#also why did he meow. You have a meow button. multiple actually.

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

Transcript:

Gabriel: Now I’m not an atheist but… pussy doesn’t exist.

I’ve never seen it. Therefore, it doesn’t exist.

Don’t act like you can prove it does.

V1: Shows you a cat named "pussy cat".

Gabriel or maybe the cat: *Meows*

Gabriel: Holy shit.

No way.

Well I stand corrected.

You know... You could correct me more if you showed me a cock. Please?

Audio Source

[thecheesiestcheese23]

a place that feels like home.

Trust was not so easily given, and Philza Minceraft knew this.

Hell, he raised four children that held their own trust issues. He spent years cracking away at them for them to finally feel safe enough to sleep in the same room with him and to turn their backs to him.

So why did he throw away the bond with two, kill the other, but live with the fourth? He knew very well why he did, he played favorites. He didn’t try to of course, but there was just something about Techno that drew Phil to be with him more than the others. Maybe it was the saying that 'Technoblade Never Dies' that he could relate to as ‘The Angel of Death’. Perhaps it was how their childhoods were so similar, where they were taken away from their families and thrown into The Pit, an illegal fight club that wanted to watch blood spill. The most likely thing though, was that they were both fighters.

Wilbur was never a fighter while he lived under Phil's roof, always wanting to hold a pen to write stories than to pick up a sword to spill blood. He was a lovely singer too and could spin melodies from simply plucking the strings of a guitar. Even when he left to make a country and was thrust into an unjust war, he refused to raise his bow unless it was dire.

It was only when his sanity started to deteriorate did he start to raise his sword instead of his guitar. And when Phil heard the words of "Kill me Phil -" after he blew up his own country that he shredded blood, sweat, and tears for, did he know his son was truly gone, replaced with this shell of a human.

Tubbo was like a bluebird; innocent and a hard-worker.

Like Wilbur, he never wanted to harm anyone, which was different from his birth father, Schlatt. He would rather spend his time with the bees in the backyard and play with his bee plushie that he was left with in  the box. He loved to spend time in the garden and nurture the flowers that grew alongside the food.

Tommy was a different case from the other two. While yes, he was a fighter, and a feisty one, he wasn’t the best. He was always so brash and loud, letting the enemy know he was coming from miles away. Techno was much more reserved and quiet and was deadly and to the point in his attacks. Phil saw him at the wars though, and he saw how much his youngest grew in his fighting.

Phil knew that he was too young to be thrust into these wars, too young to have met the face of Death multiple times by now, and too young to have been betrayed by nearly everyone he knew.

But, Phil sighed, there was nothing he could do about it now. The bonds he once had were shattered beyond repair and the three probably hated him by now. The only thing he could do now was to ask Ranboo if he needed a place to stay.

He had given Ranboo one of his feathers days after Techno’s execution, a way of communication that wasn’t able to be tracked by Dream. Phil had seen how the boy had been unwilling to pull the lever and was even hesitant to place Phil under house arrest.

He quickly searched through his satchel looking for the feather that was the main cell. Once he did, he quickly double-tapped the circle that rested at the top and scrolled through the contacts list. There were people from the Antarctic Empire, Ranboo, and then there was his family, Tubbo, Tommy, Fundy, Wilbur, and Techno.

Phil could only hope that Ranboo hadn’t left the feather in his house as the explosions fell down into what once was L’manburg.

With tense shoulders, he pressed the call button.

---

The dripping of water was the only thing that could be heard within the obsidian room beside the shaky breaths of a curled figure who was in one of the back corners.

A cat, Enderchest, meowed, disrupting the silence and rubbing against the leg of their owner in an attempt of comfort. Ranboo could only stare at his memory book as the feather in his hand hovered over the names of the people who were once his friends.

“I . . . I don’t have anyone left . . .” The book was shut with a slam, the title shinning against the lighting that the crying obsidian gave off.

“But,” a shaky sigh escaped through his lips. “I can’t forget them, otherwise I’m just giving up, and if I give up. . .” He stood abruptly which only succeeded in him collapsing down once more due to his unsteady legs.

“Then I’m just weak.”

The feather in his hand crackled to life, startling him before a familiar voice could be heard echoing around the small room. “Hey, Ranboo!”

“Hi, Phil.” The unshed tears in his eyes shone brighter as his voice wavered.

“Did you make it out okay?” Phil sounded concerned for him, for some reason that Ranboo could not fathom.

“Yeah, I’m still alive.” The smell of smoke was strong, even when he was far away from L’manburg. Some part of Ranboo’s mind wondered how long it would last.

“Good, good, where are you right now?”

“Uhm, I’m gonna be in L’manburg soon.” All Ranboo needed to do now was to pull himself out of this funk.

“Okay, good.” The rustling of a wing could be heard. “Do you need a place to stay or are you good?” Ranboo was caught off-guard by this question as images of his destroyed home flashed through his head.

“I- I think I do need a place to stay.” Ranboo sheepishly admitted, pulling himself up from the floor and balancing himself.

“Yeah? What’s been going on with you, by the way? ‘Cause like, we haven’t spoken in a bit, and I- I know that book was very precious to you, but I- I didn’t know exactly why.”

“Oh, it uh, keeps who my friends are in it, so I don’t forget, cause you know I have very bad memory issues.” His armor was put back on in a couple of seconds and he traveled back outside. “So, uh, I keep all of my friendships in the book, which is - has, changed quite a bit from today so I might need to update it.” The Panic Room was covered up once more. “I’ll be in L’manburg in a second- or what used to be. I’ll be in the big hole in a second.”

“I can get there, I can get there. Give me time, give me time.”

Silence fell between the two as they both traveled to the same destination and Ranboo wondered who was going to be the one to break it.

“So where did you go? Were you still around? ‘Cause it was hectic.”

“Yeah, I had a wither chasing me the entire time, so I kinda couldn’t just leave.”

A sharp intake of breath. “Yeah, sorry about that-”

“Oh, it’s okay-” Laughter could be heard from the two males.

“Are you in L’manburg now, by the way?” Phil asked.

Ranboo looked around, confirming his whereabouts. “Oh, uh, yeah, I’m next to the staircase that leads up to the Prime Path.”

“Alright, let me see if I can aim this. It might be off though.” A whoosh of the trident, ad Phil was standing right in front of him, his damaged wing tucked safely against his back. Ranboo hadn’t heard the full story, but from the information he gathered, one of his wings was singed beyond repair and was just dead weight on his back from protecting Wilbur from the heat of the blast. “Oh, this staircase has seen better days.”

That elicited a chuckle out of the taller male. “A lot of this place has seen better days, in case you didn’t realize.” They traversed up the pathway, twisting and turning through the multitude of wooden slabs beneath their feet.

“It’s fine, we needed a change. It had to be done.” Phil waved it off.

“Yeah, actually. I kind of understand why.”

“You got everything you need?” Ranboo skimmed through his inventory.

“Yeah, actually. I had all of my mending books in a secret barrel in my house but I guess I’m not getting those.” Ranboo grimaced at the thought.

They conversed for a while longer, traveling through the Nether before arriving at and entering into Techno’s and Phil’s home.

“Yeah, so you can stay here until we can start working on your house.” Phil gestured to the couch. “I was thinking of building it next to the mountain that’s behind the house, so it would be somewhat ingrained into the mountain but not fully.”

Ranboo could only just nod, not able to fully express his gratitude besides a simple “Thank you.”

Phil smiled at Ranboo. “It’s not a problem mate. It’s the least I could do after destroying your only house. Get some rest, yeah? I should also tell Techno you’re here so he won’t immediately kill you as soon as he sees you.”

Ranboo chuckled nervously. “Oh yeah, that sounds good.”

“Yeah, I’ve got to get going, you’ll be okay on your own, right?” Phil stopped his shuffling to look at Ranboo, and to his relief, avoided eye contact. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thank you, again.” Ranboo shited where he stood, opting to stare at the floor.

“As I’ve said before, it’s not a problem mate. I’ll be out for a while, and Techno should be back before I will, bye Ranboo!”

“Bye Phil!”

---

Techno trudged into his house, closing the door behind him before he collapsed against it, the roughed up edges of his armor digging into the wood. His sword rested limply in his hand as he let his body relax. He would definitely have to wash his sword from the blood that stained it.

He pushed away from the door with a groan. The satchels of potions landed on the floors and counters with a thump. He looked around before he spotted a lump laying down on the couch. Techno immediately tensed up, the grip on his blade tightening.

He swiftly but silently went over, his guard never slipping. His sword was raised, ready to be brought down on the intruder, but Techno then saw his face.

It was Ranboo, the kid that Phil had a soft spot for. He blinked a few times before he checked the feather that was clasped to a gold chain and that hung around his neck. He scrolled through a couple of messages, seeing some from Ghostbur, spam from Tommy, and one from both Fundy and Phil.

He clicked on the notification and read what laid before him.

<Ph1lZa whispered to you: I’m letting Ranboo stay with us for the next few days until we can get a new house built for him. I hope that isn’t too much of a hassle. Talk to you soon Tech!>

Techno huffed in response, but put down his sword and slid it back into it’s seath. The feather was then nestled back to where it once was before, and as he was doing that, Techno saw that Ranboo was shivering.

The couch could barely hold him and the blankets he had didn’t seem to be doing much for him. Techno grumbled as he made up his decision. He swiftly picked Ranboo up and brought him up the ladder, careful not to awaken him or disturb him as they made the trip upstairs.

Ranboo was softly placed on the older’s bed, the red cloak that once rested upon Techno’s shoulders was instead acting as a makesift blanket for the taller.

E

Technosoft!

/rainbowchat

Caringblade

Technosoft

mic muted!

Technosoft

Technosoft

E

E

Technosoft

Technosoft

“Shut up Chat, I am not going soft for this kid.” Techno grumbled.

E

Throw him out! He’s only gonna hurt us like Tommy did!

Tsundereblade!

Tsundereblade!

Blood!

Techno only sighed in response before he went back downstairs, ignoring Chat as he headed over to the couch and placed his sword next to him.

“Goodnight Chat.”

Night!

Gnight!

goodnight !

E

Techno shut his eyes, and let his body rest.

[keanureevesisbae]

The alluring charm of Henry Cavill - Chapter 3

Summary: During a trivia game, Adelaide impresses people with her knowledge.

Henry Cavill x Adelaide Park (ofc)

Wordcount: 3.5k

Warnings: None

A/N: For the people who have send in character asks and I haven’t answered it yet: I’m working on it 🤗 Because of school, I haven’t gotten to it yet. But somewhere this week I’ll answer them. Also: I love the responses to this fic. I want to let you know that these comments make my day 💕 Also, did I use the twitter accounts from the characters of my other fics for the tweets at the end? Yes, I did.

Masterlist // Previous chapter // Next chapter

Why am I in bed?

I look around and see that I’m in the middle of the bed that Henry and I share back on the show, but the improvised wall between us is gone.

Back when I was growing up, we had one bedroom and one bed, where we had to squeeze in if we happened to be all home. That rarely happened. It was usually just me, or later on my dad joined, when he got back from work. On mom’s days off, she’d be in bed all day, resting from all those hard days at work. Sharing beds isn’t something that I really mind, even if the person I’m sharing with, is Henry Cavill.

‘You’re awake,’ I hear Henry’s deep voice and I look to my left, to see him standing up from a chair. He sits on the edge of the mattress, sinking into the soft material. ‘How are you?’

‘I don’t know,’ I mumble, pushing myself up straight. I’m not in the muddy clothes anymore and I look at Henry again, slightly worried and ashamed. Did he undress me?

‘Don’t worry,’ he calmly says, ‘Jennifer went with us. She changed you.’

I clear my throat, as I start fidgeting my hands, one of the many nervous ticks I have. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Why?’ Henry asks.

‘We were leading and then…’ I sigh deeply, trying not to think about what happened to me. I never learned how to swim, but I always avoided waters like the plague. During my acting career, I only had to swim once, but I was with David Castañeda, who played my love interest. I let him know that I was scared of water. He promised me he wouldn’t let go and the director actually loved the twist we gave to that swimming pool scene.

However, David knew I was scared of water, but didn’t know I couldn’t swim. Now I told Henry and in a matter of days, the rest of the world will know too, when this episode will air.

Henry doesn’t say anything. I bet he is mad, I think to myself. Fuck, I really let him down, didn’t I?

‘I’m sorry,’ I say, ‘that I let you down.’

His gaze softens. ‘You didn’t,’ he tells me. ‘I shouldn’t have pushed. I should’ve calmed you down. It was obvious that it really scared you.’ Henry sighs deeply. ‘But Adelaide… Why can’t you swim?’ he asks.

I could tell him. The whole world will know I can’t swim in the near future, why not tell them the entire story? ‘We didn’t have the money back when I was younger to go for swimming lessons,’ I say. ‘And I haven’t had the chance to do it now.’

Henry nods. ‘There is a pool in the backyard,’ he says, a telling smile toying on his face. ‘How about, over the course of these two weeks, you and I try it. It’s not deep and I’m there with you every second.’

‘Why?’

He shrugs, as if he is a little embarrassed that he offered, but he shouldn’t be. It’s just that I’m surprised, because the last time someone offered something like that to me… That was so long ago. I think it was when I still lived at home. I always do everything myself and people on set know that I tend to be very independent, so they don’t try. But Henry doesn’t ask or offer, he just does it. In the days that I’ve come to know him, he has been nothing but a gentleman. He made me breakfast and when we were cooking dinner, the oil was splashing over the pan. Before I could step aside, Henry grabbed another pan to shield me from the hot oil. The way he lifted me up during the obstacle course when I couldn’t reach the bars and how he caught me when I fell.

‘Well,’ he says, ‘because I think everyone should know how to swim.’

I smile and say: ‘Well, let’s consider it,’ I say. ‘We finished last, didn’t we?’

‘Yeah, we did,’ he says. ‘But don’t apologize for it, please. I don’t want you to feel bad about it. We were really great during this first challenge, so we’ll climb our way back to the top.’ Henry sends me a dashing smile and I can’t help but blush a little bit. ‘How about you get ready for tonight, then I’ll go and make you something to eat.’

‘Ready for tonight?’

‘Trivia night,’ he says.

I nod. I can’t seem to tear my eyes from him, as I look into his soft eyes. When I first met him, I thought he had that stern look in his face and I still did think that from time to time, but in those days that we spend together, it never looked like this. ‘Right, I’ll get myself ready.’

After a fifteen minute shower, I get dressed in a jeans skirt, with a simple black shirt that I tugged in. I paired it with the same white sneakers I wore the first day. I keep my hair and make-up pretty simple.

Henry made some sandwiches. I never knew that I thought it was attractive that a man could cook, but I sure do know now. Come to think of this, I never really thought about what I wanted for traits in a man.

My parents were happy with one another, but I feared that one day, I ended up like them. Poor, overworked, with two kids and a husband, who maybe felt—just like my dad—that he had to take care of us. Besides, I never experienced love. I never fallen in love, I only had on stage kisses and sex scenes. It was never real.

Maybe I’m way ahead of myself, but I feel something. I feel cared for. I feel noticed. I feel appreciated. Like I’m worth it. And that’s all thanks to Henry Cavill.

◎ ◎ ◎

Everyone seems concerned about me, but after I reassure everyone I am okay, we take place at three different tables, one for each duo. I take a seat on the chair. It’s a little colder than I imagined and I curse myself for not bring a jacket with me. I rub my upper arms as the crew is setting everything up, checking if our mics are working well enough, making sure the screen works.

Henry stands up as he wiggles out of his cosy vest, before placing it without a word on my shoulders.

‘Oh, that’s not necess— uh… needed,’ I say to him.

‘I’m not cold,’ he tells me, as he sits down next to me again. I want to stop my smile, but I can’t help it.

‘Thank you, Henry,’ I say in a soft tone, as if I don’t want him to hear me, but seeing how the corners of his mouth curl up, I know that he heard me.

The game is pretty simple: there is a host who asks a question and you have to answer it. It’s fairly easy and I almost feel like they are taking it easier because of me.

Every team has a button in front of them and ours meows like a cat.

‘What country won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930?’ the hosts asks.

Meow. ‘Uruguay,’ I answer, as I retract my hand from the button. .

Even the host seems impressed. ‘That is correct.’ On the screen behind him, I see that we are actually first now, with only one point, but it feels nice to be ahead of someone else, because of what I did. ‘Okay, next question. Which boxer was known as “the Great—’

Meow. That is not because of me, but because Henry slammed the button a little harder. Guess he doesn’t know how strong he is. ‘Muhammed Ali,’ he answers.

‘Correct.’ Why does the host not seem impressed now? Okay, this is nothing to be surprised about, so I should stop letting the subtle differences in reaction get to my head. It’s true, I’m pretty stupid according to the public.

And besides, we only had two questions and I had one right.

‘What animals have the longest gestation period?’

No one presses the button and I tap Henry on his leg. He looks at me and I usher him closer. ‘What is a gestation period?’

‘Pregnancy,’ he whispers, his hot breath against my lips, that start to tingle as a response. I shouldn’t get distracted because of that.

Meow. ‘An African Elephant,’ I answer.

We are ahead now with three points. I can’t help but beam with pride. Maybe the public will think a little more highly of me now.

‘What does HTTP stand for?’

Meow. ‘HyperText Transfer Protocol,’ Henry says with a smile.

‘What year was the first model of the iPhone released?’

Meow. ‘2007,’ Henry answers with ease.

He knows a lot, I think to myself. I look to the side for a second and I wonder what goes on in his head, right now and basically every single time we’re just alone. He can look at me in a way that I can’t explain and I don’t even understand why he looks at me like that.

We continue to answer multiple questions correctly and the meow is one of the only sounds that we hear. By the time we reached ten points, I discovered that Charlie and Jennifer’s sound is a bark and when we reached fifteen points, I found out that the Biebers’ sound was a chicken.

Who were the founders of Adidas? (Rudolf and Adolf Dassler—I knew this one.) Some Greek mythology questions that I knew nothing about, but Henry did and he seemed so giddy to explain it all to us, though no one seemed cared, besides me probably, because I could listen to this man for days on end. Together we knew the seven world wonders, who the Danish author was who wrote many fairy tales and they even asked us what Superman’s birth name was…

While Superman is in the room.

We are way ahead of everyone with twenty points, Charlie and Jennifer have ten (who knew that babies weren’t born with kneecaps—for knowing that alone I feel like they should win) and Justin and Hailey have nine. But the next question we can think about for a few seconds and it’s worth fifteen points. So we either become second or first, depends on how well we do.

‘Name these chemical elements of the periodic table. Ge, Sn, Rf, K and Ba.’

Henry places his arm on the back of my chair and leans over. Gosh, he is really close. Not that I’m complaining, but feeling his body heat so close to mine and it’s not even acting… Why does that make me feel all sorts of things?

‘Ge is Geranium,’ he whispers, ‘and Ba and Barium.’

‘K is Potassium,’ I say in a soft tone. ‘So we only have Sn and Rf left. Sn is Tin.’

‘You know a lot,’ he says with a smile.

Does he mean that? Did he just say I know a lot? Me, the Hollywood ditz? ‘Rf is Rutherfordium,’ I whisper.

Meow. Henry presses the button and he looks at me, non verbally asking me if I want to answer this, but I simply shake my head. He names them in order and everyone seems impressed, but before they can give him a compliment (I know the host is desperate to call him ‘Handsome Henry with a Brain’ again. He did it seven times already and it was annoying the first time, let alone the seventh time), Henry says: ‘I only knew Geranium and Barium. Adelaide is the real genius here.’

◎ ◎ ◎

It’s twelve ‘o clock when Henry and I are in bed, both staring at the ceiling. Normally I’m in bed long before he is, but today we’re awake in the bed together. The only reason why I get into bed early, is that I hope I can fall asleep before he gets in.

But not today.

‘I have something I want to ask you,’ Henry says. ‘I’ve been thinking about this for awhile.’

‘Okay?’

‘Are you dyslexic?’

He could’ve given me a slap across my face and that wouldn’t have shocked me as much as this question. I push myself up, so I’m sitting. ‘Why?’

‘Just wondering.’

I simply shrug. ‘I don’t know. I never got tested back in school.’

‘Why not?’ Henry sits up straight as well and from the corners of my eyes, I see him placing his pillow on the headboard. That one curl covers part of his forehead and it’s almost a signature look when we are in the cottage.

‘The teachers didn’t care and we didn’t have a lot of money,’ I explain. It feels weird and uncomfortable to open up to him, however on the other hand, it feels right to have this out in the open. ‘And I don’t want to get tested now,’ I whisper. ‘I’m an adult, I can manage.’ I finally force myself to look over my shoulders, only to see that same soft look in his eyes, that I almost grown accustomed to. ‘What?’

‘Nothing,’ he whispers. ‘I just want to say to you that I underestimated you and—’

I can’t help but chuckle. ‘You are not the only one,’ I interrupt him. ‘It’s okay.’

‘No, Adelaide, it’s not okay.’

The sternness in his voice, make me turn around on the mattress completely, so I can look at him. ‘I did it myself, Henry. Really, it’s okay, don’t worry about it.’

Henry moistens his lips, before he clears his throat. ‘Then I won’t worry about it. Just know that I—now—think very highly of you.’

‘You don’t need to,’ I say as a frown appears between my brows. ‘Henry, what is really the case?’

He rubs his face, resists even and he actually looks really frustrated. ‘It’s just that I’m trying to figure you out, but I can’t seem to actually get to know you.’

‘There is not much to know,’ I say, but he shakes his head and says: ‘There is. You are so intriguing, Adelaide, you don’t even know it.’

I don’t really know what to say. He thinks there is much to know about me and that I’m intriguing? ‘Oh.’

‘And I get that it can be hard to open up, truly, I know, but… We have to work together. Wouldn’t it be better if we knew something about each other?’

Okay, that’s a fair point. ‘You tell me something first,’ I say to him.

‘Like what?’ he says, genuinely looking relieved that I’m going along with it.

I tilt my head as I look in his eyes as I take in the brown spot on his left eye, that is surrounded by a beautiful blue. ‘You want to win?’

Henry frowns, probably confused by my question, but when he sees I’m dead serious, he nods. ‘Of course,’ he says, ‘I’m competitive. Why was that your question?’

‘Because now I know that I have to work extra hard not to let you down. It doesn’t really matter to me if I win or not.’

‘You won’t let me down, Adelaide.’

‘I did already,’ I say, ‘and don’t try to convince me otherwise. Now, what do you want to know about me?’

He tilts his head and says: ‘You have a nickname?’

And he thought my question was a bit weird? I snort. ‘My parents called me Dasom. That’s my Korean name.’

‘Really?’ he asks. ‘I didn’t know that.’

No one knows that. ‘But other than that I don’t really have a nickname. People call me Park every now and then, but that’s it.’

‘What does Dasom mean?’

‘Love,’ I whisper. ‘Because, as my parents always say: I was born out of pure love.’ I roll my eyes, because I hate the cliché, but thankfully I was born out of love. It meant that I was welcomed in their lives, though they were poor and barely had anything.

‘That’s sweet,’ he says. ‘So, no one called you Addy for example?’

‘Come to think of it, Keanu Reeves called me Addy every now and then. Especially when we were doing stunts for the movie and he had to encourage me.’

‘Can I call you Addy?’

The fact that he asks me if he can call me Addy, shows me that he is so much more than the news outlets let him to be. Of course, he is handsome, but there is more than just looks. He is intelligent, caring and a real gentleman. Though he can look slightly intimidating, he is a big softie. ‘I would like that, Henry.’

As much as I want to sleep, I can’t. I’m too awake for that, maybe because of the thrill that we are actually ahead of the others now. Who knows how long that will last…

‘You want to do something?’ Henry suggests. ‘I’m not as tired as I figured I would be.’

‘Like what?’

‘You want to swim?’

◎ ◎ ◎

Henry is already swimming laps in the pool, as I try to build up the courage to actually walk out of the door to the pool. I have a large towel wrapped around me, to hide my red and white striped bathing suit.

I can do this, I think to myself. I wore a skimpy bikini for a movie, I’ve been naked on sets with the crew around me. This isn’t too hard.

I walk out of the cottage and see that Henry leans with his under arms on the edge of the pool, placing his chin on one of them. ‘There you are,’ he says with a smile.

I dip my toe in the water and start to shiver, goosebumps appearing on my entire body. ‘It’s cold,’ I mumble. ‘And it looks too deep.’

‘It’s not. It’s only one meter sixty.’

‘I’m one fifty,’ I retort. ‘What if I drown?’

‘I’m not letting that happen,’ he says. ‘I promise you, Addy.’

The use of that nickname, makes my feel all sorts of things. Normally I’m not too keen on nicknames, but I could get used to this.

I fold the towel, before I place it on the floor and I sit on the edge of the pool, as my legs dangle in the cold water. Henry bumps his elbow against the side of my thigh and he asks: ‘Ready?’

Maybe it’s because of the dim lighting of the lanterns outside, or the reflection of the water, but he looks even more ethereal than other times. My eyes fall on his beautifully formed lips, that curl up in a smile.

‘I am,’ I say.

He stands in front of me and I place my hands on his broad and tight shoulders. I shimmy myself off the edge, into the cold water. Despite the fact that his large hands in the dips of my waist, makes me all warm from the inside, the water is really cold. Henry starts to laugh, probably because I scrunch up my entire face like I’m a Sharpei dog. ‘Maybe you should keep breathing, because I can’t have it that you pass out on me twice within one week.’

‘Shut up,’ I shiver, as I hold on tightly to his shoulders. ‘You’re not going to let me go, right?’ I ask, just in case.

‘Of course not,’ he whispers.

For a second I envision we’re having a moment together, but then I realize that’s not the case, because he takes a step backwards and we are further away from the edge. I can still reach over to my left, so I’m directly at the other edge, but it does terrify me a bit.

‘Henry,’ I say.

‘Yes?’

‘I’m scared.’

‘I know,’ he tells me, squeezing my waist to let me know that he is there. ‘But there is no need for you to be scared. You just have to grow comfortable in the water and that takes time.’ Henry’s voice is soft and I have to take a deep breath. ‘You’re doing great.’ He slowly takes more steps backwards and smiles at me, as if he knows that that comforts me.

After two laps of him walking backwards and me moving my legs (I don’t know why I do that, but it just happens), I feel more and more accustomed to the water. Still, I don’t want to let go of Henry for one single second, because the fear that I might drown is still there. For the other two laps, he wraps his arm around my waist, as I hold onto the edge and my other arm around his shoulder.

Henry lifts me on the edge, before he hoists himself next to me. He reaches behind him to grab my towel and wrap it securely around my shoulders. ‘How was it?’ he asks.

‘It was good,’ I admit. ‘I mean, I still don’t want to swim myself, but it’s not that scary anymore.’ I look to the side, only to discover that he was already looking at me. From the looks of it, he is looking at my lips, but I must’ve hallucinated that. ‘Thank you,’ I say, to break the silence between us.

‘You’re welcome,’ he says, his voice low.

I smile, before I stand up and hurry back inside. I was making that up, wasn’t I? He wasn’t totally staring at my lips?

Or was he?

◎ ◎ ◎

After the first episode was aired, showing the first few days of the duos together, these were the favorite tweets of the producers of ‘the Celebrity Project’

Taglist: @thelastsock​ // @jolly-polly​ // @henrythickcavill​ // @maan24​ // @diegos-butt​ / @agniavateira​ // @onlyhenrys​ // @turkish276​ //

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Brother': New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

"Brother"

"You need to stay strong...a warrior believing in our Greater Russia..."

Chapter Summary: The investigation at Peter's place put Yirina's mood in a bad way, impossible to express how she feels to Park and to talk to her, now trying to forgive herself about that and just trying to forget things...

Link of the Picrew used !

To read it on AO3, click here!

Words : +3200

Taglist : @snowgoldwaylon , @clxudtea , @efingart

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What I saw inside Peter's apartment didn't actually give me a better mood from earlier today, acting a bit different than I usually am and finding myself rude at some point with Park when she was forgiving herself to me again for what she did. Peter was leading his own investigation against the Collective and hidden from the MI6 sight and I found out that even to him, I couldn't be fully trusted because of my past of having been 'Perseus child' and that, I should have known that even some people around me could still not see me as an ally because of what happened.

I came back to the car alone, wanting to have some relief and trying to think about myself as some cars were arriving on the street picking my curiosity and preparing my M1911 in the case of a surprise, ready to open fire before realizing that it was just the MI6 cleaning crew that was coming after Park made her call to them, me staying in the car as a witness of the scene while Park was supervising that part outside, guiding the others who were transporting card boxes outside to their car's trunks...all of Peter's work landing right into the MI6 hands and it was a lot at seeing those filled up boxes in their hands.

Once that this little cleaning was done in more than 20 minutes, the agents left the place, Park going back to the car to drive away and return to Century House for the car and then, walking back to the apartment but during those moments, I didn't move my lips once to start a discussion or to respond to Park who was trying on her own to do so with me, wanting to talk about things that weren't linked to what she did and our pasts but even with that happening, my lips stayed sealed during the drive and our walk back to the apartment until arriving in our bedroom.

Undressing and removing myself from the clothes I took with me as Park was looking sad, still trying to talk to me but nothing wanted to come out, not a goddamn word would be wanted to escape from my mouth despite that I would have like to do it, my mood wasn't just allowing me that to happen as it just wanted me to lay down on that bed in front of me and that's what I did, doing it without saying a word and looking away from Park, blank stare at the wall on my side of the bed.

Deep inside of me, I was feeling so bad for leaving Park without telling her what was wrong with me...everything was wrong, it was easy to think & guess but saying was harder...always been harder. To try to forgive me to her for this, I managed to turn around on the bed to look at her uncovered back, seeing those scars from her days in prison and the only thing I could do...was a cuddle with my arms, wrapping them around her and her reaction...I didn't want to know what she was going to think about it as I shut my eyes, drifting into sleep.

Two knocks...two knocks were the first things I could hear when I found myself standing upright in front of Zasha's apartment door in Moscow, dressed in my civilian's clothes: a dark green denim jacket, a black buttoned shirt, grey fingerless gloves blue jeans, and a pair of black boots, going over the bottom of my jeans. I was looking a bit worried about something I couldn't know before I starts to hear some footsteps coming through the door before it opened slowly but not entirely.

"Oh," I heard someone gasp at my sight before I could see Dedov behind the door, his body covering the space between the door and its frame. "That's...that's you, Yirina," He said, a little smile on his face.

"Hey, Dedov," I waved at him with my left hand, smiling too. "Is there Zasha here?" I asked him, trying to look inside but it was impossible as Dedov was on the way.

"Zeze?" I nodded at him. "No, they aren't here, they left to have a date with Portnova," He replied at me, his hands getting on the door.

"Oh okay, I thought that they will be here," I said, sounding a bit confused about it, scratching my right arm with my left hand.

"Well, that wasn't planned but the two didn't see each other since you & them...you know, left for your job in...Solovetsky, right?" He demanded, sounding curious.

"Yeah, it was more complicated than we thought and our work didn't allow us to make personal calls," I responded, my left hand crossing along my upper body to join the back of my head, scratching it. "I'm sorry about this," I apologized.

"No worries, it's okay if it was for your job," He exclaimed, accepting my apologies before a little weird silence got itself between the two of us as if it was impossible to find something to talk about.

"Uhm, since that Zasha isn't here...I guess that..."

"Oh no, you can come in," Dedov offered, getting the door open for me before leaning on the ground to catch the little Beans that was going for a run outside. "As for you, you can't come out, I told you that," He said, pointing at the cat who meowed at him, sounding a bit not understanding why she wasn't allowed to leave the place.

"Oww," I moaned at this scene, seeing Beans' eyes going into a cute mood focused on Dedov. "That's so cute," I affirmed, grinning as Dedov got Beans in his arms, holding her like a baby and giving her cuddles.

"Come in, I insist," Dedov insisted, gesturing at me to enter the apartment and seeing that there was nothing that was going to make me occupied, I decided to agree on his proposal and stepped inside the apartment. "You maybe want something? Tea? Coffee?"

"No, I wouldn't want to steal from Zasha's coffee reserves," I scoffed, him closing the door behind me while still holding Beans in his left arm before he laughed about it.

"Got lucky that the reserves didn't go down during the days you weren't here...well, until now," He added, releasing a friendly laugh at that remark from him. "The first thing they did when they come back after hugging me was to take one coffee...no, two...or three,"

"Put the blame on the coffee machines back at Solovetsky," I proclaimed, moving with him to the living room who was well cleaned up, a little TV turned on. "Coffee over there was awful, had to spit it multiples times, that's explaining why Zasha needed some...necessary caffeine in them," I continued, taking a breath as I walk next to the couch.

"I'm pretty sure that right now, they're arguing with Portnova about having another cup of coffee during their date," Dedov presumed, arriving in the room after me as he was just closing a door from the hallway leading to the living room.

"Them & their coffee," I muttered, rolling my eyes around before deciding to get sit on the couch.

"Go on, Beans, I'm letting you go," Dedov whispered as he leaned down to let Beans go back on the ground on her paws, directly taking the direction of the kitchen. "To say, it's nice to have an animal with me,"

"Sounds nice, shame that I didn't have the same luck on that part," I expressed, putting my hands on my lap, Dedov turning around to me with a curious face. "I can't have any animals with me at my apartment and because of a lot of things,"

"Why that?" He asked, starting to move towards a seat near the main couch. "Is this because you're not allowed to have animals in the place you're living?" I nodded.

"That but also because I can't let a little cat or puppy alone at my place while I'm away, my position isn't really helping me," I started, staying positive in my voice and gestures, feeling a bit sad to talk about it to him. "And also because I would have trouble to take care of an animal,"

"Like, you need someone else with you for that or...you want to have one but your current life isn't helping?" He guessed, me nodding at the second part of his question.

"Freya is there...well, not always here but our lives aren't allowing us to do that and even, I have to convince Freya about having either a cat or a puppy,"  I fully answered, my fingers tapping over my legs in a slow pace. "She's like me but she doesn't see the interest of having an animal with us, you know?" I added. "I don't want to force her much about this,"

"I understand," Dedov agreed, us both getting on the same line of thinking about that subject as he got himself comfy on his seat. "You know, I never thought that Freya was Norwegian, her name wasn't sounding very Russian to me," He commented.

"Yes, she is, Norwegian at heart," I smiled, just by thinking about it. "Even if she's been working with Perseus since we're been raised together by him, she's a patriot, she doesn't want to see Scandinavia getting caught in the Cold War," I continued, giving a part of the vision on her actually.

"I see, seems normal," Dedov simply told, his face telling that talking about Freya wasn't in fact the best idea of the moment, maybe thinking that he wouldn't want to have her name pronounced. "To change, why...Uhm...why did you want to see Zasha?" They asked me, turning his head to perceive Beans coming from the kitchen and in my direction.

"To give them..." I moved my right arm to reach the inside of my jacket, grabbing a sort of white envelope in my hand. "To give to you two some money," I revealed, handing over the envelope to him.

"Uhm..." He was looking a bit hesitating to take it in his hands before he resigned himself to do so. "Why?" He asked, starting to open the envelope to see the money inside.

"Money isn't my reason to live and if I can secure better tomorrows for you & Zasha, I will," I admitted, joining my hands together while Beans was starting to caress herself along my feet. "I don't need too many things to live with,"

"Like...why you don't try to pleasure yourself?" He demanded, putting the envelope on the little brown table that was separating us, the sounds of the Soviet National Anthem emitting from the TV in a low tone. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't do this but...why you don't try to...you know what I mean..."

"I'm not a person that wants to show what she did, I just want to have a normal life," I replied, feeling Beans around my legs and prompting me to take her over my lap as she was insistent to get petted by me. "I can understand that my actions aren't the best for me, you ain't the only one who told me that: Freya, Perseus & even Zasha at some time," I added, gesturing with my left fingers for counting while my right hand was stroking Beans' head. "I know that I should profit from my life but can I really enjoy it when the person I'm working with is a terrorist?"

"I...I don't know," He said, having no answer to it as I thought, he couldn't tell me how. "Me, I know that living here in Moscow isn't the thing I want to do for the rest of my life," He proclaimed, Beans moving her head towards him. "I want to go to Yale, Havard or better, Oxford," He told me.

"Western Universities?" He nodded at me.

"Hard to say but that's my dream," He claimed, smiling. "Zeze wants the 'best for their brother' as they sometimes said to Portnova but about that, it's a bit hard to make it true," He confessed, staying silent to listen to him. "What do you think about it?" He asked.

"I'm not the one to ask about something like this but yeah, I hope that you'll live your dream," I responded, trying to give my best opinion on the surprise question he asked me.. "Don't worry, Dedov, we'll find a solution for that," I said with a little smile to him before I looked at Beans, still caressing the top of her head as she was laid down on my lap.

"What do you think about it, our little Beans?"

I tried to not think about what was Park's reaction when my arms wrapped around her to give her cuddles to forgive myself but when I slowly opened my eyes in her direction, I was already feeling that something was wrong...my arms were both against the bed, wrapped around just nothing, my brain taking seconds to realize that Park wasn't here in the bed with me and in the seconds I realized that I was mixed between getting panicked or not...maybe that she was already prepared and taking breakfast, the time saying 8:24 AM.

Panic, not panic, panic, not panic...that's what I thought, and honestly, I shouldn't be panicking for that. So, after a bit of calming myself down a bit, I got up from the bed to get inside my clothes, using the same one I used last night when we had to move away in an emergency. Thinking about that while putting on my jeans was making me wonder how Zasha & Portnova will take the news, the bad having happened: Peter was missing and may be dead while Sarah was abducted by Perseus.

With a big deep breath once I put my light green jacket around me that I walk to open the door, getting out of the room to join up the others in the dining room but then...as I moved to the room and entering it, there was only Zasha present at the table with only their side of the table filled with cutlery and food as the other place were empty.

"Uhm...are you alone?" I asked them, looking around the room and to the living room part behind me, having seen no one except them here. "Where's Park? Portnova?"

"Portnova is still sleeping, she got a bad dream and I had to give her some water at 4 AM," They replied at first, sounding a bit low in their voice. "Very bad dream," They added.

"And...and Park?" I continued, my voice breaking down for that but also for hearing about Portnova, seeing that memory when I talked with her alone near the Moskova.

"You should sit down, okay?" Zasha proposed. "Have breakfast, will you?"

"Where's Park, Zasha?" I demanded, insisting on it despite their pleas before they moved away from their chair to face me.

"She's...she left earlier," They revealed, looking impossible for them to look at me in the eyes. "I tried to convince her to wait for you but she said that she got a call from the MI6, had to go before us," They added to their response, making me think that she probably didn't like my attitude with her last night.

"Shit, fuck," I cursed, shaking my head about that. "I'm going in too now," I said, starting to move to get to the front door before Zasha stepped in front of me.

"Yirina, you need to take breakfast and..." They started, moving their hands above my shoulders, wanting to say something else than this but..."Just sit down and eat something, would you?" They demanded at me, our eyes meeting again and pleading with mine.

"Fine," I sighed in a bad mood, turning around to walk towards the seat I'm always using, Zasha staying at their spot. "Did...did she told you about..." I sit on the chair, looking at them.

"Peter & Sarah?" They guessed, nodding at me. "Yeah, she did...fucking bad to hear that," They moved away to go back to their seat, my eyes crossing around the food they were having near them. "I just can't believe it,"

"I'm sorry," I apologized, my hands getting on the top of the table before crossing my arms. "Did you know if the two had families?" I asked them

"No, the two were mostly discreet in their personal lives, Peter was the one doing it the most," They responded, making me do a silent sigh away from them by looking down at my lap. "Even if we know each other since I became an MI6 agent, the two weren't willing to talk about them," They continued, crossing their arms like me.

"I'm sorry about having to make you learn that, Zed," I apologized again, tapping my fingers on my arms at a slow & silent pace, a silence coming between us that someone needed to break. "Uhm...I've got two memories back last night, you...do you want to know?" I changed the subject for the moment, unsure if the subject I chose was better.

"Tell," They simply said.

"The first one was talking with Portnova along the Moskova, only with her," I started, concentrating myself to remember it well. "She was scared about how things were happening days after...Dedov left," I added, seeing them froze in place at hearing their brother's name. "That's the first time I saw her cry in tears, it was troubling,"

"I know...she's never like that," Zasha exclaimed, their voice sadder than ever at saying it.

"The second one....it's Dedov," I admitted, thinking that I shouldn't be talking of Dedov with Zasha, knowing the current state of Dedov now. "We talked about you, things and...yeah, we talked," I breathed, stopping myself in my words, looking at Zasha who was saddened of hearing more & more about Dedov, remembering the moment I told them of Dedov's state. "My night was hard to live, things are still shitty, I didn't talk to Park at all since we left Peter's place and I'm feeling bad about a lot of things, a fucking lot," I said, holding back my tears inside of me and moving my arms on my lap.

"You don't need to..."

"Feel bad? Why shouldn't I be good?" I asked them, cutting them straight in their words. "No, I can't, I'm just trying my best to not convince myself to end the misery that I call my life," I told them like that, going up from my seat, without having eaten anything. "I want to save Dedov, to make Park & everyone happy and that we can destroy Perseus but my life is just getting resumed at reliving almost each night something that is saying that my life is filled with trauma, I'm going to live with that for months, even years," I raised up my voice as I moved to the front door, Zasha this time doing nothing to stop me.

"Yirina, I...you don't need to feel bad," They insisted, finishing their sentences that they couldn't finish. "I know the pain you're facing with...that brainwashing bullshit, we're all here for you,"

"Yeah but...I can't feel myself alone and each day, I'm getting lonely inside myself, discovering about who was 'Yirina Grigoriev' before she was left for dead on an airstrip in Turkey," I muttered, putting my hands on the front door handle to open it. "I'm holding my promises, don't worry, Zasha," I then opened the door, ready to leave for Century House before I turned around to look at them, a look of sadness on our both faces...

"I'm trying my best but I'm holding my promises to everyone,"

[whathappenedtomyweekend]

It’s Just A Spark Ch. 10 - Eye of the Storm

Toothless could not understand. There were, of course, a couple of things he was not able to grasp - advanced mathematics, for example, or why all-you-can-eat feeding stations were not an established thing yet.

Right now, however, it was beyond him how his nervous, asthmatic fire-battling human could be this daft. He was currently pacing around the flat, his clicks and thumps disturbing Toothless' peaceful slumber. That is, it had been peaceful since about twenty minutes ago.

Apparently, Hiccup had thought it was a good idea to get up at nine a.m. after a night shift to rattle around and start cleaning the flat.

"Toothless! C'mon, bud, I have breakfast ready!"

Toothless yawned and stretched, getting up from his nook on the bed and trotted into the kitchen where his human was waiting for him, a big grin on his face as he crouched down to scratch his ears.

"Hey, bud. You slept well?"

I did until you woke me up.

"Sorry I forgot yesterday night, I really am. Lucky us Astrid came to the rescue, huh?"

I could have starved if it hadn't been for her, Toothless meowed indignantly and flicked his tail.

Still, he had been happy to see Astrid. He liked her. She was gentle and had given him an extra snack and cuddled him and smelled nice. And she made Hiccup happy.

So why, Toothless wondered, didn't she stay here all the time so she could feed and pet him and make his human grin like an idiot at any given moment?

Why all the constant travelling between their respective homes?

Maybe they weren't sure they really wanted to spend so much time together? After all, it had been only him and Hiccup for quite some time now, since they had move out of his father's house. Toothless yawned again and settled on Hiccup's lap, curling into the warmth of the human's body, deciding the two humans should come to a better solution today.

"Good morning."

The woman looked up from her computer screen and smiled at the familiar auburn-haired man in front of her.

"Henry, what brings you here?"

Hiccup smiled at her. "I just wanted to stop by to ask my father something. Is he in?"

"Yes," she replied, frowning. "Henry, I … don't suppose you know what this fuss about all these cloth cases he brought in yesterday was all about?"

Hiccup bit back a groan, mumbling, "Oh, bother" under his breath before flashing her a quick smile and hurrying towards his father's office.

"Uh, I'll check that out. Thanks, Bertha."

He knocked twice, thrice. His father's cheerful voice answered.

"Come in!"

"Dad, I heard-"

Hiccup fell silent at the sight of him. Bertha had not prepared him for what he wouldactually see.

There sat his father, in-between at least three clothing bags and a small cardboard container, grinning at him.

"Ah, son, there you are!"

"Dad, what …"

"I solved your clothing problem!"

The young man threw his hands up, widldly gesticulating at the bags.

"For the next five years?"

Stoick Haddock hummed and leaned back in his chair, watching his son intently as he chuckled, "Well, I was hoping she sticks around longer than that, but, essentially, yes."

Hiccup stepped closer, his hands flying up to his hair.

"Are those … are those ties?"

"Yes, you might never know. I have prepared multiple options and combinations for you. And they do, you know," he chuckled. "tie the whole look together."

"I see," Hiccup deadpanned, his expression so helpless Stoick barked out a laugh and got up to give his son a well-meaning pat on the back.

"Come on, boy, lighten up a little! After all, you might never know," his voice dropped to a conspirational tone. "maybe she justso happens to know how to tie them and will help you."

"Wasn't that actually your job to teach me?"

His red ears gave him away, making Stoick laugh again.

"If you want, just take the shirts for now. I got you both button ups and downs, since I thought you didn't care. And I couldn't choose. Plus, Gobber wasn't really helping over the phone, he just kept telling me to leave the shop. He does seem to be about sixty percent of my self-control these days. Oh well."

"I - I'm not even sure how to respond to that, if I'm being honest here, Dad."

"Just take them?"

His son sighed but smiled at his father. "Thanks. You really saved me."

After a short pause, he added, "I'll ... choose carefully."

Stoick grinned. "That's what I wanted to hear. Now, off you go, and have fun today! By the way, talk to Gobber about your overtime."

Hiccup's voice was muffled against all the clothing and plastic in his arms.

"Thanks, Dad, I will. I'll, uh - I'll call you."

He was already out the door when he heard his father shout after him, "Remember our talk about intentions!"

Hiccup's ears were burning. From the direction of the desk in front of the office he just heard a dry, "Oh, so it was about you."

It was noon by the time Astrid had dragged herself out of her bed and into the shower. A sigh escaped her lips as the hot water drummed down on her, easing some of the tension in her neck and shoulders.

As she lathered up her hair she idly thought back to last night. The job had been the usual, sure - but everything had seemed a bit less awful after her visit at the fire department and Hiccup's flat.

The young woman smiled up at the ceiling, screwing her eyes shut. Spending time with Hiccup and Toothless for a bit had recharged her batteries for the rest of the shift. And, well, she had also felt a bit flattered that Hiccup had trusted her with his. It had been a bit weird, being in his apartment without him, but she now knew that he was a naturally tidy person - at least at home, away from his desk at the department.

For a moment she wondered what it would be like to come home to that - to him. She imagined herself turn a copy of his keys in the lock of the apartment and enter as silently as possible, placing her shoes beside his and groping her way through the darkness to their bedroom, careful not to wake him as she'd quickly strip and crawl under the covers next to him. Maybe he'd shift in his sleep and curl himself into her.

She exhaled and scrubbed her hands over her burning face as she realised how much she actually wanted this. And yet, it didn't scare her anymore. The idea of being this intimate with him suddenly did not seem that scary to her at all.

'God, I want this.'

Astrid wasn't sure wether she only felt like this simply because it was Hiccup and she just couldn't help it, or if something inside her had shifted.

She thought back to the moment he had sat down next to her on that plank bed - they'd sat way too close, and at the same time not close enough, but her breath had hitched in her throat as he'd wrapped his arm around her, timidly, and had found herself wishing he'd hold her.

Funny, almost, how this would be enough for her if he'd ask. She knew that if Hiccup would ask her, she would be satisfied with the hugs and hand-holding and kisses on the cheek. If he said this was as far as they would ever go, she'd accept.

Then again, she'd seen the way he'd look at her sometimes when he thought she wasn't paying attention. She couldn't quite describe it other than intense. She only knew that this expression was very farfrom innocent. The memory of it sent shivers down her spine despite the hot water and steam around her.

Yet, he had always held back. In the end it came down to execution. But he was so adorably shy about it all. Of course, Astrid knew that by no means she was any more experienced in these matters than he was - heck, she'd regretted every person she'd ever kissed so far. A distinct feeling told her she couldn't (and wouldn't) regret him.

She, too, had never gone as far as she wished they would go together. Which made this all the more new and confusing to find herself drawn and attracted to him in way she had never experienced before.

He was new. And confusing. And challenging. And pretty much irresistable.

She could see him grin at her even from the distance they were still at. He waved at her, his smile broadening the closer they got. Involuntarily she picked up a faster place, soon almost running, and it was stupid and silly, but she just couldn't bring herself to care, laughter spilling over her lips as he caught her by the waist as she crashed into him, using the momentum to spin her around.

"Hey there," he mumbled into her hair, grinning. "Miss me already?"

She snorted, her hands fisting themselves into the fabic of his shirt. "You're the one to talk."

Hiccup chuckled. "I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed when I found my keys in my mailbox this morning."

Astrid grinned, linking her arms behind his back, burying her smile in his chest.

"Sorry, I couldn't risk you waking the cat."

He pulled back, raising an eyebrow at her smug face for a split second before breaking out into a toothy, dopey grin, his arms still locked around her.

"You ready to go?" he asked her then, stepping out of their embrace, reminding her of their inital plan. Astrid nodded, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers.

"Yeah, let's go."

It was a quiet walk, their joined hands swinging between them, shoulders sometimes bumping. The air felt heavy in contrast to their light conversation. Hiccup was pretty sure that spending his day off with Astrid was pretty high in his top ten. Scratch that, top 3. Top anything, ever.

The market was, to neither of them a surprise, buzzing with people.

He absentmindedly told her about how the biggest part of Berk's income was through export, mostly fish and seafood, but also some vegetables that were lucky enough to survive the winter. She laughed at that.

"I didn't think it was that bad."

"Oh, you just haven't experienced the real thing yet, trust me. Last winter was LIGHT. That was NOTHING. Just you wait, you're in for a real surprise."

"Is it really a surprise if you're telling me about it?"

"Not really, I just don't want you caught off guard, can't have you stuck in your arpartment without any food and water," he retorted, shooting her a small grin. Behind his teasing was a slight hint of concern and Astrid felt her smile widen, heart fluttering as she thought of deep, snowed-in winter, burying herself in blankets and maybe his arms.

"You fany salmon or tuna?" she heard him ask and piped up. They'd came to a halt in front of a STAND. Hiccup grinned at the two men behind the counter.

"Hey Mulch, Bucket. Long time no see, how've you been?"

"Oh, haven't you heard, Hiccup?" the dark-haired man of the two asked, lowering his voice conspirationally. Hiccup stopped, a frown on his face as he leaned in to hear the other man.

"No, what happened?"

"Bucket's been having his headaches again."

Astrid paused, confused at the way Mulch told Hiccup this as if delivering bad news.

"Oh, well-"

"I give it twenty more minutes," Bucket moaned from behind, cradling his head as he sat down on a stool behind the counter. "And it's gonna be a big one. You kids better hurry back inside."

"Okay then, we'll just, uh … take some salmon and tuna. Thanks."

Mulch handed him the fish and exchange, then nodded solemnly. "Always trust the bucket, Hiccup."

"I don't - neverm - okay, thanks. I'll see you guys around."

Astrid started slightly when she felt his hand rest on the small of her bag and lightly pushed her forward; they started moving again.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled. "Bucket swears his headaches can predict the weather. According to him there's a storm headed to us."

"And you don't believe that?"

He shrugged. "Not really. He always used to tell us that, sort of like a children's tale. You know, growing up."

Astrid nodded but before she could respond, she felt a raindrop hit her forehead.

Hiccup stopped dead in his tracks, squinting up at the sky and then narrowing his eyes at her when she tried to keep herself from laughing. "Alright, so there's a bit of rain …"

The rain got worse with every step they took away from the market and soon, they were running, again joining their hands as they stumbled through the streets, laughter spilling over their lips.

"You were saying?" she spluttered as they came to a stumbling halt at his apartment.

"Okay, so there's a lot of rain," Hiccup replied, turning around to her. Astrid snorted at that, grinning up to him, making him hesitate shortly as he caught her gaze.

They were absolutely soaked. Astrid's fringes hung into her eyes, but somehow he looked at her like she was a revelation of sorts; slowly he reached out and gently brushed the hair out of her eyes, his fingers tingling as they came in contact with her cold skin. Astrid smiled up at him and she was blinding.

He blinked. She'd said his name.

"Yes?"

"Could you unlock the door?"

"Oh - yeah, of course, sorry," he spluttered, digging for his keys.

They stepped inside, shivering at the sudden change of temperature. Outside it was properly pouring now; in the distance, thunder was rolling over howling wind. Hiccup huffed. Great. Bucket had been right.

He'd given her one of his jumpers and a pair of sweatpants. Now, sitting in his kitchen, dry and warm, a purring Toothless on her lap, Astrid watched Hiccup fiddle with the regulators on his old radio, muttering to himself. At the sight of him, his hair freshly towelled try, brows furrowed in concentration, the young woman felt a wave of affection wash over her.

His face lit up when he finally found the frequence and threw her a short glance, lips twitching upwards. The voice of the radio commentator filled the room.

"… will hit Berk in its full velocity at approximately 17:00. It is not yet certain when the storm will subside. But until then, we advise all our listeners to stay inside their homes for safety."

She watched his chest deflate as he let out a light sigh and straightened his back.

"Well, looks like we're stuck here for a while."

He sat down in front of her, leaning on the table, eyes apologetic. Astrid hummed, a small smile playing on her lips as she leaned forward.

"Could be worse. At least we're stuck together."

Together. He smiled and looked down to his hands, clasped together on the table. Without thinking, he reached out and took one of her hands, making her uncross her arms on the table, his thumb drawing gentle circles on the back of her hand.

His voice was low when he finally spoke.

"Astrid, are we …" his eyes flitted up to hers for a moment as he inhaled. "Are we a couple?"

She hummed again, cocking her head to the side.

"Isn't that what you asked me yesterday? To be your girlfriend?"

He shrugged. "I did, I just, uh, didn't do it properly. Left some room to interpretation, huh?"

He let out a nervous chuckle. Astrid squeezed his hand, somehow anchoring him. Suddenly the words tumbled over his lips, almost easily, as if they had been waiting to be spoken.

"Astrid Hofferson, would you like to be my girlfriend?"

A wide smile blossomed on her lips as her other hand found his across the table.

"Hiccup Haddock, I can't even begin to tell you how much I would like that."

Hiccup looked at her with a wondrous expression, as if he couldn't quite believe she was real, and she would have just kissed him, her resolution to wait out the window, had he not stood up and pulled her against his chest.

"Thank you," he mumbled into her hair. Astrid smiled and wrapped her arms around his middle. "What for?"

He shrugged against her frame. "For just … I don't know. You. Call me cheesy, but I'm just really glad we met."

Astrid hugged him tighter and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, breathing in a warm, comforting soapy scent. Her answer was muffled against his chest.

They stayed like this for a little while, until Hiccup piped up, loosening his grip around her.

"You wanna get started on the food?"

Her stomach growled loudly, making him laugh.

"Guess that's a yes."

Astrid had learned that making sushi took longer than she had initially expected. She also learned that Hiccup was a very patient teacher. Her first roll had fallen apart three times to the point of her frustration; he had given her gentle instructions and suggestions each time, until she had finally managed one that didn't look half bad. Part of her couldn't really understand how he could be so calm while cooking, when for her it usually involed lots of rushing and still accidentally burning things.

"By the way, how's your job situation looking?" he asked while cutting up the last roll. When he laid down the knife and raised his head to look at her, he found her grin at him.

"I started writing my application. I can quit the Smith's in two weeks."

She almost squealed as he suddenly leapt up, pulled her out of her chair and spun her around before pulling her into an embrace.

"That's … Astrid, that's amazing!"

She chuckled at his excitement but tightened her grip around him. "It feels a bit weird," she admitted then, her voice muffled by the material of his thick jumper.

Hiccup hummed, one hand coming up to her shoulder as he drew imaginary maps on her skin through the wool.

"No more night shifts, huh?"

"Actually, yeah. I kind of … got used to it. Is that weird? Working a job I hate and getting used to it?"

She pulled back, eyes quizzically searching his and Hiccup could have sworn he had never felt anything more real than the weight of her hands on his chest. He hummed again, hands resting on her waist as he held her gaze and replied softly, "I think it's human, to get used to things. You kind of had to, to get through it, don't you think?"

Astrid nodded, her eyes dropping to her hands shortly, before a slow smile blossomed on her lips.

"You know,we gotta hand it to the night shifts, though. They're sort of the reason we met. If I hadn't taken that job and tried to cook at unholy hours, I'd ... well."

"Not be grateful for the night shifts?" He suggested, grinning lopsidedly. Astrid scrunched her nose at him.

"And not know you. Which would make my life a whole lot bleaker, to be honest."

His eyes softened.

"True," he admitted and resisted the urge to just kiss her right then and there, all else be damned, because some things needed to be said rather than done. "Same goes for me. At this point, I couldn't even imagine not knowing you, or at least I don't really want to. And I, uh, like life better with you."

Astrid smiled up at him and for a moment, he thought she was going to kiss him right then and there, all else be damned, but she only leaned back into him, arms sneaking around his middle again.

He exhaled slowly and buried his face in her neck, closing his eyes. A sense of peacefulness overcame him.

Outside the storm was raging on.

[asoftervirge]

Of “Love” & Murder - (12/13)

CHAPTER TITLE: Revenge, Like Chocolate, Can Be Both Bitter and Sweet

RATING: M PAIRINGS: P. Sanders/V. Sanders (main/one-sided); R. Sanders/V. Sanders (former); V. Sanders/L. Sanders (former); V. Sanders/D. Sanders (former); Remy/E. Picani (side); T. Sanders/OMC (mentioned)

CHAPTER WARNINGS/KINKS: Remus Sanders, mentions of Satanic symbolism, Ted Bundy/Jeffrey Dahmer/serial killer references, Rocky Horror Picture Show reference, Poison, Swearing, mentions of Janus Sanders, referenced Smut, Smutty Thoughts, mentions of Sex Toys, Thanatophobia (fear of dying), mentions of Previous Deaths, various Methods of Murder, mentions of Violence, Descriptions of Murder, brief mention of Prison Rape, Dumpster Diving, Eating/Eating Gross Food, talks of Grey Morality, Morally Grey Patton, Baking/Food mentions CHAPTER SUMMARY: Patton meets with Remus.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here we are! We’re now at the second to last chapter! Despite the low reception of this fic, I’m very happy with it and it’s been so much fun posting it and seeing everyone’s reactions to it. Fun fact: I’m not real sure what rating this chapter would be under. Obviously it has mature stuff because of Remus, but it’s not too extreme to where no body can read it. It’s not a murder chapter, but he does talk about murder, so maybe it’s best to leave it M rated. lol Happy All Hallow’s Eve, everyone! Have fun reading! xx Virge

INSPIRATION: This post by @phantomofthesanderssides

AO3 || Buy Me A Ko-Fi!

To say Patton was nervous was an extreme understatement.

He was pacing back and forth in an alleyway— the location where Remus wanted to meet— going between fiddling with the hem of his sweater, and twirling a stray curl of hair. Blue eyes frantically scanned the dingy place he was in, not wanting to suddenly be jumped by a dangerous stranger.

Brick walls were stained with something the confectioner didn’t want to know what. Droplets of water from the gutters above dropped down onto the cobblestone. Garbage cans were tipped over, rotting food and other things made the air smell putrid.

A black cat scurried from behind one and past his feet, meowing loudly.

Patton squeaked and flinched as it went by. After collecting himself, he started to fidget more.

He hoped Remus would be here soon. With every minute he was in this alley, he was growing more and more frightened.

Despite this, he tells himself that this is worth it.

For Roman.

For Logan.

For Dorian.

For himself.

In the midst of his self-panic and self-reassurances, Patton didn’t catch the sounds of the metal fence behind him being scaled upon.

“So, you’re Patton Hart, hmm?” A high-pitched, slightly screechy voice said.

Patton yelped and spun around, instantly being greeting with the sight of Remus.

The man looked completely different from Roman, it was almost hard to believe that they were brothers, let alone twins. While the former thespian was composed, elegant, and beautiful, Remus…was anything but.

He looked like a rebellious punk, to put it simply.

Remus’ hair was oily-looking, very unkempt and scrappy; dark brown, almost black in color with touches of green hair dye in it and a single streak of silver. He was clad in a leather biker vest, various patches decorating it, and a fishnet shirt underneath which displayed all of his bruises, cuts, and scabs. His pants almost reminded him of Virgil’s jeans: ripped yet his were baggy as opposed to tight-fitting. His ankle boots were spiked, decorated with an upside down cross and a symbol that looked to be very satanic.

As a matter of fact, all of his jewelry appeared to be just that: skulls and satanic symbols. They were predominantly pieces that littered his neck, but he was also studded with a lot of piercings: a labret plus a lip, multiple ear and eyebrow ones, a chained nose, and a belly button. And all of them were silver as opposed to the gold Roman used to wear.

Looking at him twice over, Remus seemed to be a combination of Roman, Remy, and Toby.

Patton quickly straightened himself up, not wanting the other man to see just how scared he was.

“And you must be Remus Duke,” he responded back. His voice shook a little as he spoke. “I have to say, and I hope you don’t think me rude, but you looking nothing like your brother.”

Remus snorts. “That’s a compliment.” He tells him. “I’d rather not be a goody-goody Abel like my brother was.” He looked Patton up and down, giving him a quirked expression, “Ain’t you a bit saccharine to get help from me? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for beddy-bye time?”

“No!” Patton yells stubbornly. He recoils and tries again. “I-I mean, no. I really, really need your help, Remus. This is the only way I can truly stop Virgil.”

“Ha ha! So you’re also Virgil’s newest boy toy!” Remus grinned manically. Patton squealed and shivered in disgust at that. “I swear he goes through boy toys faster than either Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer did with their victims. Well, not as fast, but—”

“C-Cut it out!” Patton shrieked, stomping his foot in childish anger. He grew sickened at the thought of a monstrous killer like Bundy or a twisted cannibal like Dahmer, and comparing Virgil to them just made it worse.

(It was in that moment when the confectioner remembered the words Dorian told him before he divulged into how he was murdered. While Virgil was a horrible individual, he was nothing like how those men were. They were all criminals, yes, but the widower was somehow of a lesser evil.)

Trying to relax his shoulders, Patton asked again. “Are you going to help me or not?”

Still grinning, Remus jumped off the fence and onto the cobblestone. It wasn’t pleasant sounding as he fell flat on his ass. But he appeared to be okay as he shot straight into the air and began fishing through his pockets, humming Touch-a , Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me under his breath while he searched.

“Ha ha!” he exclaimed when he finally found what it was he was looking for. He pulled out a vial of sinister-looking liquid, skull and crossbones marked on the front of it.

Poison.

Cyanide, to be more specific.

“This should be the very thing that’ll fuck Virgy-poo up!” Remus exclaimed happily. Then he pouted. “Lucky bastard,” he mumbled. “Just put this in whatever it is you’re gonna give him and watch with glee as he chokes and dies! Ooh, that sounds fun! Can I come and watch too?!”

“No!”

Remus pouted more, actually looking sad.

Patton was about to walk over and grab the vial but Remus stopped him.

“Not so fast, Mr. Fluffy Butthole.” Patton scrunched his nose. A serious look was in Remus's emerald green eyes. “Why do I have the stinky feeling this is for more than just my brother?”

The confectioner reeled back. “…What?”

“You wouldn’t have gotten my number from Toby and call me by saying ‘how would you feel about helping me avenge your brother’ without wanting to do more.” Remus narrowed his gaze. “You wanna avenge Virgil’s other husbands too, don’t you? Spouses or whatever they were.”

Patton opened his mouth to try and say something, but all he could do was sigh and nod. “You’re right,” he finally tells him. “It’s for more than just your brother. It’s also for Virgil’s second spouse, Logan Oxford—”

“That author who seemed so stubborn xe had a stick up xyr butt? Man, xe needed to get laid.”

“…xe were asexual…”

“…Emotionally laid, then.”

“You mean having a loving, supportive relationship?”

Remus gagged. “Don’t be lewd!”

“Xe were also aromantic.”

“I could’ve helped with that!” Remus grinned. “But if xe were also asexual, then it would’ve been no dice. Hehe, dick ice, hehe!”

Patton ignored him and continued on from before. “— and his third, Dorian Cain—”

“Ah! The serpent-y lawyer whose tongue was for more than lying!” Remus grinned more. Since he was a little closer to him, Patton could see the yellow of his teeth. “I’ve heard that he and Virgil were a lot alike. Plus, they were really able to get” – he wriggled his hips – “it” – he started thrusting “on!”

The confectioner blinked, then sighed deeply and tiredly. How exactly was he Roman’s twin brother? (He could practically hear Roman sighing along with him).

“I was in cahoots with him, you know!” Remus tells him, still thrusting for some silly reason.

“So I’ve heard,” Patton tells him, not wanting to delve into details about the supernatural encounters he had. He didn’t need to give this guy the time of day. “They said you called him about wanting him to find evidence on Virgil, but he said no.”

“Yep!” Remus stopped mid-thrust and emphasized on the p. “He accused me of wanting to slander a celebrity, like everybody else did. But it was also because he didn’t want to put his own husband on trial or some other bullshit.”

He blinked then continued thrusting. “I wonder what would’ve happened if I got to him first?” he mumbled to himself in curiosity. He turned to Patton with a grin. “You think Virgil is great in bed? I would’ve given that lawyer the time of his life! We would’ve fuck for days and weeks on end using all the neat kinky toys I have! Plus, all the crazy flexible sex positions?!” He bobbed his head from side-to-side, singing. “Anyone Virgil could do, I could do better~!”

Apparently, Virgil did that and then some, Patton couldn’t help but think to himself, suddenly being reminded of how explicit Virgil and Dorian were. (If the lawyer were here, he’d probably be flattered and chuckle in his ear).

“But it’s more than them too!” the confectioner exclaims, continuing on from where he left off previously. “It’s for any other potential victim of Virgil’s…and me too…”

“Oh?!” This intrigued Remus as he now had Patton’s full attention. “How so?” He could see the confectioner tugging and fiddling with his sweater. Remus actually saw him doing this when he was stalking the alleyway. It must be a grounding mechanism for him or something, kind of like how he plays with his fingers.

“Because—because I’m scared of dying.”

Remus blinked. “You are?”

“Yes— Of course, I am!” Patton didn’t know why the other man was acting like dying isn’t something to be feared. Because, to him, especially in this circumstance, it was. “If I don’t do anything to stop Virgil, I’m scared I’m gonna die. And I don’t wanna die.”

Tears came to his eyes, he rubbed them away with a fist.

“I don’t want to end up like the others. I don’t want a ribbon around my neck, or arsenic in my belly, or a bullet in my head. I don’t want to have my life cut short by someone who might actually want me dead!”

Now he had both fists rubbing harshly at his cheeks. “There’s so much of my life I want to live. There was so much of their lives that they had yet to live. And I want to be able to avenge that…I want my friends, and even you, to be at ease knowing they finally found peace.”

Remus watched awkwardly as Patton cried in front of him. He wasn’t all that good with the emotional, cutesy, kind-wordsy stuff like his brother was. But if Roman was in this situation, he would know what to do better than anyone else.

He knew the moments when his brother would need a hug, and this would be one of them.

So, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Patton, letting him sob into his shoulder.

Patton curled further into him, not caring that he smelled of body odor and garlic.

“Hey, hey,” he murmured. “It’s okay. It’ll all be a-okay.”

The confectioner sniffled. “How do you know that?” he asked, voice thick with emotion.

“Because that mean, nasty Virgil’s gonna get what’s coming to him!” Remus tells him. He takes Patton’s tear-stained glasses and licked them clean. He then walked over to a garbage can and fished out a dirty napkin to wipe them with. “Here you go!”

Patton grimaced as he put his… ‘newly cleaned’ glasses back on.

“Even if Roman didn’t like me all that much, he was one of my favorite people,” Remus continues. “And I was incredibly upset when he was killed, or ‘committed suicide,’ as the police suspected.” He narrowed his eyes. “I wanted to bring Virgil to court, I really did, but there was no evidence left at the crime scene.”

Remus snarled; fists clenched together tightly. “When they told me that…I was thinking of contemplating murder myself.” He shook his head. “There were so many things I wanted to do to him.” He began counting on his fingers, “Disembowel him, let my pet rats feed on his body, flood my teeth with his spine, build a sandcastle out of his ashes. You name it, I wanted to do it.”

Patton got visibly sickened with each possible method of murder and violence.

“And yet I couldn’t do anything. I may be a wildcard, but Virgil is much more cunning. He’s slipperier than a bar of prison soap.” Patton dared not ask what he meant by that. “Plus, he might’ve expected that I would come and destroy him when I got the chance. So, there wasn’t anything I could do.”

“But you tried though,” the confectioner says. “Despite there not being evidence, you still went and contacted Dorian Cain to try and see what would happen.”

Remus nodded. “Well, yeah. I figured I might as well eat the bullet and chew until I’m forced to spit it out. And so, I called Dorian’s law firm and asked anyway. Even though I was told ‘no,’ something deep within my dick told me that he might try and do something in secret. When I saw in the papers that he had also killed himself, I thought my chances were ruined for good.”

“However,” he then held out the vial of poison for Patton to take. He could see just how dirty his fingers were: bruised, chewed-up fingernails, chipped black and green nail polish, and grime around the cuticles. “You can be the one to finish him off. Do what me and Dorian couldn’t, and put that murdering piece of shit in the ground where he belongs.”

At first, Patton seemed hesitant about taking it from him, but after everything he’s witnessed, everything he’s heard, everything he’s feared, his resolve was hardened.

He takes the vial and stuffs it in his pocket.

Standing closer to Remus, he can see the details he couldn’t see from afar: flakes of dandruff in his hair; messy, purple, smoky eyeshadow; black lipstick that was slightly smeared; a little bit of stubble growing above his lip; along with any other cuts, bruises, and scabs on his skin.

Not only that, he could see the various patches on his biker vest; only a small handful of them were satanic and anarchist symbols, while the rest were a mixture of things Remus must enjoy. A green sword with tentacles coming from it, a Morningstar, an anatomical heart, a bloodshot eyeball, a skeleton, a peach, a couple octopi and krakens, an alien, a peach, a hazardous symbol, some that involve cursing and parental advisory, some dark Disney ones, an opossum with he/him pronouns, the aromantic flag, and lastly, one that has ‘Duke’ on it in graffiti.

Despite his appearance, Patton might consider this gross man…not so much a friend, but an ally.

“…Remus?” Said man leans in closer, making Patton bend back. “…Thank you. Truly. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without your help.”

He waved nonchalantly. “Eh, don’t worry about it,” he tells him. He walks over to one of the garbage cans and starts rummaging through it once more. “It’s the least I can do. Being an assistant— heh, ass-istant— is better than being forced to sit back and do nothing.” He pulls out a rotting banana, unpeeling it and then taking a bit bite out of it.

Patton looked like he was going to throw up.

Mid-chew, he looked back at the confectioner. “You know,” he mumbled, browning banana flying out of his mouth. “For someone who looks all pure and morally righteous, you gotta little bit of grey in ya.”

“I’m only doing this for good.”

“Maybe,” Remus gulps loudly then takes another huge bite. “But you’re still planning on killing him. No matter how you justify it, redrum is redrum.”

“Redrum?”

“Murder. The Shining. Stephen King.”

Patton hummed.

“Seriously though, who am I to talk morals schmorals to you? Good and bad is all made up nonsense!” Another loud gulp, another big bite. “So! When are you gonna do the do?”

“You mean do the deed?”

“Same thing!”

“Tomorrow.”

“Ooh! On Halloween night too!” Remus grinned excitedly. Patton had honestly forgotten that it would be Halloween, having been so preoccupied with everything has was going on at 613 Rue Morgue. “Are you suuure I can’t come with you?”

“I’m sure, Remus. Thank you.”

Remus pouts again, but he quickly shrugged it off.

“Ah well,” he drops the banana peel at his feet. Litter bug. He started to scale up the fence, allowing Patton to see the large green kraken that covered his back. “I guess I’ll leave the rest to you. Good luck, Patton!”

With a gleeful wave, Remus jumps over and disappears into the shadows from whence he came.

Patton stays in his spot for the longest time.

Maybe…he was a bit grayer than he realized. Through his entire life, he was never really challenged on his morals. He always played by the rules and laws of life, not wanting to face the punishments for having done something wrong.

But now, he was.

He was faced with someone who had a complete disregard for them and is walking a free man with three murders (maybe even more) stained on his hands.

And here he was, wanting to change all of that.

Like he said to Remus, it was for a good cause: to have their spirits be appeased and to have Virgil never commit any heinous crimes ever again. Even if the solution was a permanent one.

Maybe…the other man was right. Maybe…good and bad really is made up nonsense.

With the thoughts of his newly-placed morals in his head, Patton finally left the alleyway.

The alleyway that Remus chose was in the lower part of town, the shadier and troublemaking part to be specific. And even though Patton could have chosen to take his car, he walked since he lived close by in the lower regions of downtown.

It was a long but much needed walk for the confectioner to take.

While the air proved to be chilly, the autumn leaves dropped down onto the ground, creating a little ombre of colors on the sidewalk. The night sky was a trifecta of rich purples, deep blues, and cool blacks. Dots of white twinkled above, making the picturesque scene complete.

Patton looked around at all the holiday decorations that were on display. All of the ghosts, witches, scarecrows, and grim reapers all gave him a bit of a fright. The fake tombstones and giant rope spider webs made him squeak and turn his head for a split second. But he smiled at seeing the differently carved jack-o-lanterns— some more intricate than others— and the outdoor lights that glowed in various colors, like orange, purple, green, blue, red, white, and black. Though what really got a giggle out of him, were the inflatables that stood on each lawn; some were of pumpkins, others were black cats, and was the occasional spooky tree.

Many people love going all out on Halloween, and the confectioner was one of them, having spent so many hours throughout September and October transforming the interior of his shop.

He continued walking into downtown, fog hovering over the street lamps as the air grew a little denser and colder. The streets were slightly bustling as people were walking to and from various stores, all in last-minute preparation for tomorrow night. Many of them were families, with children bouncing up and down excitedly about their costumes while the parents held bags that were presumably filled with candy and other goodies.

It all made Patton smile, for he had that same childish whimsy.

The confectioner didn’t stop walking until he came to a very familiar brown building, the words Patty’s Sweet Confectionaries swirled in fancy but readable font on the window.

Patton took a minute to gently trace his fingers across the white lettering. He still remembers the first day he opened its doors, a young and bright-eyed man who simply wanted to spread the sugary joy that his grandmother used to give him.

With a deep breath, he walked into his confectionery shop, the jingle of the bell above the door made his heart swell up a little. Once inside, he gazed around, nostalgia and melancholy shone in his eyes as he flipped on the lights.

Golden chandeliers glowed from the cream-colored ceiling as the shop became illuminated, presenting the changes that Patton had made. The only other things that remained the same were the dark brown and white tile, and the wooden stands and tables dressed with dishes and bowls, but what filled them had changed since September.

Eyeball-shaped white chocolate truffles, and ghostly popcorn balls were now the specialty treats for the holiday; along with cookies in the shape of skeletons, and white chocolate bark with candy corn. In the display case were still the traditional chocolates, but there were also pumpkin spiced cakes and cupcakes, along with macaroons of varying monstrous design and Frankenstein cereal treats.

However, the two favorites were front and center: gooey marshmallow, and glistening candy apples. The best part about them? The marshmallow is dyed in accordance to the holiday, and the candy apples were also coated with white icing to make it look like Snow White’s poisoned one from the Disney movie.

Walking in further, he plugged in the decorative lights that hung from the walls. The miniature pumpkin luminary bags added another layer of festive spirit to the store, and they paired nicely with the cutout garlands Patton had made some-years back.

The confectioner tenses up as he feels vial of poison roll into his hands from inside his pocket.

A part of him still feels conflicted about doing something like this.

Obviously he knows what Virgil did was horrible and wrong, but on the other hand, he wished there was a much simpler way to see his downfall come to fruition. But as Remy and Toby said, if the police were working with him, then it was impossible to see lawful justice be served to him. (Dorian tried it, and look what happened.)

So this was the only option he had left.

Resolve slowly hardening, Patton made his way to the kitchen to begin work.

He began pulling out giant mixing bowls— both silver and copper, measuring cups, double boilers, spoons and forks, and a plethora of ingredients in order to create the perfect box of poisonous chocolates.

Patton didn’t need to think about which ones he would give to the widower, he knew the recipes for each one by memory.

The first recipe read:
 “1 lb of dark chocolate 16 maraschino cherries with the stem 3 tablespoons softened butter 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar”

Parts of the second read:
 “2/3 cups dark chocolate chips 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons of heavy cream A dash of cinnamon”

The third read:
 “7 oz. finely chopped dark chocolate 1/3 cup espresso ½ tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder”

And finally, the fourth read: 
“1 cup melted cocoa butter 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 3 tablespoon dark chocolate ½ teaspoon almond extract”

Within each recipe, he made sure to add the cyanide poisoning into the mixtures, adding a bit more than necessary so that it wouldn’t be masked by any of the other ingredients. (He wore protective gear, of course. The same mask and gloves he wore whenever he dabbled in making anything featuring liquid nitrogen.)

Hours later, he had batches cooling on racks and baking sheets. And after checking that he had a perfect set of thirty-two, he began the decorating process. Glazes, icings, and sugars scattered about in the air and dusted his face, hair, and fingers.

Once everything was done up all nice and pretty, Patton placed them all in a box: a black one topped with a bow of dark violet ribbon.

Patton stood back and observed his craftsmanship. A deep frown slowly made its way to his face.

The first part of the deed was done…

…now? It was time for Virgil to have a taste of his own chocolatey medicine.

[saltys-writings]

Oneus as Cats

yes I did another one

More parts~

~~~

Ravn:

oh dear

completely black cat with only one tiny white dot on his chest

looks cute, but is full of fury

hates other cats

and I mean he despises them

especially hates anyone who takes away your attention when he’d rather have it

passive-aggressive

usually he will stare at you and wait until you notice him if he wants your attention while you’re occupied with someone else

if you ignore him, he’ll make you (or the other person or animal) regret it

has peed on your mother’s shoes multiple times when she visited you

threw up in front of your dad and then walked away nonchalantly as if nothing happened

all because in his eyes, you spent too much time talking to them when he wanted to be fed or petted or played with

only trusts his owner

you’re the only person who is allowed to touch him whenever

though there are some exceptions of people who are around often so he got used to them and they’re allowed to touch his head or back for a short period of time

loves you more than anything

also loves being petted and brushed by you

hates the vet

will growl at the vet for about five seconds if they touch him until he jumps at them and attempts to scratch the poor vet’s eyes out

since then, he gets anaesthesia even for routine check-ups

likes sleeping next to your pillow with you so he can wake you up in the morning by putting his paw on your face

has never even scratched you on purpose ever (except when you’re playing with him and he gets too into it)

sometimes you see nothing but a pair of wide yellow eyes watching you in the dark in the middle of the night

usually sleeps curled up in a lil black furball, but sometimes he’ll lie around in really weird positions, with his head upside down and his fangs showing

very gentle purring, you can only hear and feel it when you let him curl up in your lap and fall asleep there

Seoho:

completely white fur, except for two black dots above his eyes that look like eyebrows and one black front paw

people will love him for his extraordinary looks, and he loves the attention

however, he doesn’t like to be touched much, especially if he doesn’t know you well

never bites and rarely scratches, usually he just runs away if he doesn’t like something

graceful when he walks, but is actually an idiot

falls off random objects frequently, thankfully he never gets hurt

sleeps in the weirdest positions - his rear legs stretched apart to expose his lower belly, and his torso twisted 180 degrees

snores and drools when sleeping

when he has an exciting dream, his left hind leg twitches

speaking of his belly: he hates having it touched and will whine at you and run away, hiding in some corner for the rest of the day if you try to pet him there

you never see him cleaning himself, but somehow he isn’t dirty

tbh most of the time he just sleeps

but sometimes he wakes up very hyperactive

pls be careful if you play with him then (which is recommended or he’ll use your walls as a cat tree), because chances are he’ll run into something or fall over from how excited he is

sometimes he really seems more like a dog than a cat tbh

bleps a lot

if you take a walk with him in your garden he’ll start digging holes at some point

loves the neighbors’ dog and totally wants to play with it - much to the joy of the dog

again, pls be careful if the dog is big, or this kitty might get himself crushed because he was too busy watching a butterfly instead of the huge dog lying down next to him

if he trusts you he will sometimes come lay in your lap to fall asleep there, and he’ll even enjoy getting his head petted then

but he will drool on you - like a lot

Leedo:

big, loud, annoying

looks like a majestic statue with his thick, long fur when he sits somewhere, completely still except for his slowly swaying tail

greets you loudly when you come home

is especially loud when his food bowl is empty

loves being picked up and will stare up at you and meow until you do so (he’s kinda heavy though)

loves sitting on top of open doors and balances surprisingly well despite his size

sometimes you hear doors loudly slamming shut - that’s when he jumped down and the door closed from the recoil

loves raw meat and will inhale his food if you give him some, but will take a lot longer to finish dry food

likes being scratched under the chin and behind his ears, doesn’t really care to be petted anywhere else, but never ever touch his tail

dislikes kids or overly excited people because in his past he had bad experiences with them

if you’re trying to approach him, always do so carefully, or crouch down and let him come to you, or he will hiss at you and run away

when you first adopted him, he hid away behind the couch for three whole days, and you had to throw him food or he wouldn’t have eaten

very shy around new people, but will get used to you and eventually come to trust you if you give him enough time

loves sleeping on whatever surface you’re trying to do things™

his favorite pastime is rolling around on your keyboard while you’re trying to write someskldfjökajgajq4930t2öjsdgj-asdgja

he also likes playing with the handle of cooking spoons or whatever other kitchen utensil you’re trying to use

will meow loudly if you don’t let him try whatever you’re cooking (even if it’s something he’ll dislike and spit out after chewing on it for a few seconds)

also loves watching clothes in the washing machine and will try to catch the buttons through the glass

snores when in deep sleep

Keonhee:

chubby tabby cat with stripes and huge eyes

white paws, long and fluffy fur

a derp of a cat

constant bleps

put something on his nose and he’ll cross his eyes, staring at it, not moving for up to half a minute

hates the vet (pls save him)

like, whenever you get his box to take him there and you don’t catch him fast enough, he’ll have nyoomed to the farthest corner of your house in the blink of an eye, staring up from a hiding place where nobody can reach him

the only way to get him out of there is to lure him with his favorite food

eats everything and steals the weirdest food, like that one time you were cooking and he stole a tomato from you, having already eaten half of it by the time you could take it away from him - he threw up shortly after that on your carpet

he also likes to steal bread and various other vegetables, and one time you even caught him sticking his nose into a bowl of rice

he goes crazy over poultry and could probably eat a whole turkey within mere minutes, despite not even being half as big as the bird

whines and meows a lot

will wake you up every morning to demand food by meowing loudly and scratching your door

wanting to avoid more scratchmarks on the door, you decided to leave it open a while back

that’s when he woke you up by jumping onto your belly and then getting distracted and starting to play on top of you, claws out and teeth sharpened

since then you’re quite okay with the marks on your door...

has a talent for throwing up furballs in inconvenient places - behind the sofa, on the rug, next to your pillow, on the stove, etc.

but even though he’s weird af, he’s usually a calm kitty who loves sunbaths and belly-rubs more than anything

and food

Hwanwoong:

red stripes and a white belly

very soft fur

super long whiskers

smol and seems cute

is actually a jerk

will come running to you, purring, asking to be petted most of the time when he’s awake

rubs his head and body against your legs with full force, you wouldn’t believe how much strength this lil kitty has

will also beg for food, even if he already had enough for a whole week

however you don’t need to be afraid of overfeeding him, because despite his habit of begging, he’s actually a very picky eater

he loves fish more than anything, and will rarely eat anything else

though he likes popcorn and other snacks that aren’t exactly healthy for cats

he once stole a whole bag of chips and by the time you could catch him, it tore apart and the chips were scattered all over your place

you’re not sure if he ate any of them, but you stressedly put them away in a hurry while he was watching you, purring and treading the ground underneath him

he likes walking on the top shelves in your home, skillfully avoiding any obstacle and careful not to throw anything off

the only time things fall because of him is when he’s pissed about something

then you might come home from an exhausting day and find decorations lying in front of the shelves they’re supposed to be standing on

however, as if nothing happened he will come to greet you, purring, swaying the very end of his tail in a friendly manner

now you better not be tricked by his friendliness, because if you don’t find the reason why he was pissed in the first place and fix it, he will repeat the same procedure the next day

Xion:

a grey cat with really short fur

friendly and very behaved

like he never protest-pees anywhere and isn’t picky about his food, but knows what’s his and what’s his owner’s

will warn you if he doesn’t like being touched atm and will only scratch or bite if you ignore his warnings

bonds well with other cats, dogs, and likes to be around humans too

prefers staying at home and sleeping over strolling through the neighborhood

really he’s the perfect cat and pretty normal

loves sleeping in the dryer when the freshly dried clothes are still inside and warm (but won’t get a lot of hair on them since his fur is so short)

also loves sleeping in your bed, but will move aside when you signal him that you want to sleep

in general he loves warm places and would kill for sunbaths

will sprawl out on the floor when he finds a sunny spot and sleep there

likes watching TV and will try to catch any bird that appears on screen

he’s also very fascinated about fish, and will try to catch those as well if you have an aquarium

but he usually doesn’t have his claws out and will just play with them

if you give him an angry look he’ll immediately get down though and come running to you to rub your legs as a way to apologize

you can teach him simple tricks if you give him fish-flavored snacks as a reward

if you have a fly in your home he will try to catch it, but usually fail because he isn’t really a skilled hunter, as he barely gets any serious practice

doesn’t really like playing much, but sometimes he needs to let out his energy

that’s when he starts playing with your clothes, especially if you’re wearing something baggy or something that has strings or the like attached

but usually you’ll just see him sleeping or chilling somewhere

cleans himself very thoroughly and the procedure will usually take him an hour or more a day

[datauthorress]

Ashes of Night [Chapter 2: Cowboy in Public]

Pairing: Arthur Morgan/Original Female Character

Summary: A young college student stumbles upon a man from the past, right in her very apartment. The man doesn't know why he's suddenly 119 years in the future, but maybe this is a second chance at a better life.

Warnings: None, really.

“Ya got any whiskey?”

“No, I don't have any whiskey. That shit is gross.”

Shelby lifted the top cover of the tank and lifted Ghost off from around her neck, putting the ball python back into his tank. The snake yawned, before slithering under his log for the night. She rubbed her eyes, smoothing her hair away from her face before she glanced at the clock. It was only midnight, but she was exhausted.

“Okay, cowboy, bedtime.” she replied, shutting the television off. “We've got a busy day tomorrow, and I need a good night's sleep.”

“I get t' sleep in a real bed?” Arthur questioned, surprised.

“What else are you gonna sleep on? The couch?” Shelby shook her head and motioned for him to follow her down the hallway. She opened the door to the guest bedroom, which she had set up after dinner was over and she took her shower. “This will be your room.”

“Very nice.” he complimented as he walked inside, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Your clothes are on the dresser. I found a pair of socks from when my brother left them, so they should fit.” Shelby said, leaning down to pick up Kirby, scratching the back of her ears. “If you need anything, you can knock on my door. My bedroom is right next to yours.”

When no questions were asked, Shelby shut the door behind her and went to her own room, shutting the door after her. She set Kirby down on the bed and crawled underneath the covers, setting an alarm for 9 AM before plugging her phone in to charge. Kirby meowed and made her way towards her owner, circling a few times before kneading the covers with her paws and laying down, curling up into a ball. As soon as Shelby's head hit the pillow, she was out like a light.

The next morning, Shelby woke up to her alarm and got up, dismissing the alarm. She yawned and stretched her limbs, hearing them pop before she left the bedroom. She fed Kirby and knocked on Arthur's door. “Arthur, you awake?”

When she didn't hear an answer, she opened the door and peered inside, finding the man sprawled out on the bed, the blanket only covering up to his hips. Shelby felt her cheeks flush, but she couldn't help but to look for a moment. The man was toned, and she could see that he had multiple scars adorning his torso. Despite his age, he seemed to be rather fit and had small, wry hairs covering his torso, though not too much. She shook her head and walked inside, grabbing the other pillow and smashing it onto Arthur's chest.

Said man let out a yell of surprise, and bolted up on the bed, looking around frantically. He then calmed down once his gaze landed on Shelby, and he rubbed his eyes with a groan. “Did ya really haveta do that, kid?”

“No, but I had a hunch you wouldn't wake up easily, so it was the best choice.” Shelby replied, tossing the pillow at him. “Once you wake up, get dressed please. I have to measure you.”

“Measure meh, eh?”

“Shut the fuck up.” Shelby grumbled, leaving the room. She went to her bedroom and got dressed, dressing in a pair of dark blue jeans that hugged her legs, a black tank top and a black and red plaid shirt. She fixed her hair and put black ankle high socks on, then left her bedroom. Arthur wasn't far after her, walking into the living room after she did. Shelby grabbed the measuring tape from the junk drawer and approached Arthur. “Stand still, and raise your arms, please.”

He did as requested. She measured the length of his legs, his arms and the wideness of his waist and torso. After writing down the information in her notebook, she slipped that into her bag and shoved her boots on, zipping them up.

“Alright guys, we'll be back later.” she said to her animals, grabbing her bag and her keys.

Once Arthur had slid his boots on, she let him walk outside first and she closed the door behind them, locking it. She pulled on the doorknob just to make sure it was locked, and guided Arthur to her vehicle, which was a 2013 black truck.

“This is.....way different than a wagon.” he commented, hearing a click as the vehicle unlocked and Shelby opened the driver's side door.

“Yeah,” Shelby agreed.

Arthur pulled open the passenger's side door, holding his hat onto his head and slipped inside, sitting down. He squirmed a bit, getting use to the feel of the seat on his backside. It was certainly way softer than a hard bench on a wagon.

“Okay, so when riding in a vehicle like this, you always wear your seat belt. It's to prevent you from getting killed.” Shelby spoke, reaching over him to the seat belt and guiding it over his chest and waist, clicking it into place.

“And how, per say, does a vehicle get ya killed?” he questioned.

“When a vehicle crashes into another.” Shelby replied, getting comfortable in her own seat and clicking her seat belt into place. She started up the vehicle, the radio blaring to life, still set on the country station. She had grown up on the outskirts of the town, in the country, so her life was revolved a lot around horses and the country.

“We'll stop for breakfast, then we'll head up to the mall.” she said, backing out of her parking spot and heading onto the road.

“What's a mall?” Arthur asked.

“Just a large space with a variety of stores.” she replied. “I know it's all very confusing, Arthur. Honestly, I still don't know whether to believe you're from the past or not...but....I don't know what else to do, really.”

“Trust me, kid. I'm confused too.” Arthur sighed quietly.

“Glad I'm not the only one.” she nodded in agreement.

About ten minutes went by, and Shelby pulled into the drive-thru of McDonald's. She didn't eat their food very often, but she did like their fish and chicken sandwiches. She grabbed four total of the McChicken sandwiches, two for each of them and a drink for each of them. She ate one of her sandwiches quickly, before they were on the highway, heading towards South Bend.

“What is 'his?” Arthur questioned in confusion, looking at the sandwich.

“Just eat it. You might like it.” Shelby said.

The cowboy took a bite out of the sandwich, and was immediately greeted with the seasons, and taste of well-cooked chicken. Even the lettuce and the white sauce on it made a good taste for it. He decided, hey it's not so bad, and ate the sandwich.

“Welcome to the 21st century, Arthur, where fast food is dominant in everything.” Shelby joked, turning the radio up slightly and rolling the window down. It was quite nice today, with it being about 70 degrees right now. The radio said it was going to be around 80 today, which wasn't bad at all for June. After about a half hour, she switched hands, using her right hand to drive and leaned her left arm on the windowsill.

Arthur was mostly quiet, observing the scenery as they drove past it. He enjoyed the open fields, the smell of dirt and grass, the sounds of cattle and horses. It reminded him too much of home....wherever home was right now. It wasn't long before the fields began to disappear and buildings began to take over.

“Fucking-! Nice turn signal, prick!”

Arthur glanced over to the young woman, as she grumbled to herself about 'stupid drivers'. She ran a hand through her hair, leaning back. “We're almost there.”

“Wha' happened?” he asked.

“Some dumbass cut me off at the last minute.” she shook her head, looking behind her before switching lanes. “If I ever teach you to drive, be patient. I have some road rage.”

“I'm sure if I can steer a horse, I can steer this thing.” he said.

“You'd be surprised.” Shelby said, coming up to the stoplight.

After another fifteen minutes, they pulled into a large parking lot, with several vehicles of all different kinds parked, driving around and people walking down sidewalks to get into the building. Shelby found a decent parking spot, and parked, before turning the car off. “Okay, now, this place is big, so stay close to me, okay?” Shelby said.

“How big can it be?” Arthur arched an eyebrow.

“You'll see. Just stay close to my side, and we'll be golden.” She said, grabbing her bag and her keys. Once they were both out, she locked the car and guided him across the road and onto the sidewalk. Small crowds of people walked by them, some of them giving sideway glances to Arthur.

“Also, don't be surprised if people stare at you.” Shelby said as they walked into the building.

“I'm used t' it.” he drawled.

A few times he stopped by to glance at the windows of stores, and Shelby had to actually drag him away so they could move on. They went to Men's Warehouse first and Shelby went to a store associate, asking if she could help them with helping Arthur pick out clothes to suit his style. She was ecstatic to help, and with the sizes, she was able to find clothing that would fit Arthur nicely. However, when he had trouble putting on jeans for the first time, Shelby had to help him, telling him that 'this is a one time thing'. Of course, he stuck to the 'no overalls' rule and Shelby waited outside while he dressed.

“Is he your boyfriend?” the store associate asked.

“Nah, roommate. He's a little far from home and needed somewhere to go, so I took him in.” Shelby replied.

“Aw, you're so nice.” the associate smiled.

The door to the fitting room opened and Arthur came out, wearing a pair of dark blue jeans that showed off his butt nicely, and a button up with the first few buttons undone.

Shelby felt heat creep onto her face, and the associate whistled. “Very nice.”

“Fits mighty nicely. Thank ya, ma'am.” Arthur nodded.

“No problem!” she said.

After about another half hour of being in the store, the clothes were all dragged to the counter and Shelby sighed, knowing it was going to be utter hell dragging all this shit out to the truck. Good thing she grabbed a cart at the entrance.

“Ya sure ya can afford all that?” Arthur asked the young woman.

“I'm a professional author, I can afford pretty much anything.” Shelby replied.

“Oh? You write?! What's your name?” the same associate asked as she rung up the clothes.

“Shelby Hartford.”

Two minutes later, Shelby was getting a picture taken with the associate, who had squealed and said that she loved Shelby's writing. Shelby smiled for the picture, and was appreciative that her writing was well-liked. The associate had given her a hug and told them to have a wonderful day before the two left the store.

“That was....interestin'.” Arthur commented.

“Hm.” Shelby said.

“Oh, what's that place?”

Shelby looked over to see what he was looking at, and her ears went red. Of course, he was looking at the Victoria's Secret sign. She grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and dragged him away from the store, telling him it was a 'super, secret fancy store for women'.

It was another three hours before Shelby decided they were done. She had stopped at a few stores for herself, picking up some books and some clothing. They dragged the bags out of the building and shoved them into the back of the truck, which thankfully had a cover on it. Shelby leaned against the side of her vehicle, leaning her head down on her arm. She was exhausted.

“Where we goin' now?” Arthur's voice met her ears.

“We'll go for lunch.” she replied, unlocking the vehicle and getting in. “Golden Coral isn't too far from here. You'll like it. They have a large variety of different foods.”

Lunch was good. They went home afterwards and the two dragged the bags up into the apartment, and into Arthur's bedroom. Shelby had made sure her own bags were separate. They had stopped at Wal-Mart for shampoo and those kinds of things. “Alright....so just...focus on getting your stuff put away while I make a phone call.”

Shelby went into the living room, sitting down on the couch as she called her mom. It rung two times before it was picked up on the other end. “Hello?”

“Hey, mom.”

“Hi, baby. How was the interview? You sounded great on TV.”

“Thanks. It went good, better than expected. I'm tired though.”

“I bet. Were you still planning on coming over for dinner this Sunday? Your father's off for the week, vacation.”

“Yeah, are you guys making beef and noodles?”

“When do we not make beef and noodles when you come over?” her mom laughed.

“True, listen mom.....is it okay if I bring my roommate over? He's-”

“Your roommate's a guy? Is he hot?”

“Mom!”

“I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Yes, he can come for dinner as well. Your sister is coming too.” The older woman said, and Shelby groaned. “I know, I know....but, please no fighting, okay?”

“Alright, though I can't say the same for her, though. You know how she is.” Shelby said. “Alright....I'll see you guys this weekend.”

Shelby hung up once her mother said goodbye and she tossed her phone onto the other side of the couch, just as Arthur came into sight. “Who was that?” he questioned.

“You're meeting my parents, and siblings this weekend.” Shelby replied. “We're going to make up a story. We're going to tell them that you're from Texas, and you lost your home and came here hoping for something better. I found you, and am letting you stay here. That's the story. Nothing else.”

“And they aren't gonna believe ya when ya say I'm from 1899?”

“No one is gonna believe you're from 1899, besides me.” she retorted. “My sister already thinks I'm a fucking lunatic. I don't need her thinking that about you too.”

“Jeez, protective ain't ya?”

“Fuck off.”

[namariea]

Hello, Neighbor | V

Since moving in you have compiled a comprehensive list on your mysterious neighbor across the way.

Do Kyungsoo, otherwise known as Asian Bobby Flay and apparently Bruno Mars’ protégé.

Pairing: Kyungsoo x Reader

Words: 3.4 k

Genre: Fluff

Previous: I II III IV

The coffee shop by the apartment was bustling with life, the endless stream of customers eager to get their caffeine fix.

An easy jazz tune filled the gaps between the chatter in the room but tucked away in the back corner, no amount of smooth saxophone could ease the tenseness in your body. You hung your head in your hands over the table, silently having an existential crisis as the figure across from you hummed in contemplation.

“So let me get this straight….and feel free to stop me if I go astray” Seulgi started, her voice slightly wistful, paying almost no mind to your despair.

You grunted.

“For the past month that you have been living in your apartment, you have been having sporadic encounters with the guy living across from you”

Grunt.

“During that time, you thought nothing of those moments except for about two weeks ago when you apparently saw him looking … how was it you described it…. Ah, like Korean Adonis”

Your head slipped lower in your hands.

Grunt. “And since said moment, rather than simply asking the boy why he was dressed like some incubus you decided the logical path to take would be to just never look at him again. By keeping your curtains closed for the past two weeks in an attempt at avoiding him…”

…

“Are you an idiot?”

Slipping from your grasp, you let your forehead crash into the table with an audible thud. People around turned and glanced quizzically in your direction, but you paid them no mind, starting a rhythmic smashing of your face against the surface. You heard Seulgi give a forced, polite laugh and quietly apologize to the fellow patrons saying something along the lines of quarter life crisis, nothing to see here, terribly sorry. Groaning, you gave your forehead a couple more good thumps before looking up. You were immediately met with a blank face, but you knew she was secretly reveling in your pain.

You are surrounded by sadists.

“I really do not see what’s the problem here, from how you’re reacting he must have gone from 0 to 10 real quick”

You grumbled from your splayed position on the table

“That’s not true….”

“He was at least a 7 before that”

Seulgi gave you a dull look

“…8.6 at the most.”

Letting out a bored sigh and picking at the remnants of what was a blueberry muffin, she deliberated “So you have always had a hot neighbor, woo, good for you, but just because seeing him in something other than baggy workout clothes suddenly got you all hot and bothered-”

“Oi, I was not hot and bothered-”

“-as I was saying” she gave you a pointed look, not appreciating your interruption “now would be the prime time to be looking, no? Icarus loved the warmth of sun so what did he do? Boy got himself some wings to see it closer.”

“Leading him to fly too close, thus melting his wings and falling to his death.” you deadpanned.

She waved a dismissive hand, “Pah, that’s just the Grimm brother’s version"

“Seulgi, the Grimm brothers didn’t even- look” you sighed, finally sitting yourself up from the table.

“You’re right, I probably shouldn’t have avoided him for so long, but what else was I supposed to do? He looked so…” you trailed, hand waving in the air in search of a fitting word, not having to wait long as your impatient comrade offered after a beat,

“-bangin?”

“Wow. It is truly a wonder why you never took the literary route when we were in art school”

Seulgi scoffed, taking a sip from her coffee “I had the option of being active and dancing to my heart’s content or sitting on my butt all day taking notes about some dead guys poems, it was a no question”

“Regardless” she continued, “the reality of the matter is that you now know you have the hots for your beta-turned-alpha neighbor and you’re going to have to face him eventually, lest you move again”

She almost smacked you from across the table as you gave a thoughtful look. Looking at her watch she reached for her bag and began to stand, you reluctantly following suit, realizing your break was over and it was time to head back to the office.

“Don’t be such a coward. He’s just a guy, he won’t even be in the same room as you when you talk for crying out loud, not unless he decides to break through two panes of glass, leap 10 feet over and land in your apartment. Though seeing your behavior, I wouldn’t be surprised if he resorted to that”

“And just what exactly am I supposed to say if he asks where I’ve been?” You shook your head as you felt the start of a headache beginning behind your eyes.

If he even noticed my absence that is

“Well that’s your fault it dragged on this long, isn’t it” She replied flippantly, the both of you exited the shop and started walking towards the subway.

“But if you want my opinion, I’d highly suggest not revealing how you have hiding because you cant control your impure thoughts around him-”

“For God’s sake, I told you it’s not even like that -”

“Ohhhh” An arm came out in front of you to bring you to a halt on the sidewalk. Turning to you slowly, you saw the beginnings of a smile take form on your friends face.

A very scary smile. One that only appeared when she was about to suggest something really dumb.

You were getting bad ju-ju vibes.

“I know exactly what you should say, say that you had …company…over and didn’t want to be disturbed”

You blinked. Once. Twice.

Then you hit her over the head.

“He has never shown any interest in me, what am I supposed to gain from that?”

Not deterred from your violence, if anything her eyes lit up with mischief, she pressed on “nono, it’s great, it’s like in those dramas, you throw down the boyfriend card and he is suddenly drawn to you because your unobtainable” she actually let out a cackle.

“I’m saying this because you are my friend and I care about your well being,” you almost let out an appreciative awww, but alas, tender moments were never in your cards.

“But if I find out you haven’t emerged from your hermit hole by Wednesday, I’ll come over and get his attention myself” You began to protest but she wasn’t hearing any of it “whether or not you listen to my advice is up to you, but so help me if I don’t get some juicy update by Wednesday I’ll take matters into my own hands”

Sadists, I say

You were walking past the living room one day when you heard a sharp yowl from the window.

Pausing on your way to the kitchen, you cast a tentative glance towards the cat perched on the windowsill, figure hidden by the curtain. You listened carefully, thinking that maybe she got her claws tangled in the fabric of the curtain again. The first time that had happened you calmly approached her with the full intention of relieving her from her cloth prison, as any caring owner would do. However, it would appear the frightened lump of fur was so lost in her terror, clearly thinking that this was the end, that she mistook your hand for that of the curtain God’s there to take her away. She then proceeded to bite and scratch anything she could get her stubby hands on.

Two and a half hours in an emergency waiting room later, you were being stabbed by multiple needles and given three beautiful stitches on your right hand. The freeloader didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed when you got back.

Since then you have always made sure she was fully aware of your presence before doing anything to help, for both her safety and yours. But secretly you were also still bitter about the first incident that you wanted to watch her struggle and realize her folly.

That’ll show her that the one with the opposable thumbs is the boss around here.

Another yowl came from behind the curtain and you made your way over, rolling up your sleeves in preparation.

“Missed me that much huh?”

You stopped mid-step, hand halting in pushing up your sleeve. The smooth baritone carried to your ears and you couldn’t stop the nervous stutter your heart gave in response. You were not ready for this confrontation, it wasn’t even Wednesday yet. Your palms began to sweat, not knowing how to proceed, however the voice was oblivious to your presence, and carried on.

“Looks like it’s just you and me again, Miss Mimi. Are you sure your owner hasn’t left you for some other stray?”

Meow.

There was an easy laugh in response, “Well hopefully despite wherever she has run off to she has you looked after, I wouldn’t want to have to pull some mission impossible stunt and save you”

Your eyes widened in horror as Seulgi’s words from the other day echoed in your mind. There was absolutely no way he was serious, you knew this, but just the thought of him being in your apartment set your mind into a frenzy.

You heard a phone ringing in the distance, “Ah, I’ll have to cut this short today, Mi. Say Hi for me the next time you see her, ok?”

Meow.

The silence that followed indicated that he had indeed left his spot at the window and you let out a shuttering breath. A million thoughts were swirling in your mind, so he did wonder where you’ve been. Granted, he said it because he wanted to know Mimi wasn’t going to starve, but it was still indirectly about you nonetheless. He also said he had to cut it short today, just how often does this man sit there talking to your cat? You try to think, but you were positive you’ve never heard him before today.

The nudge to your leg had you looking down, staring into bright cerulean eyes.

“You’re either the best or worst wingman ever”

She purred in response.

Eyes cracked open tiredly, blearily staring at the ceiling you blinked until your vision cleared.

Noting the lack of sunlight, you rolled over and pressed the home button on your phone, the harsh light making you squint in annoyance.

5:33 AM glared back at you and a groan highly resembling a beached whale emitted from your throat. Knowing there was no way the remaining hour before your alarm went off will be spent sleeping, you begrudgingly rolled out of bed.

Today was Wednesday. The thought came to you as you stirred creamer into your coffee, throwing a wary eye towards the closed curtains in your living room. Oh, how easy it would be to just keep them closed for all eternity… it wasn’t like you were some houseplant that needed sunlight for photosynthesis anyways. But you knew deep down that you would have to face the inevitable, because even though you loathed awkward situations with a burning passion, you feared the wrath of the brunette waiting for a reply today much more.

Best not tempt the fates today.

Cautiously you approached the curtains, suddenly feeling a strong sense of trepidation.

Oh square up you pathetic f-

You pulled back one of the white curtains with gusto, coffee in hand and eyes shut in anticipation. Cracking an eye open, you almost let out a victorious laugh, as you were met with dark curtains blocking your view from the apartment across.

Well…that wasn’t half bad.

You took this time to take in the view you had for the first time in two weeks. It really makes the room look a lot nicer, you mused, glancing back and watching the rising sun trickle in and brighten the living room. You almost felt foolish for your behavior, it was your house for Pete’s sake, you shouldn’t be letting one encounter prevent you from living your life as you wished.

Berating yourself, remembering your inner dilemma weeks ago that you knew nothing of the dark-haired male that lived in the other apartment. You owed each other nothing and if you didn’t want to interact with the man all you had to do was not talk to him, it wasn’t like the conversation was mandatory every time you saw him, you weren’t friends.

But you want to have those conversations, don’t you? Wouldn’t mind getting all buddy-buddy with Mr. Mysterious.

Your left eye twitched in annoyance as your heart and mind continued to have heated debate over what if’s. Once your coffee had gone cold and barely half finished, you were no closer to coming to a decision on how you were going to interact with your neighbor whenever you saw him again. Making the decision to get ready for work earlier than usual, you did so for no other reason than not wishing to be in this apartment any longer.

Picking up the keys off of the coffee table, as you made your way towards the door an hour ahead of schedule you missed the site of a familiar pair dark curtains pulled back.

Once you returned to your apartment the sun had almost set in the sky.

Not only had you arrived earlier to work that day, you had unconsciously stayed later than usual as well.

You thought nothing about it until Seulgi found you in your office, typing away at your computer.

She all but forced you out of the building, raging to herself about I don’t care if it’s not politically correct in 2017, but you need to grow a pair and man up, woman.

In all honestly it was not your intention to stay late, you were so caught up in your work that you simply lost track of time.

It was not until Seulgi found you that you realized what may or may not be waiting for you when you arrived home.

Having left your curtains pulled back, it was highly likely that you would encounter the other when you got back, and you still hadn’t figured out what you were going to say to him.

Deciding to wing it as you approached your door, as you unlocked it and stepped into the hallway you took a long, meditative breath.

Here goes nothing.

You started by walking to the light switches in your hallway and in one fluid motion, your living room was illuminated.

If you were going to do this, you weren’t going to do it as a coward.

You had, as a wise woman once said, grown a pair and manned up.

Not entering the lit-up room just yet, you instead walked back to the bedroom and changed out of your work clothes, wishing for nothing more than to get out of the business casual attire you were confined in all day.

Slipping on a baseball tee and some shorts you took your laptop out of your bag and padded towards the kitchen.

Since the kitchen and living room were situated in an open concept you had no choice but to eventually face the kitchen, however you busied yourself with dinner first, as your stomach was making itself known.

Whipping up a quick meal that you found on your laptop, you hummed as you worked, mindlessly bopping to the music that you had playing in the background.

Once you finished cooking you walked to the cabinet and refilled Mimi’s bowl before taking your culinary creation to the small dining table.

While watching an episode of your favourite drama you finished off your dinner and did the dishes. Returning back to the table to retrieve your laptop, you had intended to finish the remainder of the episode.

Meow.

You swore that cat was out to get you.

You stopped midway from picking up your laptop and glanced over at your cat who was sitting on the windowsill.

Not alone.

You stared at the man in the distance and though you couldn’t properly see him, you nevertheless lent forward and offered a polite bow.

He returned the gesture and you took a deep breath.

Showtime.

You began to make your way over to the window, closing the laptop and tucking it under your arm as you gave the man before you your undivided attention.

“I’m sure she has told you all of my deepest darkest secrets by this point,” you started, throwing a suspicious look at the furry mass by your hip “there isn’t a loyal bone in her body.”

The man smiled and let out a chuckle, “She has been talking about you in great detail I’m afraid”

“Just bad things, I presume”

“Only the worst” he offered a secretive smirk and you snorted.

“Speaking of the worst, I was afraid that the paint fumes had done you in” setting your laptop down you paused at his words and your mind went into overdrive thinking about how you were going to respond.

Briefly you wondered back to your friend’s advice, wondering if you should lie and make up some outlandish story.

Deciding that living a life of treachery was not something that tickled your fancy, you looked up in response.

“Ah, almost, I must have breathed in too many fumes, I was quite sick so I was out of commission for the last while” that wasn’t a whole lie, you were feeling oddly sick, just that it was most definitely not from paint fumes.

But like hell you were going to let him know that.

He let out a hum and nodded his head, apparently accepting your answer, but his eyebrows then furrowed.

“But you’re fine now, right?” he looked cute, worrying over you like a mother hen.

You gave him a grateful smile, waving your hand dismissively.

“It’s going to take more than paint fumes and bad ramen to do me in, fear not good sir”

“Besides, I need to see if SooJin wakes up from her coma and realizes that Joonwoo-“

“-is actually the man that saved her from the burning building when she was a child and that he is being swindled by her uncle who wants to take over the company?” you blinked at the excited look the boy gave you, who was nodding his head eagerly, hands animatedly waving as he spoke.

“….you watch soap operas?” You couldn’t believe the usually reserved man was actually gushing about a daytime drama.

Eat it, Seulgi, you uncultured swine. I told you it was an art.

“Well I’m never home to watch them when they air, but I usually stream them when I get the chance.

I dislocated my ankle really bad a few months ago and was put on home arrest, it was the only thing on at the time and I’ve been hooked ever since” He let out a sheepish laugh as his shoulders shrugged indifferently.

You let out a loud laugh and he seemed startled by the sound, but you weren’t paying attention to him anymore as tears began to well up in your eyes.

You started to shake as giggles bubbled from your throat, needing your hand to brace on the windowsill, not being able to stand straight.

“I can’t…believe…this…is happening…” You could barely breathe, “-looks are definitely deceiving” You commented, sending him a sly smile, eyebrows wiggling.

His face suddenly was dusted with a stunning shade of pink and you wanted nothing more than to squish his cheeks together.

Too precious

He began to mutter something about being totally manly and how it was good study material.

You started to come down from your hysteria but the smile never left your face.

“It’s ok, it will be our little secret, neighbor. But really,” you leaned in conspicuously, as if you were discussing something top secret.

“What do you think Soojin’s next move will be once she wakes up?”

From that moment on you managed to entice him into a totally manly conversation about plot holes and never-ending character resurrections.

Much like work, you were so lost in the conversation, completely forgetting about the awkwardness that you were supposed to be feeling, that you lost track of the hours passing as the two of you talked. The conversation drifted from daytime dramas, settling on mindless chatter that left you with bits of information about the man before you that you never knew you wanted to know.

All the while a wide smile adorned both of your faces.

Chapter VI

[ethicallysourcedhumanmeat]

Lost Boys: Day Four: 1

[ < ][First][ > ] [Masterpost][AO3] [Buy Me a Coffee]

She’s sitting on a picnic table at the park with Darryl when she pulls her phone out.  The big dog whines at her and she shrugs.  “I know, stop judging me.”

Yoosung is alone in the chat when she enters and they’ve barely said hello when Jihyun shows up.  V she corrects herself, if she kept thinking of him as Jihyun she would say something and the big secret would be revealed.

Big secret, what was 707 worried about, what could this charity group have that anyone really dangerous would want.  Yet as stupid as she thought the whole situation was, it was an adventure and she was kind of eating it up.  She had no doubt that, whatever his real name was, 707 was definitely more than a hacker.  The surveillance on the apartment was impressive; she’d counted four cameras, found 7 different bugs not to mention a number of sensors she couldn’t identify.

Noelle barely paid attention to the chat, she should be watching it closer but that nagging feeling about V pulled at her chest and her mind begin to drift.  She answered in short curt sentences, sometimes he would say something and she would think he knew and she would curse the way her heart leapt at that thought that he was thinking of her.

Throwing the party in a week didn’t seem like such a big deal but Yoosung was obviously upset, the sudden switch in his mood caught her eye and she immediately starts to mediate the chat.  It’s not a big deal she tries to impart.  She’s had worse deadlines, it’s not a big deal.

He knows, she hears her seventeen year old self cry again and her chest tightens watching the chat, waiting for her phone to ring, a text to sing out.  Of course he knows, 707 did a background check, 707 knows about Jumin, he’d know about Jihyun. 

V is gone as quickly as he arrived, barely a goodbye.  She lingers at the table and tries to calm Yoosung down.  Something about him resonates with the person she was and she doesn’t want to ignore him.  There’s something so strange about the way they talk about this woman, even Jihyun.  The reverence, more than just that she’d died, or that she’d taken her own life.

She can’t stand here with her phone out any longer, she takes Darryl back to the apartment and changes, if she’s going to start training with Nina again she’ll need to start working out.

*

He’s eating lunch with his father when his phone rings.  Jumin excuses himself and lets his phone softly vibrate in his pocket while he finds a place where he won’t be intruding on anyone’s peace.  It also brings him no small joy to make her wait.

“You’ve decided to return my calls then.”

“What?” He can clearly picture the way she would curl her lip with that tone.

“I have left you a number of voicemails,” he scolds her.

“Why wouldn’t you just call my cell phone.”

“I was concerned,” he says sardonically.

“The ringer is off,” she says.  “You should have called my cell phone if you were worried.”

“It was not,” he states, “I stood outside your apartment this morning and I could hear it ringing.”

“You’re being really weird, Jumin.  Why are you loitering in my building on a Sunday morning?”

“I was not loitering, I had to retrieve some paperwork from Assistant Kang.”

“God Jumin can’t she even get one day a week, doesn’t she go to church on Sundays?  Leave her alone.”

He chuckles.  “You’re obviously not going to tell me what you’re doing—”

“Bringing shame to the family name,” she interrupts.

He ignores her.  “I assume you had a reason to interrupt my lunch.”

“Tell the old man I say Hello,” she chirps.

“Noelle.”

“The gym in your building, do I need some kind of fancy ID to use it?  My membership expired like months ago and I don’t want to dip into my savings so some noodle arm asshole can try to explain an inversion table to me.”

“It is not out of the question, I could have security let you in for today, and have a new keycard made for you.”

“Everything I’ve ever said to your assistant was a lie, you truly are a caring and compassionate person,” she laughs.

“I will choose to ignore that,” he tries to sound unimpressed but he’s smiling too.  “However isn’t my building out of the way?”

“It’s on the way to rehearsal, not a big deal.  Some of us drive, you know?  Besides it’s worth it to be totally alone.”

“When do you plan to go, should I have someone ready to let you in?”

*

Standing in the shower room in the gym she was torn, it looked clean, and there was almost never anyone in the gym as far as she’s ever seen.  That didn’t mean that it didn’t get used and this still was basically a public shower stall.  On the other hand she still had the temporary key that should work the elevator to her brother’s penthouse; she could use his shower, his huge shower with the multiple shower heads and temperature presets.  She shoulders her gym bag and chances the elevator, after a short moment where she almost turns around the ground shifts and the elevator starts to move.

She finger guns one of Jumin’s security bulldogs on her way to his door, she’s sure the stern looking man is phoning Jumin as she checks her key to his door.   Jumin’s cat weaves between her feet as she closes the door behind her.  She kneels down in front of the cat and scratches behind her ears.

“Don’t tell your husband, alright Libby?”

Elizabeth III meows softly in response and saunters away.

She hadn’t even realized that her phone had connected to the Bluetooth in Jumin’s penthouse until she was rinsing her hair and the little display in the shower started chirping at her.  Of course he’d be wired to answer calls in the shower, he barely slept, and he lived and breathed his work.  It was probably Jumin anyway, wondering what she was doing in his house.

The display reads out Zen’s number however and she freezes, hesitating for a moment before she hit the answer button.

“Hey Babe, you weren’t busy were you?”

“N-nope,” she stammers, there seems a strange intimacy to answering the phone in the shower.

“Are you ok?” he asks.  “Is it raining where you are?”

“No,” she says, “I’m fine, I’m just,” she freezes, does she just say it?  Tell him she’s in the shower?  Is that weird? “I’m in the shower.”

“Babe,” he chuckles but his voice cracks a little. “You’ll ruin your phone, call me when you’re done.”

“No,” she laughs, listening to the way he’s straining to control his voice, “I don’t have the phone in here with me dummy. My brother has Bluetooth in his shower.”

“You have a brother?” He asks, distracted for a moment.

“Yeah,” she says, of all the things for him to focus on right now. 

“Do you live there?” he asks.

She smiles to herself.  There’s an obvious tension in his voice. “Nope,” she shuts the water off and steps out of the shower.  “He’s out, but it’s closer to the gym than my apartment,” like in the building, she thinks, “and on the way to work.”

“You work on Sundays?” He asks.

“Sometimes,” she laughs.

“Is something funny?” he asks.

“It’s just,” she pauses a moment to make sure she’s removed her call from the Bluetooth system, but she leaves it on speaker phone, “You started out so strong.”

“What?” He chokes a little.

“I mean you called to flirt right?”  She pulls on her underwear and glances between her bra and binder, deciding on the bra before starting to braid her hair.

“Hah, you caught me,” she can almost hear him blushing.

“You sound really cute when you’re flustered,” she smiles at her reflection in the mirror. “Like a puppy.”

“Babe,” he says with an edge to his voice.  “I am not a puppy, if I was there you’d see I’m a wolf.”

She snorts and covers the phone, she hopes he didn’t hear that.  “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” but she can hear him swallow hard.

“You couldn’t even handle talking to me on the phone while I was showering, how much of a wolf can you be?”

“It’s not,” he stammers again, “it’s just that I’m a gentleman.”

“I’d rather the wolf,” she laughs, but he was cute when he was flustered.  It had only been a few days like this but she wondered if he was starting to actually like her.

She was starting to think that she might like him.  Would she think that if she only knew the aloof but kind actor or if she only knew this flirting mess of a man on the other end of the phone?  She hadn’t even been interested in him the few times they’d been in shows together.  He was never more than professional and kind to the casts and crews he worked with but he’d always distanced himself.  She’d thought it was arrogance but after the last few days and the way he’d smiled down at her that night on the stairs. Had that been the moment?

“Then what are you wearing?” He asks.

“uh-what,” she stammers caught off guard, “oh!” She smirks in the mirror. “Well I haven’t gotten dressed yet—”

“Oh,” his voice is quiet.

“Boyshorts,” she whispers “Purple boyshorts.”

There’s a sharp intake of breath and then nothing and she starts to get dressed, tanktop and bicycle shorts under a high-waisted skirt, she’d decided to go femme tonight to help her get into character, she wasn’t reading for Viola after all.

“What about,” his breath catches and she smiles to herself.  As confident as he came off he was still human.  It made her like him more, “your uh, your bra,” he whispers.

God how was she going to go to rehearsal and pretend like she hadn’t just had this conversation with him? She glances in the mirror and then into her shirt.  “Blue I guess, it doesn’t match I hadn’t planned to wear it.”

It sounds like he’s coughing, and then she hears him apologise to someone. 

“Uh, Zen, where are you right now?” She asks and she can hear the soft pad of Elizabeth jumping down from something before the door to Jumin’s penthouse opened.

“The, hmm, the train,” he admits.                                                                                      

She can’t help it, she bursts into cackling laughter. “I am so sorry,” she practically snorts through gasping breaths.

“Noelle,” Jumin calls.

“It’s fine,” he says.  “It’s ok. I’m sorry.”

She tries to control her laughter.

“Noelle?” Jumin calls from somewhere closer.

“I have to go Zen,” she says, still chuckling, “my brother just got back.” She doesn’t wait for him to hang up, she has to close the messenger before Jumin finds her.

She brushes past him as he makes to knock on the bathroom door.

“You look very nice,” he says following her out, “but could you explain why you were in my bathroom.”

“Your shower is a religious experience.  Compared to a lukewarm possibility of foot fungus?  Seems pretty obvious.” She crouches down and pats Elizabeth III again.  “Who ratted on me, was it the grumpy looking guy?”

“No one ratted on you Noelle, I could hear you cackling like Doctor Frankenstein.”

“How’s Dad?” She shrugs.

“My Father is well, you know that you saw him last week.”

“I’m being polite Jumin.”

“You look uncommonly feminine,” he says gesturing to her skirt and waving his hand dismissively at her chest.

“Jesus, Jumin,” she shakes her head. 

“I thought you said you weren’t in love with him.”

“What?  Jumin I’m rehearsing, I’m just trying to be in character.”

He narrows his eyes at her unconvinced. “Is that so?”

“Yeah it is,” she raises an eyebrow at him, “what are you so concerned about?  You’ve been weird.”

Jumin hangs his jacket over the back of a chair.  “Have I?” he considers and he loosens his tie. “The same could be said of you.”

She smiles.  “I’m erratic; I have mental illness, what’s your excuse.”

Jumin snorts.  “Fine, we don’t have to talk about it, if you don’t want to.”

“Jumin, I’m going to be late, I didn’t mean to take so long but—”

“Religious experience,” he says and waves her off.  “It has been a long time since we’ve had dinner together, when you’ve finished this project we should do that again.”

“You’ll have to invite the old man,” she smiles.

Jumin takes her hand and she kisses his cheek before she leaves.

He frowns at her back as she closes the door and when he hears her laughing in the hallway he touches his cheek, his fingers come away covered in her dark red lipstick.

[stylessemantics]

*~ Believe in Magic ~* (ch.1)

- 1 - Lavender-less Potions. Salem-less Times.

——

Harry is just a shy witch he's doing all his magic in a back room, or any room, at his beaten up apartment in the old complex, though his flat actually looks amazing on the inside. He has lived there for ages. Literal ages. He has a black cat, Salem, magical as well, of course, that loves getting in trouble almost as much as he loves getting Harry in trouble.

Mostly, Salem is sneaky. Goes on a hunt one day and doesn’t come back till the next day. Or goes around doing his thing and then Harry gets a knock on the door about how Salem did this or the other, all of it without Harry noticing. He just likes to stroll about town and have a good time. And that’s fine until one day, Salem realises that he doesn’t know where he’s at, and his magic doesn’t have the same reach while he’s far from Harry. He looks like a stray cat, and he’s new to this neighbourhood. Ultimately, Salem is fucked. Left to walk in any direction until he feels Harry near enough for him to try to get back to him.

Harry isn’t completely used to Salem after the time he spent alone with no where to live but his old apartment, after Frisk died. In fact he was just getting used to Salem being a trouble maker and a witty cat. Despite making it 5 years in the building, all Salem continued to do was either get himself in trouble or get Harry in trouble, so, on that day, unfortunately for Salem, Harry had yet to fully notice his absence.

There’s a knock at Harry’s door and it’s weird. Normally no one knocks. He doesn’t have much interaction with the people in this building and who ever might visit him, wouldn’t just knock. They’d phase through the wall, and always sending him a warning that they were coming beforehand, and not this unexpected knock that startles him while he mixes in some raspberry into his potion. He was just practicing, trying different ways to get his sleeping potion to look and taste like tea.

He hides his “lab” with a small spell, to open the door revealing his neighbour. It’s the cute girl that moved in about 5 months ago and with which Harry hadn’t had much interaction with either. She’s nice and bubbly, he knows this, he can hear her at night and when she comes by in the afternoon. He has to admit he has seen her and paid a smudge of attention to the soft looking girl with big brown eyes and round button nose and teeth that line perfectly until the small crooked one that keeps her smile real and not tv commercial fake perfect, which was something harry had immediately liked. But that was it. He hadn’t really snooped or paid any more attention to this girl after that day when she arrived. Maybe he knew she came around in the afternoon after work or college in the morning, only to spend around two to three hours in her flat down the hall from his, and then leaving, for either college or work, until around 8pm.

Harry wouldn’t have any problems talking to her, had he gotten the chance before. She seemed ok and he knew she was nice and perky, which was exactly why he didn’t really seek her out. She was spry and bubbly, maybe a bit too much for him. He’s not a douchey witch, he’s just a bit tired of humans, both mortal interaction, and human behaviour, sometimes got the best of him, specially after having to deal with the same kind of people for over 80 years.

She stands there with a nice dress that’s a bit too lacking in fabric for the weather outside, but Harry refrains from paying any more than needed attention to the outfit she sports. Instead focusing on the black cat in her arms. Harry’s mouth turns into an O shape. “ Hey, I think this is your cat?” “ Oh, lord” Harry turns around quickly to look at his flat. No signs of Salem anywhere. When did he? The sneaky bastard. Harry rolls his eyes quickly and switches back to the girl, taking Salem from her hands. “uh… Thanks for… Bringing him back” The thing is humans are all the same, yet so different, leaving Harry with little to no human interaction skills. His feet carry him to the kitchen where he sets Salem on the countertop. He’s about to give him a downright scolding. Sneaking like that. Only getting him into so much trouble. What if someone saw Salem talking? Or his shiny eyes as he pulled another prank on the old lady downstairs. “ Uhm. Kay. Thanks” is all Harry can say in his quick haste to get rid of the girl at his front door that was so kind to bring back his cat. But his small hiding spell is about to run out and she’s still all prying eyes into his flat. He panics slightly, closing the door.

She’s left to frown at the weird guy living in apartment 5F, and she could have sworn he had closed the door with his mind, as he was too far to have reached with his extended arm. She shrugs off the weird notion and the weird neighbour and picks back up on her way to her flat.

Inside, Harry sighs as his cauldron comes back to view and it’s basically over boiling. He rushes to set down the flames. Traditional potion making is such a hassle. He’s a bit mad at the interruption but glad that someone found Salem before Salem exposed himself, costing both their statuses. “ Salem,” he says and comes to level with his cat. Salem looks at him innocently. “why were you at the neighbours?” but Salem is quiet. He’s sighing under his breath, Salem is going to be like that then… Harry’s about to cast a small spell that will put Salem upside down for an hour, something he knows the cat hates, when he hears a small mewl. Harry’s face is shocked and he snaps in the direction of the black animal. Was that a…? There it is again, the small meow… The typical sound of… a normal cat. Harry’s eyes switch colours, from his usual shiny green, to a menacing gold, as he levels once more with the cat who’s now obviously not Salem. Words of a spell leave his mouths as he now focuses on talking to this normal cat. The poor thing is scared, and most importantly, a female cat. Not at all Salem. The cat is confused, not knowing what to do or where to go, not knowing where it’s at, as it cowers away from Harry’s stare. “ Don’t worry. It’s safe here” Harry reassures the kitten. “I’ll find you a good home” he sighs as the cat jumps in his arms and he removes the spell, eyes back to normal and kitchen smelling like rotten raspberries.

So Harry does what first comes to mind and takes this cat, over to the lovely neighbour at the end of the hall, looking at the big 5A and a small silicone removable sticker of a pumpkin she’s plastered on the wooden door.

She’s startled. She hasn’t really made friends with anyone while she’s been here. She’s probably the youngest in the building, not that she would have any problems talking and befriending the nice old ladies from 6A through 6C, and the doorman always knows her delivery orders and sets aside her mail for when she leaves in the morning, and she brings him his favourite coffee when she comes back before he’s gone on the shift switch, but that’s not really enough to consider a friendship. The only other person who could might have the same interests as her and maybe would go out with her to have fun, catch a movie, or just hang out at her apartment, is the tall, english major looking dude in 5F. He’s got to be around her age. Oh how wrong she was.

She’s surprised to see him, the guy from 5F, holding his cat in his arms. She had found the cat walking left and right outside by the dumpsters of the complex, and immediately recognised it as her neighbour’s cat, the one she had seen multiple times run down the hall and come up and down the stairs, only to make a sharp turn and rush back into the lad’s apartment by the small dog-opening. Funny that a cat went in through that, but functional she supposes. She never thought the kitty would be ok with her approaching it, but the little black ball of fur let itself be carried by her with no problem, allowing her to give it back to its rightful owner.

She looks at the curly headed man in front of her and gives him a warm smile. Maybe he’s there to properly thank her for finding his pretty cat, after all he was a bit rude when she brought him back. “ Hey, uhm. This isn’t my cat” are the words that escape his lips and she frowns in shock. What does he mean? How can that not be his cat, it’s identical. The crazy thought that maybe it’s his cat’s twin passes through her brain, but she’s quick to swallow it, stowing it away to laugh at later by herself. She stutters and Harry’s a bit annoyed, overall concerned over the fact that this was not Salem, neither was it a trick by Salem with a decoy cat. And then the young neighbour is opening her door wider and asking him to please come in. Harry hesitates. He’s awkward around humans as it is. And now she’s inviting him in after he was a bit rude to her and when he’s had no previous mental preparation for any human interaction longer than needed. His palms are sweaty. Maybe it’s cause she’s wearing the cutest pijama bottoms he’s seen, they look soft and they end above her knee, allowing him a quick look at her legs up-close. And her socks have little cherries on them, matching the pants. No. That’s definitely not it. Maybe his palms are sweaty because he’s rusty in human interaction. He’s really rusty. That’s it.

He puts one foot in front of the other, slowly coming in, the small cat meowing and purring.

Her flat is nice. There’s not much in it. Harry sniffles a bit after walking in. Minimal looking couch, a small tv, and a large bookshelf. Also some nice art decorating her walls, and the rug… The rug looks soft. Harry kind of wants to remove his boots and socks and just stand on it and feel the material under his toes. Wiggle them. Also her walls are a very light beige. Almost white, with an accent wall painted blue right before you enter the kitchen. Harry doesn’t know much about her, other than what he’s gathered from quietly listening in through the walls or peeking through his blinds, but immediately this flat screams “HER” so much. Harry sniffles.

“ Have a seat, would you like a cuppa?” She asks politely and Harry declines. Though he would love a cuppa, right now he would like to escape as quickly as possible. “ No… thanks…” Harry bounces on the balls of his feet and sniffles. “So. This isn’t… Salem” Harry grimaces. The stupid name of his cat is so obvious. But all she seems to do is smile and pour him a cuppa anyways. “ How do you know?” she asks and Harry opens his mouth. For starters it’s a female cat. Secondly… It doesn’t talk and it won’t do any magic… Just saying it’s a female cat will do, right? It’s also missing the small collar Harry had donned Salem, just human formalities, so Salem did look like a real cat, with a real owner. And just in case they ever needed or had to be apart, Salem could let any witch know where he belonged. But she’s quick to continue talking “Oh jesus, Y/N you’re dumb. Of course you know it’s not your cat. It’s your cat for heaven’s sake.” She slaps a hand to her forehead, as if scolding herself, though Harry can only think ‘Y/N… Fitting name’, as he sniffles once more. His nose a bit runny. Probably the cold air outside. “ I’m Harry, by the way.” he feels awkward not introducing himself so he drops it slightly. She’s quick to catch it as she sips her tea and pets the small cat’s head “So.. Uhm… This isn’t my cat…” Great Harry, you already said that. “This is a girl. Salem’s a boy. And the collar…” his voice trails off. The collar only works with other witches and magical creatures. Note to self, Harry, buy Salem an actual human world collar. “I was wondering…” He’s quick to continue, before she can ask much about the collar. Thought why would she… it’s only normal for a pet to have a… Ah, fuck sake Harry you’re getting yourself in even worse shit. “W-would you be willing to… keep this… ca- At-cHOO!” “Oh, bless you!” she says in her sweet voice. Y/N is quick to hand him a napkin and take the small cat from his arms. Of course she would be willing to keep this cat. She would need to buy food and a bed and a lot of cat related stuff, and she’s never had a cat before, ever in her life, having always been more of a fish person. But she’s up for it. She’s about to tell him just that when “ At-chhOOO!” “ Lord, bless you” “ Do… do you… at-CHOO!” Harry can’t talk. There’s something tingling his nose, making goosebumps rise and tickling his throat, as he can’t hold in the next sneeze, and the next, and the next. His eyes become glossy and red as he stumbles about, covering his face with the napkin she provided and breathing harshly. He can now fully sense it. “Laven- at-CHOO!” “Pardon me?” “ I’m allergic to-to… Lavender ah… AH-“ the sneeze doesn’t come out, leaving Harry with tingles on the tip of his nose. Y/N gasps and takes the napkin form his hand. Lavender is her favourite. She buys lavender scented napkins, and lavender scented detergent, and she sprays her bathroom with lavender, left and right. In conclusion, this flat is just an allergy bomb waiting to explode for Harry. He avoids lavender at all costs, it’s unfortunate, for it’s sometimes an essential part of many potions, but he just has Salem drop them in the cauldron and he’s glad it doesn’t cause any rash or something when he takes a sip of the potions, just the smell of it makes his eyes water, throat burn a slight bit and “at-cHOO!” “ Jesus! Harry, leave right now! Oh my god” Y/N’s freaking out, pushing him out of her flat and quickly shutting the door behind him. She quickly makes a mental note to eliminate all lavender items from her house, that is if she ever wants Harry to come back around. Wait… Does she?

——

Witch!Harry has started. I have to admit I’m not as sure about this as I was before. Let me know? Chapter 2 : Coming Monday, January 16th. #BIM tag. Intro Here. Schedule Here.

Ch.2 here

——

Also: Inspo: Can I just say Harry sneezing is the cutest thing? I mean I’m sorry cause it means he’s sick but... awwwww look at it. LOOK AT IT.

—— Iv. xo

[mypetshopworld]

Do you speak Cat...

How to speak to your Cat...

A Simple Guide to decode the Cat language. How many times have you gotten up early in the morning because your cat just woke you up with her soft paw and her loud meow... You get up eventually and start talking to your cat, and of course, she will talk back to you. Do you realise that you speak to your cat and your cat is talking to you? The Question is " Do you speak Cat language."

Believe me, communicating with your cat is an essential part of training your cat ( instead of your cat training you) and reinforcing a bond with your cat. It is possible to teach your cat, simple commands like " No" or "Down". I know what you are thinking now, but training your cat with simple commands makes her a better pet. Use the words like treats, dinner or any other word you use as communication for treats will help your cat associate it with something pleasurable.  Remember not to change the words each time if you decide on specific word commands stick with it. Cats with other cats do not communicate through verbal interaction. Besides the hiss and growling at trespassers. The common sound MEOW Meowing is a language especially developed for humans. What cats are only meowing between each other is usually done between the kittens and the mother.  Kittens with their little meows use it to get the attention of the mother.  Soon as they grow up, the meows stop automatically. Cats reserve their verbal interaction for us humans. As you accurately have figured out by now the cat language is a complex mixture of facial expression, ear position, tail positioning and other forms of body language. Cats also love to mark their territory with scents and sounds to leave a distinct message for a like intruder. Cats are fast learners  Cats are fast learners and understand quickly by observing us on which of their sound cause the human responds to their demands. ( Cats learn quickly which button to push on their human to get the attention) Do you speak Cat? Here it is how ... The Oriental Breeds are very vocal and have an extensive vocabulary. Our Cat her name is Minka she is an oriental Cat, she was a stray... boy when she wants something she is vocal, loud and persistent. If Minka is outside and she comes in through the patio into the house, and she is not able to see one of us either in the kitchen or living room she walks through our home and calls out "HELLO SOMEONE HOME..." First few times we thought we had visitors when we realised it is our cat. On the other side, and they have one yowl - tone for all. Another Stray Cat of ours or we look after is Schmuser, and when he talks to me, his voice is high pitched and so soft like a squeaky voice. It does not matter if your cat is vocal or not, your cat will be fluent in body language and this is a critical component of her interactions with you and other animals. Do you speak cat? Make an effort ... Try and make an effort to tune into the body language and the vocal communication from your cat. It makes the interactions with your cat easier. Learn to understand your cat's voice ... if it is hungry and wants to be fed, or your has hurt herself and told you your cat has pain, tune into your cat's language. What is my Cat saying, learn some vocalisations that are common when someone asks you Do you speak cat?

Cat Toys available in our pet store  The do you speak cat interpretation "Meow" is a word for everything. It depends on the tone high or low, face and body signs on what your cat is saying. Meow: Hey, how are you (a simple greeting) it can be a command ( I want up, I want down, or more food now) A short fast meow: here is your mouse, Our cat, often walks through the house meowing to herself. Multiple meows: happy to see you! Where have you been? Missed you! Medium pitched meows: It is a plea for something, a treat, dinner or just want to be let outside. A long drawn out meooooowwwwwwwww: Normally means she is not happy, you forgot her dinner, or you are late giving her meal, or you forget to greet her, pat her ... it is a complaint and a reminder Low pitch lite growl: Hey watch it, you stepped on my tail, or you fall over me did you not see I am right behind you. Are you blind? Purr:  Cats Purring is usually a sign of contentment.  When a Cat is happy, they sometimes purr even while they eat. Sometimes it is also a protection against predators. When a cat is sick or anxious, this is to comfort themselves .. you can say it is like a child sucking his thumb. Growling, hissing or spitting: Is an indication that the cat is annoyed, angry, aggressive or frightened. In short, the cat is saying leave me alone, or I will bite you. A yowl or howl : (it sounds like a loud drawn out meows) it usually means your cat is somehow in a kind of distress ... you might have locked her in the closet, or she is looking for you and another option your cat is in pain. Go and find your cat if they're making this noise. If your cat is unneutered and unspayed, these sounds are part of the mating behaviour. ( yes and for some very annoying ). In case your cat is an elderly cat, consider that they might be suffering from a cognitive disorder ( dementia) they might howl because they are disorientated.

Find more cat products click here Chattering, chittering or twittering: those are the noises your cat is making when she sits in the window or is outside and is watching birds, squirrels and lizards. There are different opinions around, and some experts think this Chattering, chittering or twittering is an exaggeration of the "killing bite," when your cat grabs their prey by the neck and works her teeth through the bones to snap the neck. Chirps and trills: That is how a mother cat talks to her kittens when she wants them to follow her. If she does this with you, it probably means your cat wants you to follow her. When our cat is doing this means she wants to show us her bowl either she doesn't like the food or she want to have more. On the other hand, if you have more than one cat, you can hear them converse this way quite often. One important thing to understand when you want to speak the cat language is reading into their body language. How your cat speaks with you through the EYES... Full dilated Pupils: Your cat is in a mood to play, and your cat might be excited. When cats play, they are sometimes a bit overexcited and tend to be more aggressive. Pupils constricted: Your cat is offensively aggressive, but possibly content. Pupils dilated largely: nervous or submissive ( not fully dilated) Slowly blinking eyes: Your cat is telling you she loves you, think about like someone is blowing you a kiss. Through the EARS... If the ears of your cat look forward: your cat is alert, interested or happy. If the ears are put backward, flat, sideways ( the ears look like an aeroplane): your cat is not in the best mood irritable, angry or frightened If your Cat is swivelling: your cat is attentive and listening to every little sound Through the Tail ... ( Many Cats in South East Asia have no tail or a stumped tail, our cat Minka her tail is half stumped, and I always wondered what happen that a lot of cats in South East Asia are without tails.)  When the tail of your cat is straight up or with a curl: that shows your cat is happy You see your cat twitching or trashing back and forth the tail:  that means either your cat is excited or agitated. The faster the tail, the angrier the cat. When the tail of your cat vibrates: means your cat is excited to see you. If the Tail fur sticks straight up and the tail curls in an N- shape: Be aware that means extreme aggression When the Tail fur sticks straight up but the tail is held low: means your cat is aggressive or frightened both ways be cautious. When the tail is tucked under the rear and held low: means your cat is afraid, insecure or anxious. If the tail is straight up, quivering: your cat is really happy. In case that your cat has not been spayed or neutered, your cat could be getting ready to spray something. This is a book about how to speak Cat... both books are interesting to read.

 Do you speak Cat? The Body language of a cat ... When the back is arched, and the fur is standing on the end: your cat is frightened or angry. If the back is arched, but the fur is flat: your cat welcomes your touch When your cat is lying on the back and is purring: your cat is very relaxed and happy. If your cat is lying again on the back but is growling: you can guess that your cat is upset and ready to strike.  Cat language Rubbing... You have undoubtedly seen and experienced that your cat rubs its chin and body against you, and many people say this is to say that your cat loves you. Well, this is some thought of right, but the reason why your cat is rubbing against you is they marking you as their territory. Means they say this is mine. If you look and watch your cat, you can see that it rubs the chair, the door, the toys everything in sight. This is a message to everyone that is your cat's territory and their stuff including you. But they do love you dearly. Kneading This is when your cat comes to you and massages you or the blanket this is sometimes called making biscuits. The cat works with the paws on a soft surface as if it kneading the cookie dough. That is a holdover from when they were kittens. When the nursing kitten massaged the mother's teats to make the milk flow. Your cat will do that when it is pleased. The Flehmen response Do you think sometimes your cat sniffs like a dog? Especially when your cat is sniffing your shoes than lifts the head, opens the mouth slightly, curls back the lips and squints the eyes? Your cat is not making a statement how your shoe smells don't misunderstand this, your cat is gathering more information. The sense of smell to cats is so essential that they actually have an extra olfactory organ that only a few animals have. It is called the Jacobs organ. Located on the roof of their mouth behind their front teeth and it is connected to the nasal cavity. If your cat is fascinated about a certain unknown smell, your cat will open the mouth and inhale the scent molecules that they flow over the Jacobson organ. That intensifies the odour and gives your cat more information about the object they are sniffing. Up to now, no one could figure out what the cats do with that information. Cats are mysterious, and that is one of the reasons we love them. So do you speak cat now... take the advice Speaking to your cat shows that the words you say are less important as the way how you tell them together with your body language. When you talk to your cat in the same tone as the commands "down and no"  when you use " good kitty' or " well done here is a treat" than you will confuse your cat as she does not know what you want, the worst thing she misinterprets what you are saying. A fundamental lesson in communication is consistency in the tone and interaction with your cat. When you correct the behaviour of your cat use a firm, authoritative voice and use it in conjunction with your body language. Use that tone consistently for correction your cat's behaviour. For example, you want your cat down from the table, computer  or bench then make a serious face and use your finger or hand to point down, say " down." When you call her for dinner or offering some treats use a happy voice smile and beckon with your hand. My cats have the habit of begging for attention in a rotation when I am on the computer or trying to work and accomplish different tasks. You will need to say in a firm tone "No" and gently push your cat away without showing the affection to your cat. I know it is hard, with the sweat looks on their face ...but if you want to get things done, there is no way around it. Cats and personal space As you are a Cat owner, you know that Cat's do not have much respect for your personal space. Cats are invading the human's own space repeatedly. Don't wonder if you have to repeat the NO-push combination several times before your cat will give up and leave you alone. Don't make this mistake and say "no" to your cat and instead of pushing her away you pet your cat, she will sure interpret this as an act of the welcome sign. Cats will also respond to a sharp spitting or hissing sound as "no" only use it when they do something seriously wrong and need to be stopped. Below is a great book to read more in detail about How to speak Cat...

The bottom line on DO YOU SPEAK CAT is Be consistent and make it a habit use the same voice, facial expressions and hand gestures for essential commands, then your cat will not have problems to understand you what you mean. The better the communication between you and your cat, the better you and your cat will understand each other. Let us know: Do you speak cat? How difficult was it to train your cat or is your cat training you? Do you have tips and tricks how to speak cat?  How do you speak cat? Feel free to comment below So long Melanie More blogs to read: How to be a responsible cat owner Turn your passion about pets  into a business  My cat uses my sofa as a scratch pole Never lose your pet again Cats and losing hairs should I worry? Essential oils for cats and dogs    Read the full article

[mypetshopworld]

Do you speak Cat...

How to speak to your Cat...

A Simple Guide to decode the Cat language. How many times have you gotten up early in the morning because your cat just woke you up with her soft paw and her loud meow... You get up eventually and start talking to your cat, and of course, she will talk back to you. Do you realise that you speak to your cat and your cat is talking to you? The Question is " Do you speak Cat language."

Believe me, communicating with your cat is an essential part of training your cat ( instead of your cat training you) and reinforcing a bond with your cat. It is possible to teach your cat, simple commands like " No" or "Down". I know what you are thinking now, but training your cat with simple commands makes her a better pet. Use the words like treats, dinner or any other word you use as communication for treats will help your cat associate it with something pleasurable.  Remember not to change the words each time if you decide on specific word commands stick with it. Cats with other cats do not communicate through verbal interaction. Besides the hiss and growling at trespassers. The common sound MEOW Meowing is a language especially developed for humans. What cats are only meowing between each other is usually done between the kittens and the mother.  Kittens with their little meows use it to get the attention of the mother.  Soon as they grow up, the meows stop automatically. Cats reserve their verbal interaction for us humans. As you accurately have figured out by now the cat language is a complex mixture of facial expression, ear position, tail positioning and other forms of body language. Cats also love to mark their territory with scents and sounds to leave a distinct message for a like intruder. Cats are fast learners  Cats are fast learners and understand quickly by observing us on which of their sound cause the human responds to their demands. ( Cats learn quickly which button to push on their human to get the attention) Do you speak Cat? Here it is how ... The Oriental Breeds are very vocal and have an extensive vocabulary. Our Cat her name is Minka she is an oriental Cat, she was a stray... boy when she wants something she is vocal, loud and persistent. If Minka is outside and she comes in through the patio into the house, and she is not able to see one of us either in the kitchen or living room she walks through our home and calls out "HELLO SOMEONE HOME..." First few times we thought we had visitors when we realised it is our cat. On the other side, and they have one yowl - tone for all. Another Stray Cat of ours or we look after is Schmuser, and when he talks to me, his voice is high pitched and so soft like a squeaky voice. It does not matter if your cat is vocal or not, your cat will be fluent in body language and this is a critical component of her interactions with you and other animals. Do you speak cat? Make an effort ... Try and make an effort to tune into the body language and the vocal communication from your cat. It makes the interactions with your cat easier. Learn to understand your cat's voice ... if it is hungry and wants to be fed, or your has hurt herself and told you your cat has pain, tune into your cat's language. What is my Cat saying, learn some vocalisations that are common when someone asks you Do you speak cat?

Cat Toys available in our pet store  The do you speak cat interpretation "Meow" is a word for everything. It depends on the tone high or low, face and body signs on what your cat is saying. Meow: Hey, how are you (a simple greeting) it can be a command ( I want up, I want down, or more food now) A short fast meow: here is your mouse, Our cat, often walks through the house meowing to herself. Multiple meows: happy to see you! Where have you been? Missed you! Medium pitched meows: It is a plea for something, a treat, dinner or just want to be let outside. A long drawn out meooooowwwwwwwww: Normally means she is not happy, you forgot her dinner, or you are late giving her meal, or you forget to greet her, pat her ... it is a complaint and a reminder Low pitch lite growl: Hey watch it, you stepped on my tail, or you fall over me did you not see I am right behind you. Are you blind? Purr:  Cats Purring is usually a sign of contentment.  When a Cat is happy, they sometimes purr even while they eat. Sometimes it is also a protection against predators. When a cat is sick or anxious, this is to comfort themselves .. you can say it is like a child sucking his thumb. Growling, hissing or spitting: Is an indication that the cat is annoyed, angry, aggressive or frightened. In short, the cat is saying leave me alone, or I will bite you. A yowl or howl : (it sounds like a loud drawn out meows) it usually means your cat is somehow in a kind of distress ... you might have locked her in the closet, or she is looking for you and another option your cat is in pain. Go and find your cat if they're making this noise. If your cat is unneutered and unspayed, these sounds are part of the mating behaviour. ( yes and for some very annoying ). In case your cat is an elderly cat, consider that they might be suffering from a cognitive disorder ( dementia) they might howl because they are disorientated.

Find more cat products click here Chattering, chittering or twittering: those are the noises your cat is making when she sits in the window or is outside and is watching birds, squirrels and lizards. There are different opinions around, and some experts think this Chattering, chittering or twittering is an exaggeration of the "killing bite," when your cat grabs their prey by the neck and works her teeth through the bones to snap the neck. Chirps and trills: That is how a mother cat talks to her kittens when she wants them to follow her. If she does this with you, it probably means your cat wants you to follow her. When our cat is doing this means she wants to show us her bowl either she doesn't like the food or she want to have more. On the other hand, if you have more than one cat, you can hear them converse this way quite often. One important thing to understand when you want to speak the cat language is reading into their body language. How your cat speaks with you through the EYES... Full dilated Pupils: Your cat is in a mood to play, and your cat might be excited. When cats play, they are sometimes a bit overexcited and tend to be more aggressive. Pupils constricted: Your cat is offensively aggressive, but possibly content. Pupils dilated largely: nervous or submissive ( not fully dilated) Slowly blinking eyes: Your cat is telling you she loves you, think about like someone is blowing you a kiss. Through the EARS... If the ears of your cat look forward: your cat is alert, interested or happy. If the ears are put backward, flat, sideways ( the ears look like an aeroplane): your cat is not in the best mood irritable, angry or frightened If your Cat is swivelling: your cat is attentive and listening to every little sound Through the Tail ... ( Many Cats in South East Asia have no tail or a stumped tail, our cat Minka her tail is half stumped, and I always wondered what happen that a lot of cats in South East Asia are without tails.)  When the tail of your cat is straight up or with a curl: that shows your cat is happy You see your cat twitching or trashing back and forth the tail:  that means either your cat is excited or agitated. The faster the tail, the angrier the cat. When the tail of your cat vibrates: means your cat is excited to see you. If the Tail fur sticks straight up and the tail curls in an N- shape: Be aware that means extreme aggression When the Tail fur sticks straight up but the tail is held low: means your cat is aggressive or frightened both ways be cautious. When the tail is tucked under the rear and held low: means your cat is afraid, insecure or anxious. If the tail is straight up, quivering: your cat is really happy. In case that your cat has not been spayed or neutered, your cat could be getting ready to spray something. This is a book about how to speak Cat... both books are interesting to read.

 Do you speak Cat? The Body language of a cat ... When the back is arched, and the fur is standing on the end: your cat is frightened or angry. If the back is arched, but the fur is flat: your cat welcomes your touch When your cat is lying on the back and is purring: your cat is very relaxed and happy. If your cat is lying again on the back but is growling: you can guess that your cat is upset and ready to strike.  Cat language Rubbing... You have undoubtedly seen and experienced that your cat rubs its chin and body against you, and many people say this is to say that your cat loves you. Well, this is some thought of right, but the reason why your cat is rubbing against you is they marking you as their territory. Means they say this is mine. If you look and watch your cat, you can see that it rubs the chair, the door, the toys everything in sight. This is a message to everyone that is your cat's territory and their stuff including you. But they do love you dearly. Kneading This is when your cat comes to you and massages you or the blanket this is sometimes called making biscuits. The cat works with the paws on a soft surface as if it kneading the cookie dough. That is a holdover from when they were kittens. When the nursing kitten massaged the mother's teats to make the milk flow. Your cat will do that when it is pleased. The Flehmen response Do you think sometimes your cat sniffs like a dog? Especially when your cat is sniffing your shoes than lifts the head, opens the mouth slightly, curls back the lips and squints the eyes? Your cat is not making a statement how your shoe smells don't misunderstand this, your cat is gathering more information. The sense of smell to cats is so essential that they actually have an extra olfactory organ that only a few animals have. It is called the Jacobs organ. Located on the roof of their mouth behind their front teeth and it is connected to the nasal cavity. If your cat is fascinated about a certain unknown smell, your cat will open the mouth and inhale the scent molecules that they flow over the Jacobson organ. That intensifies the odour and gives your cat more information about the object they are sniffing. Up to now, no one could figure out what the cats do with that information. Cats are mysterious, and that is one of the reasons we love them. So do you speak cat now... take the advice Speaking to your cat shows that the words you say are less important as the way how you tell them together with your body language. When you talk to your cat in the same tone as the commands "down and no"  when you use " good kitty' or " well done here is a treat" than you will confuse your cat as she does not know what you want, the worst thing she misinterprets what you are saying. A fundamental lesson in communication is consistency in the tone and interaction with your cat. When you correct the behaviour of your cat use a firm, authoritative voice and use it in conjunction with your body language. Use that tone consistently for correction your cat's behaviour. For example, you want your cat down from the table, computer  or bench then make a serious face and use your finger or hand to point down, say " down." When you call her for dinner or offering some treats use a happy voice smile and beckon with your hand. My cats have the habit of begging for attention in a rotation when I am on the computer or trying to work and accomplish different tasks. You will need to say in a firm tone "No" and gently push your cat away without showing the affection to your cat. I know it is hard, with the sweat looks on their face ...but if you want to get things done, there is no way around it. Cats and personal space As you are a Cat owner, you know that Cat's do not have much respect for your personal space. Cats are invading the human's own space repeatedly. Don't wonder if you have to repeat the NO-push combination several times before your cat will give up and leave you alone. Don't make this mistake and say "no" to your cat and instead of pushing her away you pet your cat, she will sure interpret this as an act of the welcome sign. Cats will also respond to a sharp spitting or hissing sound as "no" only use it when they do something seriously wrong and need to be stopped. Below is a great book to read more in detail about How to speak Cat...

The bottom line on DO YOU SPEAK CAT is Be consistent and make it a habit use the same voice, facial expressions and hand gestures for essential commands, then your cat will not have problems to understand you what you mean. The better the communication between you and your cat, the better you and your cat will understand each other. Let us know: Do you speak cat? How difficult was it to train your cat or is your cat training you? Do you have tips and tricks how to speak cat?  How do you speak cat? Feel free to comment below So long Melanie More blogs to read: How to be a responsible cat owner Turn your passion about pets  into a business  My cat uses my sofa as a scratch pole Never lose your pet again Cats and losing hairs should I worry? Essential oils for cats and dogs    Read the full article