#like the new version is gorgeous and i'm really liking it but you cannot view it from the lens of the og anime

[andromeda3116]

you know i wonder where the essay is, i certainly don't have it prepared, what it reflects about society, that the '99 trigun was a fun action western-sci-fi anime with a plot that wove itself out slowly and had plenty of heart that got serious eventually but was also a quirky romp through most of its run

and the '23 trigun stampede is a dystopian sci-fi set in a crumbling desert that can barely support life with a dark plot that drags you under immediately and also does have a lot of heart but ultimately appears to have the theme of scavenging that heart from a place that gives you no reason to believe it exists

like, as time capsules i feel like it's unintentionally saying something about us, about where we've come to and come from, that the same basic story is told in two such wildly different ways, after less than a quarter-century

[mysteryshoptls]

SR Jamil Viper Apprentice Chef Personal Story: Part 2

"Master Chef"

(Part 1) Part 2

[Cafeteria – Judging Venue]

Master Chef - Jamil Version ～Let's Make Horse Mackerel Fritters 2～

Azul: Oya, if it isn't Jamil-san!

Jamil: Ugh, Azul… Of all people, you're my judge.

Azul: I have often heard tales of your cooking skills, Jamil-san. I look forward to finally being able to try it.

Jamil: You're too talkative, as usual. Just hurry with the judging and leave already.

Jamil: …Ahem. This here is a platter of horse mackerel fritters.

Azul: Oh, my… how gorgeous. I'm quite fascinated by the various colorful sauces.

Jamil: I drew inspiration from palatine cuisine. Wouldn't it be boring to just have brown sauce?

Azul: I would expect nothing less from you, Jamil-san. What a wonderful decision. Now, allow me to taste it before it cools.

[bite, chew, chew] …

Azul: The composition of the batter and the temperature at which you fried it is superb. The texture is light! The flavor has completely soaked into the fluffy body of the fish…!

Azul: And finally, these various dipping sauces.

Azul: It would be no exaggeration to call this the king of all dishes!

Jamil: The way you speak is the real exaggeration. Although, I suppose it's not incorrect to say that I did put my all into this dish.

Chef Ghost A: Jamil-kun did say that he wanted to be more particular with how it was presented. It really was worth my time to teach him!

Azul: It is a wonder that you were able to think up so many colorful sauces.

Jamil: If I were to describe each one…

Jamil: Red is tomato, green is avocado, and white is mascarpone. And the yellowish sauce is chickpea hummus.

Jamil: The blue sauce was difficult to produce and I really struggled with it. But don't you think that the acidity of blueberry somehow goes well with the horse mackerel?

Azul: Indeed, that was quite new for me as well. It is a dish that completely throws common sense out of the window. The way I view fritters will never again be the same.

Jamil: The more you heap on the praise like that, the more it stinks of lies… Well, I suppose this time I'll accept it at face value.

Chef Ghost A: Myyy, at one point I was quite worried because he was acting strange, but… all ends that ends well!

Azul: …Acting strange? May I ask you to elaborate on that, Chef?

Azul: I cannot imagine that the usually calm Jamil-san would ever show that different a side of himself, to the point where you were worried for him…

Azul: As his classmate, I cannot help but be worried for him. Was there some kind of "specific reason" for it?

Chef Ghost A: I don't know all the details, I only witnessed Jamil-kun laughing to himself while he was sharpening his knife.

Azul: While he was sharpening his knife!? Jamil-san, what in the world happened?

Jamil: …I suppose it isn't anything I need to keep concealed.

Jamil: I will never forget it. It was during a training camp for the basketball club―

FLASHBACK

―Several months ago, at the basketball training camp.

Everyone: THANKS FOR THE FOOD!!!

Ace: Whew～! The meal we get to eat right after a hard practice is the best! Jamil-senpai, everything you cook is delicious!!

Basketball Club Student A: Whenever I get to eat your cooking, it makes me happy that I joined the basketball club.

Basketball Club Student B: Same! I'm so jealous of the Scarabia students who get to eat this cooking all the time.

Jamil: You know… It's not like I am your cook or anything.

Floyd: Umihebi-kun, sure, your food is great and all, but it always looks kinda boring～

Jamil: …!!

Ace: Ah, when you put it that way, most of his dishes are pretty brown, yeah.

Jamil: (Boring… Brown…)

Ace: If there was a bit more red, yellow or other bright colors, the spread of dishes might look more appealing.

Jamil: (Brown… Boring… Brown… Boring…)

Floyd: When it comes to cooking, how it looks is also super important. Sometimes, even if you're not hungry, you can build an appetite if you see something that looks good, y'know.

Everyone: So true～ Ahahahahaha!

Jamil: (Brown… Boring… Brown… Boring… Brown… Boring...)

Jamil: …Is what happened. I couldn't believe that everyone was that dissatisfied with my cooking.

Jamil: My sister would always tell me that I make too many brown dishes, but to think that my clubmates all had the same feeling…

Azul: Fascinating. So this dish can be seen as your attempt to show them what you really can do.

Azul: What a dedicated effort you put into this! Once everyone in the basketball club tries these fritters, there's no doubt that they will change their perception of your cooking.

Jamil: I'm glad to hear that. It looks like with this dish I may not have to deal with those guys' complaints anymore.

Azul: Fufu… The basketball club sure is lucky to be able to see Jamil-san's "true abilities."

Jamil: …You don't ever stop talking, do you? Seriously, you're always just so entertained by other people's troubles.

Azul: No, no, I am simply envious of the basketball club, from the bottom of my heart. That being said, I have a proposal for you…

Azul: How would you like to work at the Mostro Lounge? I would love to have you manning our kitchens, Jamil-san.

Jamil: I absolutely, definitely refuse!!

(Part 1) Part 2

[daydadahlias]

Hi! I have an unusual request for you. I’m an aspiring writer and I’m always looking for ways to help develop my writing. I was listening to the new 5sos interviews and I find it really inspiring to hear the guys talk about their new music! So that got me thinking, why not ask similar questions to my favourite writer? So, question for you, what inspires you the most, as a writer? Are there were any works of fiction and/or writers that have inspired you and that you could recommend to me? 1/2

Oh, my dear, you shouldn't have allowed me this opportunity to ramble but also thank you sm for allowing me this opportunity to ramble. (also I know you're asking this as someone who has read my fanfiction only but I'm also going to apply this to how I view my ~original work~ because that'll probably give you a better answer).

1) I completely agree about how wonderful 5sos' interviews have been lately! They're all so insightful as artists and as they grow older and navigate the industry, they learn better and more profound ways to articulate themselves. I know they're a bit on the chaotic side sometimes (because they never really got a chance to grow out of that more youthful phase if you think about it and sometimes that sort of childish joy pops out) but when they actually answer a question, they always exude such genuine passion and love for what they do and I admire them so much for it. Ashton especially majorly inspires me as an artist.

2) What inspires me most? I think that's a really tough question and I’m not going to answer it well but I can try! I'm a pretty passionate person in life (as is probably apparent) and just about everything I make is crafted with a lot of care and excitement. And, a lot of the times, has some type of message I’m trying to at least subconsciously get across to an audience. And that largely just comes from the world surrounding me. I'm really obsessed with the way people view the world and I feel like every time I write a story, I'm just trying to capture even, like, a tiny sliver of the human experience. I want to be able to write a story that feels real for a reader. So I think that what inspires me the most is just people and how people feel. If you want a more tangible answer than that I cannot give you one lol! I wish I had more concrete things to describe but I've been writing novels for about eight years so it's hard to really pinpoint one specific, tangible thing that keeps me going. In terms of fanfic, I’m inspired a lot by… this sounds fucking horrible lmfao but, lack of understanding from people. Or simply ignorance/lack of exposure to a topic. I write a lot of stories with the intention of teaching something. Usually, in my fanfic, it twists back to consent but sometimes I have other things I’m trying to make a reader think about too. I talk a lot about mortality in my original work. Guilt is a pretty frequent theme I tackle in original novels. And a lot of my short stories boil down to defining different versions of love.

3) So you didn't specify if you wanted other fanfic writer inspirations or irl writer inspirations so I'm going to give you a mix of both. Strap in, she’s long.

In the 5sos fandom specifically, there are two writers I hold pretty damn highly. And I’m not going to tag either of them properly because I already gush about them too much and I don’t want them to think I’m obsessed. I’ve probably said a bunch that Anna (@/ashtcnirwin & elivigar) is my favorite writer in this fandom but it isn’t any less true now than it was when I joined this fandom two years ago. Anna has some of the most gorgeous prose I’ve ever read. I love the way she provides very sensory details in a story and I always feel really emersed when I read her work. Her stories move in a very fluid trajectory and I think read in the same way a prose poem might. They’re very lyrical to me which is what I enjoy about them so much. Anna's fics all feel, to me, very dense in a very good way. They sort of swallow you up. So she inspires me to lean into my more poetic side when writing fiction. Also, she just makes me want to write for fun because she hypes me up too much. And the other writer I really admire here is Molly (@/burstingsunrise & galacticsugar). When I was doing theatre in high school (and writing scripts), I was told that every scene should flow to a specific beat. If you say your line off rhythm, the entire audience will know because it will sound off. And it’s hard, usually, in literature to point out that type of bah-bah-beat style, y’know? But I think that Molly specifically is a great writer to read to understand how scenes have beats. She has this fantastic more modern style that I love. I feel very often that my prose gets carried away in flowery language and while Molly does have a lot of beautiful prose in her stories (looking @ Stained Hearts rn), she balances it out so fucking well with contemporary dialogue and these absolutely buck-wild similes that plant you right in the real world and current times. So she inspires me a lot to try and be more playful with my writing and try to incorporate more realism into my work. Like, for instance, my fic Take Notes wouldn’t have been possible for me if I hadn’t read Molly’s fics (specifically this one) first.

As for irl writers I really admire!!

The biggest one is Tim O’Brien. I think that it’s pretty (painfully) obvious if you’ve read Tim’s work and mine that I have adapted my style a lot in his image. I love his style of writing and I also love his viewpoint on writing. I would recommend any of his short stories/novels (my favorite being The Things They Carried). He talks in most of his work (specifically TTTC which is centered around the theme) about something called a “heart truth” which explains that a story doesn’t have to be non-fiction to be true. He relies on human emotion to tell his stories and implies that you should write what you feel rather than what necessarily happened to you. And that’s what makes the story true: the heart’s feeling about it. It kind of falls into that unreliable narrator niche and I’m just in love with it. I would highly, highly recommend him.

I’m very into Ray Bradbury as a writer. I enjoy his short stories and I love his book called Zen in the Art of Writing which is all about his own inspirations regarding his work. I appreciate him talking about how he truly doesn’t know anything about his characters when writing; he just lets them have it and follows their lead. And sometimes they don’t do what he wants but that’s the story he has to go with now. And he talks a lot about what his subconscious leads him to do in stories rather than what he actively chooses to do. Which is something that I as a writer often feel! That’s why it’s pointless for me to outline. I genuinely never know what’s coming next in a story. I never know how a piece is going to end until I am writing that ending.

This is a more niche part of my writing inspirations but there’s this poem called “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman that I love and I think articulates the way I view (or, I guess, viewed) smut while writing it. So I think that’s pretty nice to check out. It’s a beautiful non-explicit poem that discusses the implications of intimacy within sexual moments.

Bo Burnham isn’t necessarily a “writer” but I am a massive fan of his and I think a lot of my love for writing does stem from him. As both a performer and a writer, I love the way he crafts shows and I have such respect for his art. I would so so highly recommend his Netflix special “Make Happy.”

This is gonna not make sense lol but Ryan Ross from Panic! at the Disco is also a pretty major inspiration for the way I write poetry and the way I wrote stories a few years back. I would recommend just reading the lyrics to the album Pretty. Odd like they’re a poem collection. I just think they’re so fucking lovely (specifically “Behind the Sea”).

If you’re into fantasy novels, VE Schwab was a major influence for me back when I wrote original fantasy. Her series A Darker Shade of Magic made me go ballistic. Her worldbuilding and character dynamics are almost unparalleled.

Also, plays!! Oh my god, dude, read plays as often as you can. I think plays are so fucking important to read because they’re the bare bones of a story, you know? They’re down to just the dialogue. And so I think if you want to write a good, natural story, you should read plays for those core details. Some of my favorite scripts include “The Normal Heart” by Larry Kramer (shocker there), “Dead Man’s Cellphone” by Sarah Ruhl (and honestly any Sarah Ruhl plays, she is fucking wild), “The Nerd” by Larry Shue, “Almost Maine” by John Cariani, “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” by Ed Graczyk, and my most recent favorite is “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry.

Thank you so much for asking. I hope this gives you anything at all to work with lol <3

[pogueslandia]

hi millie!! for the love letters, i'm requesting: romantic, she/her, and i can't decide who so it's up to you but pansy, hermione, harry, or cho would be ideal. take your time love <33

PANSY —tap

HERMIONE —tap

CHO —tap

Hey puppet,

I know, I know, I’m writing you a letter, surprised me, too, but I had no other option to resort to. You have been continually running in my mind all throughout the day, all night. Honestly, don’t you ever get tired? Probably not, because you’ve been in there ever since we parted for summer break. I know that I tend to be closed off sometimes but cherish this letter because you’ll get to take a peek into my mind. Asteria, every time I think of you, I get hit by these conflicting emotions, and I don’t know how to express myself. You have no idea what you’ve done to me and now I can’t think of anything beyond you; You with that charming smile, those enticing green eyes, and your gorgeous brown locks with those stupid highlights, can’t help it. I really think it should be pink or emerald green. My day starts with you and ends with you, my pretty girl, even if you aren’t by my side.

I’m still clueless as to what I’ve possibly done to have such a sweetheart like you in my life. You’re the best, the sweetest, the most genuine, the most loving and mischievous girl I met. + hottest ;) I don’t only love you, but I also respect you and you have all of my admiration for you. I do not exactly know how to thank Merlin for letting you have the best taste in women (therefore having me), but all I know is that I’ll love you for forever and always. You’ll always have my heart. I would’ve been lost without you, I don’t know how I managed to do everything before I even met you.

You complete, puppet, thank you for never failing to make me happy and loved.

Yours,

Pansy Parkinson <3

P.S.-- Now that you’ve read this, burn it before anyone else manages to read it.

.・。.・゜・.・・゜・。..・。.・゜・.・・゜・。..・。.・゜・.・・゜・。..・。

Dear Asteria,

I was browsing through a greek mythology book in the library while Ron and Harry are, doing Merlin knows what, and I somehow managed to come across your name. I always knew your name was special but did you know that ‘Asteria’  means “star”? Asteria is also apparently the greek goddess of justice and innocence. This doesn’t really surprise me because I know that you have no problem calling out people on their mistakes and/or confronting them. Although “innocence”? Let’s not dwell on that topic. Besides the point, Asteria, you’re my star. I hope you know how much our relationship has come to mean to me. Getting to know you more over these last few months has changed my life. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, possibly even happier than when I first received my Hogwarts letter, and I owe that all to you. I never even realized that you’re the missing piece that I longed for all my life.

I thought I saw my future as bright as day before when I really just convinced myself that it is despite it being blurry and vague, but now? I’m absolutely certain that it’s clearer than ever-- Asteria, my star, you are the light in the dark that guides my step to where I want to be. As much as I don’t want to believe such things as soulmates, I’m going to speak figuratively, my entire world was once overcast by subtle shades of black and white, but then I took a sudden turn in the hallways and I bumped into you, I got to stare into those eyes of yours and I began to see all these types of colors, and in my heart, I felt this warm feeling inside me, and just then I just knew that I needed you in my life.

I adore your sweet smile and your gentle eyes. I love your quiet strength and your desire to do what’s right. You have so much love for others, for me, even though you have quite the temper. Your example makes me want to be the best version of myself. You can always make me laugh, even though I undoubtedly don’t want to. I know that you love reading just as much as going out, so I want to let you know that I appreciate you for taking the time of your day to spend some light reading with me. When I look into your eyes-- those gorgeous green eyes-- I could practically see our future together. And you by my side, no matter where that may be, is nowhere else I’d rather be.

Love, Hermione.

P.S-- Harry says hi, I reckon he took quite a liking towards you.

P.P.S -- Don’t be late for the DA meeting!

.・。.・゜・.・・゜・。..・。.・゜・.・・゜・。..・。.・゜・.・・゜・。..・。

Asteria, My Love,

As I’m writing this letter today, I have a million thoughts running through my mind. This letter is supposed to be a confirmation or authentication of the love I feel for you-- a love that is honestly hard to put into words because it’s the type of love that can only be felt. Do you know how much you mean to me? You’re the reason why I wake up every morning, the reason I go to bed and fall asleep peacefully. The person who never fails to put a smile on my face. Looking at it, I realized that your love has done so much for me in my life-- you have offered me opportunities and new-found adventures that no other person could offer me. I love you so much-- more than words will ever be expressed.

When you walked into my life, the sunshine and fire walked in with you. I cannot thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. I can only repay you by loving you unconditionally and wholeheartedly. You are my dream come true-- you’re the love of my life.

Although now that we’re on that topic, I do not know how you can think so poorly of yourself with these overly-exaggerated insecurities of yours. You are perfect in my eyes, my love, and I would do anything for you to see that from my point of view. You have nothing to be ashamed of because I love you just the way you are.

I love you, Asteria.

-Cho Chang

P.S.-- I know how you love those muggle hot topic jewelry, I somehow managed to come across them and bought you a few, I hope you like them! Also, love your new hair, try pink or purple next time xx

@choke-me-pansy

[bythegraceofcass]

Hey Ladies and Men, and my Non-Binary friends. Bythegraceofcass, here. I decided to share the first chapter of my Stucky fic here. I'm dying for support and readers with this one. It not only keeps me motivated but it means a lot to me when people enjoy my stories, because all I want is to write stories that make people laugh, cry and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So, please, take a moment to read this chapter. If you like it, hop on over to my fic on AO3, the first 3 chapters are up and I am almost done writing chapter 4. ❤ Thank ya'll, and Happy Holidays.

P.S. this is an AU, It is not a canonical story.

Unintended, Chapter 1

Summary:

After surviving a harrowing terrorist attack in New York City, Bucky Barnes finds himself in dire need of a little helping hand. Or, rather, paw. In comes Natasha, Bucky's best friend and much adored professional dog handler in the dog show world. While on a fateful trip to a dog show to search for a breeder to get his service dog prospect from, Bucky lays eyes on someone surprisingly even more beautiful than Natasha Romanoff herself.

Steve Rogers is everything Bucky could possibly dream of, if he could dream.... that is. Plagued with awful nightmares, flashbacks, chronic pain, a metal arm and mental illness, Steve is just what Bucky needed to give him the push he deserved towards finding his self worth. But is Bucky capable of loving and being loved? Or does his traumatic past and pain, both physical and mental, prevent him from finding the happiness he truly deserves? Is Steve Rogers just another pretty fling, or the doorway to Forever?

Chapter One

Bucky sighed as he got out of Natasha’s shiny black Corvette. His neck ached from the weight of his prosthetic metal shoulder, he slid on his black leather glove, a long sleeved red Henley preventing his prosthetic to be seen by the outside world. “Natasha, is this really necessary? Couldn't I just go to the pound, pick out a dog there?” Natasha rolled her eyes as she shut the driver's side door “Bucky, you know very well that isn't how it works. You need a well bred puppy from someone who responsibly breeds healthy dogs if you want to train a dog to be your service dog. Mostly, shelter dogs really don't work.” Bucky glared at her, reverting his gaze to the building which held hundreds of barking dogs of every breed, vying for the most prestigious ribbons to prove their pedigree bloodlines and stellar structure.

Bucky grit his teeth, a dog show is not the place he wanted to be. He had a migraine, and a migraine whilst stuck in a room with a bunch of barking, whining dogs is not the place he wanted to be. But Natasha told him he would be most successful landing a good, responsible breeder to get his puppy from, here. Since she was a professional dog handler, she had some in's and out’s to the best breeders in the nation. Most were friends and clients of hers, and in the dog world, anyone who's a friend of Natasha's is a friend of theirs.

Today, Natasha didn't have a dog to show. But, since she was very well known and many breeders and owners wanted to hire her to get their dog finished, she always came dressed and ready to enter the ring. Bucky secretly envied her. She was beautiful, successful in honestly the hardest and most cut throat industry out there, and married. Here he was crippled, disabled and working at Stark Industries after… well, after. Not to mention, bi and single. He and Natasha had a thing a while back, but it never went anywhere.

They were better off friends.

They got their fold up chairs out of the trunk and walked inside the building. Almost immediately, Bucky was assaulted with people grooming their dogs, blow drying their dog's fur, trimming nails, accentuating muscle groups on their dog's bodies. Most every dog he saw was absolutely beautiful, even the breeds he wasn't fond of. He noticed a long line of people waiting to enter a section circled off with a white fence, about thigh or waist high. Next to them were the most beautiful Golden Retrievers he had ever seen. “Natalia. I think I’m gonna go watch the Goldens.” Bucky sometimes called Natasha by the Russian version of her name, ever since she found out he had a Russian ancestor- Just one- she'd insisted he "tap into his Russian roots". To the dismay of Bucky, who was mostly American on his father's side and Romanian on his mother's, he did. Only because he was forced, and Natasha was scary when she was crossed.

Bucky made his way over to the ring and set his chair up, he took his phone out and set it in the cup holder on the arm. He pushed back his long hair out of his face and sighed, subtly rubbing his temple in attempt to soothe his aching head which was only made worse by the noise in the building. He wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for. Sure. Nat had told him a thing or two about proper canine structure and what to look for in a dog… but to him, a dog was a dog. As long as they were loyal that’s all he cared about. After the… incident… Bucky was never the same. Plagued by constant pain, nightmares, flashbacks, Anxiety and Depression, that drugs could never cure, despite the fact that he kept taking them, Natasha talked Bucky into getting a Service Dog. He didn't see a problem in getting one. He loved dogs, and had always wanted one. As a kid, he was busy caring for his sisters and his Ma never wanted dogs in the house. She said she had enough to worry about with three kids. However, as a tax-paying adult living in his own place, Bucky could do whatever the hell he wants. And now, Bucky wanted a dog.

He watched as handlers and dogs entered the ring, just as Natasha set her chair up and sat down next to him. Suddenly, his eye caught a tall, muscular, blond haired man jogging into the ring and kneeling down next to his dog to set him up in a stack. The man wore a smart light grey suit with a light blue shirt, which he could visibly see chiseled abs through, and grey paisley tie. It accentuated the dog, not to mention his body, perfectly. “Hey. Who's that?” Bucky nudged at Natasha, pointing subtly at the golden haired man. “Oh, that.. is Steve Roger’s. Fierce competition and… one of the best Golden breeders in New York. He lives over in Brooklyn. I was hoping he'd be here. His dogs are incredible.” Bucky never took his eyes off of him, Natasha smirked. “I also believe he's single. I’m pretty sure he's gay. I’ve never seen him with a girl, nor does he ever hit on any of the female competition here.” Bucky blushed, glaring at her before reverting his eyes back to the gorgeous man with the pretty dog. “I’m not here for that Nat.” Bucky shifted in his seat, his shoulder and head beginning to ache even more. He rubbed at his temple again. “I’m interested in getting a puppy from him.”

In all actuality, Bucky was actually interested in him. Not his puppies. However, he was technically here for one reason. He could go to any random bar and get laid there if he wanted to; but that wasn't how his mama raised him and he knew it. Bucky watched as the handlers exhibited their dogs to show off their strongest attributes, if a dog had a poor topline but gorgeous front, the handler made sure to show that off to the judge. All handlers were knelt down baiting their dogs and holding their tails up, as per standard, and the judge quickly, but efficiently, made her rounds. Stopping at each dog to take in their overall structure and appearance.

When she stopped at Steve's dog he made sure to give the judge eye contact. And, would you believe it, the little shit had the audacity to flash an adorable, albeit charming, smile that made Bucky's heart flutter. The two exchanged words, which made it obvious she thought something highly of him, and moved on to the next. Natasha rolled her eyes and snorted “And that, my friend, is how Rogers just won the entire breed ring, even though it just started.” Bucky looked at her in total confusion. Natasha sighed in slight irritation at his absolute ignorance despite her constant aspirations to convert him and turn him into a dog obsessed fiend like her.

“Okay, notice that cute little smile Steve just gave the judge? The eye contact? Exchange of words? There's really one thing that makes the dog world go round and that is called Politics. As I've mentioned, Steve has phenomenal dogs with beautiful structure and even prettier pedigrees. Every Judge in the country knows that.” She looked from Bucky to Steve “Paired with his own gorgeous looks, he always manages to earn nothing more than Best of Breed.” Bucky reverted his gaze back to Steve, ‘I know how you feel lady. He could punch me in the nuts and I would ask him to do it again', he though to himself.

Once the judge finished making her rounds, she went back to the front of the row. Everyone stood up, making sure their dog stayed in their perfect stances. One by one, a handler walked up to a taped off rectangle in front of the ring and situated their dog. The judge checked the dogs bite and ran her hands along the animals body to check his structure, then she watched as the handler strategically jogged down the ring in a vertical straight line and back to show the dogs movement. Once they returned, the handler would ask the dog to do what was called a “free stack”, which essentially was getting the dog to automatically stack themselves up without help from the handler to prove they were “built right". If a dog cannot do a natural stack, they have poor structure and will not win or be considered for the breed gene pool.

Finally, it was Steve's turn. He did everything so gracefully. From setting his dog up, to jogging down the ring to gait his dog. The golden retriever he showed was the epitome of the breed, himself. Bucky was in absolute awe. Sure, he'd watched Natasha show dogs of almost every breed many times, but he had never seen an exhibition so graceful before.

Man, he was really in deep. And he'd never even spoken to the guy. Yet.

About an hour and a half later, the judge had viewed every male and female dog in her assigned breed. Just like Natasha foresaw, Steve's dog won. For whatever reason, Bucky was happy he did.

After what seemed like an eternity, after pictures were taken of the winning dogs for the day, the handlers who won went back to their grooming area to wait for the group ring. Natasha got up and Bucky followed suit, making sure to food up their chairs and carry them with him. As they made their way to Steve's grooming table, Natasha was constantly stopped for hugs, kisses, hand shakes, greetings from her fellow handlers and breeders. She’d even gained some new clients.

Once they arrived to Steve's area, he had his suit jacket hanging on his chair and was stood at his grooming table, touching up his prized winning dog. Bucky internally swore, he could literally see the man's back muscles ripple through his thin dress shirt. And nothing turned Bucky on more than a well muscled back.

“Hey, Rogers.” Steve turned around and instantly lit up, a broad toothy grin plastered on his face “Natasha.” He pulled the petite redhead into a big bear hug “long time no see,” He said after releasing her. “You showing today?” Natasha shook her head in answer. “No. Actually, I’m here with a friend.” Steve then reverted his gaze to Bucky. “Steve. This is Bucky. Bucky, Steve. “ the two men shook hands, Bucky couldn't help but notice the guy was a tad bit stronger than him. Which wasn't something he frequented in other gay male suitors.

“Steve, Bucky is actually looking for a breeder to bring home a puppy from. This puppy will be rather special. Buck, here, hope’s to train the little fur ball up to be his trusted Service Dog.” Natasha explained. Steve’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had never had someone approach him for a service prospect before, but he had no doubt his dogs couldn't be great at the job. After all, his motto was versatility, intelligence, health and structure over anything else. “I think I would be more than honored to place a pup with you, Bucky. Normally, people just email or call me and ask for prices of my puppies.” He rolled his eyes, obviously frustrated by the mere mention of the way most people inquired “I like your style. It means a lot that you came here to get a first glance at your choices in breeders.”

Bucky couldn't help but smile in response to Steve's praise. “Well, I have a certain little spiteful redhead in my life. If I didn't come, I knew I would personally have to pay for it later on.” He shuddered in mock fear and Natasha elbowed him in the ribs, to which Bucky yelped slightly. “What he means to say, is, I taught him everything he knows. He knew it would be the obvious responsible choice. Once he gets that puppy, I’m definitely getting gratitude cookies.” Natasha glared at Bucky playfully.

“So, what kind of service do you need from the dog, if you don't mind my asking, Bucky?” Bucky hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with the question. Steve quickly took notice in his discomfort, blushing, he immediately softened the blow. “I-I mean. So I can pair you with the right pup. That way you won't get stuck with something that won't meet your needs and lifestyle. It's totally up to you if you want to share it with me.” Bucky shifted his weight to his other foot and took a slightly shaky breath. He hated talking about the suffering the… incident… brought him. “He really just needs light to medium mobility and psychiatric work. So, maybe an easy going, intelligent, stable, steady dog will do it. A pup who scores a ‘4’ on the Volhard Test will do perfectly.”

Bucky relaxed. He was definitely baking Natasha gratitude cookies.

Steve nodded, obviously slightly deep in thought. “Alright. I think I may have the perfect pairings for you. Do you work?” A much easier question he could answer. “Yes. I’m an engineer at Stark Industries.” Steve once again raised his eyebrows and whistled. “Nice. Tony Stark has a reputation for offering the best pay and benefits a job has to offer.” Steve glanced at his dog laying lazily on the grooming table. “This, here, is Valor. He's a two and a half year old male. He’s one of my best studs right now, and actually one of the males I have in mind to sire your pup.” Steve reached out and lovingly stroked the dog's head. “You can pet him if you’d like. He loves attention, as any Golden worth their salt would. Don’t’cha pal?” the dog thumped his tail on the grooming table in response.

Bucky reached out with his flesh hand and gently stroked the dog's ear. The dog licked his hand briefly, signaling that he was clearly his new bestest friend. Bucky smiled, there was a sense of joy dogs brought him that no other human could. Well.

Except for maybe one human, now.

Steve smiled warmly, Valor had always had a knack for being a good judge of character and rarely gave people kisses. Maybe Bucky was better than he realized. He glanced at his watch and sighed. “Bucky, would you be okay with coming by my house tomorrow? Just so you could better get to know my dogs and we could interview each other.” Bucky's ears perked up. “Sure!” Bucky winced at his response. A little too enthusiastic Barnes, tone it down a notch “ I mean. Sure. What time?” that's better. “2:30 too late?” Bucky shook his head “2:30 is perfect. Whatever is best for you.” Steve pulled out his wallet and grabbed a pen from his grooming bag, scribbled something quickly on the back of the card, and handed it to Bucky. On the front it read

‘Marvel Golden Retrievers

Steve Rogers

Breeder/Owner/Handler’

On the back was Steve's business number.. and-

“My personal number and address. I don't normally give out that information too quickly, but you’re an exception.” Natasha glanced up at him and smirked, to which Bucky flustered and blushed ever so slightly. “Thanks. I, uh… I’ll text you my number when I get home.” Steve offered his hand to shake, which Bucky accepted whole heartedly. “Well. It was nice to meet you Bucky. Good to see you again Natasha.” The two hugged again, before they pulled apart and Steve said “Don't be such a stranger next time.” Natasha smiled “I’ll be at a show next weekend. Maybe I’ll see you there.” Steve winked at her in agreement. Which did nothing to help Bucky's pure and unadulterated lust at the moment. “See ya tomorrow, Bucky.” And the three parted ways.

Natasha didn't say a word until they got back in the car. “You’re totally gonna bone Steve.” Bucky shoved her “Shut up and drive. Do something useful for once in your life.” Natasha smirked “Gratitude cookies.” And the car vibrated to life with a steady purr.