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semi-sketchy · 7 months

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PAW Patrol Episode Thoughts - Season 1

I'm copy-pasting this from my DeviantArt, kinda hoping it may give me the strength to pull through season 3 (season 4 has Sweetie BUT THE ROAD THERE IS SO BAD) and eventually the rest of this ongoing show.

In the future, this Tumblr should be updated at the same time as my DA, but for now, here's my season 1 thoughts.

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I decided to watch all the PAW Patrol episodes and summarize some thoughts, as I do. Some of these I've never seen and others it's been a long time, so kinda curious how they've all held up.

Just gonna give a little rating of 1-10 based on my initial reaction.

1/10 - The episode you'd force your worst enemy to watch on repeat

2/10 - Just awful

3/10 - Pretty terrible

4/10 - Didn't hate, but wouldn't wanna watch again

5/10 - Just okay

6/10 - Decent, wouldn't mind watching it again

7/10 - The average good

8/10 - Really liked it!

9/10 - This is a must-watch

10/10 - Probably my favorite episode ever like maybe two are going to get this rating

Obviously this is all subjective, just because an episode shares the same rating as another doesn't mean I think they're equal. I don't want to get into .5s and such, so I'm just rounding.

I'm also going by the episode order listed on the Fandom wiki, which doesn't correlate to the US air date in the slightest.

Also yeah, I'm gonna mention my OCs because I like them.

Episode 1: Pups Make a Splash/Pups Fall Festival

A: Rubble skateboards, Marshall doesn't know what a bay is, Rocky drops Cali in the tub twice, Captain Turbot is very kooky. 7/10

B: Snow in the fall, proof this is Canada. Also really love the pups going out and just being members of the community, not to mention Zuma and Skye are cute. 9/10

Episode 2: Pups save the Sea Turtles/Pups and the Very Big Baby

A: This is the introduction of Alex, which immediately knocks the score down, although it is the first instance of ChaseXSkye being teased and it is kinda informative about turtles. 7/10

B: Saving a beached whale is a cool concept and the interactions are good. 7/10

Episode 3: Pups and the Kitty-tastrophe/Pups Save a Train

A: Zuma...a kitten stole your hovercraft. Rubble is extra adorable, although I have to ask why Ryder thinks it's a good idea to send dogs to rescue cats. 8/10

B: I call BS trains cannot stop that fast and Chase absolutely should not be JUMPING OFF THE ROOF OF A MOVING TRAIN, very accurate on what a cat will do for food though. 9/10

Episode 4: Pup Pup Boogie/Pups in a Fog

A: Skye is a DDR master and Marshall can moonwalk confirmed. It's also weird how the groomer is basically the town vet. 8/10

B: Ryder knows how to break and enter. 7/10

Episode 5: Pup Pup Goose/Pup Pup and Away

A: RUBBLE NO DON'T GIVE GEESE BREAD THAT'S BAD FOR THEM. Marshall and Fuzzy are cute though and the amount of geese is further proof this is Canada. 7/10

B: Immediately knocking the score down for the fact this is the first instance of that annoying bowling-pin sound and the introduction of Mayor Humdinger. Although is this confirmation that Goodway stole Chickaletta from Farmer Yumi? 7/10

Episode 6: Pups on Ice/Pups and the Snow Monster

A: Yeah Alex is a very accurate representation of a little kid, thinking that being in mortal danger is super fun. 7/10

B: I have to immediately scream at them driving across a train bridge when there's a perfectly good road leading to the mountain. I never took Rubble for being cowardly, either, but here we are. 6/10

Episode 7: Pups Save the Circus/Pup a Doodle Do

A: Ryder, riding elephants is NOT something you should do and you don't calm an animal by climbing on their back. Also the air mattress should've popped. 5/10

B: Overall this one had a few good chuckles and the interactions were decent, but it was such a roundabout way to pad the timer. 6/10

Episode 8: Pups Pit Crew/Pups Fight Fire

A: Alex once again causes problems because he refuses to listen, thankfully he gets scolded by everyone when he shows he didn't learn anything, but...Ryder, you should've installed proper breaks to begin with like....come on. You're smarter than that. 5/10

B: Ryder being like "Marshall, you're our emergency" was just mean. I also don't realize how they were so inconsistent with the timer, but it was cute seeing everyone come together for Marshall. 7/10

Episode 9: Pups Save the Treats/Pups Get a Lift

A: Mr. Porter...why didn't you use your parking break on a hill? Also Ryder had all that talk about "using a hovercraft to not put extra weight on the ice" THEN JUST WALKED OUT ON IT ANYWAYS AND GOT INTO TROUBLE. FOLLOW YOUR OWN ADVICE, DUDE. 7/10

B: Cats completely freaking out and hating the cold is so accurate it hurts. Also Rubble is so adorable here. 9/10

Episode 10: Pups and the Ghost Pirate

Rubble dressed as Elvis is so cute, but why does Ryder keep asking Marshall to be flown even though he knows he's scared of flying...like anyone could go in the air here. Still, good laughs. 7/10

Episode 11: Pups Save Christmas

Pretty alright and kinda what I expect of a Christmas episode. Ryder completely got cheated out of a gift, though. 6/10

Episode 12: Pups Get a Rubble/Pups Save a Walrus

A: Kinda set the gold standard for how to introduce OCs and I really wish they did more origin stories for the pups, even though there's more than a few inconsistencies. Rubble really is a writers pet. 7/10

B: Kinda wish they used this fishing net story to bring more attention to how much ocean trash there is, but it fell short in that regard. 6/10

Episode 13: Pups Save the Bunnies/Pup-tacular

A: Not gonna fault on the whole "you shouldn't give rabbits carrots" since these are wild bunnies and carrots are like candy to them, BUT I will fault Ryder and others for PICKING UP WILD ANIMALS AND FEEDING THEM CAKE. Surprised we never heard anything more about the rabbit Skye kept, WHICH AGAIN, YOU CANNOT JUST TAKE A WILD ANIMAL FOR A PET. 7/10

B: Poor Katie, getting disappointed again and again as each pup gets called away, but Rocky pushing aside his wants for her was super sweet and made it a feel-good episode. 9/10

Episode 14: Pups Save the Bay/Pups Save a Goodway

A: This was kinda informative about ocean oil spills, but the methods... I know, kids show, they're not gonna set their bay on fire, but still, towels are not a skimmer replacement. 7/10

B: Accurate to how family treats you over small things. It's kinda weird that the statue is just Humdinger's model, but this was the first season and they were on a budget. 6/10

Episode 15: Pups Save a Hoedown/Pups Save Alex

A: All the pups in their little cowboy hats are so cute, but it was an enjoyable episode, too. 7/10

B: Oh my god cats hissing and slapping carriers....accurate. Don't know why it's titled "save Alex" since he just...tags along and acts like an excited little kid. 8/10

Episode 16: Pups Save a School Day/Pups Turn on the Lights

A: Don't know why Alex was planning on eating a tuna sandwich that had been unrefrigerated over night, I think it's better that Cali got it. Although, Ryder, bro...you need to actually MEASURE the food so that way you're not over/under feeding your dogs. Also Rocky is a purse-snatcher. 8/10

B: The amount of UNIQUE ANIMATION in this episode is great and Adventure Bay runs on renewable energy, but the wind turbines weren't made correctly. Still, the surprise party for Chase is cute and Byte would be great in an episode like this. Surprised Ryder doesn't have a generator, though, or at least a battery backup. 7/10

Episode 17: Pups Save a Pool Day/Circus Pup-Formers

A: Marshall has the most indestructible pool floatie I've ever seen and his elevator joke actually got a chuckle out of me. But, if the water tower pipe is bent that would cut off the water for the whole town and not just the pool? And if everyone was so hot why not swim in the ocean...? 7/10

B: Ryder just reads the cereal box while eating instead of watching YouTube like the rest of us. Ryder volunteering his pups without their consent was kinda scummy though and Marshall's reaction was completely warranted. 6/10

Episode 18: Pups Save the Easter Egg Hunt

Is this Skye's bunny making a return? First Fuzzy comes back in episode 16 and now Skye's bunny, are they beginning to care about continuity? Do love how everyone is just like "oh no! That eagle took all the eggs and candy! ...Oh yeah and Rocky too, I guess." What I wanna know is how Alex got that egg out of the nest when it was so high up and how the egg was still alive without the warmth. Skye also not being afraid of eagles feels weird. 6/10

Episode 19: Pups Save a Super Pup/Pups Save Ryder's Robot

A: Rubble cosplays and it's adorable, also is 10x better than Mighty Pups could ever dream of being. This seems like a good job for Tara, although Zuma struggling to drive Rubble's rig is cute. 6/10

B: Ryder starting the robot apocalypse to replace all his dogs with machines. 6/10

Episode 20: Pups Go All Monkey/Pups Save a Hoot

A: Mr. Porter you should know better than to leave the keys in your car, just lucky Ryder somehow knows how to drive an actual car despite being 10. 7/10

B: Chase is very cute with little Hooty, also kinda funny how Chase is just BSing the entire "yes I can speak owl" thing. Honestly the nostalgia of this one was better than the actual episode. 8/10

Episode 21: Pups Save a Bat/Pups Save a Toof

A: Ryder just like "thank god, finally a day without any trouble-- ah shit". What this episode was so delicately trying to walk around is if a bat is out during the day, they could be rabid. Ryder's smart sending in his dogs since they've gotta be vaccinated. 8/10

B: After getting my wisdom teeth out, I am 100% behind Chase. Fuck the dentist/oral surgeon. It's also just a loose puppy tooth, it would come out on it's own anyway. Ryder and Rocky not liking brussel sprouts and water though don't really count as fears? And we didn't even see Zuma's fear. Also might want to point out that a human dentist isn't going to work on a dog's teeth. Ryder, take your damn dogs to a vet. 9/10

Episode 22: Pups Save the Camping Trip/Pups and the Trouble with Turtles

A: Rocky really was about to light up a turtle, huh. It's cute seeing the pups just out having a life outside of rescuing and this episode teases Chase's crush on Skye even more. 8/10

B: Everyone naming the turtles something that rhymes with "turtle" then Marshall just going "Joey. What? I like the name Joey" was great, although it's so weird seeing Ryder only call one pup for a mission? This one was also really good, solid 8/10

Episode 23: Pups and the Beanstalk/Pups Save the Turbots

A: Chase's crushing on Skye is so obvious even Rubble knows. While I don't really care for the Rubble's dream episodes, this one was good. 7/10

B: I don't know how I feel about Skye swooning over Francois, you know, A HUMAN, and then Rubble being like "I can be French too! Impressed?" Also this actively made me look up if a blue-footed booby bird is real and...yes. It is. I think they just used it to see if they could get away with that name. But god is Francois insufferable in this episode. 7/10

Episode 24: Pups and the Lighthouse Boogie/Pups Save Ryder

A: Rubble is pure lightning at DDR, his speed is incredible, even though Zuma can outlast him. Still, a cute rescue and the water animation/texture actually has some effort put into it! 8/10

B: You know considering he was on a cliff, I'm surprised the pups didn't think he went splat. Also surprised the pup pad didn't completely shatter, I mean... I cracked a phone screen once when it fell 2 inches. A 100 foot drop doesn't break it, but a goat's teeth does. Amazing. Is really cute to see the pups actually take full command here. 8/10

Episode 25: Pups Great Race/Pups Take the Cake

A: Chase completely panicking about his cones is funny, but man Alex did good keeping up with them. 7/10

B: Goodway, you need to give much more advance notice to a baker for a big cake like this, you can't frost a cake while it's hot! This "let's get it done in a few hours" is completely unrealistic, even if it was just a single layer sheet cake. Also it needs HEAVY DUTY SUPPORTS so the layers don't crush each other. Still a cute episode though. 8/10

Episode 26: Pups and the Pirate Treasure

Ah! A pirate's cave! Another episode Tara would be perfect for. Although, all the pups working together to solve a mystery and find pirate treasure is cute and cool and a good way to end off season 1. 8/10

Season 1 overall:

The voice acting in some of the earlier episodes is pretty mediocre, but there's some actual effort put into the animation and lighting. Not to mention, all the characters have personalities. They're actual members of the community, the dogs are dogs and you can really see the bond they have with Ryder. Watching it reminds me of why I fell in love with the series to begin with.

#sassy watches paw patrol #paw patrol

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alecmagnuslwb · 2 years

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Malec mundane au skater Alec? Idk for Magnus?

Well if Alec is a Sk8r Boi, then Magnus is obviously Avril Lavigne.

I'm just kidding. But also? The idea of skating boi Alec with his punk rock boyfriend Magnus? Pretty cute.

Before I go any further let me fic rec something that is technically the opposite of this, but very cute nonetheless. Sk8r Boi by j__writes is a fun read.

Now let's get into some headcanons for an AU of this type under the cut!

It wouldn't necessarily have to be a high school au, so for the sake of switching things up let's say it isn't. They're adults maybe Alec is a pro skater and Magnus is a pretty successful musician. (I've written rock/popstar Magnus before it's always a fun time.)

Bonus points if it’s set in the late 90′s or early 2000′s just to really achieve an aesthetic that matches up with their perspecitve careers.

And Alec is at the top of his game, never gets distracted, always has the highest scores (I don't know enough about professional skateboarding to get specific here) and he's going to like his tenth X Games. Games that pup punk superstar Magnus Bane just happens to be at.

And Alec is stunned almost into messing up on his first run when he sees Magnus cause he's just that beautiful (Alec doesn't really know who he is, he listen to like exclusively movie scores). But he pulls through and then he has the best games of his life trying to impress Magnus.

But it's not like Magnus needs to be impressed by his skill cause he's all in ten seconds after Alec smiles at him and introduces himself, but competency kink is a thing and Magnus doesn't claim to be above it, so that's just a bonus.

And then they become like a famous power couple to a somewhat niche, but very dedicated fanbase of pop punk loving skateboarders. Magnus' next album is very romantic and everybody knows who it's about. Alec gets a custom board that's dedicated to Magnus and everyone coos about it.

They become an absolute IT couple. There's also the possibility of cuteness where Alec tries to teach Magnus how to skate. And he's terrible at it, but it's endearing and he keeps trying cause it's fun just to watch Alec talk so passionately about something. And in return Magnus tries to teach Alec how to play guitar, he's not great, but it always gives Magnus a reason to wrap his arms around Alec and guide his hands so he keeps trying.

Basically they'd be very cute and admittedly this started off as an Avril Lavigne joke, but now it's something that really could just be a very cute AU.

Hmmm, just realized when you said skater you might have meant ice skater......

#anonymous #answered #not me cracking a joke then having like 8 paragraphs of thoughts about this before realizing you might have meant a different type of skate

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noonachronicles · 4 years

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The End of the F**king World Pt. 1

Byun Baekhyun X Reader

Word Count: 8k

Warnings: Language. Violent imagery if you squint.

Genre: Apocalyptic/Alien Invasion AU. Slow Burn (ish?). One pining pup and one idiot in denial to eventual lovers.

A/N: I mean, idk, but do I ever? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Don’t forget to read the Prologue!

There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky, which left the sun free to beat down on every inch of the city. Showering it completely in light. It was nice, the sun, especially when it had been mostly dark and rainy for weeks. Basking in the light of the sun this city looked like every other city in the world. Absolutely every other city.

Cement sidewalks and asphalt roads with their gaping holes from where bombs and missiles had landed. Skyrise buildings half destroyed by fires or from flooding. Windows covered in plywood, plywood riddled with bullet holes. Not a business in sight that hadn’t been ransacked. Nearly every inch of wall space and every abandoned or crashed vehicle was covered in spray paint. Messages of hope for survivors, warnings about certain spots in the city, brief apologies and goodbyes from those who just couldn’t do it anymore. Plants, weeds, grass, and flowers growing through cracks in cement. Overgrowth in certain places making the city look like a literal urban jungle.

Every major city in the world looked like this because every major city in the world got hit in exactly the same way. If not in the first wave then the second, and if not in the second then the third. And so on and so forth until they were all just empty shells of what they had once been.

The sound of your boots crunching against gravel and broken glass didn't even register to you any longer as you made your way down the empty street. Finally you found what you’d been looking for. A shop you’d noticed the other week but hadn’t had the chance to visit yet. The toy store was dark inside, left mostly untouched by looters except for the cash register. It had probably been busted open in the very beginning when people thought there would still be a use for money.

Old currency was rendered useless and the only survivors left now were the innovators, you thought to yourself as you peered through the window frame. It didn’t matter anymore what you had. Survival was about what you could do with what you found. The thought left you wondering how many people had walked past this shop without realizing its potential.

The storefront consisted of a three paneled window. Two of the panels had been smashed to nothing leaving an easy entrance into the store. The third window stood untouched, looking pristine. You rapped your knuckles against the completely intact glass and waited. It only took a couple of seconds. You could hear them before you saw them. A low hissing that sounded like getting the drool sucked out of your mouth at the dentists broke up with intermittent clicking. The sound either made your skin crawl in terror or it annoyed you. Today, luckily, it was just an annoyance more than anything else.

Grabbing the knife from the strap on your thigh, you focused in on the shadows of the aisles. There were two sets of four beady, silver eyes lurking in the dark. With a sigh you stepped through one of the broken windows and into the store. The hissing and clicking grew louder and more chaotic at your more obvious presence in the room. Resting the blade of your knife on your shoulder you made your aim. Then with a quick snap of your wrist the knife had shot through the air and projected into the shadows.

What happened next went fast, you knew it had to from your experience. As the first blade slipped from your fingers your hand had already dropped down to grab the second. The blade of the knife stuck between the four silver eyes and they went black. As the first grayish green, scaled beast fell forward into the light it’s counterpart opened its mouth wide to release a shrill shriek. The noise only pierced your ears briefly as you’d already thrown the second knife, the blade catching the beast in the throat. Those silver eyes drained to black as well and then it also fell forward into the light. Reaching into your pocket you pulled out your small flashlight and clicked it on. Quickly, you scanned the other aisles of the store for other Lurkers. You were pleased to find none.

First things first. You moved over to the cash register and searched the shelves of the rounded counter. As to be expected it was mostly tiny plastic trinkets at eye level that children would have instantly fallen in love with and would offer one last minute, desperate plea for. You did eventually find what you were looking for. There on the bottom self seated between a box of rock hard tootsie rolls and several bags of gummy worms that looked like they’d melted during the summer heat and then cooled into a blobby swirl of sugary color. A jar of, likely expired, blow pops. Tearing off the lid you shoved your hand in to grab one. You unwrapped it quickly and shoved the candy between your cheek and teeth with a satisfied sigh.

With your sweet tooth satiated for now you bagged the rest of the suckers as well as a jar of jolly ranchers. Then you went to pull your knives from the Lurkers you’d left bleeding out onto the linoleum floor. Placing one foot against the head of the first Lurker you tugged at the handle of the knife until the blade was released with a nasty squelch. You gagged at the sound, for some reason that was always the worst part for you, and moved to the second. With both blades freed from their victims you stood up and looked around your immediate area. Thick, black, gooey blood dripped from the blades onto the floor with little splats. On the shelf next to you there was a display of stuffed kittens with big, pitiful eyes covered in a thin layer of dust.

“Sorry, buddy.” you said snatching one of the kittens and swiping your blades clean against the soft fur before tucking them back into their holster.

You walked the front part of the store first, making a mental inventory of what was there that you would consider usable. On the other side of the room there was a spinning display rack that had been completely stripped of its contents except for one single package of batteries. That’s what you’d come in for.

“Fuck.” you muttered and snatched the lone package from the rack and tore it open.

At least you could replace the batteries in your flashlight, which had been functioning on borrowed time.

Once your flashlight was back at full power you started to make your way down the aisles. Continuing to take more notes of inventory, you searched for something that would be useful now. Dragging your finger through the dirt on the shelves you passed left a cleared line in its wake. You’d found baby dolls, Barbie dolls, and more stuffed animals. Princess dresses and plastic jewelry. There was plastic, silver tiara on one shelf, with little plastic jewels. You grabbed it and placed it on your head before continuing on.

Basketballs, tennis rackets, and skateboards lined the next aisle. The one after that had action figures and puzzles. You took a mental note to let Baekhyun know about the rack of lightsabers. Though considering how much trouble he’d gotten in the last time he had one you’d have to save both of you the trouble and tell him when Chanyeol wasn’t around. By then you’d nearly given up on finding anything when you reached the back corner and saw exactly the kind of thing you were hoping for. An entire display of toddler toys, each box with a red sticker and bold white letters that read, Batteries Included!

“Oh, jackpot.” you grinned, dropping your backpack on the ground and getting to work.

The first few months after the invasion were the hardest. The stress from uncertainty had aged everyone a hundred years. The four of you had stayed in the safe room for four days before venturing out. It took four days of Baekhyun and Chanyeol watching the security cameras endlessly and listening to the random frequencies the radio would pick up, trying to learn what they could, before they felt confident enough to open the door. It ended up being lucky because the night they decided it was time, was the night the electricity shut off for good. None of you slept that night. You just sat with the flashlight in the center of the room and waited for what you’d hoped would be enough time for there to be daylight outside.

It had to be daylight. If nothing else the guys had confirmed that the creatures never came out during the day. There were hoards of them during the night hours but there was something about the light that made them sensitive. Baekhyun had a theory that there was something wrong with their eyes. He didn’t think they could see or if they could they couldn’t see very well. He felt confident that their strongest sense was their hearing. He ended up being correct, you’d found out after watching them a little longer.

In fact they ended up being relatively ineffective threats once you’d figured them out. They were easy to maneuver around as long as there weren’t too many. They were blind as bats and pretty easy to kill if you got them in any of their softer areas which turned out to be anywhere on their necks and the diamond shaped patch between their eyes. The unfortunate part was that if you found one there were more than likely a dozen more and that’s when you’d find trouble. One or two were easy to kill. Even three was doable for a select few of you, if you were on your own. If you ran into a pack or you ran into them at night however, you were done for. They became chaotic attackers when they had the support of a hoard behind them. Like wild, rabid dogs they would tear their victim to shreds in a minute or less. Which was why they still terrified you even after three years.

What you’d found when you walked out of the jewelry store on that fourth day was the complete destruction of everything you’d ever known. At that point almost everything still seemed to be on fire. Looters had come and gone, and were likely dead if they hadn’t gone into hiding in time. Buildings were still crumbling, sending debri crashing to the ground. Electricity was out everywhere but you did find that water was still running in some areas. You cried when you washed yourself for the first time in days. It wasn’t even anything nice. It was you in the bathroom of a coffee shop in your underwear, standing in front of the sink and wiping your body down with paper towels and hand soap. Still you cried. You’d cried a lot those first months, that whole first year really. You cried less these days.

Anywhere you walked you could see the creatures lurking in the dark, watching every move you made. Hissing, clicking and waiting for the sun to set. It’s why you’d all agreed they would be referred to as Lurkers, because that’s what they did. You didn’t go back to the jewelry store that night. You didn’t go back for more than a year. Instead the four of you collected food and what weapons you could before finding somewhere new and safe to stay. You did that every night for a week. You didn’t know exactly what Chanyeol and Baekhyun were looking for but you knew when they found it you could finally settle.

Hopping around from place to place is how you found Irene. She was a mess when you found her. Holed up in the corner of a broken cooler at a convenience store behind a barrier made out of boxes of beer. Trembling, sobbing, and dehydrated. It took hours for you to get her to even speak her name clearly. Later you found out her boyfriend had barricaded her in the cooler for her safety after he promised her he’d be back once he found his little brother. Then she watched him get torn apart by Lurkers through the cooler door while having to remain completely silent or risk being attacked herself. After that she joined your family, and the four of you became five.

As the days and weeks passed and you had become more comfortable and confident you started to explore the city. It was less for entertainment and done more so out of necessity. You needed supplies like food and weapons. The more you wandered and scavenged the more survivors you found. Groups of people like yours who’d been together since the invasion. As more people came out from their hiding spots obvious leaders showed themselves within your families, as your groups had been defined.

There were eight families and together you were the Community. The heads of each family met constantly in the beginning, trying to work out how best to work with one another and what they could offer each other. They all wanted to make sure that their families had everything they needed to survive without taking from any other families. In the end the city was separated into nine boroughs, a space for each family, each equal in square mileage. The ninth borough was the city center. All of the major arenas and theatres were there, all of the city's largest buildings. Underground parking lots at every corner. It was a hotbed for Lurkers. Entering any building was more than useless, it was a deathwish. Though it was safe enough to pass through during the day, so long as you stuck to the streets, by night it was wall to wall Lurkers.

During the first year the Community met once a day after scavanges and doled out supplies. Each family took only what they needed and then the rest was stored by the original scavenger. After the first year half of the survivors were gone. Mostly loss came from accidents or illness. Things that happened that required a doctor, a doctor that you didn’t have. However on the rare occasion someone would walk outside in the middle of the night and scream at the top of their lungs.

Nobody thought them cowardly. It wasn’t an easy life, there was nothing desirable about it. You weren’t even sure where your own will to survive was coming from. It hadn’t been as if there was an expiration date on Lurkers. There was no timeframe for when this would be over. No ETA of your old life getting back to you. No visible end to the invasion. Still you woke up every day and you tried. When you went to bed you went to bed with every expectation of doing it again the next day.

After the first year the Community had become a well oiled machine. Everything had been so well organized. And there were so few people that supplies started to last longer and there was less of a need to meet up everyday. Now the whole Community only came together once a week for a check in. This week's meeting happened to be today.

Once you’d broken apart every toddler toy in the store and collected their batteries, you found a manager's office in the back. You sat down in the pleather chair and pulled your walkman out of your backpack, replacing the batteries that had been dead for a couple days. Having the sound of music flowing through you brought you a sense of joy and content that you couldn’t explain. It was the only thing you’d found since the invasion that could bring you any sort of content or calm. Without it your brain was constantly running a thousand miles a minute with worry and anxiety. You weren’t sure what you’d do when the city stopped providing you with AA batteries.

As the music played you twirled around in the desk chair a few times with a yawn, before deciding to check the room for supplies. There wasn’t too much, a couple things here and there, but in the bottom drawer of the desk you found five of the little airplane sized bottles of whiskey and a dusty, water warped copy of 50 Shades of Grey. After downing two of the little bottles you’d kicked your feet up on the desk and flipped open the book. Then, with a pretty good buzz brewing, you read aloud to an audience of two dolls, a stuffed monkey and three Batman figurines sitting on top of a file cabinet. The next thing you knew you’d amused yourself to tears and were late to the meeting.

Luckily you weren’t too far from the amphitheater where the meetings were held, just a handful of blocks away. You’d even tried to sprint it but were embarrassed to realize that the little amount of alcohol you’d had left you in less than peak condition. In all fairness it had been a while since you’d really had a drink. It had been a long while since anyone had indulged in a drink really. In the first few months a lot of people drank heavily as a way to cope and to avoid thinking about the reality of the situation. Reckless, unchecked drinking unfortunately led to a lot of accidents and those accidents led to the deaths of several people. There had been one night when a member of one of the bigger families drank half a bottle of tequila and didn’t close the door to their shelter well enough. That night twenty people were lost. After that it was rare for people to drink, it was even rarer for them to get drunk.

The meeting had already started when you’d arrived. You could hear Chanyeol’s voice from outside the amphitheater as you stopped to catch your breath. Catching a glimpse of yourself in the reflection of a ticket booth window, you realized you were still wearing the toy tiara you’d found. Spitting the gum from your blow pop into some grass, you pulled the tiara from your head and shoved it in a trash can near the entrance.

Everyone was already there, which wasn’t a surprise but it was still embarrassing when they realized you’d just come in. Every head turned to look at you. Chanyeol, Hyunwoo, Jihyo, Taeyong, Solar, Hongjoon, Hanbin, and Seungcheol all sat in the center as the representatives of their families, silently watching as you made your way towards the group. You avoided eye contact with Chanyeol at all costs, ducking your head as you made your way to your usual spot next to Seulgi.

“You’re late.” she whispered as Taeyong continued with what it was he’d been saying in reply to Chanyeol.

“Obviously…” you whispered back, she pinched your side until you flinched, “Did I miss anything?”

She shook her head no and you both turned your attention to Chanyeol who had stood again to speak.

“General census has been that all families are low on food and the map doesn’t look great either, we’ve almost scavenged the entire limits of the city with the exception of the red zone. All food source locations are near depleted in zones with larger families, the others are getting close as well. Next week each family will send two members to the Farm for supplies and fresh food. Heads have been discussing that we need to put more focus on our own gardens around the city. We’ll be changing priorities from scavenging to gardening and livestock. The few of us who will continue to scavenge will need to...will need to start moving outside of the city.”

Unease ran through the group, and there was a steady hum of murmurs. Leaving the city limits was a nerve wracking suggestion because no one in the Community had left the city since the first wave. No one knew how things were out there. And of the very few people who had gone to scope it out, no one had ever returned. The only place the Community went that was outside of the city limits was the Farm.

The Farm was a huge compound on a stretch of farmland where an actual family had taken up residence. They had well stocked food storage, thriving gardens, and hoards of livestock. It was also protected under a massive security system. The family who lived on the Farm had come into the city not realizing it was occupied. When they found the Community and what you had to offer, they made a deal . They would exchange fresh fruits and vegetables, and eggs and meat from the livestock where they could spare it for fresh water which was the only thing they couldn’t seem to get steady access to. So twice a month the Community would send a group to collect the food supplies and drop off a water truck with a full tank.

Once the group had settled down after Chanyeol’s announcement there were still a few topics to discuss before the meeting was over. The end of the meeting really only meant that it was time for the group to break off into smaller cliques for further discussions and gossip.

“What if they don’t accept the water after the rain? That was a long stretch, they may not need it. What are we going to do without food?” You heard Sehun say as everyone talked over one another.

You’d actually been pretty interested in listening in on that conversation but Chanyeol had sat down beside you. “You were late.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Yeol.” you looked up at him with your most convincingly innocent smile which only made him laugh.

“You know I worry. And worse, you know I had to hear about it endlessly from Baek.” he said, raising an eyebrow.

Nodding you pulled one of the suckers from your jacket pocket and offered it to him. “I got caught up and lost track of time. I’m sorry I made you worry. Forgive me?”

He already had the sucker unwrapped and stuck in his cheek when he nodded, “Forgiven. Just don’t be late back home. I don’t need you getting locked out.”

He patted the top of your head as he stood and you watched him take off. Seulgi who was talking in a group a little ways away saw him leaving and ditched her friends to chase after him. You frowned as you watched. It had turned out that they hadn’t been dating before the invasion like you thought. They’d definitely shared some pretty deep feelings for each other, but neither one had the nerve to make any moves. The invasion and imminent threat of death had apparently been the kick in the ass they’d needed to confess their feelings to each other. Still, of everything that had happened over the last few years the one thing you couldn't wrap your head around was people getting attached to each other. You just couldn’t understand falling in love.

Over the last three years the Community had lost so many people from death and disappearance. You had lost so many people. All your friends and family from before the first wave were just gone. Any family and all of your other friends. They were all dead as far as you knew. You would never get to say goodbye, never get to tell them how much you loved them. The hardest out of all of them to get over was Siwon. Things weren’t always perfect between the two of you but you’d been together for five years. As far as you had been concerned he’d been it for you. You’d been ready to spend the rest of your life with him, if he’d ever gotten the chance to ask you to. You’d imagined a future with him, buying a house and starting a family. Then in one day you had it all ripped away from you and the pain of it had been unbearable. You didn’t have a future, you didn’t have love. You didn’t even want it anymore. All you had and all you needed was to survive.

You couldn’t see the appeal of falling in love with someone who could be torn from you at any moment. Or intentionally putting yourself through the eventual pain of loss. You didn’t even like that you had to worry about losing Seulgi. The chance of risk versus the low reward just didn’t seem worth it to you. However, Seulgi was happy and as much as you didn’t understand giving your love to anyone anymore, you were happy for her. She was happy. She had a reason to keep going, and that’s all you could really ask for her or anyone else for that matter.

Throwing your backpack over your shoulder you waved goodbye to the others that were left and took off back up the stairs alone. Outside of the amphitheater you saw Hyunwoo chatting with Hanbin and Baekho, while Taemin and Jongin waited nearby. When he saw you Hyunwoo smiled and said something to the others before hurrying over to where you had been walking.

“Hey,” he said, catching up to you.

“Hi.” you grinned.

“Hold up a second, I have something for you.” he said, grabbing your elbow.

You stopped walking and turned towards him, “For me? Why?”

“You know why.” he smirked. He moved closer to you so there was hardly any space between your bodies. One of his hands reached into his jacket and he pulled out a small, square, gold box with a red ribbon wrapped around it. “I know you didn’t want a big deal made out of your birthday, but I had to at least get you something.”

“You really didn’t have to get me anything.” you assured him, turning the box over in your hands.

“Fine. I wanted to get you something.” he corrected, “Will you just open it?”

You tugged the ribbon from the box and lifted the lid. A tiny gasp escaped your mouth at the sight in front of you. “Hyunwoo…”

“It’s expired, but only by a few months.”

Your eyes had filled with tears so quickly you couldn’t stop the single tear from slipping down your cheek. “It’s so beautiful. I love it. Thank you so much.”

He grinned as you pulled the chocolate bar from the box. “Don’t share it with anyone, okay?”

“Oh don’t worry, I will not be sharing with anyone. Not even you so don’t ask.” you laughed and wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders. “Thank you so much. Seriously, it means the world that you would give this to me.”

“You mean the world to me.” he said quietly squeezing you back, and then he pulled away, “To us. You mean the world to all of us. You’re always doing so much for the whole Community, my two idiots especially.”

You were grateful for the excuse to look away from him, to look over at Taemin and Jongin as your cheeks burned with a blush. “It’s nothing. You know I love them.”

“Alright.” he cleared his throat and looked over at the still waiting Taemin, Jongin duo. “Get home safe tonight. I have to get the kids home for dinner.”

“You be safe too Hyunwoo, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tucking your gift into the pocket of your backpack you smiled to yourself. Maybe...maybe you could see yourself with someone like Hyunwoo. You’d seen him in action, you knew he could handle himself well in a fight. He didn’t need to be protected or taken care of. You wouldn’t need to feel responsible for him all the time or to worry about him too much. Plus he was a sweetheart and absolutely gorgeous, which never hurt.

“What was that about?”

Pulled from the thought you looked up to see Baekhyun. He was sitting on a short, brick wall. His feet dangled from side to side as he chewed anxiously on his thumbnail.

“What was what about?” you asked as he hopped off the wall and fell in line with you as you walked.

“Whatever just happened between you and Hyunwoo.” He was trying to be casual about the conversation but you could feel the energy vibrating off of him.

You sighed, “Nothing, Baek. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you guys like together? You never said anything. Are you going to leave us? Are you going to stay with his family now? It’s just guys over there, you know? What about Seulgi? Does she know? She’ll be really upset.” he rambled nervously.

“No, Baek,” you chuckled, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m not dating anyone.”

“What did he say? It looked like he gave you something. What were you hugging him for?”

“Baekhyun!” You growled looking over at him with wide eyes, “Breathe. Calm down. Christ.”

He did as he was told and shut his mouth. He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m chill. You still didn’t answer any of my questions.”

“Well you asked about twenty all at once…” you said sarcastically and looked over at him and his big sad eyes. “Fine.”

Pulling your backpack around to your chest you pulled the chocolate bar from your bag and handed it over to him. He grabbed the candy and flipped it over in his hands.

“Shit. This is like ...European chocolate.” he said in awe, “This is the good shit. I haven’t seen stuff this nice in…”

“Months.” you said quietly.

“At least.” He handed the bar back to you, “God, what did he do? Ask you to marry him with that thing?”

You laughed as you put it back in the bag and then swung the bag back over your shoulders. “No. It was just a gift.”

“A gift? What for?” he asked, kicking a chunk of cement off the sidewalk.

Baekhyun wasn’t going to let it go. You’d spent enough time with him to know that about him. Taking a quick look around the street to make sure there was no one nearby you said as quietly as you could manage without whispering. “It’s my birthday.”

“Your birthday?” he shouted, his voice echoing against the towering buildings that surrounded.

“Shhh.” you hissed.

“Why? It’s really your birthday?” He asked looking wounded, “You didn’t say anything.”

“It’s not a big deal, I don’t want anyone to know. So please...just shut up about it.”

“Hyunwoo knew. Did you tell him?”

You groaned, “Yes, but it had been by accident. He wasn’t supposed to find out.”

Still he looked upset, “I’m sorry I didn’t know. I would have gotten you something.”

You rolled your eyes subtly. “It’s fine, Baek. I swear it’s fine. I didn’t want anything, that’s why I didn’t tell anyone.”

“No, I should have known already. I should have remembered from before.”

“I’m honestly glad you didn’t.”

“I just wish there was time for me to find you a good gift. I feel like a real jerk.” He sighed, “And Hyunwoo got you chocolate? Damn.”

“I promise you, it’s okay.” You assured him once more as he trudged dramatically down the sidewalk beside you.

Suddenly he lit up with a smile, “What about a joke? Can I tell you a joke? Have you had a really good laugh today?”

You grinned. Secretly you’d become pretty fond of his daily jokes. “That sounds like the perfect gift.”

“Okay…” you watched as his face turned quite serious while he thought of the best joke. “Got it. What do you call bees that produce milk?”

“I don’t know. What do you call them?” You couldn’t help your half smile at the fact that he was already chuckling at his own joke.

“Boo-BEES.” He said with the biggest, cheesiest smile.

The laugh came even if the joke was terrible. A real shoulder shaking, teeth out laugh.

“Oh my god, I hate you so much.” You continued laughing and he just smiled back at you.

“Good. I love you too.” He said, the same way he always did when you told him you hated him. “Happy birthday, Y/n.”

You blushed, the tiniest of blushes. “Thanks, Baek.”

“You’re welcome.” He sighed happily. Pleased, you assumed, that his joke had gone over so well. After that the rest of the walk back was comfortably quiet.

Cordially was a club downtown, or it had been before the invasion. It had been made wildly popular by its exclusivity. It was the only by-invitation-only club you knew of. They would hand deliver invitations every week. White cardstock with red embossment that red simply, ‘You are cordially invited”. Then on the back it either said Friday or Saturday to indicate what day your invitation was for. For a monetary fee an invitee could bring up to ten plus ones. The add-ons were where they really made their money. That and of course the alcohol.

The building was on the corner of tenth and main, which was the most popular area for high end restaurants and bars. It was a two story building that had been built originally for use as a concert hall. It had housed operas, plays, and musicals. Then it had shut down for a couple of years and came back renovated into a burlesque club. After that it became a venue for punk shows. For awhile after that it was a gay bar that played venue to drag shows. And in its final form it was Cordially.

Immediately upon walking into the building occupants would find themselves in what appeared to be one big empty hall. On one side of the empty, dust covered hardwood floor there was a short hallway that led to two restrooms and an office. The big empty space had previously been the dance floor. Along the back wall was a bar and on the other side of the dance floor, opposite the restrooms, was a staircase. Upstairs was a horseshoe balcony. There were two more restrooms, a half bar, and private alcoves that had been reserved for vip invitees who’d paid major money for the privilege. None of that was why the Cordially was so important to you. It was important because, technically, its final form was home.

“Honey I’m home!” Baekhyun shouted as you walked in through the main entrance. “Oh, I forgot...I don’t have a Honey.”

“Is everyone else here?” you asked, ignoring his comment, as you looked outside one last time as the sun set on your birthday.

He looked over at the dusty bar top where five shot glasses had been placed. Three were upside down, two were still rightside up. “Yep. everyone is accounted for.”

With a sigh you let the door close while you grabbed the two by four leaning against the wall. You slide the wood through the door handles, and secured the locks at the top and the bottom of the door, and as a last step unhooked the blackout curtains Chanyeol had installed. The room was still lit with the orange glow of sun through windows that lined the second floor. Moving passed the bar as he whistled a tune, Baekhyun flipped over the remaining two shot glasses. He stopped at the door on the farside of the bar and held it open as he waited for you.

“Thanks.” you said quietly before moving passed him and making your way downstairs to the dark basement.

“Anything for the birthday girl…” he muttered to himself as he shut and secured the door.

“Uh...Baek.” you said stepping cautiously down into the unusually pitch black room. “I thought you said everyone was here?”

“The glasses were flipped. Is there no one down there?” he asked as you felt him step behind you.

“No, everything is off and I can‘t see shit.” you complained, searching your pockets for your flashlight.

“Huh...so weird.” Baekhyun said flicking on his flashlight and illuminating the wall switch. “Hit the lights.”

Flipping the switch up illuminated the bright, white christmas lights that had been strung all across the basement ceiling. The room had also been decorated with streamers and balloons. Chanyeol, Seulgi, and Irene all stood in the center of the room sporting paper party hats and cheerful smiles. They’d been popping poppers and shouting happy birthday, but you could barely register it through your haze of emotion.

Baekhyun had come around you and put a cheap, cheesy sash that said Birthday Princess over your head along with a tiara on top of it. Chanyeol lit candles that had been stuck into the top of a stack of just-add water pancakes that had rainbow sprinkles mixed in. After a moment of genuine shock you realized they’d been singing the birthday song to you and were now waiting for you to make your wish.

I wish I was this happy all the time. You thought to yourself before blowing out the candles.

“I-” you chuckled lightly, “I’m speechless.”

“Do you love it?” Irene asked hopefully, “I know you don’t like to make a big fuss about this kind of stuff. I worried it would be too much.”

“Oh, no! I love it! Thank you,” you said giving her a hug and then giving one to Seulgi too, “I don’t deserve all this.”

“That’s not true.” Chanyeol said wrapping you in a tight hug before guiding you over to the couch where a large pile of gifts were waiting. “You deserve more.”

“Do you like your cake?” Seulgi asked, sitting down on the cushion next to you. “Isn’t it cute?”

You smiled reassuringly, “I really love everything. I swear. It’s perfect.”

“I made it, the cake, but it was Baek’s idea.” When you looked over at him he was leaning against one of the surveillance desks. His cheeks were a little flush as he smiled over at you. “It was actually all his idea. He did most of the planning and the work, but we all helped out a little here and there.”

“You really thought I forgot, didn’t you?” he asked, looking so proud of himself. It was only then you realized he’d been the one that had remembered the last two years. Of course it had all been a show. Baekhyun didn’t forget anything. “Oh man, I really got you so good.”

“Open my present first! It’s the best one!” Irene said with a grin as she shoved a flat, wrapped box into your lap.

After you opened it you laughed immediately and then pulled the diamond chandelier necklace from the box. It had been a running joke between the two of you over the past few years. Whenever a gift giving holiday rolled around the two of you exchanged frivolous gifts. Grossly expensive things that were useless at the end of the world.

“I...It’s beautiful. I can’t wait to have some fantastic event to wear this to. Thank you, Irene.” you grinned.

“I got it at that jewelry store on third street if you want to return it. The receipts at the bottom of the box.” she smirked, “But you should know it was twenty thousand dollars, and I think it’s going to look fantastic on you. You should wear it every day because every day we’re alive is a fantastic event.”

Seulgi’s gift was next. She dragged over a tall box that was wrapped up to look like a gift bag, and that was clearly very heavy. When you pulled the tissue paper from the top of the box you revealed no less than thirty bottles of your favorite shampoo.

“So,” she started, “I have spent the last six months during scavenges looking for this shampoo. I took every bottle from every store in the city that had any. Cherish them, they are probably the last bottles we will ever lay eyes on.”

“I love you, Seul.” you said as you wiped your cheek of it’s tears.

“Love you too, bestie.” She said squeezing you tight, feeling quite pleased.

“Alright, that’s enough of the lame gifts.” Chanyeol said, reaching over Seulgi’s lap to hand you his gift. “I hope you’re ready for a real gift, Y/n. Something actually useful and still very fun.”

“Shampoo is useful!” Seulgi said, pinching his arm, “Dick.”

You laughed at the two of them as they bickered and unwrapped his gift. It really did take your breath away when you opened the package. “Yeol...oh my god.”

“You know I don’t know anything about knives.” he said as you pulled one of the shiny silver blades from its sheath. “Sehun helped me. He promised they were the best knives in the whole city. He said you’d really love them.”

“They’re so beautiful, Yeol. Really, I’m...I’m so happy.” you sniffled as you tucked the knives back in the box, “I can’t even tell you how much I’m looking forward to being able to use them.”

“And!” Irene said enthusiastically, “We’re all giving up our wash time tonight, so it’s all yours.”

Cordially was one of the buildings in the city that still offered running water. The problem was that it was such an old building that too much use throughout the day caused the ancient pipes to groan and when they did it was less than quiet. The five of you learned early on that there was a certain length of time that the water could be used after dark without attracting Lurkers with the noise. That time was divided and a bit of time was allotted to each of you for any night time activities like cleaning up after a long day or even using the toilet.

“No.” you argued, “That’s too much.”

“Yes!” Seulgi said, shooting you a terrifying glare, “Take extra care with the shampoo I worked so hard to get you. Rinse and repeat, for once.”

“It really is too much.” you groaned.

“Just let me know before you want to go, Y/n.” Baekhyun said, and you realized he’d been unusually quiet this whole time. “There’s just one more surprise.”

The group refused to listen to your complaints about wash time so you let it go. Instead you all indulged in your pancake cake and talked about your days. After a couple hours had passed you had to switch from the beautiful lights overhead to your regular LED lanterns so that Chanyeol could turn the computers and surveillance equipment back on for nightly security checks.

Together Chanyeol and you checked the reports from other cities and the surveillance outside of your building as well as the water storage. After your first yawn hit you mentioned wanting to clean up and get to bed soon at which point Baekhyun disappeared upstairs for sometime. You’d been ready to give up on him and crash for the night without even washing when he finally showed up. You grabbed one of your new shampoos, a towel and pajamas before following him quietly upstairs with your lantern in hand.

In the beginning you’d refused to leave the basement at night. The sight of the dark open dance hall creeped you out and you were always worried that there would be something hiding in the shadows. Ironically, it had been Baekhyun that had helped you out of your fear. You’d gotten into a pretty good system of making sure you’d done everything you needed to before the sun went down. It worked out really well for you at first.

That was until you, and everyone else, started to realize that things were changing. With every month that passed you realized that the invasion was having a lasting effect on weather patterns. Even now, after three years, they were unpredictable. Winter had come fast that first year. Sunlight was sparse, nights were seemingly endless. Some nights lasting literal days, as if the invaders were trying to force people out into the night to search for food and water, leaving them open and vulnerable for attack.

It was one of those long winter nights that Baekhyun realized how uncomfortable you looked. He’d laughed at first when you told him you had to pee, but when he noticed the genuine fear on your face when he suggested you just go upstairs he stopped. You’d been so embarrassed, it felt silly that of all the things left to be afraid of, that the dark was what paralzyed you. Then he offered to take you whenever you needed and promised he wouldn’t tell anyone about your fear. That winter night lasted eleven days and every time you had to go to the bathroom or wanted to wash up, Baekhyun was there to take you. He’d check all the shadows and stand outside the bathroom until you were ready to go back down. Even if you shook him out of a dead sleep you never heard a complaint.

It had been a long time since you’d needed someone to help you in the dark. On several occasions you’d even gone on scavenges at night. Like for the past four weeks when it rained all day everyday. There had been no sun but you also had no choice, your family needed food. So it seemed silly to you that he had offered to take you upstairs now. In front of the upstairs womens restroom Baekhyun stopped and held out his hand, “Lantern please.”

“I’m going to need it, Baek…” you whispered back knowing fully well the solar powered electricity that Chanyeol had set up didn’t run upstairs.

“Your lantern.” he requested once more, quietly, but sternly. With a deep sigh you handed him your lantern and he smiled brightly. “Thank you.”

He knelt down putting your lantern on the ground and picking up a container you hadn’t noticed before. Standing back up straight, he offered you the container.

“My gift to you.”

“You’ve already done enough.” you said taking the container, “Your stupid joke was more than enough for me.”

“Then this will just be the cherry on top.” he grinned, “Open it.”

You pulled open the lid of the container to find actual cherries. Cherries, strawberries, and blueberries to be exact. “How? I thought we were out of fresh food until the Farm trip?”

“I’ve been stockpiling my portions for you.”

“No, absolutely not. I can‘t accept this, Baekhyun.” you said shoving the container back towards him.

“You have to. I won’t eat it. I’ll let it all go to waste.” he shook his head defiantly, and you knew he was telling the truth. “It’s yours now.”

“Here,” Pulling open the lid once more you searched for the biggest piece of fruit you saw. You held the strawberry up to his lips. “Just eat one. I won’t be the reason your dumbass gets scurvy.”

He smiled happily, “Okay.”

You moved the fruit closer to his mouth and watched him wrap his lips gently around the fruit, you gulped at the sight but he didn’t seem to notice. “Do I get my lantern now?”

He shook his head as he chewed and swallowed down the berry, “Just go in, you won’t need it. I’ll wait out here on guard, You can have your lantern after.”

You looked at him suspiciously before turning to the door. With your fruit and your shampoo in hand you pushed the door open. You inhaled sharply at the sight. The entire makeshift shower room had been covered in candles and wildflowers. It was the most beautiful display you could ever remember seeing in your life.

“Baekhyun…” you whispered his name, not really knowing what else to say.

When you turned back to him he was smiling from ear to ear and he asked very hopefully, “Better than chocolate?”

You may have rolled your eyes but your smile and bright glow said everything he needed to hear, “I hate you.”

“Ah,” he blushed, “I love you too.”

#byun baekhyun scenario #baekhyun scenario #exo scenario #kpop scenario #TEOTFW #do we hate this? I feel like maybe we hate this.

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logicallyidiotic · 4 years

Text

Just a little story I was inspired to write by one of @atomiktaco posts! Had fun with this and I hope you enjoy! Here is the post that inspired it!

Remus walked into his apartment after work, exhausted but excited. He was planning on going to explore an old abandoned mall on the south side of town. He had been there a few times before, but he still had a floor to explore. He wanted to take Virgil with him so the poor ghost wasn't left alone longer than he had been and so Remus had someone else with him.

Once he made it to his room, where he had left the jacket, he saw Virgil appear on the bed, where he seemed to be sleeping. Remus grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom to change. After he came back out, he put Virgil's hoodie on, causing the ghost to wake.

"Finally, you're home. I thought you were supposed to come back for lunch?" Virgil grumbled, stretching his arms. Remus rolled his eyes as he walked out of the room and to the kitchen, with his ghost friend floating behind him.

"That was the plan but the store ended up swamped. Barely had time to eat." Remus explained, pulling out a microwave meal. The two spoke for a few minutes about their days as Remus made his food and quickly ate. The excitement was starting to set in, not going unnoticed by Virgil.

"Alright, what's got you all giddy? You're brother finally give you a call?" Virgil asked, brow raised. At the mention of his brother, Remus groaned in annoyance. He did not want to talk about him right now.

"For your information, Roman and I had lunch last week. I'm 'giddy' because we're going to explore an abandoned mall once I'm done eating." Remus growled. He loved his ghost buddy, but if he mentions his brother again Remus might just have to leave the ghost at home for a week.

At the mention of an abandoned mall, Virgil's interest was peaked. The two hadn't been able to go explore much due to Remus having to work double shifts at work. The store waa currently low on employees and Remus owed the owner. To say Virgil was excited would be an understatement.

"Really? What mall?" He asked, a small smile appearing on his pale face. He didnt want to seem as happy as he was, but there was no hiding all of it. Remus noticed the ghost's excitement though, having gotten pretty good at figuring out how the ghost was feeling. Leaning back in his chair with his arms holding the table, he said "Pearsons, the one by the museum on the south side."

Virgil knew that mall. He had been a few times while he was alive, but he only spent a decent amount of time there once. He had gotten the supplies for his jacket there. "How long has it been closed?" Virgil asked.

Remus shrugged, not really knowing exactly. "Maybe, at most 15 years? I dont think it's been that long though." It certainly wasnt the oldest abandoned place he's been to but it was still fun to explore and skate around in.

Remus stood from his chair, stretching his back, satisfied when he heard the quiet pops from his joints. Virgil cringed at the sound, but said nothing about it. As Remus went to put his shoes on and grab his skateboard, the ghost floated through the wall into the bedroom and turned the light off. Remus had a tendency to forget about the lights.

"Virge, come on! I wanna show you around the place!" Remus called from the door. With the rill of his eyes, Virgil quickly floated to the door, accompanying the excited male.

Within twenty minutes the two were at Pearsons mall, Remus going through one of the broken windows on the ground floor. There werent many people who patrolled the area, but they still needed to be careful and not overly loud.

"So there's the main entrance," remus said, pointing at the bearded up doors "and the stairs up are right there, which we will be going up to the third floor" he finished, pointing at a far wall to their left. With a hum of acknowledgement from Virgil, remus started jogging to the stairs, making sure Virgil wasnt being pulled too much by the jacket, seeing as he's connected to it. Once at the stairs, Remus was quick to sprint up them, arriving on the third floor in just a few minutes.

"This is the only floor I have yet to explore. And I know for a fact that somewhere up here is a ramp that goes to wach level, I saw it last time. Now let's explore!" Remus exclaimed, throwing his skateboard down and starting to skate towards the different rundown shops. Virgil chuckled and did his best to keep up with Remus, feeling the tug from his jacket occassionally. He did have to float through walls to catch up sometimes, but what's the problem with a few shortcuts?

After maybe ten minutes of exploring, Remus suddenly stopped, causing Virgil to zoom past him, only to be tugged all the way back, falling through the floor. The ghost groaned as he came back up, growling "Why the hell did you stop? And without warning me!"

Remus didnt answer, looking into a certain store. Virgil moved his gaze to where Remus was looking, only to freeze completely. Laying inside the store was a large number of stray dogs, and they did not look pleased with the presence of the two people. Whether the dogs could sense Virgil or not, they definitely didnt want Remus there.

"Remus, I think it's time for you to go. These pups don't look happy." Virgil whispered, despite knowing the dogs couldn't hear him. Remus nodded, slowly stepping back as the dogs stood, growling at him. With slowly and careful movements, Remus prepared to skate again, placing a foot on the ground and the other on the board. He saw the dogs ears perk up with any sound he made, quiet or not. He took a breathe and pushed off the ground, propelling himself and the board down the hall.

With the sound and quick movement of what Remus had done, the dogs took off running after him. Virgil floated after Remus, anxiety settling deep in his stomach. He looked ahead of Remus and cut through walls, looking for something to move that may help. Suddenly, he spotted a stack of boxes that he might be able to knock over. He turned towards the direction Remus was coming from and yelled "This way! Hurry up!"

Remus followed Virgil's instructions, zooming past him. Just after Remus passed, Virgil managed to knock the boxes over, though it used a lot of his energy. The dogs either ended up under the boxes as the crashed down on the, or ran into other dogs, causing a crash. Despite the dogs being stopped temporarily, Remus kept going. He caught sight of the ramp he'd been looking for and turned towards it, slowling down slightly so he didnt crash at the bottom.

Virgil was with him in seconds, yelling "get your ass down that ramp! That wont stop them long!" And with that, Remus was flying down the ramp. It wasnt steep, but it certainly wasnt gentle either. Remus' hair flew out of his face as Virgil's jacket flapped behind him. Even with the dogs chasing him, Remus smiled the entire way down. Virgil was close behind him, enjoying seeing his friend happy, but also still extremely worried for his friend.

They made it to the bottom floor in no time, still able to hear the dogs. Remus looked back and saw them at the top of the ramp and fearfully kicked off the ground again. He jumped through the window just as the dogs made it down the ramp, running a bit away, looking behind him for the dogs and Virgil every few seconds.

They stopped at a park a few blocks away, Remus panting and Virgil still looking around in fear. On all the little adventures they've had in these 6 months they'd known each other, they hadn't been chased by dogs. Chased by other things, yes. But not dogs.

"You owe me for the anxiety you just gave me." Virgil said, looking down at his panting friend. Remus only glared in response, earning a chuckle from Virgil. Once he regained his breath, Remus grumbled "I dont owe you shit. But if it'll keep you from teasing me about running like a coward then I will let you pick what's on TV tomorrow."

That made Virgil's face light up, but he quickly tried to cover it up. "Really? I, uh, mean cool. I'm cool with that" he said. Remus shook his head at his friends antics, grabbing his skateboard and starting to walk away.

"Let's get home ghost boy."

#remus sanders #ts remus #virgil sanders #ts virgil #fanfic #ghost virgil #sanders sides au #sanders sides fic

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dreamyfreakout · 6 months

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she (Ollie) got a little makeover ^^

#back to gamedev!#there's a small list of tasks left ^^#gamedev #pop pup skateboarding

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chelledoggo · 5 years

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[Drabble] Deepak’s Dream [101 Dalmatian Street]

note: takes place after “Puppy Dreams”

----

“Yawwwwn...Mornin’ Deepak...”

“Good morning, Sister Dolly. Did you sleep well?”

“I slept alright...’till I got woken up early by a bee. How ‘bout you?”

“I slept just fine. I did have a rather strange dream last night, though. You were in it.”

“Oooh! Now you gotta tell me!”

“Well, I was just about to meditate, when the cushion I was sitting on suddenly deflated.”

“Heh...Sounds real exciting so far.”

“Trust me, it gets better. So after my cushion popped...Eheh...I was kind of naughty and decided to take your skateboard as a replacement.”

“Hey, now!”

“Hehe...Sorry. You did try to get me off of it, but I was way too relaxed to move. You tried luring me off with toys and treats...You even tried to distract me with a huge drumset.”

“A drumset!? Hah, siiiick! Did that work?”

“Nope. My will was too strong. I’d reached a level of shanti that couldn’t be shaken. So, eventually you just kind of gave up and sat on the board alongside me, which caused it to start careening through a huge stunt corse.”

“With you still on it!?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. You had an extra helmet for me. We went through this big loop and I fell off at the top of it, but you caught me as I fell. Then you kept me safe and sound through an obstacle course of fallen drumset pieces.”

“Wow! And you were able to keep meditating through all that? You didn’t panic or get nervous at all?”

“Of course not, sister. Because I knew you were right there next to me, keeping me safe. That was enough to keep my mind at ease.”

“Awww, shucks. You’re gonna make me cry, bro.”

“Eventually you began to meditate and still yourself alongside me, bringing the skateboard to a steady balance as we headed up a steep ramp. Then...I just kind of stepped off the board, and, um...you went rolling back down the ramp on your own.”

“What!? You lil’ stinker.”

“Heh...I mean...You were fine, though. And you got your skateboard back, so...”

“Yeah, that’s true. Takes more than a few bumps and bruises to keep this pup down!”

“That’s the spirit I admire from you, Dolly. Even in my dreams, I’m lucky to have you as a sister.”

“Aww, come here and give me a hug, you!”

#101 dalmatian street #deepak dalmatian #dolly dalmatian #fanfiction #drabble

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angvs · 4 years

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❛ ✶ ( LUKE HEMMINGS , CISMALE , HE/HIM ) — did you see ANGUS DONNELLEY walking around campus earlier ? i hear a lot of people talking about the TWENTY TWO year old JUNIOR . from what i know , they are studying NEUROSCIENCE and are a part of DELTA PSI BETA . they come across as + EMPATHETIC but also - PERNICIOUS , which makes sense because on their instagram ( @gusdonny ) it says they are a TAURUS . when i see them , i think of dropping your coffee on the pavement , tattered crewnecks & denim , sitting in some hole in the wall restaurant at 2am , omw texts while still laying in bed , & chipped bitten nails . the most interesting thing i’ve heard about them though , is the fact that [ REDACTED ] , but don’t tell anyone i told you that .

wow y’all really went hard in your intros i am not worThy !!! hi everyone !! i’m cj and i’m from the true north , strong and free .. aka canada bby . i’m out in mountain time , which is why i am SO LATE , i was at work today :~( i’m super excited to write with you guys though !! i brought one of my favourite boys .. this is my big dummy angus , but pls if u love the boy at all call him gus .

tw : drug mention below

╰ ˚･ﾟ & some 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒔

full name: angus elijah donnelley nicknames: gus age: twenty two date of birth: april 27th hometown: malibu , california preferred pronouns: he/him orientation: pansexual occupation: n/a , currently studying at beaumont language(s) spoken: english , swedish ( very rusty ) pets: bulldog-terrier mix named cleo ( aka … luke hemmings irl puppy , i couldn’t help myself ok ) , but ... it’s a family dog , so ... she’s back at home and he misses her EVERY DAY .

PINTEREST BOARD !!

born and raised in malibu , angus grew up with strict , ambitious parents . his father a neurosurgeon , and mother an architect . it was very early on that they instilled their high expectations for the boy , teaching him the importance of discipline and responsibility . their intentions were good of course , as every parent wants to raise their child right , though angus wasn’t truly equipped . in actuality the couple came off as overbearing and their high expectations deemed unreachable in the male’s eyes . as he grew older , the feeling grew stronger that he would never quite live up to their standards – 97% on his mathematics test ?? well , why wasn’t it 100% ??

family time was scarce in the donnelley household . with both parents working full time and lots of time spent working extra hours , angus became independent quickly . his mother was flying to dubai for work quite frequently , gone weeks at a time . some weeks if felt like his father LIVED in the hospital . but he was saving lives , and how could angus be so SELFISH to want him at home . it meant he grew extremely close to his two younger sisters , often opting to spending the weekends entertaining them rather then out at parties . the family had a nanny to help , so he didn’t HAVE to , but his sisters always came first to him and being the eldest he has a serious case of protective older brother syndrome .

after graduating high school , he somehow managed to convince his parents to allow him to head abroad for the year . with promises of coming back home and hunkering down into his pre med degree . the couple really wanted angus to head straight into uni , but with tons of begging , they sent him off , bank account full . the year was spent travelling and honestly , just having FUN – a few months over in paris , london , italy , greece … some places he’d been before with his family , but not in the way he got to experience them now . angus continued his travels to japan , korea , new zealand , australia … never staying in one place for too long . but the fun had to come to an end .

as promised , angus attended beaumont upon returning back to the states studying neurosciences , getting his pre med classes under his belt . he is a legacy kid -- his father having been apart of delta psi beta when he attended the university . becoming a doctor has never quite been his dream , so much as it was his parents . while the male continues his undergraduate degree , he wonders if he should change his path , though that’s not a conversation he can have with his parents . angus has always wanted to leave an impact on others , in what way , well he’s never been sure .

╰ ˚･ﾟ & 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚

a big dumb softy !!

what if i left it at that …. !! no but , honestly … he’s definitely chaotic neutral . he’s a big empath , and will usually feel for you to his core .

i have some tiktoks to link , because our beautiful admins inspired me !!! and if you do anything ... please watch these : ONE , TWO , THREE , FOUR , FIVE ( tag urself , angus is the idiot that makes the entire thing go down )

it could be sometimes annoying , because angus can’t really ‘ pick sides ’ , this boy can see the validity in all sides ( in most cases ) . he’s definitely loyal to you , but he’ll be that friend that brings up the defence just to make you really think . because of this he can be either really good with advice … or really bad , there’s no in between . he’ll hit you with a million different solutions , confident that every one is good … “ it just depends what vibe you wanna go for ”

he … gets distracted easily . he dabbles in a bit of adderall , with his course load ... it’s just kinda how he copes . definitely known to pop some pills during night study sesh’s , essays & finals week .

he doesn’t LIKE to party a ton , like … he’s just not into big crowds really ? but if he tells you he doesn’t want to go out , it’s VERY EASY to change his mind , because he has Big FOMO . but he’s 22 yanno and he’s in a big party frat so , catch him getting drunk and probably high every weekend , off to the side with a few less people , or in the smoking pit at the clubs fawning over ur outfit or smth . after he’ll drag your ass to some hole in the wall restaurant and order way too much shit .

he’s lowkey v self destructive . it’s something he doesn’t even realize he’s doing most of the time , but he’s genuinely surprised when a friend sticks around . the ones that do stick , have definitely had to deal with him fucking about and being overdramatic in an attempt to protect himself . idk why this is so important to me , but he FOR SURE made a few tik toks w that whole …. “ if i was a worm … would you still love me ? ” AND if you told him no , would be pissed for days .

very affectionate !!!! with !!!! everyone !!!!

╰ ˚･ﾟ & 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒔

attended a semester abroad in sweden . is very rusty now , but can hold a basic conversation in swedish .

cleo , his pup , is his absolute pride and joy . he talks about her as if she’s his daughter ok . misses her sm while away at school .

he’s so messy , but will defend himself by saying they always had a maid , and then realizes how DUMB he sounds .

sk8er boi ~~ nah , but he actually does skateboard , and is trying to perfect his kickflip rn .

loves pizza pls

is always attending live shows , he loves the music scene and frequently supports locals

will “ thrift ” the dumbest shit for hundreds of dollars …

plays guitar , but doesn’t think he’s very good

╰ ˚･ﾟ & 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

i made up a page HERE , but PLS i LOVE brainstorming , so don’t hesitate to come to me for some brainstorming !!

#bu.intro #☠ ! ─── 𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓾𝓼 𝓭𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮𝔂 // intro.

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daddyslittlejuliet · 5 years

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Sounds That Scare Dogs — And What to Do About Them

The post Sounds That Scare Dogs — And What to Do About Them by Arden Moore appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

Dogs don’t need to see something scary to turn into puddles of panic. There are tons of sounds that scare dogs, unfortunately. Certain sounds that scare dogs can cause them to pace, drool, shake, shadow you or desperately seek a safe refuge like inside the bathtub.

Some dogs with noise phobias can become petrified with fear even before the dreaded sound arrives, because they pick up on pre-sound warning cues.

“My dog, Rusty, is terrified of the smoke detector in our kitchen,” says Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, professor emeritus at Tufts University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and lead veterinarian at the Center for Canine Behavior Studies in Salisbury, Connecticut. “He has learned that turning on our indoor grill may cause the smoke alarm to go off, so he starts to shake and tremble with fear when he sees us bring out the indoor grill. So, I distract him in another room while my wife, Linda, works the indoor grill. Rusty has learned what we call a behavioral chain, a common occurrence in dogs with noise phobias.”

What are some common sounds that scare dogs?

What sounds scare dogs? Photography ©Sonja Rachbauer| Getty Images

By definition, veterinarians and animal behaviorists use the term “noise phobia” to describe the intense and irrational fear displayed by some dogs to certain sounds. It is important to make the distinction that fear is a normal emotional response to a real or perceived threat or situation, such as dreading the anticipated pain from a vaccination needle. However, fear can escalate to a phobia, an exaggerated and irrational response that can completely emotionally cripple a dog.

Topping the list of sounds that scare dogs:

thunderstorms

fireworks

loud trucks

gunshots

people yelling

squawking pet parrots

security alarms

smoke detectors

But your dog may develop a noise phobia to more unusual sounds based on past experience, such as the wheels of a skateboard, the buzzer on a game show on TV or the popping of bubble wrap used to pad packages.

Sounds that scare dogs are a pretty common problem

Sounds that scare dogs aren’t uncommon, unfortunately. Photography ©igorr1 | Getty Images.

Sounds that scare dogs and escalate into noise phobia in dogs are more common than you may realize. Dr. Dodman estimates that close to 50 percent of dogs have some signs of fear and anxiety to sounds, sights and situations. But there is no study known that breaks down the percentage of dogs with fears or phobias to perceived scary sounds.

“Fear and anxiety rank as the No. 1 issue with dogs,” says Dr. Dodman, who ran the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts for more than two decades and is a best-selling pet author. “No one knows for sure, but it may have to do with their physical size, shape, structure, their temperaments and/or environmental influences.”

Most of Dr. Dodman’s canine clients being treated for thunderstorm phobia tended to be large and hairy. He has treated more breeds like German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Bernese Mountain Dogs for noise phobias than he has for breeds like Greyhounds, Shih Tzus or Dachshunds.

“A dog’s coat is a perfect receptacle for an electric charge, especially dogs with long-haired coats,” he notes. “Things and animals can get statically charged in a storm.”

Signs of fear

Is your dog hiding? He might have a noise phobia. Photography ©Alexandr Zhenzhirov | Getty Images

How a dog reacts to a fearful sound also depends on whether or not his best friend – you — are in the room or the dog is home alone.

“Clinical signs can differ, but if you are with the dog when the noise occurs, the typical behavior is for the dog to go into Velcro mode and be close to you, even press into you as the dog shakes and trembles with fear,” Dr. Dodman says. “But if you are not present to provide solace to the dog, separation anxiety is also usually present. These dogs are in extreme anxious states and tend to vocalize, have accidents on the floor and desperately try to hide or escape what they regard to be a house of horrors.”

Other signs of sounds that scare dogs can include: inappropriate chewing (your shoes, the television remote, etc.), drooling, excessive barking, diarrhea and vomiting, digging (including the living room rug), panting heavily, pacing and displaying “whale eye” — a panicky look in which you can see the whites of the eyes.

Tools to calm a noise phobia

While there is no one cure or one-size-fits-all solution to minimize sounds that scare dogs has or even make them disappear altogether, you do have plenty of tools at your disposal.

For starters, strive to be calm around your dog and avoid baby talk or panicky tones. Dogs are masters at reading our emotional states. And, consult a professional dog behaviorist or dog trainer to help modify your dog’s behavior. Keep in mind that behavior modification techniques build on small but steady successes, and you need to be patient. Never yell at your dog for his fear-related destructive behavior, as your dog could start to associate the loud noises with a punishment, too.

As for products, work with your veterinarian to see if these may aid the reaction in your dog: Anti-anxiety vests, ThunderShirts, anti-static jackets or even towel wrapping your dog to help him feel less anxious or frightened. If your dog is afraid of storms, you can try rubbing his coat with antistatic laundry dryer sheets.

Pheromone sprays and diffusers. These commercial products emit dog-appeasing pheromones that help some dogs calm down in stressful or scary situations.

Soothing music or white noise to help block out the source of the fear-causing sound.

Soundproof a crate or safe room for your dog to go to before a storm strikes.

Some dogs require supplements or prescription medication to help them cope with noise phobias, especially to thunderstorms. The popular go-to medications prescribed by veterinarians include clonidine, clomipramine, fluoxetine, benzodiazepine and Prozac. Keep in mind that your veterinarian may recommend a combination of these drugs or may prescribe for use before a storm arrives to minimize your dog’s response. Go to a holistic veterinarian if you prefer more homeopathic solutions like herbs, essential oils, Bach flower remedies or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Dr. Dodman shares one final key bit of advice: Don’t wait to get your pup or young dog treated for a noise phobia. “If your 10-month-old dog is starting to show signs of fear to a sound like thunder, don’t dismiss it and think you can just live with his pacing, because trust me, it will get worse if unchecked. I guarantee that. Get help sooner than later.”

When it comes to hearing, dog ears rule

Dogs have much better hearing than humans. Photography ©Azret Ayubov | Getty .

When it comes to a hearing contest, dogs have us beat, paws down. On average, there are about 12 muscles per canine ear that can be tilted, turned, raised and lowered to zero in on sounds at greater distances and wider frequencies than human ears.

Dogs can hear sounds within 67 to 45,000 hertz range as compared to people who can hear sounds within a range of 63 to 23,000. Hertz (Hz) is a measure of sound frequency or cycles per second.

That explains why your dog can be snoozing in an upstairs bedroom but hear you open a bag of potato chips in the kitchen and come bounding your way.

Thumbnail: © mattjeacock |Getty Images & © GlobalP | Getty Images.

About the author

Arden Moore, the Pet Health and Safety Coach, is a pet behavior consultant, master certified pet first-aid instructor, author and host of the Oh, Behave Show on Pet Life Radio. Learn more at ardenmoore.com.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you!

Read more related articles on Dogster.com:

All About Dog Genitalia and Dog Reproductive Systems

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Why Do Female Dogs Hump? Reasons for Female Dog Humping

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therealsymmetra · 7 years

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Silver Lining

The silver lining can kill you

Jacob, Danny, Adrian and Jack belong to @jorgancrath

Nobody drops onto the couch in the communal room, sighing heavily as they try to stop the throbbing in their temples and the churning of their stomach. A wave of nausea had hit them on their trek back home from hunting which had taken twice as long as usual. Their muscles ache, the feeling of sickness settling in their bones, must have picked something up while out the other day. Daniel and Jacob weren’t going to be home for another hour or so, they had time to themselves although they weren’t sure what to do with it. They heard the door from down the hall open, Jack’s door to his office, the familiar smell of the alpha and sound of his heartbeat easy to pick out.

“Back from your hunt?” He asks, moving through to the kitchen that sat behind the open living room.

“Yeah,” Nobody says, their voice hoarse.

“You alright kid? Don’t sound too hot,” Jack asks and Nobody can hear the cap drop from a bottle of water he’s opened.

“Yeah, think I’m getting sick,” they say, not sitting up, they know Jack won’t take it personally.

“Ah, I know there’s a bad flu going around, take care of yourself yeah?”

Nobody throws a thumbs up over the back of the couch and earns a chuckle. The room is silent for a while before Nobody hears him pace to the end of the couch.

“Can you do me a favor? I promise it’s not strenuous,” Jack says, he looks like he’s getting ready to leave, jacket on and keys in hand.

“Stay away from the hunting grounds for a few days yeah?”

Nobody cocks an eyebrow and tilts their head.

“Two of Saladin’s pups have died, we think someone is trying to hunt lycans out there. Did you see anyone weird this morning?”

Nobody takes a moment but shakes their head, it had been quiet when they had gone out.

“Alright, well, stay close with someone, if you really need to hunt take me or Adrian with you yeah?”

Nobody nods in agreement and Jack smiles.

“Okay, get some rest, take some cough medicine, Jacob said he’ll be back soon, Danny a little later.”

With that Jack leaves and Nobody watches him go with tired eyes, their joints are starting to ache, the onset of a cold, they pull themselves up and head to the bathroom to clean up.

Jack stares down at the corpse of a young girl, covered for modesty, transformed back into a human after she died, bright blue eyes staring blankly into the dirt. A gross waste of life, Jack had known her briefly, Quincy, a young girl, a runaway who was taken in by Saladin’s pack. She was kind. Jack’s jaw clenches as he tries to focus on what’s in front of him. Her nose and mouth were smeared with blood and a thick black liquid, something he’d seen before when other lycans had been exposed to too much silver.

“She was just a pup, scared, alone, needed a pack. We took care of her but… I should have gone with her, she wasn’t old enough to hunt alone,” Saladin sounds broken, his voice strained, this was the second death he had to deal with in just as many days. Jack hoped he never had to feel what he was feeling.

“It’s not your fault Saladin,” Adrian says as he stands nearby, watching as Jack investigates.

“I was her alpha, I should have protected her,” there’s a growl to Saladin’s voice, although not pointed at anyone in particular.

“And as her alpha you will make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Jack says as he stands.

“She has suffered from silver poisoning, that much is obvious, where she ingested such a large amount I’m not sure.”

“She was a natural born, like Adrian, a small dose would be enough,” Saladin says from where he stands, he gives the body a wide berth as the two look around, arms folded, dark eyes steady on the corpse, like he’s keeping watch even after she has died.

“The boy who died yesterday, was he also a natural born?” Adrian asks.

“No, he was turned only recently, he went on his first solo hunt last week.”

“How was he found?” Jack asks, surveying their surroundings.

The nearby trees are scratched up, clearly done by Quincy, the pine needles underneath are disturbed, like she had flailed around, many of them still stuck to her or caught in her auburn hair.

“Cyprus, we heard a racket coming from his room, went to check on him. He had seized, thrown up blood and ichor and then just stopped breathing all together. He had silver burns on his face and hands.”

“Jack,” Adrian calls from a few yards away where a deer carcass lay, Quincy’s last meal.

Jack approaches and Adrian holds up his hand and winces, there are burns across his palm, fresh, blistering badly. Silver.

“What did you touch?” Jack asks, taking his hand in his own, assessing the damage.

“The deer, it’s tainted,” Adrian mumbles through the pain, shaking out his palm as Jack withdraws.

“Someone is doping the deer with silver?”

“That can’t be right, Cyprus likes larger prey, he took down a mountain lion yesterday, it can’t be that,” Saladin explains.

“So it’s just the prey in general, the animals of the area?” Adrian offers.

“Tell your pack to hold off on hunting, store bought meat only for now, until we can find the source no one is safe to hunt here.”

“Jack,” Adrian calls, alarm in his voice.

“What is it?”

“Nobody was out hunting this morning,” he says, an edge to his voice.

Jack’s eyes go wide.

“Get back home, have anyone who has hunted today purge and get them the silver antidotes that Andi makes,” he says, feet already moving, phone in hand.

Jacob kicks his shoes off at the door, skateboard in hand, hair wet from the rain that had just started to fall on his ride home. The base is quiet, he can hear the soft murmur of hearts throughout. He takes his phone from his pocket and flips through messages, replies to Danny, answers Alice’s question. His screen lights up a second later, Jack’s call name across the top with the photo of a badly drawn wolf as the contact.

“Hey,” he answers.

“Where are you?” Jack sounds out of breath and it puts Jacob on edge.

“Home, why?” He pulls open the fridge, there’s a blood bag towards the top labeled for him, he debates on having it now or waiting until later.

“Is Nobody with you?”

Jacob stops his contemplation, alarms sounding in his head.

“No, I just walked in the door, what’s wrong?”

“I need you to find them,” there’s a beat and Jacob doesn’t move “now, Jacob, while I’m on the line.”

He can hear the car engine in the background, wherever he is he’s going very fast. Jacob makes his way to Nobody’s room, one that he and Danny frequent, they hadn’t gotten around to asking for a shared room yet. He knocks and can hear the shower from the door.

“Nobody? You in there?” He calls and there is no answer. He focuses his hearing, but he doesn’t have to for long, he can smell it, blood, metallic and thick.

“Nobody!” He calls as he tries the handle and it opens with ease, the bathroom door is ajar, steam is flowing heavily into the bedroom and he can hear something on the other side. It sounds like gagging, then vomiting, the splash of toilet water, they were sick. He pushes the door open and nearly drops the phone in his hand. Nobody is crouched over the toilet, skin ashy, their nose and mouth smeared in dark blood and they’re gasping. They look up at him and he’s never seen a lycan look so sick before.

“Shit, shit, Nobody’s not okay,” he says into the phone before he’s by their side lightning fast, grabbing a towel as he holds their head in his hands, wiping at their face.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” He asks but Nobody isn’t looking at him, their eyes are milky, distant, wrong.

“Jack what’s going on,” he asks and his voice breaks as Nobody starts to go limp, noises escaping their mouth, groans, as they let their head fall onto his shoulder.

“No, no hey stay with me,” he says, holding them up, propping them against the wall.

“Jack!” He nearly yells into the phone which has slipped onto the floor by now.

“Call Andi! Can you hear me Jacob? Call Andi now!”

There’s another hand, grabbing the phone and pulling it from the ground as Nobody’s eyes roll back in their head.

“I’ll call them,” Danny says, quickly hanging up and calling the witch doctor.

“What’s happening?” Jacob asks again without looking up at his boyfriend, focused on moving Nobody from where they had collapsed in the corner. He picks them up from the floor, moving them to where they have more space.

“Nobody open your eyes, please, look at me,” Jacob pushes the hair from their face, he can see lines moving beneath their skin, snaking across their body. He had seen something similar once before when a vampire was deprived of blood for too long.

“Andi is coming,” Danny’s voice makes him jump, he had gotten so quiet, or maybe Jacob’s thoughts had gotten too loud.

Nobody’s body starts to spasm, muscles going rigid and Jacob starts to panic, breathing becoming hard as he tries to focus.

“What do we do?” He asks, voice strained.

There is a sound in the living room, like air being sucked out of a room, then a small pop and a flash of light Jacob can see from where he sits beside Nobody. There is a small woman with warm skin and dark eyes, bright blue hair and a large bag on her hip. She sticks her head in and spots the group on the floor before giving a nod and pushing her way in.

“How long has it been since they had contact with silver?” She asks as she rummages through her bag.

Both Jacob and Daniel look at each other.

“We don’t know, Jack called, told me to check on them and now this is happening.”

“Silver poisoning, fast acting, they must have ingested it, Jacob can you help me please,” she says more than asks and Jacob moves, there’s a shuffle of people as he moves to where she directs, propping Nobody’s head in his lap. He can see more clearly now how different and sick they look. Their eyes had deep bags beneath them, cheeks hollow and lips black with ichor, they don’t look like Nobody, not the Nobody he knew. Their skin is slick with sweat and despite their lack of movement their chest is heaving horribly.

“Open their mouth,” she instructs and Jacob does his best, tipping their head back as she empties a vial down their throat.

They cough, sputter and their body shakes, much like the hunger tremors they had suffered before, when finally they go still. Their lungs still draw short rapid breaths but their muscles have relaxed, and after a few moments Jacob sees the lines beneath their skin recede.

“I must speak with Jack, take these,” she hands a small wooden box, inside Jacob sees more vials of the same bluish green liquid.

“Give them one every three hours for the next day. Lots of rest and water.” She says.

Jacob can hear the front door slam open and Jack’s distinct footsteps as he rushes to the bedroom. He finds them quickly, sighing heavily as he sees Andi with them. He nods to Danny and Jacob, a thankfulness to his expression before he speaks.

“Someone is poisoning our food.”

#my writing #au: teeth and claws #Nobody #Joker #King #Eight #Ace #Andi #wheeeeee

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totallyrealhoroscopesdaily · 7 years

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12/17/2017 Horoscope

Aries: You go over the existential crisis of an essay on your phone over breakfast. Bite of cereal, philosophical nihilism. Sip of coffee, strange deviation into time travel’s pitfalls. Bang your head on table, paragraph comparing immortality to torture. Another bite of cereal, rambling on outliving civilizations. Honestly, if it weren’t for the numerous typos and obvious personal stake in it, you could probably publish this as some sort of philosophical thesis. You also are much more alarmed about your own supposed “immortality”. You’re really unsure how to respond to this. You haven't gotten a response for your too tired text.

Taurus: Some enterprising chef has used a butterfly net to catch the frogs. They are now cooking and selling frog legs. You have to respect them for rolling with it so well, you’re very amused. You buy a couple legs from them, they’re pretty tasty. As you walk away, the legless frog corpses in the bucket behind the chef’s pop-up shop start ribbiting and croaking, and start to try to fly some more. This is not your fault.

Gemini: You found a skateboard. Well, more accurately some ghosty-goo found it and gave it to you because they though you’d like it. You do. You are filled with sudden dreams of skating down the road doing kickflips with Kcirederf across your shoulders. To that end, you are attempting to learn to skateboard. You’ve fallen on your ass about 20 times now and have no idea how to turn, if you stay standing while the board is moving then it’s a miracle.

Cancer: Someone has filled your apartment building with mistletoe. It hangs above just about every doorway. This wouldn’t be so bad, if it wasn’t enchanted. If you accidentally walk under one with someone else, then the mistletoe won’t let you get out from under it until you two kiss. It’s nearly impossible to avoid getting trapped under it with someone, because, again, it’s above every fucking doorway. You have taken to planting one on the other victim's lips really quickly and then walking away before they can react. You don’t even hesitate, the second you realize you’re stuck, again, you act. The sooner it’s over with, the better, you think. You leave a complaint for the super.

Leo: That bitch. She is juggling fireballs. It’s not even magical, it’s just flash paper, a clever trick. The tourists, however, don’t realize that and are watching in flabbergasted awe. They don’t give you and the foot the slightest bit of attention. You glare and shout across the square, “Why don’t you do some real magic!”, and she calls back that she’d like to see you do better. Oh, you will.

Virgo: Your list of potential therapists is short. You really should get a longer one.

Libra: Mrs Kelpie comes in and you nearly walk into a wall in surprise. She sees it and looks about ready to walk right back out in offense when you call out for her to wait a second. You run upstairs and grab your apology candy then run back. She stayed (based on the look on her face, against her better judgement), and you shove the container of candy into her hands. She freezes in surprise, which you take as your cue to start rambling your apology because you are so sorry and you didn’t mean to be speciesist and you’re sure she wouldn’t hurt any of your kiddos and you were in the wrong you are so so sorry you- At this point she frantically slaps her hands over your mouth. She looks around, then suggests you talk where the little’uns can’t listen in. You nod and she uncovers your mouth. You invite her upstairs and she follows.

Scorpio: Remember to eat and drink some water. You’ll feel nasty if you don’t take care of your body.

Sagittarius: You’re almost fucking positive that waving the glowstick around did absolutely nothing, but Bobby seems pretty damn happy to get it back. He does something, and the glowstick spasms, then he smiles. You don’t know if you should ask.

Capricorn: While Punchy and Pup fuck off into the great unknown, you have the realization that Aiden is a teenager. He should probably be in school. Fuck, what grade is he? What fucking age is he? Shit, shit, shit, okay, new priority. Figure out how in the endless beyond to do about Aiden’s schooling, because that’s pretty important.

Aquarius: Suzy shows up as you’re heading out to do your laundry. She’s carrying an armful of fabric and her face has a determined set to it. She asks where you’re going, and you say to do laundry. She asks if that can wait a minute or two more. You say it can. She lets herself into your home and your follow her. She plops her bundle onto your mattress. She brought you sheets. She shows you how to put them on your mattress, says all beds(!!) need sheets. The sheets are a light blue and are soft. You like them. You say as much and she says that’s good to hear. She seems to want to say more, or maybe do more, but she doesn’t. She wishes you a good day and leaves, and you go do your laundry. It’s much easier, since your back hurts much less due to your new bed(! Suzy called it a bed! You can call it a bed!).

Pisces: The hunt is still going. That is not good. The spirit should have been caught, dear daughter. You worry.

#zodiac #horoscope #aries #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces #totallyrealhoroscopesdaily

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dreadhaus-literature · 7 years

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"Little Shop of Horrors.”

“What are you doing?”

Talalelei, or known more commonly as Dot, heard her twin but didn’t see the need to actually answer him—because it should be obvious what she was doing. The large shop around them was as it always was; arranged just so, with curiously cute, post-mortem memoirs lining the shelves and display cases. Attached to the Mortuary that was a mixture of legitimate and not, the Post-Op Horror Shoppe was primarily managed and run by Dot’s twin brother Etano—known more commonly as Tod.

The Omega in question was sitting behind the register, two-toned eyes watching Dot’s curly-head bob up and down the rows of trinkets and keepsakes, running a feather duster over them—not that they needed to be dusted. That was precisely why Tod had asked what she was doing in the first place. When Dot didn’t answer, Tod’s face didn’t change expression; he was used to Dot’s selective answering, which drove some members of their splintered Tribe absolutely insane—namely Jax, who would barrage her with questions until her extensive patience snapped like a brittle rose vine. The Omega and his twin arguably had the most patience out of anyone in the Family, save for their Patriarch, but there had been changes in habits and behavior in Dot the last handful of years. The only one close enough to notice was Tod, because he and Dot were mainly the only two running the Family businesses. The ones supposed to be responsible for that, the duo known as the Alpha Twins, were a mixture of responsible and unreliable…as strange as that might sound to an outsider trying to understand the Tribal dynamic. What it meant was that as long as the places weren’t burning to the ground or being infiltrated by outsiders, the Alphas wanted to be left alone to do what they did best—roam and cause hell. This left a massive gap in responsibility that fell to their number two, the Omega, Tod. Tod was young, just under 30, but he had an old soul and despite what went on behind those hazel-green eyes he had a calming presence about him that enabled him to handle stress and heavy responsibility with ease. One would never know of the hazel-eyed beast crouched just beneath the surface of deeply tanned skin.

As Dot continued her unnecessary cleaning and straightening of their merchandise, Tod shifted on his stool, long legs easily reaching the floor so that his black boots scuffed at the freshly polished tiles. His own russet curls were shaven up to the top of his ears, with the top curls hanging long enough to fall into his eyes when he leaned forward. He was constantly shaking the unruly, chocolate-silk strands from in front of his angled features. Tod’s features were softer than his older brothers’ tended to be; his cheekbones were high but accented by dimples deep enough to rest a piece of hard candy in them. His mouth was full, his chin curved which only served to highlight the length of his strong jaw—inherited from his Father. What struck people about Tod was different from the way Luvon, one of his older brothers, seemed like you’d break your hand on his sharply cut face; it was his eyes. Tod’s eyes might as well be lit from the back, shining so brightly that the hazel almost went gold on occasion. They resembled precious gemstones, hard and unforgiving when you’d finally pushed him too far; they were eyes that seemed far too old, almost ancient, for such a fresh, handsome face. Tod’s quiet handsomeness seemed to suit his personality, being that he wasn’t aggressive like Cavon or Jax, or even arrogant like his cousin-turned-brother, Zaos. Tod was who he was, to outsiders, even if he himself didn’t quite know…who he was, somedays. Those two-toned eyes were a tell of something deeper, a giveaway if someone was smart enough to know what questions to ask—not that Tod was an open book. He kept his secrets guarded closely, locking the beast in a cage so he could try and live a semblance of a normal life but where Dot seemed to be flourishing these past few years, in a way Tod had never seen before, he was withering. He didn’t quite understand it and if he weren’t so emotionally mature, he might have resented his twin for her happiness. She seemed…like she found her lifemate. The word sent a barb of pain through Tod’s muscled chest like a thorn through the heart and he reached one tatted hand up to push his curls away from his shadowed face. If Dot had found his lifemate, then why hadn’t he? Logically that might not have made sense, but then the Dreadful Tribe were a family of shapeshifters powered by emotions. It didn’t have to make logical sense because the entire premise of lifemates wasn’t based on logic; it was based on feeling. So if Dot found her lifemate, Tod felt he was justified in wondering where his was…even if he’d given up hope on finding his mate years before most of his kind did.

There was no concrete proof that Dot had found her lifemate; she never brought anyone around and though her status updates on various social media profiles sometimes harkened to there being a special someone in her life, Dot always showed up to any family events or tribal meetings on her own. A natural-born empath, Tod could read his twin’s mood easily and picked up on the fluctuations of her heart or the warmth that radiated off her in iridescent waves of rose gold when a certain tone would chime from her phone. Given his twin was habitually single, it would be a marked difference that she had now opened her heart to someone but something stopped Tod from prying too deeply to know the truth. He could have easily used the common mental path between the twins to probe Dot’s memories, or even glanced down at her phone when the lock screen would light up with a picture he didn’t recognize—but something kept him from lingering on the pretty face in the picture or from searching for the truth. If he were honest with himself, he held himself back out of fear that Dot would have found her eternal mate, leaving him to the bleak existence that had taken over his life. The decline started six years ago, when colors started to fade. It wasn’t to say he saw in black and white, but more so that the world around him seemed duller, so that the pop of flowers was lost on him as he walked up the sidewalk to work every day, the brightness of the sun just an irritant that urged him inside a little quicker. A year after that, he started to notice food had no taste. He ate out of biological need to do so, but even his Father’s intricate dishes, crafted with passion and love, sat dully on his tongue. The last couple years he noticed a lack of interest in skateboarding, surfing, and even his lifelong love affair with music was beginning to suffer. His calloused fingers no longer ached to feel the strings of his guitar or the polished ivory of piano keys. His iPod no longer sat drained of battery by noon; some days he forgot the music player was in his pocket at all, the songs no longer a siren’s beckon to help him through his numerous daily tasks. Tod knew what was happening to him; some called it Shifter Sickness. It usually afflicts shapeshifters much older than the young werewolf, shifters who have spent the majority of their long lives without the anchoring, loving completion of their mate. Symptoms of the Sickness range from color blindness, loss of senses such as taste or even eyesight or hearing, to willful recklessness which can lead to a whole slew of problems. Shifters who succumb to the Sickness eventually either go Rabid and must be put down like wild animals, or they choose to do it themselves before it gets to that point of no return, ending their suffering with some dignity still intact. Tod seemed to be a special case, being afflicted so young, but there was something special about him that differed from the rest of his Tribe; Tod had a stranger sharing his body. Tod referred to the beast as the Ancient, but that was partially because he didn’t know the wolf spirit’s name. The hostile being sharing his body refused to tell him.

Animal shifters, usually known as Weres, are gifted a spirit animal at birth by the Great Giver, Kalama. These spirits are usually kin, ancestors of the infant who immediately bond with the child and become one with the shifter as they grow into their power. By the time a shifter finds their lifemate, they should be indistinguishable from the spirit they receive at birth, bonded in every way; that was how it was supposed to go, so that they can be the strongest, best version of themselves for their lifemate. Yet in rare instances, for reasons that only make sense to the Insidious Deity, a child is given an ancient spirit rather than kin. This ancient spirit is its own entity, so assimilating with the spirit becomes that much harder because the spirit refuses to be taken over. The two must learn to co-exist, but the spirit Tod received at birth has refused, steadfastly, to bond with the pup; when he was younger, the Ancient was nothing short of a bully, growling and snarling at the toddler anytime he tried to approach the beast forever crouched in the corner of his mind. As he’s grown, both in stature, maturity, and power, Tod has learned to exist around the beast, who seems content to wither away from Shifter Sickness right alongside Tod. The Ancient, from what Tod had been able to glean from sharing headspace with the old beast, had known his lifemate already in a past life and lost her. Empathetic as he was, Tod could understand why it made the Ancient bitter and cruel, losing a lifemate was akin to a death sentence for a shifter—not to mention the unbearable heartbreak—but it was hard to spend the last three decades on the sole receiving end of sharp teeth made harsh from loss and pain. With the spirit in his body uncaring whether they survived the Sickness, Tod was finding he was fighting a losing battle. He wasn’t sure his tenuous hold on his life could take the sharp pain of finding out his twin had found her mate. As awful as it was, one thing all Dreadful’s shared in common was that none of them, not even their Patriarch, had found their lifemate. It was the only thing that unified the Tribe, and to any outsider looking in, would also highlight why they were so broken, splintered off like branches ripped from the proverbial tree by force—and never in nature could a tree grow back together on its own.

Tod was pulled from his thoughts at the register’s phone ringing, drawing those bright eyes from Dot to the coffin-shaped cradle. Picking it up, he cleared his throat.

“Post-Op Horror Shoppe, what’s haunting you today?”

There was a laugh on the other side of the phone that reminded Tod of what flowers sounded like, whispering in the night breeze beneath a full moon. It warmed him immediately, lighting a fire in the depth of his belly that raced up through his ribcage, sending his heart against his chest like the tribal drums of his homeland. The breath literally slammed out of him, and the beast, always so restless and agitated inside his head, went rigid and still, ears standing straight up as if straining to pick up even the echo of the musical notes they’d just been treated to. Staring at the top of the register, Tod became very much aware at just how bright red the ruby eyes of the sugar skull wood carvings on display were. In the split second he was left staring at them, he was reminded of Dot’s explanation of where they’d come from. ‘Inspired by someone sweet as sugar, and lethal enough to remind someone death’s always waiting just around the corner,’ Dot had sing-songed as she set up the new merchandise that had come in last Halloween. For some reason, that sentence had stuck out even with what was known as a ‘Dreadful memory’, as something he should remember for the future. He hadn’t known why at the time, and truthfully he didn’t know why that same sentence seemed relevant now. It was a reason that Tod couldn’t place, but the memory swirled in his mind made hazy as the voice on the other end spoke to him and stripped the wolf down to his bones.

“That’s a cute way to answer the phone. I was um, actually looking for Dot?”

A pang of jealousy barbed Tod straight through, so that those two-toned eyes snapped up from the register to glower at Dot—who immediately gave him a look, one hip cocked to the side as if she was ready to meet his anger with her own…without knowing what he was angry about.

“The hell’s that look for?” Dot snapped, drawing Tod’s attention to his change in demeanor and he blinked a few times, feeling his canines shrink back down in his mouth. Without prompting, they’d lengthened as if he was about to use them.

“…Nothing,” Tod muttered, before he spoke more clearly into the phone to the woman with the silken voice, his own baritone richer than honey—a drastic change from the way he’d just spoken to Dot. “Dot’s right here, just a moment.”

“Thank you!”

Tod held out the phone for Dot, who walked over and snatched it out of his hand, pointing at him with her other hand. “You better quit giving me the stink-eye, Toddles, or I’ll kick you out before she gets here.”

“She?” Tod prompted but was ignored, as Dot put the receiver to her ear.

“Is that my sweet thing?”

Was that Dot’s ‘sweet thing’? Tod truthfully didn’t know what he wanted the answer to be. If the woman on the other end of the phone happened to belong to his twin…well that meant she was spoken for. Despite a strange laxness involving personal space and items, inspired by a culture that emphasized sharing, the Dreadful’s were a possessive group that would resort to violence if boundaries weren’t respected. It went without saying that should a Dreadful ever actually find their lifemate, they would resort to murder to keep them. But the other side of that, meant that at least…Tod might get to meet her. He found himself torn and unsure what he was wishing for, his sharp teeth chewing on the inside of his cheek as he stared at Dot openly, keen ears picking up the conversation effortlessly though inwardly he found himself leaning forward in the hopes of hearing that voice again.

“I tried calling you a couple times, but let me guess, did you have your headphones in and couldn’t hear it?”

“No, seems my twin just decided not to tell me my phone was ringing.” Dot turned, staring at Tod blatantly. Tod glanced down at Dot’s cell phone next to the register; Dot must have had the volume off as there was no way either of them would have missed it ringing but as Tod illuminated the screen to check the missed calls…he found himself staring at the lock screen’s wallpaper. Green eyes, high cheek bones, and full, painted red lips greeted him with a smile and a face so striking he felt as if the stool had fallen out from under him and sent him crashing through the earth. Why…why had he not checked Dot’s phone before this?! The highlight of this beautiful woman’s face spoke of satin sheets and the love affairs written in novels, timeless fairy tales that made the big bad wolf in him very literally salivate. The Ancient in his mind sprang forward with such ferocity that Tod’s entire body jerked in response, the green bleeding out of his eyes so there was nothing but hazel-gold staring at the illuminated touchscreen. ‘It’s her…’ The growl in Tod’s mind wasn’t unfamiliar, but the Ancient speaking to him willingly was. Truth be told, Tod didn’t know if the Ancient was even aware of him, right now; the beast seemed to be so fixated on the picture that nothing, and no one, could break that focus. The attention the Ancient was paying the picture only allowed for Tod to memorize the beautiful woman’s face, imprinting her onto his memory and some part of him, bone-deep, knew he would never, ever forget this moment...the first time he saw her.

“Are you outside, baby?” Dot placed one hand on her hip, eyes on the ground as she listened to Felina’s candy-sweet voice. “Perfect! Okay, just have your driver drop you out front, Tod and I are waiting for you inside!”

Tod had no idea what he was feeling. It was like he’d swallowed a bucket of ice water, cubes and all, and it sat upon his belly like a weight so that the tips of his tatted fingers trembled. Was this…anticipation? Nerves? He couldn’t ever remember feeling like this before, as if he couldn’t sit still. He stood up abruptly, almost knocking his stool over behind his towering frame, one hand coming up to push through his curls. She was coming inside? Was the woman on the phone the same one on Dot’s lock screen? It had to be, that had to be her, and she was coming here?

‘Calm down, boy.’

Tod’s spine went rigid as the Ancient addressed him, using a tone that Tod had never heard before. The only time the Ancient ever spoke to him was to snap or snarl at him about being weak or useless, but this tone almost sounded…fatherly. Tod allowed himself to inhale, bringing air to lungs starved by the anticipation he was unused to feeling. The Ancient was sitting on his haunches in the back of Tod’s mind, and Tod was able to see him clearly, as he always could; the brown wolf was massive in size, with a long snout and fur-tipped ears that added several inches to his already towering height. Even Tod’s impressive stature, nearly able to lock shoulders with his Alpha brothers despite their age difference, had a hard time accommodating the Ancient’s massive, muscular frame. The Ancient’s eyes gleamed at Tod, those sharp teeth snapping together as he spoke. ‘Now isn’t the time to go to pieces. She’ll be here soon.’ Tod wanted to ask who she was, but the Ancient didn’t need the prompting question. ‘Our lifemate.’ The air that Tod had managed to inhale left him in a rush, his body reacting with primal relief so that he took a step back and used the register display counter to support himself, his hands gripping the glass, his back to Dot finishing up her phone call. Lifemate? No, that…that couldn’t be, lifemates come to those already ready to receive them—‘Don’t you dare try and throw the Insidious One’s teachings in my face. I am not wrong. You feel it in your bones. That is her. She is ours, and she was mine long before she was yours.’ The Ancient snarled at him in a familiar tone, lacking patience and were Tod in a different state of mind he might be able to understand it. After all, the Ancient lost his lifemate once before.

‘Yes, and I do not intend to lose her again. Get it together.’

“The hell is your deal?” Dot hung up the phone, but her eyes were on Tod. He was acting strangely, appearing shaken up and he was one of the calmer members of the Tribe. It caused Dot to shake her head. “I swear, you picked the worst day to act like a mental patient. Can you get it together?”

Tod released a breathless chuckle at being told the same thing in the span of ten seconds.

“What are you laughing at?” Dot quirked a brow. Tod shook his head.

“Nothing,” he shook his head as he turned around, placing his hands flat on the register counter, nodding toward the phone. “Who’s coming by?”

That wasn’t an easy question for Dot to answer and it showed as her gaze slid to the side, one hand coming up to scratch her curls. How does one even attempt to describe Felina? Never correctly or adequately, if Dot were to answer her own question; she considered herself more than adept at words but they seemed to fall short or pale in comparison to her girlfriend of nine years this month and it left Dot unsure where to begin.

It had been surprisingly easy to hide her lengthy, meaningful relationship even from her twin, if that showed any indication of the splinters in the Lakhani Tribe, but it also presented a unique problem because now that it was time to bring Felina around the Family, Dot wasn’t sure how to do it. Out of everyone in the Family, Tod was the easiest one to talk to and that was precisely why Dot had decided to start with him.

The conversation between girlfriends had started off innocently enough. It had been a couple nights previous, Dot was lounging on the couch with her laptop in her lap, messing with her iTunes library when Felina came home from work and sank down onto the floor beside Dot, so she could rest her head on Dot’s tummy and just watch the organization of the music on the laptop’s screen. Dot had been alternating between running her fingers through Felina’s soft hair in a massaging attempt to relax her hard-working girlfriend, and syncing her iPod. It wasn’t until Dot muttered something under her breath about Tod not purchasing new music like he’d promised that Felina really started to get curious about one of Dot’s many brothers. To hear her girlfriend tell it, Dot had more than she could count on both hands, with the way Tribal law works and how her Father was Chieftain and thus Guardian of many. Felina had never met this Chieftain, or Dot’s brothers—not even Dot’s twin, which she was pleasantly surprised to find was a common trait she and Dot shared; being the oldest in a set of twins. Dot had proceeded to pull up an IM system on her laptop to shoot Tod a message about why he hadn’t purchased the new music and Felina watched the exchange between the two with a smile on her pretty face, finding the way Tod responded, and his use of emoji’s, to be cute. Not to mention…the picture next to his IM’s showed a strong profile and bouncy brown curls that looked softer than satin. Felina had found herself staring at the picture even more than the words on the screen, trying to imagine what Tod sounded like, what voice would match such a handsome profile, a curious stirring in her chest not unlike what she’d felt when she and Dot became an item. It led Felina to asking about Tod, which Dot had answered distractedly about…until she realized Felina’s questions were probing and curious, clearly wanting to know more than just his name and birth order in the Family. For all the problems presented when it came to introducing her beloved mate to her rowdy Tribe, Dot realized that one thing she hadn’t counted on…was that it was going to happen. Dot had every intention of marrying Felina one day and for all her desires to keep her beautiful girlfriend to herself…Dot wanted to get married a certain way so eloping was out of the question.

So Dot bit the bullet and asked Felina if she finally wanted to come see the businesses that would be added to her Empire someday. After so many years of being kept in the dark in regard to the family that…would one day be hers, Felina leapt at the opportunity to come by the Mortuary, where Dot informed her Tod often worked. Felina had so many questions! What was Tod like? Did he and Dot look a lot alike? Did they act alike? Images of that strong profile and beckoning curls flashed in Felina’s mind as she tried to contain her excitement asking Dot those questions, who laughed in response and continued to tell her, “You’ll have to wait and see!”

The time for waiting was almost over, as Dot sprung the news on Tod, resting her upper half on the register counter as she leaned in toward Tod.

“So here’s the deal,” she began, lifting one sharp nail to tap on the glass top as she began rapid-firing points at her twin. “My girlfriend of nine years on the 26th is coming here to see the Mortuary and Shoppe, and--”

“I’m sorry, did you say nine years?” Tod interrupted almost immediately, incredulous at the number that just rolled off Dot’s tongue.

“Don’t interrupt?” Dot posed it as a question but it wasn’t; it was laced with attitude and indignation, her palm coming out in protest. “I’m trying to prep you, you need to listen.”

“Prep me? Dot what the hell,” Tod pushed a hand through his curls, sounding exasperated. “If you wanted to prep me, why didn’t you tell me, I don’t know, hours ago when we opened for the day that your girlfriend--”

“Lifemate.” Dot corrected, turning her hand over to inspect her nails. Tod’s hand slammed down on the counter without him realizing it.

“…Lifemate,” he amended before continuing. “I think I deserved more than five minutes to learn that I’m about to meet your lifemate. This is a huge deal, Dot.”

“Can you try not to sound like Dad? You’re younger than me.”

“Thirty seconds literally does not constitute being younger than you.”

“Uhm…yes it does.” Dot shot back. “And it was more like 45 seconds.”

“Did you ask Dad? Did he count?”

“I don’t need to ask him shit to know! I was there!”

“There is no way you remember back that far,” Tod shook his head, pushing away from the counter toward the storage room, giving Dot one hell of a side-eye. “Our memories are good but they’re not that good.”

“Lucca says he remembers his birth!”

“Lucca…is Lucca.” Tod gripped the door handle to the back room and pushed the door open.

Dot rounded the counter to follow after him. “Where are you going? Felina’s going to be here any minute!”

Tod tried and failed to ignore the flip of his stomach at hearing Felina’s name, bumping the door open with one broad shoulder should Dot decide to follow him inside the back room—which was actually a hallway that led to several back rooms, ranging from inventory and back stock, a bathroom, a couple offices—including one for security—and a break room with a small kitchen and dining area. Tod made a beeline for the bathroom, Dot hot on his heels.

“Since you decided not to tell me…Fe…” Tod tripped over the name, the dulcet namesake trapped in his throat so that he quickly cleared it and had to start over. “Since you didn’t tell me she was coming until just now, I just want to make sure I’m presentable.”

Dot didn’t miss much, and she certainly didn’t miss when her twin was acting strange. Strange was a relative term for the Tribe, but this was new behavior; Tod wasn’t necessarily as emotionless as Lucca (the boy was like a void where emotions went to die, which was saying something about a Family that ran on emotion) but Dot hadn’t missed the way Tod had been slowly shutting down over the past few years. No one spoke about Shifter Sickness but everyone knew the signs and everyone knew Tod had been displaying them. He ate but only just enough, his music no longer filled the Shoppe during downtime, and his easy-going smiles were fewer and far between. He was still the go-to when someone had a problem, he was still the responsible Omega with the weight of the Tribe on his broad shoulders, but it seemed the only thing that drove him forward was that sense of duty. It was a somewhat scary thought to imagine what would happen to Tod should those duties ever disappear; it wasn’t often Dot was grateful for the Alphas’ absence from the Family but at least with Tod having to pick up so much of their slack, he knew he had to stick around, he had to fight the urge to give in to what the Ancient in his head likely always told him—that it was easier to go Rabid than spend his life waiting for his lifemate. Tod had a lot of love to give, and no one to give it to; Dot couldn’t imagine how it must feel because she was lucky enough to have the woman of her dreams to give her love to, every day.

The woman of Dot’s dreams, her lifemate, Felina, seemed to be having a curious effect on her brother, though. As Tod ducked into the bathroom, moving toward the sink to fix the collar of his shirt, to check his unruly curls and try to comb them into some semblance of presentable, Dot just leaned against the doorway with her arms folded and stared at him. Tod always presented himself well, he was one half of the public face of the Dreadful businesses but she’d never seen him…primp before. And while yes, meeting a shifter’s lifemate is supposed to be treated with respect and it’s expected that you’ll take it seriously, this felt different. Dot could feel the change in Tod, the rise of his emotions and the resulting waves of amber-gold excitement that were rolling off that tall frame like the ocean rushing to meet the shore after the tide breaks. Tod was excited, even if he didn’t know why, and Dot thought it went further than just the hope that her finding her lifemate meant he still had a chance. Tod had always had a chance to find his lifemate, so why was this different? Why was Felina different?

It was a dumb question to ask, and if anyone had had the audacity to ask Dot why Felina was different she’d likely rake them over the coals for being too dumb or blind to not see why her girlfriend was different. Felina was intelligent, she was ambitious and driven; the Syndicate she was groomed to take over even at such a young age was a testament to what strength she had, both in her spine and her mind. She was formidable, lethal, both in conference room meetings and when it came to dealing with any who opposed her, be it over business or otherwise. And do not get Dot started on how beautiful Felina was, inside and out; so much so that Dot had taken to a very creepy habit of mildly stalking the other woman from the first moment the Matriarch had laid eyes on her. That’s all it had taken for Dot to know Felina was the woman she wanted, no, needed to share the rest of her life with and there was only one word for shifters to describe such an all-encompassing love. Lifemate. It went beyond lust, beyond love, so that no matter what lifetime the girls existed in, they would find each other. Dot could feel Felina’s presence, whether her girlfriend was physically near or across the city; Dot craved the touch of those soft, manicured fingers and she never felt more loved or special than when those gorgeous green eyes would rest on her. There was nothing like waking up beside Felina every day, and knowing that at the end of each day, no matter what may have transpired during the day, she got to come home to the only one she would ever need. That was why Dot was so overprotective, so doting—Felina deserved the world and deserved to know how much better she made the world and so Dot never stopped trying to ensure she never forgot. It was no secret that Felina was desirable, Dot wasn’t blind and given how possessive she was over Felina, of course she saw the looks of blatant desire Felina garners anytime they’re out together. Soft, lush curves on a frame petite enough to be broken yet so perfect one would hate to only be able to have her once, hair softer than silk, a smile that could melt or freeze hearts at will…Felina was the total package no matter how anyone looked at her.

But the only way Tod would know all these things, without ever having met her…was if she was his lifemate, too. And it was apparent that he did, or he wouldn’t be in the bathroom fixing his hair like he was 15 years old again, experiencing his first crush. For all her jealousy, for all her possessive need to keep and claim her lifemate, Dot found she wasn’t experiencing that terrible, black rage that accompanied someone planning to make a move on what was hers. Was it possible that they shared a lifemate? …They were twins, so she supposed it couldn’t be impossible…though she wasn’t knowledgeable enough on the Giver’s texts and teachings to know for sure whether this sort of thing ever happened. It usually went that a shifter’s true lifemate was theirs and theirs alone, and given how murderously possessive and jealous one gets over their lifemate (oh, the amount of times Drette has made an appearance just to brutally punish someone for getting too close to Felina…) it was mildly unheard of to share a lifemate…but it wasn’t impossible. And the more Dot stood there and thought about it, watching Tod carefully align his collar and then drop down to buff a scuff out of his boot with his thumb, the more she thought it made sense. The Lakhani Tribe was shattered, splintered off and distant and the more years passed the more it seemed nothing would ever bring the Tribe back together again. It was not for lack of trying by their Patriarch, who more or less demanded they all at least live near one another rather than scattered across continents. It was just, there was nothing to hold the together, no desire to be near one another save for the Alpha Twins, who were almost always together, or how Dot and Tod worked side by side to keep the businesses going. The Giver, the Deity the recognized as their own, was all about doing things with purpose, leaving just enough for one to fashion either their noose or their salvation—it was still far, far too early to tell but seeing this new life in her twin who had all but given up on himself, Dot was left wondering if Felina wasn’t the gift to the Tribe from the Giver, a means for them all to become a Family with her at the center. Felina had certainly turned Dot’s life around and given it proper meaning, so was it truly so far-fetched her perfect girl would be able to do the same for the Family? She didn’t know, but she had a distinct feeling she was about to find out.

“So,” Tod tried for his normal, casual tone, but he wasn’t sure how well he did. “What’s she like?”

“Felina?” Dot deliberately said her name, just to watch the way Tod smiled involuntarily as a result. Dot said nothing about that, just shifted so the doorframe was at the center of her back. “She’s literally perfect.”

Tod chuckled. “Well, I guess I can’t argue with that. Given your lesbian status, you would know.”

Dot laughed, gesturing with one hand out. “See. I told you, I’ve always told you, once I find the perfect girl you’ll never have to doubt me because why the hell wouldn’t I know? And she’s got it all, Tod. She’s funny, she for some reason thinks I’m funny, she’s wicked smart, and my god just wait until you see her in shorts.”

Tod swallowed thickly, incisors lengthening in his mouth at the thought that put in his head.

“So, ah,” he floundered for a moment, trying to reign himself in. “You two have really been together for nine years?”

Dot nodded. “Happiest nine years of my life.”

Tod could believe it, since he was having the happiest fifteen minutes of his life since hearing her voice, seeing her picture, and learning he was about to be meeting her. He straightened up, running his hands over his dark jeans before turning to gesture to Dot.

“How do I look?”

Dot perked a brow, pushing off the doorframe to come over. She reached up, moving his curls from their carefully combed position so they brushed against his forehead and framed those two-toned eyes—before pinching his nose and giving it a tug.

“Like a dork. But lucky for you, she loves me, and you take after me, so she’s gonna love you.” Dot released his nose, gesturing at his hair and using his unruly curls as an example. “Just be yourself.”

Tod laughed, pushing a hand through his curls as he nodded. “Okay. Myself, can do.”

“Oh my god, please don’t be awkward.”

Tod made a face. “I’m not awkward.”

“Maybe you should just stay in here?” Dot tapped her chin, glancing around the bathroom. “I could tell Felina you fell in the toilet.”

“…Dot, your girlfriend may think you’re funny but I don’t.”

“She thinks I’m very funny.”

“I’m happy your girlfriend is nice to you.”

“…Tod, say Felina.”

Tod almost pulled a handful of curls out in surprise at Dot’s demand. “What?!”

“Say her name.” Dot smirked, tilting her head back to stare up at him expectantly.

Tod was literally saved by the Shoppe doorbell sounding the death march, indicating Felina was here. It was impossible to miss that beautiful laughter sounding at her delighted surprise at the personal touch of the chime, the sound washing over Tod so that he felt it bone deep, the Ancient in his head near salivating at the sound. Dot’s excited laughter picked up, his twin letting off a squeal as she rushed out of the bathroom and back down the hall to greet her lifemate.

“Baby!” Dot flung open the back room door, already exclaiming to get Felina’s attention. Her lifemate was gazing around at the emporium around her, taking in the different items with a curious smile on her face—one that upped in wattage as Dot crossed the store with her arms open to envelop her in a hug.

Tod was moving on auto-pilot when he came out from the back of the shop. It was as if his body was moving on it’s own, driven forward because he was dying to see her, to lay eyes on the flesh and blood that seemed too good to be true…and the moment he ducked back into the shop, the moment his two-toned eyes locked onto her, he could have sworn he was dreaming.

Tod had a photographer for a younger brother. He’d seen images that seemed too good to be true, pictures of places that couldn’t possibly exist because they were just too pretty. Even if he’d believed Felina’s picture was too beautiful for her to actually be real, he was seeing her now, and it was as if the world was dropping away piece by piece so the only thing he was seeing was her. Felina’s attention was on Dot, unsurprising considering Dot’s penchant for touchy-feely greetings, but all that did was grant Tod the striking image of Felina’s profile as the young woman gazed up at his sister, her green eyes more precious than the gemstone that would pale in comparison. Her smile sent a burning smear across his chest so that his breath caught in his throat, her perfectly painted lips red as blood and no doubt every bit as sweet. His mouth ran dry as the Ancient crouched in his mind moved closer to the surface, a ripple of power feeding his muscles as if to push him forward to act upon the most primal reaction he’s ever felt in his life. She wasn’t real, she couldn’t be real…Giver help him, she was beautiful. He stood in a stupor in the back room door, the weight of the door at his back but he paid it no mind, his body tuning itself to the angelic presence before him without conscious thought. When Felina leaned into Dot’s greeting kiss, Tod felt his lips burn with the desire to feel her kiss, instead. When Felina put her hand on Dot’s arm, his arm reacted as if she’d touched him, instead. And when she finally turned, felt him staring, the moment she locked eyes with him Tod knew he would never forget this moment. It was only a split second, the two left staring at one another, but he saw the way she reacted to him, the way he stole her breath the same way she’d stolen his. He devoured her in an instant, without ever having to lay a finger on her satin-soft, fair skin; did she feel it? Did she feel the way his heart was pushing at the limits of his ribs, straining for her? Did she hear the Ancient’s howl in her head the way he heard it in his? It was a howl of possession, of completion, of spending so many lonely days and nights with nothing but the promise of maybe some day…some day had come.

She was here.

“Sweetheart, this is my twin, Tod.” Dot turned, gesturing at Tod with a slight frown. “Tod, this is my girlfriend, Felina.”

Felina should have been prepared for Tod. She’d seen his picture before, she had some idea of what he looked like, but the picture hadn’t done him justice. Tod was incredibly tall, which was something for her to notice given she had plenty of tall siblings herself, and he was well-built with an array of brightly colored tattoos racing up his muscular forearms to his neck to match striking, two-toned eyes. A curious, seemingly constantly changing mixture of hazel and green, Tod’s eyes weren’t lit like fire but rather like sunlight streaming through a diamond, so that Felina found it hard to look away. He certainly didn’t look away from her, even as he stepped down around from the register and came over to meet her properly. The way he moved reminded her of a casual yet confident man who seemed older than he was; he was Dot’s twin, so he was younger than she was…but he didn’t seem it. He carried himself as if he were much older, yet when he extended his tatted hand out to her, the smile he gave her was boyish, dimples drawing attention to sharp, white teeth and beautiful curls that just begged to be touched.

“Nice to meet you, Felina.” Tod’s large hand was poised, fingers open, for hers as his deep voice enveloped her in warmth not unlike how Dot always greeted her.

“Y-You too, Tod. It’s nice to finally get to meet you.” Felina slipped her hand into his a little breathlessly, taken by surprise when her voice failed her. Her voice died completely when Tod closed his hand around hers, his fingers turning her hand so that when he moved it up toward himself, she almost thought he was going to kiss the back of her hand—a gesture that wasn’t foreign to the young leader. She was a woman of standing, of affluence and power, so she was used to the formal, honored way of being greeted. What she hadn’t expected was Tod to move their joined hands to his chest, to feel the strong, powerful beat of his heart through the soft fabric of his shirt.

“Welcome to the family.” The gesture was tribal, a gesture of reverence and significant in allowing her to feel the beat of his heart, so that his welcome could be perceived as genuine. After all, one doesn’t show or expose their heart to just anyone.

“…T-Thank you,” Felina tightened her fingers around Tod’s without thinking, and she felt his heart stir in response. For a woman who was not easily affected by romantic gestures, there was a stirring in her own chest that shouldn’t have been there, and she found it hard to maintain staring up at Tod, who seemingly had no problem keeping his eyes on her.

Dot glanced between her girlfriend and her twin with a knowing smirk on her face. Yeah…she had definitely been right.

Tod’s release of Felina’s hand was reluctant and slow, and when she slipped her fingers from his he felt more bereft than he’d ever experienced in his life. He covered the feeling by shoving his hand through his curls, hoping the feel of his hand would help erase the loss of her silk-soft touch.

“And this,” Dot gestured around the shop, “is the Shoppe. Well, one of them. You’ll find there’s a few in the family.”

“Do they all sell this sort of stuff?” Felina asked, glancing around at Dot’s gesturing. She was acutely aware of Tod’s presence at her back.

“No—well, Zaos, his shop has some things like this, but it’s real. Not novelty, not keepsakes.”

“You’re…planning to introduce her to Zaos?” Tod asked, lifting both brows. There was clear hesitation in his voice that had Felina glancing up at him curiously.

“Is…Zaos bad?” Felina glanced between the twins. “I know you said the Alphas were pretty bad, but Zaos is too?”

“Zaos is hard to explain.” Dot started, pursing her lips in thought. “But…I’m beginning to think you two will hit it off.”

For reasons he didn’t want to think too deeply about, Tod felt jealous about that. Did Dot think he and Felina would hit it off? It would be a fair assumption, since Dot did bring Felina around to meet him first, and that helped quell the temper he didn’t have.

“And Tod, yes I’m planning to introduce her to everyone.” Dot turned back to her twin, giving him a pointed look. “This is my mate, my future wife. Everyone needs to meet her.”

Tod was about to respond when Felina turned back to look up at him, and he found himself distracted by giving her a smile, again. He’d never felt it so easy to smile before but she coaxed them out of him without even trying; it was the way she stared up at him, the way the light from the shop windows caught and held the emerald of her eyes, highlighting long lashes and skin that was begging for his touch. The tips of his fingers literally twitched at his side with the thought of how soft she must feel, how her small fingers would tremble against his when he took her face between his hands and kissed her—

“I wanted her to meet you first,” Dot’s continuing comments drew Tod’s attention, tearing those two-toned eyes from Felina. “Felina actually expressed interest in coming by and seeing the shop, and meeting you.”

“She wanted to meet me?” Tod asked, unable to keep the incredulity out of his voice.

Felina turned, giving Dot a pointed look, her smile a little strained from embarrassment. “Really, baby?”

Dot noticed and totally continued anyway. “Oh definitely, Toddles. It was the other day when I was giving you what for about not ordering the music for our iTunes library. Felina liked that one comment you made, what was it you said?”

Even though Dot was looking at Felina to supply the comment, Tod answered. “Was it when I told you that the time you were taking to IM me to bitch was all time you could spend downloading the music yourself? And then I put the thinking face emoji?”

Dot gestured, “Yes, but I think you worded it like, ‘Pretty sure the download time for songs is less than the time it’s taking to download your bitching’.”

Felina couldn’t help it; just like the night she’d read it over IM, she burst out laughing, one hand coming up to cover her giggles the best she could. But the twins joined in her laughter, urged on by the melodious sound. Tod couldn’t believe how infectious Felina’s laughter was, or the fact that he’d managed to make her laugh. Him!

“Yeah, for whatever reason Felina found that funny and decided she wanted to meet you. I didn’t see the harm.” Dot gestured with her palm out flat, turning from Tod to Felina. “And he was extremely excited to meet you. Even went to check his hair before you got here.”

“Woooow,” Tod leaned back a bit, both eyebrows raised, before he leaned forward toward Dot as the register phone began ringing. “Maybe you should get the phone since you seem like you have a ton to say.”

Dot swore under her breath, scurrying off to answer the ringing phone, leaving Tod and Felina standing together still near the door. Tod watched after his twin for a moment before he turned back to her girlfriend, giving her that dimpled smile. Felina gazed up at him through her thick lashes, a little tease in her velvet tone.

“Did you…really go brush your hair for me?”

Tod laughed, reaching up to push some of the bouncing ringlets from in front of his face with a nod. “Yep, I sure did.”

Felina’s laugh was soft, a touch shy, her eyes riveted to the gesture and the way Tod’s strong arm rippled with unused strength as he moved those curls from in front of his eyes. Tod was undeniably handsome, the resemblance to Dot apparent in their eyes, the shape of their mouths, and those curls. They also smiled the same, as if prompting you to say something, as if whatever it was you did say was the most important thing in the world for them to hear. It was strange, the way Tod made her feel; every time those hazel eyes flashed at her, a little more gold than green, she felt as if she was looking at someone she’d known for a long, long time—but she’d never met Tod before, she would definitely remember him. On top of that, there was the way he made her feel, a touch nervous but in a way she’d never experienced before. Felina had been on the receiving end of Drette’s affection, the way the other woman used fear and force to sometimes tantalize Felina’s fetishes and make her feel cherished and needed in a, “if I can’t have you, no one can,” sort of way, but Tod wasn’t threatening her. He wasn’t necessarily looking at her like he was going to wrap his fingers around her throat, but she’d felt the callouses and the strength behind his hand and he was looking at her in a way that made her very aware…that she was a woman. She could feel his eyes lingering on the swell of her breasts when she mimed breathing, something she did to comfort outsiders because her still heart didn’t need air to function—because it wasn’t, right now. Even when she wasn’t looking directly at him, those bright eyes swept over her and left a strange velvet touch behind, like the brush of cool water against her skin. He followed the curve of her waist, the tuck-in at her ribs and the swell of her hips—she had no way of knowing whether his eyes lingered on her backside when she’d turned to glance around the shop but his eyes had been on her legs when she’d turned back around. It was one thing for Felina to know and understand how beautiful and desirable she was; it wasn’t something she thought about or necessarily cared about, because she was dating Dot and had been for a very long time. Attention wasn’t something she cared about from outsiders, but Tod didn’t feel like an outsider. From the moment she’d locked eyes with him, the way he looked at her, as if he wanted her entirely, made her feel such a curious mixture of vulnerable and powerful she didn’t know how to react—as though she could bring him to his knees…or sink to her knees for him.

“Since you’re going to be…marrying Dot someday, did you want a tour of what’ll all be yours?” Tod gestured with his head, catching Felina’s attention as if he needed to have it. Felina nodded immediately.

“Yeah! I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what this shop really even is.”

Tod stepped forward, his hand moving to the small of Felina’s back as he took her a little ways from the double shop entrance doors. She could feel the heat of his touch through her shirt and tried desperately not to think about it, instead left to focus on his soft baritone.

“This shop is an extension of the Mortuary next door,” Tod began, “it’s a place where you can purchase custom trinkets of all sorts to help honor or commemorate a lost loved one.” Tod reached up with his free hand, picking up the hand of a skeleton doll on a display shelf, making it wave down at Felina. “Or if you’re just really into Halloween and don’t want to wait until the holiday season rolls around, you can stop in here for your decoration fix.”

Felina laughed, waving back at the skeleton. She found she liked Tod’s sense of humor; it was a blend of sarcasm and just genuine humor, and it complimented his smile.

“So, say my pet goldfish died. Could I come here to get something for that?”

“Hm,” Tod put on a thoughtful expression, before leading Felina up the aisle way a little more. Sure enough, he stopped at a shelf of ceramic tombstones for fishbowls, gesturing at them. “I’d recommend this. I handle the engraving myself, so we can honor…”

“Sparky.” Felina blurted out, which earned her a laugh from Tod.

“We can definitely honor Sparky the Goldfish with a custom engraved tombstone.”

“That is so cute,” Felina reached up, feeling the rough weight of the tombstone before glancing around again. The aisles of the shop weren’t necessarily as uniformed as a normal store would be; they seemed to follow almost an ‘S’ pattern, like a snake or a winding river. The shelves themselves were grouped according to like items, such as items for cats, dogs, or assorted pets, while other shelves were grouped to hold urns or garden decorations. Felina’s pretty green eyes could see all sorts of things, from hanging lights for decorating gravestones, to Christmas tree ornaments, and even a section for clothes that featured a sign that read, “Custom line coming soon.” The register area was set up to look antique, though behind the L-shaped counter there was a computer that likely served to supplement what the old time register couldn’t do—Felina could understand that was more for the aesthetic of the shop. The shop was a catch-all for all things harkening to death and it was pleasantly packed with items, the décor what one might expect in a place of oddities. From macabre artwork, skeleton shaped candy and even decorative soaps, this place seemed like the perfect place to satisfy a morbid itch.

“And you run this place?” Felina turned back to Tod, who had been patiently waiting while she took her assessment of the place.

“I do,” he nodded, feeling a semblance of pride that she seemed impressed by that.

“I really like it.”

“Yeah?” Tod leaned forward, as if needing to hear that reassurance again.

Felina nodded, smiling up at him. “Yeah.”

“Maybe you’ll stop by more often, now that you know I’m—that it’s here?” Tod quickly amended his statement.

“Definitely,” Felina nodded again. “I’ll definitely be back.”

Tod released a laugh that sounded relieved, feeling the Ancient’s smirk of approval inside his head. The beast was wholly convinced this was their lifemate, his lifemate reborn, but Tod could hardly catch his breath enough to think about that. How could he? He was too busy enveloped in her presence, basking in the sweet scent of her beneath his sharp nose, or the way her body brushed against his as they walked and talked. The way she stopped and the items she picked up to examine stuck out at him, bringing him new appreciation to the shop that he spent so much time and effort on, every day—just her simple admission that she liked this place enough to come back validated his years of work making the shop what it was. If she, a woman of undeniable class and taste, could approve of this place…then maybe she’d approve of him, too, someday. He didn’t know what to make of the thought, or the desire that he wanted his sister’s lifemate to like him…he just knew that he did. He liked Felina, to the extent that the word seemed to pale entirely in comparison. This was what he could remember reading about, being told about the meeting of lifemates and how it would be the single most poignant thing to ever happen to him. Walking with her now, his hand guiding her, his body moving with hers as if it had always been, Tod had no other way to explain the way he felt…though he would have accepted love at first sight, too.

“And uh, you know,” Tod spoke up, catching Felina’s attention as they walked. “It would be incredibly rude of me not to invite you out for brunch to help console you over the loss of Sparky.”

Felina recognized Tod’s playful game and couldn’t help but play along; he had such an easy-going way about him, and he made her smile. She sniffed delicately, nodding. “Yes, I…think that will help fill the void left behind. He was such a good fish.”

“I am so sorry for your loss,” Tod did his best not to chuckle, or give away his excitement that Felina accepted his offer. “If it makes you feel any better, I happen to know a great sushi place not far from here? I’d be happy to take you there.”

Felina almost stopped walking, her jaw dropping a little. How did he know her favorite?!

“Sushi—Tod! What the hell did I tell you about going through my phone?!” Dot’s sharp reprimand of Tod gave away his secret curiosity in regard to Felina but he didn’t seem fazed by it.

“N-Not to mention, isn’t it a little ironic, not to mention morbid, to take me to a sushi place after my fish just died?” Felina added on, staring up at Tod.

Tod just winked down at Felina still semi-tucked under the hollow of his broad shoulder. “In my family, it’s custom to devour what tries to leave, so it stays apart of you forever.”

Felina didn’t know why, couldn’t possibly know why, but that calm baritone delivering such a line between sharpened white teeth sent a horrible shiver down her spine—was it excitement, or fear? She had no way of knowing, only that the first meeting of her girlfriend’s Family has left her…wanting more in the worst way.

“Come on, we’re going to brunch, my treat.” Tod held out his arm for Felina. “I need to get to know the woman who is going to be marrying my sister.”

There was a clear implication that hung in the air, something Tod knew Dot would pick up on—it remained to be seen whether Felina would be able to feel his intent, his interest in her…and just where that would lead the two of them.

#{collection} : a tribe called mine #{character} : tod dreadful #{character} : dot dreadful #{theme} : for monica

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