#you are probably fine to socialize them With Supervision or By The Time Puppy Is Walking but before that. the risks

[mantisgodsdomain]

Betas dropkick children...

unfortunately a small children may appear very similar to any other small and huntable animal when you are set up with instincts that really really badly want you to chase and jump on small moving objects and bite them very hard in a very lethal way. as you can see this can cause incidents

[space-mermaid-writing]

The witchling and the god [Loki x Witch!Reader] Chapter 13

Summary: The Avengers were looking for someone to help Loki fit in with the team. To become socially acceptable, so to speak. He had been given the choice of sitting in a cell in Asgard or serving some sort of community service probation on Midgard. The Avengers and Shield both felt that as long as Loki was on Earth, he should be under supervision. This is now your job. Why? Because you’re a witch. You’re not sure why this qualifies you, but here you are, giving it a shot. What could possibly go wrong?

Tags: Witch!Reader, Magic, Witches, slow burn, everybody lives in the tower, character development, Loki‘s redemption, Stephen Strange is a friend, Loki and Stephen are frenemies, Tony Stark is a good bro, kids love Loki, Tony has stupid nicknames for everybody, eventual smut

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Read it on AO3 | Previous | Next

Chapter's Note: Beta by @zaria-04

Chapter 13: Have you ever thought about it?

"We're not alone," Loki says quietly. "Someone is following us."

You perk up, but you can't hear more than a rustling in the undergrowth. Loki takes a step between you and the trees, you feel the density of his magic increase around him as if he were gathering it. A low growl sounds from between the trees, and it is picked up by two or three more creatures. It is menacing, but still you can’t see any beast.

But you know exactly what lurks there. You step up next to Loki and put your hand on his, which he has raised, in case he has to defend you.

"It's fine," you tell him. "Lower your magic. It's threatening them."

Now it is he who looks at you questioningly. You smile reassuringly at him and look in no way concerned. So he does as you say. Instantly, the growling stops.

Still holding his hand, you make your way through the undergrowth into the forest, pulling the Asgardian with you. Directly to where the growls had come from.

You hear rustling, from your steps and from whatever else is out there. It's familiar to you, and you're actually sorry that you're actually on your way to make a delivery and don't have time for an extended meeting.

After a few yards you find a small clearing, at the edge of which you stop. You glance back, but the open field is no longer visible from here.

"You can come out," you tell the forest.

There is another rustling sound and then a wolf appears on the opposite side. He is much larger than he should be, nearly twice as tall and wider as well. The proportions of his legs are odd, a little too long, and if you pay attention to his paws, you see that they are not quite correct for a regular wolf either. His black eyes are on Loki, following his every move.

You wave at the wolf in greeting.

A pup jumps out from between the wolf's feet. He wags his tail and seems quite happy to see you, for he makes an excited 'huff'. He briefly turns his head up at the larger wolf and then, as if given some sort of silent permission, comes running to you. Smiling, you crouch down to greet him.

"Bonjour Noah, it's nice to see you."

You are pleased to see that the medicine you had given Yvette seems to have held its effect, for the puppy looks well recovered and fit. You hold out your hand for him to sniff and sign to your companion to do the same. "This is Loki from Asgard. He is a friend."

You speak to the cub, but your words are loud enough for his pack to hear. Noah seems fascinated by Loki, probably never had the opportunity to smell an Asgardian before, because he walks around him curiously.

There are noises from moving twigs and leaves all around you and more wolves step to the edge of the clearing. Eight of them in total. They have different colors ranging from gray to brown, but none is as large as the alpha across from you. Still, together they are an eerie sight. You wonder if they were on their way to you or just happened to be in the area. Normally, they move at dusk or in the dark so as not to be seen by walkers. But since none of the Bullions shift and you don't understand them in this form, you don't get an answer to that question.

Yelping, Noah tries to jump up at Loki. Young pups always have a lot of energy no matter whether they’re dogs, wolves or werewolves. A warning tone from the alpha calls him to order. A little reluctantly, Noah breaks away from you and trots back to him.

Loki and you rise again. "I'm afraid we're on our way to the town right now, but I'll be back soon," you say, and the wolf moves his head as if nodding in agreement. Then he turns and leaves, and with him the other animals disappear into the forest, as silently as they came.

You both step back onto the path.

"Shapeshifter?" You are asked by Loki, who had remained quiet all this time. He trusted you to have the situation under control and didn't want to provoke the pack by saying a wrong word. He, of all people.

You nod. "Werewolves."

Loki makes an amused sound. "You have interesting friends," he says as you continue on your way.

"Of course," you grin, "Only the best. You're one of them."

He chuckles.

The retirement home is located on the outskirts of a small town. Your path crosses onto a paved road that leads downhill to the large building. It has many windows and small balconies, and there is a terrace in the back, but nobody is sitting outside today. It's too cold for that.

The main entrance leads you into a large foyer where a young woman sits at the front desk to greet you. You've known Suzie since she started working here a few years ago after graduating from high school. Her father is a nurse here at the house, and her mother works in accounting. Her grandparents were also from this town and Suzie herself would never think of moving away from here. She loves this little countryside place way too much.

When she sees you, she greets you with a smile before her eyes wander curiously to Loki.

"Hi Suzie, is Eloise here? I'm bringing her order," you ask her.

"Yes, she should be in the dining hall or kitchen."

Thanking her, you lead Loki left through a door and then down a wide hallway. Suzie's gaze follows you until she can no longer see you.

"She was ogling you. Be prepared for her to ask for your number later," you tell the Asgardian.

"I don't blame her." Loki shoots you a quick look. "Jealous?"

"So, what if?" you ask, amused.

"I could decline her number – if you want."

"You don't even have a phone."

Loki snaps, making an expression as if he hadn't even thought of that. "Oh, yeah right."

It's clear he's joking and you shake your head fondly. This kind of banter feels comfortable.

The dining hall is a large room with tables arranged into groups. Retirees are sitting there, eating. It's just about lunchtime. You wave to some who look up and recognize you. You know some of them by name, you have treated them or simply spent afternoons here helping out.

You can’t find Eloise, so you go to the serving hatch on the wall. From there, a cook sees you and calls into the kitchen. "Eloise, a visitor for you!"

You see her head pop up from behind a kitchen shelf, and when she spots you, she comes to you through a door to the right of the hatch.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd finally get here," she greets you with a hug. Eloise is a middle-aged strawberry-blonde woman, petite in size, but with a big heart. Always wearing high heels, even though she's on her feet all day. That's an impressive feat.

Her gaze wanders to Loki and she extends her hand to him. "Hi, I'm Eloise. I run this facility."

"Nice to meet you." The Asgardian wears his best smile as he shakes her hand. "My name is Loki, and I'm afraid I'm to blame for our lateness."

Eloise's eyes move to you curiously, but you let it go uncommented.

"We bring the delivery," you say instead, pointing to the bottles in the basket.

"Great. Can you put them on the shelf behind the counter there?" she instructs Loki, who nods and takes care of it.

Eloise seems to have sent him away just to have a quick word with you, because she takes you aside.

"You never mentioned you had such a handsome boyfriend. You can bring him around more often. If you're not too busy." Her meaningful look tells you what kind of business she means. Before you can object, though, she keeps talking. "Do you want to stay for dinner? Fish is on the menu today."

Loki pops up next to you and answers before you can. "We would love to." At that, he puts his arm around your waist like that would be a normal thing to do for him.

"Excellent. Get your food at the hatch, I'll find us a table."

Loki grins with satisfaction and winks at you as you grab your plates at the kitchen pass-through. You let him have his fun; it could be quite amusing. Besides, you suspect he's expecting a reaction from you, and not showing one might irritate him. At least that's what you think. As you toss him a quick glance, it only seems to encourage him in his fun.

You sit down at the table with Eloise, who only takes a coffee. She is at least polite enough to wait with her first question until the both of you have put down your plates and sat down.

"So, where did you two meet?"

"At work," you reply rather curtly, suspecting that her curiosity knows no bounds if you give her too much information.

Loki silently disagrees with that course of action. "She was hired for an important project. Really did an excellent job," he tells her.

Eloise raises her eyebrows. "You didn't tell me about a new project," she says, turning to you, but again it is Loki who answers.

"Of course not, there was a high level of secrecy. The client is very rich and famous." He puts his arm on the back of your chair and turns his face to you as he continues to speak to Eloise. "She is one of the best. What can I say? It's hard not to recognize her worth."

His words actually make you blush a little as you are so unexpectedly praised by him. Especially when he then leans in and gives you a kiss on your hair.

You give him a warning look while Eloise lets out an "Aaww".

"I'm afraid this project is also to blame for her not having as much time for the rest of her work." To an untrained listener, he sounds almost apologetic, but you know that's not the case. Of course it isn't. He loves to play these kinds of games. "And I'll probably keep her busy for a while. Maybe I'll even steal her away for a romantic vacation trip."

"How about the Mediterranean? I heard it‘s great for vacation," you suggest, just to add anything else to the conversation.

"You know I prefer cooler temperatures," he reminds you, as if you'd forgotten. "How about Scandinavia? I could show you the northern lights."

"That would be nice..." you mutter quietly, because it really would. You decide to stay out of the conversation before you say any more that gives you away. Loki and Eloise are having a splendid conversation, with the Asgardian never tiring of praising you. It's unusual, but not unpleasant. You only wish that he really meant all those things and that they weren't just for show.

You leave soon after dinner. You thank Eloise for the meal and take the empty basket. When you leave, Suzie is not at the front desk, so you don't know if she would have really asked Loki for his number.

Meanwhile, the sky has become even more overcast with clouds. "That was fun. I should join you at work more often," Loki notes.

You can well imagine that Eloise and Suzie wouldn't mind seeing him again. But before you can answer, it starts to rain thick drops and a few seconds later there is a downpour. The Asgardian puts his arm around your shoulder and the next moment you are standing in front of your cottage. This is just fine with you, because you don't feel like walking through the rain.

You unlock the door and step indoors.

"Then you'll have to keep our ‘relationship’ going," you continue the conversation as you put the basket down and walk into the kitchen.

Loki follows you. "Would it bother you?"

"Moral-wise, maybe." Using some magic, you light a fire in the stove against the chill of the rain. And while you're at it, you also put on some water for tea.

"So, it's the pretending that bothers you?" Loki asks and you can hear the smirk in his voice.

"It's lying," you insist, "You're the God of lies."

"I don't lie. I merely imply. Sometimes I exaggerate. But I mean the things I say."

"You would actually take me on a romantic vacation trip?" You turn to him - and almost trip into Loki, who is standing right behind you. You didn't even hear him step up to you.

"Have you ever thought about it?" he asks you, his voice like liquid honey running down your spine. "I mean us, on a romantic trip, kissing."

You're so perplexed by his sudden closeness, his question, that the words fall out of your mouth before you can think about them. "Can't say it never crossed my mind."

The corners of his mouth twitch upward. "I wouldn't be aversed to it either." He said it teasingly, a hint of humor behind the words so that you could play it off as a joke easily - a fun little imitation and nothing more.

But your reaction was instant. Your eyes widened in surprise, your body shivering involuntarily. And there it was: that blush; your face turned that beautiful shade of red that Loki had been picturing all week since he pinned you at that small hallway wall during the mission.

He leans in for a kiss, you expectantly close your eyes but the awaited feeling of his lips enclosing on yours never happens. Your eyelids flutter open and you see that he's staring, conceited, pleased by your expectations.

Betrayed, you raise your hand, but before you can slap him with your magic right across his face, he grabs your wrists. His grip is not tight, you could break free if you wanted to. But you don't. It suddenly felt real. Far too real in your tiny kitchen.

His breath ghosts over your tingling skin and then he is finally kissing you. It's a slow, seductive and sweet kiss. You melt into his touch.

To your liking Loki lets go of you much too soon. Almost searchingly, he looks down at you. Your prayers must have been answered. You pull him into a new kiss, more longing this time. A satisfied sound escapes Loki's throat.

It was probably predictable. Like the rightful ending of a good book. It had to come down to this. It's not unexpected, but surprising nonetheless. Surprising that it's real – even after all the flirting between you. Loki had been suggestive from your first meeting, and made his intentions clear. A small, warning voice rises in your head, in the part that can still somehow think clearly. Loki had been out to get this from the start.

You push him away a little, breathless. Your lips are swollen, your cheeks still red. Loki spreads little kisses over your temple toward your ear.

"You should leave," you bring out softly. Your voice is a small plea. Your fingers clawed into the fabric of his shirt, screaming just the opposite.

Loki stops, puts his hand to your chin and turns your face upward. You only dare a quick glance at him. Loki's eyes are darkly on you. You detect a hint of glee, but mostly lust and hunger. Quickly you avert your eyes down.

"Or I could stay,” he suggests.

It's just a game to him. Everything is.

What's so bad about it? - another voice in your head asks. Why not just have some fun? You can worry about the consequences later.

You're about to give in, already opening your mouth to keep him here. But not a single word comes out. With the last part of your mind telling you that this is a stupid idea and that he will only hurt you, you push him back a bit more.

"I'll see you tomorrow." You don't look at him as you do this, don't see the remorse that briefly appears on his face. Slowly, he nods and takes a step back.

"As you wish."

Your fingers release his fabric. Actually, you don't want him to go, want to grab him and hold him tight forever. You put your hand on the tabletop behind you to resist the urge.

Loki gives you one last look, but you don't stop him. And he objects no further as he steps to the door frame and activates the rune that takes him back to New York.

When he's gone, you take a deep breath, sighing as you do so. You are so confused. How can a single person have such an effect on you?

––––––––––––––––––––––––

THEY KISSED!

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[mypoisonedvine]

Second Chance | dark!Scott Lang x reader

summary: every perfect heist has five stages: identify the score, find your ‘in,’ enter unnoticed, get the score, and leave before anyone knows you were there. scott is good at heists, but not so good at relationships, family, or co-parenting with his ex. but he’s going to do it right this time, by starting a new family with you. he’s going to make sure you stay, by never letting you leave at all.

word count: 3.7k

warnings: noncon, stalking/yandere, breeding kink, overstimulation, kidnapping, innocence/corruption kink?, age gap, pregnancy, lil mention of lactation kink

note: this is set sometime around the plot of ant-man so cassie is still little, no snap/blip, none of that stuff!

Stage 1: Identify the score

Scott loved his daughter, but he hated having to share her with his ex-wife and her new husband.  

The stepdad wasn't a bad guy… annoying, but not dangerous or anything, so Scott figured he should count his blessings.  And Cassie was always a blessing.

But still, this was not the life he has envisioned for himself.  He had always wanted to have a family, and in his mind that had meant actually being with them.  Christmas around the fireplace, ice cream in the park, a dog named Rover— the whole shebang.  Instead he had postcards from vacations he wasn’t invited to, visits supervised by social workers, and far too many missed recitals and games and plays.  He couldn’t make up for time lost, he couldn’t undo everything that had ruined his shot at the picture-perfect family… but he could try again.

That’s where you came in.

Hank had introduced Scott to his new assistant one morning with almost no warning, and he’d been so flustered he almost forgot to shake your hand and greet you.  You had on this little blouse with ruffles that was just too precious, and sparkly gold earrings outshined only by your eyes.  He could imagine you by his side so easily, with gold on your finger to match, playing the part of his beautiful, obedient wife.

You were the perfect mark.  Young: therefore innocent, too trusting, and hopefully plenty fertile.  The fact that you were sweet and smart and adorable was just a bonus.  

It seemed like you had taken a liking to him too, although there was more of a mentor/mentee dynamic than he had originally intended; as if you looked up to him, as opposed to acknowledging the fact that he was single and attractive like you were supposed to.  Thankfully, he had a plan and he knew it was just a matter of time before he was going to get his second chance with you.

Stage 2: Find your ‘in.’

“Is this your card?” he asked, smiling when you nodded excitedly.

"Hey, you're pretty good!" you giggled as he slipped the playing card back into the deck.  "How long have you been doing magic?"

"Uh, not long," he admitted, "I just learned this stuff to impress my daughter."

Your face shifted and he knew he had you.  "Oh my god, that's so sweet!" you beamed.  You were looking at him like you thought he was the most adorable guy in the world, and he tried not to smile too hard because he finally had his in.  "You sound like an incredible dad."

"Well, I try…” he sighed, pulling for your sympathy, “it's tough only having her on weekends and stuff."

“Oh, I can’t even imagine,” you nodded with understanding.  You won’t have to, Scott replied internally.

“Eh, I survive,” he shrugged.  “When you love somebody that much… you take what you can get.”

He glanced away before looking back at you, admiring the puppy-dog eyes you were giving him.  

“You’ll understand someday— assuming you, you know, want kids and all that,” he stammered, testing the waters but breathing a sigh of relief when you grinned.

“Oh, definitely.  I mean, not right now, but definitely someday,” you agreed.  He laughed a little, amused by the way you foolishly believed you would get to decide you would have kids.  He probably would’ve still gone through with his plan even if you’d said you didn’t want any, but it was easier this way and he wanted to make sure his new family had a loving mother to care for them.

And loving was the only way to describe the expression on your face in that moment, presumably as you imagined your picturesque future.  He could only dream that he was somewhere in your fantasy, but it didn’t really matter since he was about to insert himself into your reality regardless.

You waved goodbye when he left the lab that night, not knowing that he was just going to wait in his car for you to leave so he could follow you home.  

Stage 3: Enter unnoticed.

Even though the stake out, like any, should’ve been horrifically boring, Scott found himself excited and oddly… peppy.  It must have been the knowledge that tonight he was going to start the rest of his life, with somebody who wouldn’t— or rather, couldn’t— leave and take his child away.  

At half-past one, when he was confident you were already completely asleep, he made his move.  Breaking into your apartment was disturbingly simple, making him even more glad that he was getting you out of this place: a woman living alone should really have better security.  The next issue was making sure you wouldn’t wake up when he took you.  Thankfully, he had science on his side in the form of a gas he’d stolen from Hank’s lab; it wasn’t dangerous, just something to keep you asleep through being taken to your new home.  All he had to do was pull the pin and roll the canister under your bedroom door, then give it time to clear so he could whisk you away.

There was still a little puff of smoke when he opened your bedroom door, but it didn't affect him— what did have an effect was the sight of you out cold on your bed.  You looked peaceful, innocent… like his perfect little wife, ready for the taking.

He let himself ogle only for a moment at your body exposed by the thin pajamas, running his fingers over your sleeping silhouette.  

You stirred slightly under his touch making him grin.  So sensitive already…

The weight of you in his arms was every he'd dreamed it would be and more.  So much waiting for his new lease on life, for his chance to do things right, and now all that he had to do was carry you home.

Stage 4: Get the score.

He waited for you to wake up, watching from the shadows as you slowly came to and tugged at your restraints.  To be clear, he didn’t enjoy your distress, but he knew it was necessary.  Plus, maybe he could comfort you and that idea excited him more than anything.

“Somebody help me!” you yelped, struggling uselessly against the ropes that secured each of your limbs to the bedposts.

“Shh, hey, it’s okay,” Scott finally interjected as he stepped out into the light, your head whipping around to look at him.  You looked relieved, for a moment.

“Scott,” you mumbled, “what are you doing here?  What… what happened?”

“Nothing happened, you’re going to be just fine,” he explained calmly, taking a seat beside you on the bed.  Your brow furrowed and your eyes darted around.

“Where am I?’

“You’re finally home.”

It was clear that you didn't understand quite yet, though the way your eyes darted around and your brow furrowed made it obvious you were starting to get the gist.  "Scott, I… I don't…"

“Shh, hey, it’s okay,” he soothed, reaching up to cradle your face in his hand.  It broke his heart slightly when you tried to turn your head away from his touch, but he was sympathetic to your reticence; it would be trained out of you soon, anyways.  “Just relax, okay?  Everything’s gonna be fine— not just fine: great.”

You shivered slightly and he was about to ask if you were cold, if he could get you a blanket or turn up the heating, but you spoke first.  “What are you gonna do to me?” you asked, hesitant yet stern.

“Well, that depends on how well you behave,” he explained calmly.  

“Will you let me go?”  Your voice was softer, weaker, and it made his chest tighten; he loved you so much he didn’t know what to do with himself sometimes.

You let out a little sob when he shook his head in reply.  “No, baby, I can’t.  You don’t understand… you don’t know what it’s like, having a family and being away from them all the time.  It’s torture; that’s why you’re here.  This time you're not gonna leave me… never gonna let you out of my sights, sweetheart: you or the baby."  

Your whole body tensed up as your eyes went wide, making him chuckle a little.  

"Don't be so scared, you're gonna love it.  I just know you're going to be an amazing mom…"

You tried to kick him away as he ran his hand up your leg, and even though it didn't work at all it still hurt his feelings.  "Baby," he frowned, tutting disapprovingly, "don't be rude… just relax and it'll feel good."

His hand travelled higher, reaching up between your thighs where his finger gently brushed over your swollen bud through your pajama shorts.  He smirked at the way it was clearly already aroused.  

"See?  You're gonna like it, you already want it," he purred.  

His purr became a growl when he slipped two fingers into your panties and found your folds already slick and warm.  He had meant to tease you a bit more but now he couldn’t stop himself from pushing his fingers into you and groaning at the feeling of your walls wrapped tightly around them.  It was obvious that you were enjoying it just by the way your channel tightened and fluttered encouragingly, even if your face was twisted in conflict.

“It’s okay if it feels good,” he reminded you, rubbing his thumb over your clit and grinning when your back arched.  “It’s okay to come.”

You shook your head, mumbling “no,” but it seemed more like you were talking to yourself than to him.  It was sort of inspiring how much you were trying to hold yourself back even when he could feel your pleasure building with every curl of his fingers.  The way you bit down on your lip to hide your moans was admirable but ultimately fruitless, your body jolting and shaking under him.

“Come on, baby, I know you’re so close, just come for me,” he cooed, knowing that you’d be so much more pliant once your first orgasm was out of the way.  

He could see how badly you wanted, and needed, to obey him, but you were still foolishly resisting and trying to squirm away.  In a moment of frustration, he used his free hand to push down on you just below your belly button: it served both to pin you to the bed and to push your spongy g-spot right into the tips of his fingers, making you choke and gurgle as your eyes shot open.

“There it is,” he grinned, “see how good I can make you feel?  Go ahead, sweetheart, make a mess on my fingers…”

It wasn’t much longer until a new wave of wetness seeped from your opening, down around his hand and onto the sheets below, making him laugh a little purely out of pride.

“Fuck, just like that— keep going,” he demanded with a little growl, loving the way you writhed and gasped all for him.  To see you like this was reward enough, but to know that nobody else would ever see you like this again, that you’d be his forever?  It was nearly overwhelming.

He didn’t stop until your whines were too pained to bear— there was a clear difference between overstimulated and genuinely suffering, and his interest laid solidly in the first.  Still, he loved the way you sighed with relief when he slowed down and pulled his fingers from you; already your body was limp and heavy, your eyes blinking slowly.

“Are you tired already?  Baby, we’re just getting started,” he chuckled, standing up to strip quickly.  He wasn’t sure if your shock was from seeing his body or knowing what he was going to do to you next, but it was likely some mixture of the two— definitely plenty of the first with the way your eyes scanned him while he took off his jeans.  He was pretty proud of himself for staying in shape, and every long night at the gym was justified when he saw you swallow nervously at the sight of him.  You had trouble hiding your arousal when your body was tied up and completely exposed to him, aside from the little pajama set that did nothing to hide your hardening nipples.

When he was naked, finally, he climbed onto the bed and slotted himself between your legs, ignoring the way you struggled beneath him to tear off your top.

“Oh, sweetheart,” he whispered under his breath as your chest was finally freed, your tits jiggling a little whenever you tried to squirm away.  “So fucking perfect…”

He grabbed one and held it steady so he could lean down and capture the nipple between his lips, humming when you whined and bucked beneath him.

“These are gonna get bigger when I knock you up, you know,” he smiled happily, looking up at where you were staring back with wide, wild eyes.  “Gonna be full of milk for our little one.”

He moved to the other nipple slowly, circling it with his tongue before finally latching on and sucking it just hard enough to make you yelp slightly.

“Will you let me have a taste too, baby?” he teased, laughing at your expression that tried (and failed) to mask arousal with disgust.

Though he would have to wait to taste your milk, there was another part of you he could taste now— or as soon as he finished kissing his way down your stomach, and quickly ripping and disposing of your little shorts.  

The second he got you naked for him, the smell of your need hit the air and it drove him fucking wild.  Once again, his plans to tease you— kiss your thighs, leave little bite marks on your hips, give the gentlest licks to your swollen button— were lost to his desire, leaving him with no choice but to dive right in and devour you.

It was worth it to see you fall apart for him so quickly, your back arching dramatically as you grabbed the ropes that tied your hands just to have something to hold onto.  He could tell nobody had ever eaten your cunt this good before, because if they had you wouldn’t have gasped so loudly when he pushed his tongue into you.  The lewd slurping sounds that echoed around the basement reminded you both that every sound was trapped, just like you— it scared you more but it turned him on, his cock bobbing up against his abs in a silent beg for stimulation.

But it wasn’t quite time to fuck you.  Close, but not yet.  He needed to taste you at the peak of your pleasure first.

Two fingers pushed slowly into your pulsing channel definitely helped to speed things along: he could hear you getting louder, and feel you getting tighter.  He could even feel your clit throbbing against his tongue, and it only made him want to push you further to the edge.

"I know you're so close honey, just let go," he purred between laps at your swollen bud.  

Clearly you were still worn out from the last orgasm but it made it even easier to make you come this time, even when you were uselessly fighting it.  Your broken little moans made his heart twist, and his cock flex slightly although he was doing his best to ignore it.

You started to relax and go limp, so he pulled back and took a moment to appreciate how lovely you looked, exhausted and blissed-out just from his touch.

"Doing so good for me, sweetheart," he praised huskily.  "I think we've both waited long enough… I'm gonna put my cock in you now."

Your mumbles and heavy breaths almost sounded like you were considering begging him not to again, but apparently you were either too tired or too smart to keep that game up.  He grinned as he scooted forward a bit so he could rub his cock between your swollen, slick lips; the way his thick shaft spread your folds was intoxicating, and he couldn't wait to see how it looked when he pushed into your tight cunt.

He literally couldn't wait: he was already guiding the head to your opening and sliding home.

You whimpered weakly and his head fell back with a groan.  "God, baby, so fucking tight…"

Underneath where his hands rested on your legs, he could feel you struggling again.

"Shh, just take it honey, it's gonna be so good," he assured from between his teeth, jaw tight and heart racing.  As much as slowing down and giving you some time to adjust would be the gentlemanly thing to do, he couldn't find the patience now that he was inside you and it felt so perfect.

When he was finally all the way within you and his hips were flush against yours, you made a little noise like a moan and a sob while he leaned down to cage your body in with his, resting his arms beside your head.  

"See how perfect we are together?  Like we're made for each other," he cooed, pouting a little when a tear fell from your eye.  "Don't cry, baby," he soothed as he wiped it away with his thumb, "everything's finally right.  I'm gonna move now, okay?"

But he didn't wait for your permission before he pulled back and pushed in again, stroking your walls with patience and precision.

Each thrust pushed the head of his cock right into that spongy spot inside you, making you gasp and tug on your restraints a bit— and you looked so beautiful in the throes of pleasure like this, spread out beneath him and your body at his disposal.  But, disposal was the last of his plans for you: he wanted to savor you, make you feel as good as you made him feel (if that was even possible).

So, he did his best to target your most sensitive spots, grinning at your body's obvious reaction.  Occasionally he would rub your clit with his thumb or reach up to play with your tits, but overall he stuck to just appreciating the perfect friction of your channel on the ridges and veins of his cock.

It didn't take much more of that for you to arch your back again, the weak moans that spilled from your lips just as much a sign of your orgasm as the way your inner muscles flexed around him.

"Just like that," he praised under his breath, "fuck, come for me baby…"

Moving faster and with more ferocity, he was able to push you into another one quickly as he grinned down at you. 

"There you go, angel, just keep coming for me, I know you can give me one more—"

"N-no," you stammered, "can't…"

"Yes you can, honey, be my good little girl and come one more time for me," he encouraged, thrusting harder and faster as you whimpered and writhed.  The fluttering of your walls brought his own orgasm close but he staved it off as he fought to get one last glimpse of you at the height of your pleasure.  "There you go," he grinned when he felt your body tense up only to relax all at once, a beautiful broken whine echoing around the room.

The sensation of his balls tightening was always a sign that he was close, but it was much stronger now than normal and he knew he was going to come so hard.

"Fuck, I'm gonna come," he groaned.  "Gonna fill you up so good that you have to get pregnant."

"Scott, please," you whimpered, "please just pull out."

"I can't, honey, I couldn't if I wanted to— you just feel too good," he explained, thrusting faster as he began to lose his rhythm.  "Fuck, just like that— oh god, baby, I'm coming, fuck!"

He groaned as finally he felt each pump of come paint the deepest parts of you, not stopping until he spilled every drop.

You tried to squirm but he held your hips tight, the little pulses of your walls milking his cock for all it was worth.  "Baby," he sighed as he started to catch his breath, "fuck, you're amazing."

Your sweet little body shivered beneath him, making him frown sympathetically and rub your arms.  

"Aw, honey, are you cold?" he soothed, hugging you tight and giving you a peck on the tip of your nose.  

"Why…" you mumbled, so quiet that he almost didn't hear it, as your eyes fluttered shut.

"It's okay, honey, I'm right here," he promised, "I know you're tired, you can go to sleep now."

Stage 5: Leave before anyone knows you were there.

This one didn’t exactly apply in this case, since nobody was leaving anywhere anytime soon; he was going to stay with you as long as he could, only leaving when work absolutely demanded it.  In fact, his first order of business was to go back to the lab and bring your letter of resignation with him.  With some bargaining he got you to sign it, and once it was done he could barely keep it together at work all day— he just couldn’t wait to get home and be with you again, knowing that the last of the loose ends were tied and nobody was going to come looking for you.

You adjusted to domestic life rather well, especially once you started showing and your maternal instincts started to overpower the independence you used to value.  

"Good morning, angel," he purred against your ear as you stirred in his arms, your movements rustling the sheets of your shared king bed.  He hummed as he ran his hands over your body, resting on your round, swollen belly where he suddenly felt his child kicking underneath.  "Did you feel that?" he gasped.

"Mm-hmm," you mumbled sleepily, cuddling up closer to him and resting your hands on top of his.  "That's our baby."

He kissed your cheek and smiled, trying to comprehend how he ever got so lucky.  After all, second chances are hard to come by.

[flufflebones]

some more fun hcs about delphine [mc 1.... closest 2 my heart since ive used her in various settings for a While]! it’s a little long so im slapping it under a cut but its all sfw and all very much in good fun.

you know, mostly. i only really got two headcanons down and one is brief/about michael and the other is about pets in the devildom

- can and will fight michael do you think they saw the angel/anni event and were ok with it? yeah? no! just going to kick him hard enough in the shin to....... probably bust their own foot but its FINE 

- has an approximate accumulated f*ckton of devildom native and possibly (definitely) magical pets

[The list:

Sosig / Sausage - Hellhound - Gift from Beelzebub!:

A beast of considerable size and [reportedly] god awful temperament, bearing charcoal fur and the lingering [faint] scent of sulphur. More vulpine than canine, their frames are typically gaunt, with the flames that fuel their bodies licking out from the ends of their tails, their ankles and wrists [on their normal quadrupedal legs], the inner portions of their ears [leaving them at a disadvantage when it comes to hearing], their somewhat visible / open ribcage, and the corners of their mouth. 

Despite this general introduction, hellhounds are wildly varied and have a number of breeds and variations in recent history, typically intended for one of three purposes.

Companionship - These hellhounds are typically smaller in stature and less sturdy, with a tendency to bond strongly to one or two masters [with some consideration/leeway for those close to their master: See- Cerberus]. Arguably the most docile of any class of hellhound, they are still dangerous if not raised correctly, and have a nasty bite. Though not a true classification and with no formal means of training a hound to do so naturally, some companion hellhounds serve as a psuedo service dog, heavily attuned to the needs and potential problems unique to their primary master. This isn’t to say that they are an alternative to service animals, or anywhere near as well trained, *of course*, but the devildom is hardly the safest place for a regular human realm animal; And sometimes, you’ve just got to work with what you’ve got.

Sport / Show - Typically very much breed standard. While raised to tolerate handling and grooming, these traditionally built hellhounds are temperamental at best and borderline terrifying when their willful nature comes in direct conflict with a demonic handler who bit off more than they can chew. Heavily regulated, and typically owned by the elite.

Protection - The devildom is dangerous, and nobody is questioning that. Demons with a knack for animal handling [or demons who can afford to hire someone skilled with animals, of course!] breed and train these creatures to guard many things; People, places, objects, etc. They’re typically territorial and hard to train as a rule, as one cannot allow for a beast such as this to be tempted by treats or good petting from *anyone*, yfm?

Sausage is a bit of a mixed bag. Born from protective stock and bought by Beelzebub after overhearing Mammon trying to convince Lucifer to get Delphine/my mc a pet [who lays eggs, we’ll get there, that he can sell for a massive profit]. Being the youngest present brother at the time, anything capturing his interest other than food is both welcomed and encouraged in an attempt to positively reinforce him to not put the devildom at risk of a famine.

Delphine unintentionally raised this brick house of a hellhound puppy into a sort of in-between of companion and protector, with him being very social, very sweet, and *fairly* defensive and willful if things aren’t going his way. He’s typically the one to step in most successfully to motivate her to move around [yes, moreso than the brothers!] and do her day to day tasks, and is probably the best way to find out if something’s wrong with her-- Past being able to just kind of drag her off due to their size differential, his general wit and ability to communicate his needs and wants have led to unexpected food deliveries, blankets spread over her shoulders, and human world medicines arriving a few days before she shows any real signs of illness that she can see.

He’s also spoiled as all get out. If you’re sharing a bed/couch/blanket/etc with her, you can bet Sausage is soon to follow. Sorry, Mammon! He loooves table scraps and is almost as bad as Beel when it comes to eating things he shouldn’t [and looking too cute to be scolded about it too heavily].

Rocky - ... That’s just a rock, dude. - Gift from Belphegor:

It’s really hard to tell if Belphegor is messing around when he presents Delphine with a rough hewn black rock bearing two googly eyes, a pair of hilariously out of place crystalized horns, and a pair of similarly out of place crystal wings, but I swear on all things unholy, he’s doing it for a reason.

Though not... Really sentient, initially, Rocky just needs a good, possibly year long charging. Soulstones are sort of... Weird, in that they are inert and lifeless for as long as they remain with the boulders from which they are harvested. but typically-- After being exposed to a single party’s magical runoff and signature for a year or so-- absorb enough energy to come to life, their coloration and mineral makeup adjusting to fit the nature of the being they owe their life to. Delphine’s takes the form of a celestine and blue goldstone peryton; A winged stag. With crystalized wings and antlers, Rocky would almost look majestic; If it weren’t for the fact that the googly eyes have remained a feature that she has never been able to figure out how to remove. Soulstones are typically quiet observers, not requiring active care to thrive but delighting in contact [especially immediately post spell casting or magic use]. They are attuned to the needs of their magic bound masters, and typically exude an air of-- if not positive-- reassurance.

In Delphines Little Canon Divergence Corner, it’s likely that rocky coming into her care is one of the first of many attempts at reconciliation that Belphegor makes with her post chapter 16; And it honestly really, really sets him back, like, even when she returns to the human realm. Forgotten but included in her luggage, it’s a few weeks into her settling down on Earth that she finds the dinky little stone, and an overload of magic-- Possibly emotionally sourced, possibly due to unresolved tension/a discussion that never got to happen because he was being a little jerk about it-- sets off the transformation, which occurs overnight.

She recognizes the little stone figure when it approaches her in the morning, and one of her first texts about it is a simple, succinct “WTF” + an image attachment sent to Belphegor, specifically in the dead of night with the intention to wake him.

Henry “Pogchampion” 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0, A.K.A: “Pip! Minette! Beans!” - Infernal rats - Gift from Leviathan:

A note: If you don’t care for rats or you’re more familiar with their popular association with illness or disease/classification as vermin, and are only capable of thinking of them in that context, I don’t care. I am specifically talking about rats in the context of them being pets-- And good pets, at that. If you want to talk about how much you wish they were dead/didn’t exist, thats not my problem. Just don’t do it on a post discussing them as a pet, or I will block you!

Anyway!

Leviathan is probably the most appropriate person for them to get pet recommendations from, but her asking never winds up a necessity; When he finds out that he’s got another pet enthusiast in the house, he’s *all* about it, and when he finally [very unsubtly] weasels his way into the information he needs, he gets them to come along with him to what’s supposed to be a routine supply trip for Henry that just *CAN’T* be accomplished online. It’s a trip to *a* shop, but not what she’s expecting, especially when she gets to meet a handful of very curious, very playful, larger than a medium sized dog mice and rats. These guys are very much pests turned pets, with a small niche of hobbyists raising them and breeding them for temperament and overall health and disease resistance. Very social and very intelligent, they tend to thrive best in groups if one is not devoting all of their time to them as an individual. The type Leviathan recommends are on the smaller side, with cloudy, soft fur and sweet temperaments. And massive teeth, nubby horns, spade tipped tails, and very large, typically bony or leathery wings.

Levi is... Probably the one who wanted them, really. They get a little big, and tend to like to roughhouse, and they chew like nobody’s business-- And while he can’t risk his figures or merch or other Otaku Trappings or wires for everything in his room, he *CAN* risk Delphine’s. Plus, Sausage needs a friend, right? Or three?

They pick up three, all of whom are sisters, and all of whom on paper are named Henry “Pogchamp”, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0, since he *is* technically the one paying for them and at least gets to do that much. Even when they start being named Pip, Minette, and Beans, in casual conversation, he can still hold on to the fact that they’ll always be Henries in his heart of hearts.

Sausage loves them to bits, for the record, but their interactions tend to be supervised/very brief even without the worry of him being able to harm any of them due to the general (and very appropriate) ill advisement of large predators interacting with smaller prey animals. It’s cute, sure, but it can be dangerous, and Delphine (and Levi, to a lesser extent, because he’s using the excuse of them being friends to keep Lucifer off of his ass for adding another animal to her menagerie) isn’t about to risk it.

Sweets - .... A black cat? That glitters? - Gift from Satan and Asmodeus:

Small, sleek, and independent, Sweets is probably the pet people see the least of all of Delphine’s little collection-- Though that doesn’t mean she’s not well loved. A pet project between Satan and Asmodeus, Sweets isn’t *technically* a cat; They’re a being comprised of shadow, somewhat similar in nature to a familiar without the connotation of them technically being a demon slash demonic. Who just so happens to have been enchanted to appear like and generally function in their day to day life as a cat. That sparkles, the only concession Satan was willing to grant Asmodeus in return for his help obtaining the materials necessary to create  the little beast (and in return for him taking the heat when Lucifer inevitably got pissy about it). Given its unique nature, very little is actually known about the little being of shadow past basic care and assumptions based on its generally feline behavioral patterns. The rats scare the hell out of it, however, and it tends to be out of sight except when called, hiding in shadows and only occasionally emerging on its own.

... Oh, and be careful. Satan hasn’t told Del yet, but it seems that the belly rubs this shadowy kitty offers tend  to bite off more than they can chew if they’re not careful. Asmodeus thinks its horrible. Who wants a pet with a massive maw of teeth in their stomach? Satan desperately wants to use this quirk in Sweets’ nature for a prank. Delphine already knows, but is playing dumb for the sake of faking surprise when its formally revealed.

Elysia - Gilded Crow - Gift from Lucifer and Mammon:

SO, i”M going to keep this short because i’ve been writing this for several hours at this point on and off and i really really want to be ready for my dinner when its ready, but!

Elysia is a sort of... Special circumstance. Literally. Devotees to Mammon-- And yes, there *are* people who think he’s a legitimate demon lord, the only people really allowed to treat him like garbage are his brothers and a few choice officials too strong to be eradicated as any lesser demon might have been-- with a background in magical augmentation specifically enchanted this line of crows to reflect that which is most valued by their Lord; Riches. They’re technically not legal due to their status as something of an organic money generator, but a select few in a small flockare kept under the watchful eyes of the Demon Lord and his immediate family, and those who have been trusted by his family members. This is where Lucifer comes in.

Understandably, Mammon is not allowed to have care of his flock, though he certainly wouldn’t be the worst at caring for them. He’d just also be selling their products illegally, and you can’t have that!

Elysia wears a small enchanted band comprised of dull, unimpressive iron-- The kind of thing Mammon would neither notice nor have interest in. This band is enchanted, and serves as a sort of storage space for any of Ely’s dropped organic components. Talons, feathers, eggs-- Everything is automatically absorbed into the band, rendering the bird borderline useless outside of being a gorgeous pet, and a gigantic nuisance. 

Lucifer hates to admit it, but he really is a fan of the large, intelligent, gorgeous creature; And Mammon thinks it’s really funny to teach her to take shiny things (like grimm, loose jewelry, gum wrappers, etc), even past the sentimental value of the bird itself and what her kind represents to him. 

Delphine adores her, too, and is about as good an influence on her as Mammon is-- Teaching her to speak, in some capacity, simply by repeating certain words or phrases to herself as she does things in the day to day, especially during feeding time. It’s all fun and games, until this pretty golden bird calls Lucifer a ‘motherf*cker’ while she thinks he’s out of the room while visiting with Diavolo for an update on her health.

[a-simple-imagine]

When an Angel gets her wings

Synopsis: Y/N is finally getting her wings so the angels take her out to celebrate but things go wrong after a spot of day drinking. 

Pairing: Elements of Jane Kano x fem!reader. (might do a second part that delves a little deeper)

Words: 2.9k

A/N - Charlie’s Angels (2019) is a brilliant movie you guys are just mean. I love these characters and would die for each and every one of them. I didn’t know if anyone would actually be interested in this but I wanted to write about my favourite angels. 

Drifting giddily through the large double doors of the outpost in search of three in particular angels after some much-deserved appreciation. It had been months of hard work in the making. Day after day of training. From defusing bombs to jumping out of planes - which almost brought your lunch back up - you were officially done and ready to get your wings. You were dreading the needle to come but it'd all be worth it when you're out in the field as an agent. The outpost was pretty quiet but Sabina seemed to notice your arrival. Jumping over the arm of the sofa chair with surprising grace, she walked towards you.

"So?" You purse your lips, making her wait just for the drama of it all before breaking out into a cheesy grin.

"Guess whose getting her wings tomorrow?"

"Yesssss," The excitement clear on her face. Both hands in the air, she slapped them against yours in a high ten. "That's my girl. I'm taking you out to celebrate and I will not take no for an answer.

"But-"

"Ah ah ah," She shoved her finger against your lips bringing you to an abrupt stop. Brows knitted together in utter disgust. "Go collect Jane. I'll get Elena and we'll meet back here in five."

"But I haven't agreed yet." You counter but she just slips away in search of Elena. Slapping her hands over her ears and turning back to look at you. "Sorry what? I can't hear you."

"You're such a dick." With a playful roll of your eyes, you spin on your heel and wander off to find arguably your favorite angel. Becoming an angel had never been the plan then again you didn't exactly know about the organization. But being a spy definitely hadn't been what you told the career advisor back in the days of your youth. No, you hadn't a clue where you were heading or what you wanted. From eighteen you'd pretty much been on your own; social interaction was not your strong suit but then you found a sense of purpose at the agency. A will to live. You had been shy at first but after Elena took the first step in approaching you, you'd grown in confidence and joined the trio making it a quadruple. You had a soft spot for Jane though, you had since the day you first saw her decked out in her tactical gear. Tall, beautiful and deadly was such a glorious combination that described her perfectly. She could also be a little cold but that was easily overlooked when you got to see her dorky side. So who can blame you if you may or may not have developed a teeny little crush on her. You liked to think you were good at hiding it but who knows; she was a former MI6 spy so she's gotta be pretty good at reading people.

You find miss Kano, doing some target practice; throwing some very sharp blades at a black target ten feet away. Typical Jane using her free time to train. You waited until the last knife slipped from her grip, flying towards the middle of the three black circles. She had an impeccable aim. "Guess who finished their last day of training."

Jane turns spotting you overhead and giving you a smile. Heading down the stairs, you practically run into her congratulatory open arms. "I'm being dragged out to celebrate if you wanna come with? I think Sabina could do with adult supervision."

"First of all, she's older than me," You leaned back with a cheeky grin. "And that's what you're there for."

"We both know I need the supervision too. Sabina just has to look at me and I cave into her, she's very convincing." You insist. "Elena is probably the most sensible one and that's saying something."

"Yo," Sabina's voice interrupts the conversation. "How long are you two gonna gaze into each other's eyes? Let's go!"

Without so much as a glance in her direction, you stick up a middle finger.

"I'm gonna pass, sorry" Jane flashes you a sympathetic smile before turning to go collect her knives."Maybe next time."

"Is the kill joy coming?" Sabina shouted.

You take a deep breath, rolling your eyes at Sabina but keeping your attention on Jane. You were hoping she would come so you can't say you're not disappointed. "No worries. You're gonna be there tomorrow though right?"

"Isn't Sabina gonna be there?" She glanced briefly back at you, yanking on one of the knives stuck in the bored.

"Yeah and Elena too but I want you there too. I only get my wings once," You flash your best puppy dog face, batting your eyelashes. "Please. You promised."

The last blade came loose, and she walks back towards you. Noticing your expression, she sighed softly. "Fine."

You jumped on the woman, pulling her into a surprise hug; careful to avoid the sharp metal in her hand.

"Dude hurry it up. I wanna see how drunk we can get before the sun goes down."

You both glance towards Sabina then back at each other. Waving your hand dismissively, you let out an awkward little laugh. "She's kidding, we're gonna day drink responsibly."

"I know you're lying."

With a playful wink, you walk back up the stairs. Giving her a little wave as you go. "See you later, have fun training." Sabina puts one arm around you as you walk up beside her, pulling you into flush against her. "Where's Elena?"

"Patience, young angel, she's coming."

"Not an angel" You remind her.

"Soon to be."

"Where's the future angel?" You'd recognise Elena's voice anywhere and just as you unravel from Sabina a pair of arms grab you from behind. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks." You comment, slipping from her grip. Sabina leads the charge turning around to the two of you.

"You're gonna make a great angel."

"I'm ready to get so drunk I don't even know my name."

"When are you ever not?" You tease, pushing her out the doors with Elena giggling behind you.

You headed downtown to a small, rather empty bar then again it was two in the afternoon. There were like five people max and three of them were you guys. The other two seemed like regulars. One was sat the other end of the bar, staring up at a small TV that was playing some sporting event. The other was a woman, sitting alone in a booth looking as miserable as ever. Your cheery attitude didn't seem to be received well by her but that didn't matter. Taking up three stools at the bar, Sabina starts the festivities off with shots and by the time the sun went down, you had no concept of time anymore. The entire night just blending into one.

With your ear firmly pressed to the receiver of a tabletop red phone, you listened to the dial tone ring and ring and ring. Humming along as you waited. Sabina was sat in a chair next to you while Elena was next to her.

"H-hello?" The voice was heavy with sleep and you can't really blame her considering the time but you're grateful she answered. She sounded so cute when she was sleepy.

"Jane!"

"Y/N? Is everything all right? Why are you calling me at," there was a moments pause. "Three A.M?"

"Are you mad? P-please don't be mad."

"Hi Jane," Sabina called loudly down your ear so you shove her away.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything but Sabina said you'd probably be mad and I don't... I don't want you to be mad at me, okay? I don't know anyone else's number by heart so I had to call you-"

"You're rambling," Jane interrupts bringing you to a stop. When you drank you seemed to gain the confidence to become chatty. You could go on for hours about nothing at all. It was a real talent. The only shame is you can't be drunk all the time otherwise life would be simpler.

"You would know Jane's-"

"Shut up Sabina." Your palm collides with her cheek shoving her away from the phone. She pushed back against your hand.

"Let me talk to her,"

"No, I'm talking to her."

"Y/N," Sabina whines.

"Go away." With gritted teeth, you push back harder giving Elena the chance to take the phone. You continue to playfully fight with Sabina until you're both scolded by a cute officer who sat behind a desk not too far away. It was late so not much was happening. A few people waiting to get booked. Two officers were chatting over a cup of coffee. Elena was now explaining the situation as best she could with zero pauses or interruptions from a drunk Sabina.

"Tell her we are at the station." You utter in a louder whisper than intended. "Tell her she has to come pick us up but make it very clear that Sabina is to blame because I've never done a single thing wrong in my entire life. I was well behaved like always."

"That is not true." Sabina shoves into you, stretching over your lap to grab the phone. Elena just moves away slightly. "She's always blaming everything on me. I didn't do anything- make that clear. Not a single thing."

Elena shushed the both of you and you couldn't help but giggle. Finishing up her conversation, she finally hung up the phone and placed it back in its holder before sitting down next to you. "Jane said she'll be right over."

"How long?" You wonder, letting your head fall to rest against her shoulder.

"Not sure."

"Can't we just leave then. They're not charging us."

"They want someone to come get us." With no clue how long she'll be you decide nows a good time to rest your tired eyes. Feeling the weight of Sabina as she falls to rest her head against you. Drifting off into a relatively light sleep.

When you're awake, you jump a little at the sight of Jane staring down at with a stern face. Arms folded across her chest. A dopey smile spreads over your lips as you reach out for her. "Jane! You came."

"Excuse my friend here," Sabina yawned, patting your shoulder. "she's a little drunk."

"No, I'm not." You argue, shaking your head rapidly. "I'm fine. Just happy Jane is here- Hi Jane."

"Hi Y/N." Her voice was surprisingly gentle. you're glad she's here but you feel bad for making her get out of bed. "Come on, Let's get you in the car."

Pushing up, you trip over your feet and fall forward into Jane's awaiting arms. "Whoa there. You alright there? Think you can walk?"

"Carry me." You whine softly, pushing your bottom lip out in a pout. Jane helped you stand up straight, the world around you feeling a little dizzy.

"I gotcha." Sabine insists. bending her knees. "Get on my back."

You climb onto Sabina's back, wrapping your arms carefully around her neck as to not strangle her. She supports you by looping her arms around your legs, hiking you up a little higher into a piggyback. "Ready?"

You nod a little, holding her tighter. "Let's go superman."

"Come on, Jane." Sabina starts running towards the door and although you feel uneasy you can't help but giggle. Elena is already out the door while Jane simply trails behind.

You're sat in the back of Jam's car, watching the world pass by out the window. The motion was not agreeing with you so the pressure was on to not puke everywhere was high. Sabina sat to your left, Elena was in the passenger's seat with Jane behind the wheel. Nobody was talking and for some reason, Jane wouldn't put on the radio no matter how many times you asked.

"I can't believe you three." Jane finally scolded

"Really," Sabina questions. You rolled down the window a little, needing the fresh morning air.

"Okay, maybe I expect this from you but not you two."

"Jane?" Sabina leaned forward against the back of the driver's seat. "Do you want to know a secret?"

"Depends,"

"It's about Y/N. She spills secrets if you get enough alcohol in her." You glance towards Sabina, unsure of where this was going. There were so many possibilities. "Seems our dear friend here has a little crush on-"

"Shush," you leap on the woman. Had you really told her about your crush on Jane or was she just teasing? Given the circumstances, you weren't willing to risk it. "Please don't."

You lay in her lap and without asking, Sabina starts running her hand through your hair. "You're looking a little pale there bud."

"Yeah I feel like I'm gonna puke and I'm not opposed to doing it all over you if you tell them."

"Do not puke in my car," Jane growled.

"Wait where was I when you were sharing this?"

"Bathroom," Sabina replies. "Don't worry it was no one special."

Crisis averted for now.

The pounding in your head was paired nicely with the pit in your stomach. A rough groan as your eyes flutter open to a place far too bathed in sunlight for your liking. Wait... this isn't your apartment? When did you get here?

"Rise and shine sleepyhead."

"Where am I?"

"My apartment." Pushing up, you feel overwhelmed by dizziness. Jane stands before you; fresh-faced and taking a bite of a small banana. How did she manage to always look so good? You look around the room, expecting to spy the others but it's just the two of you.

"What happened to... to Sabina?"

"Taken over my bed, she crawled into it as soon as we got here. You passed out on the couch while Elena who seemed to the only competent one got in an Uber."

"I blame... Sabina." You face planted the arm of the couch, feeling like you got hit by a truck.

"I heard. You shouted it down the phone at the station, after you got arrested for getting into a fight," she explained, disapproval laced in her voice. You vaguely remember a fight, more like an argument that resulted in Sabina punching a man.

"Fuck," you mumble, turning your head to the side. Cheek pressed into the fabric, sore eyes focused on Jane. "Sorry for making you come pick us up."

"What happened to responsible day drinking?"

You laugh weakly at the joke. "That went down with the first shot."

"You're gonna have to get up," Jane urges. "Big day and all."

"What's today?"

"Your wings."

"My tattoo." You push up instantly, the throbbing intensifying to the point your entire face scrunches up in pain and you have to take a moment. "I'm gonna be a fucking angel."

"Are you okay?"

"A little hungover- Maybe still a little drunk." You reply, letting your body fall back down with a painful thump. "I'm gonna go back to sleep until it's time."

"Y/N, it's-"

"They say the best way to cure a hangover is to keep drinking. I'm gonna need an aspirin and some vodka."

"No vodka." Jane scolded, pointing in her direction. "Water. I have orange juice too in the fridge."

Sabina was stood in the kitchen area, half-dressed but still doing better than you seemed to be. She saluted before pulling open the fridge. "You know Jane, you really should consider being more fun."

"Leave Jane alone." You grumble, sitting up entirely. A glass of water sat on the glass coffee which you happy took along with the aspirin.

"No one asked you." She huffed, pulling out a carton of fresh orange. Twisting off the cap, she must have been debating downing it straight because she paused before getting a glass.

"Fuck you Beany."

"Love you too." She took a sip of her glass of juice before gently placing it down. Flinching at the sound. "Say it back."

Jane smiles at you. "Do you want me to take you home? You are in dire need of a shower, no offense. So are you, Sabina. My apartment reeks of alcohol."

"You are just full of complaints, Janey." She downed the rest of her juice. "I can make my own way home. I'm a big girl but I'm sure Y/N would love to."

"I'll take a ride, I'm not sure I can make it home by myself."

After Sabina finally put her pants back on, she headed home while you took Jane up on her offer. The car ride was pretty quiet, your head in shambles under the bright lunchtime sun. You had apparently slept for most of the morning which makes sense. The drive was silent. You didn't want to say anything in case she was mad and Jane kept to herself. You'd occasionally glance towards her but nothing would follow. It didn't take long for her to drive to the drop off point although it felt a lot longer.

"Thanks," you state with a quick smile as she pulls up outside your block.

"No problem. Sober up and I'll see you later." She returned your smile and you can't help but smile a little brighter. You got out of the car, closing the door behind you. "Oh and Y/N."

"Yeah?"

"You having a crush on me was never a secret." She drives away before you can even think of a way to respond. Sabina had definitely snitched at some point.

[thecorteztwins]

Alt-Maraunders snippets since I hadn’t written them in awhile! Warning for violence against Haven in the first one...yes, that should be a warning in it. Also warning for a lack of Pyro and Maddie, which is CRIMINAL

“Get out of here, Ms. Dastoor,” Shaw commanded. Verendi was coming, and they would be a match for him this time, very likely. They had adjusted their weaponry, their defenses. They were very close to almost making this a fair fight. “I won’t leave you,” she said, and she might have protested further, if he hadn’t decided that he didn’t have the time for an argument. Instead he simply took one of her hands in his...and crushed it. She cried out in pain and shock as her bones were pulverized under her skin and her blood seeped out from between his fingers. “If you do not,” he said calmly as he released her, “I will break much more of you. You will be dead at my hands before you fall into theirs.” This time, she ran. He knew she would be safer for it---and, he hoped, smarter, like an animal that has stepped once into a trap and now knows to avoid them. Then again, Shaw also knew what it was to be an old dog that couldn’t seem to get the hang of new tricks. *** “Hello, Claudine,” said Haven as the other woman lifted the wreckage easily from overtop her, as though this were a mere social call. “Thank you so much for the assistance, I do appreciate it.” Claudine, standing over Haven, put her hands on her vest-accentuated waist and smirked, just a little, though not unkindly at all, and asked, “Like the view?” “I’m very pleased for the rescue, Claudine,” said Haven, taking Claudine’s offered hand as the latter knelt down to offer it. “Come on, I know you can’t be that obtuse,” Claudine said in an indulgent tone, pulling her up, “I know for a fact you’re not. You’re a lot LESS obtuse than the average person. We’ve had this discussion.” “I suppose it’s not that I do not see it,” Haven replied, getting her footing, “Only that I do not recognize it for what it is, just as I may see a flower but not be able to identify its exact taxonomy.” “What you mean is, you’re not used to a woman hitting on you, so even when you pick it up you don’t realize what it really is,” Claudine took her arm, though only to help her pick her way over the debris. “I suppose. But I think it’s because I also know it’s not sincere from you. You’re...gauging me, I think, to see what I do and don’t perceive, and what I do and don’t react to. What would be the scientific term, responding to stimulus?” “True, I know you’re not going to turn around and reciprocate, and that is probably why I do it.” “That’s interesting, Claudine. Tell me, what do you do when you do want someone to reciprocate?” “...you know, I’m still trying to work that out myself.” *** "I’m sorry, okay?!” Shinobi ejected, throwing his arms out to the sides. “Are you?” Mindmeld asked coldly, her arms crossed over her chest, neither turning to look at him nor getting up from the luxurious couch, “Or are you sorry for how I’m getting back at you now?” She didn’t get an answer, just a whimper. “Doesn’t matter,” she said, and this time she did turn to look at him, “I’m gonna keep doing it AND doing your dad.” “Aw come on,” he whined, looking like a puppy in the rain. Good. “I am,” she said, “With Sebastian.” ** “Now, now, Red...I thought all bygones were bygones now?” Sebastian mocked as the young martial artist came at him, “Everything behind us now in this beautiful mutant paradise?” “That means nothing to me!” Red Lotus continued his strikes, trying to get a hit on Shaw’s pressure points, something his kinetic absorption had not defended him from in the past, “This is about MY FAMILY!” Sebastian smiled as he caught the leaping assailant by the throat, “So nice to hear someone sees things my way.” He lifted poor Red Lotus off the ground, his feet dangling in the air, “I quite agree with you, young Paul. Species loyalty is something I only espouse under duress, myself. Safety in numbers, I understand, but in an ideal situation, a “mutant identity” should be as asinine as a community based on eye color. But family loyalty...while it also makes little logical sense to me to align oneself based on an accident of blood, it was a weakness I can...understand. But I must ask---you realize, of course, your desire for vengeance is complicated by the issue of resurrection? That’s the only reason I don’t bother killing you now---you’d be back in my hair tomorrow anyway.” “There are worse things,” Red Lotus choked out, hate filling his eyes, “Than death. Again, Sebastian smiled, "That’s the spirit.” *** The Serpent Society girls and Skein were not the only friends that Mindmeld had made on Krakoa. Another was Regan Wyngarde, Lady Mastermind. She was the best kind of friend---the kind that was terrible, just like Mindmeld herself, and understood where they stood. That is, all fun, no loyalty. Each knew other would fuck each over in a second for shoes and leave the other the second it looked like there was trouble. Mindmeld comfortable with that. It was the same reason she was more comfortable with Sebastian than his son. And speaking of his son... “Your stupid slutty boyfriend is wearing my costume!” Regan shouted in outrage. “Wow, he fits?” Mindmeld replied in her typical can’t-be-shocked-tone, “That skinny bitch.” *** “So, your sister is safe? There is no one I have to trounce in her honor?” Fabian asked. He and Monsoon had at last made it back to Krakoa after their missions. Monsoon had been incessantly concerned about the welfare of his older sister throughout, and Fabian did understand that---he was a gentleman himself, and if he’d HAD a sister WORTH defending he’d certainly have looked out for her too--though he thought at times that Monsoon should look out for him, Fabian, more. Not that LORD CORTEZ, THE SUPREME MUTANT, needed any protection, just, it was the principle of the thing! “Yes, it seems all’s well,” Monsoon replied, “I was right to be concerned, I think---two of the crew are, erm. extremely rowdy fellows, maybe not BAD, but....but...” “But Haven is a lady,” Fabian finished. “Yes. But, the third, I think he was in charge---I got that impression, anyway---he was very serious. Older. Very respectable. I’m sure Radha was fine with him there to supervise things.” “Who were these two miscreants?” “Shinobi Shaw and Pyro, St. John Allerdyce...do you know them?” “That I do! Shinobi is absolutely a danger to a woman’s virture, but Pyro ah...is not. Who do I have thank for keeping that fop in line, though?” “His father, Sebastia---what?” Fabian was staring at Monsoon in PURE HORROR . *** “Wait, Shinobi,” said Haven, “I think I had better tell your father.” “What?” said Shinobi, then considered, “Oh, yeah...yeah. He’d probably um, take it better than you.” “I’m sorry, Shinobi,” Haven said gravidly and sincerely. “What?” “Shinobi, I...I would never deliberately pry or snoop. But I...I was born with a sort of sensitivity. It’s not a mutation, I am just...attuned to others. And I...can feel when something is amiss. When someone has been hurt.” “What are you saying?” Shinobi’s thin brows furrowed. His voice was defensive, his posture aggressive. He took a step forward. “I am saying,” said Haven, calm as ever, her large dark eyes gentle, “That if there is ever something you wish to tell, but are hesitant and ashamed...don’t be. I have probably already guessed it. And I would never, could never, look down on your for it.”

[fallout-snippets]

um i love how u write x6, how do u think he would interact w the sosu + other companions post game railroad ending, assuming he was sent to a settlement and isnt immediately hostile to the sosu?

(i know he technically gets hostile if you do any other ending but the institutes, but that’s shit writing and character neglect on bethesdas part.)

Immediately after he’s on high alert, but not looking for trouble. There’s no way he can take on everyone and if he flees, then what? He has nowhere to go. It’s not like he didn’t know it was coming either though. It doesn’t take long after he becomes Soles companion that he realizes that they don’t really have any intentions to join the Institute.

He’d probably blend in with the shadows, waiting for Sole to tell him what to do because honestly, he has no clue what to do or what his purpose is now. Maybe Sole is about to kill him and they just forgot about him. He’s fine with that. Maybe they’re about to make an example out of him to all the surviving Institute affiliates. That’s okay too. As long as something happens soon. He finds himself scared for the first time in... forever. Maybe he should’ve fought with the Institute against Sole but he knows that it wouldn’t matter. Sole would win anyway and honestly he doesn’t like the idea of going against them.

When Sole does find him, he has to smother the fight or flight response. There’s nowhere to run and there’s no way he’ll fight them. He accepts his fate and waits for the final blow. Instead Sole puts their arms around him, pulling him tight against them. He feels them sobbing against his shoulder and he knows enough to put his arms around them too.

He doesn’t know how to cry though.

He’s granted a place with them, if he promises to do right by the people and cast off any allegiance to the Institute and their ways. That’s not a problem to him, it was never his opinion. He wasn’t allowed to have one. All he needs is someone to follow that he trusts and so far Sole has been the only one.

He knows Cait doesn’t trust or like him one bit but she leaves him alone. He appriciates that. As time passes he won’t make too much of an attempt to make friends but he does commend her combat skills and ask to spar from time to time. She never holds back.

Codsworth is a gentleman. He would never make any comments or suggestions of bad character, but X6-88 knows the bot doesn’t trust him that much either. Technically, he is created by the people who tore his family apart, regardless of the bombs. Their interactions are always civil, however, and X6-88 sometimes asks for advice on proper etiquette.

Curie isn’t afraid of him. She might not properly understand his origins but she does love to ask about it. He appriciates her forwardness and doesn’t mind talking to her despite her sometimes invasive questions. They help eachother become a little more human; she teaches him to be softer and he teaches her to be a little tougher.

X6-88 doesn’t care much for Danse and Danse will never accept him. Their backgrounds are just too different, but neither one will seek out the other for a fight. Danse may, sometimes, express his distaste but it doesn’t bother X6-88 at all. He knows the inconvinience a fight among friends would cause Sole and he values them much more than he dislikes Danse.

Deacon and X6-88 rarely interract. He understands that Deacon is loyal to Sole as well but he knows that given just the slightest reason to doubt his own loyalty, he will be executed immediately. Their few interactions are always stiff and he knows that Deacon not only distrusts him, but genuinely despise him. They stay away from eachother as much as possible.

Dogmeat is a friend to everyone who’s a friend to Sole. He definitely notices how the other companions treat X6-88 but if Sole likes him, so does he. X6-88 adores Dogmeats company. Appriciates having someone near that doesn’t talk or request interaction. Likes to just exist near someone.

Hancock takes a while to warm up to the idea of an ex-courser being free to walk around people without strict supervision but eventually understands that X6-88 had no other frame of reference other than the Institute. Considers this his second chance however, and won’t give him a third. They’re not exactly friends but Hancock is a man of the people and understands social situations perfectly, and X6-88 tries to learn from him.

MacCready seems to be equally scared and pissed at him but he’s not in the business of acting on it. Their interactions are always civil and polite but brief. If Duncan is nearby he notices that MacCready becomes much more visibly distressed and so he chooses to keep a distance. Not just because it’s ethically the ‘right thing to do’ but because he doesn’t doubt that MacCready, if pushed into a corner, would do something rash and stupid.

Nick understands X6-88 better than anyone else and doesn’t hold his past against him, if he really is trying to reform. Nick knows firsthand how hard it is to do good and be good when people are continously doubting and using your past nature against you. Nick is probably the closest thing X6-88 has to a friend other than Sole and it’s kind of a friendship based on what they both are and are going through rather than a friendship based on interest and having fun together.

If there’s one thing Piper never thought she’d be doing it’s talking to an Institute puppet without screaming profanities too. She’s always cautious in approaching him at first but once she gets going she can’t help herself. X6-88 thinks it’s intriguing how her thirst for knowledge smothers her fear and he finds himself more than willing to tell her whatever she wants to know. Who’s going to reprimand him for spilling the secrets now? Not that he knows that much. Piper comes to understand that the Institute considered X6-88 a literal tool, nothing close to human, and that he’s trying to emerge from the power they held over him. She’s never going to ask him over for dinner or anything, and she’ll keep Nat a good distance away from the man, but she’s kind of sad to realize he’s not the monster she thought he was.

Preston doesn’t hold his past against him, like Nick, but is also going to make damn sure the Minutemen survive no matter what. Keeps an eye on him and the things he does but as long as X6-88 at least does what Sole says, Preston has no major problem with him. If someone else does, however, that’s between them.X6-88 admires Preston. The worst things that could’ve happened to him happened but he survived and fought through it anyway. He tells him sometime, that he never had much faith in humanity but Preston has proved him wrong. He probably says it much less tactfully and Preston probably doesn’t know if he’s being insulted or complimented but sees the struggle and just thanks him.

Strong assumes that people are wary of him because he’s a fearsome warrior or something. Doesn’t entirely understand the whole faction thing and honestly? He doesn’t care. Humans are humans. Also doesn’t understand why X6-88 apparently isn’t human? Strong is very interested in fighting X6-88 to see who’s the strongest but X6-88 keeps a respectful distance. They’re both two sides of a socially inept coin and there are only misunderstandings between them.

Ada remembers the Mechanist doing bad things thinking it was right until Sole cleared it up with her. Assumes it’s the same with X6-88. She’s not afraid of him. She kind of freaks him out though. If she’s a friend of Sole she’s a friend of his, more or less, but she acts as if she’s not just a bot. And people treat her like she’s not just a bot. But she is a bot. But then, isn’t that what people say about synths? And he’s a synth. So is he a bot or more than that? What’s the truth? Her existence and programming sends him down a spiral of selfdoubt and hard-hitting questions he’s not always ready to deal with (but that he does try to deal with)

Longfellow knows more than well that synths and coursers can reform and change their lives. The only real difference between the two are their job descriptions and hell, Longfellows just too old to give a shit. If he wants to make amends and change his life, let him. X6-88 appriciates the rare kindness Longfellow shows him but finds his lifestyle to not... match with his own. Has no idea why people like alcohol. The first time Longfellow got X6-88 to down a drink he thought he was malfunctioning and followed Sole around with a grip on their jacket until he sobered up. He’s not interested in doing that again.

Gage is probably a bit jealous of the reputation that follows X6-88 around despite the fact that he more or less follows Sole around like a puppy. Gage tries to push him into action but not because he wants everyone to turn on X6-88 and push him away but because he wants to see if it’s true. X6-88 honestly enjoys the testing, finds comfort in how firm he is in his emotions, or lack thereof. Doesn’t much care for Gages previous life, thinks he’s everything the Institute were convinced humanity had become.

[hfgujgu]

5 Steps To Build a Dog Run [2021]

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No longer some other destroyed pillow! Oh no the lawn is ruined! My canine had somewhere to run loose and burn off this bad electricity. I desire i could leave but make sure my canine is safe and comfortable. I need a dog run! Dog smash door

the list goes on and on. If you have a yard and feature stated any of the following to your self, you may need a canine run:

you’re having a bbq and you don’t need your canine stealing meals

you need your pet to be secure without you there

you want your canine to run loose to burn off energy

save your landscaping from harm

your canine isn't wonderful round human beings and wishes to be separated. Regardless of the purpose, a canine run is a realistic, customizable manner to preserve your canine confined when essential. It’s a far nicer alternative than a cage, as your pooch will have doggie play dates in his own personal little dog park without tearing up your garden. Plus, it lets in you to create a pleasing space that your canine may definitely experience. Desk of contents

what is a dog run? Why do you need a canine run? Diy canine run steps

2 – prepare the land

three – lay the ground cowl

four – installation fencing or barrier

five – add roofing or cover

canine run options

How to Build a Dog Run? Dog run

really positioned, a dog run is a safe, fenced and gated location the use of something like chain hyperlink fencing or wire mesh to hold your dog in a secure vicinity while you could’t always watch them. Why do you want a canine run? A dog run is a manner to provide your canine a area to be unfastened out of doors with out being supervised. More exercising

your dog could have greater space to run around. With the stimulation to explore with it’s nose, eyes, and sounds will hold your dog up and about. Clean air

it’s a remarkable way to allow your dog experience being outside. Being outside shall we your dog experience the thrill of different points of interest and scents of the outside. Puppies have a completely sensitive odor and explore the arena this manner. Socialization

if a neighbor has a dog it can be a brilliant manner to your canine to socialise. Dogs additionally socialize with any dogs that take place to shut sufficient. Diy dog run steps

with the aid of building your own canine run, you have got all of the manage. You may make it as large as you want and upload as many services as you need. It may even be a area that your canine enjoys. Upload a dog house, a padded location to lie down, and built-in food and water bowls, in addition to a bunch of toys. There are so many easy diy outside canine run blueprints to be had on-line. Strive searching for styles and thoughts online to peer what type of dog run will match your outside the first-rate. Pinterest has many diy dog run thoughts to get you started out. In this submit we can speak everlasting dog runs for yards. 1 – making plans

as part of the planning you'll want to determine region and size of the canine run a well as materials wished. Recall the subsequent earlier than designing your canine run:

how tall is my canine? Tall puppies tend to jump higher. If your canine is tall and agile you would possibly want a taller fence! For most huge and extra big sized puppies a 6ft or 1. 5 to 2 m tall fence is usually recommended. Does my canine want to dig? Golden retriever digging

you'll need to bury your fence deeper in the floor in case your dog likes to dig. There are numerous approaches to cope with this. You can do one of the following:

bury the fence beneath ground

add a barrier like chicken wire into the floor to prevent digging

make a canine run with a concrete ground

how long will my canine be outdoor? If your dog can be out of doors for lengthy periods of time you would possibly take into account constructing something where your canine can pass in case of climate to live safe and heat. Additionally ensure now not to depart them out of doors inside the sun for too long. Puppies can also overheat! They will want lots of water and meals if overlooked long sufficient. A safe haven is probably needed. Do you want you run to hook up with your private home? Every other alternative with dog runs is you can build them off of a puppy door from your private home. This offers your dog the final freedom to roam whilst it chooses! Canine runs may be constructed around doorways with domestic dog doors on them or pup doorways built into walls. How massive must my canine run be? The primary component to do whilst you make a decision to make your personal canine run is to devise according to your dog. What size is your dog? What does he like to play with? Large dogs would require extra room to run. Look a piece deeper into the kind of breed your canine is to see what precise desires he may have and how much room he desires to run round, etc. Once you've got an excellent idea of the dimensions canine run you’re building. Now consider the weather you’re in. What publicity will my canine have? If it’s warm and sunny maximum of the time, make certain you region your dog run someplace within the color or plan to build a roof on it to guard your dog from the solar’s rays. If you stay in a weather that’s wet a variety of the time, you’ll also need to don't forget a roof and in all likelihood even guttering if rainfall is going to be an excessive amount of for the shape to address. Fenced canine run

substances

there are a few fundamental components to every canine run. You could lead them to as easy or as complicated as you want as long as it’s secure and strong. The first element you’ll need to do not forget is the frame. Pre made dog runs or permanent

it should be durable and robust—it’s usually made from metal pipes or bars or thick timber fencing. There are some of dog runs you may purchase online. These generally do not comprise a floor. In case your dog is a digger you may need to do not forget creating a more permanent shape and dig proofing your canine run. Fencing

canine run fencing is available in quite a few variations. A few humans use preferred skinny wire fencing but you may additionally use thick cord fencing or even rods. If you need to offer your canine some privateness, you can even use metal sheets. It’s up to you to determine what cloth to use for your diy dog run fence. Roofs are elective but advocated with the intention to guard your dog from rain and the sun. You don’t have to cowl the whole thing, however it’s an amazing Dog Run Ideas to have at least a small section wherein your canine is blanketed from the factors. Substances

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in case you stay in a region that gets storms frequently or if you have a particularly big dog, it would likely be fine to construct a dog run with a frame that’s cemented or otherwise anchored into the ground. The posts should be as a minimum 18 inches deep and encased in cement. The main cause of the posts is to preserve the fence. You may pick out any sort of fencing as long as it’s long lasting and secure on your dog. Don't forget, the point is to preserve your dog in and everyone else out. It’s additionally critical to make sure your canine can’t jump over it. What's the satisfactory floor for a canine run? As a ways because the floor goes, you've got a few options. Pouring concrete will hold matters a bit neater as it receives less messy when it rains. You could also use a mattress of mulch, pea gravel, or cedar chips. You don’t need to use the identical cloth for the whole vicinity. For instance, you could use 1/2 concrete and half of mulch so your dog has a few options as to where to play and wherein to relax. Stage canine run

2 – put together the land

use a rake or other garden device to get rid of the grass and loosen the topsoil inside the region. You will also need to prepare the land for whatever your floor cowl you will be growing. Lay out the border

step one to preparing the land is laying out the boarder. For this step you could mark your boarder with stakes and string. Area steaks at the corners of the areas where your dog run will reside. Wood steaks can be used and driven into the floor with a hammer. Then string can be used by wrapping the string several times round each stake around the parameter of the dog run. Dispose of the turf

dig out the marked location to a intensity of about 2 to three inches for low-visitors feature regions which include mulching around pots, flower borders and regions used for display handiest. Eliminate the turf in sections approximately the dimensions of a shovel. A appropriate intensity of gravel for large areas and pathways is 4 to 6 inches clip and get rid of all plant life with loppers and choose out rocks that would tear via the landscaping material. You can follow an herbicide to the vicinity at this factor if you wish. Area the border

use metallic or vinyl edging cloth to immobilize the border. Vinyl edging is typically held in location by way of the weight of the pea gravel. Outline the complete area with edging, making the edging flush with the encompassing floor. Power in the stakes if required for the edging cloth. 3 – lay the ground cowl

there are many specific styles of ground cover you may use in a canine run. A softer floor cover is more ergonomic on your dog. But a concrete floor remains easy. You may need to determine what your needs are. Bare dirt or grass

canine in a dog run with grass

using naked dirt or grass can be the very best answer. But there also are a few drawbacks to a dog run like this. Examine greater under. Blessings

grass and dirt may be an easy flooring. No longer plenty of guidance is vital. Dirt and grass are clean to your puppies paws. However there are some draw backs. Risks

grass turns to mud and can and up being messy. It isn't as alluring to the eye

after some time puppies can easily trample the grass until all that’s left is mud. Therefore maximum dog run proprietors pick a cleaner surface to keep their dogs from monitoring in mud and dirt. Large breed dogs play combating in a fenced in park; a golden and a husky. Two large dog breeds play fighting in a fenced in dog run. If you do choose a dust and grass canine run, you can upload a hose close to the doorway to rinse your puppies off before letting them inside the house. Concrete

concrete canine run

until you've got enjoy pouring concrete, we endorse getting a expert to carry out venture. However in case you want to do it your self here's a excellent resource for pouring concrete. Benefits

it’s low upkeep

concrete flooring lasts for a long time

hazards

not as clean on dogs joints and paws as other flooring. It’s highly-priced

dogs don’t like to “do their business” on concrete

negative aspects of concrete are dogs don’t want to poo on concrete as an awful lot as grass for example. Also it’s more difficult on their paws and joints. Gravel

dog status on gravel canine run

gravel can be a very good alternative for dog runs. When deciding on gravel do not forget what length you will need. Pea size gravel is a superb all around alternative. Its now not sharp which is right for paws, and it’s small sufficient it offers a smooth surface even as strolling on. Benefits

puppies gained’t track in dust with gravel floors

it’s additionally clean to smooth up messes

this floor is also very easy to your dogs paws and joints

pea length gravel can be a great choice due to how clean it's far to your dogs paws. It’s additionally easy to make a gravel mattress. Dangers

it needs periodically replenished

dogs can song the gravel in

gravel can get caught in your puppies paws

with all of the blessings and drawbacks we assume gravel is a superb choice. A few different options you could recall could be cedar or wooden chips. 4 – installation fencing or barrier

husky farm. Canine sitting on the fence. Finland

the barrier to include your dog is an essential a part of your dog run. You need to keep in mind how tall the barrier will want to be to include your canine. A chain hyperlink fence may be an easy alternative but maximum medium and large puppies can jump over your common fence. 6 feet tall or extra is a great top for a fence. A few puppies may additionally even need a taller fence. A few puppies can’t be contained! I have seen german shepherds easily clear a 6 feet fence with enough momentum. For smaller puppies round 1 toes tall or so, a shorter fence is sufficient to keep them contained. As an instance bulldogs can weigh 150 lbs however can they leap a 6 feet fence? Now not possibly. Fencing

as soon as you understand the height of your fence you may choose materials. The most not unusual sorts are chain hyperlink and wood. There are numerous other varieties of fences as well if you want some thing decorative. Just ensure whatever you use it’s strong and tall enough to hold a dog. All fence posts ought to be cemented in if you want them to final. Posts now not cemented in will in the end begin to shift. Typically after most effective three hundred and sixty five days! Does your dog like to have a look at the sector? That can be difficult while you don’t need an competitive dog to scare human beings strolling via. If that’s the case perhaps a wood fence could better fit your needs. Chain link

chain hyperlink fence

if a sequence hyperlink fence works for you that may be an amazing inexpensive choice. Chain hyperlink fences are much less pricey than wood fences depending on where you live. There are also many extraordinary styles to pick out from. All fences have posts c

wooden

6 foot privacy fence

there are many specific forms of fences to pick out from. There also are timber, metallic mesh fences, vinyl fences, and plenty of different versions like brick and cement. Limitations for digging

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[dong-hyucks]

Hey~ Could you make an Vampire Au #36 and #19 with Chanyeol (EXO)?

Park Chanyeol ; “Can I hold your hand?” , “We’ll figure it out.” + Vampire!AU

Prompts here.Masterlists

okay so i was supposed to start this like an hour ago

but i got distracted by a wonderful blog (@warmau 15/10 would recommend)

but don’t worry, this is long to make up for it

anywho, so you’re just a regular citizen in a regular town

so regular literally nothing happened

it was really boring but you had to stay to take care of your grandparents

so you didn’t complain or anything

since it’s such a small town everyone kind of knows everyone

like even if you’re new(ish) to the town, you already know everybody and their mothers

yeah it’s that kind of town

however

there is one person almost no one knows

park chanyeol

he had moved to your town sometime before you moved

he had no relatives

one a single friend, but even he kept to himself

no one ever saw chanyeol outside of his house, which was down a dead end road

one person saw him through his window but that was about it

he apparently didn’t answer the door when his neighbours offered him freshly baked cookies upon his arrival

rumours spread about him

how he was some axe murderer before he moved and now he was on the down low

or about how he was just really ugly and didn’t want people to see his face

people came up with the strangest things, really

you, however, kept quiet

you didn’t spread any rumours, nor did you diffuse them

except for that one time, when a few drunkards were going a bit too far with their words

but for the most part, you kind of just ignored the whole park chanyeol situation and just tended to your grandparents in peace

that is

until you actually met him

you were out on a night run for groceries

you were supposed to get them earlier in the day but you got distracted (ahembytumblrahem)

no one was usually out at night

something about there being word of a ghost that walks the town

you weren’t really one to believe in the supernatural so it was fine

you went to the grocery store across town

even tho there were ones closer to your home, you preferred the atmosphere in the farther one

all of the workers were very kind

and it was always quite clean

plus you wanted to take the chance to donate some money to the charity they were hosting

apparently someone anonymously donated thousands of dollars

which sounded insane considering people normally donated one to three dollars at a time

you had always wanted to find out who the mysterious donater was, but the workers had sworn to secrecy

after getting your groceries and everything you were on your way home

you took the long way because you really liked staring at the star-scattered sky

and the wonderful glow of the crescent moon

the darkness of it all just seemed more interesting to you than a blue sky with clouds

halfway back to your house you noticed a faint shadow coming from behind you whenever you’d walk passed a street lamp

which was odd considering it definitely wasn’t yours

and no one was in sight

you started getting a bit wary considering how late it was

you still refused to believe some ghost was haunting the town at night

when suddenly

the paperbag containing your groceries fell apart

you always thought they were weak

everything just fell before you, at your feet

luckily nothing had broken open

but a single apple rolled away

and when your eyes followed it you gasped

someone had been behind you

your eyes trailed up from where the apple had stopped against the person’s feet, up the man’s quite lengthy legs, all the way up to his face

his face, mind you, was perfectly framed by his blond locks that fell around his eyes

you didn’t recognize him, which was odd

you recognized everybody

you automatically thought of chanyeol or his mystery friend

but if you were wrong that’d be ten years worth of cringe

the man stayed silent, bending over to pick up the apple

when he outstretched his hand to give you the fruit, you hesitantly smiled, taking the apple from his grasp

“do you need help… bringing all this home?”

you nearly fell over

his voice was deep

before you could even say no he was already at your feet, picking up your groceries

you snapped out of your shock, helping him quickly

“thanks” you said, most likely looking tense

to your surprise, he sent you a smile

it only lasted a mere second, maybe even less

but the once intimidating man seemed sweet within that one second

you walked to your house in silence, with you guiding the way

he didn’t even seem like he needed to be guided, sometimes he even stepped ahead of you

once you reached your door, you thanked him again

when you turned to drop off all of the groceries on the corner table in your foyer he said

“it was no problem, [Y/N]”

you blinked in shock, not expecting him to know your name

when you turned around he was gone

you peeked out of the door, only to see no one but a couple of bats

which wasn’t unusual for your town

you hummed curiously before closing the door

under normal circumstances, you’d feel scared by the man

but something about him seemed

different

you couldn’t place a finger on it, but he definitely wasn’t normal

however, you couldn’t exactly just go out and find him again

so you went on with your life

you took care of your grandparents

played hide and seek with the neighbour’s kids (with the parents’ permission and/or supervision, of course)

went to work at the library

your life was, well, normal again after that night

and then one day a man, different from the one you had seen before, came into the library

the first thing you noticed was his lowkey stupid looking top hat

you would’ve just ignored him if he hadn’t made a beeline for you

“can i help you, sir?”

“yeah, hi, are you [Y/N] by any chance?”

okay now you were creeped out

for the second time in two weeks, two different strangers had recognized you and gotten your name

you looked down at your shirt

you weren’t wearing your name tag (something you often forgot to do and got scolded by your manager a lot because of it)

“,,, yes?”

the man’s stoic expression lit up like a puppy spotting its food dish

“great!! chanyeol told me about when he met you, said you seemed nice”

“,,,,,, chanyeol??”

it clicked in your mind that the man from weeks before was chanyeol

so then this man must be his friend, unless chanyeol had gone out to socialize at some point in between encounters

“i’m baekhyun,” the man greeted, holding out his hand

you eyed his hand wearily before shaking it

clearing his throat, baekhyun handed you a note

“please go here when you’re done work!” 

the note was an address, a small, usually empty bookstore to be exact

“don’t think it’s anything suspicious,” baekhyun added, “i swear it’s nothing bad”

you nodded slowly, shoving the note in your pocket

content with your response, baekhyun waved goodbye before bounding out of the library

one of your coworkers came up to, a confused look on her face

“what was that?”

“to be honest,, i have no idea”

anyway

you did go to the bookstore after your shift

when you got there, there were only two other people in the store

the owner, a kind elderly woman, and another tall male with blond hair

it didn’t take long for you tor recognize him

“hello?” you asked, peeking your head passed one of the shelves to look at him

he jumped, you swore there were two feet between his sneakers and the floor

chuckling, you made your way to the lanky man

“your friend, baekhyun, told me to be here”

“ah, did he now?”

you rose a brow

he didn’t even sound like he knew what you were talking about

chanyeol forced out an airy chuckle, bringing his hand to his forehead in slight embarrassment

“ah, sorry, i may have mentioned you once and he probably made a big deal of it”

you nodded slowly for the second time that day

“speaking of, how did you know my name?”

he suddenly turned red

he then explained that he was a frequent visitor to the orphanage you visited from time to time

he even got a part time job there, but he was usually able to do work at home considering it was just paperwork

the kids were kind of scared of him because of his height and voice

so he kept his distance even though he adores children

in a non creepy way

but the first time he saw you and how easily the children flocked to you

he was in awe

and his boss told him your name

which might’ve been let out in conversation

“sorry??”

you surprisingly didn’t feel much

surprise, at most, because of how vastly different he was from the rumours you had heard

so you decided to give the poor guy a chance

“let’s be friends, chanyeol. hm?”

he overreacted a bit

he started grinning and he took your hands in his

“thanks!! not many people in this town want to be my friend because i’m shy”

it was your turn to be in awe

this man was literally a sweetheart how could anyone be intimidated by him

so weeks passed 

you did end up befriending chanyeol, and in turn baekhyun

the three of you were this new little trio

word spread quickly

a lot of people asked you about them but you didn’t say much, respecting the boys’ privacy

just that they weren’t murderers or anything like that

and that they were really nice

the only people who believed you were some children and your grandparents honestly

the rest were still iffy on them

not that you, chanyeol, or baekhyun cared

anyway

overtime

you realized you really liked chanyeol

he was funny and kind

he always put you first, which was incredibly sweet

and he would always compliment you without thinking

and then cutely cover his mouth in embarrassment

there were so many things you grew to like about him

you could honestly write a seven page thesis about it, which was surprising considering you hadn’t known him for long

but

a few days into your newfound friendships

you noticed some odd things about them

how they preferred to go out at night rather than day

and during the day, they wore long sleeves, pants, from time to time gloves, and ridiculous looking top hats

and the fact that they never ate in front of you

and refused to go in front of mirrors

at first you thought they were just quirky

but then one day you were cooking with chanyeol

and he accidentally stabbed his finger

at first, he jumped, but then he quickly turned away from you

you managed to take a peek at what you thought would be a small wound

but to your surprise there was no blood

and the wound was closing

fast

that was on your mind the whole day

you didn’t say anything about it tho

since that incident, you kept an eye out for weird activity without seeming too obvious

it was only until it happened did everything click

you walked up to chanyeol’s house and just entered without knocking

he’s the type to keep a spare key under his doormat

anyway walking in like that had become the norm between the three of you

you slowed down after you heard chanyeol talking to someone

and then

squeaks in response?

you curiously followed the voices

only to get flocked by bats

you screamed, obviously, and raised your arms over your head in a feeble attempt to protect yourself

“guys! guys! stop, that’s [Y/N]!”

suddenly, just at his words, the bats calmed down, flying away to hang upside down on a wooden beam above chanyeol’s head

you opened your eyes a bit, eyeing the eleven bats that hung from the beam

you then looked at chanyeol and screamed again

he had blood covering his mouth and entire front

“oh my– chanyeol what the hell happened to you?!?!”

chanyeol attempted to sputter out a response which lead to him accidentally revealing the bag of blood that was seemingly half empty

“what is that”

suddenly, as if you hadn’t had enough surprise in one day

the bats flew to the floor behind chanyeol, and transformed

what once were bats were now eleven different men, thankfully all clothed

you recognized one of them as baekhyun

you looked back to chanyeol with blown open eyes “explain”

and so he did

he first introduced everyone

you probably know who ot12 exo is, i don’t need to name them

then he started stammering again, “well, how do i say this, we, um, kind of are,,,, vampires?”

the room went silent

you could only hear your own breathing and your heartbeat pounding in your ear

“you’re,,,, what?”

“vampires, get with the program” - jongdae

yeah

you may or may not have fainted

luckily one of them, minseok, was fast enough to zoom across the room to catch you

ahem

when you regained consciousness chanyeol was hovering above you, literally, with a worried expression

“you’re okay!!!” he’d then proceed to hug you

you’d pull away asking for a detailed explanation

so he started at the beginning

he was born a human

but he was very ill

apparently, his mother was part vampire, turned in her teenage years, but her vampire blood hadn’t passed onto him

and since he was vampire-born, but a human, his body couldn’t handle the abnormalities he faced

so he couldn’t go outside or anything in fear of collapsing suddenly

when he was ten he fainted after his father passed

he almost died if it weren’t for his mom turning him

however, his body didn’t accept the transformation right away

in fact, it still hadn’t

at most, he was a quarter vampire

he was sensitive to sunlight, but he could still go outside

he still aged like a normal human

and he wasn’t bloodthirsty

he’d just need his fill once a month and he’d be good

the pros, according to him, were super speed and rapid healing

plus he was able to light a pretty mean fire (which could come in handy at the randomest of times)

and hover/fly, obviously

unfortunately he wasn’t gifted with super hearing, which is why you were able to sneak up on him all those times

the boys you had met early, the boys who called themselves exo, were like chanyeol

not full vampires

but not human either

they all had different attributes, but chanyeol was the most human

“oh”

he looked panicked at your reaction, but he calmed down after seeing your understanding expression

the room went quiet

shyly, chanyeol looked to you

“can i hold your hand?”

you nodded, holding it out for him

when he took your hand, you noticed for the first time how oddly cold he was

he didn’t have warm blood pumping through his veins, after all

you traced your thumb over the ridges of his hands, going over each slightly blue vein

you looked back up to chanyeol, gasping slightly once you saw how close he was to your face

slowly, his eyes trailed to your lips before going back to your eyes, as if he were asking for permission

you merely nodded

moving forward, he pressed his cold lips against yours, moving them slowly

the kiss was short and sweet and he was incredibly gentle with you

when he pulled away, he rested his forhead against yours

“would you like to go out with me?”

you looked into his eyes, amazed at how beautiful they were up close

with a small smile, you replied “how will we make this work? what if everyone finds out?”

of course, you planned to say yes anyway, but the worry was still there

grinning reassuringly, chanyeol took your hand once again, enveloping it in his own

“we’ll figure it out.” 

[vampirevodka-blog]

Analysis: Kiwi MV by Harry Styles

First of all i was so fucking excited for this video. this is one of my favorite’s off the album and i’m so glad it got a mv. 

so, the first thing i’m going to discuss and unpack is how all the actors/tresses are children. The only adult we see throughout is Harry himself, but I’ll get into the role he plays later. 

let’s agree that the children represent a younger generation of people in society. since we have Beau--the little girl (who almost appears androgynous--again, i’ll get into that later) dressed almost identically to Harry in the video--as the representation of Harry himself, let’s say that the children represent harry’s generation, which, consequentially, reflects us. our generation. 

now, i don't want to piss anybody off with this analysis so if you don’t like the idea of all of the conflicts/tension caused by inequality in society today being caused by the select few in power, stop reading. there’s a lot of orwellian ideas coming up in the analysis. 

SO. we all know harry’s main motif--especially for this album--is to spread love. if it’s that easy--who’s stopping the love from being passed around? the disclaimer at the beginning (see above) is reminiscent of one when viewers are about to be subjected to triggering content, such as violence. we see beau, determinedly making her way down an empty hall, ammo in hand and ready for whatever chaos is to come. everyone’s preparing for it, and we see all the different children already tense and arguing, the pastries and baked goods all placed in the center of the room, almost like the cornucopia in the hunger games.

the thing is, the children all have their own cupcakes already in their hands. all the children have sweets, but none of them actually begin to throw them at each other until beau walks in and starts the food fight. we don’t even get an explanation as to why they are all arguing in the mv, which is usually a stylistic tool to explain to viewers that the cause of strife is virtually useless and the fights honestly unnecessary. that’s not to say that equality isn’t something that should be fought for, but--shouldn’t it already be a given? why should we eve have to fight for it--why isn’t it already there for everyone to simply enjoy?

(another thing i find interesting is that the colors of the cupcake’s frosting represents the colors the children are wearing, even with beau--so whatever the sweets represent are directly linked back to the children) 

so what can the sweets represent?  they represent when he worked in a bakery, Esse. Duh.  Yes, you’re probably right, but i feel like it goes a bit deeper than that. 

so, harry worked in a bakery when he was younger (a child), before ever auditioning on the xfactor and becoming a part of one direction. fine. 

he also belonged to a very different class of people at that time.

harry grew up in a middle-class family, just like the majority of the population, and his ego hasn’t really seemed to have inflated such that he’s forgotten how to be humble. when you’re a celebrity, ‘normal people problems’ aren’t something you have to worry about--louis wrote an entire song about that: being discriminated against, being judged for being yourself, being treated unfairly, for the most part, celebrities don’t have to worry about those things*. they have other things they need to worry about. being a minority, whether it’s due to race, sexuality, gender, class (well, maybe not so much class as a celebrity)--they don’t take away from the support a celebrity has. Beyonce is one of the most loved singers of our time. David Bowie was praised for his ‘quirkiness’. My neighbor who lets her son wear dresses, especially in an arab country? She is not loved by her peers nor praised. that’s just the way things work. 

The point of that off-topic train of thoughts was that if the cupcakes and pastries are reminiscent of harry’s time working in a bakery, then they link us back to two things and support my arguments that one, the children represent us and our generation and two, that the children also represent us in our financial and social struggle (particularly in the middle and lower classes) as we are pinned against one another for basic equality. 

The pastries are not only color-coded to represent each child, but the ones in the center cornucopia look so professionally made no child could have baked them. what does that mean? that means that the adults had to help. the adults--whoever they are--that baked the goods that these children are going to use to attack one another with let the children take them. there’s no way an entire bakery can be robber dry without a single adult knowing. the kids couldn't have baked them themselves because it would have been ‘too dangerous’, and even if they had they wouldn’t have turned out so aesthetically pleasing. The ammunition was supplied by the adults--the one’s in charge--for the children to use on one another, without any supervision whatsoever. 

so, theyre all at war with one another but they arent given the means to really throw anything harmful because they have no power with their superiors--in this case, the adults, in society the older generation who is now still in charge of most of what occurs in politics--so that what we have instead is the children throwing food at one another as though they are actually at war. 

Despite this mood, the baked goods dont do any real harm or damage and reflects how, effectively, no change is really being made with everyone quarreling amongst themselves: we need to learn to direct our frustration at those who have placed us in these situations in the first place. 

Another thing I find interesting: the kids don’t start throwing sweets until beau gestures like she is about to. i don't know what to make of that--maybe she's the role model since she has an established connection with the adults (the reflection of her appearance in harry’s?)

speaking of harry, the only thing that Harry the Adult really truly does when he walks in is cause more chaos by bringing in these puppies and shouting at no one in specific. he’s unable to settle them down; instead, he ends up having to find cover against the overall assault of pastries without even creating order whatsoever, and he even hands a girl a cupcake to use as ammo. Like, ‘here, take this and use it against your equals since i told you to stop but that didn’t work, might as well help you attack each other’.

alrighty then, Harry the Adult. The only adult figure actually shown in the whole mv and you’re virtually useless in helping with the problem. 

i think thats for one of two reasons i can think of:

1. hes critiquing the system and how the higher-ups encourage the mayhem in lower classes to keep them pliant and controllable, even though they ‘appear’ to be ‘for the people’ (think george orwell)

or

2. something about childhood mirth and it all being a game but idk i havent really thought too deeply into that bc it doesnt make much sense (you can see which line of analysis clearly appealed to me more)

ALSO. if all of that wasn’t enough for you to believe me just look at the little shit’s smirk at the end of this video. 

he’s screaming ‘ha ha you little fucks played right into my trap and I got exactly what I wanted’. i swear it. 

 then if we go BACK to the lyrics, we see that we are talking about this girl and she

a. seems extremely desperate to be with the main character of the song and

b. obviously doesnt live TOO luxuriously (cheap pack of cigarettes and just her overall lifestyle reflects the whole idea of ‘wasted youth’) which reflects back to her potentially being another cog in the useless, damaging machine that society has become.

ALSO CHILD HARRY IS A GIRL CAUGHT IN THE MIX BC OUR HOME BOY IS GAY AND HES CAUGHT UP IN THE USELESS FIGHTING JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IS AAAAAAAH

*i said FOR THE MOST PART. i know that there are still MANY situations in which celebrities have to face discrimination and unfair treatment, but for the most part, they have a platform through which their can communicate their opinions. regular people do not. 

[a-gay-bloodmage]

---Redren, I may have made a mistake.---

For @zevranology‘s #Zevwarden week

Pairing: Zevran x Male Amell Warden ((Side of Morrigan x Leliana))

Pairing Type: M/M

Words: 14,548

Warnings: Sex jokes, mention of sex work in a neutral light, pretty slow burn, some great lesbians, use of OC’s name, they’re all just nerds

Redren, I may have made a mistake. Texts like this were never good. Coming from Leliana, they either meant that she burnt a cake or that she broke a leg. One could never tell.

What have you done? Redren write back, setting aside his current project.

“Who is it?” He heard Morrigan ask from the back of the room. They were currently in his basement along with Alistair, one of their mutual friends.

“Leliana,” he sighed. “She’s been typing for a while so I’m going to assume it’s nothing good!”

His phone vibrated in his hands, five messages coming though at once.

OKAY SO I MAY HAVE MET THIS REALLY NICE GUY THE OTHER DAY, OKAY? ANYWAY HE WAS CHATTING ME UP, SAID MY BUTT LOOKED GOOD, ALL THAT STUFF. ANYWAY, HE WAS REALLY NICE SO I INVITED HIM TO STARBUCKS. WE WERE OUT GETTING COFFEE TODAY AND HE ASKED ME WHAT MY HOBBIES WERE AND

OH SWEET BABY JESUS I SAID THAT I WAS GOING TO LARP THIS WEEKEND WITH MY FRIENDS (AND MY GIRLFRIEND, SOMETHING HE SEEMED COOL WITH, EVEN IF HE SEEMED A BIT CONFUSED AS TO WHY I ACCEPTED A WEIRD SORT OF DATE THING) WITH SOME OF MY FRIENDS AND OF COURSE HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THAT WAS BECAUSE HE’S HOT,

NO OFFENSE, DUDE. ANYWAY THIS MADE ME END OF HAVING TO EXPLAIN WHAT IN THE LORD’S NAME LIVE-ACTION ROLE PLAYING IS TO A REALLY HOT SPANISH GUY OVER STARBUCKS COFFEE AND IT WAS REALLY AWKWARD BUT

HE SEEMED TO BE INTO IT???? I DON’T KNOW BUT ANYWAY HE LOOKED GENUINELY INTERESTED AND I COULDN’T SHUT UP SO AAAAHHHH

LONG STORY SHORT I INVITED HIM OVER I’M SO SORRY

are you kidding me

No.

Redren sighed and put down his phone, falling back onto the sawdust covered carpet.

“God,” Alistair muttered, looking over at Redren sighing on the floor. “What did she say?”

“She sort of accidentally invited someone to go to Moondust with us,” he said, rushed.

“What a fool!” Morrigan cried, raising her staff above her head in mock agony. “Oh, ‘tis truly a horror! We are exposed!” She snorted and set down her staff.

“It may be funny to you, but she mentioned he was attractive and now I’m nervous!”

“Hey!” He heard Alistair whine. “Am I not attractive to you?”

“You’re my friend, Alistair, our token heterosexual! I don’t know this guy! And she mentioned he was Spanish!” He lamented his head tilted back to look at his friends. Morrigan had gone back to applying another layer of paint to her homemade staff, shaking her head in amusement.

“What if you ask her to ask him if he’s available to come over tomorrow?” Redren sat up and stared at Alistair. Alistair blushed a bit in awkwardness before he explained. “I mean, he needs a character, and maybe we could whip one up tomorrow before the weekend?”

“Lord,” Redren exhaled, “I’ll text her. I thank God every day for your ideas, my friend.”

“Should I be offended, or…?”

Leliana.

Do you have his number?

Yeah, why?

I need you to text him.

Tell me what you want to say and I’ll send him a screenshot so I don’t have to worry about messing up and any typos are on you~

Fine, fine

Okay, attractive mystery man, as you may know, you have been invited to one of the most embarrassing social gatherings on the planet. I am wondering if you are available to come over tomorrow, any time between noon and one am to

work on preparing you for one of the strangest things you’ve ever been invited to.

Sending it!

It took only about two minutes for him to respond.

Greetings Leliana’s friend! My name is Zevran Arainai, and I can say with certainty that anything you invite me too will not be too strange for my tastes~!

If Miss Leliana here is available at noon, I can be as well, although I cannot stay after nine pm. I work, shall we say, night shifts? Haha, well I am excited! What your friend described sounds VERY interesting!

~Z ♡

Lord, he sounds… interesting.

Oh he is.

“He’s coming over at noon.”

“Nice! I’ll be over after work, so, like, four? Duncan said he’s closing up early. Doctor’s appointment,” Alistair replied, setting his pain-stakingly well made latex sword. He worked at a local hardware shop under Duncan, who was incredibly nice when it came to a bunch of twenty-somethings asking to use his machines when the shop was closed. He was sort of like Alistair’s pseudo-dad, and was happy to let them use the machines as long as he was supervising. He had no idea what they were doing, but he was happy to watch from the sidelines. A confused smile and a thumbs up were his go-to resources.

“Morrigan dear,” be heard his grandmother, Wynne, call out from the top of the basement stairs. “Your mother just called the house phone, and she said you need to come home!”

“I am twenty-five,” he heard her mutter as she put all of her art supplies back on the table she used as storage.

“And she said that if you mute her calls again, she’s coming over herself to collect you herself!” Morrigan’s mother was incredibly odd, for lack of a better word. She ran a tiny shop that specialized in herbal medicine she brewed herself and other miscellaneous items of witchcraft. Redren found the whole thing fascinating, but despite being a pagan witch herself, Morrigan couldn’t stand her mother. She still lived at home and helped with the shop which was housed on the first floor of their home.

“Remind me I need to splatter-paint that in case I forget!” She said, grabbing her backpack by the stairs. “I’ll sneak out at two, so I’ll be over at quarter after!”

“See ya!” Both Redren and Alistair called out after her. About half an hour passed until Alistair glanced up at the clock, noticing the time. 9:30 pm.

“I’ve got to be home by ten,” he sighed, “so we should probably start cleaning now, huh?”

It took about fifteen minutes to get everything put away, with Alistair departing after one of his bone-crushing hugs.

“Again, four o'clock!” He reminded, a dorky smile on his face. “Don’t want to leave you alone with Morrigan, Leliana and the new guy!”

“God bless you, Alistair!” Redren laughed, waving him goodbye as he grabbed his satchel from the basement railing.

As soon as he left, Redren put his music on the Bluetooth speaker and set to work, breaking out the vacuum for probably the first time in three months. Bits of sanded off wood were all but ingrained in the carpet, so it took quite some time to get even the smallest portion of the dust out. He wanted this place as clean as humanly possible, as having a guest over, a supposedly attractive guest at that, was a good motivation to actually clean. The added distraction of his boxer bolting down the stairs to howl at the vacuum just made the job that much harder. Redren could only pray that Zevran didn’t ask him what the overgrown puppy’s name was, or else he’d have to admit that at age twenty, he’d named a boxer Dog. Hopefully Zevran had a sense of humor. Eventually he moved to attempt to scrub at the cement floor where Morrigan had been quite relaxed with her painting. A red, smeared handprint is not a very good sight for making a first impression.

The only place he didn’t clean was their paused game of Dungeons and Dragons, a sacred place that nobody disturbed unless they wanted to lose their hand. Dog was circling his legs, excited at the prospect of going to Moondust for the weekend. There, he was a proud warhound who got to roll around in puppy-friendly red paint to his hearts content and chase any rabbit he wanted. Everyone loved him there, and over the two years he’d been going with Redren he’d become a bit of an icon. Redren had been personally LARP-ing for six years, ever since he was sixteen and Alistair, eighteen at the time, had noticed him sketching a self-insert sorcerer in his chemistry notebook. The dork had struck up a conversation with him, and ended up talking about how he and his older half-brother Cailin went up once a month to Live Action Role Play in a medieval village called Moondust. Redren and him had become friends quite quickly, which was pretty handy, as Alistair was on the Rugby team, so a lot less people were tempted to bully Redren like they usually did. He was an androgynous gay teenager with red hair to his mid-back. As soon as he went to Moondust he knew that was where he belonged. He ended up running a blog for it, posting all about his little adventures, truly excited to be a part of it. He ended up meeting Morrigan there. She was three years older than him, making him the baby of the group. Leliana, her girlfriend, was two years older than him, and an older sister if anything.

“Redren!” His grandma Wynne called from the top of the stairs. “Don’t forget you have work tomorrow!” Her tone meant that she didn’t mean it as a mere suggestion to hurry up. He put away his cleaning supplies and headed up the stairs, Dog on his heels. He collapsed into bed after giving Wynne a quick goodnight kiss on the cheek. Despite being a bit of an overbearing busybody sometimes, she was a good grandma, taking him in when his mother died when he was five. She owned a little restaurant called “The Circle,” that specialized in breakfast food. He was mainly just a waiter there, and the staff was fairly small. Irving, a man that technically retired five years ago did much of the finances for Wynne. Probably because he was bored and good with management. His childhood friend Jowan and his wife Lily also worked there with him. Really nice, average people of you didn’t count Jowan’s fascination with the medical world. He didn’t have the funds for med school, but that didn’t stop him from knowing every artery, vein, and capillary in the human body.

Redren nearly fell asleep in his jeans. Cleaning was much more exercise than he usually did. He began to think about Zevran, and how he still knew nothing about the stranger that Leliana had invited over. He worked nights, it seemed. Redren couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like. If he was Spainish, he must be tan, right? Redren looked at his own corpse-pale hands and laughed. Lord, was he British! Was Zevran’s accent strong? Oh, how tall was he? What would he roleplay as? An elf? A human warrior, or a mage? Or was he really tall, a Qunari, perhaps? The mixture of anxiety and excitement twisted his stomach in knots. He buried his face in his pillow, taking deep breaths. It was no use worrying, it’d happen either way. Eventually, he settled to sleep. Nervous. Very, very nervous.

..

His morning was like any other. He said hello to Jowan and Lily when he walked in at six am, and set to work taking orders from the steady stream of customers. The Circle was actually popular, but unfortunately, every morning, a loud group of the Rugby players from the local High School, the Templars, would waltz in like they owned the place. More than once he’d been called “sweetheart” or “tits” from the back, so it made the experience worth it. The looks on their faces! It’d almost become a hazing for the new kids on the team. As well as alcohol and running laps, there was the shaming of the androgynous homosexual test. Ah, the fragility of their masculinity! Alistair had once belonged to their order, but due to his sweet personality, such a sin was forgivable.

Rolling up an American pancake and eating it like a burrito, he watched the customers and thought about Zevran. What was he like? Leliana mentioned how he tried to pick her up by talking about her arse… Lord, what was this man?

Eventually, his shift ended, and as soon as the clock struck 11, he was out of there. He took a quick shower, actually scrubbing his hair for the first time in what, a week? His hair was always a mess, but this time, he took the time to blow dry it, carefully brushing it out. He even made sure to put it up in a neat ponytail, his bangs covering his honest to God unattractive eyebrows, and brushed out the two long locks of hair framing either side of his face. He threw on his working shirt, an old orange tank top, and his working pants, a tight pair of blue jeans. Both of them were stained with paint, making the combination the official “Working Outfit.”

He was just setting up in the basement when he heard the doorbell ring. He straightened out one of the chairs at the D&D table, and ran upstairs. He was too late. His grandma Wynne had already opened the door, and he felt his stomach drop as she introduced herself as “Grandma Wynne,” adding on “Oh! Are you one of his friends? I haven’t seen you before!”

“Grandma!” Redren whined, his face heating up. “Please leave them alone!”

“Am I embarassing you, sweetie?” Oh, she was so doing this on purpose! “Fine, fine, I’ll leave you alone!” She strolled off, a smug little smile on her face.

“Uh, why don’t you come in? I’m Red…ren…” He finally got a look at the man standing next to Leliana. Lord was he short! He must’ve been what, 5'2"? But, God, was he cute! Redren noticed the tattoo on his face, and couldn’t help but stare at the smooth lines on tanned skin.

“Already rendering you speechless?” Zevran’s voice was smooth and heavily accented. Beautiful!

“Come in,” he smiled shyly, moving out of the doorway. Zevran and Leliana slid their shoes off, following him down to the basement. “Sorry about my grandmother, she’s a bit much!”

“No, no,” Zevran laughed. “She seemed lovely! And she had a wonderful bosom!” Redren turned around, his eyes wide as he saw Leliana and Zevran muffling giggles.

“God, want did I get myself into?” He sighed as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Lord Almighty!” Leliana’s voice was a mix of a laugh and a gasp. “I’ve never seen this place so clean!”

“Why can’t I just try to make a good impression?” He sighed. If anything, he was hoping Zevran’d think he wasn’t as much of a mess as he really was.

“So this is your base of operations?” He asked, his eyes wandering around to look at the back wall covered in paint, replica latex swords, staffs, and armor. All hand made, too. “Impressive!” Redren smiled at that.

“Thanks,” he said, heading to the back. “So, Lels, given any thought to his character?”

“Damn, I haven’t!”

“That’s okay! I have!” He turned to look at Zevran. “You know, just based on appearance, you strike me as an elf!”

“Is that a compliment?” Zevran asked Leliana.

“Yeah!” She nodded. “Elves are noble and beautiful creatures!”

“Oh, I enjoy that beautiful part!” Zevran laughed, sending butterflies straight through Redren’s stomach.

“Oh, I can totally see it!” Redren’s mind was racing with possibilities. “I could braid your hair! Oh, that’d look good!” He heard Leliana and Zevran sit down on the carpet as he opened up a desk drawer full of assorted accessories. He pulled out a pair of elven ear extensions he thought would match Zevran’s skin tone. He turned back around and set the objects against Zevran’s skin. A perfect match!

“Oh! Should we explain this stuff more before we delve into character creation?” Leliana laughed. Redren blushed, embarrassed at his excitement.

“Probably, yeah.”

“I’ll start. So, I’ve already told you about the very basics of LARP-ing, like, how you go to a camp-type place and act as a character for a weekend.” Redren sat down next to them, so that they were sitting in a triangle of sorts. “I, personally, play as a former bardic assassin, turned Church sister, turned adventurer! I’ve been going to Moondust for eight years!” Her smile was quite proud, full of love for her character. “I’ve been developing her for a very long time!” She turned to Redren. “Why don’t you explain your character?”

“He’s a mage, and a really powerful one at that!” Redren grinned. “I’m a blood mage, which means I can manipulate a person’s blood to my will! I can also summon demons, but that’s not a very good idea, because there’s too high of a chance it could backfire!” He laughed. “Unfortunately, blood magic is banned, so I was nearly executed for it!” At Zevran’s concerned look, Redren explained further. “I went to a mage’s guild trial, and I nearly went to the stake, but fortunately, Morrigan stood up for me, protesting that blood magic could be a valuable asset in battle, so they decided to let me live!”

“This seems like quite some world!” Zevran marveled. The fact that he actually seemed interested was amazing, most of the time, people disregarded him as a complete freakshow when he mentioned Live Action Role Playing.

“Well, what we need to do today is design a character for you, which means background, armor and weapons,” Leliana explained. “So, why don’t we base him off of you? It’s always easier to play a character that’s a part of yourself!”

“What would you like to know?”

“Job, what your majoring in, those things!”

“Oh, you’re in college?” Redren asked, hoping this meant Zevran was his age. Then again, Leliana was in college, and she was twenty-four. She was in a music program, as she was wonderfully talented with the flute. She’d put off college for two years, so she was in her final year now.

“Yes, but I must admit it took me a while!” Zevran laughed. “I finally joined the University of the Arts last year! I’m getting my acting degree. Although it means I won’t be out of college until I’m twenty-eight!”

“You’re twenty-five?” Redren asked.

“Yes sir! And you’re, what, eighteen?” Redren’s cheeks heated up in embarrassment.

“He’s actually twenty-two,” Leliana whispered.

“Oh! You truly have a youthful face!” Zevran laughed. “But as for what I do as a job, I must admit the club I work in is, eighteen and over,” he smirked, seeming to enjoy as Redren’s face heated up further. “So innocent!”

“Oh, hush,” he mumbled.

“Anyway, as for a background, I came to this dreary country of yours last year from Madrid, Spain. Dios mío, do I miss it!” He laughed. “It’s too cold here!” Leliana laughed in agreement, as she would also often lament how Avignon in her native France was so much better than London. Zevran ended up talking about how he’d grown up in a brothel, eventually getting a job at a strip club when he turned eighteen, and had saved up enough to move to London last year. Redren hung onto every word, and felt like he could listen to his voice forever.

“So, any fancy ideas for my character?” He laughed, startling Redren out of his trance. “Or would you prefer to gaze at my lips a few moments more?” Said lips were curling into a smirk as Redren hastily looked away, his ears red.

“A few ideas, yeah,” he mumbled, standing up to grab a notebook and a pencil. “So, we need a name for Spain. Any ideas, Leliana?”

She hummed in thought as Redren sketched a blank human outline on the paper. He could feel Zevran looking over his shoulder as he added on fingerless gloves, a black leather skirt paired with a matching top. Shoulder pads and wrappings around the elbows were added as well.

“So, Zevran,” he asked as he sketched in some shoulder-length hair, “you don’t need to answer if it’s too personal, but what was the name of that club you mentioned?” Tiny braids and ears were added.

“An interesting question, dear Redren!” He laughed. “It was El Cuervo, which translates to The Raven. Why would you like to know?”

“The Raven’s too pretty,” he mused, “but… The Crow!” He smiled, jotting down The Crows next to the drawing. “How would you feel about being an assassin?”

“An assassin? Sounds fun!”

“What about Antiva?” Leliana piped up.

“Any meaning to it?”

“Nope, but it sounds pretty, doesn’t it?”

“Alright,” Redren nodded, writing down Antivan next to the character. “Since this world’s countries’ names are so boring, we come up with new ones; France is Orlais, Britain is just one called Ferelden, and now, Spain is Antiva!" 

"When Leliana mentioned this, I have to admit I was interested, but as you explain further, I find myself more and more eager! And for someone like myself, this would certainly be good acting practice, no? Staying in character for a whole weekend is a challenge, isn’t it?” Redren was actually surprised at how excited the man looked. Personally, it had taken Redren a good couple of months, about four weekends in total, to feel comfortable with the LARP-ing community. Zevran, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have any sort of anxiety regarding the idea. He was happily brushing his hair back with his fingers, allowing Leliana to place the medium-length ear extensions on him. He opened up his phone to look in the camera, marveling at how well they matched his skin tone. He snapped a quick selfie and set his phone back in his pocket.

“I have arrived!” They heard a voice call out from up the stairs. Morrigan had finally managed to come over, meaning it’d been just over two hours already. She shuffled down the stairs, backpack slung over one shoulder and a Styrofoam container of leftover pancakes in her hand. “Your grandmother insisted you were fed,” she tsked. She hung her backpack up on the peg by the stairs, and set the food down by the edge of the D&D table for later.

She took a long look at Zevran, raising a perfectly maintained eyebrow. “I presume you’re the one who said my girlfriend’s arse looked nice?”

Zevran laughed. “If I had known she already had a beautiful partner, I wouldn’t have said anything,” he said, sincere. “But truly, I’m glad I did! This world of your’s is fascinating!” Morrigan seemed to have taken notice of the elf ears, laughing lightly.

“Truly nice to see we’ll be gaining an elf in our party! So far, we’ve everything but,” she sighed. “Qunari, dwarf, mage, warrior, you name it, but elves? Nope.”

“Our party consists of mainly Morrigan, Leliana, a guy named Alistair, and I, but there’s quite a few more players that we hang out with,” Redren added. “I will warn you, that most people there are social rejects or incredibly bored nerds, so be prepared!”

“I go to a school of the arts, Redren,” he chuckled. “I’m sure I’ll be fine!”

“All right, don’t we have work to do?” Morrigan clapped her hands. She went to the back, grabbing her latex staff off the table, along with a can of white paint and a large tub of glitter. Redren set to work looking for already-made armor with Leliana that they could adjust for Zevran’s size. As he worked on getting Zevran armor, he watched Morrigan in amusement as she dumped the light blue glitter into the white paint, and began to splatter-paint her staff. She loved cold magic, and she’d decided to make a new, cooler, staff. She was nice enough outside of Moondust, but Lord, was her character bitchy! It was endearing in a strange way, her cold personality working incredibly well with her winter magic.

As they were starting the chestpiece, they noticed the clock had hit four o'clock. Alistair arrived shortly, and after intoductions, had started talking about what types of weapons Zevran’d be good with. They eventually settled on dual-wielding with a dagger and a short sword. Leliana mentioned that she had some spares, digging out two of her previous weapons. Redren was busy embroidering little patterns on a pair of leather gloves. He’d learned the skill from Grandma Wynne, and enjoyed putting little curves of black string around the edge of the brown gloves. He was modeling them after Zevran’s tattoos. He couldn’t resist adding a tiny pink heart to the top of the right glove. Cute!

“So, when in battle, you have a certain amount of health and armor points, but since your character is a rogue, you’ll have less armor points than me, since I’m a warrior and I can wear heavier armor,” Alistair explained, a bright smile on his face. He was such a dork, and always happy to explain things. He rambled on about armor, repairs, and healing spells, with Zevran paying a surprising amount of attention. Maybe his love for acting was what compelled him to actually stick around. Regardless, his enthusiasm was appreciated.

“I believe your dog wished to be a part of this gathering,” Morrigan nodded her head toward the closed basement door. Faint little whines came from behind it.

“You’re not allergic, are you?” He asked Zevran before he let Dog in.

“I don’t mind dogs,” he shrugged. “I’m more of cat person, but feel free to let the little thing in if it so wishes.”

Dog bounded down the stairs as soon as Redren so much as cracked the door open, nearly knocking him down. Thank God for the door knob. He heard a slightly amused yelp as the eighty-pound boxer ran to Zevran, slobbering and drooling all over him.

“Oi!” Redren yelled, running down to grab Dog by his collar. “You do not act like that!” Dog still looked very happy, despite being scolded. “You will behave if you wish to stay down here, young man!” Dog whined a bit, lying down in defeat. “You know I don’t like yelling at you,” Redren shook his head. “But you must learn, you can’t be so forceful, you’re too big.” He took a deep breath. “Do you want to help me age up this cloth?” Redren grabbed a large wad of fabric, tossing it to Dog, who happily began to chew it up. That was his job.

“Never have I seen a man speak to a dog like that!” Zevran laughed. “Are you sure you’re not really a wizard that’s trapped the spirit of your child in there?”

Redren laughed, shaking his head. “Nah, he’s a good boy most of the time, but he never knows when to calm down!” He patted Dog’s head affectionately.

“So, what’s his name?” Redren heard Morrigan, Leliana, and Alistair snort at the same time.

“You’re all bullies, you know that, all of you,” he muttered under his breath. “His name is Dog.” Zevran snorted, too.

“Dog?” Dog perked up, staring at Zevran with the fabric hanging out of his mouth. “It’s unique, I’ll give you that!”

..

Eventually, eight o'clock came, and everyone said their goodbyes. Zevran’s outfit was held in his hands, a bright smile on his face. He was the last one out the door, as he’d stayed back for a moment after everyone had left. He folded it, and set the leather in his satchel.

“I’d like to thank you,” he said, looking up at Redren. “I, I’m very excited for this weekend. It doesn’t feel like I just met you. And if I can have my way, I’d like to do this again. I’ve, I’ve never had many friends, and,” he took a deep breath before finishing. “I’ve very thankful that you let me experience what it’s like, even if only for a couple of hours.”

“It doesn’t have to be just a couple hours,” Redren said, his face pink. “I mean, yoire spending the weekend with us, and, uh, if you like it, I’m, well, I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you again.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“That sounds wonderful.” Zevran was beaming. His teeth were exposed when he smiled, and his tan cheeks were ever so slightly darker, a blush on them. “See you tomorrow. Seven am?”

“Don’t be late.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Zevran turned, walking down the driveway, looking back to wave one last time. Redren waved back. When he finally came back inside, he noticed his grandmother by the fireplace, shaking her head with a soft smile. Heading to his room, he couldn’t help but fall back onto his bed, his face on fire and a stupid grin on his face.

I talked to a boy! I talked to a really pretty boy! I basically just asked him on a date! I talked to a boy and he liked me!

“I talked to a boy!” He breathed out, his chest rising and falling quickly. His heart was racing. Hugging his pillow, he imagined what the weekend would be like. Redren the mage was straightforward, he had no anxiety when it came to talking to people if need be. Could he talk to Zevran? His mind was clouded over with the question of how soft Zevran’s lips were. He let out a shaky breath. Those questions would have to wait for now. Perhaps he’d find the answers in Moondust. He hoped he’d find the answers in Moondust.

…

Seven am came around the next day, with Redren waiting on the couch in his robes, leg bouncing with anxiety.

“Redren dear,” Wynne chuckled. “You haven’t been so nervous for these in a very long time. How come?” She paused, but didn’t give him enough time to answer. “Is it because of the young Spanish man?” The smile on her face was a tell that she knew she was right.

“Yeah, but I’m mainly just nervous because he’s never been to one of these and he’s really nice and, and, ugh!” His stomach was starting to hurt.

“Now, I know you’re old enough where I don’t need to tell you to be careful, but he’s a handsome young man, so if things go further, please remember to use-” the doorbell rang and Redren shot up like a bullet.

“Loveyougrandmahaveagoodweekendbye!” He grabbed his small bag of luggage, his staff and his hat, Dog running out behind him, barking happily.

When he took his usual place in the second row of Morrigan’s van after putting his things in the trunk, he noticed how Zevran had taken Alistair’s seat. Alistair was now sitting in the back with Dog, not looking at all dissapointed with the new arrangement. Leliana was in the passenger’s seat, and gave him a smug little smile.

“What did Wynne say that’s for you all red-faced?” Oh, how Redren loathed his pale complexion!

“Nothing, so can we please get going?”

“'Tis a three hour drive, poor fool,” Morrigan laughed, already getting into character. “And the Lady Leliana has her ways of persuasion!”

“And I have no tits to grab so I’m already immune to one form of torture you’re so fond of, Morrigan,” he laughed. She just tsked in response.

“Is this going to be another one of those drives?” Alistair groaned. “Zevran, are you straight?”

“Of course not, my dear,” he smirked, turning around to look at Alistair.

“You’re the only one I have, Dog,” he sighed, making the rest of them laugh.

“Zevran,” Redren said, “I haven’t mentioned yet how nice you look in that.” He could feel the tip of his ears heat up, and shifted his hair to cover them.

“Why thank you,” he smiled. “But if you wouldn’t mind, I couldn’t work out how exactly to put the ears on, so if you could…”

“Ah, of course!” He leaned over, and Zevran brushed his hair out of the way so that the extensions could slip on. “There you go.”

“Why thank you, and may I say your robe is quite nice as well.”

“This atmosphere of romance is going to suffocate me,” Morrigan sighed.

“Hey!” Leliana protested, giving her girlfriend a playful hit on the shoulder.

“Your mine so it’s different,” she drawled.

Redren didn’t protest Morrigan’s comment, not wanting to dig his own grave twenty minutes into the car ride.

Moondust LARP-ing community was about a three hour drive North of London, around Leicester. It was built on the farmgrounds of Alistair’s father’s old farm, which he had named Ferelden Farms. The land had been left to Cailan and his wife, Anora, who turned it into a tiny village of their own. Cailan was a couple of years older than Alistair, and has ended up inviting him brother to help him set up the little community. Over the nine years it’d been open, it had grown, so that there were about a hundred and fifty people every month, all camping on the grounds.

Cailan and Anora were the Crowned King and Queen of Ferelden, with Cailan being the one who kept up activities and campaigns while Anora did more of the behind-the-scenes work. As lovely as she was outside of LARP-ing, Anora played the stuck-up and cold Queen, balancing out Cailan’s outspoken personality. She was the one that suggested his execution, in fact. That’d been a fun weekend, in all honesty.

As the people in the car lulled into a comfortable silence, Leliana’s music filled the quiet and covered Alistair’s soft snores. It was pretty obvious he was the kind of baby that only stopped crying via car ride. Redren glanced at Zevran out of the corner of his eye, watching the other man gaze out the window, watching the countryside go by. The English countryside was always beautiful, much different from his native Spain. He had a soft smile on his face, the tattoos curving just as softly. The elf ears were just as cute, and look surprisingly natural on him.

..

When they arrived, unpacking their things from the trunk and shaking Alistair awake, they were greeted by Cailan. Well, King Cailan now. The King greeted his half-brother with a nod of the head and a handshake, formal.

“Greetings,” he smiled. “I am not often one for formalities as you know, but I see you have brought a new member. Is he of your order?” The King was referring to the 'Grey Wardens,’ an order Alistair had created, in which he and Redren were the only formal members, the rest of their little party were 'allies.’ He’d created lore himself, speaking of it as a once proud order wiped out by an invasion of fearsome monsters. He’d been happy to allow Redren to join, since he didn’t have any friends in Moondust.

“This is Zevran Arainai of the assassination organization, the Antivan Crows,” Alistair said, gesturing to Zevran, who took a deep bow.

“Ah yes, the Crows,” Cailan nodded, a hand to his chin in thought.

“He was hired by a rival faction to wipe out the Wardens, but we defeated him in combat. He is now forever in our debt for sparing his life.”

“I am honored to be in your presence, King of Ferelden,” Zevran smiled, putting a hand to his chest. “I swear to serve the Wardens, my Lord, and by extension, you, if they so wish it.”

“An honorable man,” Cailan nodded. “I am pleased to welcome you to Ferelden, Arainai.” He turned to the rest of the group. “Now, shall we get going?”

They followed him down the winding trail from the parking area to the town of Moondust. It was truly something to see the difference between the modern world and the faux old. Zevran’s look of surprise was quite amusing to watch, and Redren couldn’t help but comment.

“Ah, the world of Ferelden is much different than that of your native Antiva, no?”

“Very much so,” he nodded. “As lovely as it seems, it’s much too cold and stinks of wet dog!” Dog whined at his laugh. “Now, assassinations and political corruption, that’s home!” They walked to the old barn that had been changed into a community guild hall, complete with a convincingly realistic electric candle and iron chandelier. Over the years, people had added to the hall, the druids, elves, and forest witches hanging potted plants from the rafters and arranging pots of magical incense on the tables that lined the walls. Healing crystals painted in glow-in-the-dark paint were arranged around the entire compound as well. At night, the forest had a soft glow to it as the rocks emitted their light and the fireflies danced around them.

After the introduction of Zevran was finished, King Cailan formally inviting him to Moondust, they headed out into the former cow field that’d been turned into an outdoor festival space, and housed the battlefield further back. They still had two cows, however, lovingly named Ondai, Giver of Life, and Seotayss, Lord of the Green. Zevran had found that fact quite amusing. Since it was still fairly early in the morning and the community plans weren’t laid out until one in the afternoon, they had time to find some of their fellow LARP-ers.

“It had brought a painted elf?” Redren heard Shale say from behind him.

“I have, and may I say it’s nice to see you again, Shale. I missed you last month!”

“There were pigeons on the way here, so I spent the weekend doing a service to the world.” She said, deadpan. Shale, or, out of character, Shayle, was a stone butch, gender-indifferent, towering, muscled woman. Her character was a tank of a golem, her face painted grey, matching her stone-like armor. She had some of the witches add in crystals, which gave her special magical resistance. Shale only referred to people as their defining feature. Or, instead of 'you,’ she said 'it.’ Shale used to be a dwarven warrior, but had undergone a surgery of sorts to become a golem. She did not regret it, as it made her much better than her inferior, squishy comrades.

“I am honored to be in the presence of such a beautiful warrior,” Zevran flirted. His character was turning out to be even more of flirt than his usual self. Redren wasn’t complaining.

“If by beautiful, it means strong, then I agree.”

“Why not both?”

“A truly unique creature, the painted elf is.”

“Thank you!” Zevran said, patting the golem on the arm. Lord, did he look tiny next to her! Shale wandered off in the heavy-set fashion of hers to speak with her fellow warrior, Sten. Nobody knew his name outside of the LARP, but the Qunari warrior was an amazing roleplayer. He never broke character, never smiling and always talking formally. The only time he broke character was when someone had asked him why he didn’t have horns, he simply replied with 'angered housecat,’ and never elaborated. He was an incredibly muscled and tall African man, with silvery white cornrows, and always wore red contact lenses. He said that he came as a sort of messenger for the Qunari, and stayed in order to observe how the foreigners lived.

“So, Zevran,” Redren asked, turning to his elven companion. “How do you like Ferelden?”

“It’s certainly unique, and I say that in the best of ways. And as much as I love Antiva, these people, many of them are quite pleasurable to look at!” He winked at Redren, making the mage pull his wizard’s hat over his eyes to hide him blush. Zevran laughed, and bumped his shoulder into Redren’s. “Are all mages so bashful?”

“Being raised by the Circle Tower of Magi, I have very little experience with flirts such as yourself,” he muttered. “And the elder witch Wynne wasn’t very willing to let her apprentices fool around with each other!” He was laughing, still embarrassed.

“I am not a mage, nor one of your lovely Wynne’s apprentices,” he said, teasing.

“You’re about three seconds away from being turned into a frog, Crow.”

“No I’m not,” he chuckled. “Assassins are quite good at detecting lies, you know. And you, my lovely mage, are enjoying this attention, aren’t you?”

“I cast a spell of silence,” Redren laughed, pressing a finger to Zevran’s lips. “It may only be removed when I say so.” Zevran dropped his jaw in mock betrayal, pressing a hand to his throat, falling to his knees.

Curse you! He mouthed. Both of them laughed at his act, with Zevran putting a hand over his mouth to silence himself.

God, am I enjoying this! Attention and flirting from a very handsome man!

The Horn of Gathering sounded, summoning everyone to the barn. It was one of those plastic bugle horns, but Anora had painstakingly painted it gold, and had even sewn a banner bearing the royal crest to attach to it, so the thing looked really good.

Zevran took a seat between Redren and Alistair, Morrigan and Leliana settling in next to Redren.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and knights,” King Cailan started, standing up from his throne. A couple years back, a non-bianary roleplayer joined, Ser Gilamore. Cailan had made sure to update his saying. “I bring unfortunate news this day. A horde of the undead had been spotted several miles to the north, and are likely to arrive at nine pm tonight. At sundown, all forces are to gather in the middle of the battlefield.” He paced down the middle of the hall, the gold chains decorating his armor chinking together as he moved. “We know not what has caused this invasion, but we will stop it. I have faith in you all, for we will triumph!”

Redren whispered an 'undo curse’ into Zevran’s ear, allowing for him to whoop along with the rest of the hall. The King raised his hand for silence.

“Your Queen Anora has decided to organize an event in the hopes victory will be achieved. I grant her the floor.” He sat as the Queen stood. Her long, beautiful dress trailed along the floor as she walked the same path as her husband. She was a manager of a fabric store, granting her discounts to all the materials she needed to make the beautiful creations.

“In the hopes we are victorious in our coming battle, I have planned a ceremony for Sunday night. I understand that tomorrow is sacred to the witches, druids, and elves as the forest is said to breathe new life at the full moon. Therefore, I invite you all to partake in festivities of your cultures.” Her nose was upturned as she spoke. It was obvious Cailan’s character had twisted his wife’s elbow a bit to get her to say that last part. She was a very, traditional woman. King Cailan was a very open-minded man whereas his wife, not so much. The two rubbed off on another as the years went by, with Cailan becoming a better King, and Anora becoming a better person. The two had a great relationship both in and out of character.

“Now,” King Cailan said, standing next to his wife, “we prepare for battle! You have seven and a half hours to prepare, so I expect a sweeping victory!” A cheer rose up at the King’s words. “Dismissed!”

The hall emptied, with most of the folk wandering outside. Many of the wild elves headed back to the Dalish camp, where tents were set up and a campfire was being started.

“With me,” Morrigan called back, curling her hand in a gesture meant for Zevran and Redren to follow her. Alistair stayed behind to talk strategy with his half-brother. Leliana held the witch’s hand as they walked into the forest North of the Elves’ camp. They came to a tiny hut at the end of a winding dirt path. “I hope you fools appreciate the fact that the bard and I brought your things to the hut earlier.”

“Ah, yeah, thanks Morrigan!” Redren smiled shyly, remembering how he and Zevran had gotten so caught up in everything they hadn’t grabbed their bags from the van.

Dog barked in greeting, as he’d been staying by the hut for a while, likelt taking a nap and re-marking his territory in the woods. Redren greeted the boxer with a pat on the head.

“So,” Zevran started, “I’ve had your Ferelden battle rules explained to me, but I wonder about this plan your King has. In the Crows, it is simply a target and an occasional deadline. Is that how you do things here or…?”

“In Ferelden,” Leliana explained, “the King briefs everyone on the battle strategy, but truly they lack the ability to follow!” The bard giggled. “War in Orlais was much more orderly, no?”

“And war in Antiva was just nobles hiring Crows to kill other nobles! A fine middle ground, this is!” Zevran said, nodding in approval.

“Redren, I have some potions to brew, and I require another mage. Leliana, I believe 'tis wise for you to train with the elf. You improve your skills while Redren and I improve his.”

“Don’t you mean 'ours’?” Redren asked.

“No, I am already better than anyone here. I have no need to improve. You, on the other hand…”

“Oh hush, witch!” Redren sighed. He saw Zevran’s lips quirk up at their banter.

Morrigan’s hut was another world in itself. Fake animal pelts hung from the walls, and wind chimes were hanging from the ceiling like stalactites in a cave. The whole place was a circle, only about eight feet in diameter. Alistair had helped her build it one weekend while the LARP wasn’t going on, and she’d been decorating it for five years ever since. Food dyes acting as magical ingredients were lined up along the shelves, and actual items of witchcraft were scattered among them. Crystals and pebbles were everywhere, and the drying herbs gave the place a strong, but pleasant, smell. Redren could spend hours in the place. Morrigan pulled a heavy book off of one of the shelves, thumping it down on the table. It was a book of Harry Potter potions with the cover changed to make it look like more witch-y. She flipped open to a potion of strength, and began to prepare the ingredients. Sure, it was technically tea, but here, in this little world, it was so much better.

“Light the fire while I prepare,” she said. Redren rolled back his sleeves and cast a fire spell, tossing a match into the tiny wood-burning stove. Morrigan cerimoniously cut off the tops of about five water bottles, pouring them in while chanting. Redren kneeled, presenting her with the box of teabags. She took them, a solemn look on her face as she dumped about six of them into the pot. “Now we wait,” she said, grabbing a wooden spoon and giving the pot a quick stir, repeating the process every couple of minutes.

Redren always enjoyed hanging out with the witch, even if her LARP character was a bit of a pain in the ass. Dog was barking outside, and the sounds of laughter from Leliana and grunt of mild pain from Zevran probably meant nothing good. Redren stayed inside to spare himself from likely seeing Zevran on the ground, an eighty pound boxer on his stomach.

Morrigan and him finished up about an hour later, all the potions put into labeled flasks. Redren wandered outside, and couldn’t help but observe the elf and the bard silently. The way Zevran’s body moved  to dodge the bolts from Leliana’s crossbow was mesmerizing. It’s obvious his time acting and his time at work had combined to make an amazingly flexible and agile man. Leliana was firing at him, a smile on her face as she kept him at bay, holding a dagger in her other hand. Her crossbow was a revamped nerf gun, painted and modified so it hardly looked like the original. Eventually, Zevran got in close, scoring four points before Leliana fell back, landing on the ground with an oomph.

“I’ve been bested once again!” She cried out, in a T-pose on the dirt. “Oh, hello.” She said, looking over at Redren.

“The lovely Leliana has been sparring with me, and I do believe she has underestimated my skills several times over,” Zevran laughed. “Let this be known: the Crows’ training is not one to underestimate!”

“Yes, I’ve gathered that by now,” she sighed. “It’s what, two thirty now? Zevran and I are a bit winded, not to mention I’m at about 1 hp right now, so we might want to take it easy for a bit.”

“Here,” Redren sighed, walking over to the woman 'bleeding’ on the biggest floor. “I cast a spell of full healing to Leliana,” he said, raising his staff. She sat up, breathing out heavily.

“Thank you, my good mage,” she smiled.

“Zevran?” Redren asked. “You’ve got any cuts?”

“Ah, yes I believe one of her bolts hit me about here,” he pointed to the side of his stomach. Redren pressed his fingers to Zevran’s side, muttering a small healing spell. “Is all magic so intimate?” He questioned, raising an amused eyebrow.

“Gross,” Morrigan spat as she walked out of the hut, two trays of flasks chinking together. “Leliana, be a dear and take one of these off my hands.” Leliana happily did as she was asked. These little tasks never failed to earn her favor in battle. Redren stayed back, watching the two walk off, Leliana bouncing as she stepped and Morrigan scolding her.

“Well,” Redren started, turning to Zevran. “Would you like to help me put war paint on him?” He pointed to Dog with his thumb, who stuck his tongue out and barked.

“Sure,” Zevran said. “What’s it do? Or is it simply to make him look cool?”

“The paint,” Redren called back as he grabbed it from inside the house, “improves his attack, as it’s enchanted to give him buffs in battle.” He brought out  the red paint. “Just dip your fingers in and go ahead.” They spent the next couple of minutes swirling the war paint on the boxer’s brown fur, Dog’s tongue happily hanging out of his mouth.

“A fearsome war hound indeed,” Zevran nodded, admiring their work. He’d given Dog a similar set of curves on his chest, so that their tattoos matched.

“Indeed,” Redren echoed with a soft chuckle. “We’ve got quite some time before sunset, so-” He was cut off by the growl of Zevran’s stomach. “Food?” He laughed.

“That sounds like a good idea!” They started walking back to the main area, Dog on their heels. Several of the Druids, nymphs, and forest witches paused their flowercrown making to wave at the odd little trio, one of them tossing a stick to Dog, who happily took the gift. They always spent much of the day before battle partaking in nature rituals. Flowercrowns could be enchanted to prevent all sorts of magical damage or to improve nature magic. All sorts of things.

They walked into the tavern, Silver Lake, and sat down at the bar. The bartender, Rehael the Angel, handed them both goblets of water, which were always on the house. Silver Lake stood by a small pond, The Silver Lake, about two hundred feet from the barn.

“Nice 'ta see ya again, kiddo,” a man next to Redren said. Redren looked to his left, and then quite sharply down to see the man that spoke. Oghren looked up at him. The man was a fellow roleplayer who had hit the nail pretty hard on the head when he decided to roleplay as a dwarf. He was an actual dwarf, standing at 4'6". He’d joined the LARP about two years ago, looking for something to do when he wasn’t doing yardwork. His wife leaving him was what made him actually go look for something to do with his time, and help wean him off of alcohol. He’d been getting better with time. “Ah, an elf!” He growled, looking at Zevran.

“Is this where we re-ignite the age old dwarf/elf rivalry?” Zevran said, taking a sip of his water.

“At least you look pretty itsy, so I think I could take ya,” Oghren shrugged. “Just watch your back, you pointy-eared little weasel,” he wiggled an accusing armored finger.

“Will do, my fine dwarven friend!

"By the stones,” Oghren sighed, the two massive red braids of his beard swinging as he shook his head. He took a sip of his one-quarter-beer-seventy-five-percent-water. Many other patrons came and went from the place as Zevran and Redren ate a late lunch. Rehael struck up a conversation with Zevran, asking the elf all about his former home. Zevran was incredibly good at staying in character, and talked about Antiva and the Crows as if he was actually there. He was constantly animated, and didn’t hesitate to flirt with the bartender. Oghren scoffed at his display, staying true to his standoffish and constantly annoyed character. His giant latex waraxe strapped to his back wobbled as he swung his feet, since they didn’t reach the floor.

Redren was enjoying listening to the two talk while watching the patrons all around him. His character was certainly one who didn’t let anybody escape his sight, making sure to know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. Just in case. A Cousland came in, his noble aura protruding from every pore in his body. He was pleasant enough once you got to know him, or so Redren was told. The nobleman didn’t exactly like the mages. Or the nymphs, druids, dwarves, or elves. Most nobles seemed to be like that. There weren’t many of them Moondust, as only Cailan and Anora’s good friends could rise to such a rank. They stayed in the Castle, which was a renovated farmhouse. The place certainly looked like a little castle, and was very nice to look at.

“Redren?” Zevran elbowed him gently in the side, making the mage nearly drop his staff. “You ready to head out?”

“Ah, yeah, sorry, was thinking about… stuff.”

“Oh, what kind of stuff?” Zevran smirked at Redren as they stepped out of Silver Lake. “Dirty stuff, I hope.”

“Please stop being so Antivan,” Redren sighed. “And for the record, I was thinking about everyone around here. About how to defeat them if I need to.”

“Ooh, such useful information for an assassin!” He pushed his shoulder against Redren’s arm, looking up at the mage. “Why don’t we find a good place to discuss such things?” His sly smile was not missed by Redren.

“For you, things mean more than any normal person would assume. Thankfully, I am no normal person, Zevran Arainai.”

“Ah, no fun, you are!” He cried out, laughing. “But I still do wish for you to inform me of these notes you take. As someone in your service, I should know all I need to to protect you, no? My Warden, surely you understand what an advantage that would be!”

“Fine, fine,” Redren sighed, giving in to the elf. “I shall teach you most of what I know.”

“Most?”

“Keeping secrets makes me feel more powerful,” He shrugged. “And do you ever plan on, well, leaving my side, or were you secretly hexed in the Tavern?” Redren was glaring down at Zevran, who was all but glued to his arm.

“An assassin thrives in shadow, my dear,” he said lowly. “And that wide-brimmed hat of yours provides much of such a thing.”

“Lord,” Redren muttered. “One would think an Antivan such as yourself would be accustomed to the sun.”

“Oh, I am,” he chuckled. “I just like being so close to you, Redren.”

“Oh.” Redren blanked, letting his character take over his short circuiting brain. “Remind me why I saved your life, again? Lord, elf, you’re far too much for me to handle!” Zevran gave him a smile full of false innocence. “Hush,” Redren laughed, putting a hand on Zevran’s head and ruffling his hair. Zevran let out a gasp and hastily fixed his hair, putting the little braids back into place. He must’ve done them before they picked Redren up. Did Leliana do it? She’s good with hair. They looked very cute.

..

It probably took a good couple of hours to talk about all the people Redren could remember off the top of his head. Of course, he’d gotten off track about a dozen times, and had even started recalling a time about a year ago when Cailan had given the elves full reign for a weekend due to them staging an uprising the month before. They’d been tired of not being able to practice their magic in public, and the final straw had been the arrests of an entire little camp of elves for growing oregano, which they called Elfroot, without permission from the King and Queen. They’d argued about how it was all contained in pots and such, but the Queen had not been lenient. He had a feeling the King was still trying to get on the non-humans’ good sides. He hardly noticed how long they’d been talking.

“Ferelden certainly has a fun history,” Zevran commented, giving Dog absent-minded pats on the head.

“Do you have any sorties of Antiva?” Redren was curious about what he’d come up with.

“Oh, my turn is it?” He leaned back on his arms. “What is it you wish to know of Antiva? The Crows? The women? The men?”

“What about the Crows? Surely you must have stories about such an infamous group.”

“Why of course!” He took a deep breath, a lazy smile on his face. “The Crows are known all throughout Antiva as the most reliable group of assassins, as well as the most expensive. They keep their, shall we say, workforce, well fed and entertained, even if it’s the guild masters making the real coin.” He sighed. “A gilded cage it is, lovely but confining. Sure, killings are fun, but freedom, that’s much better. But now that you have removed me from that life, I’m not sure what to do, what should I take advantage of it for?” It was obvious he was simply switching up some details from his life in Spain as a sex worker. He didn’t look upset by it, more indifferent if anything. Of course, he could be lying, keeping a blank face and staying in his fairly aloof character, but Redren couldn’t pick up on it.  

“Well, you’re certainly welcome to stay by my side.” Redren said, a faint blush on his cheeks. “I have reason to believe you’d be quite useful.”

“I’m going to hold you to that,” he smiled, leaning forward. “And soon, you’ll be begging to be rid of me!”

“If it comes to that, I have quite a few spells for, shall we say, an effective disposal?”

“Sounds fun!” Zevran went on for a while more, casually building up his world and character, talking about how he’d always wanted to get to know the wild elves. He’d grown up in Antiva City, and had never gotten the opportunity to see the Dalish.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the chirping of birds and insects providing background noise.

“Zevran?” Redren asked after a couple minutes of quiet.

“Yes?”

“I have no idea what time it is.”

“Neither do I,” he laughed, looking up at the sky. He held a hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. “But it seems we’ve been here for quite a while.” The sun was nearly starting to set.

“Let’s see,” Redren thought, “we left the tavern at what, quarter to four? It must be nearly seven now!” Zevran and him laughed in shock. “God, why did you let me ramble on so long? Truly you can’t find Ferelden stories that interesting to let me go on like that.”

“Maybe.” Zevran shrugged, and leaned forward to press a finger to Redren’s chest. “But I find you very interesting.”

“Bloody flirt,” Redren scoffed, looking away to hide his embarrassment. “Truly, you tempt me to use a silencing spell again.”

“You like my voice too much,” Zevran said. “Or else you wouldn’t have have let me go on for so long.” Point taken.

“Shouldn’t we start heading back? If the King wants us at the battlefield starting at sundown, that means we’ve got about an hour and a half.”

“You’re quite dedicated to the rules, my dear mage.” Zevran remarked.

“Do you think I’m so dedicated because I wish to be? No, it’s more of a debt I owe to this place than anything.”

“A debt?”

“Why don’t we talk while we make our way back? We can take a longer route if you wish.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Zevran said, standing up. “And I think I really need to stretch my legs before battle, as it’s never good for an assassin to have his leg asleep in combat!”

“Seems wise to avoid that, yes,” Redren said with a soft laugh. “Come on, Dog,” he added, the boxer getting up happily. His stumpy little tail wagged as the three walked down the rock-lined paths.

“You mentioned something earlier,” Zevran said a couple minutes into their walk. “I’d like to hold you to your promise to explain.”

“I was hoping you’d forget,” he laughed shyly.

“A Crow remembers, my dear, best keep that in mind.”

Redren took a deep breath. “Back in The Circle, I was always treated differently. I wasn’t allowed to be what I was, blood magic isn’t exactly something people find endearing.” What a thinly veiled metaphor, dumbass, he chastised himself. “So I had to hush everything, keep my head down. Alistair was a Templar, a prominent guard type order that made my life a living hell,” he laughed without humor. “I thought he was going to be like the rest, but he offered me a chance to escape. He got me out of that place one weekend a month. Right under the Head Witch Wynne’s nose, too!” Zevran was staring at him, with unusual silence. “This place really saved me, you know,” he rested his staff on his shoulder. “It’s special like that. Gives all sorts of people chances to be what they are, whether it be a Blood Mage or an assassin. I really think I owe Alistair my life, so I’m honored to fight alongside him, no matter what.”

“I see,” Zevran said quietly. “I have no story like your’s but I do believe this has been, good for me. After all, I met you, no?”

“That you did,” Redren smiled. “I can certainly say that we have met.”

“And you’re back to being a pain in the ass,” he laughed. “It’s endearing!”

“It’s likely nearly eight and we’re yet to get back is what it is.”

“Oh, the rumors that will be spread! A several hour long rendezvous in the woods is worth talking about, isn’t it?”

“Hush it!” He gave Zevran a swift little hit with his staff.

“You wound me! May I have a healing spell, please?” He put a finger to his cheek, batting his eyelashes jokingly.

“You’ll regenerate that health in a minute, you baby,” he waved his hand dismissively.

“Aawwee! Am I your baby now?”

“In need of constant supervision, incredibly tiny, wounded so grievously by a minuscule hit? Yes, you are an infant.”

“You’re an angry little mage!” He was shaking his head, flipping a dagger absent-mindedly. “Honestly, releasing a bit of that pent-up tension could benefit us all.”

“Bloody Antivans,” Redren muttered.

..

They managed to get to the battlefield about thirty seconds before King Cailan did, standing in the back eating two ham sandwiches they picked up from Silver Lake. Cailan went into a a speech about the dangers of Necromancy and unsupervised magic, and that Maria, the only practicing necromancer, was to be executed tomorrow morning. This would be her eleventh execution in two years, since she had enchanted herself using necromancy. She let out a whoop as a gaurd carried her in the fireman position to the shame cage.

“We will try to deal with her,” he sighed. “As I was saying, those with ranged weapons are to stay behind the fence and funnel the undead through the gates. I require two mages to stay and guard the Guild Hall. Rogues are to attempt get behind the horde to backstab, and warriors are to attack head-on.” He raised his sword. “For Ferelden!” The crowd echoed his chants. There were about seventy people in the field, and sixty waiting in the forest. Twenty people were non-combatants, staying behind to guard their shops. Alrael of Silver Lake was a healer, and one of the most valuable in battle. His darker completion gave him higher stealth at night, making him able to sneak past enemy lines to revive the fallen. His glitter-covered black deadlocks were always a sign of God’s favor in combat. The troops were given a couple minutes to do any last minute preparations.

“Hey!” Alistair called out, waving to Redren and Zevran.

“Nice to see you, my friend,” Zevran smiled.

“Don’t do that with me, assassin,” he frowned. “I went to the witch earlier since I couldn’t find you two anywhere, and she said you two had been in the woods for hours! What on Earth were you doing?” Zevran grinned, and Alistair quickly retracted his statement. “You know what, nevermind. What mages and elves get up to in the forest by themselves is not something I need to know.”

“Alistair!” Redren whisper-yelled. “It wasn’t anything like that!”

“I can’t believe a fellow Grey Warden would doubt my skills of perceptiveness so much!” He faked hurt.

“Alistair, Zevran’s being Zevran.” He deadpanned. “Please don’t take anything he says like that with complete faith.”

“Wounded again!” Zevran sighed, leaning with his back against Redren.

“You two are way too much for me to handle,” Alistair said. “I’m glad you’re heading up and I’m staying back with the warriors!” He walked off with a laugh.

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” Redren laughed, looking down at the elf slumped against his side.

“And if I did, I wouldn’t have picked the assassination job, and I wouldn’t be here with you right now.” Zevran looked up at Redren, who’s mouth was opening and closing, unable to form words to respond. Thankfully, he was spared the need to respond by the sounding of the war horn.

“Let’s go,” Redren said in a relieved exhale. Zevran seemed to forget the exchange in a heartbeat, excitedly running side by side with Redren to engage in combat. Every one of the “undead” had red glow necklaces around their necks, a sign of the magic reanimating them. They had ten health points each, making them a bit tougher than regular players. Redren took his place behind the fence, crouching down and waiting for the horde to get within range. He saw Zevran darting among the trees, ducking behind one and facing Redren. He flashed the mage a wide smile, Redren happily returning it. He heard footsteps behind him, and saw Leliana approach, crouching next to him.

“Bonjour,” she greeted, chugging one of Morrigan’s offensively strong potion-teas. It made her shudder and gain a small bonus to defense. She was already more resilient than Redren, as she wore actual armor, and he only had a robe to defend himself. Mages weren’t the best with armor, though Morrigan was making an active choice to basically flash her tits to the enemy. The stun effect did work, so he gave her credit for that.

Soon enough, the undead were within range, and since the sun had set, they were easy to spot. Oghren and a couple others were heard activating their Beserker abilities, war cries ringing out across the field and carrying into the forest. Redren felt himself falling into the familiar rhythm. An initial hit with the staff: 1 point. A spell of gore: 2 points and 1 point bonus every hit afterward. Dodging, nearly tripping. Another jab with the staff: 2 points. Halfway down. A spell of paralysis and another hit: 2 points. A spell of manipulation, causing the paralysis to wear off, and the target to harm themselves: 3 points. The fellow combatant fell to the ground in defeat. He gave a quick wave to his foe and ran off to heal anybody calling for assistance. The process was repeated many times. He saw Alistair and Oghren fighting near each other, with Shale and Sten not too far behind. Leliana was firing off bolts next to Morrigan, and Zevran was darting between the enemies, weakening them two points with a backstab so that the warriors could finish them off.

..

After the battle, everyone but Maria was called to the Guild Hall for an after-battle speech. Redren zoned out for most of it, his eyes slowly looking around for Zevran. The elf was nowhere in sight, so he assumed he was stuck behind someone of an average height. Eventually, Cailan stopped talking, and Anora dismissed the players.

“Finally,” he heard Zevran say from behind him. “I was stuck behind some human, and I do not appreciate being hid behind a wall of flesh,” he paused, adding, “clothed flesh, that is.”

“So,” Redren asked, pulling out a chair next to him for the elf, “how was your first battle in Ferelden? Different then Antivan assassinations, I take it.”

“Oh, it was great!” Zevran was beaming, leaning forward on his chair, his hands pressed into the seat between his legs. “The opportunities to backstab were everywhere, and the chaos! Oh, it reminds me of the time The Crows were hired to take out half of a royal family! Now that was a bloodbath,” he sighed in fond memory. “Nothing like a good bloodbath, eh?”

“I completely agree,” Redren smiled. “I always enjoy battle, it really gets the blood pumping, doesn’t it?”

“It does!” Zevran said, exhaling. “So, I presume we’re sleeping at Morrigan’s hut in the woods, yes?”

“It may be cramped, but yes,” Redren said, a bit of a grimace on his face. “We,” he sighed. “We may need to share a bedroll.”

“How every great story starts, no?”

“I am begging you not to get any ideas.”

“Too late, my Warden, too late.”

“I assumed as much,” Redren laughed. “Shall we get going? Magic really drains me, especially the blood magic I was using.”

“What kind of magic is that?” Zevran asked, looking up at Redren. “The Crows, we rarely have magic-users, so I know very little of such arts.”

Redren launched into an explanation of how blood magic worked, lasting a good couple minutes. They had gotten about twenty feet into the forest when Zevran stopped, staring ahead. The path was lit softly by dimly glowing stones, giving the forest floor a winding green river. Redren couldn’t really appreciate the view, however, as he was transfixed with the way the fireflies’ yellow lights reflected in Zevran’s honey-coloured eyes. He didn’t even notice when the other man’s eyes shifted to look into his own until he blinked.

“Sorry,” he sighed.

“What are you apologizing for, Redren?” Zevran’s soft smile sent a wave of nausea through Redren’s stomach.

“Nothing, old habit,” he shrugged. “Most people don’t appreciate strange looks from strange mages.”

“I am not most people,” he laughed, turning back to the path and walking ahead. Redren had to jog a bit to catch up. They eventually made it to Morrigan’s dwelling, where a small campfire had been lit. Morrigan and Leliana were in their nightgowns, sitting on a log. Dog seemed to have followed Leliana back, as he was asleep a couple feet from the fire.

“And they finally return,” Morrigan said, not looking up from the fire. “I’ve been waiting for you two. Leliana insists waiting up for you fools.”

“That I do, yes,” she laughed, looking up at Zevran and Redren. “I wanted to make sure you were coming back, and not spending more time in the woods.” She smirked. “Reminds me of Orlais,” she sighed fondly. Redren as thankful for the dark as it helped hide his blush a bit.

“Unfortunately our lovely mage has not only a sick for magic, but one up his ass, as well,” Zevran lamented, making Leliana giggle.

“Don’t worry, eventually they come around. Right, dear?”

“Please remove your hand from my thigh, bard, before I turn you into an actual brainless songbird.”

“Why don’t you two go get changed into your nightclothes? Just tell us when you’re done.” Leliana shooed them inside.

Zevran started stripping the second the door shut, not giving Redren enough time to breathe. The man’s chest was clean shaven, matching his arms and legs. His tattoos also seemed to not be limited to his face, as they stretched around his body like serpents. He shook his head, undoing the think brown ribbon that held his robe together. He undid the two buttons that held the sides of the fabric together as well, holding the robe together loosely with his hand as he reached into his backpack to grab his nightclothes. He turned away from Zevran and slid on the long pair of brown pajama pants, allowing the robe to slide off before he put his white tank top on.

“And here I was hoping for a show,” Zevran lamented as Redren turned back around. The man wore nothing but a pair of short, very short, shorts. He was sadly removing his elf ears, as they were unfortunately uncomfortable to sleep in. He set them on the side table that he’d placed his armor on. “Back in The Crows,” he stated, “nobody ever changed in front of each other, as the most vulnerable a person is is when they’re in the nude. A shame you have no such trust,” he tsked.

“I’m not falling for that, assassin,” Redren laughed. “And here,” he took off his shirt, tossing it to Zevran. “Please be decent. If not for me, then for the women.”

“A fine compromise, my friend,” he nodded as he slipped the top over his shoulders. It was slightly large on him length-wise, covering up to the very ends of his shorts. Redren opened the door and nodded his head to the girls, indicating that they were changed. Dog was asked to stay outside, as Morrigan did not want him in the hut. Morrigan took her place on her bedroll, Leliana following suit, squishing herself up against the unamused witch. Redren laid down on the floor, and scooted over to make room for Zevran. Not that there was much room to make, though.

He could feel Zevran pressing into him, heating his left side up like it was on fire. He’d never shared a bed with anyone else, a bit of sad thought for someone in their early twenties, but still, the feeling wasn’t all too welcome. It was hot, the fake fur blanket heating the bedroll like a sauna. He stared at the ceiling, and knew Zevran was doing the same. The only light was from an electric tea candle that rested on a high shelf on the other side of the hut, ten feet away, since the campfire had been doused before the girls came in. He could hear Zevran’s breathing slow down, an indication that he was falling asleep. Leliana was already out cold, and Morrigan hadn’t been long after her. Despite the discomfort he’d previously felt, Redren started to enjoy lying next to Zevran, and he felt himself being soothed by the man’s steady breathing. His eyes started to feel heavy, and before he knew it, the world faded softly to black.

…

The first thing he noticed when he woke up was that he was in a completely different position. He’d started off on his back, and now he was on his left side. His right leg and arm were wrapped around Zevran, in what was likely an incredibly right grip. He had also managed to shift up, so that Zevran’s head was nestled underneath his own. All in all, a very cuddle-y position. Shit.

“Now now, no need for such language,” he jumped when Zevran spoke, right out of his previous position.

“I am so sorry!” He apologized, his face red.

“No no,” Zevran laughed, sitting up. “It has been a while since I’ve shared my bed with another, and never so innocently!” His tone was both mocking and sincere.

“Well I, for one, am very happy I didn’t end up like your previous bedmates,” he sighed.

“Ravised by a very beautiful Antivan elf?”

“Likely dead, judging by your career.”

“I suppose one never came without the other,” he shrugged. “But since I am now serving you, I can assure that you’d only get the one.” He stood up, stretching, and Redren couldn’t help but notice how  Zevran was wearing his shirt, and about how it rode up slightly when he stretched, exposing a tiny bit of his toned stomach. “Staring, are we?” Zevran laughed.

“That killing you offered sounds very nice.”

Zevran just chuckled, getting into his armor. Redren followed suit, almost not noticing how he mindlessly started changing without being so nervous. He pulled on his robe, and was nearly ready to drag Zevran out of the hut since he was taking a very long time, when he felt him arm being grabbed.

“And where do you think you’re going? Perhaps this is a Ferelden mage thing, and I’m being culturally insensitive, but as I’m supposed to be serving and protecting you, I cannot allow you to go out of this place without your hair brushed!” He shook his head in mock dismay, grabbing the brush from the table and gently shoving the mage to the floor. He started at the ends, holding Redren’s long ginger hair as he worked through the knots that had managed to appear while he was sleeping. As he worked, Redren felt himself slowly leaning back, relaxing into the other man’s touch. He didn’t say anything, but Redren could tell Zevran was enjoying his reaction. “Done.”

“Ah,” Redren ran a hand through his hair. “Thanks.” He glanced over at the wall clock, which claimed it was already eleven.

“It was my pleasure,” He smiled. “And based on your facial expression, it was your pleasure, too.”

“Let’s just get going.”

“Lead the way,” Zevran bowed, putting on his ear extensions. 

..

The day was in all honesty, a blur. King Cailan staged another execution for Maria, who laid down on a slab for about ten minutes before she sat up and went to the tavern for a drink. Anora gathered everyone in the hall for another speech, starting the celebrations, and begrudgingly allowing the magic-users to use magic. Redren and Zevran met up with Morrigan, Leliana, and Alistair, and decided to simply have a good time, eating and watching Leliana break out her recorder and show off her bardic skills. They all sat and watched her, Zevran being the most interested. He had known she was a music student, but Leliana had a gift for recorder covers for basically anything. She was a strange talent all in herself.

The day flew by, like all other Sundays seemed to. The moon had come out, hanging big and bright in the night sky. It was full, and the sky was perfectly clear. Out here in the countryside, the stars were in full view. Many of the witches, wizards, and other magic users were performing ceremonies. He wasn’t a big part of such things, and as a blood mage, he wasn’t big on nature magic. Morrigan was messing around with Leliana, prodding her with her staff, making the bard giggle.

He got so swept up in everything, he hardly noticed Zevran’s hand on his shoulder.

“Would you mind talking to me for a moment?” He didn’t wear his usual carefree smile, so Redren wasn’t sure what he was feeling. “I promise it’s not anything bad,” he said, reassuring Redren with a hand on his shoulder.

“Alright,” he agreed. “Would you like to go somewhere more private, or…?”

“That would be appreciated, yes.” Zevran grabbed Redren’s hand, and hoped the other man couldn’t feel how nervous he was. Zevran took him back to the forest, where it was dark enough for only the glowing rocks to be visible underneath the cover of the the trees. The moon lit the area, soft rays of light dancing as the trees swayed in the slight breeze.

“What,” Redren started. “Uh, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“I wanted to offer you my gratitude,” he said, looking down for a moment. “I’ve had,” he paused, and looked up at the taller man, “I have had so much fun.” His smile was wide. “I wanted to thank you, for making all this possible for me.”

“No, no, it was really Leliana. You, you shouldn’t be, you shouldn’t be thanking me,” Redren said, stumbling over his words.

“But you could’ve easily told her no, that you didn’t want anyone else in your group,” he countered.

“But-”

“Oh hush,” Zevran laughed. “Can’t I just say thank you? If anything, simply for being so sweet to me.” Redren wasn’t sure what to say, and he didn’t have to. Zevran stood up on his tip-toes, gently grabbing the back of Redren’s neck to pull him down. He placed his lips on Redren’s, and kissed him. Redren’d never been kissed before, and he could hardly think. It wasn’t a fevered exchange, or heavy, or passionate. It was just, soft and incredibly romantic. What else to expect from an Antivan? He thought, closing his eyes and pressing a hand to the small of Zevran’s back.

Eventually, Zevran pulled away, breathing fairly heavily. Redren was sure he was, too.

“If that wasn’t wanted,” he started, looking apologetic, “I’m incredibly sorry, but I-”

“Oh don’t worry,” Redren cut him off, laughing a bit to hide his excitement. “That was not unwanted!”

“Ah, good!” Zevran said, letting out a relieved breath. “You just looked so shocked, I wasn’t sure!”

“Well, I mean, I’ve never really been kissed before, so…” Zevran looked at him like he was insane. “Are you kidding m-” the sound of a dog barking cut him off.

“There you two are!” Alistair called out, jogging to where they were, Dog on his heels. “It’s getting late, and… wait, what are you two doing?” He squinted, looking at them in the low light.

“Is it such a crime to want to get to know your fellow Grey Warden better?”

“You know what? I don’t want to know. Morrigan and Leliana have already packed stuff up, and I was sent to retrieve you for the closing, which is in like, ten minutes.”

They followed him back to the field, where King Cailan was standing on a wooden box, Anora on the grass next to him.

“I thank you all for coming,” he began, a smile on his face. “It has been an amazing weekend, and I hope to see you all next month! We are incredibly thankful for the turnout, and I hope we only continue to grow!” Anora took the makeshift stage, breaking character to smile.

“And I would like to say, that regardless of magic ability or race, you all contribute something to make this place special,” She put a hand to her chest. “And I thank you.”

Everyone eventually dispersed, heading back to their cars. Morrigan and Leliana came over to where Zevran, Redren, Aliastair, and Dog were, holding backpacks, including Alistair’s, which he’d left with them when he went to find Zevran and Redren.

“Time to head out,” Leliana sighed. She led them back to the van, tossing their things into the back. Morrigan once again took the wheel, as not only was it her mother’s van, but she was the only one who could stay awake reliably the whole way back.

“So,” she started, looking in the rear-view mirror at the rest of the people in the back, “how was your first LARP, my elven companion?” Zevran launched into an excited explanation of how much he loved it, that he had an amazing time, and that he’d be honored if they invited him back.

“Of course we’ll invite you again!” Leliana laughed from the passenger seat. “You were very fun to have along!” She looked back to where Alistair was, raising an eyebrow at the mildly concerned expression on his face. “What’s up, Alistair? Got something on your mind?”

He took a deep breath. “Redren and Zevran were shagging in the woods!”

“Alistair!” Redren yelled, more shocked than upset.

“I’m so proud!” Morrigan laughed. “Finally!”

“Morrigan!”

“Losing your virginity at a LARP? Wonderful!”

“I did not!”

“Awww, a shame,” Leliana sighed. “I thought we were one in the same, there!”

“What?” Redren and Alistair said at the same time, making Zevran suppress a laugh.

“What? I had a beautiful witch offer me a dark ritual in the woods, and I accepted! Had a great time, got a girlfriend and a permanent plus three health!”

“So that’s where that bonus came from…” Redren muttered.

“You know, my lovely Morrigan, you’ve given me an idea,” Zevran said before he was quickly shushed by Redren’s hand over his mouth.

“Don’t.” He narrowed his eyes. “Lick this hand all you want, I don’t fear it. I’ve had that mouth on my mouth.” Zevran’s response of good point was muffled.

Eventually, they all fell into quiet, the hum of the van as it drove through the night calming.

…

The next LARP was amazing. As was the next, and the next, and the next. He and Zevran had officially become a thing, and he couldn’t be happier about it. Dog truly was the only one Alistair had now. Redren had worked up the neve to give Zevran the pair of Dalish leather gloves he’d embroidered. Zevran wore them all winter long. Their whole little group had been invited to one of Zevran’s theatre productions, and Redren couldn’t have been a prouder boyfriend. He could tell that the Live Action Role Playing had helped, as his character tame through in every line. And God, did he look good! How Redren had managed to snag someone like that, he’d never know.

Grandma Wynne had been supportive, and if anything, too supportive, saying things like It’s a changing world! or I’m so happy you could find someone! General happy grandma things. Zevran made sure to visit him almost every morning, sitting at the barstools and watching Redren wait tables. Redren had even visited Zevran at his job, although such an experience wasn’t exactly good for his more innocent heart.

All in all, they were very content to be the nerds they were.

[isthatbloodonhisshirt]

Trigger

Sterek A-Z Challenge: Trigger

Scott was not the sharpest tool in the shed. Stiles knew this, and he had a love/hate relationship with Scott’s cluelessness. Sometimes, it was a benefit to him, and he thanked the higher powers that be for Scott’s idiocy.

Other times, like when he’d turned into a Werewolf and had insisted on going to a party, Stiles cursed his stupidity. He knew it wasn’t Scott’s fault, he had been gifted with adorableness and puppy eyes, not brains. That was why he kept Stiles around. Because Stiles was his brain.

This situation was something Stiles thanked the higher powers for Scott’s cluelessness for. After all, he hadn’t exactly told Scott that he and Derek may or may not have been fuck buddies.

Were they even fuck buddies? Stiles wasn’t sure. He just knew one night he’d gotten home really drunk to find Derek in his bed, waiting for him so he could help him do research. Stiles didn’t think Derek meant to fall prey to his advances, but apparently drunk Stiles was very good with his mouth—both speech-wise and otherwise.

Next thing he knew, it was morning and Derek was gone. He’d avoided Stiles for days, probably because he thought he’d taken advantage of a drunk teenager—Stiles was eighteen, he was barely a “teen” anymore. After hunting him down—okay, maybe Malia hunted him down and Stiles just guilted him into staying put—he made it clear that what had happened was fine. If anything, Stiles felt a little bad for almost forcing Derek into something he may not have wanted.

As it turned out, he did want it, because Derek showed up in the middle of the night more often. He used research as an excuse, but after the fourth night in a row and nothing to ask of Stiles, it became fairly obvious he was just there for the sex that followed the not-research.

So yes, fuck buddies. Except fuck buddies didn’t usually get territorial like Derek did.

Stiles had borrowed a spare shirt from a teammate after Lacrosse after dumping lunch on his regular shirt and not wanting to wear his sweat-soaked Lacrosse shirt home. When he’d walked in the door to what he had assumed was an empty house, Derek had snarled and promptly ripped the shirt off.

Ripped the shirt off. Literally. Right off. Claws and everything. Stiles had had to pay his teammate back for the shirt.

Apparently, for fuck buddies, Derek was possessive. He didn’t like Stiles being too close to people in a social setting where he wasn’t present, and he didn’t like Stiles wearing other people’s clothes. He also didn’t like it when other people touched Stiles.

Lydia had given him a kiss on his cheek after he’d saved her from a terrible date, and Stiles felt like Derek was trying to bite it off later that night. He’d been biting and sucking at the place Lydia had kissed him, rubbing his stubble painfully against Stiles’ cheek and being generally possessive.

Stiles got it. It’s a wolf thing.

Still, he felt more inclined to believe he and Derek weren’t fuck buddies. They hadn’t spoken about being anything else, so Stiles had just assumed fuck buddies, but maybe Derek thought they were—he didn’t even know. Dating?

Did Werewolves date?

What was he thinking, of course they did, Scott had dated both Allison and Kira.

But Derek was… Derek. Maybe the more appropriate question was did Derek date?

Something he was still mulling over, but back to Scott’s cluelessness. Considering all the sex, it wasn’t exactly a secret to the others. No one said anything, but Malia wrinkled her nose at him every time they were together, and even Liam always avoided being anywhere near Stiles whenever he was in the same room as him and Derek. It was like he was afraid of Derek’s wrath if he accidentally touched Stiles. Lydia was Lydia and knew everything.

Basically, everyone knew that Derek was fucking Stiles—and he loved it. The fucking, not the knowing, though he didn’t mind that, either.

But Scott was something else. He always made comments about how Stiles smelled a lot like Derek, and how he smelled like sex, but somehow he’d never put the two together. It was sad. So sad it was almost adorable.

Mostly sad.

Which probably explained why he was always so confused when Stiles sat down on the end of a couch and people kept steering Scott away from sitting next to him until Derek entered the room and took the seat instead.

It wasn’t a long pack meeting. They were just discussing what to do about the beta who seemed to be lurking around the area. Stiles had been giving his opinion, gesticulating as usual, and wondering why everyone was looking uncomfortable. It took him a full five minutes to realize it was because Derek’s hand was on his thigh.

Scott still hadn’t noticed. He was just nodding along to what Stiles was saying, trying to come up with a game plan. Every time he looked at someone, they gave him their full attention, but turned back to Derek and Stiles the second Scott looked away.

Stiles had to wonder if they all still considered Derek their Alpha. No offense to Scott, but Derek had been a good Alpha. Not that he wasn’t a good Beta, it just… didn’t suit him. He could turn into a wolf, for fuck’s sake. Comparatively, Scott was kind of boring.

Not that Stiles would ever tell him that, because that was rude, and Stiles wasn’t rude.

Maybe a little rude.

Still, he didn’t get why the others were uncomfortable about the hand on his thigh until he looked at Derek and realized he was glaring at everyone, as if he thought they would try to steal Stiles from him.

Stiles decided it was time for a chat with him. He was getting crazy possessive, and while Stiles was okay with a super hot Werewolf boyfriend who was protective and wanted to keep him safe, if he scared away his friends, they would have problems.

When the meeting was over, they hung around for a while longer watching a movie. It was the second Iron Man, which Stiles wasn’t too enamoured with, but apparently he’d been banned from decision-making when it came to movies after he’d made them all watch the fourth Star Wars movie eight meetings in a row.

Who knew anyone could get tired of Star Wars?

Lydia and Malia were texting one another furiously throughout almost the entire thing anyway, while Liam and Scott chatted about the Lacrosse team and Derek glared at anyone who breathed in Stiles’ direction, so he felt like it was a waste of a movie night and they should’ve just let him choose. He was the only one actually paying attention, it would’ve been fair.

When it ended, Stiles got to his feet so he could use the bathroom, rubbing sleepily at his face. He’d been planning on staying for a while after the pack left, get a few rounds in before heading home since his dad was on the night shift, but he didn’t think he’d make it that long.

Maybe Derek would be okay coming over to his place so Stiles could pass out without worrying about having to wake up in time to go home. Wasn’t like Derek hadn’t scrambled half-naked out Stiles’ window before.

His dad still hadn’t actually caught Derek, but he knew what they were doing. He didn’t approve, but Stiles felt it was more the sex with a Werewolf in general as opposed to Derek.

Washing his hands after having done his business, Stiles dried them on his jeans and pulled open the door, jumping when he found Lydia right on the other side.

“Jesus, Lyds, give me a heart attack, it’s fine. Didn’t need my ticker to work, anyway.” He rubbed at his chest, starting to squeeze past her so he could head back to the living room, but she put one hand on his chest and pushed him back into the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind her.

“Uh…” Stiles was pretty sure she didn’t need help or supervision going to the bathroom. Once upon a time he’d have jumped on anything she wanted, even helping her use the facilities, but they were too close, now. She was like his sister. He still often couldn’t believe he’d once loved her as much as he had, it weirded him out now.

“We need to talk.”

Stiles hated those words. They always preceded something terrible.

“Do we?” he asked with a sigh. Maybe if he looked pathetic enough she’d let him leave.

He tried. Her unimpressed look suggested he failed. Dammit, he needed the puppy dog eyes Scott had, why did Scott get to have the puppy dog eyes?

Maybe because he didn’t use them that often. His ability to make everyone feel bad for him probably counted as a super power, and there was that whole rule. With great power, blah, blah, blah. Stiles would definitely abuse that power. He’d use it all the time if he could.

Like now. To get out of what was definitely going to be an unpleasant conversation.

“Yes,” Lydia informed him, casting a glance at the door before locking it. That didn’t bode well. “We do.”

“Is this about Derek?”

“No.” She stepped closer. Stiles felt like she almost looked nervous, but that was impossible. Lydia didn’t get nervous. She was Lydia. “It’s about us.”

Stiles’ brain short-circuited, and not in a good way. “What us?”

“Us.” She motioned between the two of them.

Stiles balked.

She gave him a look. “We’ve been dancing around one another for a while.”

“We have?” Stiles was confused.

“And I thought that maybe it was time we stopped dancing and got around to doing something about it.” She took another step closer.

Stiles took one back instinctively, towel rack digging into his back. Lydia just moved closer so that he was trapped between her and the wall—well, towel rack.

“Uh…” Stiles didn’t know what was happening, but he wasn’t sure how to address it. Anything he said would be bad. Oh so bad. Lydia didn’t take rejection well.

He thought. Maybe? Had anyone ever rejected her? Scott had that one time, but that wasn’t serious, she hadn’t actually liked Scott. Not that she liked him.

Wait, wasn’t she implying she did? Shit, Stiles needed to get out of this.

“What do you say?” Lydia asked, smiling a little. “Shall we give this a try?”

Stiles had opened his mouth to speak, but all he got out was a squeak before he and Lydia lurched away from the door at the same time. Stiles instinctively grabbed Lydia by the shoulders and flipped them around so she was against the wall, pressing her into it to keep her safe.

Only then did he see what the noise was.

Derek was standing in the corridor, holding the door in both hands.

He had to hold it in both hands because he had wrenched it clear off the hinges!

“Derek! Jesus Christ! What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Stiles pressed one hand to his chest, heart jack-hammering against his sternum painfully. “Shit!” Then he remembered Derek had literally just torn the door off. “What the fuck is wrong with you?!” he asked again.

Derek looked almost wild, eyes flashing blue and fangs threatening. His clawed fingers were curled against the sides of the door and Stiles was so glad that they hadn’t had to meeting at his house like they were supposed to. His dad would not have been happy with the ripped off door.

“Stiles,” Derek snarled, voice sounding off due to the fangs, “come here.”

“Put the door down,” Stiles insisted, motioning it. “What the hell, Derek!”

“Stiles.” He was using that warning tone he always seemed to use when Stiles was involved.

“Huh.”

Stiles’ eyes shifted to Malia, who’d appeared beside Derek. She was eying him with interest, seeming impressed with what he’d just done, and then peered into the bathroom.

“You were right. He did figure it out.”

“What?” Stiles asked, dumbfounded.

“Told you,” Lydia said from behind Stiles. She was still clutching the back of his shirt hard enough to choke him, but she sounded perfectly calm. “Even Scott isn’t that dense.”

“What?” Stiles asked again.

“Derek, put the door down,” Lydia snapped. “What are you, an animal?”

“Okay, what?!” Stiles demanded, rounding on Lydia. “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, calm down.” She rolled her eyes, but she was still gripping his shirt. She clearly wasn’t as relaxed as she was pretending to be. Stiles didn’t know why she was bothering because, yeah, Werewolves.

“We wanted to see if we could provoke Derek into revealing who you’ve been sleeping with because Scott’s so dumb,” Malia said bluntly from the doorway.

“Wait, what?” Stiles asked incredulously, looking between the two of them. Derek was still snarling angrily.

He was also still holding the door.

“Derek, put that down!” Stile snapped impatiently, turning back to Lydia, more annoyed with her than Derek. “You did this on purpose? What the hell! What if I thought you were serious?”

“Please, you’re with Derek, not like you’d leave him for me.” Lydia gave him a look that dared him to contradict her.

Stiles was annoyed to realize he couldn’t, so he changed tactics.

“This was the best you could come up with to get Scott to figure it out on his own?! It didn’t occur to you that Werewolves are territorial and he’d get mad?” Stiles motioned Derek, who was still holding the door, fucking Christ.

“I knew he’d get mad, I just didn’t think it’d trigger that violent of a reaction.” She jutted her chin towards Derek, then scowled at him over Stiles’ shoulder. “Stop growling, I wasn’t serious, he’s all yours.” She shoved at Stiles.

He almost tripped over his own feet because of how he was standing, but managed to regain his balance before slamming into the door Derek was holding. He turned his head when he heard a whine from down the corridor and cursed, realizing that he had to go and deal with Scott now.

“Derek, put the door down!” Stiles insisted, almost desperate now. Seriously, couldn’t he have one normal day?

Derek finally did as he was told, setting the door down beside the opening to the bathroom. He was still glaring at Lydia, eyes electric blue. “Get out of my apartment.”

“Gladly,” she said quietly, slipping past him. Malia gave Derek an annoyed look, following Lydia towards the front door. They both heard it open and shut, the two girls having left.

Stiles shifted his weight uncomfortably. He knew he had to go and talk to Scott, but Derek’s reaction was…

“So…” he said slowly. “Yup.” He popped the ‘p’ loudly, waiting for Derek to speak.

Which was stupid, because waiting for Derek to speak would be like waiting for paint to dry, except paint drying would happen much faster.

“That was violent.”

Derek just scowled at him. Stiles was too used to him scowling to be affected by it anymore.

“So I know we fool around and all that, but don’t you think that was overdoing it a little bit?”

More scowling.

“Okay. Well.” He motioned behind himself with both hands, pointer fingers aimed at the living room. “I’m gonna go talk to Scott.”

He’d turned to do just that when his arm was grabbed and he was pushed roughly against the wall. Normally he’d complain, but Derek was kissing him, and it was hard to think when Derek did that.

His lips pressed insistently against Stiles’, parting to lick at the seam until Stiles granted him access. Then Derek was just grabbing his face and trying to suck the oxygen right out of Stiles’ lungs with the intensity of his kissing. It was different than usual, almost desperate, and Stiles was struggling to keep up.

He could feel drool dripping down his chin. His or Derek’s, he didn’t know, but this was definitely not their sexiest kiss. Probably the hottest, though. Stiles was getting hard, which he really couldn’t be doing if he had to go and talk to Scott in a minute.

When he finally managed to tug Derek’s head away with a fistful of his hair in his hand, he gasped in oxygen like a starved man. Derek didn’t seem satisfied with being separated and immediately ducked down to lick and suck at Stiles’ neck, biting hard at his pulse.

“Ow, Jesus! Teeth! Teeth!” Even if he wasn’t an Alpha anymore, Stiles wasn’t interested in having to explain to his father—or anyone else, for that matter—why he had a perfect impression of Derek Hale’s teeth in his neck.

When he pulled away, releasing the pressure against his pulse, it was only so he could attack Stiles’ mouth again, teeth clacking painfully.

Just when Stiles was getting used to the intensity, Derek pulled away just enough to press his forehead to Stiles’, breathing hard. They were so close still that they were breathing in the same air, Stiles gasping in an almost embarrassed fashion with his legs feeling rubbery and his brain a little fuzzy.

Oh, and fully hard now, thank you, Derek!

“You can’t,” he said.

“Can’t what?” Stiles asked, unconsciously rocking his hips against Derek’s thigh to get some friction.

“You can’t be with Lydia.”

Stiles’ hips stilled. “What? She was just joking.” She was, right? Stiles couldn’t hear heartbeats, but it explained the texting between her and Malia.

“Doesn’t matter, you can’t. You’re with me. You’re with me.”

Oh, okay. So they were doing this. “I know.”

Derek’s grip on his sides tightened. “We’re not just fucking.”

“I know,” Stiles said. And he did, really. He’d known that there was the possibility of this being more, but he wasn’t going to press the issue so he’d just taken what he’d gotten. Something was better than nothing and hey, apparently in this case, something was actually everything, so that was pretty cool.

“You’re mine,” Derek said, voice almost a growl, as if daring Stiles to contradict him.

“Yeah, yeah, put those away, big guy.” Stiles patted his back and shifted so that he could press another kiss to Derek’s lips while keeping their foreheads touching. It was cuter in theory than in practice, because it made their noses smoosh together.

“I mean it.”

“Yeah, I think I got that message loud and clear when you fucking ripped the door off the wall.” He shook his head, pulling away as much as he could and pushing at Derek’s chest. “Fix the door, sourwolf. I need to go fix my broken friend’s brain.”

Derek glowered at him, but Stiles just winked at him, grinned, and turned to head towards the living room to comfort Scott on his obliviousness. Or maybe over the fact that Stiles was dating Derek, it was hard to know, really.

And if Stiles and Derek end up fucking all night in Stiles’ bed and the sheriff comes home early, well, that’s another hurdle for Stiles to overcome. But that’s future Stiles’ problem, because present Stiles is way too happy over the fact that he’s actually dating Derek Hale.

Even if he had to go comfort his friend while sporting a boner.

END.

[kathydsalters31]

17 of Your Questions About Hiking with Small Dogs Answered

People generally don’t expect to see small dogs hiking so I find they have a lot of questions.

I don’t mind answering. I’ve been hiking with my Dachshunds for 15 years and I’m passionate about opening people’s minds to the idea of small dogs as hiking companions.

I compiled a list of common questions I’ve received from our blog readers and social media followers over time. I figured if one person had the question, other people were wondering too.

Except for a few minor edits for clarity and grammar, the questions are unchanged.

For a few of them, I was asked several different ways about the same topic. I either chose the question that was the most detailed or combined my answer from two different questions.

Q: “Can I start hiking with my 11 week old? Are short hikes and carrying her when she gets tired ok?”

Unfortunately, no. That’s too early. Her bones and joints need to properly develop first.

For more information, read my blog post “How Old Should My Puppy Be Before They Hike?“

Q: “How to Start? Any Tips?”

Some general tips:

Build up fitness to walking at least 30 minutes (60 is more ideal) 4-5 days a week

Start out with short, easy walks in the woods and increase the difficulty from there

Stop hiking before your dog gets too tired (note: Remember that you likely have to walk back to the start so it’s better too turn around to early instead of too late)

Keep progressing as your dog’s ability and interest allows

Check out my article How to Start Hiking with Your Dachshund, and the hiking and camping tips section on my blog, for more information.

Q: “Our dog HATES the harness. She runs away from me every time we are going out. Any suggestions on getting her more used to it? Once it is on and we are walking she seems to be fine.”

If your dog is walking in the harness it once it’s on, I would:

1) Give her lots of treats and praise for being near the harness

Start by setting it on the ground and rewarding her for standing by it. Then reward her for looking at it or sniffing it.

The idea is to get her to associate the harness with good things.

2) Progress to slipping it over her head

The best way to do this is to hold the harness, put a treat in your hand, stick your hand through the harness neck hole and let her smell the treat, hold the harness still while pulling your hand back through the opening and then give her the treat once it’s over her head.

The idea is to reward her for slipping her head through the hole herself.

I also think it helped my puppy get used to the harness in general by putting it on her for 30-minutes at a time in the house (supervised) and letting her lay and walk around in it. She still doesn’t love it but she’s starting not to run away when I try to put it on her.

Q: “Our Dachshund likes to explore every square inch of terrain, whether that be hiking trail or neighborhood sidewalk. How can we keep her going on the trail without stopping every five inches?”

I received several questions related to this topic.

Stopping every few minutes to sniff is a Dachshund thing because they are hounds bred to hunt. It’s probably common in any scent hound breed.

However, I believe that any dog can be trained not to stop every few feet when you are trying to actually get somewhere.

While Summit and Gretel like to stop and sniff occasionally, they come right along when I give a little tug and say “let’s go!” They’ve just learned to take my queues and know when we are on a mission to get somewhere.

Q: “How do you keep your Dachshund’s back safe on hikes?”

Although Gretel was diagnosed with IVDD a few years ago, I don’t treat her like she’s fragile.

I don’t advise that every dog with IVDD hike or do other physical sports but it IS possible for a dog with back issues to live a happy, active life.

I highly suggest talking to, and working with, a rehab vet or trainer if you want to keep your IBDD Dachshund active.

I follow the same “back safety” rules on the trail with all my dogs, whether they have had prior injuries or not.

We avoid an excessive number of steps by either not hiking trails that I know have a lot or by carrying them up and down the stair section of the trail.

I also don’t let them jump of anything much taller than they are long. I find that they tend to treat it like a big step that way instead of jumping down.

If a ledge is taller than that, I will lift them going down.

I’m not so worried about going up because the impact when jumping to a surface higher than they are currently puts significantly less impact on their muscles and joints.

Along those lines, I lift them up and down any time there is a situation where I think it’s likely they could fall and twist, which is one of the worst things for a Dachshund’s back.

I will note that they are quite capable of scrambling up ledges and rocks and otherwise staying on their feet. I rarely have to lift or carry them.

A strong core will also go a really long way to protecting a dog’s back. Our rehab veterinarian recommended these exercises to keep Gretel’s back strong after she was diagnosed with IVDD.

Q: “How long are dog’s feet ok in the snow?”

That depends on the dog, the ambient air temperature, the length of time your dog will be walking in the snow, and whether your dog has furry feet the snow can stick to.

I’ve found that if the air temperature is above 30F, my small dogs Summit and Gretel can hike in the snow for at least a few hours.

The main key to them staying comfortable is to keep their body core extra warm by wearing a jacket.

One of the ways that dogs dissipate body heat is to push it out through their feet. If their body temperature is slightly above normal, it’s likely that their feet will be able to stay warm enough on their own.

However, Summit and Gretel don’t have hairy feet so powdery snow doesn’t stick to them.

We also don’t hike in winter if the temperature is below 25F.

I generally don’t recommend dog boots for hiking but they are sometimes necessary in the winter. Read my article Does Your Small Dog Need to Wear Boots in the Snow? to help determine whether your dog needs them or not.

Q: “I have one pup who gets her pads torn or worn easily. Any suggestions?”

We’ve rarely had foot problems so I don’t have a great go-to solution.

I make sure to walk my dogs regularly on hard surfaces to toughen up their foot pads.

I also put Musher’s Secret paw balm on their feet if we’re hiking in snow or where I think they need some extra protection.

I’ve also heard good things about Tuff-foot but haven’t tried it.

Q: “I have a Dachshund-Jack Russel mix. I’m scared he’ll run off a cliff trying to chase something. Is my fear real?”

Yes, your fear is real.

Most dogs, even if they were not bred to hunt like both a Dachshund and Jack Russel were, can’t resist chasing a tasty smelling, fast moving squirrel.

It’s completely possible they could chase one to the edge of a cliff.

While they likely wouldn’t jump off the cliff after it, many cliff edges have loose rock and vegetation on them so a dog could slip off the edge.

Q: “My dog hates riding in the car. Any suggestions?”

The issue is usually because a dog gets carsick or is scared of the car (or both).

It can usually be overcome with positive conditioning and car sickness remedies to calm the dog and settle their stomach.

My Article When You Want to Go Hiking but Your Dog Hates the Car discusses how to tell the difference between motion sickness or anxiety and what to do about it.

Q: “How far can you hike with your small dog?”

This is another question I received several times in different forms.

Summit is a puppy so this is her first hiking season. The longest hike she’s been on was just over 5 miles. She shows no signs of getting near her mileage limit.

The longest I’ve hiked in one day with Gretel was 11 miles but it was part of a 3-day, 30-mile backpacking trip.

Small dogs are more capable that most people think. Check out my article How Far Can My Small Dog Hike for more information about appropriate distance.

Q: “Are all hikes safe for small dogs?”

Personally, I’ve very rarely encountered a trail that was too difficult for my small dogs.

Gretel, and my first Dachshund Chester, even hiked one of the steepest trails in the Seattle area. Twice.

However, every dog is has a different fitness level and athletic talents. For that reason, this is a complicated question.

For sure, any hike classified as a “scramble“, or over a Class II hike, is probably approaching too dangerous for any dog.

There are also other considerations, besides terrain, that can make a hike dangerous for dogs.

These things could include:

Trails that skirt high ledges or steep drop-offs

Trails that are known to attract a high number of poisonous snakes or dangerous wildlife

Hiking any trail on a day that is too hot (we don’t hike if it’s over about 85F)

Q: “Are there any dog breeds you know of that shouldn’t hike?”

Since I hike with my Dachshunds, and many people think they can’t or shouldn’t hike, I’m hesitant to call out any breed of dog that “shouldn’t” be out on the trails. We’re all about breaking stereotypes after all.

I’ve seen dog breeds out on the trail that I didn’t expect made good trail dogs and had my beliefs challenged.

With that being said, it’s my understanding that one needs to be extra cautious if hiking with a short-nosed (brachycephalic) dog breed (like pugs and bulldogs) as they can encounter breathing problems.

The most important thing is to know your own dog and respect their limits.

Here is a list of small dog breeds that make the best hiking companions.

Q: “Do you ever carry them in a backpack? We haven’t seen one that would safely support a Dachshund’s back.”

Ah… the search for the golden unicorn.

I’m aware of almost every backpacks and carrier out there designed for carrying small dogs and have tried several.

The fact is that an ideal one for carrying Dachshunds doesn’t exist. One is kind of left choosing between the lesser of “evils” if they need to carry their pup.

Check out my list of dog backpacks that are the best options in my opinion.

Q: “How do you know when it’s too much and they are too tired?”

There are several ways you can tell if your dog is getting pushed to their limits and getting tired.

Signs can include:

Starting to walk slower

Lagging behind

Excessive panting

Flopping down on the trail

Limping

For more details, please read my article about how to tell if your dog has had enough hiking for the day.

Q: “I live in rattlesnake and mountain lion country. Any precautions you take regarding wildlife?”

I didn’t have detailed recommendations for this question because we only recently moved to an area that has mountain lions and rattlesnakes.

We also live in a State where Grizzly Bears are uncommon and black bears are unlikely to attack.

The general precautions I take are:

Hike with my dogs on leash so they can’t stray too far (and look like prey) or stick their nose in holes without me knowing

Know where rattlesnakes are likely to be and keep an vigilant eye and ear out for them

Remember to try and look as big and scary as I can, and slowly back away, if we encounter a mountain lion

Watch for all wildlife and try to keep my dogs from barking at them and irritating them or stressing them out

When I shared that I was new to dealing with rattlesnake issues, a couple readers messaged us to offer their tips:

Make a lot of noise wherever you go to let snakes and wildlife know you are coming (so hopefully they will wander off)

In snake territory, step over obstacles like rocks and downed logs before your dog does so you can check out the area first and hopefully scare it off before your dog startles it

Q: “Do you have any hiking or camping gear for small dogs that you would recommend?”

I’ve been hiking with my Dachshunds for over 15 years and camping with them for almost as long. Throughout the years I’ve learned a lot about what gear works best for small dogs and for us specifically.

Some things that I always bring with us when hiking are:

If you want more details about our recommendations, please check out these articles:

Q: “I have been using the retractable leash. What would you recommend?

Personally, I don’t recommend retractable leashes. Especially not for hiking.

I admit I used one with my dog Chester for a long time but that was before I was aware of the dangers, and the dog behavior issues (like running up to another dog without permission), they can invite.

We use a 6-foot static leash.

My favorites are made from Biothane (coated webbing – “vegan leather” and waterproof) or climbing rope.

If your questions about hiking with small dogs, or Dachshunds specifically, wasn’t answered here, please ask in the comments below.

<!– –>

source http://www.luckydogsolutions.com/17-of-your-questions-about-hiking-with-small-dogs-answered/ from Lucky Dog Solutions https://luckydogsolutions.blogspot.com/2020/07/17-of-your-questions-about-hiking-with.html

[barryswamsleyaz]

17 of Your Questions About Hiking with Small Dogs Answered

People generally don’t expect to see small dogs hiking so I find they have a lot of questions.

I don’t mind answering. I’ve been hiking with my Dachshunds for 15 years and I’m passionate about opening people’s minds to the idea of small dogs as hiking companions.

I compiled a list of common questions I’ve received from our blog readers and social media followers over time. I figured if one person had the question, other people were wondering too.

Except for a few minor edits for clarity and grammar, the questions are unchanged.

For a few of them, I was asked several different ways about the same topic. I either chose the question that was the most detailed or combined my answer from two different questions.

Q: “Can I start hiking with my 11 week old? Are short hikes and carrying her when she gets tired ok?”

Unfortunately, no. That’s too early. Her bones and joints need to properly develop first.

For more information, read my blog post “How Old Should My Puppy Be Before They Hike?“

Q: “How to Start? Any Tips?”

Some general tips:

Build up fitness to walking at least 30 minutes (60 is more ideal) 4-5 days a week

Start out with short, easy walks in the woods and increase the difficulty from there

Stop hiking before your dog gets too tired (note: Remember that you likely have to walk back to the start so it’s better too turn around to early instead of too late)

Keep progressing as your dog’s ability and interest allows

Check out my article How to Start Hiking with Your Dachshund, and the hiking and camping tips section on my blog, for more information.

Q: “Our dog HATES the harness. She runs away from me every time we are going out. Any suggestions on getting her more used to it? Once it is on and we are walking she seems to be fine.”

If your dog is walking in the harness it once it’s on, I would:

1) Give her lots of treats and praise for being near the harness

Start by setting it on the ground and rewarding her for standing by it. Then reward her for looking at it or sniffing it.

The idea is to get her to associate the harness with good things.

2) Progress to slipping it over her head

The best way to do this is to hold the harness, put a treat in your hand, stick your hand through the harness neck hole and let her smell the treat, hold the harness still while pulling your hand back through the opening and then give her the treat once it’s over her head.

The idea is to reward her for slipping her head through the hole herself.

I also think it helped my puppy get used to the harness in general by putting it on her for 30-minutes at a time in the house (supervised) and letting her lay and walk around in it. She still doesn’t love it but she’s starting not to run away when I try to put it on her.

Q: “Our Dachshund likes to explore every square inch of terrain, whether that be hiking trail or neighborhood sidewalk. How can we keep her going on the trail without stopping every five inches?”

I received several questions related to this topic.

Stopping every few minutes to sniff is a Dachshund thing because they are hounds bred to hunt. It’s probably common in any scent hound breed.

However, I believe that any dog can be trained not to stop every few feet when you are trying to actually get somewhere.

While Summit and Gretel like to stop and sniff occasionally, they come right along when I give a little tug and say “let’s go!” They’ve just learned to take my queues and know when we are on a mission to get somewhere.

Q: “How do you keep your Dachshund’s back safe on hikes?”

Although Gretel was diagnosed with IVDD a few years ago, I don’t treat her like she’s fragile.

I don’t advise that every dog with IVDD hike or do other physical sports but it IS possible for a dog with back issues to live a happy, active life.

I highly suggest talking to, and working with, a rehab vet or trainer if you want to keep your IBDD Dachshund active.

I follow the same “back safety” rules on the trail with all my dogs, whether they have had prior injuries or not.

We avoid an excessive number of steps by either not hiking trails that I know have a lot or by carrying them up and down the stair section of the trail.

I also don’t let them jump of anything much taller than they are long. I find that they tend to treat it like a big step that way instead of jumping down.

If a ledge is taller than that, I will lift them going down.

I’m not so worried about going up because the impact when jumping to a surface higher than they are currently puts significantly less impact on their muscles and joints.

Along those lines, I lift them up and down any time there is a situation where I think it’s likely they could fall and twist, which is one of the worst things for a Dachshund’s back.

I will note that they are quite capable of scrambling up ledges and rocks and otherwise staying on their feet. I rarely have to lift or carry them.

A strong core will also go a really long way to protecting a dog’s back. Our rehab veterinarian recommended these exercises to keep Gretel’s back strong after she was diagnosed with IVDD.

Q: “How long are dog’s feet ok in the snow?”

That depends on the dog, the ambient air temperature, the length of time your dog will be walking in the snow, and whether your dog has furry feet the snow can stick to.

I’ve found that if the air temperature is above 30F, my small dogs Summit and Gretel can hike in the snow for at least a few hours.

The main key to them staying comfortable is to keep their body core extra warm by wearing a jacket.

One of the ways that dogs dissipate body heat is to push it out through their feet. If their body temperature is slightly above normal, it’s likely that their feet will be able to stay warm enough on their own.

However, Summit and Gretel don’t have hairy feet so powdery snow doesn’t stick to them.

We also don’t hike in winter if the temperature is below 25F.

I generally don’t recommend dog boots for hiking but they are sometimes necessary in the winter. Read my article Does Your Small Dog Need to Wear Boots in the Snow? to help determine whether your dog needs them or not.

Q: “I have one pup who gets her pads torn or worn easily. Any suggestions?”

We’ve rarely had foot problems so I don’t have a great go-to solution.

I make sure to walk my dogs regularly on hard surfaces to toughen up their foot pads.

I also put Musher’s Secret paw balm on their feet if we’re hiking in snow or where I think they need some extra protection.

I’ve also heard good things about Tuff-foot but haven’t tried it.

Q: “I have a Dachshund-Jack Russel mix. I’m scared he’ll run off a cliff trying to chase something. Is my fear real?”

Yes, your fear is real.

Most dogs, even if they were not bred to hunt like both a Dachshund and Jack Russel were, can’t resist chasing a tasty smelling, fast moving squirrel.

It’s completely possible they could chase one to the edge of a cliff.

While they likely wouldn’t jump off the cliff after it, many cliff edges have loose rock and vegetation on them so a dog could slip off the edge.

Q: “My dog hates riding in the car. Any suggestions?”

The issue is usually because a dog gets carsick or is scared of the car (or both).

It can usually be overcome with positive conditioning and car sickness remedies to calm the dog and settle their stomach.

My Article When You Want to Go Hiking but Your Dog Hates the Car discusses how to tell the difference between motion sickness or anxiety and what to do about it.

Q: “How far can you hike with your small dog?”

This is another question I received several times in different forms.

Summit is a puppy so this is her first hiking season. The longest hike she’s been on was just over 5 miles. She shows no signs of getting near her mileage limit.

The longest I’ve hiked in one day with Gretel was 11 miles but it was part of a 3-day, 30-mile backpacking trip.

Small dogs are more capable that most people think. Check out my article How Far Can My Small Dog Hike for more information about appropriate distance.

Q: “Are all hikes safe for small dogs?”

Personally, I’ve very rarely encountered a trail that was too difficult for my small dogs.

Gretel, and my first Dachshund Chester, even hiked one of the steepest trails in the Seattle area. Twice.

However, every dog is has a different fitness level and athletic talents. For that reason, this is a complicated question.

For sure, any hike classified as a “scramble“, or over a Class II hike, is probably approaching too dangerous for any dog.

There are also other considerations, besides terrain, that can make a hike dangerous for dogs.

These things could include:

Trails that skirt high ledges or steep drop-offs

Trails that are known to attract a high number of poisonous snakes or dangerous wildlife

Hiking any trail on a day that is too hot (we don’t hike if it’s over about 85F)

Q: “Are there any dog breeds you know of that shouldn’t hike?”

Since I hike with my Dachshunds, and many people think they can’t or shouldn’t hike, I’m hesitant to call out any breed of dog that “shouldn’t” be out on the trails. We’re all about breaking stereotypes after all.

I’ve seen dog breeds out on the trail that I didn’t expect made good trail dogs and had my beliefs challenged.

With that being said, it’s my understanding that one needs to be extra cautious if hiking with a short-nosed (brachycephalic) dog breed (like pugs and bulldogs) as they can encounter breathing problems.

The most important thing is to know your own dog and respect their limits.

Here is a list of small dog breeds that make the best hiking companions.

Q: “Do you ever carry them in a backpack? We haven’t seen one that would safely support a Dachshund’s back.”

Ah… the search for the golden unicorn.

I’m aware of almost every backpacks and carrier out there designed for carrying small dogs and have tried several.

The fact is that an ideal one for carrying Dachshunds doesn’t exist. One is kind of left choosing between the lesser of “evils” if they need to carry their pup.

Check out my list of dog backpacks that are the best options in my opinion.

Q: “How do you know when it’s too much and they are too tired?”

There are several ways you can tell if your dog is getting pushed to their limits and getting tired.

Signs can include:

Starting to walk slower

Lagging behind

Excessive panting

Flopping down on the trail

Limping

For more details, please read my article about how to tell if your dog has had enough hiking for the day.

Q: “I live in rattlesnake and mountain lion country. Any precautions you take regarding wildlife?”

I didn’t have detailed recommendations for this question because we only recently moved to an area that has mountain lions and rattlesnakes.

We also live in a State where Grizzly Bears are uncommon and black bears are unlikely to attack.

The general precautions I take are:

Hike with my dogs on leash so they can’t stray too far (and look like prey) or stick their nose in holes without me knowing

Know where rattlesnakes are likely to be and keep an vigilant eye and ear out for them

Remember to try and look as big and scary as I can, and slowly back away, if we encounter a mountain lion

Watch for all wildlife and try to keep my dogs from barking at them and irritating them or stressing them out

When I shared that I was new to dealing with rattlesnake issues, a couple readers messaged us to offer their tips:

Make a lot of noise wherever you go to let snakes and wildlife know you are coming (so hopefully they will wander off)

In snake territory, step over obstacles like rocks and downed logs before your dog does so you can check out the area first and hopefully scare it off before your dog startles it

Q: “Do you have any hiking or camping gear for small dogs that you would recommend?”

I’ve been hiking with my Dachshunds for over 15 years and camping with them for almost as long. Throughout the years I’ve learned a lot about what gear works best for small dogs and for us specifically.

Some things that I always bring with us when hiking are:

If you want more details about our recommendations, please check out these articles:

Q: “I have been using the retractable leash. What would you recommend?

Personally, I don’t recommend retractable leashes. Especially not for hiking.

I admit I used one with my dog Chester for a long time but that was before I was aware of the dangers, and the dog behavior issues (like running up to another dog without permission), they can invite.

We use a 6-foot static leash.

My favorites are made from Biothane (coated webbing – “vegan leather” and waterproof) or climbing rope.

If your questions about hiking with small dogs, or Dachshunds specifically, wasn’t answered here, please ask in the comments below.

<!– –>

from Lucky Dog Solutions http://www.luckydogsolutions.com/17-of-your-questions-about-hiking-with-small-dogs-answered/ from Lucky Dog Solutions https://luckydogsolutions.tumblr.com/post/624246281630515200

[buynewsoul]

How to Take Care of a Dog — 9 Things You Should Never Do

We always want to do what’s best for our dogs, yet sometimes we unintentionally cause undue stress, thinking we’re doing the right thing. Want to make sure you’re on the right path with how to take care of a dog? Check out these nine big things you should know to never do when it comes to how to take care of a dog.

1. Label dogs as stubborn, hyperactive, out of control or stupid and then punish them for it

Teach your dog appropriate behaviors instead of punishing him. Photography ©anitapeeples.com | Getty Images.

This is one of the worst things a dog guardian can do. Dogs who are labeled bad dogs or have so-called bad behaviors are usually dogs who haven’t had the time put in with training and exercise. If a dog exhibits unwanted behaviors (not bad behaviors), it’s because they haven’t been taught what it is that you do want.

When dogs express unwanted behaviors like jumping on people or furniture, mouthing you, barking, pulling on the leash, etc., they are expressing some kind of anxiety or frustration.

What can you do? Take the time to teach the wanted behaviors along with exercise, which will go a long way to setting a solid foundation of trust and mutual respect.

2. Tether a dog

People tie their dogs up to a post in a public area when going to the store, coffee shop or even a park. This may seem like it’s one of those things that seems pretty benign.

However, dogs can get their legs wrapped up in the leash — and being unable to free themselves — chew the leash, trying to get free and, once free, they can be hit by a car, get lost, stolen or bite someone out of fear.

Also, many dogs are anxious when left alone in public. People often think, especially children, if a dog is tied up in public, she must be friendly and try to pet the dog. This leaves the dog vulnerable to strangers, making her more anxious, which is an opening for a potential dog bite.

There is also tying your dog up (tethering) at home. You might think it more humane and fun to leave your dog in the yard while you do errands for a couple of hours, rather than tucked away safely in your home. After all, fresh air and room to frolic would be great for a pup, right? Think again! Even if your yard is safely and securely fenced, dogs are vulnerable to things that can frighten them.

They’re vulnerable to wildlife, unfamiliar sounds and strangers passing by and, if frightened and no one is there to help, they may try to dig out of the yard or try to get back in the house, causing damage to your property and to themselves.

A pup who’s suffered a traumatic event while left alone can develop behavioral issues, like barking, separation anxiety, fear of noises and people, etc., later in life.

Dogs left out in the yard are also exposed to the weather, especially when it’s too hot or too cold. There are now laws against tethering your dog for any length of time in some cities, counties and states.

Also, dogs tethered outside may bark at other dogs, neighbors and all sorts of neighborhood noise. The pet guardian is accountable for this and there are many nuisance pet ordinances in neighborhoods, which can leave you open to being fined or having Animal Control pay you a visit.

What can you do? Keep them indoors safe and secure; either in a safe enclosure, like a crate or exercise pen, or your dogproofed home.

3. Not supervising playdates

Dog playdates are a necessary part of a puppy’s life, yet we as their advocates need to be present to ensure that the play is fair and doesn’t last too long. If the pup becomes overtired it can lead to a negative experience toward dogs.

Proper dog socialization isn’t a haphazard affair. Never drop a puppy off at someone’s house for a couple of hours, thinking they’ll supervise like you would.

What can you do? Find the right match for your puppy, and pay attention so you know when your pup has had enough. This will go a long way to having an adult dog who loves other dogs instead of one who may become aggressive.

4. Poison the “come” cue

Never call your dog to “come” to you when she’s done something wrong. If your dog has behaved inappropriately and you yell “Come” at her, you’ve just poisoned the “come” cue and wonder why she doesn’t respond when you call her.

What can you do? When using the word “Come,” always follow with praise, high-value rewards and a happy voice.

5. Stop giving toys

Don’t stop giving your dog toys just because he chews or destroys them. Photography ©JHK2303 | Getty Images.

Does your dog destroy every toy you give her, so you’ve just stopped giving her dog toys? Dogs get through life by their noses and their mouths, especially puppies. They need to chew, and every dog has different chewing habits.

We can’t just stop giving them toys — we must still meet their chewing needs without being destructive. Many dogs become destructive chewers because we aren’t offering an interactive routine of mental and physical stimulation. Leaving them to their own devices creates boredom, and bored dogs generally develop unwanted behaviors like destructive chewing.

What can you do? Voracious chewers need things like puzzle toys that have treats hidden inside, offering hours of fun mental stimulation. Marrow bones are another healthy alternative for those insatiable chewers and, when they’ve thoroughly cleaned them, you can stuff them with food and freeze them so you’re always prepared to meet their needs.

6. Use crates instead of training manners

Crates can be a wonderful training tool, but they are often misused for our own convenience. Putting dogs in crates so they aren’t in the way when company comes or we’re doing chores is doing a disservice to dogs. They want to be part of the action and if they’re crated, they can’t learn manners.

What can you do? Use the time doing chores to teach your dog how you want her to behave rather than locking her away. Keep her on a routine training and exercise program to help her be more trainable in distractions.

7. Use our hand for anything but praise and gentle touch

Hitting a dog makes her afraid and will break whatever trust you’ve built. Fearful dogs can and will bite if they feel threatened. Someone reaching out to pet your dog could be seen as a threat if you’ve used your hand for punishment.

What can you do? Take the time to teach her what you do want rather than punish what you don’t want. Think of your hand as an extension of your heart, and watch your dog melt in your hands.

8. Dogs riding in the back of a pickup truck

It’s dangerous to let dogs ride in the back of pickup trucks. Photography ©Marilyn Nieves | Getty Images.

There’s nothing that makes me crazier than when I see a dog in the back of a pickup truck. Tethered or not, the open bed of a pickup truck is dangerous, no matter what. We wouldn’t put our children back there, why would we put our dogs back there?

If you have to stop short or swerve out of the way, the dog will be catapulted out of the truck into traffic, which will most likely cause another accident and the probable death of the dog. If the dog is tethered, she will then be hanging over the side of the truck.

Either way, it’s wrong and illegal in many states — as it should be. As our dogs’ advocate, we are responsible for making wise choices, and this one is not a wise choice.

What can you do? Check out the Center for Pet Safety for tips and information on harnesses and crates that have been crash-test certified.

9. Not take a dog in for an annual vet checkup and blood tests

We should never neglect our annual wellness exams, especially as our dogs age. Even if your dog’s core vaccines are good for three years (see guidelines at aaha.org), they still need annual checkups to include blood work.

Earlier detection of disease means that treatment can be started earlier, increasing your dog’s chance of a better outcome.

What can you do? Take your dog in annually for adult dogs and more frequently for puppies and seniors.

The bottom line on how to take care of a dog — the right way:

Remember, dogs have emotions and need our guidance to help them navigate life in our human-dominated world.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Cultura Creative | Alamy Photo.

Award-winning writer Jill Breitner has been training dogs since 1978. Her passion lies in teaching people about dog body language. Jill created the Dog Decoder app (available in Google Play and iTunes) as a way to enhance the human-dog bond by understanding them better. You’ll find her at play near the ocean. Follow her at dogdecoder.com, facebook.com/dogdecoder and on Twitter at @shewhispers.

Read more training a dog properly:

6 Things to Remember When You Have a Fearful Dog

7 Steps to Succeed at Loose-Leash Walking

Think You’ve Got a Stubborn Dog? How to Train a Dog Who Won’t Listen

The post How to Take Care of a Dog — 9 Things You Should Never Do appeared first on Dogster.

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How to Take Care of a Dog — 9 Things You Should Never Do

We always want to do what’s best for our dogs, yet sometimes we unintentionally cause undue stress, thinking we’re doing the right thing. Want to make sure you’re on the right path with how to take care of a dog? Check out these nine big things you should know to never do when it comes to how to take care of a dog.

1. Label dogs as stubborn, hyperactive, out of control or stupid and then punish them for it

Teach your dog appropriate behaviors instead of punishing him. Photography ©anitapeeples.com | Getty Images.

This is one of the worst things a dog guardian can do. Dogs who are labeled bad dogs or have so-called bad behaviors are usually dogs who haven’t had the time put in with training and exercise. If a dog exhibits unwanted behaviors (not bad behaviors), it’s because they haven’t been taught what it is that you do want.

When dogs express unwanted behaviors like jumping on people or furniture, mouthing you, barking, pulling on the leash, etc., they are expressing some kind of anxiety or frustration.

What can you do? Take the time to teach the wanted behaviors along with exercise, which will go a long way to setting a solid foundation of trust and mutual respect.

2. Tether a dog

People tie their dogs up to a post in a public area when going to the store, coffee shop or even a park. This may seem like it’s one of those things that seems pretty benign.

However, dogs can get their legs wrapped up in the leash — and being unable to free themselves — chew the leash, trying to get free and, once free, they can be hit by a car, get lost, stolen or bite someone out of fear.

Also, many dogs are anxious when left alone in public. People often think, especially children, if a dog is tied up in public, she must be friendly and try to pet the dog. This leaves the dog vulnerable to strangers, making her more anxious, which is an opening for a potential dog bite.

There is also tying your dog up (tethering) at home. You might think it more humane and fun to leave your dog in the yard while you do errands for a couple of hours, rather than tucked away safely in your home. After all, fresh air and room to frolic would be great for a pup, right? Think again! Even if your yard is safely and securely fenced, dogs are vulnerable to things that can frighten them.

They’re vulnerable to wildlife, unfamiliar sounds and strangers passing by and, if frightened and no one is there to help, they may try to dig out of the yard or try to get back in the house, causing damage to your property and to themselves.

A pup who’s suffered a traumatic event while left alone can develop behavioral issues, like barking, separation anxiety, fear of noises and people, etc., later in life.

Dogs left out in the yard are also exposed to the weather, especially when it’s too hot or too cold. There are now laws against tethering your dog for any length of time in some cities, counties and states.

Also, dogs tethered outside may bark at other dogs, neighbors and all sorts of neighborhood noise. The pet guardian is accountable for this and there are many nuisance pet ordinances in neighborhoods, which can leave you open to being fined or having Animal Control pay you a visit.

What can you do? Keep them indoors safe and secure; either in a safe enclosure, like a crate or exercise pen, or your dogproofed home.

3. Not supervising playdates

Dog playdates are a necessary part of a puppy’s life, yet we as their advocates need to be present to ensure that the play is fair and doesn’t last too long. If the pup becomes overtired it can lead to a negative experience toward dogs.

Proper dog socialization isn’t a haphazard affair. Never drop a puppy off at someone’s house for a couple of hours, thinking they’ll supervise like you would.

What can you do? Find the right match for your puppy, and pay attention so you know when your pup has had enough. This will go a long way to having an adult dog who loves other dogs instead of one who may become aggressive.

4. Poison the “come” cue

Never call your dog to “come” to you when she’s done something wrong. If your dog has behaved inappropriately and you yell “Come” at her, you’ve just poisoned the “come” cue and wonder why she doesn’t respond when you call her.

What can you do? When using the word “Come,” always follow with praise, high-value rewards and a happy voice.

5. Stop giving toys

Don’t stop giving your dog toys just because he chews or destroys them. Photography ©JHK2303 | Getty Images.

Does your dog destroy every toy you give her, so you’ve just stopped giving her dog toys? Dogs get through life by their noses and their mouths, especially puppies. They need to chew, and every dog has different chewing habits.

We can’t just stop giving them toys — we must still meet their chewing needs without being destructive. Many dogs become destructive chewers because we aren’t offering an interactive routine of mental and physical stimulation. Leaving them to their own devices creates boredom, and bored dogs generally develop unwanted behaviors like destructive chewing.

What can you do? Voracious chewers need things like puzzle toys that have treats hidden inside, offering hours of fun mental stimulation. Marrow bones are another healthy alternative for those insatiable chewers and, when they’ve thoroughly cleaned them, you can stuff them with food and freeze them so you’re always prepared to meet their needs.

6. Use crates instead of training manners

Crates can be a wonderful training tool, but they are often misused for our own convenience. Putting dogs in crates so they aren’t in the way when company comes or we’re doing chores is doing a disservice to dogs. They want to be part of the action and if they’re crated, they can’t learn manners.

What can you do? Use the time doing chores to teach your dog how you want her to behave rather than locking her away. Keep her on a routine training and exercise program to help her be more trainable in distractions.

7. Use our hand for anything but praise and gentle touch

Hitting a dog makes her afraid and will break whatever trust you’ve built. Fearful dogs can and will bite if they feel threatened. Someone reaching out to pet your dog could be seen as a threat if you’ve used your hand for punishment.

What can you do? Take the time to teach her what you do want rather than punish what you don’t want. Think of your hand as an extension of your heart, and watch your dog melt in your hands.

8. Dogs riding in the back of a pickup truck

It’s dangerous to let dogs ride in the back of pickup trucks. Photography ©Marilyn Nieves | Getty Images.

There’s nothing that makes me crazier than when I see a dog in the back of a pickup truck. Tethered or not, the open bed of a pickup truck is dangerous, no matter what. We wouldn’t put our children back there, why would we put our dogs back there?

If you have to stop short or swerve out of the way, the dog will be catapulted out of the truck into traffic, which will most likely cause another accident and the probable death of the dog. If the dog is tethered, she will then be hanging over the side of the truck.

Either way, it’s wrong and illegal in many states — as it should be. As our dogs’ advocate, we are responsible for making wise choices, and this one is not a wise choice.

What can you do? Check out the Center for Pet Safety for tips and information on harnesses and crates that have been crash-test certified.

9. Not take a dog in for an annual vet checkup and blood tests

We should never neglect our annual wellness exams, especially as our dogs age. Even if your dog’s core vaccines are good for three years (see guidelines at aaha.org), they still need annual checkups to include blood work.

Earlier detection of disease means that treatment can be started earlier, increasing your dog’s chance of a better outcome.

What can you do? Take your dog in annually for adult dogs and more frequently for puppies and seniors.

The bottom line on how to take care of a dog — the right way:

Remember, dogs have emotions and need our guidance to help them navigate life in our human-dominated world.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Cultura Creative | Alamy Photo.

Award-winning writer Jill Breitner has been training dogs since 1978. Her passion lies in teaching people about dog body language. Jill created the Dog Decoder app (available in Google Play and iTunes) as a way to enhance the human-dog bond by understanding them better. You’ll find her at play near the ocean. Follow her at dogdecoder.com, facebook.com/dogdecoder and on Twitter at @shewhispers.

Read more training a dog properly:

6 Things to Remember When You Have a Fearful Dog

7 Steps to Succeed at Loose-Leash Walking

Think You’ve Got a Stubborn Dog? How to Train a Dog Who Won’t Listen

The post How to Take Care of a Dog — 9 Things You Should Never Do appeared first on Dogster.