#one of the many reasons I love syrians is they bite their nails so you don't have to do this

[idledoll]

Both of the hamsters' nails have been looking extremely long lately, so I've been steeling myself to cut them (I'd like to at least give it a go before having to take them to the vets).

I just pulled Egg out of her cage after getting everything ready, scruffed her and flipped her over...only to find her nails are the perfect length. Suddenly. Somehow.

I guess she got tired of them being long and decided to bite them a bit shorter? Who knows, who cares, I'm just glad I don't have to trim them because wow was I dreading it.

Now I just have to wait for Bathrick to wake up and then it's his turn. His nails are way worse -- I have no idea why he doesn't wear his down like hamsters are supposed to -- so I doubt I'll be granted clemency twice. Wish me luck.

[sorrydearie]

For the prompts meme, could I ask for #53 - Red & Liz? :) (#81 is soooo Red! lol) Thank you!!!! You are amazing!!!!

53. I’m flirting with you.

Alright, that took the cake. Literally.

Red watched as Lizzy popped a piece of cake - the one she had just stolen from his plate - into her mouth, lips parting in obvious delight as a content moan escaped her throat.

It wasn’t that he minded, no. It was just that Lizzy didn’t usually enjoy the places he picked for their little lunch dates - or, well, she usually wasn’t this open about her appreciation for them, anyway. Oh, she tagged along, alright. With a grim frown on her face that made her look as if he were leading her right up to the scaffold.

But for some reason today was different though. Throughout their whole lunch, Lizzy had been surprisingly tactile, openly stealing bites off his plate, brushing her hand against his when he passed her the sugar, moaning blissfully at the taste of her chocolate tart. She was smiling at him, too. Warmly and - if he didn’t know any better - almost adoringly.

As if she actually liked him.

None of it added up. It was so far out of Lizzy’s normal range of behavior that Red was starting to get suspicious. But after throwing an inconspicuous glance-over around the room, he still came up with nothing. As far as he could tell there were no suspicious characters around, nothing that could possibly be a threat to either of them. Nothing whatsoever that warranted this kind of behavior from her. Nothing she’d have to warn him about by…

…touching his bicep while cooing a surprised-sounding oh and so strong and - 

Red swallowed as his eyes followed the movement of her hand on his arm, rubbing and stroking, her touch scorching hot - burning - through the many layers of jacket and shirt and undershirt and skin at last.  

Dragging his eyes back to her face, Red stared at her, blinking slowly, his face scrunched up in confusion. He felt more than just a little helpless. Thrown off kilter with no sense of direction left.

“Lizzy,” He said, slightly hesitant. “What is going on?”

“I’m flirting with you.”

He drew in a sharp intake of breath, almost choking on the air that rushed through his lungs. His heart - battered old thing that it was - didn’t help either; all at once it jump-started into a frantic rhythm that was surely far-removed from being healthy or normal. Lizzy-induced, that’s what it was. Just the same as the sudden rush of heat racing through his body.

“Why?” He asked, and if he weren’t so damn distracted by the feel of her fingers squeezing his arm, he’d surely be embarrassed by the tone of his voice: a barely-there, thread-bare whisper, more texture than sound.  

(He sounded absolutely pathetic, alright. It was just that he couldn’t really fathom why Lizzy would want to flirt with him. Why she would want to be nice to him, touch him, lean in close. Make him feel desirable and loved.)

Lizzy rolled her eyes.

“I’m trying to make a point.” She said. “I can be just as alluring as Samar.”

Ah. Right.

He should have known that he had hurt her pride by asking Agent Navabi to accompany him to the gala. Come to think of it, Lizzy had looked a bit sour when he suggested it, that lovely crease between her brows, the downward twitch of her lips as if she had just tasted something bitter. He should have been more considerate, he supposed. After all, he knew that she was prone to jealousy, and–

Suddenly, Lizzy scratched her fingers against the back of his head, and Red’s eyes fluttered shut on their own accord as an appreciative groan rumbled through his chest.

“Lizzy, could-” He cleared his throat, his eyes blinking open - lazy and just slightly dazed. It took a considerable amount of effort to concentrate, to fight the growing urge to lean into her ministrations, to let the sensations wash over him: the warmth of her touch, pleasant and tingling, and the smile on her face, almost loving.

“Do you think she looks better in a dress?” Lizzy said, and Red wanted to groan in exasperation. Would have, too, if Lizzy hadn’t dragged her nails down the side of his neck in a barely-there whisper of a touch. “I can clean up nice.”

Oh, he knew that. He still fantasized about that red dress, the one she had worn to their little outing at the Syrian embassy. How it had flowed down her shoulders in vibrant waves, how impossibly long her legs had looked in it (how he had burned with the desire to slide his hand up the inside of the slit on the side of her dress, desperately seeking the warmth of her skin, it’s silky smoothness). How lovely it had made her look - accentuating the slight flush of her cheeks.  

“Or do you think I’m too closed-off? Stand-offish?”

Red jumped slightly as Lizzy slid her left hand over his thigh, teasingly stroking the tense line of his leg. Even through the daze of lust that was starting to cloud his brain, Red could feel her fingers digging into his flesh, nails scraping against the cotton of his pants, smooth and hot and coming dangerously close to brushing against the tightening inseam of his crotch.

“Because I can be promiscuous. If that’s what you need me to be.”

“Lizzy.” He said, warningly.

Her nails bit into the back of his scalp before gently ghosting over the skin of his neck, fleetingly brushing against the underside of his jaw. Reflexively, Red found himself tilting his head to allow her fingers to slip past the collar of his shirt, beneath the knot of his tie - so tight and restricting, cutting off his air.

Meanwhile, her left hand continues up its path on his thigh, and the sight alone was enough to leave him dizzy, head spinning and heart racing. Snapping his eyes back up to her face, Red was surprised to find her just a few inches away from him, her eyes half-lidded and impossibly dark. It would be so easy to close the distance between them. To lunge forward and press his lips against hers in an unforgiving kiss, hard and consuming.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Red inhaled sharply.

“I didn’t ask you because I don’t want you to flirt with other men.”

Her ministrations stopped at once, and Red let out the breath he’d been holding, the rigid set of his shoulders sagging slightly. Silently, Lizzy blinked up at him, her face scrunched up into a pensive frown. She was so close, still. He could just make out the brownish flecks in her blue eyes, the crescent shadows of her lashes against the pale skin of her cheeks - slightly flushed now, too.  

“Oh,” she said after another moment. “Alright then.”

And just like that she let go of him, leaning back into her seat before picking up her fork and continuing to dig into her cake as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn’t just left him tethering perilously close to the edge, pleasure thrumming through his veins, heart racing and muscles trembling.  

Red wasn’t sure whether he should feel relieved or disappointed.

[elleloumay]

70 horrible questions: my answers

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents? I don't know my Father but my relationship with my Mother is amazing.

02: Who did you last say “I love you” to? My Mother.

03: Do you regret anything? I regret a lot of things but the things I regret the most is not being close to my nephew's and niece anymore and the way a certain past romantiv relationship ended - I feel there are a lot of unresolved issues and repressed feelings surrounding the latter.

04: Are you insecure? Very, mostly about how I look.

05: What is your relationship status? Single since around winter 2014.

06: How do you want to die? On my own terms if I can help it, ideally I'd die at an old age in a warm bed surrounded by my loved ones but in reality I don't see my life ending in such a peaceful way.

07: What did you last eat? Peanut butter and jam sandwich.

08: Played any sports? Not really.

09: Do you bite your nails? No, that's extremely disgusting - nails are ex exceptionally germ ridden.

10: When was your last physical fight? Wow, maybe when I was twelve. I used to fight with my younger brother a fair bit.

11: Do you like someone? Yes. I do.

12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours? Sure have.

13: Do you hate anyone at the moment? Yes.

14: Do you miss someone? Always.

15: Have any pets? I have an eight year old chocolate Labrador, three Syrian hamsters, two fish (a black Moor and an Oranda) and a kitten.

16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment? A mixture of bleak and numb with the slightest smidge of hope mingled in.

17: Ever made out in the bathroom? I have, a few times.

18: Are you scared of spiders? No.

19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? Of course I would.

20: Where was the last place you snogged someone? My hallway where I used to live in 2014.

21: What are your plans for this weekend? Nope.

22: Do you want to have kids? How many? I would love to have a couple of children (adopted) but I don't know if that's ok with you going to become a reality.

23: Do you have piercings? How many? I have nine; Two in each earlobe, one in my upper right cartlidge, right nostril, septum, lower lip on the right side and navel.

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)? English, History, Art and Science.

25: Do you miss anyone from your past? I do.

26: What are you craving right now? Echo falls rose.

27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart? I think so.

28: Have you ever been cheated on? Yes.

29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry? I have.

30: What’s irritating you right now? Hand cramp.

31: Does somebody love you? I hope my family does or this is awkward.

32: What is your favourite color? Black.

33: Do you have trust issues? Yeah.

34: Who/what was your last dream about? I dreamt my teeth were made out of jelly.

35: Who was the last person you cried in front of? My Mother.

36: Do you give out second chances too easily? I did once.

37: Is it easier to forgive or forget? Forgive.

38: Is this year the best year of your life? I peaked in 2010 honestly.

39: How old were you when you had your first kiss? Eleven.

40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked? Noooooo.

51: Favourite food? Spaghetti bolognaise.

52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason? To an extent, yes.

53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? Held my hamsters.

54: Is cheating ever okay? Never.

55: Are you mean? I can be.

56: How many people have you fist fought? None.

57: Do you believe in true love? Yes, I'm a true romantic at heart.

58: Favourite weather? Sunny but cloudy with a breeze.

59: Do you like the snow? Kind of, it's pretty.

60: Do you wanna get married? Maybe someday if anyone is ever unlucky enough to want !e.

61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? Not really into it.

62: What makes you happy? My family.

63: Would you change your name? No.

64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed? Yes.

65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do? He's gay so...

66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around? Yes.

67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to? My little brother.

68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with? My friend, Annabelle.

69: Do you believe in soulmates? 100%

70: Is there anyone you would die for? There's a lot of people I care about that I would happily die for.