a rough morning, and is overcome with guilt and loneliness

[kathydsalters31]

Reduce Separation Anxiety: How to Prepare Your Dog For When You Return to Work

We’ve all seen the memes about canines living their best lives with their animal moms and dads and families regularly in your home. The stubborn belly massages, snuggles and also walks the neighborhood are unlimited. Yet as the coronavirus

shelter-at-home orders begin to finish and you discover on your own spending even more time outside of your home, your pet dog may begin to experience separation anxiety. Currently is the time to begin alleviating your canine into this shift and assist them remember what life is like when they are alone, so it does not really feel so abrupt or frightening. Develop A Routine Have you fallen out of your day-to-day routine? Dogs prosper off a routine which sets assumptions as well as makes them feel secure. If you’ve been feeding your puppy at random times during the day, start to feed them at the times you generally would before and also after work. While functioning, put your pet dog in a cage or in another room, separate from you et cetera of your family members, for a couple of hours so they can obtain accustomed to not being in your visibility. Take your day-to-day walks at the time you would each morning or night. You can even go through your typical early morning regimen: prepare, make morning meal, pack your job bag, leave your house and begin your automobile. This is a great means for your canine to obtain comfortable once again with your routine.

Exercise Leaving and Returning

When you leave the house and also return, test your dog’s actions. Go out the door as well as lock it. Wait a couple of minutes before you come back in. Do you hear your canine barking, scraping or whining at the door? These in addition to howling, drooling, panting and chewing doors are indications of separation anxiety. Maintain a calm attitude as well as positively commend your canine when you come back into the residence. If you locate your puppy obtaining agitated when you leave, switch on the radio or TELEVISION to give them history noise and some peace of mind.

If your pet dog is taking part in severe, harmful habits while you’re away, call your vet or a canine behaviorist to review alternative training and also choices to keep them calm.

supply Independent Playtime

Engage your pet in fun independent play. While these activities provide physical and also mental excitement, they also give thrilling home entertainment. Fortunately is that you can build these tasks and also makes these treats by using things around your home. Try a few of these suggestions to learn what your canine loves:

Muffin Tin Brain Game– offers extra brain stimulation

Pupsicles– a refreshing reward that doubles as a plaything

Kong Treats– things them with peanut butter as well as freeze them

Following time you leave your house, treat them to pet delicacy aka their favored food thing or bone, something that will certainly take them awhile to eat. This way, they link you leaving as a good idea since they obtain an exciting, unique reward to enjoy when they are alone. Be careful, they just may start begging you to leave.

Take them to Dogtopia Daycare

When you can not be with them, daycare is the excellent area for your pet dog to get the socializing and also workout they need. Make plans now to assist your canine stay clear of the doggie blues by scheduling some play at your regional Dogtopia. Your pet will love having fun with other pet dogs of similar dimension and also personality as well as you’ll have assurance understanding they are being viewed by a highly trained as well as caring team. And also, you can check in on them from home or job by means of online webcams. Each pet is reviewed to ensure they fit in our open-play atmosphere, as well as we see to it all dogs have the appropriate inoculations. With lots of open play, socialization and exercise in a tidy and safe environment, they’ll get home a pleased and also weary puppy, and you’ll avoid the guilt of leaving them alone, a win-win for everybody!

Find a Dogtopia daycare center near you. As our life starts to return to our brand-new typical, do not ignore your dog! Make sure you carry out activities and regimens to assist make this a smooth transition for them and also relieve their separation anxiety. source http://www.luckydogsolutions.com/minimize-separation-anxiety-how-to-prepare-your-dog-for-when-you-return-to-work/

from Lucky Dog Solutions https://luckydogsolutions.blogspot.com/2020/07/reduce-separation-anxiety-how-to.html

[barryswamsleyaz]

Reduce Separation Anxiety: How to Prepare Your Dog For When You Return to Work

We’ve all seen the memes about canines living their best lives with their animal moms and dads and families regularly in your home. The stubborn belly massages, snuggles and also walks the neighborhood are unlimited. Yet as the coronavirus

shelter-at-home orders begin to finish and you discover on your own spending even more time outside of your home, your pet dog may begin to experience separation anxiety. Currently is the time to begin alleviating your canine into this shift and assist them remember what life is like when they are alone, so it does not really feel so abrupt or frightening. Develop A Routine Have you fallen out of your day-to-day routine? Dogs prosper off a routine which sets assumptions as well as makes them feel secure. If you’ve been feeding your puppy at random times during the day, start to feed them at the times you generally would before and also after work. While functioning, put your pet dog in a cage or in another room, separate from you et cetera of your family members, for a couple of hours so they can obtain accustomed to not being in your visibility. Take your day-to-day walks at the time you would each morning or night. You can even go through your typical early morning regimen: prepare, make morning meal, pack your job bag, leave your house and begin your automobile. This is a great means for your canine to obtain comfortable once again with your routine.

Exercise Leaving and Returning

When you leave the house and also return, test your dog’s actions. Go out the door as well as lock it. Wait a couple of minutes before you come back in. Do you hear your canine barking, scraping or whining at the door? These in addition to howling, drooling, panting and chewing doors are indications of separation anxiety. Maintain a calm attitude as well as positively commend your canine when you come back into the residence. If you locate your puppy obtaining agitated when you leave, switch on the radio or TELEVISION to give them history noise and some peace of mind.

If your pet dog is taking part in severe, harmful habits while you’re away, call your vet or a canine behaviorist to review alternative training and also choices to keep them calm.

supply Independent Playtime

Engage your pet in fun independent play. While these activities provide physical and also mental excitement, they also give thrilling home entertainment. Fortunately is that you can build these tasks and also makes these treats by using things around your home. Try a few of these suggestions to learn what your canine loves:

Muffin Tin Brain Game– offers extra brain stimulation

Pupsicles– a refreshing reward that doubles as a plaything

Kong Treats– things them with peanut butter as well as freeze them

Following time you leave your house, treat them to pet delicacy aka their favored food thing or bone, something that will certainly take them awhile to eat. This way, they link you leaving as a good idea since they obtain an exciting, unique reward to enjoy when they are alone. Be careful, they just may start begging you to leave.

Take them to Dogtopia Daycare

When you can not be with them, daycare is the excellent area for your pet dog to get the socializing and also workout they need. Make plans now to assist your canine stay clear of the doggie blues by scheduling some play at your regional Dogtopia. Your pet will love having fun with other pet dogs of similar dimension and also personality as well as you’ll have assurance understanding they are being viewed by a highly trained as well as caring team. And also, you can check in on them from home or job by means of online webcams. Each pet is reviewed to ensure they fit in our open-play atmosphere, as well as we see to it all dogs have the appropriate inoculations. With lots of open play, socialization and exercise in a tidy and safe environment, they’ll get home a pleased and also weary puppy, and you’ll avoid the guilt of leaving them alone, a win-win for everybody! Find a Dogtopia daycare center near you. As our life starts to return to our brand-new typical, do not ignore your dog! Make sure you carry out activities and regimens to assist make this a smooth transition for them and also relieve their separation anxiety.

from Lucky Dog Solutions http://www.luckydogsolutions.com/minimize-separation-anxiety-how-to-prepare-your-dog-for-when-you-return-to-work/ from Lucky Dog Solutions https://luckydogsolutions.tumblr.com/post/622543829085650944

[phoenixburncold]

I've had a bad two years

Don't get me wrong, I've had some good moments in the past two years.

It's just the worst kind of things have happened in the last two years.

I moved across the country, which was incredibly stressful. Right before we moved my first, very reliable car, started overheating when idling - which happened a lot as I was a delivery driver.

We looked at apartments across the country over a weekend (read one Saturday) and went back home still unsure if we had a place to live... we did but it took a week of emails to be sure.

We moved, having leaving behind over half of our stuff in donations or by the side of the road, travelling the 18+hours with two cats and no sleep.

I found a job soon after moving.

It sucked. I worked a 5am shift at a warehouse. I couldn't make rate after 3 months, and I was wrecking my shoulder and arm in the process. To add to it, I was getting nauseous for the first 3 hours of being awake at 4am 5 days a week. So I quit.

Got a job at Walmart. Told the manager I could work a few closing shifts but only a few. Manager had me working every night with a closing shift except one day every week, sometimes all by myself which was a job for 2 at the least.

Quit that job.

My mom killed herself two weeks before Christmas with a bullet to the head. I hadn't talked to her for two years because she wanted to stay with her abusive, evil, homophobic, racist, misogynistic husband.

Was jobless for a few months.

My fiance's old car, my new car, broke its gas pump with no warning. I didnt know anything was wrong until it started making a horrible grinding noise. Had to get rid of it and buy a new car.

My new car is great though! It's a pretty car and newer than I've ever had.

Got a job at a doggy daycare. Stressful, too much cleaning, too loud, the bosses got offended when I said I wasn't going to get maimed for a job. The money was minimum wage and not enough to pay all my bills.

Quit.

Didn't get my tax return yet despite filing in the first week of March, because my name change happened last year after I did my taxes. I won't be seeing it until August probably, which sucks because I was banking on it for the new move in apartment and vacation.

Started working at Sam's club bakery. My dominant hand hurts all the time and is swollen constantly.

I stopped talking to my brother a few months back when I knew something was wrong with him; he said he'd come over across the country to see me and then demanded I pay for so many things. I told him no, I don't have the money to drop like that. He never showed up, then later said he lost his wallet, phone, and laptop all at once. I didnt buy it, and when he facetimed me last he looked high but denied it. He got arrested recently. He stole a gun and car from his father and was found to be making and dealing drugs. He's probably gonna get White Male Privileged with a slap on the wrist which pisses me off to no end. It's the Bible belt where a white man is god, so ugh.

Just moved into a new, smaller place last weekend. Last night, I couldn't sleep because something was rattling in the closet, so I went to work on 2 hours of sleep today.

I was hired to Sam's club under specific requirements by me. I told the hiring manager I had to have a weekend day off because my fiance has the weekend off and I want to spend a day with him. I also told him I couldn't close every night. The whole company is now changing its scheduling so everyone works the same shift every day; there is only opening shift - starting at 5am WHICH I DEFINITELY CAN'T DO, see above, or closing shift which means I'd leave work around 1030pm or later. This is not what I was hired on for. I am so angry about it. I don't like bouncing around with jobs. I don't like being in pain all the time.

I am so very tired. My spirit is exhausted. My body is weary. I'm getting my first vacation in years next month and I desperately need it but I might have to dip into my savings to afford it.

My fiance is amazing. He's handled my mood swings from grief and depression with love and support. I love him so.

I hope next year is the start of good times. I'll even take the last half of this year to be good.

[escapingreality1992]

The Calm Effect of Hearts Ch. 7

It had been six weeks since I had been released from the hospital meaning that I no longer needed the cast on my arm, the doctors cutting the cast off, freeing me. My arm had felt like rubber from being in it for so long, but it also meant that I could start my cleaning job in the compound. This day, however, I would find myself alone for the entire day.           Early in the morning the sheets shifted a little causing me to stir thinking something was wrong; Bucky could’ve been having a nightmare and required my comfort.

           This wasn’t the case, of course. Bucky had gotten up on his own accord, my eyes cracking open at the sight of him wearing cargo pants and pulling a dark shirt over his head. He had just strapped on his combat vest when he heard my voice.

           “Bucky? What time is it?” I asked, my voice hoarse with sleepiness I hadn’t experienced in a long time, not since my days working at the doggie daycare.

           “It’s four a.m. I’m sorry if I woke you. We’re headed out for a mission and we’ll be gone most of the day. Go back to sleep if you can. I’ll see you when we get back,” he answered, kneeling by the bed, holding my hand.

           “S’okay. Be safe. I love you,”

           “I love you too. See you later this evening,”

He kissed me before standing up and walking out the door. I let myself drift off, my lips tingling from his kiss.

           I woke up again three hours later to my alarm blaring loud from my phone, it being cleaning day after all. Groaning, I reached out, shutting it off and throwing off the covers; I sat up, my bare feet touching the soft, velvet carpet and stretched my arms above my head. The tank top I was wearing rose up enough to show a thin line of skin that was my stomach. I rolled my head in a circle, releasing the tension in my neck, spreading my toes as well; I was trying to get the blood flowing throughout my body. I stood up to my full five feet 1 inch height and walked over to my dresser picking out fresh underwear, a bra that was made for physical activity, a tank top and soft cotton shorts.

           Changing quickly, I pulled my dark blonde hair into a ponytail and got to work. The plan was to clean up around the compound starting with both labs. Finding the cleaning supplies located in a supply closet downstairs in the hallway between the lounge and the kitchen, I made my way first to Tony’s lab and then to Bruce’s. I didn’t know exactly how they liked to organize things, doing my best to leave the most important things visible in case they needed them at a later time.

           “Miss Jensen? Would you like some music while you work?” the A.I. voice everyone called FRIDAY asked, startling me in the deafening silence.

           “I…uh…yes. Please play pop music or just a mix of different tracks,” I stated, resuming dusting down the desks.

           “Yes Miss Jensen,” the A.I. responded, an upbeat song playing over the speakers. I swept up the dirt on the floor before running a squirt mop over the swept areas making it sparkle, dancing to the music. Moving on to each Avenger’s rooms I brought down the individual hampers downstairs to the laundry room, sorting the different sets of clothes; the clothing I wasn’t sure how to wash I set aside for the dry cleaners. Once sorted by color and by Avenger I threw in the first load and set the hampers on the long counter space to put each of their clothes in once they were dry and folded.

           Since I didn’t know what to specifically hand I figured I’d leave that up to them later. I told FRIDAY to alert me when the washer and dryer timers went off so that I could switch out the different loads as I went about cleaning the rest of the compound. After that I decided to clean each room, vacuuming, dusting, and making the beds. I was almost done with Wanda’s room-going back and forth to the laundry room to attend to the loads of laundry-I decided to see what time it was; FRIDAY telling me it was approaching one in the afternoon.

           “It’s time for lunch, I guess,” I mumbled to myself. Retreating down to the kitchen I found only ramen noodles hanging out in the pantry, nothing much in the fridge par from yogurt, orange juice, and the usual condiments.

           “Remind me to go to the store when I go out to the dry cleaners please FRIDAY?” I called out getting a short affirmative response. Pouring myself a cup of water while I waited for the noodles to heat up, I pondered what to fix for the next three days. It came down to spaghetti and meatballs, chicken, zucchini, and squash, finally deciding on tuna and asparagus for the third night; I also decided on picking up sandwich meat and bread in case someone didn’t want my choices.

           “How do I pay for this anyway?” I muttered to myself.

           “Mr. Stark left a card for you in the briefing room when you recovered enough to start working,” FRIDAY responded to my passing thought. Oh, well that was nice of him, I thought, a faint smile appearing on my lips. I finished lunch and sped through the last two rooms and put in another load of laundry, making the decision to head out after doing so. I silenced the music before I took the elevator down to the garage, grabbing the keys to my car from the key hooks, dry cleaning in hand and got in to leave for the store. Dropping off the dry cleaning after asking FRIDAY which one they usually go to, I went to a local supermarket to do some shopping. I picked up things I had compiled onto a list, throwing in two packs of chocolate chip cookies as a bonus and left; the dry cleaning would be able to pick up the next day.

           Returning back to the compound, I unloaded the groceries and set to work on vacuuming the lounge and dusting off the tables, two loads of laundry left to do. I swept and mopped the kitchen, washing the dishes left in the sink, moving on to the training room; I repeated my previous steps of the other two rooms, straightening up the equipment after I was finished. I breathed in a sigh of relaxation, pleased with what I had accomplished today.

           “Miss Jensen, it’s now seven o’clock,” FRIDAY informed me, the set reminder meaning that I needed to start dinner, tonight being spaghetti and meatballs. At this point I was sweaty from constantly moving around, so I took a quick shower, changing into pajama shorts and a tank top, making my way to the kitchen; I started crafting the meatballs with basil, salt, pepper and oregano, cooking them in pan with oil, adding the spicy tomato sauce once the meatballs had been cooked through. I let the sauce simmer, preparing the water for the pasta, occasionally stirring the sauce so it wouldn’t burn.

           As I was still waiting for the water to boil, my phone buzzed on the counter. Checking it, I saw the message from Bucky telling me it’d be nine before they’d get home; I’d be dining alone tonight. I sent back okay and texted him that I loved him receiving his ‘I love you too’ message he had sent in response. My attention returned to the now boiling water; I broke the pasta in sections, breaking the dry noodles in half, making it easier to fit in the pot. 11 minutes later, I strained the pasta from the hot water, spooning the noodles on a plate; the sauce and meatballs following suit. I sat down at the dining table, making sure everything was turned off with the stove.

           “Hey FRIDAY, can you turn on the TV and find me a horror movie to watch?” I asked, not wanting to be in complete silence as I ate dinner. She turned it to a movie I’d seen before, that very horror movie still sending chills down my spine. Once I was finished my meal, I cleaned up, placing the leftovers in a large container and putting it in the fridge for later; maybe my friends would want some when they got home. Checking the time-the oven clock read 8:30- I decided on baking the cookies, setting the dough on two baking sheets since I bought two packs; there would be plenty for everyone when they returned. I resumed my horror movie binge, waiting on the couch while the cookies did their thing. I was comfortable under the blankets and completely in tune with the movie I was watching that I jumped when all of the Avengers burst in…well okay, they only walked in but their voices startled me.

           “I really wanted to come home and…go to bed. Wow, it’s super clean in here,” Tony stated, his jaw dropping open taking everything in. His gaze landed on me and he swept his arms in a wide arc.

           “Did you clean this entire place…in one day?” he asked, still in shock.

           “Yeah, and I even made dinner for everyone. It’s nothing fancy, just spaghetti and meatballs. Or if you don’t want that, there’s some sandwich meat and bread if you’d prefer. You’re home a few minutes early, in time for cookies,” I responded, the timer going off a second after I stopped speaking. I got up from the couch to go into the kitchen in order to pull the sheets out.

           “Cookies? You made cookies? Bucky, dude, your girlfriend is amazing!” Sam spoke next, on my heels on the way to the kitchen.

           “I know. It’s why I love her,” Bucky commented, leaning on the counter as I pulled out the pans, laying them out to cool.

           “They’re chocolate chip if that’s okay. Oh, the laundry is done. I wasn’t sure what to hand or fold so your clothes are folded neatly in the hampers. What I didn’t know how to wash, I sent to the dry cleaners. Tony, Bruce, I tried my best to clean your labs but I wasn’t sure how to organize thing but I left what I thought was important visible in case you needed it. What? Why are you staring at me like that?” I explained, surprised to see the bewildered looks on their faces.

           “How the hell did we end up with someone so awesome like Abigail?” Natasha asked, popping part of a cookie in her mouth.

           “Thank Bucky. If it weren’t for him ambushing her on their first meeting, I don’t think we’d have ever met her or experienced her amazing personality,” Steve noted. Heat flooded my face, my eyes downcast, the compliments throwing me off guard. I felt someone caress my cheek, turning to look up at Bucky, who pulled me into a gentle kiss. When we pulled apart, the adoration in his eyes made my heart swell.

           “You two make the most perfect couple. Come on; let’s watch a feel-good movie before we go to bed. It’ll help us relax from our long day,” Steve said, grabbing a couple of cookies and sitting on one of the couches. Bucky and I joined him, Bucky pulling me into his lap, my head on his shoulder. Others made their dinners; some heated up the leftover pasta, some wanted sandwiches, either way the night ended with laughter and joy with the best company one could ever hope for.