#if they wouldn't try to murder me i'd like to snuggle

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for letting my dog correct (nip) my niece to prove a point and refusing to punish him?

I own an ex-K9 called Biggles. Biggles is impeccably trained, a total gentleman when you're not being an asshole to him, but also has no time for your bullshit. He'll tolerate a lot more hassle from the younger kids in our family, but if they're allowed to persist in bullying him, he will correct them, just like he would the adults of the family.

Mostly Biggles will just push them over and walk away. Its his way of saying to leave him alone. Sometimes he'll bark loudly, a kind of 'fuck off now' bark. At the very extreme, he'll give them a tiny little warning nip on the arm or hand.

(Biggles has only ever nip corrected kids twice in all the years I've had him. Once when my cousin thought it was 'cute' to dump her toddler right on top of Biggles and let him rip at his fur and try to bite at his face, and once when my nephew was having a tantrum, Biggles tried to snuggle up to him to soothe him and my nephew hit him in the face.)

I firmly believe in learning how your pet communicates and respecting their reasonable boundaries. To me, if you're yanking on a dog's tail and ignoring everyone warning you to stop and you get a nip to the back of the hand for it, that's a valid consequence of your actions and you've just learned to respect the dog enough not to try pulling its tail out of its spine.

(This likely seems unfathomable to a lot of you, but I must clarify that Biggles isn't some hyper-reactive aggressive, dangerous dog like my sister thinks. He will more than happily play around with the little ones, faux wrestle with them, let them paw all over him and fuss at him, ect. He loves children, they're his babies. He does not love being in pain, and if the person causing it will not respect him or me enough to listen to my warnings, I believe they earn it when he warns them too.)

Anyway. Like you might've guessed, yanking on his tail was what my niece was doing at the beer-and-barbeque this weekend. I told her not to. My parents told her not to. Even my sister half-assedly suggested 'maybe Biggles wants to play a different game.' Biggles got up and moved away from her twice and she followed him both times to 'keep playing.'

My entire family knows how Biggles works. I warned my sister Biggles wouldn't tolerate what was happening. My sister told me I shouldn't own such a dangerous, unpredictable dog and he should be put down if he can't handle some 'rough love from a kid.'

(This was not rough love. This was my niece literally ripping at his tail thinking his pain responses were funny.)

I didn't want to cause a scene or subject Biggles to further harassment so I decided just once I'd cave and take Biggles inside so he could get some peace and I could enjoy my burnt ends without my sister squealing in my ear about being cruel to her child by telling her off.

Unfortunately, Biggles' patience ran out before I could make my way over. My niece yanked at his tail again, hard enough that it actually jolted him on the grass, and Biggles whipped around and nipped at her hand. I got to see her hand afterward and there was just a little red mark, no blood or broken skin. He'd just pinched her a little.

My niece screamed bloody murder like he'd taken her hand off and my sister screamed bloody murder about my 'vicious animal.' It devolved into a massive family-wide argument against my sister because my entire family knows its just basic respect and kindness not to cause an animal pain deliberately, and that its my sister's fault for not listening to anyone when we all told her and my niece not to hurt Biggles.

My sister stormed off and has since been blowing up the entire family demanding that Biggles be put down. She's threatened to call the cops, animal control, you name it. None of us are worried about that. There wasn't even a proper mark left on her hand and Biggles will pass any behavioral test with flying colors, but my sister is giving everyone grief and is refusing to attend any family events if Biggles will be there.

My dad is firmly on my side, but my mom is imploring me to just fake apologise to get some peace back. When I recounted the story to my colleague this morning, he said she got what she earned, but also why would I bring Biggles to an event I knew a disrespectful little shit of a kid was at?

I don't feel like an asshole in terms of allowing my dog to establish his boundaries. In my and my family's opinion pets are their own entities and should be treated with belonging and respect when part of a family. Its also just common sense not to cause an animal pain for the fun of it.

However, I'm also very aware that getting nipped by a dog, especially at such a young age, can be catastrophic. My niece could be terrified of dogs for the rest of her life, and while I don't feel guilty she got corrected, I do feel somewhat guilty that I didn't intervene sooner and have possibly set her up for failure in the future. And I do feel like an asshole for letting it get to that point, but it did all happen pretty quickly.

All things considered I do love my niece, she's family, she just gets away with murder because my sister thinks being a little girl is an automatic pass to do whatever you want without consequence.

I've probably painted Biggles out in a real bad light here, but I can assure you that in general Biggles is the perfect family dog. He's loving, playful, he tries to share his kibble with everyone at dinner, he helped us teach my uncle's puppy tricks and how to behave and potty outside ect.

So I guess I'm really asking am I the asshole in this situation, as the one responsible for Biggles?

What are these acronyms?

[yanderes-galore]

Hello! Can I please request romantic Junkrat with prompts 1, 34, and 37? Gracias! :)

YES. I will write one of my favorites yet again :)

Yandere! Junkrat Prompts 1, 34, 37

"I'd burn this world and everything in it for you."

"No one else understands me except you!"

"We should get married! It's been long enough, hasn't it?"

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Post-Kidnapping, Implied forced marriage plans, Manipulation, Clingy behavior, Violent thoughts, You're on the verge of mind break, Forced relationship.

Passion, in a normal relationship, wouldn't be that bad. However, when it came to you and Junkrat... things are different. Jamison Fawkes is a bit too passionate.

Passionate to the point of destruction.

....

"No one else understands me except you...." The Junker trails off, laying on top of you. Honestly, how long had it been? How long have you seen these exact same walls and been forced to look at this exact same man?

"What about Roadhog?" You find yourself bringing up. You only regret the question when the Junker wraps himself around you tighter.

"Well, he's my pal! You and I are much different... he wouldn't understand me like the way you do." Jamison rambles. "... you don't think I love Mako more, do you?"

Honestly, part of you wishes he did. That way it wouldn't be you kidnapped and trapped in these walls. You were not trying to imply jealousy.

If anything what you said was an impulsive bitter thought.

"Of course not." You sigh, mostly due to the situation. You then try to loosen the grip Jamison has on you by combing through his hair and holding him back on the bed. Even if the affection was just meant to ease him... you still feel disgusted by it.

You feel Jamison snuggle more into you before sighing in a giggle. You find yourself staring harder at the wall when Jamison kisses your skin in a loving manner. If anything you try to focus on the smell of rust and the orange tinged walls.

"Mako and I go way back..." Jamison hums. "However... I feel a better connection with you. I couldn't love anyone more than you...."

You gasp when the Junker nips at your skin just to see your reaction. You hear him laugh in a teasing manner before pulling away and guiding your head to make eye contact.

"I'd burn this world and everything in it for you." Jamison whispers, a much different tone from his usual excited yelling. "You'd just have to say the word and I'd do it in a heartbeat!"

You feel your blood run cold at his tone, earning another laugh before he nuzzles into you again. There was that strange passion of his again. Jamison often admits he'd murder for you to show his love for you.

You fear he has killed when he eventually leaves these walls... something you wished he let you do.

You think the conversation is over after that. With a huff you roll over, Jamison adjusting his own position to hug you from behind. You really wish he wasn't so clingy.

You think maybe you can at least pretend to sleep while he holds you. You've been here long enough... is it really that hard? So... you attempt to close your eyes.

"Hey!" Jamison gasps, shocking you out of your attempted slumber. "I've got an idea!"

You find yourself grumbling... he and ideas never work.

Isn't that why you're here?

You're caught off guard when Jamison spins you around to meet his gaze again. His eyes are so full of excitement and adoration you find yourself panicked. What did that mean?

"We should get married! It's been long enough, hasn't it?"

Any attempt to ignore him is thrown out of your mind at those words. Your eyes are blown wide in a panic and your heart rate increases. Marriage!? To him?

"Oh! You look excited, good! I've been wondering when I should pop the question...." Jamison rambles on and you try to calm yourself.

You don't bother to listen to what he says. He keeps talking about on if you should have it big or small. He's talking about themes and outfits. You say nothing... all you hear is the blood rushing to your ears.

You're snapped from your panic when Junkrat calls out to you.

You want to vomit.

"So what do you think!?" Jamison squeals. "What do you want to do?"

[hannahbarberra162]

A little embarrassing to admit but a yan Sabo would have me under his thumb so fast. He's a lot softer. He's a lot better at keeping his sketchiness under wraps and away from where you can see it. I like the idea of struggling between being scared of the person who abducted you, but also wanting to give in because he's just so warm(literally and figuratively). I'd be scared off by any overtly sexual advances but I'm such a sucker for contact it wouldn't take long for me to start snuggling up to him

It's not embarrassing! A lot of Nonnies make me worried for their safety around Sabo lol.

Sabo is delusional in that he knows some things are wrong - murder, kidnapping, making people do things against their will - but he thinks that the rules don't apply to him / in this case. It's OK that he kills people because they're in the way of the RA. It's OK that he took you because you needed to be saved and you weren't taking care of yourself. Kidnapping is wrong, but not in this case (according to Sabo).

Sabo knows not to push too hard too fast. He also genuinely likes you, he doesn't want to upset or distress you. He's is in it for the long haul, he doesn't want you to regret being with him. Or at least, have completely negative feelings towards him. No, he'll be patient and bide his time, until that little thought that something isn't right in the back of your mind is silenced.

~~~

Sabo watched you as you slept in his arms, lulled by the warmth of his Mera Mera no mi. He knew you felt physically terrible, the bags under your eyes showcasing your weariness after two days at sea. Still, he couldn't help but enjoy the sight of your smaller hands curling around the front of his shirt, pulling him tight against your body. You had stopped shivering about an hour before, sagging against his body in relief. His arm was wrapped chastely around your shoulders, not wanting to go any further in case it made you question his motives. Sabo had always done everything for those he loved - for Dragon and the Revolutionary Army, for Koala, for Luffy. He could allow himself this one bit of selfishness, this one small concession in the madness of the world. He snuggled his cheek against the top of your head, shifting slightly. You mewled a small protest, trying to keep Sabo from leaving your side. You didn't need to - Sabo wasn't going anywhere. This was exactly where he wanted to be.

[bnuuybee-writes]

How my faves would react to me if I age regressed (this is entirely self indulgent)

Forward: I age regress as a coping mechanism. I didn't have the best childhood, and I make up for that by goin Babey. Pls don't mix this up with ddlg/ageplay as that sexualizes my coping mechanism and it's a trigger for me personally ^_^💢 ty and enjoy this self-indulgent ramble

~~~

Diluc Ragnvindr

-He's surprisingly good with kids tbh. Albeit a bit awkward at first, but he's good with kids.

-Honestly when I brought this point up to him he was like "you can,, you can do that????"

-I think it also helped explain why Kaeya became so clingy when he was getting drank under the table by Rosaria.

-He wouldn't know what to do at first, since I would probably be very quiet and chewing on my thumb/knuckles before he'd step in

-"We don't do that, little angel. C'mon, let's get you something to chew on."

-I would always cling to his arm/be behind him whenever we'd walk.

-He would never let me out of his sight or let go of him in a crowded area.

-If he saw me stress/vent regress, he'd try and be as gentle as possible with me.

-Ofc he'd slip up from time to time, accidentally yelling at me when he finds me after I wandered off, not because he's mad but because he's worried sick if I would hurt myself.

-When he sees the tears well up in my eyes, he realizes his mistake and lowers his voice, kneeling down and wiping the tears away.

-"You just... scared me for a second. I thought something bad happened to you, you know how this town is... I never meant to scare you, little angel, I'm so sorry... C'mon, let's go to my tavern. I can make you whatever you want, okay?"

-All in all, he's an amazing bubba n I love him so much for being so gentle. And after I come out of it, I'd wanna go right back in just so I can snuggle him some more :((((

~~~

Diavolo Una (for narrative sake, I'm separating Doppio and Diavolo maybe theyre twins or smth idk-)

-He's experienced with kids. Hell, he's been caring for Doppio since he can barely reach the countertop.

-Between work and running a mafia, he doesn't have time for any kids, let alone a regressed partner. Normally, he hands me off to Bruno and goes back to paperwork.

-When his schedule does clear up, however, he melts at the sight of me sitting on the floor playing with dolls in the playroom he built for me.

-When I came out to him about this, he didn't question it one bit. The man has a stand that can stop time and runs a damn mafia where a kid is literally named Orange, you really think he has room to judge? Man's seen it all.

-When he comes into the room, he covers my eyes and I giggle, feet kicking in the frilly cute socks he got me and I cling to him, nuzzling into his chest.

-And he sits on the floor with me, listening to my babbles through my decorated pacifer he got me as a gift after I came out as a regressor.

-"That sounds interesting, piccole pesche. Please, tell me more."

-He'd do my hair in little braids, calloused hands working through the short strands of bleach blonde hair as I construct nonsensical stories of pirates and princesses and dragons. And he listens.

-Diavolo always listens. From my Barbie movie infodumps to nonsense I concoct in my head because it sounds cool. And honestly? That's the best thing I can ask for in a papa. </3

~~~

Arataki Itto

-You wanna talk fun caregivers? This is the guy.

-He had. Zero idea what age regression was. Seriously, he tilted his head like a confused puppy (does it make more sense at a 45° angle bud????)

-When I explained it helps me process and get through my childhood trauma in a healthy manner, he was murderous. Like, quiet, scheming murderous.

-Obv I calmed him down and told him that it's a coping mechanism. And from that day, he swore to protect little Archie.

-The first time I regressed in front of him was when I was having flashbacks. He came home and saw me curled up in the middle of the bedroom floor, rocking and holding my head, hearing small whimpers escape my lips.

-Immediately, he knew what to do, taking me into his strong oni arms and patting my back in a rhythm, shushing me softly.

-"It's okay, little demon... It's okay, they ain't gonna hurt'cha anymore, alright? Y'er safe with me, it's okay..."

-After I calmed down, my throat refused to make a noise, and I started gesturing for a pacifier. He looked confused as he picked it up, a dingy little paci that's been overused and the designs have faded. He gives it to me anyway and tells me to wait here, giving me his jacket for comfort.

-He leaves for a few minutes and comes back, seeing that I'm still on the floor, curled up in his jacket with the old paci in my mouth. He then introduces new gear - a new sippy cup for when I want drinks, some onesies he found that are solid, soft pastel colors, and a new pacifier. One with a moon rabbit design.

-When I tell you I damn near cried at the level of gentleness and care this man displayed.

-Normally he's big and loud and flamboyant, but around me, when I'm in the mind of a four year old child, he's quieter, gentler, and makes himself appear not as Giant Inazuma Gang Member Itto, but as Bubby Itto, my protector and goofball caregiver.

-He'd poke my nose and tell me silly stories that make me giggle til my sides split. He'd make funny faces during peek-a-boo and smile at my reactions. And during the quieter times, he'd hold me in his lap, singing softly until I fell asleep.

-Itto is such an amazing cg, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

~~~

C!Technoblade

-His whole bit is punting orphans and destroying cities, do you really think he'd know how to care for a child?

-Granted, he does a good job with Michael... Until he tried teaching him anarchy and Tubbo had to shut that shit down real quick.

-So when I came out to him about age regression, he hid his "oh shit" reaction very well... Not.

-At first, he was confused. When he saw me sitting on the floor, quiet and unmoving, he poked me with the handle of his sword and asked if I was okay.

-When "Tech'o!!!" escaped my mouth and I hugged him, he was like "... well shit-"

-He called up a few people he knew who either have children or knew how to deal with children, and then he began... Building.

-He put me down for a nap with some warm milk as he built, giving me his cape for warmth, and when I woke up, still small, he had made an entirely separate room for me to be small in.

-Light green and yellow carpet, soft to the touch, with a pastel blue bed and gentle blue walls painted to look like a blue sky. I was ecstatic when I saw the room and he smiled. A gentle smile came over the pigman's face.

-During quieter times, he sits me on his lap and teaches me about stars and Greek heroes from years past. He reads stories of mighty dragons and brave (or stupid) heroes that go to fight her.

-When I'm playful and want his attention, him and I reenact those scenes from the books. Which normally ends in me crying because I genuinely think I killed him.

-Then, he magically comes back to life and picks me up, spinning me around in his arms before we fall in the snow, laughing as our breath appears in puffs in the cold.

-"Y'er makin' me soft, honeybee... Dunno what that's gonna do to my street cred, but at this point, I don't care. Y'er my lil' honeybee teachin' me about life again."

[exosupport]

(cw: source death, depersonalization because of that, possible unreality warning, and murder. I'm just getting this off my chest)

I had the misfortune of splitting pretty canon compliant. I'm a Dangan Ronpa fictive, so you can only imagine how this went.

I had to make sure I made it out. I had to make sure that my cousin was okay, even my relationship with the rest of my family was rocky at best. I hated my baseball team, I hated my dad who told me I'd never make it as anything but a sports star, I hated my ex who said my music was shit. But I did love my cousin, almost like she was my sister. She was the only part I ever liked about big games. Just going out and talking to her after matches, hanging out in the summer playing fighting games and binging American movies.

I had to kill in case someone got to her. I had to save her, because what other option did I have? I still know how it felt. I still remember how it happened. It freaks me out to think I just did that, manipulated or not. It's fucked up, and I can't help but wonder if I'm a bad person for it? It was self-defense, but was it really?

Right before I was executed, I started to remember everything before the game. Remembering high school sounds awful to people, but I remembered my friends. I remembered all those late nights staying over at my good buddy's dorm reading shounen manga as I told him about American comics.

I remembered that the girl I killed was my girlfriend.

For the first few months when I split, I couldn't even live with the fact I was alive. I died. It was a really long and painful death. If I was alive, I wouldn't even be able to move with how intense it was. If I was dead, than how would I be here? I didn't get it. I couldn't get it. I didn't feel real. Everything I experienced was "from a game" anyway, and I was supposed to be dead, so...

I'm still not really over being alive. I'm still not over the fact I'll never have my own body back, or the piercings and goatee I had, and whatever. I'd say that it doesn't matter but I'd be lying. I just hope that I can get over it someday? So I can just be normal again, instead of a sap.

Sorry if this is a lot. It's been a rough time for me for a while.

Yeah, it can be really hard to process with the emotions you have after killing someone. In a situation like that I don't think it means that you're a bad person so much as a flawed person in a traumatizing situation. I'm not going to tell you what you did was wong or right, because I don't know, but I will say that you're allowed to forgive yourself and try to move on from this.

Not having your old/real body can be really exhausting too, yeah. It's hard to make peace with a whole new body and life while you're still processing everything that happened in the last one, but you're definitely not alone in this experience. Wishing you the best/that you'll feel more comfortable in your body.

[ID: A banner with a Pokemon theme. It says, "You'll feel better some day" in a decorative font. The background is colored with a sky-blue to pink to purple gradient with the texture of square tiles over it. There's two images, one at the either side of the banner.

The image on the left has a Chansey, a pink ovl shaped pokemon, holding its egg and smiling at the viewer.

The one on the right has a Slowpoke, a medium sized pink pokemon that resembles a hippopotamus, is snuggling a Pikachu, a bright-yellow vaguely mouse-like creature. They're both happy and smiling. End ID]

[ghostlycroissantpainterdrea-blog]

Someone slipped me a Mickey in my drink on Saturday night.

I woke up early, freaking the absolute fuck out. I was scared, and home, and had no idea how I got there.

The last thing I remembered from the night, was I took a second sip of watered down fireball, and thinking to myself... "I'm way too trashed for this much to drink" and that's all I remember.

My period panty bag, went missing out of my purse. Someone just tried to take out 3K out of my bank account via PayPal.

According to my friend who made sure I was safe all night. I was begging for water, and he could tell that I was really scared, but trying to play it off, as having a great time.

He knew, I was trying really hard to sober up, and stay safe, because he kept hearing me talk about really dark stuff, and requesting refills of water. I was directly behind him, as he was working on the lights. He said he'd turn around every 15 minutes or so, and I'd be talking to someone about dark shit.

He said he could tell, I was trying to stay safe, but he knew that I subconsciously knew that I wouldn't be able to fight them. He said "I think you knew you were drugged, and I think you felt scared. Because, you kept telling them stuff, that was really dark, and I think you knew that if you didn't go there, they would take you, and possibly kill you."

Talking about Thalidomide Babies, and the origin of Fanta, and Nazis, was what saved me. My friend turned around and some guy, had his hand on my left arm, in a forceful way. I have a really nice finger print bruise, and my friend said I was trying really hard to hit the pressure point on their hand, to get away, but couldn't resist. And I was still trying to run my mouth.

I think had he not jumped down from the above the bar, ready to go, I would have been murdered.

He said he said to me "Hey, Babe! I'm done! Ya ready to go home and try to make a baby?"

He said he moved his right hand ring to his left, and grabbed my hand. The guy didn't spook, and said to my friend and me, "You two aren't married, you don't know her, and she's not coming home with you."

He said I immediately said "Oh shit, honey! My band is gone. I'm so sorry!"

My friend said "Baby, this is your third wedding band, that you've lost since we got married!"

He said I said "That's why I said I shouldn't wear the silicone ones! They're too cheap, and I'm used to the finer things!"

He said he came around the bar, with his eyes on me. Wrote up his invoice. With his hand around my waist. He said I gripped the back of his shirt so tight, he knew that I knew I was trying to cling to him.

He walked me to the car, and had his arm around my waist supporting me, and he said I was trying not to fall down. He said "You knew you were in danger. That's why you kept talking about birth defects, and all that grusome shit to that dude. You were trying to keep it cool, and still deter him from raping you, and killing you. I think had I not turned around and seen him, and you looking at him, trying to hit his pressure point on his hand, you would have died. Because, I was the one who taught you that pressure point. And you only use that as a last ditch effort, to keep yourself safe."

It's starting to come back to me, bits and small pieces.

Mainly the emotions I was feeling. I remember feeling such a sense of relief, when my friend put his arm around my waist, and kissed me on the forehead, Infront of the person, trying to kill me.

I remember thinking to myself, "Lorna, I swear to God. Do not let go of this man's shirt. Do not let go. Lorna, you hold on to him." But it wasn't my internal voice. It was a man's voice. Like a young man's voice.

My friend was trying to get me home. And he was talking to someone, trying to keep everyone cool. And I put my hand on his right shoulder, and tucked my face up to it. Snuggling him. And he said "Alright, y'all. She's ready to go home, wish us luck! We're gonna try tonight, for baby #1!"

Now, this is something I do remember him saying "Oh yeah, man! She's gonna be a great mom, she's a great wife, already. She's wild as a mink, and sweet as soda pop!"

He said that so I would finish the line. To solidify, to whoever he was talking to that I was his wife.

My friend is kind of scrawny. But, he said I appeared to know the man who slipped me the drugs. And I was clearly uncomfortable. He said "No one else picked up on it, because this is a bar you don't go to regularly. And these bartenders, don't know you. But, I could tell you were scared, and trying to deter the person with your words." He said "I just knew, that if I didn't act like we were married, you weren't going to come home with me."

I talking to one of my friends, last night. Georgia Homeboy seems to be the culprit. Thirsty, and scared, but trying to play it off.

[batfoonery]

Badger Banter (Strange Hybrid Batfam! AU)

To the lovely person who asked for more~

Bruce is regularly caught off guard by exactly what lengths Jason will go to in order to give him grey hairs.

By now he shouldn't be, but as a Dad he will never grow immune from--Jason what are you doing?! Giving me a heartattack that's what you're doing. Jason Peter Todd-Wayne, I swear--

Jason, to be specific, is an American Badger hybrid. They aren't the largest breed, but they're still very aggressive and grumpity. Bruce remembers with startling clarity when he accidentally tripped over one of Jay's burrows for the first time. The little cub hadn't meant to claw up his ankle, but he's still got the scars after all these years.

There's webbing in between his fingers and toes. Dick thinks they're great, he loves pinching them and playing with them. Dick gets bitten on the regular.

If you tell him to smile, Jason will just bare his teeth at you. The trick is to distract him with footage of Tim falling over various items.

One time a reporter tried to tell Bruce that Jason wasn't as cute as a European Badger would've been. The other species is more delicate/willowy looking, but Bruce is of the firm opinion that his cub is the cutest ever. The reporter was not prepared to be catching hands and went home with a black eye.

Badgers are made to be digging machines, but Duke was entirely unprepared to find that gossip article focusing in on all the muscles in his big bro's legs and arms. He did not need the phrase "thiccer than tree trunks" haunting him the next time he and Jay dug out a burrow, thnx.

Jason is a part of the waddle squad, although he'll never admit it. Badgers are just built to be muscular with a more squat stature (although, Jason has grown to be surprisingly tall) so their gaits are a bit on the awkward side. Diana regularly demands videos and him and Dami waddling around on the manor grounds.

One day Cass finds an actual badger sete on the manor grounds. She drags Jason out to it, and they huddle around to watch it forage that night. It's the beginning of autumn, so they bring out lots of blankets to huddle under. They're both very surprised, and very honored, when the curious little critter makes its way over to them and shoves its little nose through their blankets and settles in with them with a grunt for a few hours.

Jay isn't the only badger rogue in Gotham....

Years later, Bruce would come to the startling realization that Jason's hybrid species might have been part of the reason he was targeted by the Joker. It makes him sad in ways he cannot put into words, and angry beyond belief.

It's because of one of the insane clown's other former victims, Harley Quinn.

Dr. Harleen Quinzel is an African Honey Badger hybrid. They're known for being the most vicious and cunning in the world, and regularly scare off lions and hyenas.

Despite her cuddly clown appearance, she quickly proves to be an actual menace, when she puts her mind to it and doesn't let anyone hold her back.

So it's a surprise when Bruce stumbles onto her and Jason while on patrol. They're running around rooftops in a strange little game of tag. It all sounds very aggressive, if Bruce is honest. Lots of growls and hisses and puffed up hackles. But they're both laughing in a way that doesn't set off alarm bells, so he figures it's probably a weird territorial thing and leaves them be.

If it's because he doesn't feel like dealing with being bitten, well.... it is a good reason.

It's Jason, to everyone's surprise, who really brings Harley into the family. She's more a fringe aunt or cousin, but there are days when he finds the kids building escape rooms for her and for Jason, because they both enjoy it.

Not puzzle rooms, mind you. These are deep pits filled with various traps and toggles to keep them from escaping. The first time Bruce saw one, it was shaking after a low grade explosion. His heart jumped into his throat, but the badgers just made happy screeches and continued their Great Escape.

"It's like training, Bruce!" Tim reassures him. "They're having fun, and no one will ever catch either off them off guard and be able to hurt them again."

He's still skeptical, up until Black Mask captures the Red Hood after a particularly harsh patrol. Batman is about the storm the building, when his cub pops up by his side. He'd lost his helmet along the way, but otherwise is unscathed from the supposed death trap.

Red Hood and Harley Quinn both end up with reputations of being able to walk through walls. They're un-catch-able. They're wild.

[rikisradirarara]

Cake? — L Lawliet x Reader

— It's been long since the Kira case had started and much longer since L and I could spend time together. I don't expect him to make time for me since he's been so caught up with the case but our lives haven't been the same since the Los Angeles B.B Murder Case.

That happened a couple of years ago, I was still shaken up about it causing me to find a hobby. A way to distract myself from the horrendous pictures that I caught glimpses of in my head.

Baking has been my escape. Making sweets for L and occasionally having Watari help me in the kitchen.

The only reason you could say I chose baking was the recipes. Everything was planned out already and for the most part, the results were delicious. It's a way to help L, as I don't have as great of a mind as the people he works with.

I stand in the kitchen pulling out all the necessities for the cake I want to bake. It's my birthday and all I want is to relax and enjoy the day, pushing all the thoughts of Kira and his murder spree to the back of my head.

I turn my head to the side a little looking for a certain bowl when I notice a figure standing by the doorway. My heart skips a beat, no one should be here, Watari comes by at 7:30, the people who L works with don't get here until 8:30, the only other person who is awake at 6 am is L, yet all he usually does is start work.

"L? What are you doing here?" I turn to look at the figure and much to my surprise it is L. He stands there his lanky figure wearing his usual clothes.

"Can't I spend some time with my best friend?" He asks in his monotone voice.

"Best friend is an understatement, I'm just wondering why you're here. You usually don't come visit and you still have work don't you?"

"Yes, yes I do but I seem to remember it's a very special day for you." He says walking towards where I stand against the counter.

— "My birthday I assume is what you're talking about," I say walking around him to place the bowl in my hands on the counter with all the ingredients.

"You don't have to spend time with me just because it's my birthday, I understand you have a lot of work and I wouldn't want to drag you away from it," I tell him taking things from the pile and organizing them in the order they'd have to go in.

"Which is why I'm doing this, whenever I overwork myself you're there to help me. I know you're still not over the B.B. case, I shouldn't have dragged you into another one so soon." He says and I feel his breath down my shoulder his arms wrapping around my middle in a hug.

"It's been over four years you'd imagine I'd get over it by now," I say turning in his grasp and burying my head in his chest.

"It was traumatizing for you, I don't blame you for it." He says he snuggled his face in my hair.

"So why exactly are you here?" I ask him pushing away from him slightly.

"Isn't it obvious? I'd like to help you bake something if you'll have me of course." He says looking down at me, despite his slouched form he manages to be slightly taller than me.

"I've waited for you to ask for years!" I tell him jumping up from my spot in his arms.

"So where do we start?" He questions eyes wide and the tip of his thumb in his mouth looking at the ingredients I had gathered that now stood spread out on the counter.

"We start with the dry ingredients the first being flour. Can you pass me it?" I ask him I point towards the flour that stood on the other side of the counter. I turn away from it making sure I had everything placed in the specific spot I place them before I feel L tap my shoulder. I turn my head towards him still busy with the ingredients and I feel flour being blown into my face.

I cough and try to wave away the flour that stayed in the air before taking a bit of the apron I was wearing and trying to wipe away the flour that stuck to my face. Giving up I open my eyes and point a finger at the man standing in front of me with a knowing smile adorning his face.

"What was that for?!" I question loudly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He says calmly hands in the pockets of his pants.

I give him an "are you serious?" Look before finding the flour open on the counter resting between us. I glance at it and quickly play it off as if I was looking at something else.

"Oh really?" I say taking some flour into my hands as fast as I can and throwing it at L flour in the air as I wait for it to dull wanting to look at his face. Once the flour clears I see him standing still in shock, eyes wide, his hair white now with the flour that covered it.

I try to contain my smile before I burst into laughter I lean over the counter trying to stop my continuous laughter. Sooner than I expected flour lands on the back of my head, I stand back up the flour that once laid still falling unto my back and into the floor.

L stood in front of me holding the flour I go to grab it as he tries to keep it away from me. We both struggle trying to take away the flour from the other. Small amounts of flour fall into our clothes with every tug of the bag.

Unexpectedly the bag breaks into two each of us being brought back by the force as flour pours into the air coating everything in sight in a small coat of white.

The air slowly clears as L and I turn to each other wide-eyed at the mess we had made. Both covered head to toe with flour he helps me stand up flour slowly raining off our clothes as we try shaking it off.

"Oops," I say looking around and imagining how difficult it will be to clean up.

"You should head and shower, I'll clean up the mess." L offers walking away to get the cleaning utensils.

"What about you?" I ask walking after him.

"Don't worry about it." He says never giving me a second glance. He walks away and I walk to my room to do as he told.

— An hour later I walk out of my room to find the kitchen spotless. Confused as to where L had gone I walk into his usual study finding him sat on his chair back facing me. Hearing me walk in he turns to me a slice of cake in his hand.

I walk up to him turn his head a little and give him a kiss on the cheek. His usual pale and stoic face turns a light shade of pink as he expresses shock. He brings a hand up to his cheek and brings the other holding the cake towards me.

"Cake?"

request: “hi there!! i saw your requests for L are open! if you’re okay with it, i think it’d be really cute for a scenario where reader confesses to L by baking him something and maybe giving him a kiss on the cheek to fluster him? whatever you choose it’ll be great!!! <3” From anonymous

a/n: sorry it’s late, the last two requests I had took me a day to write while this one took me much longer. Even though it took me long I didn’t want to write something hurried and bad so despite the time I actually kinda like how it turned out. I also apologize because it’s not exactly what you asked for but I hope you like it because I enjoyed writing it! Also thank you jay (aka my savior) for helping me with the fluff!

word count: 1,249

[kokichi-and-co]

How did the warriors meet kokichi? Dunno if this was asked already

OOOOOOOH, I WAS WAITING TO GET THIS ASK-

"Well, around a year ago, I got contacted by Future Foundation. Said they had a new idea to 'kill two birds with one stone', and that it would help with trauma for not just one, but six people. I was a little confused, but I got called into Future Foundation Headquarters, and the five were sitting in a goddamn cell. No wonder they didn't trust adults. Anyway, I was told that I had the option to adopt them. I'd be provided with assistance, as well, though I do have stable income, and that these five were heavily traumatized, although I told them not to tell me. They'd be able to tell me on their own time. I relate to all five of the stories these kids told me, too. It's so obvious those kids had... no one. Just like I did. I don't want them to fall down the same path I did. Even if they're murderers, I don't care. It's not their fault they were used and abused by the very people they were supposed to be able to depend on."

"Masaru told me he got hit a lot, and I soon found out that the smell of alcohol made him very afraid. I only found this out after I took them to Miu's New Years party, and wine was involved. I didn't drink any, of course, because I do have children that are dependent on me, but he flew into a rage, trying to get rid of Miu. I ended up taking him home early, while Tenko watched the other four for me. She doesn't like men, but she adores children."

"Nagisa... Poor thing came home for the first time, and immediately started studying. When I pointed out that he still hadn't even gone to school yet, he asked me 'Well, what else do you do in this house?' Absolutely broke my heart. He has a bad habit of pushing himself past the limits, which usually ends with me forcibly taking his notes, and telling him to get some sleep, some food, and something to drink, and I promise to help him study more in the morning. He seems to love teaching me, so I pretend I didn't know about the topic, and he tells me. It's really very sweet to hear him talk about something he enjoys."

"Jataro had this fixed mindset that if he takes his mask off, he'll kill everyone, including his friends. Right now, I'm trying to work him up to self-confidence, so he can remove his mask. He's learned that love is painful, just like I did, though I have that word as a trigger. Still, I try to show him what real love is. The way nobody ever did for me growing up. Which includes being buried in my arms, and snuggling up with me and the other Warriors."

"Kotoko... My god, hers is the worst. I've prostituted myself before, to make enough money to provide for D.I.C.E., but being forced into it... Especially being as young as she was... My god. She was extremely distrustful of me at first. Which is probably a good thing. If she wasn't, she would've been absolutely eaten alive by now. She told me to be careful once while patching up an injury, and I told her I'd be as gentle as I possibly could. And I never thought I'd see someone as strong and brave as Kotoko breakdown like that... She begged me not to be gentle, and to do anything but gentle. I reassured her that, no, I wouldn't be gentle, assuming that was a trigger word. I ended up taking her out for ice cream as an apology, and she forgave me."

"Monaca... was a bit of a tough case. There was a lot she had to learn, like the fact that despair is worth nothing when she has people that care for her. She also had to learn that she was actually going to have all the things she never did. Food every day, a place to sleep, and always having someone to talk to. She used to resort to triggering her friends to make sure they wouldn't abandon her, and when I brought this up, she apologized and we all told her we'd never leave her. That we're all in this together forever. She's a very sweet little girl, too, and being around her can be straight-up therapy. She's sweet, supportive, and a great listener. Plus, she knows exactly how to take your mind off of things."

[yanderes-galore]

Can you make a Yandere Raichu (Alola)?

Okay! Ngl, I headcanon Alolan Raichu as surfers. Raichu's have tails in this, just don't ride them.

Gender neutral Pokemon as it was not specified!

Yandere! Human! Alolan! Raichu Concept

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Yandere behavior, Obsession at first sight, Manipulation, Implied Murder, Possessive behavior, Isolation, Delusional behavior.

- Alolan! Raichu are typically more laid-back and calm than normal Raichu.

- They also love to surf, while regular Raichu typically skate.

- You most likely met your Yandere on the beach.

- Raichu in the alola region tend to cluster by there to surf.

- You're having a leisurely stroll when someone stops you.

- "Alola! What brings you here?"

- You pause, confused before you see a Raichu dragging a yellow board behind them.

- "You don't look like a surfer, or a Raichu! Are you just walking about?"

- They chuckle softly and you nod.

- "Yeah, It's nice to see how talented the surfers here are."

- The Raichu's ears twitch, tilting their head.

- "Want to see me surf for a bit? I can even teach you a little! Maybe after we can get something to eat. Let's keep each other company for awhile."

- You agree, there's nothing wrong in having a little fun, Raichu are naturally friendly Pokemon in Alola anyway.

- Your beach walk had gotten even better today.

- You tried to learn how to surf, unfortunately falling into the water many times.

- Raichu found it funny, at least.

- You even watched Raichu perform tricks in the water.

- Now was the time to rest, the sun setting to a soft pink color.

- Stopping by a restaurant you both get something to eat.

- Raichu choosing pancakes, as it was their favorite food.

- Tuckered out from the day's events you shared idle chatter.

- "Do you have any Pokemon of your own?"

- You frown, thinking.

- "I have one I met a long time ago. A Squirtle."

- Raichu frowns for a moment before continuing.

- "Have you considered another...?"

- You almost choke on your food.

- "You're not seriously considering...."

- "I'd love too! You seem pretty nice. Wouldn't we have fun?"

- You try to protest on their behalf but they're already digging through your bag for a Pokeball.

- That's how you meet.

- Your Squirtle is confused to say the least.

- You got a new Pokemon?

- It concerns them even more when the Pokemon you bring home is bigger than them and electric.

- As Raichu grows closer with you in your home, you can guess that they try and intimidate your Squirtle.

- Raichu is usually quite docile and kind to you, wishing to lay with you on the couch and receive your attention.

- But alone, your Raichu is threatening your Squirtle.

- How they could easily kick them out, show them their place because they're so much bigger and stronger than your Squirtle.

- Your Raichu wants nothing but them on your mind.

- You could go swimming, chill on the couch, snuggle with each other....

- Anything that involves you is fine.

- "Stay here on the couch with me~! We can chat!"

- When their obsession peaks, your Squirtle has disappeared and your Raichu is delusional.

- "We're the best together!"

- "You take so long to get home...are you at the beach without me!?"

- "Aren't we perfect together? Life is so much better with you as my trainer...."

- They never answer your questions about Squirtle.

- Raichu even prevents you from leaving the house, and anyone from coming in.

- Someone wants to visit you? Your Raichu is already at the door.

- "You don't belong here... leave."

- You regret meeting this Raichu.

- Quickly you're isolated to your home, a lovesick Raichu laying beside you.

- Electricity sparks from their cheeks, ears twitching as their face feels hot.

- "I'm so happy we met~"

[creek-cryptid-deluxe]

WARNING: this is a sad post disguised with humor. Long and sad. My apologies for any tears you shed, any heartstrings that are pulled.

TL:DR at the bottom

Long ago, in an ancient time known as 2008, i journeyed to our local animal shelter looking for a murderous fluff ball, known as a cat. In order to make my way to the delightful little critters, I had to cross an open yard space that was fenced in so that dogs could frolic. As I crossed (slowly because i clearly needed to pet all the dogs, it was obviously the task i had to fight my way through to reach the cats), the beautiful creature pictured above trotted up to me, slamming her face into my leg. As I pet her, i noticed her bunny-like tail wiggling furiously. A shelter employee walked by, so i asked him about her and so i learned of her backstory:

Her name was Sarah. She was a poorly bred Australian Shepherd, as some absolute dumbshit had decided to breed two merle Aussie Shepherds together. Now any breeder (and even most non-breeders) have the good sense to know that you always breed merle colored dogs of any breed with a different coat color because there are a great many genetic risk factors that will adversely effect the pups resulting from that union. Sarah was one such pup. She was born entirely deaf, completely blind in her right eye (the one surrounded by white fur), and seemed to be able to see shadows out of the left but couldn't entirely see out of it. This made for a high energy, very intelligent working breed dog that was nearly untrainable due to her disabilities. It was these factors that had caused this beautiful baby to be surrendered to the shelter 5 times in the two years she had been alive. She was scheduled to be put down the next day as she was 'unadoptable'.

I couldn't let that happen, so I ended my quest for a cat, and brought her home for my father instead. The above pictures were from the first 9 months we had her. She was mischievous and incredibly nosey. She was definitely a challenge compared to a dog with all of its senses in tact. We essentially baby proofed the house, installed a doggie door to the backyard, & took her on loads of walks. We spent time with her to learn her quirks and preferences (like that you don't sneak up on her blind side to pet her because she will bite you, or that she will try to heard anyone under 4 ft tall by nipping them). She was a wonderful dog if you were willing to put in the work.

About a year after the adoption, my dad came home to find her barely concious, shaking in the yard. He immediately hoisted her into the care & rushed to her vet. After loads of testing, the vet discovered that she had experienced a massive seizure followed by a multitude of tiny seizures. They couldn't tell exactly how many. The vet told us that we could attempt to control them with medication, but at best she probably had 2 years left and that she'd never be her old spunky self, that she wouldn't behave like a dog at all because there was a very high chance she was brain damaged from the seizures. He said putting her down was a good option, but we didn't want to give up without a fight. So we started meditating the seizures (with monthly bloodwork) and working with her to give her a sense of normalcy and let her know we weren't giving up on her. We did the right thing because...

within about a year and a half, she was a dog again. A few things had changed permanently thought. She no longer vocalized at all (unless you rubbed her ears a certain way, the she made a deep moaning growl sound that let you know you were petting her ears properly), no longer licked anyone, was much more calm, and had put on some weight. We tried putting her on a diet per the vet's recommendation, but when we did she began to eat her poo, so we gave that up after about a week. She still loved pets, waited for my dad to get home by watching for the shadow of his car pulling in through the small gaps in the back fence, hit you with her face when she wanted attention, lived for walks, and was always very interested in what the people were eating.

7 months ago, I moved back in with my dad due to my declining health & an abusive (now ex) boyfriend (that's a can of worms that I'll open at a later date). I had put my service dog in the care of the lady who was my home aide at the time because Sarah was no longer dog friendly. She became my constant companion, looking out for me in that way dogs do when they can tell you aren't well. She only ever left my side to go outside, greet my dad, go for walks, eat, or go to the bathroom. She had begun having hip problems, so she wasn't allowed upstairs anymore (much like myself). We even had a nigh time routine. I would turn off my living room light, start steeping my bedtime tea, then take her for a short night walk, & give her a cookie as I finished making my tea. Then when my tea & reading was done, there was a 30 minute bedtime pet session, I'd get into bed, and she'd snuggle up in her bed. Then it got harder and harder for her to get up. A few days ago, she started having small seizures again.

Which brings us to today. The pictures above are from a few days ago. My beautiful girl would have been 10 in February. But this morning I woke up to hear her coughing, gasping, and gagging. I sat with her, petting her, as I called my dad at work. She was struggling to breathe. We took her to the vet immediately (well, as immediately as possible since it took us about 20 minutes to get her off the floor and into the car). The vet said it sounded like fluid in her lungs. She had a very high fever & really high blood pressure. They said even if they could figure that out & get it under control, they wouldn't be able to get the seizures under control again or help her with her legs because the front ones were starting to give as well. So we had to make the impossible decision to have her put down so that she wasn't in pain anymore. We sat and pet her, talking to her despite the fact that she couldn't hear a word, until she went to sleep. During the consult with the vet, my father's voice started to crack. I could tell I needed to be stoic & be there for him, so I was & reassured him that it was the right thing to do, that she wouldn't be suffering any more. By the end, he was sobbing. I'd never seen my father break down like this. Not even after his 4th wife passed (yes, you read that correctly FOURTH WIFE, but that's a story for another time). As we left, he tried to thank the staff because she's been at the same vet's office since we got her 8 years ago, but he couldn't get the words out. Instead he asked for pen and paper and wrote them a note (later he wrote an email).

Knowing how my father handles unpleasant matters, including grief, I knew he'd go back to work to distract himself and I offered to take care of cleaning out all her things. He dropped me off at home, and I sobbed as I gathered up all her old bones and toys that were beyond use. I gathered her beds, blankets, unused toys, and unused cookies & biscuits, called my grandma with the news and had her take me to the animal shelter we adopted her from so I could donate it all. When he got home, he thanked me for taking care of it all. I could see him breaking again (after all, his best friend wasn't here to greet him today), so I ordered pizza and ordered him to plant himself on my couch so we could watch silly shows and eat junk. He seemed ok, as long as he was distracted. Tomorrow, after my doctor, I may take him to play Pokemon Go. More distractions.

So there you have it. The beautiful tale of Sarah Hall, the blind deaf epileptic rescue Aussie. We made those last 8 yrs count & she made those last 8 yrs undoubtedly brighter. RIP Bunny Butt. ♡

TL;DL: rescued a deaf & visually impaired dog who was on death row, 8 yrs pass & today her reign as queen of our home and hearts has ended.

[13eyond13]

Do you have any headcanons about B? Like if B had an older sister what would their relationship be like? Sorry if that's weird but I'd like to think If he had a better support system he wouldn't have done the whole LABB thing

Hi Anon, thank you so much for asking! I love getting headcanonquestions, especially about B.This is such an interestingquestion! I’ve never imagined Beyond as anything but an only childbefore, just because B’s only relatives mentioned in the novel arehis parents. He was seemingly orphaned after their deaths, so you’reright, he likely didn’t have a good support network or other closefamily capable of taking care of him. We were only told a fewvague sentences about B’s past: We were told:

[1]B had a father who was murdered by a mugger.[2] B had a motherwho died in a train crash.[3] B had the shinigami eyes sincebirth, somehow.[4]B knew what the lifespans meant, and knew that he was incapable ofever changing the numbers.

I really do like the idea of Bwith a protective older sister, though, and how that might have changed things for him. I’ll run through how Iimagine this AU might have looked if he did:(this turned out VERY long and very in-depth lol, like approx. 2500 words, and I totally understand if you don’t want to read the whole thing! I’ll put it under a cut here):

B’s BABY YEARS:

B’s sister is seven years older than him, because he was a surprise pregnancy for his parents.

She hates him at first, because she’s so used to being an only child, but he’s actually a very pleasant baby – quiet and alert and cheerful, doesn’t cry much.

His sister still hates him until he’s about two. She sometimes stands over his crib whispering mean things to him, but he just gazes up at her adoringly and smiles and coos at her until she feels very guilty about it, and goes away again.

B’s TODDLER YEARS:

 B follows his big sister everywhere as soon as he can walk. He is very affectionate, always asking to be picked up and carried around. He snuggles into her neck and plays with her hair, and calls her a funny bungled version of her name, because he has trouble pronouncing his R’s. This melts her heart pretty quickly, and she soon forgets she ever resented him.

B’s sister finds she really likes playing mother with him – she loves getting him dressed and feeding him snacks, and teaching him things whenever he asks – which he does often, because he is a very curious & bright child.

B hits his childhood development milestones very early, and it’s speculated that he’s very intelligent, likely a certifiable genius. His medical checkups reveal nothing unusual about his brain or his eyes, but he always seems much older than he really is – about double his actual age, mentally at least.

B seems to daydream a lot, and to easily be distracted, especially if he’s in large crowds of people. He often says strange things that nobody can make sense of, but his family mostly writes it off as a personality quirk, or a byproduct of his big imagination.

His sister is very interested in nurturing B’s intelligence; their parents are always busy, both working hard to make ends meet, and so when she babysits B she starts teaching him to read and do math. He’s reading grade six level chapter books out loud to her by the time he’s three. B starts asking his family very strange questions soon after he becomes literate.

B’s EARLY CHILDHOOD YEARS:

B starts asking his family about all the floating numbers and the names. He points to the spot just above people’s heads and recites exactly what he sees out loud. He is shocked that nobody else can see them. He knows the name of anyone he sees, whether or not he’s ever met them before. “Why are your numbers so much longer than hers?” he might ask his sister, or “Why does the man’s name say this when we actually call him this?” “Why don’t I have any letters or numbers above my own head when I look in the mirror, or when I look at pictures of me?”

His family is astonished, and somewhat frightened. They quickly realize it is not just the strange imaginative games of a small child. 

They start doing little experiments with him to make sense of it, and find it seems to be related specifically to B’s vision; he has to see a person’s face for it to work. He can point to any person in any photograph and tell you exactly what their name and number is, as long as their features aren’t obscured. The people in photographs only have numbers sometimes, he says; for example, his family shows him a book of old black & white war photographs, and according to B not a single person in it has numbers. He says the numbers are always changing for people he sees everyday, but that their names never do; he says that the numbers only ever get shorter for everyone, not longer. 

B’s parents ask him about their own numbers. They ask about his sister’s, too, but B senses that the whole thing is making his sister feel very anxious. B trusts his sister’s intuition with all his heart and is very loyal to her, so he refuses to divulge any of his family’s numbers to anyone. His sister is very relieved by this, though she doesn’t fully know why yet; she is very proud of B and his unusual gifts, but something about the numbers part of it always gives her a queasy feeling in her stomach.

The whole numbers thing starts making sense for everyone once their elderly landlady dies and they attend her funeral. Four year old B says her numbers are completely gone now when he looks into the casket. He says the numbers are always pretty short for old people, but that hers were the shortest ones he’d ever seen.

B’s LATER CHILDHOOD YEARS:

Once it’s discovered what the numbers actually mean, B’s parents start fighting about it. His mother wants to use B’s abilities to make money, and pressures his father constantly about it.

B’s dad is just obsessed with finding out his own lifespan. He tries to coax it out of B nicely at first, then pressures him with guilt, but B will not budge on the matter, and remains very tight-lipped.

Theirparents start fighting secretly every night when B and his sister arein bed, and it’s always about whether or not they should attempt to make money off B’s talents. They try to be quiet, but the kids still overhear all of it. They could use the money to put both the kids through school and to move to a nicer neighbourhood, his mother says. It would be good for the whole family, if they were smart and careful about who they partnered up with, she says.

B and his sister become inseparable through all of this familial stress. B often asks to sleep in her bed with her when he has bad dreams, and so her pseudo mothering of B continues as he grows. 

B’s sister never asks him about the numbers or the names, and just treats B like a normal person. She tries to focus his mind on other things, and aims to keep him feeling good about his abilities instead of guilty or stressed whenever he mentions them. 

He confides in her during one of their sleepovers that he knows how to mostly work out the lifespan formula automatically now when he looks at people, but that it’s not totally flawless yet; the numbers are very tricky, but he thinks he can narrow the timeline down accurately to within a few weeks of the death date. He does these calculations automatically without meaning to every time he looks at people now, and he hates it. 

He is very sad about finally understanding the lifespans of their parents, and says he wishes more than anything he knew of a way to make people’s numbers get longer instead of shorter.

B’s PRE-TEEN YEARS:

B’s dad loses his job, and starts seriously considering his wife’s insistence that B is their ticket out of their financial struggles. They start seriously scheming about maybe contacting some talent scouts to meet with, secretly after B goes to bed. 

 B’s sister internalizes B’s morbid knowledge about their parents’ lifespans, and starts growing up very quickly as a result. She takes on two part-time jobs while finishing up her final year in high school and saves up a lot of money. 

B’s parents never end up actually monetizing his talents, but they do end up divorcing due to the constant fighting.

B’s sister moves out on her own as soon as she turns 18, into a crappy two bedroom apartment in the city near her work.

B’s parents both die soon after, within a year and a half of each other. It’s a very rough time for B and his sister, as they loved their parents dearly in spite of their flaws and have no other living family. Their parents left them with some debt, but B and his sister are each other’s emotional support all throughout the grieving, and manage to stay strong all throughout.

B’s TEEN YEARS:

B’s sister becomes his legal guardian, and he moves into her spare room. They happily stop talking about his strange abilities altogether.

They make a pretty good team when it comes to splitting the domestic duties. He loves to clean and does it for fun, so the place is always absolutely spotless. 

B’s sister is generally an awful cook, but she knows how to make a mean sandwich, and she always keeps the place cozy and smelling nice by burning incense, and furnishing the rooms with the perfectly good things she finds thrifting. She has a real knack for interior design, and plans on maybe pursuing it someday, once B is finished high school and able to better financially contribute to the household.

When B is about fifteen years old, his sister notices that he’s never once shown an interest in girls. He also is very curious about her morning routine, and watches how she gets ready for work very closely. She never lets on that she notices this, but she starts casually narrating the steps she takes to apply her makeup and do her hair.

One day, B’s sister finds some of her foundation and eyeliner missing. It’s replaced again the next day, and neither of them say a word about it.

B is consistently the top student in his high school in all grades. He’s generally well-liked, though very shy, and doesn’t have many friends. His sister senses he’s afraid of getting attached to people because of his eyes, and feels sorry for him. She encourages him to join some sort of extracurricular program, saying he’d definitely have a better chance of getting into his dream schools if he was more involved.

B joins the drama club at school, and it helps him come out of his shell socially. At first he just volunteers as a stage hand, helping the actors with their costumes and their stage makeup, but eventually he works up the courage to audition for a play, too. He is a natural, and gets the lead part. B’s sister tries to help him practice his lines when she gets home from work, but she’s often too tired. She suggests that maybe he could invite some of the other cast members over to practice sometime, instead.

B invites only one other cast member over to practice; a very cute guy with long blond hair, leather pants, and a rosary around his neck. This guy seems to have been under the impression that there were other people coming too, and looks very uncomfortable about the whole situation. B’s sister feels the awkward vibes between them immediately and wants nothing more than to makes herself scarce, but she feels too bad for the guy to leave. She hangs around all night despite B’s pointed glares, and makes a pot of mushy, overcooked spaghetti for them all to share. The cute blond guy chokes it down politely and leaves as soon as he can, saying he just remembered he needs to go pick up his best friend Matt from work.

B’s school play goes very well, and the student newspaper reports his performance as the stand-out highlight of the whole thing. B tells his sister that maybe he’d prefer to move to Hollywood someday and pursue acting. She’s torn between encouraging him to follow his less practical dreams, and wishing he’d make something of his incredible smarts and aim for an ivy league school, instead. She decides to hold her tongue and let him decide on his own.

Eventually, B’s sister gets a nice boyfriend named Stephan Gevanni, and he moves in with them after a few months. He’s a sweetheart, and a very good cook, and he fills that hole in their home nicely by making delicious suppers every night. B is very blushingly awkward around Stephan, and hides in his room all the time, writing in his diary, obsessively reading manga, and listening to dramatic movie soundtracks on repeat. He gradually stops being embarrassed about his interest in makeup, as his time as a stage hand helps him feel more comfortable about it. Soon he’s wearing subtle eyeliner and foundation every day, and it looks very good on him. That cute blond guy he invited over even asked B for tips on how he pulls it off so well, he says with pride.

At some point, B comes home from school saying he’s just had the oddest day at school. He was pulled out of class all day for some very cryptic testing, which he was told was a standardized government thing. B didn’t believe for one minute that it was, but he couldn’t make sense of what else it could be, either. He said the test was the hardest thing he’d ever taken in his life, but that he had a lot of fun with it, too.

Two weeks later, B gets an elegantly embossed letter in the mail. He’s passed the cryptic testing with flying colours, and is one of the elite few finalists being invited to meet with a man who runs some of the most prestigious private schools in the country. The one they think B would make the best fit for is called Wammy’s House in England, which they would allow him to attend on full scholarship, no questions asked. B reads the letter out loud to his sister and Stephan over dinner with shaking hands, though he claims to find it silly and acts like he doesn’t care at all.

B’s sister thoroughly researches this school for the gifted, and finds she can figure out very little about it outside of the fact that it indeed exists. She’s extremely proud of B for being selected as a candidate, but her sharp intuition is giving her a very nasty feeling about it, nonetheless. She chooses to hold her tongue and see what B will choose, deciding she will whole-heartedly support his choice either way.

B decides after a lot of agonizing to politely reject the offer from the mysterious school, saying he’s finally feeling at home in his own skin for the first time in his life, and would miss his new friends at school too much. He said he needs some more time to figure himself out, first, no matter how flattering the school’s offer is. His sister breathes a secret sigh of relief, and she and Stephan makes B a lovely cake with strawberry filling for dessert that night, because they knows it’s his very favourite.