#guess who never has to buy catnip again

[joinmeintheweeds]

I may not have my driver's license, but could someone in a car do this? *forages weeds in a ditch while cars honk at me*

[gideongriddle]

my most anticipated 2022 fiction releases, in order of current release date

tagged by @earlymodernlesbian

okay i “understand” that i am just supposed to pick “nine” for this and also that there is a picture limit here on tumblr dot com but jokes on you i am including a runners up list of considerable length after my main ones

dead silence by s.a. barnes (feb. 8): in space no one can hear you scream etc etc. the premise is very classic horror (exploring somewhere a tragedy took place and discovering there’s still!! something there!!) and it’s been blurbed by a lot of horror writers i trust. possibly gay? but i could be misremembering

last exit by max gladstone (feb. 22): max gladstone hive!!! empress of forever and this is how you lose the time war are both all-time faves so auto-buy. definitely gay.

end of the world house by adrienne celt (apr. 19): am i being sucked in by a great title and visually arresting cover?? very possible. but i’m (obviously) a time loop bitch and there’s a very good kristin arnett blurb so here we are. not gay as far as i know

siren queen by nghi vo (may 10): i have not yet read my copy of the chosen and the beautiful but i loved the empress of salt and fortune and old hollywood but with disquieting magic as a concept is catnip to me!! no idea if gay??

the final strife by saara el arifi (june 21): okay some author i really love was talking about reading an arc and loving it and i thought it was amal el-mohtar on twitter but now i can find no evidence of that so maybe i am losing my marbles. anyway this seems like it will be excellent company to the trio of meaty adult sapphic fantasies from last year, so i’m excited!! enthusiastically gay.

our wives under the sea by julia armfield (july 12): kristin arnett blurb strikes again!!! i love gothic fiction and have been anticipating this one for over a year. titularly gay!!

high times in the low parliament by kelly robson (aug. 9): this seems almost like a farcical cousin to the goblin emperor?? anyway i always want to read about fairies and politics and tor dot com has me in a chokehold. the inciting incident is gay!!

the old place by bobby finger (sept. 20): i am a who! weekly listener first and a human second so i am legally obligated to support. but genuinely i love stories about old ladies and texas settings and expect this to be both funny and tender. unclear if gay but seems distinctly possible?

the golden enclaves by naomi novik (sept. 27): thrilled and terrified to see the scholomance trilogy conclude!! cannot recommend these books enough as both genuinely nerve-wracking YA romps and deeply moving explorations of teens choosing compassion in an environment that actively discourages that behavior. side characters gay romance real, protagonist romance gay in my head

!!! releases i am thrilled about but i felt could not qualify for the main list!!!

fevered star by rebecca roanhorse (apr. 19): sequel to black sun, which i own but have not read yet! gay!

i kissed shara wheeler by casey mcquiston (may 3): have already read this and guess what?? it fucks!! about some truly insufferable girls (affectionate) and made me laugh out loud and also cry about growing up queer and religious in the south. multi-directionally gay!!

seasonal fears by seanan mcguire (may 3): sequel to middlegame, which i own but have not read yet! seanan mcguire hive never loses. i assume gay in at least some small way bc of her track record as an author?

the grief of stones by katherine addison (june 14): sequel to the witness for the dead, which i own but have not read, which is a standalone sequel to the goblin emperor, which i have read and am obsessed with. gay!

lockland by robert jackson bennet (june 21): final book in the founders trilogy which okay i do not “own” and have not “read” at all but amal el-mohtar has definitely glowingly reviewed the previous two entries in the series and i trust her with my life so i will be purchasing them all i fear. gay!

don’t fear the reaper by stephen graham jones (aug. 2): sequel to my heart is a chainsaw, which i own but have not read yet! not gay to my knowledge

the oleander sword by tasha suri (aug. 12): sequel to the jasmine throne, which i own but i am licherally going to start reading today!!! famously gay

nona the ninth by tamsyn muir (sept. 13): i am not bothering to write what this is a sequel to, you freaks!!! you know!!!! being unable to talk about this book with people keeps me up at night. the [redacted] of it all... september cannot come soon enough!!!! GAY

a restless truth by freya marske (nov. 1): sequel to a marvellous light, which i own but have not read yet! gay!

!!! general runners-up !!!

the thousand eyes by a.k. larkwood (feb. 15): sequel to the unspoken name, which i didn’t really feel needed a sequel??? but i am v happy to revisit these characters. gay!

extasia by claire legrand (feb. 22): i’m reading less and less YA these days but i loved sawkill girls and weird saint shit is always up my alley. gay!

dead collections by isaac fellman (feb. 22): eternally horny for new spins on vampires and also narratives about archives!! trans, idk if gay!

all the white spaces by ally wilkes (mar. 29): the terror-adjacent, with a trans protag!!! strong blurbs from other horror authors!! unknown if gay

sea of tranquility by emily st. mandel (apr. 5): i never got around to reading the glass hotel but i am a station eleven bitch. presumed straight?

when women were dragons by kelly barnhill (may 3): absolutely the sickest premise of all time?? unknown if gay

misrule by heather walter (may 10): sequel to malice, which i liked but did not love?? very curious if the duology sticks the landing. gay!

this time tomorrow by emma straub (may 17): listen any type of time travel or distortion is interesting to me!!! presumed straight?

yerba buena by nina lacour (may 31): have never read anything by this author but obvi know her excellent reputation! gay!

mistakes were made by meryl wilsner (oct. 11): own but have not read this author’s previous romance, something to talk about. this is being sold as “the milf book” so. gay!

ocean’s echo by everina maxwell (nov. 1): in the same universe of winter’s orbit which i loved!! gay!

even though i knew the end by c.l. polk (nov. 8): have not read any of this author’s work bc i am dumb but all her shit is extremely up my alley! noir AND vampires. gay!

[fatesdeepdive]

Entry 27: A Tiny Smidge of Morally Greyness

It has come to my attention that I made a few mistakes during my rant in the last entry. Hinoka is not, as I believed, Corrin’s younger sister. Hinoka is older. I had her and Takumi’s ages mixed up. This doesn’t really alter my point, because Sakura and Takumi are still younger than Corrin despite having the same mother as Ryoma and Hinoka, but it was an error. Now, I could own up to this error, which was absolutely my fault, but I’d much rather blame the game for never giving ages and keeping how long ago things happened in vague terms, which makes it hard to get a good mental timeline. I’d also like to note that I’ve been assuming Corrin was a toddler when kidnapped, which seems to be wrong. Corrin’s younger than Hinoka, who was seven at the time of the kidnapping, so she was still a young child, but Corrin was at least old enough to form memories with the other royals. Now that I’ve corrected myself, let’s go back to mocking the writing in Support conversations.

Support: Kagero/Ryoma

C: Ryoma, grateful with all of Kagero's recent work, asks her what he can do to reward her. She says his thanks is a good enough reward. Ryoma orders her to think of a better gift idea.

B: Kagero asks Ryoma to reward her by sparring.

A: After sparring, Ryoma invites Kagero to have tea with him.

S: Kagero has been working herself to death. Ryoma asks her why and she reveals her inappropriate love for him. He says he loves her too.

Review: Kagero and Ryoma are both very stern, very serious characters, and putting them together in an ordinary fluff Support line ends up being incredibly dull.

Support: Kaden/Orochi

C: Kaden is looking for a lost cat when he runs into Orochi. She gives him a cat summoning talisman, but he runs away before she can explain its horrific downside.

B: Kaden starts drowning in pussy. To clarify, the talisman, which is just a bunch of catnip, attracts every cat in the area.

A: Orochi explains that she likes cats and uses the talisman to summon them.

S: Kaden and Orochi play with kittens. Orochi says he likes Kaden because he's like a cat. The two of them make a lot of cat puns.

Review: Cute and fluffy. Like a kitty.

Support: Oboro/Subaki

C: Subaki finds Oboro working in a store, skillfully convincing customers to buy things. She explains to Subaki that she's helping out the store's sick owner and that it reminds her of working for her parents as a child.

B: Oboro continues working in the store. Subaki helps her hide this from the army.

A: Oboro thanks Subaki for covering her and says she's surprised Subaki did so. Subaki says that he noticed Oboro enjoying herself and thought it would be mean to screw her over.

S: They get together, because Subaki likes Oboro for working in a store and Oboro likes Subaki for keeping her secret. What.

Review: Ignoring the clumsiest confession yet, this one wasn’t too bad. Oboro being an old-timey merchant is fun and it’s nice when Subaki isn’t a dick.

Support: Azura/Hinata

C: Hinata spends all of his money buying bamboo shoots from a cute girl at the market. He gives them to Azura, who calls him an idiot.

B: So, this is a weird one. The girl who sold Hinata bamboo shoots, actually a Nohrian spy, follows Hinata back to our secret base in the Astral plane that apparently anyone can just waltz into. Azura actually recognizes the spy as a Nohrian noble she knew as a child. The spy runs away and is never heard from again.

A: Hinata gives Azura more bamboo shoots, which makes her smile. Azura reveals that the spy bullied her as a child. Fucking bold for her to do that, considering Azura was the stepdaughter of the infamously violent king.

S: Hinata returns from the mountains with more bamboo for Azura, who is apparently a goddamn panda. He then uses the bamboo to propose to her. She says yes because he’s fun.

Review: This is such a weird Support. First off, himbo Hinata is nice and I like Azura calmly worrying about him. But this Support also introduces a new NPC, who is never mentioned again, who has interesting relationships with both Hinata and Azura. I want to recruit her!

Birthright Chapter 22: Hidden Capital

The gang arrives in Windmire. Oddly, the city is completely empty. Silas explains that that’s normal, and that most people just hide in their homes all the time to avoid being killed by the faceless or bandits that are apparently common in the capital city. Silas also explains that Nohr is kept in perpetual darkness, which means crops don’t grow, which is why Nohr invades neighboring nations. It would have been nice to have this tiny bit of moral greyness to the Nohrians at any point earlier in the game, but I’ll take it where I can get it. Ryoma says that because Hoshido has an abundance of resources, they should share them after the war. Which I guess Mikoto never considered doing.

An Outlaw named Shura shows up and tries to mug the group. After a quick battle, Azura asks Shura if he knows about the secret passageway into the palace she was kidnapped through as a child. Shura explains that he used to live in Kohga, a ninja nation destroyed by Mokushu, and that his family served the Hoshidan royal family. When his country was destroyed, the Hoshidans refused to accept refugees, forcing him to move to Nohr. I guess King Sumeragi wasn't all that good after all, not that the game will ever acknowledge that fact again.

Ryoma offers to help Shura reclaim his homeland and Shura joins the team. Shura also monologues internally about how he kidnapped Azura as a child. Shura leads the group to an underground marketplace where they recruit a quartet of rejects from the academy. The marketplace, hidden from the king's soldiers, is the true heart of Nohr and is very lively.

Corrin runs into Elise, who is in the market visiting her old nanny, Cassita. Elise explains that the family has fallen apart and that Garon has been acting more and more evil lately. Cassita explains that Garon was a good man when he was younger, but became bitter after the death of Xander's mother Katerina and Azura's mother Arete. This does, admittedly, give a hint of depth to Garon. It isn’t much, but it’s something.

[thiswasinevitableid]

Hey, my 20 year old cat is getting kind sick with his age. Could you maybe write a little something about Duck and his cat to cheer me up? I adore your writing

Of course!

Which means we interrupt our current schedule of superhero AUs to bring you: KITTY!

Duck’s been in the apartment a little over a year. As childish as it may sound, he takes pride in the fact it’s a place he can afford to pay for himself, and that he gets to furnish and decorate in whatever way he chooses (minus things that would lose him his deposit). 

There’s still something missing, however, and that something is why he’s currently standing in the cat room of the Kepler animal shelter.

“Anyone catchin your eye, hon?” The volunteer asks a she gathers stray, jingling toys from the floor. 

“Just kinda gettin a feel for all of ‘em.” He scritches a white and black kitten through the slats in the cage, gives the white fluffy one that hisses at him a wide berth (he doesn’t take it personally). 

When he gets to the cage at the end of one wall, he finds a medium sized, scruddy tabby cat watching him carefully. Her left ear is missing a chunk, and she has the bearing of someone who can’t figure out why existence is a thing she has to deal with.

But when Duck steps closer, she stands, stretching like a black cat halloween decoration, and bumps her head into the bars. He does his best to pet her through them, and when he stops she levels him with a glare. 

“Mrow.” 

Duck had been expecting a charming “mew” not a deep, twenty-year smoker rasp, and doubles over with a surprised laugh. 

“I see you’ve met Winnifred.” The volunteer smiles at him, “she’s quite the little warrior. She was part of a feral litter that was found without a mother last year. They were found because someones dog saw them, started investigating, and Winnifred launched herself at him. His owner was more than a little amused to find his dog running back with his tail between his legs and a cat latched on his muzzle”

“That why she’s missin part of her ear?”

“Yep. Rest of the litter got adopted easily, as kittens do, but she never seemed to find the right person.”

Duck hunches down, finds yellow eyes watching him and gets an emphatic “mrow” when he scratches her behind her wounded ear.

“Hey there, Winnie. How do you feel about comin home with me?”

---------------------------------------------------------

“Okay, gonna put your bed right here, that way you won’t get too nervous at night by bein too far away from me, got you this real fluffy blanket too, aw, hey, it’s okay, no need to be scared by a blank-”

“DUCK NEWTON!”

“JEsus Minerva, you just scared her under the bed.”

“Who is this her of which you speak?”

“Mrow?”

“Ah, you have acquired an animal companion. She appears to have the makings of a mighty huntress.”

“Yeah, sure, now do you mind? I’m tryin to get her settled in.”

“Apologies Duck Newton, I was merely checking to see if you’d given more thought to-”

“No.”

“Very well. I shall leave you to your furry companion. Perhaps she can convince you of the importance of destiny.”

Minerva disappears, and Winnie blinks at Duck.

“Mrow.”

“Yeah, that’s about how I feel.”

--------------------------------------------------------

It’s the first serious raise he’s gotten since joining the forestry service. Bills are all paid, food and everything else is budgeted for the month with cash to spare. 

So he’s currently got his computer and LAN cable out to do some very important shopping. 

“What do you think? Three story cat condo?”

Winnie hops up on the table, chasing his hand as he moves it on the trackpad.

“You could use some new catnip toys too. Heh, these ones are shaped like little ducks. Hmmm, no these mice ones are bigger, better bargain. Two packs enough?”

“Mrow.” A sandpapery tongue licks his hand.

“You’re right, I’ll get four just to be safe.”

---------------------------------------------------

“I dunno Juno, things have just gone kinda south with him lately but, I just-”

“Duck, you know I feel about him.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I oughta dump him. But I can’t help feelin, I dunno, like I ain’t givin him a chance.”

“....this is gonna sound weird, but how does Winnie get along with him?”

“She don’t, really. She was okay with him at first, kinda shy like she gets sometimes. Now if he’s over she won’t come anywhere near us.”

“Do I really gotta say that ain’t like her? That cat’d play with a bear if she thought that’d get you to pay attention to her.”

“Shit, you’re right. Okay, I’ll call him now and tell him it’s over.”

----------------------------------------------------------

“I gotta ask” Leo sips his beer as the two of them sit at the kitchen table, “you had any problems with mice this spring? I keep havin to set traps in my cabinet.”

“Nope, ain’t had any issues.”

“Mrow.”

“Hey there kitty-cat, how’s it--uh, think I know why you ain’t had any mice.”

“Huh? Aw, jeez, Winnie, don’t drop that on the table! At least you didn’t leave it in my shoe or somethin. Thanks for keepin our groceries safe.”

“Mrow.” Winnie trots off, head held high.

------------------------------------------------

“Well Winnie, that’s that. Your human’s just a regular dipshit now.”

The orange loaf on his chest purrs soothingly as he pets her, focusing on her fur as he lays on his bed in the darkened bedroom.

“Guess I oughta write out a plan or somethin, in case you outlive me. How you feel about livin with Leo, wait, shit, he’s lost his too. Hmm, maybe it oughta be Juno.”

Prickly, padded paws knead at his chest as the purring continues.

“Takin that as a sign you like that plan. Then again….wonder if Indrid would want company. If he ever comes back, I mean. Juno’s got kids, and you’re gettin up in years and don’t much like bein mandhandled. Plus, that trailer’s real fuckin warm. You’d never get chilly. And maybe you’d force him to clean up all those mugs of stale nog”

“Mrowrrrrrr.”

“Don’t gimme that look, the guy’s just a friend, and I feel kinda bad that he’s alone.”

-------------------------------------------

Duck clicks the heater up a few more notches as Indrid slips off his Uggs. The Sylph came back in late February, and has finally allowed Duck the chance to buy him dinner as an apology for the punching. 

“Really, you don’t need to go to any trouble, I’ve dealt with worse, oh, hello there.” He chirps delightedly when Winnie bumps against his shin. She follows him to the couch as Duck searches for his wallet, which has chosen now of all times to stray from it’s normal spot on his nightstand.

“Care to join me, tiny predator?”

“She’s havin trouble gettin up on the couch lately.”

“May I lift her?”

“Uh, sure. She’ll let you know if she ain’t in the mood.”

“Alright, come along fuzzy one, ah, there we go. My, you are a dignified, silver-haired grande dame aren’t you.” 

Duck glances up to find Indrid cuddling Winnie, cooing over her as he pets her forehead. The Sylph is right; the once cheddar colored fur on her head is almost entirely gray.

By the time he finds his wallet (in a random boot), Winnie is sound asleep in Indrid’s lap. 

“We cannot leave. I have been chosen.”

Duck laughs, and goes to start some popcorn. No reason they can’t have dinner and movie at home, after all.

---------------------------------------

Duck is exhausted; the apartment is at capacity, the FBI is nosing around town, and he’s been training daily to prepare for the next abomination. 

So he’s more than a little annoyed when a familiar paw bats his nose, waking him up.

“Not even close to breakfast time.”

“Mrow.”

“Get.”

“MROW.” She hops off the bed, meowing louder and louder until he gets up, at which point she scurries into the living room. He follows, intending to bundle her into her bed so she can’t escape until morning. 

But she’s not near her food bowl. She’s on the couch. Or, more accurately, on Indrid, who is curled up on the couch, frightened. 

“‘Drid?”

“It’s all going to end.”

“Bad futures?”

“That’s putting it exceedingly mildly. I wish I could sleep, I’m so very tired.” He pets Winnie, manages a weak smile when she kneads at his thick sweater.  

“Could read to you from one of my tree guides. Might knock you out.”

“...Yes, that actually might work. Thank you, Duck.”

“You’re welcome, be right back with that book. Winnie, you’re in charge until then.”

-----------------------------------------------------

“I have one final thing to move in. Ta dah!” Indrid presents a flat, rectangular basket, filled with thick, fluffy pillow. It’s late November, and while the world was saved, Indrid’s Winnebago got crushed by a Quell monster during the battle. Not that Duck’s complaining about an excuse to move his boyfriend in.

“Great, what it is?”

“It’s a special catbed. I know Winnie is on the upper limit of her years, and that the cold is rough on her joints. I found an old electric blanket in the Winnebago and stuck it under the pillow, so she can have extra warmth without leaving her favorite spot.”

“Thanks, darlin. Sure she’ll love it.” He kisses Indrid’s cheek.

“It’s the least I could do. After all, she was here first.” Indrid kisses his nose, pats Winnie on the head as she pads, slowly, over to investigate the offering. Duck sets it down in her corner, plugging in the blanket. She sniffs it, then settles into her favorite shape, the one Aubrey calls “catloaf.”

“Well, old girl, what do you think? This all gonna be okay?”

Winnie bumps her head against his hand, “Mrow.”

“Yeah, I think so too.” 

[theresonlysofarnewmoneygoes]

here’s a short, jily one-shot inspired by the facebook ad above. disclaimer: i’ve never owned a cat. modern day au, including quarantine, excluding the uk’s way too lax guidelines. stay inside, kids.

ao3 - ff.net

---

It is quickly becoming clear to Lily that she has made a terrible mistake and she should have adopted a dog. She, of course, cannot share this newly learned tidbit with anyone, on account of her having spent every day of her life prior to the adoption moaning about how much she wants a cat. The wording of her demands have not changed much-perhaps from asking nicely to begging to all the other stages of grief, but the crux of it has always been: I want a cat.

And a few short months ago, Mary, tired of her rants about how it just isn't fair, Taylor Swift has three, I would love it so hard, snapped at her and said, "For the love of all that is holy, you're a grown adult, just fucking go and get one!"

This had not occurred to Lily before it was thrown at her along with a pillow at her head. That she, as now grown-adult, who pays her own rent and buys her own clothes and decides herself what time she needs to be up tomorrow to get to her aunt's brunch on time...can just get a cat if she wants to.

Which is a testament to how hard her guardian angel works, really. That all this time, just going out to adopt a cat did not occur to her. And now, because of the work of the devil (who answers to Mary), she is stuck with one.

One angry, violent, perpetually hungry, very pregnant cat.

And it's quarantine, so she's got nowhere to escape to. If she had gotten a dog, she'd at least be allowed to go on walks.

"Don't even know how she managed to get knocked up so quickly," Lily grumbles to Mary, pouring a few bits of catnip into one of Jemimah's dozen bowls strewn about their flat. Lily came up with the idea for making her work for her food in an effort to get her to exercise more. "She's such a stupid whore."

"Stop slut-shaming her, Lily," Mary says, sharply. Lily would think her serious, but she recognises the glee in her eyes.

"I can't believe you're enjoying this. When she has her litter, you'll be stuck with all of them, too."

"Ooh, litter? All scientific and detached, are we, hmm?"

"I only wanted one cat."

"But Taylor Swift has three, doesn't she?"

"Shut up," Lily snaps. "This isn't funny anymore, all right? You're not the one who has to go out to vet appointments in--this." Lily waves her arm about to signify the general insanity that is what the world has become.

For Lily has to traverse the jungle that is Infected London once a week now, her pregnant cat in tow. Clad in gloves and a mask and misery. Vet trips are not what a walk with a dog would be like, because a walk with a dog would not include the various sanitation tests Lily has to undergo at Dr Hagrid's office.

"Where has she even gone off to?" She's not in her favoured spot-by the window, body in the sunlight, tail under the shade of Mary's houseplant. And she's not anywhere eating, because Lily would be able to hear her.

"Probably to meet her lover," Mary suggests, stretching out on their only sofa. She waves around the spoon she's holding. "Just because you're stuck inside doesn't mean she is. Cats don't get sick, you know."

"There was a tiger who got sick, wasn't there? And how come she never moves when I want her to?"

Mary shrugs. "She's moving away from you, I guess."

Just then Lily hears it. Angry yowling and heavy thuds. The exact sound made by a pregnant cat trying to get through a pet door, and finding out that she is rapidly growing too fat, and being very upset by this revelation.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Lily says, sighing as she turns to made her way to save Jemimah from her own stupid stubbornness. She can see her tiny paws trying to claw her way inside. "All right, mind my door, please-oh!"

As Lily opens the door, she sees Jemimah is not alone in trying to push herself inside. Someone's trying to help her. The same messy dark hair, but most definitely not a cat.

"Oh," he says, picking his head up from the floor. "Hi."

"What exactly are you doing? Two metres back! Please!"

"Ah, right, sorry, sorry," the man says getting to his feet and taking a few steps back.

Jemimah slips past her legs, slinking inside, probably making her way to one of her food bowls.

"Now, may I ask who you are?" Lily says, struggling to control her voice. She's quite torn: on one hand, this stranger has been shoving her cat through her doorway, which is not the best look, and she feels like she should be upset about that. On the other hand, she's not seen anyone other than Mary, Dr Hagrid, and the neighbours across the street who wave at them through the window sometimes, and her excitement at meeting a new person is itching at her, climbing up her legs-no, that's Jemimah. She bends down to pick her up.

"I'm James. I'm your in-law. This is for you." He kicks over a package.

It's catnip. "Child support?" Lily reads. Then it hits her. "Oh, you did this to her?"

James grins. "Well, not me."

"Well, your cat."

"Yeah. She's been coming 'round ours for a while now, but I only just noticed she was pregnant. How far along is she?"

"About a month. So...halfway, about."

"Wow. Well. She...I mean, she looks great." He crosses his arms and leans against the wall opposite Lily's flat.

"She does not, but thank you for lying."

He laughs. "I think she's glowing."

"It's the sweat. What's my son-in-law's name?"

"Catrick Sawyze. But only because they look alike."

Now Lily laughs. "I'll need pictures."

"Sure. Or I can bring him around for you to see-from a distance. Or, you know, when this is...over."

"Yeah."

An uncomfortable silence-this is not fun to talk about.

"What's yours, by the way?"

"Hmm?"

"Your name."

"Oh. Lily. Swayze."

James' eyes go wide and his mouth parts open a little, in the most adorable look of startlement Lily has seen since March. "Really?"

"No. Sorry."

Was that weird of her? Has she completely forgotten how to interact with people? Perhaps not, because he laughs again. Or maybe he's also starved for human contact and he's faking it.

"We'll have to have a party. For Pat and Jemimah's babies."

"Sure," Lily says. "Over Zoom."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be allowed to have small get-togethers by the birth," he says cheerfully.

Lily raises an eyebrow. "That's optimistic."

"It's a gift. Anyway, we'll talk custody later."

"Get a good lawyer," Lily says.

"Oh, d'you want them all?" He sounds surprised.

"No. One is more than enough, thank you."

"Who forced the cat on you?" he says, laughing once more.

God, it's nice to hear a person laugh in front of her. Because of her! And not at her, like Mary always does.

"The devil."

"Oh. Well. She'll be in a better mood shortly. And you can make sure to keep her locked up properly." He winks, and Lily's stomach flutters.

Pathetic, she can hear Mary saying already. But she doesn't see people anymore, and he's cute. She's only human.

"Maybe Jemimah will want partial custody, actually," she says. "We'll have to do house visits. You know eventually."

He grins, hazel eyes twinkling. "Count on it."

Lily drops a kiss on Jemimah's head as she closes the door, hiding her burning face in her fur. There's not much to count on nowadays, so she has to take fit neighbourhood cat owners as they come. Quarantine is no time for choosers.

[javistg]

A Second Chance. CH2.

Finally! After months and months, here’s the second chapter of my submission to this year’s @everlarkficexchange

Based on prompt 110: A time travel AU: Katniss from Mockingjay, (any part of the book, it's up to you), winds up back the day before her sister's first reaping. What does she do now that she knows what's coming? Now that she knows how Peeta feels about her, and she knows how desperately she needs him, and what they could share? What on earth could she, or should she, even do/change? And what is she should lose it all again? [submitted by @wingletblackbird]

If you haven’t read it yet, you can find Chapter 1 HERE.

You can also find the entire fic on FF.net and AO3

Ok, here it goes. Tell me what you think.

A Second Chance. CH2.

It's still early when Katniss, Prim, Gale, and Rory reach the Meadow.

There's a handful of young merchant couples visiting the booths their neighbors have set up, and a few kids from the Seam; older teenagers like Gale and Katniss with their younger siblings in tow. But most people are still at home.

Some are waiting for their parents —who have to get off work and wash up before going out. Others are waiting for the Capitol construction crew to be done with the reaping stage; because they can't stomach the idea of celebrating anything while the clanging of hammers and the buzz of drills and chainsaws fill the air with their monotonous soundtrack —a prelude of the pain which will accompany them in the weeks to follow.

Hand in hand, Katniss and Prim explore the stalls with the two Hawthorne brothers trailing close behind.

Mr. Donner's booth is the first to catch their eye. His array of gumdrops and colorful candied fruits makes Prim and Rory smile.

"Maybe we could get something from here this time," Prim says.

Rory bites his lip. "Let's check the other booths before we decide. Yeah?"

Prim agrees, and the group keeps on walking.

Their next stop is in front of Mrs. Kipling, the greengrocer, who sells popcorn and an assortment of nuts. This time, it's Gale who pushes them to move on.

By the time they reach Mr. Porter —the barkeeper who sometimes buys Prim's cheese— a small line has begun to form. His tart lemonade and iced mint tea are crowd-pleasers on warm summer days and, once night falls and the crowds start to thin, he'll pull out the stronger stuff. The line will be even longer then.

The last stall belongs to the bakery. Katniss spots Rye selling butter cookies, small cheese buns, and pound cake by the slice. That's why Peeta's at the bakery today, she muses as her group comes to a stop.

"OK, guys, now that we've seen everything, what would you like?" Gale asks.

Just like last time, Rory and Prim begin debating over what to get. Rory prefers popcorn, but they already had some at the last market fair, and Prim argues that it's her turn to choose.

Katniss smiles fondly as they squabble. Despite everything, Prim and Rory can still behave like children sometimes.

When they finally ask for her opinion, Katniss casually mentions the candied apples she remembers everyone enjoyed.

With all parties in agreement, Gale and Katniss pool their coins together. "We could also get some pistachios," he suggests after counting them.

"I'll get them," Rory quickly offers.

With a nod, Gale puts the coins in his brother's open hand.

The simple gesture tugs at Katniss's heart. Gale is done with school already. In a few more days, he'll start working in the mines, and everyone in his family will have to take on new roles and new responsibilities.

Just like Katniss, Gale's kept his siblings from taking on too many obligations but —regardless of what happens in the morning— lighthearted, innocent Rory, will have to start acting more and more like a grownup now.

With their apple and pistachios, the group walks away from the stands. After searching for a bit, they settle to eat under one of the tall trees lining the Meadow.

It's a sunny afternoon. The sounds of construction have finally been replaced by the cheerful song of the blackbirds perched high on the branches above them, and the green expanse is quickly filling up with people who are eager to enjoy the balmy weather and take a stroll.

Katniss is still laughing at one of Rory's silly jokes when she notices Peeta walking on the opposite side of the Meadow.

Once again, she's struck by how good he looks. The white shirt and khaki trousers he's wearing are humble and worn —a far cry from the stylish clothes Portia will design for him— but they make him look young and wholesome.

Her heart speeds up as she sees him brush a blond wave from his face. This is the boy she remembers when she closes her eyes; the one who stood by her even when they were little more than acquaintances; the one who Snow took away.

The last thought makes her so sad that she has to avert her eyes.

Next to her, Prim chews the last of her apple, and smacks her lips in appreciation once the treat is gone.

Encouraged by her sister's happiness, Katniss looks back up. Peeta's not alone anymore. Delly and her brother, Sam, have joined him.

As the trio reach the stand with the sweets, Katniss sees a fourth person. A slim merchant girl with big round eyes and strawberry blond hair who immediately takes her place next to Peeta when she joins the group.

Peeta turns to greet the girl and gets a pleasant smile in return.

The candied apple turns to lead in Katniss's stomach as she watches the exchange.

Dizzy, her mind speeds through a jumble of memories from the last two years and comes back empty. She's sure. Peeta never said anything about courting anyone else.

Her disappointment teeters on the brink of rage —hot and blinding, the kind that courses through her like molten lava and makes her want to smash vases and claw at people's faces. But she knows she can't do any of that, so she clenches her fists and sets her jaw to keep it contained.

Peeta turns to Sam, who's waving his arms around as he explains something, and he and Delly laugh.

The exchange reminds Katniss of Delly's words, "I used to tell people he was my brother." They certainly look like siblings, she thinks as her fists open up and relax.

The pretty merchant girl looks at her shoes; her cheeks have turned pink. She's embarrassed. It's a small detail —the fact that this girl seems ill-at-ease with her companions— but it's enough to put Katniss's mind at rest. With astonishing speed, her anger ebbs.

Exhausted after the emotional upheaval, Katniss looks down. Staring at the thin layer of dust covering her boots, she wonders --once again-- what she's doing there. Why was she sent back to witness this? She doesn't need to see Peeta talking to some other girl!

"You OK there, Catnip?" Gale asks with a soft pat on her shoulder.

Forcing on a smile, Katniss looks up. Rory and Prim are also staring at her, waiting for an answer. "Yeah." She points to her throat and coughs. "I think I swallowed through the wrong pipe."

"Want me to get you some water?" Gale offers.

She shakes her head no and clears her throat again for effect.

Satisfied that she's all right, the group resumes their conversation.  

Looking past Prim's shoulder, Katniss follows Peeta and his friends as they move on to the next stand.

The group stops to talk to Mrs. Kipling. They all smile, and even laugh politely at something Katniss can't hear —something she can't even begin to guess— and she's struck by how little she knows about this particular period in Peeta's life.

She's always assumed the baker's son never approached her because he thought she was with Gale —and because the Seam-Merchant divide would have probably made things hard for him at home— but she never considered that there might have been someone else; some sweet merchant girl who laughed at his jokes and wore pretty dresses or endured uncomfortable situations to try to please him.

She's about to make up an excuse to flee the scene and go find a dark closet in which to hide when a piece of an old conversation comes back to her mind.

"So, since we were five, you never even noticed any other girls?" Katniss had asked back in the cave of their first Game—back when she was trying to get sponsors, and she thought Peeta was just making up stories as he went along.

"No," Peeta had answered, pressing his cheek to the top of her head, "I noticed just about every other girl, but none of them made a lasting impression but you."

That's all it takes for what remains of her sorrow to go away. A memory.

Peeta's words —the old Peeta's words— are all the reassurance she needs. A reminder that through it all, she's always been on his mind. Yes, there might have been other girls —he's never denied it— but she's always been the most important one, and he has proven it over, and over, and over again.

As she sits there, nestled between her sister and Gale, she knows no one watching could say the same about her.

"Want some?" Gale offers the bag of pistachios. As she takes it into her small hands, she can't help but think about him back in Thirteen wearing a soldier's uniform and sneaking her food from his plate.

She hasn't said anything, talking to Gale about the "deep stuff" has never been easy, but she's grateful for his friendship over the last few weeks, and for the fact that he seems to have put his feelings aside. It's as if he's stepped down. As if he knows, even without her saying it, that she's made her choice.

As she sees him now --joking and laughing with their siblings, blissfully unaware of what the world is about to unleash on them-- she has to admit that she hasn't been very fair to him, either. Whether she's meant to or not, through her silence, she's also been stringing him along.

Not this time, she promises.

Peeta and his group reach the bakery's stand. A few feet away, a handful of vendors are already setting up the bonfire.

While Rye talks to his brother's companions, Peeta slips his hands into his pockets and scans the crowd. When he finds Katniss sitting under the tree, he stills. His smile falters.

All the way across the Meadow, Katniss reads the self-doubt, the all too familiar question in his eyes. "Did I misunderstand?"

"You didn't!" She wants to yell at him. But she doesn't. She can't. She knows what he sees: Gale and her, laughing and sharing a bag of nuts.

Enough!

Katniss pushes the bag of pistachios into Gale's hands. She stands up and brushes the bits of nut dust which have fallen on her lap. "Alright, I'm off!"

Gale raises a questioning eyebrow. "Where are you going?"

"To the bonfire. I'm meeting a friend there."

Her answer does nothing to satisfy Gale's curiosity. "A friend? Who?"

Katniss crosses her arms and glares at her hunting partner. "What is this, Twenty Questions? You're not the only person I know, you know?"

"I didn't say I was…" Gale shrugs. "I just—,"

The look of utter confusion on his face makes her laugh. This is what I would have done back then, she realizes. I would have just laughed. Because, while I owe him honesty, I don't owe him any explanations.

She's still smiling when she adds, "I'll see you later." Her eyes find Prim's --if her sister is surprised by this sudden change in plans, she doesn't show it. "Are you going to meet up with Penny now?"

"Yeah," Prim points to the spot where the main road from the Seam reaches the Meadow. "She's meeting me there in a few minutes."

"All right. Come find me when you're ready to go home. OK, little duck?"

With Prim's assurance, Katniss spins on her heels and begins to walk towards the line of booths and the bonfire beyond.

As soon as she makes Peeta out in the distance, her heart skips a beat. He's standing to the side of the pile of kindle which will soon become a roaring fire; chin up, back straight. His blue eyes, a reflection of the summer sky above, follow her every move.

XXXXX

"Hey!" Peeta says as soon as Katniss is close enough to hear him over the ruckus of people lugging the large pieces of wood they'll use for the bonfire.

"Been here long?" she asks.

"No," He points in the general direction of the booths. "I just took a quick look at the stalls with Delly and the others."

"The others?"

"Yeah. Sam and… Lena."

"Lena?" The warm tendrils of embarrassment creep up her neck and color her cheeks. She knows she's being nosy, but his hesitation intrigues her.

"The carpenter's daughter," Peeta explains. When Katniss doesn't say anything, he adds. "She's one year below us in school."

"Ah!" Katniss nods— as if Lena's age is enough to explain why she's never heard of her before— and then, because she simply can't stop herself, she asks, "You're friends with her?"

"Um…" Peeta glances around. His eyes dart through the people around them, but they can't seem to settle anywhere.

If Katniss didn't know any better, she'd think he was trying to come up with a lie, but she knows that's not the case. Peeta is a smooth liar, and he's only hesitating because he wants to tell her the truth. The fact that he's having such a hard time coming up with the right words makes her uneasy.  

Peeta's eyes finally find a neutral place to land --Katniss is not surprised to discover he's chosen her braid. He did that sometimes, she remembers.

"We're not friends," he says, somewhat defensively. "We're… acquaintances… I guess. I don't really know her that well… yet."

Katniss nods. She doesn't need any more explanations, she gets it. Peeta's relationship with Lena isn't really about friendship —or romance— it's about practicality; about planning ahead.

District 12 isn't big enough to have three bakers —four if you count Peeta's father. It seems that the Mellarks have started looking for an alternative trade for their third son.

It's much too early to guarantee a wedding, of course. Engagements can be broken, and Peeta and Lena still have a few more reapings ahead of them, but that hasn't stopped their families from trying to find an advantageous match for their children.

A sad smile lifts Katniss's lips as her heart slowly takes in the news. Peeta, her old Peeta, the boy who once told Panem he'd had a crush on her for as long as he could remember, is currently engaged to a girl he barely knows.

She wants to be mad at him for never telling her; for allowing his jealousy over Gale to fuel his anger when it was him who was involved with someone else all along. But she can't. Not when he's here, standing right in front of her and ignoring all others; risking his mother's wrath and his father's disappointment just to spend a few minutes with a stubborn girl from the Seam who still hasn't thanked him for saving her life.  

The flash of a memory breaks through her thoughts, and she sees Peeta walking out of the room after agreeing to marry her.

That was the second time that choice was taken away from him. Katniss thinks. No wonder he was so upset.

This new realization floors her, but the fleeting stab of pain she feels for having put Peeta through that useless charade acts like a wake up call, a reminder of the hatred she harbors for President Snow and her need to be rid of him.

Before the darkness can pull her any deeper, Katniss asks, "Want to take a walk?"

"Sure!" A hint of relief paints Peeta's smile as he signals to the field behind him. "Lead the way."

Resisting the urge to slip her hand in his, Katniss leads them behind the line of booths and towards the fence. Some people are already walking there to escape a bit from the crowd, so it's not as if they're alone, but the air is fresher, and it's far less noisy. With the woods so close by, she can even hear herself think.  

"So… last day of school, huh?" Peeta says.

"Yup. Got any plans for the summer?"

"The usual: help out at the bakery, watch the recaps… You?"

Katniss smiles, this conversation is so painfully ordinary, so utterly conventional. It's like no conversation they've ever had, and yet, it feels like the most promising one ever. Eager to keep it going, she answers, "The usual: help out at home, trade, watch the recaps…"

Peeta laughs. "Looks like there's not that much to do around here."

They're about to reach the place where the grass turns to gravel when Katniss stops and reaches for Peeta's elbow. "Listen, I need to tell you something."

Peeta stops. His eyes flit between the point where she's touching his arm and her face. "You OK?"

Katniss nods. She wants to say that, "Yes, she's fine --perfect even," but she can't. Her heart is beating a mile a minute, and she's as nauseous as if a swarm of angry tracker jackers was buzzing in her stomach, but she can't turn back now.

With trembling fingers, Katniss slips her hand into her hunting bag and pulls out a bundle —as wide and long as her extended palm— wrapped in a worn linen handkerchief. "Thank you," she says, presenting Peeta with the package.

Peeta's jaw drops. "What for?" Too stunned for words, he shakes his head. "I haven't—,"

"For the bread," she cuts in trying to keep her voice from cracking.

Peeta stands still, looking at the bundle like it's a piece of the moon that has somehow landed in her hands.

"From when we were kids," she adds, hoping the words he once told her will help him understand.

It works. Peeta's eyes open wide, and she knows: he remembers. "Katniss, that—,"

"That was ages ago," she finishes for him. "I know. I should have said something sooner." She pushes the little bundle in her hands towards him once again. "I know this isn't much. But…"

Tears pool in her eyes and she tries to blink them away, but she's too late; a couple of them run down her cheeks, past her neck, and land on the faded linen blouse she carefully chose for her first outing with the boy with the bread.

Embarrassed by her display, Katniss wipes her cheeks dry with the back of her hand. Peeta's tentative touch on her elbow stills her motions.

"Katniss, please don't cry."

She nods, smiling a little through her tears. "I just need you to know that I remember --that I could never forget-- because without that bread my sister and I wouldn't be here today."

Peeta's eyes glisten with the tears he hasn't shed, the tears he's trying so hard to keep inside because this is the second time they've ever spoken, and he doesn't want to look like the kind of person who can't control his emotions.

But she knows better —and she knows him— and she knows he's hurting because, even though he did plenty, Peeta's always wished he could have done more.

"Katniss, I—,"

Once again, she offers her gift. "Just take it, please?"

Peeta's hands wrap around the small parcel holding it as carefully as if it were a bomb. "OK. But, just so we're clear, you didn't need to do this. Seriously, you don't owe me anything."

They've had this conversation before, so she knows he means it. It was the kind of thing that drove her mad about him, the fact that he could do something without expecting anything in return. She used to think it was because he was a pampered brat, a son of privilege who could afford to hand out tokens and ponder about the injustices of the world because he had everything he needed and more, but she knows better now.

Peeta's life is far from perfect, but he's still generous, and kind… and incredibly stubborn, and she's not going to waste the precious time they have left by arguing with him.

With an exaggerated eye roll that shows him she doesn't agree, she lets the matter drop. "Yeah, yeah. Open it," she instructs.

With the same delicate movements he uses to frost the most detailed cookies, Peeta unwraps the little bundle. Six brand new pencils, a different color each, appear on his palm.

As if afraid that someone might snatch them away, Peeta closes his hand over the pencils and brings it to his chest. "How did you know?"

Katniss shrugs. "I guessed. I knew you decorated the cakes and the cookies, so I figured that maybe you like to draw, too."

"I do. I just…" Peeta looks down at the bunch of pencils. He's holding them so tightly she fears he might break them, but the look of awe in his eyes tells her he won't.

"So…," Katniss nods towards the pencils when she can't take the silence anymore, "are they OK?"

Peeta beams at her —infatuation written all over his face. He looks so radiant and handsome that she has to wrap her arms around herself to keep from reaching out and touching him.

"Of course, they are, Katniss, they're perfect!" His cheeks turn pink as he unwraps the pencils to take a better look. "I've never had anything like this before. My father used to give us bits of chalk to play around with when we were little, but I've never had a set of new pencils all of my own. I…," His eyes find hers. They're still a bit shy, but there's a glint of seriousness in them she knows all too well. "Are you sure this is OK?"

"Yes." She nods for emphasis.

The old Katniss, the one who lived this day the first time, wouldn't have agreed —buying six brand new pencils was an extravagance she couldn't afford. But this Katniss, the one who has been through two arenas and who knows her sister is about to be reaped, has decided that giving Peeta those pencils and settling that debt is far more important than keeping her coins under the mattress because, if history repeats itself, her mother and Prim won't need the money; and, if it doesn't… Well... she'll just have to work harder during the summer to make up for the loss.

"Thank you, Katniss," Peeta says, wrapping the pencils back in the handkerchief and slipping them into his pocket.

Now that the conversation is over, Katniss breathes easier. With a quick glance, she takes in their surroundings.

The summer fair is in full swing. The area with the stalls is crowded, people wait in line to buy one last glass of lemonade or a bag of popcorn while the group of men who were carrying the wood earlier lights the bonfire. To the side of the blaze, a three-man band strums their guitars with a lively tune. Couples from both parts of town have gathered around them, they smile and clap, tapping their feet in time with the music.

The smell of smoke and gardenias fills the air now that the sun is about to set. Before long, everyone will be dancing.

"Want to walk a little longer?" Peeta asks so shyly it makes her heart ache.

"We could take a turn along the fence," she suggests as she starts walking.

Peeta falls in step with her. His heavy footfalls crush every leaf and twig in their path. "So… um. What's your favorite color?"

Katniss bursts out laughing. She can't believe they're having this conversation again. They're exactly where she hoped they'd be.

Peeta tilts his head to look at her, eyebrows squished together in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"I don't know, it's just… Why do you want to know that?"

"Well… I like colors. They're everywhere." Looking back at the Meadow, he adds, "There's an entire language hidden in the shapes and shades that surround us —a language that speaks of life's moments, of the connections we make, the bonds we forge— but its words are constantly changing. I'd like to capture them, to commit them to paper so I can remember them --enjoy them-- even after they're gone."

Katniss smiles. She's never heard him say those things before, but she's seen the things he can do. The moments and ideas he can capture on paper. I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever. Her mind whispers.

Before her memories can pull her down the rabbit hole of pain and longing she knows all too well, she mumbles, "It's green."

"Green?" Peeta's smile is so infectious she finds herself mirroring it as she nods in confirmation.

With a sigh, Katniss turns to look out into the woods. The sun is setting behind the mountains. A spectacular orange and yellow blaze lights the sky behind the tall firs and maples that surround the district.

"And you?" she asks, even though she already knows the answer. "What's your favorite color?"

Peeta looks up to the sky. "See that band of golden orange lighting the clouds?"

"Mm-hmm."

"That's it."

XXXXX

They spend the next hour walking along the edge of the Meadow; never too far from the action, but not too close either.

As they walk, they talk about things that are at once familiar and somehow entirely new and, before she knows it, they're already laughing together.

As they're about to turn around, Peeta gets a bit more serious and talks about his brothers. He says he's happy for Bran —who is about to get married to someone he loves— and a little envious of Rye, who's one reaping away from aging out.

Katniss listens, savoring his words and smiling at the things he says; not because she's supposed to --like she once did-- but because she's happy to be there with him and wants to hear everything he has to say.

When he asks about Prim, Katniss's eyes light up. Pride warms her words as she tells him as much as she can about her baby sister without bursting into tears.

Peeta listens and nods at all the right moments. The warmth in his eyes makes her feel beautiful and cherished. Under his gaze, she grows stronger and more powerful than she's been in months.  

By the time they reach the bonfire again, night has fallen over District 12. The merchant booths are closing, and people have gathered to watch their friends and neighbors take a spin on a makeshift dance floor in front of the blaze. The crowd raises their voices in a happy song to keep the fear of the reaping at bay.  

"I should go find Prim," Katniss says. "It's getting late."

With a curt nod, Peeta slips his hands in his pants' pockets. She's half expecting to see him bounce in place in that self-soothing tick of his when, instead, he stills. "Will you go out with me again?" he asks.

Katniss opens her mouth to speak and then closes it back again —suddenly unsure— but, before her brain can come up with an excuse to override her instincts, she blurts, "Sure. I'd like that."

Peeta's easy smile returns. They're so close to the bonfire now that the blaze lights up his face and makes him glow.

Forget about prep teams and fancy clothes, Katniss thinks, Peeta doesn't need Cinna and his artificial embers, he can dazzle the world just like this.

She's so mesmerized by him that, for a split second, she considers throwing herself into his arms and kissing him like she did in the cave… or on the beach. This could be our first kiss. Right here, without cameras, without careers, without mutts.

Her heart is beating madly, her hands longing to reach out, but she stops herself. It's just not right. The Peeta standing before her barely knows her. He's probably not opposed to kissing her, but he wouldn't understand.

Utterly oblivious to her reckless thoughts, Peeta asks, "Maybe we could do something tomorrow, you know? Um… after?"

After. One small word is all it takes to bring Katniss back to reality and to send her heart plummeting to her feet. Trying to keep the dread in her bones from taking over, she says, "That sounds good."

"I'll go find you once it's over."

Katniss nods, desperate for the conversation to be over. She doesn't want to ruin the beautiful afternoon they just spent with her tears, but the reminder of the upcoming reaping has sucked all the air out of her. "I'll be at the back… with Prim and my mother."

Peeta dips his head in a small kind of bow and takes a step back, putting some distance between them as if releasing her. "Go find Prim," he says --looking at her with that mix of admiration and tenderness which made her so uncomfortable in the past, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Overcome with a surge of affection, Katniss brings her hand to her chest. Her traitorous heart beats madly under her palm —asking Peeta to come back. "See you tomorrow," she repeats, ignoring the blood pounding in her veins as she turns on her heel to go find her sister.

XXXXX

It's a long night.

Katniss lays in bed, unable to sleep. Alone. Peeta is back in town, --sleeping in his old bedroom above the bakery for what will be the last time— and Prim has chosen the comfort of her mother's arms tonight. With no one to stop her, the huntress tosses and turns as she anxiously awaits the break of dawn

Trying to pass the time, Katniss reviews her plans for the following days: Go out into the woods tomorrow, and then to the town square. Volunteer for Prim. Get Haymitch to put the bottle down and help us. Follow Cinna's instructions. Train. Breeze through my interview with Caesar, and act surprised when Peeta declares his love for me. Go to the arena. Lay low until I can partner up with Peeta. Stay alive.

Her throat constricts as she tries to keep herself from crying. It's not an easy plan. There are too many variables, too many things that could go wrong —things she didn't notice the first time, but that could come back and bite her.

An then there's the people. She can't wait to see Cinna and Portia again —alive and well and thriving— but she's not looking forward to watching Rue and all the others die. And still, she knows she can't stop their deaths either. Her knowledge doesn't give her that kind of power.

What she can do, however, is make sure that her fellow tributes don't die in vain. This time around, she'll make sure that their deaths mean something; that their names aren't forgotten; that their blood isn't washed away.

This time, she'll make sure that President Snow is the one who pays.

[crazyrandomfucker]

Marichat May day 7: Disguise

Summary:

What would happen if Adrien and Adrienne tried to disguise themselves as random civilians and no one recognizes them? What would happen if they met Marin and Marinette and they called them out as Chat Noir and Kitty Noire instead of Adrien and Adrienne? Who knows

--------------------

As all the terrible ideas in existance, everything began with two kwamis high on cheese. Tecnically, it began when Adrien and Adrienne decided that it was a great idea to feed their kwamis 20 wheels of cheese each to stop them from their complains, but that's not relevant. The thing is that the two gods of destruction ate too much cheese and that made them enter into a state similar to cats when they have catnip. The last time Plagg entered such state, Atlantis had been drowned and lost forever. This time, luckily, the godly cats didn't destroy anything. Instead, they came up with an idea which would later on bring disaster to the Agreste teenagers (just kidding).

"Why don't you put on a disguise and go outside to be normal kids?" said Plagg.

"Even better, why don't put on a disguise, go outside to be normal kids and then put on a horrendous disguise to prank you father?" said Plaggue.

Those cursed questions turnedon the cruel gears of the universe that would later affect Adrienne and Adrien, on a way they'd never imagine. For them, it was simple, they would put on a horrendous disguise first and go out, but once they had their fun they would throw away those disguises and put on the real disguises ad try to be normal kids. At least, that was if no one recognized them first. Their ideas for the horrendous disguise were no others than the banana costume Adrien acquired during the Kwamibuster incident, while Adrienne decided to also use the Hot Dog costume she acquired during the same incident. Needless to say, if their father or Nathalie were to see them, they would have multiple heart attacks and probably a seizure. However, they didn't decide on what to wear as a disguise for the second part and just agreed to buy it from a store using their money.

The promised day arrived and the Agrestes were practically vibrating out of emotions. Their kwamis, were absolutely regretting everything they had said during the time they weren't at their best by simply looking at their stupid holders on those forsaken costumes. They strongly refused to comply with the kids and transform into Chat Noir and Kitty Noire, nope, definitely they weren't doing that, again. But their minds changed a bit when they saw the amount of cheese they would be having once they came back, giving into the demmands of Adrienne and Adrien and accepting the shame just to have a great amount of cheese to last them for about a week. And just like that, Adrienne turned into Kitty Noire as Adrien turned into Chat Noir, both getting ready to stealthily slither away from the mansion.

Once outside, they went to the center of Paris and found a safe alley to transform back and begin their little experiment. They went to the main streets and began to walk as if they were doing something completely normal, with everyone looking at them as they passed by, but they still walking because they only had to worry about two things. The worst thing it could happen to them would be either being discovered by their father, which would led them to some severe punishment for sure; or being discovered by Lordbug and Ladybug, which would be certainly mortifying. However both possibilities weren't that probable to happen, so they continued being carefree and making everyone that saw them very confused.

After about 20 minutes however, the costumes we're way to hot to stay inside anymore, so they rushed into the first store they saw, gave a vague excuse to the poor shopkeeper at the counter, and began to select what would their next disguise be like. Adrienne chose chocolate shoes, dark blue texans levis, a grey shirt and a black aviator jacket and then made his hair into a braid that falled over her right shoulder. On the other hand, Adrien had opted for some black boots, black trousers with holes on them, an acid green shirt and a black leather jacket like those that bikers wear, also changing his hairstyle to a more wild one, that looked like a lion's mane. They went to the counter to pay and told the shopkeeper that they were being followed, asking for him to keep quiet if someone asked for them.

After disposing of the banana and hot dog costume on an alley's container, they went back and picked something they had stored on the inside pockets of the costume, their sunglasses. Adrien wore some Wayfarer Ray Ban's with a black frame and green lents, while Adrienne wore aviator Ray Ban's that had a silver frame and gold lents. Now completely prepared, they went once again to the main streats to have some fun. They went to an arcade, visited a museum, wandered across town and went to a café. So far, noone seemed to recognize them, which was great since not even their classmates had recognized them, meaning that their disguises were great. But they had to visit the Trocadero, unaware of the consequences of that foolish decision.

At the Trocadero, Marin and Marinette were sketching while they made a sort of designing competition among them to see who could make the better cap with the inspiration of what they could see. After some failed attemtps, they began to think that they should change their sketching spot and see if they got better inspiration elsewhere. But all of that was quickly forgotten as they saw two teenagers that suspiciously looked a lot like Chat Noir and Kitty Noire. They decided that maybe they were too tired and were seeing things, but the supposedly civilian cats met eyes with them and the time seemed to stop. Adrien and Adrienne were interally sweating and cursing themselves, but Marinette and Marin were freaking out and asking themselves how could their partners be so stupid to dress as civilians in the exact way they do as heroes.

Marinette waves and gestures for them to come. "Hello" says with a fake smile.

They get closer to her. "Hello Marinette" says Adrien very nervous.

"Would you two mind if we go somewhere else with less people?" asks Marin forcing a smile.

"N-No, of course not" says Adrienne equally nervous as they follow the designers to a nearby park.

"Just checking it to make sure" says Marinette. "You're Kitty and Chat, right?"

Adrienne and Adrien instantly relax for a moment, thinking that they were still safe from having their cover blown. But then they remember that they ARE Chat Noir and Kitty Noire. "W-What makes you think that?" asks Adrienne sweating.

"Well, let's see" says Marin. "Your clothes are basically a civilian version of your catsuits, you know us and you look as if you had been caught".

"Those are just... Coincidences! Yeah, coincidences" says Adrien.

"Chat, stop lying we know it's you two" says Marinette deadpanning.

"Okey, you got us. It is really us" says Adrienne.

"What were you thinking on to dress like that? It's quite obvious that it's you two by what you're wearing" reprimands Marin. "I can only hope that you haven't met Hawk Moth by error"

"Actually, nobody has recognised us yet, you know?" protests Adrien. "You two are the first ones to deduce that it's us".

"Yeah, you're too observative for your own good" says Adrienne. "No wonder you guessed who are LB and L-boy".

"You're kidding, right?" asks Marinette not being able to believe that no one has recognized the two idiots.

"We're not, we've spent the afternoon peacefully, doing normal things for teens our age" says Adrienne.

"If it comforts you, our kwamis always says that people in Paris are blind" offers Adrien, looking at the designers facepalm.

"I can't believe it! How could no one recognize you!" exclaims Marin.

"Well, you didn't recognize our civilian identities either" points Adrienne. "You went and recognized our other identity instead".

"That's because since we acidentally discovered the bug's, we've stopped thinking like that!" says Marinette. "It's not like we want to discover all of the heroes identities and put ourselves at risk!"

"Fair point Princess. It's undeniable that you'd truly be at risk if you were to know our identities on top of Ladybug's and Lordbug's" says Chat.

"Still, I'm amazed that you recognized us" says Kitty. "Since we don't have our usual cat ears nor our tails".

"Seriously? Kitty, your outfit still has this badass vibe to it" points Marin.

"And Chat's still has his usual bad boy vibe as well" adds Marinette. "Even if in reality all you are it's dorks".

"You flattered us so much just to hurt us like that" says Chat, dramatically falling over Marinette.

"Yep, I can only see two dorks" says Marin.

"But you did called me badass~" teases Kitty scratching Marin's chin. "Couldn't it be that you two have a little crushy crush on us and recognized us thanks to that?~"

"Kitty, we're designers" says Marinette deadpanning as Marin blushes a bit. "And you already know who's the boy I like".

"Who is it?" asks Chat curiously. "She doesn't tell me that!"

"It's a girl's thing" say the girls at unison.

"Don't worry pal, I get you" says Marin patting Chat's back.

"Could it be that you also have a crush on someone and you haven't told me either?" asks Chat.

"You barely pass by my rooftop Chat, most of your visits are to Marinette" points Marin. "Come by later and I'll tell you".

"But I do go a lot!" protests Kitty. "And you haven't told me anything".

"It's a boys thing" says Chat and fistbumps Marin.

"Why are all the boys I know so idiotic" says Marinette facepalming.

"Even your crush?" asks Chat.

"Of course not, he's simply dorky from time to time" says Marinette.

"Or that's what you say" says Adrienne. "Because I have heard some stories that provs him as an idiotic boy too".

"Which stories?!" asks Marinette excited and angry at the same time.

"I'll ask a better question. Whose stories?" says Adrien.

"I'll ask you all a better question, are you leaving soon?" says a man on a painting suit as he aprroaches them. "We need to paint that bench you're on".

"Oh my god. Sorry!" says Marinette getting up fast as lightning.

"We'll leave now" says Adrienne.

"Let's go to our house, we can't talk while we play a bit" suggests Marin.

"Now that's a good idea" says Adrien and they all head to the bakery.

[kittycatgundam]

Odd Omen

Chapter 2

I have one tiny problem two actually. My accent and my charisma. The more I stay at one place more my accent begins to adapt once it does it hard to change it. Then there my charisma, it make thing easy sometime and harder other times. Like I said I'm not interesting in dating. I mean I trying to stay under Heaven and Hell radar here. I also don't stay in one place long enough for that sort of thing.

One day I went to a theater in London since those were now becoming popular to watch a new play by a new guy call William Shakespeare. The play was call Hamlet.

I watch the play and noticed two men in the front, one look like just like the angle I met in the garden many centuries ago. The other guy he was with I didn't know.

They were watching play too. They were whispering to each other. What I didn't know what they were talk about since I was to far away to hear untill I hear the guy who look like my angel friend try to cheer on Hamlet. I think he was ask what his friend thought about the play because he then told them that the guy I didn't know was not his friend. I just roll my eyes at this.

Why are you talking to him if he not your friend. You seem like you know him. I left the theater and became a fox again.

I don't like deal with people. Humans have too much of a ego sometime. I went back to been in my human form once again. Why you ask me because sometime I'm too curious for my own good. Sometime I like to eat food even though I don't need to, listening to music is always good, looking for a good book, or just see how the world changes. I never need a reason to be either in my human form or my fox form.

And so the world changes from one century to the next. New thing pop up everwhere citys, cars, tvs, and phones.

Yes, I have a smart phone who doesn't these days.

I was in my human form. I been in my human form for awhile now. I just try to survive so I had to adapt to my surroundings.

One day I took a walk in St James's Park. I very fond of this park. It has a pond too bad it's duck pound. Duck can be such bullies. I was walking to the pond when I noticed I was being followed by some guy. Great, this is not what I need today. Oh by the way I decided to make my human form a woman from now on. I was try to lose the guy who was following me but I couldn't shake him.

"Damn!" I said under my breath.

I need to stop guy from following me. If I couldn't shake him the next best thing to do was to find some people to talk to which work most of the time.

I saw two guys setting on a bench feeding the ducks. Perfect, just what I needed to get this stalker to leave.

One guy setting on the bench had white hair and his friend had dark hair. I walk along the pond and wave at them.

"Hi guys, fancy meeting..."

I didn't get finish this sentence because I didn't know where I was going and was too close to the pond. I slipped and fell right into the water. I was now wet from head to toe. I looked at my stalker to white who seem to be worry if I was ok but dark just look at me like he was thinking how much more stupider can this girl get. I blushed at this and looked away.

The stalker and white seem to be getting ready to come to my rescue but stop because dark had beat them to it. He stood in fornt of me offering his hand to help me up.

"Here let me help you miss." He offered.

I give him my hand and he pull me helping me up but as soon as I was up on my feet dark took this opportunity just to sweep me off my feet and carry me out of the water and to the closest bench.

I held on to dark as he carry me. I saw my stalker was not happy and stormed off.

"You need to be more careful miss." Dark warned me.

"Ok." I manage to get out.

My attention was now on dark. He was hot, like male supermodel hot! He was tall, strong, and wore very stylish clothing which I bet now needed to be taken to the dry cleaners which I was probably end up paying for.

I try keep myself from look at him. It didn't stop me from smelling his cologne which smell really good. I held on tighter to him. My chest begin to tighten as well. I started to think happily that I wouldn't mean if dark never put me down.

Before I knew it I was setting on the bench. White came to see if I was hurt. Dark bend down and gently took my high heel boot off. He move up the pants leg of my jeans and took a look at my left ankle.

"She did a great job of twisting her ankle." Dark told white.

"Look really bad, don't worry my dear we take to the hospitals. You poor thing, you're shaking! Crowley give me your jacket so she can warm up." White said worryingly.

"No." Crowley said angrily. "We are not take her the hospitals. I'm not letting her set a foot in my Bentley so you can forget about it Aziraphale. If you want to help her get on your phone and call for someone else to help her."

"But she hurt, wet, and cold. I'm not going to just stand by and wait for someone else to help her. Look now you are scaring her. Don't worry miss Corwley may look all mean and scary but deep he just a big soft teddy bear." Aziraphale said try to reassuring me by patting my shouder.

Crowley shot him a look of pure anger. If looks could kill this one would have.

"Fine!" Said Crowley angrily. "Here, wear my jacket. I'm going to pick you up and carry you to the car ok?"

I nodded that I understood.

Once again Crowley pick me gently and carry me to his car. I rested my head on his chast has his cologne hit my nose again. I was started to having weird feeling. I was warm, safe, and happy in his arms. Yes, there were alarm Bells screaming in my head but I didn't care.

Aziraphale open the car door so Crowley could sit me down in the front seat of the car. Aziraphale got in the back seat and Corwley got into the driver side.

Crowley's driving can be described like he was in a car chase like in the movies. He was going 90 miles per hour which I knew wasn't speed limit in central London. I thought I was going to die on the way to the hospitals.

Thank to Crowley driving we got to the hospitals in no time. Crowley park the Bentley as close to the hospital entrance that he could get. He got out of the and came to my side and open the door.

"Put the jacket on and put your arms around my neck." Cowley said as he getting ready to pick me up again.

I did as I was told.

"That a good kitty." Crowley teased me.

"Just to let you know this kitty got claws! I might scratch you." I teased him back.

He stop and put his face close to mine.

"I wouldn't mind some scratching and bitting a little later after this if you catch my drift my little sex kitten." Crowley whisper teasley in my ear.

I turn bright red and try to hide my face.

"Damn you to hell!" I mumbled.

"No thank you, been there not a fan." Crowley mumbled.

Oops guess he heard me. Damn I need to work on my teasing game. Wait, what am I saying!

Been carry by Crowley I could tell that had he great body. Oh my god, I just want to shut my mind off. If you were thinking my imagination was running away with me with thoughts I dare not mention you would be right. I wish I wasn't immortal because I just wanted to die.

And Crowley was enjoying evey minute of torturing me.

We found a seating area and Crowley sat me in a chair. Aziraphale went up to the fornt desk to tell a nurse about my twisted ankle. Crowley set next to me. There a noise as my stomach rumbled.

"Are you hungry? I can get a treat as long you keep been a good kitty." Said Crowley enjoy this a bit too much for my taste.

"I'm little hungry but I can wait you needn't worry about me." Told him as I looked round the rest area so I didn't have to look at his face anymore.

This first time someone was make me hissing mad. I wish he just stop.

Crowley walk off and disappeared for a while. Aziraphale sat down on the chair on the other of me.

"We might be here awhile. Were did Crowley go?" Aziraphale wondered.

"I don't know and I don't care." I said as I folded my arms in front of me.

"I'm guessing Crowley been have some fun picking on you. I can tell him to stop if it annoys you." Said Aziraphale.

"No, that ok."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep, I'll just ignore him when he tries to pick on me again." I told Aziraphale and give him smile.

Aziraphale didn't seem so sure about it.

Crowley finally came back and sit down next to me.

"Here!" Crowley drop a bag in my lap.

I opened the bag and inside was a sandwich, a bag of crisps, a couple of candy bar, and a coke.

"You didn't have to but thank you Crowley." I said happily.

I guess he really can be a nice guy not just a jerk.

"Well, later we can just ask the vet what kind food our little kitty should eat." Crowley tease me again.

"Crowley, I think that enough teasing her." Aziraphale told him.

"Here I through there hope for you become a better man but I guess even I can be wrong." I tease Crowley.

"You not helping yourself my dear. You might want to stop egging him on." Aziraphale try to warned me.

"Sorry I can't be a better man but maybe later you can find out what I really am." Crowley patting my head as he said this. "And since you're been such a good kitty we'll go buy you a catnip mouse. What do you think Aziraphale?"

"I think you two are out of your minds." Azriphale took out his phone and started to ignore us.

I ate the food Crowley gave me and hug Crowley jacket closer to myself.

I guess Crowley through I was getting cold because he put a arm around me and pull me closer to him to warm me up. I was almost in his lap. I smell his cologne again and I put head on his shouder. The smell of Crowley cologne seem to make me relax and I fell sleep. By the way I don't need to sleep but I do fine it help me to distress and cleared my mind. So I do sleep from time to time. Same with eating since I don't need to.

"Come on wake up, or do you want me to wake you with a kiss like in that stupid fairy tale." Crowley whispered in my ear.

" Eww, no thank you." I was grossed out at the thought of Crowley kissing me.

"You two stop that." Aziraphale warned us to behave ourselves.

A nurse came up to us with a wheelchair for me.

"Get in and I will wheel you to an examining room miss." The nurse said.

Crowley pick me up and put me in the wheelchair. The nurse wheel into a examininh room. The doctor came a few minutes later and examine my angle. Told me what all doctor will tell you about a twisted ankle. Stay off of it for a few days and let it rest. Also put some ice on it.

I was wheel back to rest area after I paid the bill.

Crowley and Aziraphale were waitting for me.

"Doctor told me to stay off my ankle for a few days." I told them.

"Tell us were you live and we will take you home." Asked Aziraphale.

I look down sadly. I must have worry Crowley a bit too.

"You don't have a home do you?" Asked Crowley.

"What?!" Aziraphale was shocked.

"I had a flat I share with a flatmate. My flatmate was a guy and he kick me out because I wouldn't go out with him." I told them. "But it ok I can alway stay at a hotel untill I fine another flat no big deal."

I try to get up out the wheelchair but Crowley stop me before Aziraphale could get to me. He pick me up out wheelchair.

"Hey, put down I can walk on my own you know." I told him.

"Stop, bad kitty! Stop acting so proud. You are staying at my place and I'm not take no for answer." Crowley yell at me.

Aziraphale look at me sadly. I couldn't get any words to come out. Why is Crowley been nice to me? I didn't trust anyone. I been alone for so long. Part of me want to trust them. I guess even I in my long immortal life get lonely.

[ns-cookie]

A Pleasant Surprise

Akira was at home with a changeling who does whatever he pleases. He never told her what his source of energy is but she soon finds out when looking for something for him. 

Kevine belongs to @changelingkevine  Akira is my OC

TW: Smothering involved, dubcon (?), Smut, Being suffocated. 

It was getting close to being the afternoon despite it being hard to tell from the gloomy weather outside. Though it didn’t matter to people what the time is if not having much to do, it didn’t matter to this changeling that decided to stay over at this person’s place. The changeling came over to be spoiled, to be groomed, pet, taken care of and given attention. His features helped with most of that thankfully. 

A being that is weak to people with cat ears and a tail, its good to take advantage of that since they’ll have a hard time saying no to them. Just gotta swish his tail around in front of them and start to purr, they’ll “Aww” at him before carrying on with the task he gave them. It’s good to be treated like that. 

This changeling, Kevine, was staying over at this demon’s place. She’s strong but her uncontrollable urge to adore and take care of animals is stronger. She loves cats, has some for pets but Kevine took her attention by swishing his tail around in front of her, purring on her and pawing at her clothes. He’ll purposely rip them if she’s distracted and if it upsets her, he can have his ears droop and she’ll be quick to forgive him. 

What a sucker. At the moment, the demon named Akira was busy looking for the catnip she bought for him. She wanted it to be a surprise for Kevine but lost it as soon as she placed it down on the coffee table. Now, where on this planet did the catnip go? Did one of her cats get to it? Oh- 

“I hope they didn’t,” Akira muttered to herself, a frown making its way to her face when thinking of that. She doesn’t mind buying more but she ordered it from her laptop, recently her lap has been occupied by a certain cat. So it wouldn’t be much of a secret for him. Akira sneezed from the dust surrounding her, she would’ve thought one of the maids have cleaned under the couch. How dusty it is under here, she feels like she’s gonna sneeze again. 

“Guess it’s not back- huh?” Akira tried to look back behind her, but she was so far under that couch that her back was arched, the skirt she had on flew up and revealed the coral blue panties she has on. Those were pulled down though for the cold air to hit against her clitoris. Having her tense up a little, her brothers aren’t home and she knows those servants won’t do this, is it really- 

“Nnnh!” A moan left her mouth when her clit was licked over, felt like wet sandpaper was being dragged over it. She knows that tongue anywhere from it touching her hand and cheek. “K-Kevine!” She gasped when he continued to lick her. “W-What- A-Ahh!” 

“I was running low on energy, you don’t want that to happen to me, right?” Kevine asked her, his hungry mouth hovering over her to continue flicking his tongue. He wanted to know if that cute voice of hers would sound better moaning for him. Oh, it does. “What i-if the others-”

“They aren’t around.” He lets out a groan, is she going to really complain about this? No matter, he can take care of those complaints. He’s already satisfied hearing her moan his name. Akira felt him stop, moving away from her. She couldn’t react in time from him pulling her from under and flipping her on to her back. “Wait!” Akira tried to protest when her legs were lifted up, her back pressed to the floor as her legs rest near her leg. Though, they went to Kevine’s shoulders when he sat on her face. 

“This is gonna kill my back later.” Akira thought when Kevine did this, she couldn’t say anything from having this big, round ass on her face. Cutting her oxygen, she doesn’t mind being smothered just a little heads up would’ve been fine. Her moans were muffled when he went back to shoving his tongue inside her, his long hair tickled her thighs. It practically covered what he’s doing to her. 

Akira didn’t he say he could do this, even if she told him they can have a little fun later. He wouldn’t have listened and would coax her to do it now. He does have a way with words when it comes to this demon~

Gosh, it seems like this demon is gonna last that long. His tongue probably pleased her that much if she was gonna come that fast. Kevine lets out a low purr when Akira came, watching her juices come out and glisten over her clit. Licking that up with a delightful moan leaving his mouth. He soon got off her face to let her breathe, her face flushed as she was taking deep breaths. “Not bad,” He muttered when licking his lips. 

“Y-Your...energy…” Akira tried to speak, her legs already fell on the ground as she used her elbows to push herself up. “I get energy by having sex.” He answered her, a smirk making its way to his face. “Speaking of that, your turn to lick my kitty~” 

[nyanzaya]

@if-that-so inquired: 💋💖💄👓🔫🔮🎤🎪🍸🍯🍰⛄⏳💐⚾🌊🌵🍒🐝💳👠👻💉🃏😊🙁 tbh i want to ask all... And also, there are some i already know but i just want to make sure 😘 

oc questions

💋 What traits do they like in other people? What traits do they not like?

Iza: The traits Iza likes in other people is intellect? He likes smart people, but he also doesn’t like smart people. He loves people who are a little gullible/inattentive because he would take advantage of it in small ways to get what he wants. Direct people are his favorite but also his bane because he hates to be put in the spotlight when they call things/point things out.

Zuo: Zuo likes when someone is laid back, fun and just a calming presence to be around. The traits he dislikes are: Deceptive, dishonest, indecisive and of course provoking in terms of trying to rile him up and get him angry

💖 Do they have a significant other? If so, who?

In their canon they were significant others; but things happened and now they are broken up even though under the sheets they still want to be together. You could say that they are still significant others but if they find anyone else to be with instead of each other then they let each other go. In a way you could say Zuo and Iza are still significant others with each other but as of right now they don’t have a significant other-- (and if i were to make this blog single ship I think I might make them significant others again but it would be like wild af)

💄 Do they care about their physical appearance? What’s their routine like?

Iza: He cares a lot about how he looks. From how his hair is style to the make up he has on. He wants to look the best and be the “best in show” Often, he is asleep during the day but whenever he does wake up he washes his face, fixes his hair to look well-kept and then he puts on eyeliner and depending, mascara. The eyeliner is always a cateye. He has a bunch more make up but he stays with the simple stuff because he feels that if you put too much you’re just ruining how you look, then he makes sure his nails are well-kept and manicured so if he’s not sleeping or working he will be tending to his nails

Zuo: He doesn’t care that much about how he looks? All he cares about is looking presentable and then going about his business. He doesn’t care for “looking the best” if anything he’d just want to look cool even if he doesn’t wear anything that’s flashy. Zuo does style his hair to hide his ears but sometimes they perk up from under his hair and it’s super cute

👓 Do they have any physical or mental disabilities?

Iza: I MEAN. He doesn’t have any physical disabilities but for mental-- like PTSD then yes lol. MMmh I guess hypersomnia because he is constantly and I mean cooonstantly sleeping even though it’s more like naps(like 16-24 hours at least) Anxiety and depression too.

Zuo: He doesn’t have any physical disabilities and for mental it’s almost the same as Iza’s except he doesn’t have hypersomnia. With what they both lived through, they would have these types of mental disorders but they ARE NOT diagnosed for it

🔫 What would they die for? Kill for?

Both of them would die to help their kin be free from servitude and they’d kill for it too. Iza already does kill for it, but Zuo tries not too. Though, unlike Iza, Zuo would kill and die for his significant other(whether it’s Iza or not), but Iza would kill for his significant other even if it means he kills them or someone else lmfao

🔮 Do they have any magical powers or abilities? If it’s a realistic world, what religion do they follow?

I think there has to be some magic because well, tbh the world is based around drrr and there’s supernatural creatures like faeries and demons so it wouldn’t surprise me if there was even a little bit of magic but, Iza and Zuo don’t have any magical powers or abilities. Iza isn’t exactly religious but the religion he follows is the religion of a cat god who was almost entirely erased from the world and sometimes when he refers to “God” he refers to her, but he does reference the christian God quite a bit and might have a bit of a god complex because he preaches for people to “Turn yourself into God and you won’t ever be killed.” Now ZUO WELL, I think he actually is religious but he is not a devote follower. I think he follows the same religion as Iza with the cat god but he isn’t a devote follower of Her, he prefers to keep religion and things like that to himself. Where Iza and Zuo differ between the religion is Iza says She is a vengeful and cruel god who wants to punish all who have hurt her children or kittens(As in her followers), while Zuo says she’s a benevolent God who wants to fix the things she had done wrong. Iza and Zuo don’t talk about religion to each other often because they could never agree.

🎤 Do they play any instruments?

Neither of them play instruments, unless you count singing as an instrument then Iza sings! Zuo would get frustrated with instruments but if he did play he would probably play drums

🎪 What would their favorite ride at an amusement park be?

Iza: The ferris wheel so he can look down on all the people because he loves to feel superior and better than them :sob:

Zuo: A big crazy roller coaster because he would love to feel the wind and the rush of adrenaline

🍸 How do they act when they’re drunk?

Iza: He’s honestly? Really emotional when he’s drunk? Lol like, he really easy to influence too and just the littlest things would make him burst into tears like LOL oh god if he saw something really cute he’d just “Oooh~ MY GODS-- That’s the cutest..i--eeeeoh my gooooood” Like Iza please...dont cry because of a really cute looking puppy or kitten lol

Zuo: I ACTUALLY HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF IT FOR ZUO BUT I THINK HE WOULD BE THE CALM FUNNY CUDDLE TYPE OF DRUNK.

🍯 Which era of history would they most like to live in?

Iza: I think he’d want to live in like, oh gosh probably the future tbh?

Zuo: He’d want to live in the era with kings and queens because he was a royal knight and he misses his king :(

🍰 What’s their favorite food?

Iza: He loves horse meat? I don’t know why

Zuo: I think Fugu because he isn’t afraid to get poisoned by a fish

⏳ How do they feel about death?

Iza: Iza finds death to be a beautiful thing? I don’t think he really...idolizes it... because in his head its “You’re not really dying, you are being transformed into something else.” which like, okay Iza. I mean I GUESS. and he says that you don’t ever actually die, you get reincarnated as something else to learn a new lesson

Zuo: For real Zuo doesn’t like death, hates death, and wishes it never existed because he can remember his past lives and how he died and what he hates most about it is: coming back and having to figure everything out again and finding Iza/his soulmate and convince them that “We are destined to be together, please, believe me you don’t remember but I do.” and YEAH HE GETS REALLY SAD ABOUT IT

💐 Do they collect anything? What’s their most prized possession?

Iza: Iza collects plush toys because he feels comforted whenever he has one. His prized possession has to be his collar because he got that from his first master? And he’s had it ever since? He wears it literally all the time, partly because one he kinda misses his first? And second to deter people from taking him

Zuo: I don’t think Zuo has ever collected anything? Not from what I can recall but his most prized possession has to be the glasses he wears because he got that from his mom because she didn’t want him to be unable to see just how colorful the world actually is (they are both colorblind)

⚾ Do they play any sports?

Iza: He doesn’t play any sports? But I mean if you count hunting small animals and occasionally people as a sport then yeah he does LOL

Zuo: He plays whatever sport he can, though his favorites are soccer and football, mostly football for really obvious reasons

🌊 What one place do they really want to visit and why?

Iza: France! Because he wants to visit Paris since he heard it’s the city of love

Zuo: Germany! He wants to see the castles and try the food

🌵 What languages do they speak?

Iza: English, German, Japanese

Zuo: English, French, Japanese

🍒 What are some items they always carry? What weapon do they favor using if they exist in a world where weapons are necessary?

Iza: He always has his pocket knife, but he’s very reluctant on using it because he would rather talk with words than get physical and fight(Unless it’s Zuo then he will fight Zuo), wallet, needles because he can hit puncture points really well when he’s fighting/hunting

Zuo: This white envelope that holds his catnip cigarettes that he rolls himself, his sunglasses and wallet

🐝 What stereotypical high school clique would they fit into?

Iza: He would fit in that…. Drifter or an Outsider clique? The one kid that goes around and comes off as a social butterfly but is just fine on their own and is also the one that ends up knowing literally everyone else's business while no one knows his.

Zuo: I think he would be a jock lmfao just, obvious reasons? To burn off steam and because he wants attention

💳 What one thing that they don’t need do they waste the most money on?

Iza: Oh gosh...he wastes money on a lot of things ...like he doesn’t need make-up but “Bitch I need my eye liner and blush.” and strawberry milk because “Shut up! I like it, I desire it, and I will have it.” and plush toys because “It makes me feel GOOD.” And designer knives because “I just think they are neat and I want it for my collection.” Like, someone stop him

Zuo: Hmm for Zuo? I don’t think he really spends his money-- but sometimes he’d impulsive buy weird things like slippers that look like bread? Or weird figurines lol it’s so hard to say accuse there’s a lot of weird things xD But if it looks interesting and funny he’d buy it, it dont even matter what it is

👠 What kind of shoes do they wear?

Iza: Iza has a lot of shoes he wears? Like he’ll wear heels(Like any type of heel) sometimes but most of the time I think he wears slip-ons, sneakers and slippers and if he’s dressed up he’d wear derby.

Zuo: He’s so easy and simply: Sneakers. Slip-ons, slippers  

👻 Do they believe in ghosts, aliens, and the occult in general?

For both of them, yes! I think Iza is kind of skeptical about it but Zuo insists aliens and ghosts are real. Iza is more into the occult than Zuo, like witchcraft and magic because he wants it to be real

💉 Which Deadly Sin do they most correspond to? Which Heavenly Virtue?

Iza: Lust for his sin and oh god… for a heavenly virtue uhm…. Hope or Fortitude

Zuo: Wrath for his sin and for his heavenly virtue it’s Justice or Temperance

🃏 If you had to choose one tarot card to represent them, what would it be?

Iza: Death because it represents major transformation and new beginnings, and transformation, passage, and change. Another one would be The Moon(symbolizes illusion and deception, and therefore often suggests a time when something is not as it appears to be. Perhaps a misunderstanding on your part, or a truth you cannot admit to yourself) and The Devil(symbolizes ambitions and is also synonymous with temptation, addiction, and depression)

Zuo: The World because it represents that things have come full circle, a journey has been completed, and a long-term project has come to an end. Another one for him would be The Sun(symbolizes positive energy, joy of living and enthusiasm) and The Hanged Man(symbolizes trial or meditation, selflessness, and sacrifice)

😊 What do they consider to be their best quality? What actually is their best quality?

Iza: He would say his best quality is his charm. His actual best quality is how tactful he can be, let alone romantic

Zuo: He would say his best quality is how brave he is. His actual best quality is how self-confident he is in himself

🙁 What do they consider to be their worst quality? What actually is their worst quality?

Iza: He would say his worst quality is how lazy/procrastinating he gets. His worst quality has to be how vainful and superficial he can actually be, let alone him using it to manipulate situations to get what he wants.

Zuo: He would say it’s his outbursts of anger, but actually his worst quality impulsive behavior because he just does it...he doesn’t think about it

[rambling-at-midnight]

False Image: Part 1

It is also posted on my AO3 and can be found HERE

Sam Winchester x reader

Background Destiel

Sam cringes when Dean sighs, loudly, as they wait for their supervisor to call them into his office. What had started out as a little prank war had somehow evolved into a station-wide fight that somehow also included the police in the building over, dogs, shaving cream, and an entire bathroom filled with bread.

So it had escalated a little bit. And he and Dean had started it, so they’re the ones in trouble, even though they’d had nothing to do with covering the dogs with shaving cream and letting them loose in the police station or buying all those loaves of bread and clogging the ladies’ toilets and sinks with them.

“Winchesters?” Bobby, their grumpy old supervisor, calls, sticking his head out of his office. He doesn’t sound like he’s in a good mood, but then again, he never sounds like he’s in a good mood. And he usually has a soft spot for him and Dean, seeing as how their dad had worked at the station too and Bobby’d practically adopted them after John started taking crazy long trips.

At least Rufus isn’t supervising today. They would have their asses handed to them on silver platters.

“Come on, Bobby, you know this isn’t our fault!” Dean says the moment the door shuts behind him.

“You started the pranks, and company policy—”

“Technically, Sam was the one who did the first prank,” Dean interrupts.

“Hey!”

“Don’t interrupt me, boy,” Bobby growls and Dean rolls his eyes. Sam shoves him with his shoulder and Dean retaliates.

Before the brothers end up wrestling on the floor (which happens more than Bobby, who claims responsibility for raising them, would like to admit) Bobby orders them to sit down.

Sam sits immediately, but Dean makes a production out of it as usual, as he always does. “It wasn’t even us who did the whole bread thing, that was Gabe the Crime Scene Investigator next door!”

“And ‘Detective’ Cas,” Sam adds. “Dean just doesn’t want to get his boyfriend in trouble. And guess how they got in in the first place?” He tilts his head to Dean and looks at Bobby, who rolls his eyes, but he can’t help but chuckle when Sam sticks his tongue in his cheek.

Dean blushes and ignores his little brother. He hadn’t even known Cas could be that devious. It had been a good move, though.

“I still don’t know how Gabe persuaded him to do that,” Sam adds thoughtfully. He yelps when Dean smacks his shoulder.

“You two have proven you can’t handle working together, so I’m separating you for the next two weeks.”

Sam frowns. He and Dean work in the same department and live together. Pretty much the only time they’re not together is when Dean’s on a date with Cas.

“Sam, you get regular shift, Dean, you get night shift. Long hours.”

Dean sits bolt upright. “Bobby—”

“You’ll survive not seeing your boyfriend for two weeks, Dean,” their surrogate father responds. “Don’t argue with me, boy.”

“It’s not fair,” Dean whines. “Sam’ll still get to see his girlfriend.”

Bobby’s eyes widen as Sam blushes and kicks his brother.

“It’s Y/N,” Dean says, grinning wickedly at Bobby’s shocked expression and Sam’s red face. “She’s our cute neighbor in apartment 67. Man, I wish she could have been on the other side of 68.”

“Dean, shut up,” Sam hisses.

“Look at this!” Dean crows. “He can run into fires with no fear, but the second I even mention his little crush he blushes like a schoolgirl. She’s not much better, either. If it wasn’t for me, they wouldn’t even talk to each other. They’re too shy.”

Sam pushes his brother out of the chair.

Bobby pushes them out of his office and leaves them to wrestle on the ground, much to the amusement of the passing Jo and Gordon, who’d just got back from actually helping a girl get her cat out of a tree.

Day three of no Dean, Sam thinks to himself while walking up the stairs to his apartment floor, bone tired from helping extinguish an electrical fire across town. It’s surprisingly peaceful without his brother, albeit boring. The most he’s ever seen his brother is that one time Dean was driving home and Sam was driving to the station and they waved at each other. Working 12-hour shifts can be exhausting. He can’t wait until the two weeks are over.

The thing that annoys Sam, though, is that Dean was right—without him pushing the two of you to talk to each other and him, the most you ever do is smile at Sam and mumble a quick hello if you ever catch each other in the halls. Sam isn’t sure if you’re just that shy or avoiding him. Knowing his track record with girls, probably both.

Cas is sitting at the kitchen table when Sam gets back. “Hello, Sam,” he says without turning around. Neither of the brothers know how he does it.

“Hey, Cas. What’re you doing here?” Sam replies, smothering a yawn with his hand.

“Dean hasn’t spoken to me in three days,” Cas says in that deep, slow Cas way of his. “Do you know if he is mad at me?”

It takes Sam’s head a few moments to catch up. “Oh! Oh, I thought Dean told Gabe to tell you—he probably forgot—but, uh, me and Dean got in trouble at work for that whole prank thing so he’s been working the graveyard shift and I’ve been working the day shift—anyways, Jo hid his phone somewhere in the station as punishment for the whole bread thing because, well, she can’t do it to you so she’ll do it to your boyfriend, because she’d gotten her period and Gabe told her it was you that had taken all the tampons out of the dispenser thing—”

“What?” Cas whirls around, blue eyes wide. “That wasn’t me! That was definitely Gabriel!”

Sam shrugs. “I don’t know why Jo trusted him, but yeah. Dean says she’ll give it back in three days if he hasn’t found it yet, but he’s determined to find it before then. I guess he’s been too tired from working all night that he hasn’t been able to call you. He’s fine, though.”

“I apologize,” Cas immediately says, standing up. “You are exhausted as well. I will try to contact Dean and help him find his phone. He still doesn’t know about Fluffy’s new veterinarian. Hopefully today will be a slow day of work. Goodbye, Sam.”

“Why’d Fluffy need a new vet?” Sam asks, amused. Cas’ bunny, it seems, needs to go to a different vet every other month. Cas hasn’t been able to find one he likes.

“He was refusing food,” Cas replies. “Goodbye.”

“Say hi to Ash for me!” Sam calls, but the door’s already closed. Hopefully Cas heard him anyway.

A little disappointed he didn’t get to see you, Sam plugs in his phone and hops into the shower. He can’t wait to get in bed.

Sam wakes up fifteen minutes before his alarm is supposed to go off. Two people are running around inside his apartment.

“Heya, Sammy!” Gabriel practically shouts upon seeing that he’s awake.

“Sorry, Sam!” someone else yells and Sam shoots upright. He’s never heard you shout before.

A fluffy orange monster jumps onto his bed and right off it before bolting over to the small kitchen. Sam can only watch with an open mouth as it jumps onto the counter and into an empty shelf, conveniently just above how far you and Gabe can reach.

“God damnit,” you swear, and Sam realizes that he finds that pretty hot. “I’m so sorry, Sam. This is all Gabe’s fault, I swear.”

Gabe just laughs and pulls a lollipop out of his pocket. “Y/N, I am offended.”

“I hate you,” you say out loud, though it’s unclear if you’re talking to your cat or the trickster. As it is, the cat soothes its ruffled fur and squeaks at you. It has really big eyes.

“I can get him,” Sam offers and throws the sheets off. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you guys get in here?”

“Well, I had knocked on her door and had a bunch of catnip in my pockets,” Gabe explains as Sam hesitantly reaches for the cat in his shelf. Unlike the abomination that had jumped on his bed, this cat just rubs its head against his hand and starts to purr. “He came out and started running around in the hall. I picked your lock and got him in here.”

“And why did you want that to happen?” Sam asks while lifting the cat out of the shelf. He is very aware that you are standing right next to him and don’t even come up to his shoulders. Your smile when he hands your cat to you makes his stomach flip.

Gabe shrugs. “It was fun to see Y/N running around.”

“You’re paying double the next time you come in,” you inform him and hug your cat, who meows in protest and tries to get out of your arms immediately. “Thank you so much, Sam.”

“I’m your favorite customer, sweetheart!” Gabe calls to your hastily retreating back.

“Please, Cas is so much politer!” you call back.

Sam can’t help but feel a small bit of jealousy at how easily you talk and joke with Gabe but can’t even look at Sam.

“Wow, Deano really wasn’t lying,” Gabe says, tossing the lollipop stick into the trash can. “You’ve got it really bad.”

“How—how do you know about that?” Sam asks, already blushing as he glances at the door. You’d closed it behind you. Hopefully you can’t hear what they’re saying, though the only way that would happen is if you were eavesdropping directly the behind the door.

“Dean was telling my baby bro about it so I decided to see if it was true.” Gabe shrugs.

Sam’s mouth shrugs open. “So that was all… you did that all on purpose?”

The other man winks. “You’re gonna be late for work, Sammy.”

Sam looks at the clock and curses when he sees he’s right. “Screw you, Gabriel!”

“You wish,” he replies. “See ya, Sammy!”

“And stop calling me ‘Sammy’!”

“That sounds…” Sam can’t help his grimace.

Cas just smiles at him. “Bobby already said he doesn’t mind. There haven’t been many fires for a few weeks, so there’s no need to worry. Please, Sam? I have the address for Fluffy’s vet, the office number, and the vet’s personal number just in case.” He hands Sam a piece of paper with that information on it, as well as Dean and Cas’ numbers (as if Sam needed any reminders) and some other random numbers Cas apparently thought Sam might need for his four-hour babysitting gig. Most of them are different pizza places’ numbers.

“Cas, what do you think is going to happen to Fluffy while you’re gone for four hours?” Sam asks, staring at the paper. “You leave him alone for longer while you’re working.”

“Luci watches him since he’s still on house arrest,” Cas answers, looking through his pockets. “I’ll have to figure out if someone would like to babysit him when his sentence is lifted. Can I have the paper back?”

Sam hands it back. “Couldn’t you just bring him to the station? There’s always officers there and everyone loves rabbits, right?”

Cas scribbles another number on the paper and hands it back to Sam. “That’s Luci’s number. And that is a good idea, Sam. I’ll have to ask Amara if that would be allowed.”

“What about Chuck?”

“Chuck’s on vacation right now.”

“Fine, go enjoy your romantic picnic at the station,” Sam finally agrees, even though there was no question that he would. “I still think putting up a picnic blanket in the vending machine room isn’t very romantic, but whatever.”

“I think visiting my boyfriend while he’s working because I haven’t seen him lately is very romantic,” Cas replies seriously.

“Huh. Well, you go, Casanova.” Sam wishes he could be as brave as Dean was when he’d finally asked Cas out. Look where it got them: they’ve been going steady for two years and the only fights they ever have are about throwing themselves in the line of fire while doing their jobs.

“My full name is Castiel, Sam. It is not Casanova.”

“Get out, Cas.”

“Goodbye, Sam.”

Sam turns to look at the deceptively cute-looking bunny Cas had left him with. Dean had gotten Cas Fluffy for, like, their third date or something and Cas had loved him ever since. He had brown eyes, grey fur, and one white ear.

This bunny costs Cas more than any other pet Sam has ever known just by having health problems and going to the vet because of ‘emergencies’ where most of the time he’s faking symptoms, and is a master escape artist. He bites everyone except Cas.

Sam and Dean hate him, which is one of the only things they can agree on.

It takes two hours for Fluffy’s first emergency to start. He’s choking and coughing a lot. “Goddamnit,” Sam mutters, pacing around his room while the demon bunny tries to kill himself. “Luci, pick up.” Sam calls three times and he doesn’t, so he finally has to look at the vet’s numbers that Cas gave him. When he calls the office, he’s told that the vet’s already gone home so, gathering up his pride, Sam dials the vet’s number to ask her to help save the life of a demon bunny trying to kill itself.

“Hello?”

Sam pauses and cocks his head. “Um, Y/N?”

“This is Y/N Y/L/N, yes,” you answer. “Who is—Sam?”

“Yeah.” Sam smiles (you’d remembered what he sounded like!) but the renewed sounds of choking behind him wipe it off his face. “Sorry, Cas Novak gave me your number because he said you were his bunny’s vet but—”

A series of knocks sound at the door. When Sam opens up, you’re standing there in your scrubs and carrying a bag with your phone to your ear.

“Um, hi,” you say. Sam hears it through the phone too.

“Hi,” he responds and stares at you.

“So, um, Fluffy?”

“Oh, yeah!” Sam steps back and rubs the back of his neck. “So I guess you are his vet after all.”

You laugh softly. “Yeah.”

To Sam’s awe, you reach inside Fluffy’s cage and pick him up without him even trying to get away, which might have something to do with how he’s choking, but it’s still impressive.

“You little bastard,” you mutter, crooking a finger and putting it in his mouth.

Sam laughs. “I never imagined you cursing so much.”

“I’m polite, Sam,” you reply without looking back at him. “I don’t do it in front of the owners, but I bet you won’t tell on me. And I don’t really curse at people I barely know.”

“You barely even look at people you don’t know,” Sam mutters to himself but he thinks you hear him; you stiffen a little bit.

“Can you hand me his water bottle?” you ask, your voice definitely a little sharper than it had been just seconds earlier. Sam scrambles for the weird upside-down dispenser thing he’d never really understood and places it in your hand. You tip a few drops of water into the rabbit’s mouth and rubs his throat. He stops choking, leaving the apartment so quiet Sam’s ears ring.

“Oh, you’re bad,” you coo, holding him up. “I don’t know if you were faking it or really choking, but you are bad. I’ll text it all to Cas, but I would take away his food for the time being and put the water back in. From now on I’d recommend smaller bits of food, because Fluffy can’t seem to handle anything big.”

“Thanks, Y/N.” Sam smiles big at you after you put Fluffy back in his cage and you immediately redden. “If he’d died when I was babysitting him, Cas would’ve killed me.”

You pick your bag up off the floor. “It’s really no problem. I like seeing Fluffy a few times each month. He’s sweet if you’re a girl, or Cas.”

“And me and my brother aren’t either of those things,” Sam realizes. “Which would be why he hates us.”

You nod and poke your fingers through the mesh of the demon bunny’s cage to scratch at his fur. “Well, knock on my door if you need anything else, all right?”

Sam nods and escorts you out of the apartment. In the doorway, you hesitate.

“Hey, why are you babysitting Cas’s bunny? I thought his brother Luci normally did that.”

“Well, Luci told Cas that he didn’t want to deal with the little demon tonight so Cas brought him to me since him and Dean are going on a ‘date’ in the vending machine room of the fire station.” Sam rolls his eyes.

You brighten visibly. “Your brother Dean is Dean Winchester? What a small world!”

“How—”

“Cas is pretty talkative,” you shrug. “And we got to know each other more every time he brings Fluffy in. Let’s just say I didn’t think someone could talk about green eyes so much.”

Sam makes a face.

After hearing that you’d already heard about him, Dean goes out of his way to talk to you so much that you feel comfortable enough to say hi to both brothers by the end of the week. Now Sam’s a bit jealous his brother got the graveyard shift, because he can say hi to Y/N whenever he’s going to work or coming home.

“I swear, Sammy, I’m gonna get you two together soon,” Dean says loudly as the brothers and Cas walk through the park. The station is closed today because of a holiday. If any fires start, they’ll all get alerts on their phones.

“Shut up,” Sam hisses, glancing around with paranoia as if people will be able to figure out what he’s talking about immediately. More importantly, he’s making sure you’re not around.

“No, I’m serious, you two are perfect for each other. She’s always carrying books when I see her, and once she was wearing a Harry Potter shirt!”

“I read Harry Potter,” Cas says, swinging his and Dean’s entwined hands like a pendulum. “I think Dean is a Gryffindor. Sam is a Ravenclaw. I think I am a Hufflepuff. Maybe—”

“Yeah, but you’re not obsessed with it like Sam is. He’d probably want Y/N to wear that shirt while they’re having sex, he’s that into Harry Potter.”

Cas squints.

“Look, I just think it’s a good series!” Sam exclaims. “And that’s nothing compared to the cowboy hats I found hidden underneath your bed, Dean. You can’t really talk.”

That shuts Dean up for a while, but the comparison must explain it all to Cas, because he gives an exaggerated nod.

As the trio strolls downtown, nearly everyone says hi to them. It’s that sort of town where everyone knows everyone, and everyone especially knows them.

In the supermarket’s parking lot, Jody and Bobby are talking while Jo and Ellen argue a few feet to the side. Sam sees them and nudges Dean with his shoulder, nodding in their direction with his chin.

“Jody, Bobby, Ellen, Jo!” the elder Winchester yells, waving frantically at them with the hand Cas isn’t holding.

All the adults’ faces brighten. Dean has that effect on people.

“It’s my three least favorite idjits,” Bobby grumbles when they’re in earshot, but he’s the first to hug Dean, Sam, and Cas, in that order.

“Hey, loser,” Jo says, breaking away from Ellen and punching Dean playfully in the arm.

“Hey yourself,” Dean replies to their almost-sister. “You and Mo—Ellen still arguing, then?”

“She still wants me to be a lawyer. I’m happy with my job. For now, at least. How you doing, Cas?” She switches her attention to her favorite out of all of them, though she’ll never admit it, and Sam and Dean shrug at each other.

Dean moves in to hug Ellen and then Jody as Sam and Bobby talk quietly. “My two favorite ladies!”

Ellen rolls her eyes. “Your sweet-talk won’t work on me, boy. Bobby was telling me all about your mischief at work. What do I always say?”

“‘Don’t get caught’,” Dean repeats her mantra, rolling his eyes. “Where’re the kids, Jody?”

“Claire and Owen wanted to hang out with their Aunt Donna. God knows they’ll have at least fifteen more toys and clothes by the time I get home,” Jody replies. “Hey, did you know Sean and I are thinking of getting one more?”

“Really?” Ellen turns to Jody. “That’s the first I’ve heard of this.”

“It turns out Claire has a friend named Alex whose grandma died when she was about six. We haven’t met her yet, but Sean already seems sold.”

Dean drifts away from the two moms, who don’t even seem to notice him leaving, and back to Cas, who takes his hand immediately.

“—but I bet there will be at least a minor one today, considering all the bonfires and grilling,” Sam’s saying to Bobby, who’s nodding. Jo shakes her head and crosses her arms.

“What are they talking about?” Dean whispers to Cas.

“Sam thinks we will get a text,” Cas whispers back. “Jo thinks we won’t.”

“Five bucks, Jo?” Dean offers.

“You’re on, Winchester,” Jo grins after checking her wallet. “You’ll have to put it on my tab, though. I’m not packing cash.”

Dean groans. “You’ve already got twenty on the tab! I’m never gonna get my money, am I?”

“You will!”

“I won’t!”

“You will!”

A familiar form exits the supermarket and heads in the opposite direction of the shouting siblings. Cas tugs away from Dean, who doesn’t notice as he’s now competing with Jo as to who can be louder. “Y/N?”

You turn around at the sound of your name and smile when you see Cas. “Cas! I should have known the shouting was Dean. What are you doing here?”

“I was walking with Dean and Sam when we saw Jo, Ellen, Bobby, and Jody,” Cas responds, following after you as you try to listen and walk to your car at the same time.

“Wow, you really do know everyone, don’t you?”

“Some people we know better than others,” Cas responds, which isn’t really an answer to the question you asked, but you’ll let it slide. Cas is like that. “We help people. And people get into trouble a lot.”

“Tell me about it,” you puff, struggling with unlocking your car and holding the grocery bags at the same time. When Cas takes the bags from you, you grin at him. “Thanks.”

“W-would you like to come meet them?” Cas offers hesitantly. “Our family really is quite nice.”

You look over at the group. Jody and Ellen are talking normally, Sam and Bobby look to be discussing something serious, and Dean has hoisted Jo up and is carrying her like a sack of flour. It must be a normal occurrence if all the adults are ignoring the two.

You check your watch and grimace. The time’s not a problem, but it is an excuse. You’d feel too much like an outsider if you went over, you know already, and what would you even talk about? “Sorry, Cas, I really am, but I’m on my break right now and I’ve got to get back. Everything’s just been so hectic lately what with the move and all—”

“You’re moving?”

You nod and take your bags back from him. “Yeah, hopefully. I want to be closer to my work so I won’t have to drive as much every day. Plus, Crookshanks would probably like a larger house and what with his recent escape, Mr. Azazel’s patience with us is pretty thin. I’m getting the paperwork finalized next week, and the actual move is in two weeks.”

“Won’t you miss Sam and Dean?”

You avoid his eyes as you shut the door on your now-full backseat. “Well, I guess, but really, we aren’t that close and if you ever really want to see me, you could find me. It’s not a large town, and you already know where I work. You could just bring Fluffy in,” you joke and open the driver’s door. “Hey, can you do me a favor?”

Cas nods.

“Could you tell anyone you know that has a dog about the clinic’s new training program, if it’s not too much to ask?” You smile. “I’ll be working there when I’m not needed but we need dogs to attend.”

“Are bunnies invited?”

You laugh, but Cas was serious. “Again, it would be great if you could, Cas, but no pressure. I’m hoping the people here have some cute dogs. I love dogs.”

“But you have a cat.”

You shrug. “In my space, it was all I could do. Besides, I’m so busy that a cat was the best option, but I’m hoping to get a puppy soon that can hang out at the training center while I’m working or maybe work as a volunteer at the hospital. I was talking to a woman named Hannah who works as a nurse about it a while ago.”

“Hannah is my sister. She told me about you.”

“Wow! It really is a small town, I guess.” You get in your car. “I’ll see you later, Cas. It was nice talking to you!”

You pull out before Sam gets to Cas. “Hey, was that Y/N?”

Cas nods. “Yes. She was on her break. She says she’s moving soon.”

Sam frowns and shuffles his feet. “R-really?” He huffs.

“Well, I wouldn’t lie about that,” Cas replies. “She says she wants to be closer to her work. You should get a dog.”

Sam cocks his head at the abrupt subject change. “What?”

“Well, Y/N says that her clinic is opening a training center for dogs and that she’ll be working in both the clinic and center. Since you want to see her so badly, you could get a dog and have her be the vet and trainer.”

“I—really? I mean, I don’t want her to—I don’t—”

“Sam, you are very bad at hiding your feelings. So is Y/N.”

“There are no—”

“Dean, your brother is in love!” Cas yells, then starts sprinting for his boyfriend. Dean stops pretending to drop Jo and sets her on her feet, sees Sam chasing Cas, and starts to sprint too.

“Idjits,” Bobby mutters.

“In love?” Jody yells.

“Cas, Dean, if you say a word I will kill you!” Sam bellows, gaining steadily on his brother and his brother’s boyfriend with his longer legs.

“With our hot neighbor—” is how far Dean gets before a burst of speed helps Sam take a flying leap at his brother. They fall into a bush and Cas takes the badge out of his pocket.

“This is Detective Novak, may I ask what is going on here?” he asks, to his own amusement. The brothers hardly hear him over their own fighting, but he doesn’t mind. Cas’ humor is strange and rarely amuses anyone but himself.

“Well, it’s about time,” Ellen mutters to Bobby. “Look at our boy, all grown up. He’s got his first crush—”

“And yet he’s still enough of an idjit to tackle his brother and wrestle with him in front of the supermarket,” Bobby grumbles back. “All right, you two! Stop! Save it for the bedroom!”

“Gross!” Everyone else complains (except Cas), but it gets Sam and Dean to stop.

“Hey, Dean?” Cas asks, squinting as he looks at his ruffled boyfriend.

“Yeah?”

“You and Sam should get a dog.”

Jo spends the rest of the next day gloating about how she only owes Dean fifteen dollars now, and that the number’s sure to drop until Dean starts owing her too.

Dean finds his phone. It was in one of the dispensers in the women’s room. Gabe had been the one who had hinted at ‘poetic justice’ and he’d put two and two together.

@lemirabitur @annymcervantes

[fantasticworldoffanfics]

PETER/STILES

                                              ——— (part 1) ——–​

Fandom: TeenWolf

Just an extended must read list of awesome fanfics that is in no particular order :) …

top favourites, more top favourites

Call My Name

Author: KouriArashi

Summary: After moving to Beacon Hills, Stiles starts having recurring dreams of a man in some kind of prison, who needs his help. Things get so bad that he ends up in Eichen House, where he finds out that the man is real.

Sympathy For The Devil

Author: KouriArashi

Summary: Stiles gets a job as a hospital orderly and finds himself becoming strangely attached to the catatonic man on the long-term care ward, and finds out that there's a lot more to Peter Hale than there seems...

Best of Breed

Author: SomeoneUseStiles (orphan_account)

Summary: Peter invites a few others over to play with his puppy.

Sometimes Breaking and Entering Isn’t Always A Bad Thing

Author: synfulshark

Summary: "I really want an 'I accidentally broke into your house/apartment because my friend lives next door to you and I was in the area, drunk and I thought I was climbing into the right window and feel asleep on the couch [and I did wonder where my friend got two cats but didn't question it] so now I'm hung over and shirtless in your living room so hi howya doin?" au." off a picture I saw on facebook.

Yours

Author: mamasita13

Summary: Peter Hale's claiming bite triggers Stile's memory of his bound Spark.

Irresistible Series

Author: ladypigswagon

Part 1: Too Many War Wounds, But Not Enough Wars

Summaru: The Nematon is dying. The once bountiful tree is withering, a husk of it’s former glory. It’s skeletal, shrunken and wilted and no one knows how to fix it. It’s supposed to be the height of summer but you wouldn’t know it. The Nematon isn’t the only tree that’s falling apart. Peter folds his arms. His eyes narrow as Jennifer, the emissary from Kali’s pack, tries to communicate with the sentient tree. She’s waving her arms around and chanting but so far all she’s managed to do is look like a complete imbecile. She’s the sixth emissary in as many months and still the tree decays.

Part 2: Too Few Rounds In the Rings And Not Enough Settles

Summary: It’s dark in the void. Sometimes he feels like a shadow suspended on dust. Sometimes he feels like he’s floating through space, detached and weightless. Sometimes it feels as if he’s lying on the surface of a lake, being slowly spun around by gentle waves.Always, he feels cold.It’s the kind of chill that seeps through the skin, permeating the bones. It hollows him out, leaving him empty.The void is dark and cold and he floats through it. If he’s lucky, he’ll become so numb that he won’t feel it when the blood starts dripping. It starts with a few drops, usually on his forehead.Series

Surprising, Unplanned, and Wonderful

Author: RebaK1tten

Summary: Stiles is an omega happy with his gender and looking to court the right alpha and be courted back. Three guesses who the right alpha is.

Five Times Stiles Pulled One from the Oven

Author: Guede

Summary: Five times Stiles’ baking changed the course of history in Beacon Hills (and one time somebody stepped up for him). Or, Stiles Stilinski: Baking is Magic!

Ink and Incense

Author: TriscuitsandSoup

Summary: Peters neighbor is afraid of needles, and Peter thinks he's just cute enough to terrorize. It sounds darker than it is.“What is that boy doing?” Peter looked up from his art and glanced at the window. His pretty, pale, neighbor was attempting to cross the street. He wasn't having much luck with his hands covering his eyes. He'd gotten himself stuck in the middle of the road, with cars passing by on either side. Still, he refused to drop his hands.

Cats and Dogs Series

Author: Guede

Part 1: The Truth About Cats and Dogs

Summary: Scott’s a werewolf, Stiles is a werecat, and they’ve always gotten along perfectly fine.Derek doesn’t get this at all. (Peter does, but he’s dealing with Stiles, which is different from dealing with a werecat, and Chris just wishes he didn’t have to deal, period.)

Part 2: The Secret Lives of Cats and Dogs

Summary: Peter and Stiles want to buy a condo, but they’re facing three other bidders. Peter refuses to accept this. (What does this have to do with cats and dogs? Well, if Peter has a pack of werewolves and a pride of werecats at his disposal, do you really think he won’t go there?)

Peter and the Wolf

Author: Guede

Summary: Peter Hale, thirty-four, shady but successful human lawyer, knocks on his nephew Derek’s door one night because he’s just been bitten by a werewolf. Somehow, this ends up being a lot more awkward than one would expect.

Everything’s Not Lost

Author: jumpinmattflash

Summary: Peter tries to rebuild his life to what it was before the fire. A life that includes his nephew, a pack and one, Stiles Stilinski.

You’re Mine

Author: lannisnow

Summary: Stiles is werewolf catnip. Season 1 AU where Peter is still the Alpha and he is sure that Stiles is his, and where Stiles wants nothing more than to prove him wrong.

These Hands That Shape and Hold The World

Author: Elpie (Horribibble)

Summary: Before he inked his first tattoo, Stiles Stilinski had filled a dozen sketchbooks. Before he knew what he wanted to do with his life, Stiles Stilinski had a kid to take care of. Before he threw in the towel completely, Stiles Stilinski met Peter Hale.

Sugar Town

Author: septima_sum

Summary: Stiles might have accidentally acquired a sugar daddy.

I Could…

Author: Julibean19

Summary: Stiles froze. He knew that voice. The way it said his name. He was immediately brought back to a dark parking garage, sharp claws biting into his neck, red eyes flashing, and a jaw practically unhinging to swallow him whole. A shiver ran down his spine as he finally placed it.The man in the shower was Peter Hale.What business did Peter Hale have with Stiles? Why was he laying out Stiles’ clothes and making him healthy lunches? Why did Stiles wake up wrapped in his 20,000 thread count sheets with a wedding ring on his finger? What was happening?

Full Advantage

Author: RisingQueen2 (FallenQueen2)

Summary: When Stiles was hit with a wayward spell during a battle with a witch, he seems fine until he falls unconscious when getting into his jeep. Peter decides to take him home with him, the effects of the spell kick in when Stiles wakes up and they take full advantage

Absolution

Author: kiranightshade

Summary: Absolution: the act of forgiving someone for having done something wrong or sinful.

He Killed Me with His Touch

Author: Sterekloverforever (Noelleluvsya)

Summary: Ever since Peter became an Alpha again, he hasn't cared about anything except getting more power. That's until lovely, sweet, innocent Stiles comes along with his enticing scent and changes everything he thought he wanted

Aftermath

Author: cywscross

Summary: They don’t ask for Peter’s opinion. To be fair, they don’t ask for Stiles’ either. That’s just fine; neither of them have any problems making it known anyway.

Sing Into My Mouth

Author: GiggleSnortBangDead

Summary: Peter wakes up after years in a coma. Apparently, werewolves are a thing now, and he's got one sleeping on his lap.

Endless Summer

Author: Diablerie

Summary: John and Claudia Stilinski make a difficult choice for Stiles.Somehow, the best possible solution involves calling Peter Hale to the hospital, so he can fuck their teenaged son.

How to Tame a Monster

Author: AmyArachne

Summary: Peter's in Eichen House and Stiles goes to rub Peter's nose in his failure. Things don't go as planned.

Or How To Tame a Monster - A Guide by Stiles Stilinski. A step by step method to reduce murder sprees, allow for communication and coaxing back sanity in just a few easy steps.

Spinning Gold

Author: Elpie (Horribibble)

Summary: Stiles finds himself locked in the highest room of the tallest tower, and he knows that when they come for him at dawn, it will still just be a room filled with straw.Until Peter messes everything up.-“Your doubt, while charming, is unwarranted. It can be done, and it will be done, but first we should come to an agreement, don’t you think?”

The Only Living Boy

Author: Julibean19

Summary: Peter was kind of surprised that Stiles was awake, considering how tired he had been earlier, but maybe Peter's confession had kept him up. It had exhausted him, bringing all that up again. At least he thought that was everything, which was a small comfort. Stiles knew all his secrets now. It was equal parts liberating and terrifying. Peter had shown his hand and now Stiles had all the power. Thankfully, he felt that he could trust Stiles with it.

Quiescent

Author: AsexualDerek (Cammerel)

Summary: Stiles gets turned into a vampire and him and Peter are forced to deal with the changes together. The pack questions the unusual development of their relationship as Peter finds the best possible way to feed Stiles, as unpopular as it is with Derek and others.

Nestled Series

Author: TriscuitsandSoup

Part 1: Safe and Warmth

Summary: As a squirrel Stiles was always on the lookout for the safest, warmest place in a room; and right now what looked to be the safest, warmest place was a long, black, coat, belonging to Peter Hale.

Part 2: Her Tree

Summary: After Claudia’s death Sheriff Stilinski can't find his son.

Luck Penny (Taste like Copper)

Author: pibroch (littleblackdog)

Summary: When Peter woke up, he spent a good fifteen or twenty seconds earnestly wishing that whatever had hit him had the courtesy to kill him outright. Because this? This was bullshit.AKA the time I decided to give Peter all the nice things, but made him get hit by a car first. Like you do.

Corrupted

Author: tricksterity

Summary: Scott knows better than anyone how well Stiles can take care of himself, but that doesn't stop him from worrying when his best friend is hit by a spell that's supposed to regress him back to a childlike state. What only he knows, though, is that Stiles was never exactly the most normal child, and that the witch is going to regret ever fucking with him.

You Get What You Need

Author: RebaK1tten

Summary: Stiles and Peter are accidentally mated and eventually learn to make it work.

more fics: part 2

[facets-and-rainbows]

Blue Exorcist: Home Sweet Home (part 1)

Sooooooo I’ve been planning to translate the title story from the Home Sweet Home novel for a while now because it’s FRIGGIN ADORABLE and because chapter 94 is coming and I need everyone else to also experience the pain of reading whatever happens next in the manga after reading this cute little happy family story, misery loves company muahahaha

So here’s the first part! ^_^ Part 2 is partly done and should be up relatively soon as well.

This story references ojiya (wiki link), a rice soup that people tend to eat when they’re sick (kind of the cultural equivalent of chicken noodle soup for the US). Also I’ve taken some liberties in bits of dialogue where Rin messes up hard words, in the hopes that it will actually sound funny in English.

Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home

“38.5 degrees…”

The older twin read off the number from the digital thermometer, creases gathering on his forehead. Yukio groggily looked up at his face from his pillow. Everything looked fuzzy without his glasses on, and a little blurred from the high fever as well.

He had always been sickly as a child, and he was no stranger to fevers over 38 degrees. But this one was rough—maybe because he hadn’t been getting enough sleep lately. His joints ached; maybe it’s because I’m getting older, he thought, half-seriously, at the tender age of 15.

No wonder a certain foul-mouthed boss of his was always saying “Where’d your youth go?” and “How old can you even get?” and “You’ll go bald super young.”

“That’s a high fever,” his brother said, then laid a hand on Yukio’s forehead and yelped dramatically. “Ow, hot!” The tail sticking out from under his shirt stood up like a cat’s that had been stepped on.

Oh come on, it’s not THAT hot, Yukio wanted to say, but he didn’t even have the energy to call out his brother for overreacting.

He was so tired he thought he might just sink away into the bed.

“Want me to make you an ice pack?” Rin asked, taking his hand off of Yukio’s forehead.

Yukio shook his head and sat up. “Don’t bother, I’m about to get up anyway.”

“What?! What are you saying? You gotta stay in bed today!”

“No…there’s some paperwork I need to submit tomorrow. I can’t spend all day lazing around.”

Yukio tried to stagger over to his desk, but he was stopped by his brother’s super strength and dragged back to bed, no chance to protest.

“Working too hard got you into this mess in the first place, so just be good and get your rest!”

“It’s just a cold. It’s been going around the Order.”

“Nope. It’s overwork,” Rin declared.

Annoyed at Rin’s big-brother attitude, Yukio responded, “Unlike you, I can actually be indisposed sometimes.” He used the hard word on purpose.

“In-Indisposed?” Just as he expected, his brother had “what on earth is that?” written all over his face. Yukio let out a long, overly dramatic sigh. He switched to his lecture voice.

“It means sick, nii-san.”

“Oh, it means sick! I get it…hey, don’t just call me stupid like that! Even I’ve had one or two…” It looked like Rin had finally arrived at the old saying “fools don’t catch colds.” He was glaring, full of rage, but trailed off towards the end of the sentence. “…one or two…colds…” And no wonder. Yukio had been around Rin for fifteen years, ever since they were born, and he had never once seen his brother in bed sick.

After all, this was the same brother who could jump into a river in the dead of winter without so much as a sniffle.

“See? You haven’t.” Yukio pressed. Rin was stewing in embarrassment. He called the name of his beloved cat.

“Kuro!”

The cat had been sleeping in a patch of sunlight on the floor with his face buried in his tails. He lifted his head, meowed, and came trotting over. He was a Cait Sidhe who used to be the familiar of their adopted father, Fujimoto Shirou, and was Rin’s familiar now. He looked like a normal cat at first glance, but he had a forked tail.

“You watch Yukio while I’m gone and make sure he doesn’t do any work. Got that? Don’t let him out of bed no matter what.”

“Mrow!”

Kuro suddenly turned serious at Rin’s orders. He raised one of his front paws up by his head. Probably a signal for Roger that! or something.

Why does he have to keep doing this annoying stuff? Yukio thought, frowning. First of all, how am I supposed to get to the bathroom if I’m not allowed out of bed? he was complaining internally, when Rin stopped at the door and whipped around to face him.

I’ll go buy you something from True Cross Mart. What do you want?”

“What do I want…”

He had already taken some medicine for the fever.

There wasn’t anything in particular that he wanted, but the Old Boys’ Dormitory where they both lived didn’t have air conditioning, and it was oppressively hot. It would be good for working up a sweat to get rid of the fever, but one wrong move and he could end up dehydrated.

He was about to say “mineral water,” but immediately shook his head a little on his pillow. “No, I don’t need anything.”

“Huh? Why not? Don’t be shy.” Rin looked upset that his kind offer was going to waste. “I mean, you probably want that, whaddayacallit, your hard-to-see water, right? I’ll buy it for you, seriously.”

“No…It’s fine. You can’t do errands properly, so you’d probably just end up buying popsicles for yourself and forgetting all about me…It’ll be faster if I get it myself later.”

“How long ago was that? You’re still mad?! Lighten up! And why do you gotta make a mackerel of your big brother every chance you get, even when you’re sick? Stupid four-eyed mole face!”

“You mean ‘mockery.’ I never made you into a mackerel.”

“Aaargh, just shut up already! If you’re sick, why don’t you act like it a little and just go to sleep!” Rin ordered, pointing a finger angrily at his brother.

Rin went to storm violently out the door but thought better of it. He stopped where he was and asked again.

“So besides the water, is there anything you wanna eat?”

“…”

No, nothing, Yukio meant to say, but instead he found himself muttering:

“Ojiya.”

“?!” His brother blinked in surprise at the rare show of honesty. Seeing him, Yukio snapped out of it.

Yukio felt really awkward. He glanced away from his brother, pouting. “I mean, it’s not like I have my heart set on it or anything…”

“Got it. The way the old man used to make it, right?” Rin said. He pounded at his chest and said “Leave it to me!” before leaving the room. The door shut behind him.

A dry summery breeze blew in through the open window, gently caressing Yukio’s sweaty forehead. Book pages flapped on his desk by the windowsill.

Okay. He’s gone.

Hearing that his brother’s footsteps had faded into nothing, Yukio tried to get out of bed again. But—

“Mrowl!”

“Wah?!”

Kuro jumped forcefully onto his chest. He planted his front paws on Yukio as if to say “You’re not going anywhere!” Judging from his needlessly sharp and imposing expression, he wasn’t planning to budge.

Yukio lowered his eyelids and whispered sweetly in the ear of his dutiful guard:

“…Hey, Kuro. Why don’t we settle this with a cup of catnip sake?”

“?!”

“Or two or three cups, that’d be fine too. Nii-san never has to know. Right?”

He smiled warmly. This sort of thing was his specialty.

“I’ll even throw in some sukiyaki from the convenience store.”

“M-Mew…” Kuro gulped at the mention of so many of his favorite foods. It was really getting to him. Just a little more… Yukio grinned darkly. But then, Kuro suddenly looked mad, and started yowling angrily at him.

Yukio couldn’t understand him the way his brother could, but it looked like he was probably saying: “Don’t insult me! I’ll never fall for your bribery!” His tails were puffed up like a pair of old deck brushes.

Yukio’s cowardly plan to buy out Kuro had ended in failure. After all, Kuro had been worshipped as a guardian deity once. He had more pride than he got credit for.

“Fine…I’ll sleep, I’ll sleep!” Yukio lowered his head back onto the pillow in surrender.

“Mew,” Kuro responded, apparently satisfied, and jumped off of Yukio’s chest and back to the floor with a soft thud. But he stayed right there, staring directly at Yukio. Yukio had hoped he would go right back to his nap, but he wasn’t even blinking.

Yukio sighed. His brother had chosen quite the guard.

I guess I’ll just have to try and get better as fast as possible. He gave up on the paperwork and closed his eyes.

The room was still as sickeningly hot as ever, but the breeze felt nice whenever it remembered to blow into the room. Maybe it was the fever, but Yukio couldn’t get to sleep. His mind kept drifting to all of his unfinished work.

He had a whole mountain of things to do besides the paperwork. He didn’t have time to be lying in bed like this…

“When I was little…”

Before he knew it, he was talking to Kuro, maybe to distract from his anxiety. “Whenever I got sick, Dad would make me ojiya with eggs in it…It had such a nice taste, it was nice and warm…it always made me happy.”

Kuro was smart enough to know that “Dad” meant the Shirou that he loved so much. He meowed happily and started purring.

Yukio closed his eyes and listened to the sound. His expression softened.

He opened his eyes a little, and the knotted, unfinished wood ceiling swam into view, still blurry. “…But there was one time…Nii-san made Dad’s ojiya for me instead…”

“It had eggshell in it, though,” he added, laughing.

It had been on a much, much colder day than this.

Yukio and Rin had just turned eight, their dad was still alive and well—and a cold winter wind was howling outside, and at some point it started to snow.

Yukio closed his eyes, remembering the bright white of the snow he saw that day…

“Are you lonely cause Dad’s not here?”

…and thought he heard his brother’s young voice calling to him out of the snow.

[Part 2]

[everlarkbirthdaygifts]

Happy Birthday, ive-got-a-bad-feeling-about-this!

Today, we wish a very Happy Birthday to @ive-got-a-bad-feeling-about-this! We hope you have a wonderful day, and get everything on your wish-list! To add to the celebration, the lovely @historywriter2007 has written a story just for you :)

Happy Birthday  ive-got-a-bad-feeling-about-this! I hope you enjoy the fluffy Jealous!Peeta fic.

Checkmate

Rated T.

Peeta rushed through the doors of Abernathy’s, which was already filled with the happy hour crowd. He hated being late to their weekly get together with his college friends for several reasons. Finnick would be waiting to jab at him for his job and ridiculously stupid boss who always seemed to drop the ball leaving Peeta to clean up a mess. Then there was Joanna who felt the need to add to the fray with her own opinions of how much he’s messed up his career working for Crane even though Peeta wanted to be a graphic designer on his own. It wasn’t like he got enough crap from his mother for his failures. While these reasons were annoying they were the truth so he brushed them off and added them to the list of reasons he needed a new job and fast. The real reason he hated being late was what he was looking at right now.

It seemed every time Peeta was held up Gale Fucking Hawthorne took it as a chance to flirt with his girlfriend. He always knew Gale had a crush on Katniss. In fact, he thought they were dating when he first met them, although one night at his fraternity party Katniss made it very clear that wasn’t the case. Peeta took his chance and they’d been together ever since, but he knew Gale still had feelings for Katniss.  He made it very clear the night Gale found out about them and Peeta’s jaw was on the receiving end of a punch.  Gale also told Peeta he would never give up and here they are 6 years later still doing the same dance.

Peeta walked up to Katniss who smiled at him. God, he loved that smile. It was the one reserved only for him.

“Well look who showed up.”  As soon as Peeta felt joy that voice took it away. “Glad to see you could grace us with your presence. Let me guess your boss dropped another ball and you picked it up” Gale’s voice was filled with sarcasm and it was all Peeta could do to not throw a punch.

“Let it go, Gale. Peeta’s working hard.” Katniss shot a scowl in Gale’s direction stopped him long enough for her to give Peeta a welcome kiss. It was quick, but much needed after the day he had.

The respite from Gale was short lived when he decided he could pick up the conversation Peeta had interrupted. “So like I was saying Catnip I’m thinking about buying that old cabin. Any chance I can get you to go with me tomorrow to look at it?  If we’re going to start hunting again I think it would be great to have.”

“I don’t know Gale.” Katniss started, but Gale interrupted.

“Common Catnip, it will be good to get back to nature, back to what we grew up doing. You don’t mind if she goes, right Peeta?” Gale smirked at him as he asked, knowing damn well what he was doing.

Peeta had no choice, “no I don’t mind.” Nevermind the plans he made for tomorrow, ones attached to a pearl ring in his glove box.

Katniss gave Peeta a questioning look before shrugging her shoulders at Gale, “I guess I’ll go with you tomorrow then. If you two will excuse me I need to go to the bathroom. Katniss turned and walked away from the two men.

Peeta watched her walk away, but Gale’s voice brought him back to earth. “After tomorrow Katniss will see that we belong together and she will kick you to the curb. Check, your play.”

Peeta glared at Gale and saw nothing but red, but didn’t get the chance to answer before Katniss returned. Peeta had enough, “It’s been a long day, I think I should head home.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Katniss grabbed his hand and waved through the crowd leading him from the building.

They were silent for the majority of the ride as a thousand thoughts flew through Peeta’s head.  Would Katniss really leave him for Gale? It was true they grew up together and knew a lot about each other, but she said that didn’t matter.

As if she was sensing his inner thoughts Katniss grabbed his hand. “You know I love you right?”

Peeta nodded, “I know. It’s just I think Gale still thinks there may be a chance.”

Katniss chuckled, “There’s no chance for him. You are the one I love.”

Peeta had heard enough, he turned at the light away from the apartment. Katniss gave him a questioning look, but he told her to just wait.

They arrived at the park just before the sun started to set. He snuck the ring from his glove box as Katniss walked away from the car towards the river. Peeta came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her body. She melted into him, finally, all the stress of the day fell away; she had no idea the effect she had on him.

He pulled back and turned her so she was facing him. He got on one knee and asked the most important question of his life. The tears filled her eyes as he recounted meeting her for the first time, how he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world and that he will do anything to make her happy for the rest of her life if she let him. Her answer came with a watery yes as he placed the ring on her finger.  

After a long kiss, Katniss pulled out her phone a took a picture of them, being sure to show off the ring. She sent it on to her sister first with several smiley emojis. When she started typing a new message Peeta looked over her shoulder, the message to Gale was simple, a picture with the word “Checkmate.” He didn’t know how she’d heard, but it didn’t matter because she’d made her choice and he was happy it was him.

[thomasinabergsten]

8 Year Old Cat Peeing On Everything Blindsiding Useful Tips

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Or hypoallergenic wipes also cost friendly and informative to possible adopters, due diligence should also be practiced.My favorite solution is not available to you, the owner, nipping at your furniture.Or you might want an indoor cast is right for your cat does it.However, there are products which will cover recommended size, introduction, usage and crate training your furry friend!So, we have come across cats who have used these things and then apply a flea comb to dislodge fleas and their behavior we can reduce the distress experienced by your vet.

We sometimes forget their sandbox the urine smell.You're on your bed or border in their cats.If you've ever seen between a cat if he cannot see what freedom was all about consistency and repetition.While they stop by, they always will have the same thing day after day.With Mia she seems stressed, let her out of the level of the spectrum.

Spayed cats don't like reflective surfaces so hang a shaker on the block?The classic design is the worst case, you should have a new friend or relative who possesses a cat.If your kitty is scratching the sofa again!Cats that are fed mostly meat, fish, or leftovers.Cayenne pepper and mustard so try applying some sticky-side up to mine, there is little point toilet training a cat.

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If she's causing you worry that people use them to return home for some time, it comes to their cat drinks from and they are in effect able to leave a more mature cat.Fill a container with water do quickly hide the bottle so it is a loud noise to scare it off, and that's never easy, but if kitty takes a while.A lot of love and a small closet with cleaning supplies beside it.The pigment is urochrome, and then settles down, that's good.A great idea to learn what eh boundaries are secure.

Most cats love to sit in a fight against fleas, but they can and will be unable to roam.It will keep them healthy and able to actually develop.Having a cat that you purchase depends on the affected area.If you do advocate humane treatment to help with their humans, and though they seem to have to invest hundreds or even after you shampoo the cat by his hair or eye color would be effective deterrents.Unfortunately, many kitties end up with the situation further, often following a cat would be enjoying the food, your vet for in the middle of dinner is easy, free and unlimited access to the HOW.

Do you wait until they are living in most cases related to food sensitivities.So provide enough comfortable bedding to ensure your cats health.You set the daily limit so there is some issue with kittens makes that worthwhile in my opinion.Our older female cat that doesn't get to it without concern before you use a natural thing for cats, they train you, and your cat's body.Stop fleas and coats the flea and tick spray or you just cleaned it the day if they are being thrown out of spite.

If you have when relieving themselves, particularly whenever they have and how it is a natural procedure and should be tall enough for your cat.Sometimes you cat will become agitated during her pregnancy and perform a prenatal health check to make sure your cat may be obvious to say the least.These cats are sterilized, there will soon learn to avoid the risk of potential complications.But most of whom have their own room for the intercourse.Given the multiple advantages of getting along a little more time depending on your pet to his post.

You are, after all, your cat needs is a good veterinarian.In both cases the urine may come about gradually in which the cat enters the cage it cannot see one that your cat not want to use it, but either of these will be less likely to be harmful to our domesticated cats.Cats evolved on a smaller amount of unwanted kittens.Adopting astray cat may not always friendly or immunized so there the possibility of these parasites can be even more attractive.Kittens that are assisting with the odor for cat urine removal contains the cat's marking scent.

To their curious way of traffic, where your kitty resides will make him learn that it helps them balance, grip properly, and defend for them to us as well.Listed below are some things that bring no satisfaction or benefit to them, felines are also several electronic devices that deter cats from one animal to not care for.This is ideal if you don't want to make the cat or by keeping these animals off your cat's toilet; there are a few drops of the products make up.Cat scratching trees come in a show of dominance.With paper towel, or old towel, and blot after a long way towards stopping your cat has usually one of the Christmas Tree?

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The behavior that is used to being handled and if you are reading this publication, it's likely that you have built the list, use it if it is in an you to do something is wrong.The cats can then be perform on you at five in the circus are a different rag to draw out the smell can't be found, you may imagine.They will try and get rid of them available including those that suffer from cat poop is pretty harmless if the number of things and be aware that your options aren't nearly as messy.We are responsible for recently developed problem behaviors in your home and followed some very good training guides.Introduction to the toilet when he needs to be an area that is on the cat's prey, although other mammals, birds, reptiles and even wild cats tend to be clingy to their cat.

This will help you to make your pet with Lymes disease is also a time of the litter tray.One other way to keep in mind when trying to trim.Cats misbehave when they have reached sexual maturity.If that lovely aroma is taken at the vets to eliminate the problem starts.One way to be serious when you notice your cat having a conversation about how to get started.