#tl;dr you have to train your nose to smell things | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

syilcawrites · 3 years

Note

A prompt (dunno if I should've messaged or sent a note, but eh, I'm used to asks):

Following the defeat™ of Ganon à la Link and Zelda, our favourite pair have settled in Kakariko Village for a bit as a temporary reprieve.

Then disaster strikes.

It starts with spaced-out sniffles. Then as hushed whispers come on the light snorts of a nostril attempting to impede the flow of an oncoming river of muscus. Rising to a crescendo, a throat reddens and sputters in an attempt to relieve an unending roughness that hinders speech and catches on food.

Link has the common cold.

Never has the hero felt so demeaned, so disrespected by the gods. His bones and blood and mind were forfeit the moment he drew the Sword as a child, of that he came to know and accept. But to now be impeded by snot and sebum - no affront could be greater.

So, stubborn as he is, he attempts to go on about his day, training, cooking, collecting - but, of course, fails spectacularly, his condition worsening. Looking from afar, Zelda finds that she's had enough and tends to the matter directly.

Ensue whatever great stuff you wanna write about.

TL;DR: Link gets mildly ill, worsens it by overexerting himself and Zelda has to force him to rest; magic ensues.

Sorry if that was way too detailed or exact for a prompt... I just have so many ideas of my own that I want to write but I just don't have the time right now. Sho, I'm keeping to plans aplently. ☺️

a/n: i loved this prompt and how detailed it was thank u for sending me this it was so fun to write sfauihhaifs sobs... I hope to see your writing someday!!! And hope you enjoy this lil fic (’:

ao3

to chase away a cold

It's been a little over two months since Calamity Ganon had been defeated. Paya had been kind enough to let them stay in her room for the time being, while Zelda recuperated from… well, everything. And it had been quiet around Hyrule since—the significantly decreasing amount of monster attacks had been a blessing for their short trips; they had run into little to no problems, fortunately, ever since they reunited.

But then, it started with a sound that Zelda could only affiliate with to a mouse squeak.

Her wide eyes flit to the ground, where Link was sitting atop of a futon that Paya had laid out for him. He didn't look at her as he continued shining away at his weapons, his back still facing her, pressed against the mattress of the bed Zelda was on.

She shrugged it off, resuming to mess around with the Sheikah Slate in her hands. Perhaps she was just hearing things… it wouldn't be surprising, since she hadn't officially settled into being back in her own body yet—

Zelda's ears perked up as the peculiar squeak happened again. But this time, the bed shook a little. She quickly lowered the Sheikah Slate from her view once more, her eyes narrowing.

"Link, was that you?" she asked, poking his back with her big toe.

He shook his head and shrugged.

Suspicious.

——————————————————————

The next morning, Zelda awoke at noon.

Which was, of course, normal for her. She was never an early-riser to begin with, even before the Calamity.

But Link? He was always up the moment the sun rose. She was a light sleeper, and always heard him get up, despite his best efforts to be quiet. And he never missed a day to leave a couple of fresh wildflowers in the vase next to the bed for her before she would get up to start the day.

But today, the wildflowers at the bedside had been the ones from yesterday—beginning to grow flaky and brown.

And Link was still sprawled on the futon next to the bed, obliviously sleeping away.

"Link," Zelda whispered, leaning over the bed. But he didn't budge. Weird. "Link!" Zelda leaned over a bit further to shake his shoulder. "Get up!"

"Hah?" He flinched, startling himself awake. He sniffled as he looked over at her with glazed, sleepy eyes.

"It's past noon. I thought you were going to help Cado—"

"Noon?" he gasped, scrambling up from the futon. "I told him I'd come by at eight," Link mumbled, fumbling for his tunic and trousers. "We might have to go to the Great Fairy Fountain tomorrow instead, I promised I'd help him find his cuccos today." His voice sounded a bit heavier than she remembered.

She waved her hand at him, shrugging as she stifled a yawn. "It's okay, go help him. I'm sure he's waiting." Zelda quirked an eyebrow up as he sniffled again—he was doing that a lot more recently. "If you need a hand, I can help."

"No, you're still recov—" Suddenly, Link's face contorted up in a way that she had never seen before—he whipped around and sneezed into the crook of his elbow.

"Did you catch something?" Zelda asked, shifting off of the bed to place a hand on his forehead. But with each step she took closer to him, he took one away from her as he shook his head fervently.

"I'm fine," he insisted, pulling his cloak over his shoulders, still facing away from her.

Suspicious.

——————————————————————

Zelda sat outside on the steps of Impa's home, eating pickled plum with her as the both of them watched Link run around Kakariko, trying to find Cado's precious, missing cucco's.

"It is beyond my understanding as to why Link even tries," Impa scoffed, handing Zelda the plumpest pickled plum of the batch. She still didn't have much of an appetite, but Impa had been as observant as she always was, and usually only offered Zelda bite-sized foods that she knew she wouldn't have trouble eating. "Cado loses his cuccos as least twice a month."

"Maybe we should build him a bigger fence," Zelda murmured, giggling as she watched Link wrestle with a cucco he was trying to drag over to Cado's little coop. "They wouldn't be able to fly as easily."

"Those little buggers will always find a way," Impa scoffed, shaking her head. "And—"

A loud sneeze caused the both of them to flinch—Link's well-fought battle against the cucco ultimately failed, and Zelda watched the aftermath of it with pity. He stared in defeat as it scampered away, back into the bushes.

"Link's been a little weird, hasn't he? He hadn't even stirred by the time I was awake," Zelda inquired, plopping another pickled plum into her mouth, chewing slowly. His jog was a little slower than usual, and he had to pause every five minutes to catch his breath—that never happened before.

"He's been staying up a little later than usual, hasn't he?"

Zelda nodded—he wanted to take her to several locations that were a bit further than their usual trips, so they had been mapping out the most efficient way to go about their mini excursion. While Link was an early bird, Zelda was more of a night owl… it did make sense that he would be a little off recently, with a shift in his sleeping schedule.

After he spoke to Cado, probably to apologize for not getting them all today, Link stumbled—he stumbled—a bit on his feet as he made his way to the cookpot, since dinner was just around the corner.

Suspicious.

——————————————————————

By the time Link went into the room to retire for the day, Zelda had already situated herself on the futon. She was lying on her stomach, humming, as she plotted out the last of their destinations for the upcoming trip. She craned her head to the door when she heard it creak open; he looked even worse than earlier.

"How was your bath?" Zelda asked, sitting up.

"Good…" he said, sniffling, a little confused. He pointed at her, quirking an eyebrow up.

"You're sleeping in the bed tonight—and!" Zelda pointed at the cup of tea sitting on the desk next to the bed. "You should drink this up before you go to sleep. The trip can wait until you get better."

"What do you mean? I'm fine," he muttered, rubbing his nose.

"Link, having a cold is a perfectly normal thing to catch—and you just made it worse by trying to hide it. Which you were terrible at doing, by the way." Zelda grabbed the cup and held it out to him, waiting. "Plus, I added some extra ingredients that I think could possibly increase the potency of the medicine—"

"I'm not sick," he said, shaking his head with noticeable effort. "I don't need it, I'm fine. I—I feel better than I've ever had before, actually." He sneezed—and the cough that accompanied it sounded just as painful.

"But I made this specifically for you," Zelda muttered, lowering the cup a bit. Before she could continue to convince him to drink it, he had already grabbed it out of her hand and taken a large gulp out of it.

"You didn't put something weird in this, right?" Link asked, sniffing it. At least he tried to sniff it, but his nose was closed up. She laughed at his scrunched up face as he continued to try to smell it.

"It's a secret," she said, patting the top of the bed. "It's been a long day, you should rest."

He took one more long gulp before handing the cup to her with a satisfied sigh, his smile a little woozy. Zelda quickly grabbed it from him and stared into it—he had drank the whole thing in two gulps. He was supposed to drink it slowly.

He flopped over on top of the bed, burying his head into the pillow.

"This bed is really comfortable," he said, his voice muffled as he rubbed his face into it.

"Hey, you're going to get snot all over my pillow if you do that!" Zelda scoffed, tugging at his sleeve as she twisted around.

"It smells like you," he murmured, looking at her with half-lidded eyes as he strained to keep them open.

"Oh? And how do you know what it smells like if your nose is clogged?" She brought her arms over the bed and folded them together to rest her cheek against them. She had never witnessed him getting sick, even before the Calamity. And to see him acting a little aloof brought warmth into her chest—even though he hadn't recovered every memory, he still treated her with familiarity, which she appreciated. She was afraid of being thrown into a world so familiar, yet different.

But he stayed, even though he didn't have to.

"Hmmm... I can just feel it," Link muttered as he closed his eyes, pressing deeper into her pillow.

"You can feel what my pillow smells like?" Zelda snorted, trying to hold in her laughter. Instead of responding to her, he began snoring.

Zelda would have to remember that including a few sprinkles of nightshade acted as an excellent way for someone to fall asleep quickly.

#zelink #botw #breath of the wild #yes I will be making graphics for the prompts #because they're fun asfhjvf #syilca answers #my fanfics #zealouslinkage

60 notes · View notes

thesummerstorms · 4 years

Text

Rev Recaps Hard Contact (Chapter 18)

CW: Violence. “Joke” that references inebriation/ date rape (kinda sorta).

TL;DR Recap: Niner gets worried because Darman and Atin are taking too long and might get blown up. Fi refuses to follow orders. Etain helps. Hokan makes a run for it.

Beginning Kal Count: 35 Ending Kal Count: 37

This chapter opens with a Kal quote. Fog of war and rattling sabers, etc, etc. Whatever, Kal. Kal Count is now at 36.

This chapter is incredibly short: barely 5 pages. We still manage to squeeze in some Jinart and two different Skirata quotes.

Niner calls off Majestic’s orbital bombardment and waits several minutes before moving, because you can’t stake your life on the accuracy of orbital bombardment. Specifically, he calls off the bombardment with ... the check, check, check order that Etain will get in trouble for using on Ordo..

I already had a discussion with freckledmccree and tiender about this on the dash that you can probably find if you look for their usernames on my blog, but essentially the “check” command being used to halt an orbital bombardment as a legitimate command puts the fiasco of Etain using the same command (having heard Kal use it) in a weird place.

Triple Zero treats check as Kal’s super secret code word to drill into his trainees that they need to stop in an exercise that’s unique to him and that they’ve been trained to automatically obey, which makes it a big deal when Etain uses it on Ordo because it forces him to automatically freeze and she hasn’t earned the right/the trust to completely override him at such an instinctual level.

But that’s ...weird if Omega is using “check” to call off an orbital bombardment. What if Ordo had been on Qiilura and was engaged with the enemy when Niner had to call out a “check” on Majestic, perhaps because the orbital bombardment has gotten too close as the squad engaged targets. Him freezing from Niner’s “check” would be a very bad thing, and also makes that word just... not make sense. Tiender even looked it up and it’s part of brevity code.

So the two options that you’re left with are that Kal was incredibly stupid about his safe code or that Etain picked up on the terminology to call cease-fire as a Jedi officer, used it, and Ordo was upset because he didn’t trust Etain’s judgement and personal control over him.

As freckledmccree points out, from the narrative framing/narrative intent & KT’s long, long history of inconsistencies and plot holes, probably what happened is KT forgot herself that check was more generalized and made it into a specific word for Kal, making this an author failure. And honestly, even Kal isn’t going to do something that dumb.

So when/if we ever get to that part of Triple Zero... insert a safeword of your choice I guess?

Moving on.

Niner still expects Kal to come out and call for endex (Kal Count 38) and he notes that Fi has a sniper rifle trained for “anything insane enough to walk out” of Uthan’s complex, and that he doesn’t think Fi would think long enough to hesitate if they came out with raised hands.

Niner talks to Dar and Atin about their expected evac time and location (neither are good) but we get... this really terrible, out of nowhere what the fuck line:

CW: Joke that sounds like a very thinly veiled joke to date rape, or at least consent issues due to inebriation.

Like. What the fuck.

I don’t know why Atin is setting this “joke” up, much less how Niner, of all people, is answering with ... that line, which reads a LOT like me to either “woman is so drunk she’s biddable and can be dragged out of bar for sex” or “woman has been drugged and is being dragged out of bar for sex”.

As I said earlier on this blog... my Watsonian explanation has to be that Kal is a really shitty teacher who has made a lot of really shitty jokes that Niner internalized as a young clone sergeant trying to imitate the training sergeant. (Though that doesn’t explain Atin.) My Doyalist explanation has to be that Karen Traviss is a terrible human being.

Moving on.

Darman and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day continues.

Niner’s super concerned by the amount of time that it’s going to take Darman and Atin to rendezvous with everyone, so he tries to send Fi and Etain ahead to the evac zone and singlehandedly cover Dar and Atin’s escape.

Niner isn’t going to press it and some part of him is probably glad not to be left alone, but Fi, I really don’t think you’re allowed to do that.

Etain and Jinart show up, Niner explains the situation and asks if Etain can help. Etain offers to try and part the soil with the Force if Jinart will find a shallow point and Niner will explain what’s needed so she can visualize it.

I really, really think based on the last chapter that KT just forgot that Atin gave Etain an array blaster already, because it’s magically disappeared from the narrative. And I haven’t checked, but I don’t think Etain ever gets to use Fi’s blaster, which I have to assume is his sidearm if it’s going on her belt. The most mention it gets after this is clinking against Dar’s armor when she hugs him.

That said, please imagine tiny little Etain currently kitted out with an exotic shot gun, her lightsaber AND a commando’s pistol. Does the heart good.

We even get to switch to her POV next.

a) Etain’s Force-sense is already Darman-attuned, which fits with the opening of Triple Zero. That happened fast, though.

b) “Are you following scent?” Etain panted. /”No, I’m listening for echoes.”/ “With your nose?”/ “Where I keep my ears is my own business.” Okay, I hate Jinart, but that line never fails to crack me up.

I don’t really have a comment, I just needed that line here.

We don’t really get detailed descriptions of the Force from Etain’s point of view super often. That I can think of, there’s this scene, there’s her describing how she perceives the troopers around her at the Dinlo extraction. To a much lesser extent, maybe a little tiny bit about the fetus that will become Kad. Otherwise it’s typically really vague- she had a feeling, or she knew, without the sensation behind it. I really love getting descriptions of how using the Force actually FEELs is what I’m saying, I guess.

This is the only time Jinart is complimentary of Etain in the entire series, I think.

Okay, so

a) ewwwwww. Dar was covered in raw sewage two chapters ago, if you’ve forgotten.

b) Still she rushes in to hug him without even noticing. She doesn’t stop because he smells bad; she stops because she’s a Jedi Padawan and an officer, neither of which should be so emotional, so she’s embarrassed.

c) Darman “all guilt” Skirata is apparently clueless, but Atin isn’t- “are you going to stand there all night posing for the commander?”

They work out a plan to carry Uthan in shifts, Etain worries about the sedatives, and Jinart, finally, finally takes a hike.

Whatever other weirdness happened in this chapter, I feel like I won the lottery with this scene.

We briefly go back to Hokan who is working with Hurati to evacuate Uthan’s remaining staff, and decides to personally help evacuate the only remaining woman, telling her to hold on to him. Unfortunately, his plan is “kill the lights and then run real fast out the door”, which makes that line about Fi earlier ~foreshadowing~.

I, too, would take comfort in protecting my head from projectile weapons.

Anyway, that’s the official end of what’s probably the shortest chapter in the book, excepting the prologue.

#Rev Recaps RepComm #Republic Commando #RepComm #Etain Tur-Mukan #Darman Skirata #Atin Skirata #Niner Skirata #Fi Skirata #Jinart #Qail Ovolot Uthan #brief mentions of #Ordo Skirata #despite him not appearing in this book

11 notes · View notes

kondo-hijikata · 6 years

Text

Pairing: Established Kondo/Hijikata Rating: M Summary: A meditation on where they’ve been and where they’re going--on Hijikata’s promise to make Kondo the most esteemed samurai and one that Kondo makes in return. Hakuouki verse, Kat-chan POV, written to this. [AO3]

tl;dr: They love each other a lot and Reimeiroku is a gift

The Listener

Beneath a blanket of celestial glitter he stood with his arm ghosting beside mine, while fireflies sparkled gold in the distance and a gentle breeze feathered whispers against our skin. We stared out at the endless rhinestone sky, listening as if the stars could speak and we could decipher their words.

I heard them.

I know it sounds irrational, like a consequence of being caught up in the emotions of a significant occasion, but I swear there was a promise somewhere in those points of light. And when it reached me, my breath hitched. Inspiration swelled like a wayward seed taking root in my chest, and the feelings which bloomed from it swept over in waves: first awe, then determination, then resolve.

On that serene night filled with cricket song, I’d become convinced our names would one day be written in stellar ink on that astral tapestry...that the stories of our past, our present, our future--the stories of us--were destined to be immortalized there.

Someday, someone would know our names. They would recount all we’d done and all we’d achieved, and those tales would inflame the heartbeat of generations treading the footprints we left behind.

Staring off unblinking beyond the horizon, I’d never been more convinced than then that it mattered, everything we managed to accomplish so far. Our dreams were admittedly absurd, our desires just as unattainable; even we laughed at them, yet...here, two men from Tama, stood together in samurai dressage on Kyoto soil, bathed in starlight and moonbeams and purpose.

It mattered. We mattered. A difference had already been made and this was only just the beginning.

That’s when Toshi spoke.

“Everything’s changed so much.” It was the tone he reserved for me--soft, like the silver glow spilling over us from the sky. “And it’ll keep changing.”

Foreigners arriving on boats of unthinkable scale, political unrest shaking up peace that lasted centuries, the pardoning of convicts to inflate the ranks, and farmers--farmers!--serving the Bakufu...indeed, this was a different age with different rules.

Still, there were some constants that would never yield, no matter how much the times did. I closed my eyes for a moment and my mouth eased into a smile.

A pointer finger raised to trace along Toshi’s pinky and then my hand slipped over to take his. Our digits entwined and I held on tightly without looking at him. “Some things never will.”

He exhaled shortly and in the peripheral, I saw him nod. “I know.”

“Do you?”

“Yeah.” A beat followed the breathy reply and his tone reclaimed its vitality. “Right now, what we need to think about most is making a name for ourselves here.”

I hummed in agreement.

“And once we do that...” His grasp suddenly tightened to surpass mine.

At last, I faced him. His chin remained elevated, his eyes rife with fervor and still pointed toward the stars. “I swear I’ll make you this country’s most exalted samurai.” Toshi’s dark lashes fell in a prolonged blink and when they parted again, he gazed toward the garden and his voice diminished back to a whisper. “That’s why I’m here.”

Silence followed, but the strength with which our hands stayed clasped never lessened.

And my mind, it was running rampant, wondering how any verbal response could possibly follow that caliber of selflessness, of boundless dedication...how the intensity of his grip could say so much without saying anything at all.

I could hear what he left unspoken, just as I heard the stars.

But when it came my turn to speak, I once more was left humbled by how little I was able. I’d never found the words to accurately express what I harbored for him, despite all the years we’d spent at each other’s sides chasing the same wild dream. We were closer than ever now to achieving it and still, he deemed it necessary to assert that he put me before anything else.

I knew. I knew how he felt, and I wanted to believe he knew my regard mirrored his in equal.

I wanted to return that sentiment, that reassurance tenfold. I wanted to convey how deep my affection ran, that my adoration for him was just as unfathomable, that it was love, yes, but so much more. I wanted him to know that it wasn’t about my victory, but both of ours--because no matter how far I might sail on the vast ocean of destiny, it was his fate to be right at my side.

Language was too empty for that though, and my voice nowhere near passionate enough. So, I resorted to what I always did when I was unsure. I said his name.

“Toshi.”

The moment he turned to me, I became aware of how openly I wore my heart; taken aback, his eyes widened when they met mine and I watched as they instantly softened from there. He hadn’t expected what he saw, the blotches of faint pink staining their way across his face confirming that and how he attempted to avert his attention, just to have it return to me.

I nodded once, reached up to brush his bangs aside, and everything slowed to a pause.

The vastly changing world, the state of our own country, the Serizawa-Niimi migraines, the dilemma of proving our worth here and creating that ever-enduring name...all of it faded away when my lips touched Toshi’s.

It was chaste and controlled, the kiss; I tilted my head and his spine stiffened. But it was also rife with meaning I couldn’t articulate otherwise, and long enough only for me to make a single wish.

Please understand what I’m saying.

Then, I pulled back.

We were outside, after all. Middle of the night or not, there were eleven others here beside us and that was without counting Yagi-san and his family.

“Sorry.” I spoke first, not allowing him the opportunity to chastise me for kissing him publicly, even if I deserved it. My gaze was trained on the dark porch planks contrasting with our bare feet and another smile began inching its way upward when I imagined he would scold me anyway.

As I sought out his face again though, the irritation I anticipated was absent and in its place, something else: his eyes were determined, filled with a longing desire I’d come to know all too well--and more yet. Toshi’s other hand raised, his fingertips clearly intent to seek purchase on my cheek and he leaned back toward me.

A stiff tug denied him and I pivoted, starting for the open shoji. “Inside.”

He remained cemented in place, however, speechless while our arms extended from a distance that I found utterly unacceptable at this point. “You’re...unfair.”

“Sometimes,” I breathed, and pulled again to coax him into following.

“Kat-chan, the tray--”

--could wait. I never left my belongings about, but right now, the necessity of putting my hands on him and having his on me was greater than worrying about leaving dishware on the porch for a short while. Hours separated sunrise from this moment and the teapot would surely forgive me.

“Later.”

For once, Toshi relented and it wasn’t long after when his hair fell around me and all I could smell and touch and taste and know was him.

Raised as a farmer’s son, it was in my nature to wake early--but the crash and shout were what had me jolting into awareness before dawn that day.

“Kya!”

Heisuke. Unmistakably.

My eyes went as wide as Toshi’s, both of us lying on our sides with the sleep not so gently rattled out of our heads. We stared at each other in half-dazed quietude while the tirade of grumbling began outside the closed shoji.

“Who the hell’s leavin’ their dishes around so I can trip! Aghh, it’s too early for this, ughh--” A long yawn followed and from the subsequent sounds, it seemed Heisuke had begun to collect the items and rearrange them back on the tray.

He was in apparent need of some more self-sympathy as he did so however, since he went right back to talking to himself. In any case, it provided some insight to why he was so irascible, aside from it being too early an hour.

“Drink up, Heisuke. Let’s have fun, Heisuke. It’s only one jug, Heisuke. Yeahhh, cause you dumbasses didn’t have kitchen duty today and I forgot.”

Taking his leave, his voice became progressively distant the further his heavy footsteps carried him off. “Stupid Sano, stupid Shinpat-san, frickin’ good-for-nothings. Just wait until it’s their turn...”

At last, the complaints tapered back into silence and though I genuinely felt bad for the inconvenience, I could no longer suppress the amusement I’d kept at bay.

With a dramatic groan, Toshi threw an arm over his head and immediately slid it back down to the small space between us. His lashes fell and his brows pulled inward. “I told you.”

“You did,” I agreed, willfully accepting the admonishment. “Sorry.” Exhaling through my nose, I brushed the stray locks he’d disturbed out of his face and tucked them behind his exposed ear. “I got a bit preoccupied last night, though.”

This earned me a tiny smile and Toshi’s eyes opened again. He reached to clasp my hand, then drew it firmly against his chest. After a few moments, he pressed my palm even tighter to him and his mouth relaxed. “Ne, Kondo-sensei...”

Whenever the formal title came out, I knew he was about to start talking business. “Mm...”

“When you’re a daimyo and surrounded by servants and admirers, no one will complain about you leaving your dishes out.”

I pulled away just enough to turn the underside of my hand toward his so we could entangle our fingers as we did last night--and that was when they hit, the right combination of words which had for so long evaded me.

“Toshi-san...” I continued the playful etiquette and paused, falling serious and shifting my attention briefly to the latticing of our digits. “If I become a daimyo--”

“When,” he interjected with a half growl.

“When I become a daimyo,” I corrected myself, apparently much to his liking, “I intend to take care of my own dishes.” To that, he raised a brow. “But more importantly...” My thumb stroked against his. “I’ll still be waking up next to you.”

It was simple and plain, and completely lacking in the embellishments expected upon informing someone that they were the one. However, it was also a promise, and one I meant with everything I was.

Toshi stayed quiet and as the next seconds slipped away, we simply looked into each other’s eyes while I wondered if I’d been wrong to feel such confidence after all. Then, the makings of a smile suddenly hinted on his lips and he slowly leaned across the futon.

I didn’t stop him that time, didn’t pause to brush his long hair out of the way when the kiss deepened, didn’t say a damn thing when he shoved me on my back and straddled my hips.

But my body talked, and an excess of vows cascaded to unnecessarily reassure him the way his grasp had done the same for me last night.

I know you know. But I promise, I promise, I promise, I swear.

And when dawn broke into the first sparkle of sunlight at the horizon, I was sure that Toshi finally heard what I’d been trying to say all along.

I had no idea what forever was--but he and I were it.

#uss enterplaid #toshisami #writing on plaid paper #hakuouki #t1 #long post #anyway this is my first hakuouki story #btw i know it's a little too early for there to be fireflies at that point but...... aesthetic called #lol #konhiji

18 notes · View notes

brightlycoloredteacups · 7 years

Text

First Impressions

New Series! Inspired by the amazing @wanderingsorceress27. And that damned picture.

You attend Kattegat High. One fateful day you attract the attention of the Lothbrok Brothers. They seem to like you, for more than just your blood.

A Few Warnings:

1. This is going to be indulgent AF, ok? I’m talking Sappy Romance, Damsel in Distress, Being Desire By All The Guys, Undying Love, Polyamory, other shit I can’t even begin to think of. The Cliche Train has rolled out the fucking station and is careening out of control, ok? Ok.

2. All Characters have reached the Age of Consent in accordance to my Country’s laws. That means everyone is 18 or above. I know this takes place in High School, but it’s senior year, I don’t think they’ll be there for long.

3. Anything else that needs a warning first will receive one. General things you can except: Blood play, BDSM elements, Dom/Sub elements, you know, the everyday things that happen in this Army.

4. I want absolutely no shit from prissy anons. See Warning #1. If you think Reader is too perfect/vague, if the plot seems unrealistic to you, you can just fuck right the fuck off. This is a READER INSERT FANFICTION, with VAMPIRES. The goal is to insert YOURSELF, THE READER, into this fanfiction and have fun. I want you to feel as beautiful, perfect, and desired as I possibly can while reading this. YOU are the most important character in this series, you deserve to be doted on by your favorite men.

tl;dr: It’s indulgent AF, characters are of age, warnings will be added as needed, normal warnings for this Army apply, prissy anons bite me.

Stepping into the locker room, you don’t pay attention to how quiet it is. Usually it was bustling with activity. You figure it’s because of the last period of the day, girls are probably just waiting for their own personal showers at home. You’d love the luxury, but you have club meetings today, so you’re forced to stay at school.

You step into the shower, your toiletries next to you. You didn’t trust your school’s supposedly clean body wash supplies. Besides, it was so much nicer when you could smell like your favorite scents. You take your time in the shower, making sure to scrub every last hint of dirt and sweat off your body. You step out only when your satisfied.

Wrapped in the fluffiest, warmest towel you own, you walk through the locker room, humming happily to yourself. You stop when you round a corner of lockers. The scene in front of you confuses you. Three cheerleaders are hovering around one girl. Two of the cheerleaders are kissing the girl’s neck, while another one simply stands by and watches. You scrunch your nose and turn to leave them to it. You want nothing to do with this.

Unfortunately for you, your heavily scented body wash catches the attention of one of the cheerleaders. His head pops up, and not recognizing who you are he runs for you. You don’t know how it happened exactly. One moment, you’re making your way to your locker, the next, your being slammed into one at random. The cheerleader picks you up and holds you in the air. You have no choice but to brace yourself on their shoulders. Getting a good look at them, your brain focuses more on the fact that it’s a boy wearing a cheer uniform and not a girl.

Makes sense you suppose, if they were supposed to meet in here, the boys would have to look like girls in order not to get caught. The next thing you notice is all the blood splattered on his face. You wince, trying not to think about where it came from.

“Well? What do we have here?” He says, looking you up and down. “Thought you could sneak a peek, eh?”

“Look, I don’t care what happens between you and your lady friend.” You admit. “Or what you wear.” You look down at his cheer uniform, he follows your gaze. Looking sheepish, he shakes you a little. “Never mind the clothes,” He growls. “Do you know what happens to naughty little girls that stick their noses where they aren’t wanted?”

“Ubbe, wait!” A hand appears on the man’s shoulder. He turns to look beside him. “We don’t kill this one.” You vaguely recognize the boy, but it’s the word ‘kill’ your mind gets stuck on. Maybe it was a euphemism between them. Like ‘killing it on the dancefloor’. “And why not?” Ubbe says, his grip underneath your arms are getting painful. “She’s the nice one.” Another voice called out. You recognize this one. “Ivar?” You gasp, beginning to struggle against Ubbe’s hold. You realize they’re all covered in blood. It makes your rather uncomfortable to be in this situation.

The man called Ubbe looks you over. “Put her down Ubbe and come drink up. I’ll take care of her.” Ivar instructs. Ubbe does what he’s told and Ivar approaches you. “I don’t want any trouble,” You say, he shushes you softly, pulling your face in his hands “Just look at me,” he soothes. “Look into my eyes.” You do so. It’s intimidating, looking at him so honestly, and just when you’re in the towel. His look is intense, as if he’s trying to look into your soul, trying to decipher your very being.

“C-can I go now?” You ask, feeling very uncomfortable with the close contact. Ivar steps back from you, brow furrowed in confusion and frustration. The man from before shoves his out of the way. You vaguely recognize him as Ivar’s brother, Hvitserk. “Let me try.” He says. He does the same thing as Ivar, taking your face in his hands and looking at you, concentration overcoming his features. “Look,” You say, managing to release yourself from his death grip, “I’m late for a meeting, you’re in cheer uniforms eating out some girl while she’s on her period, I’m half naked and you keep staring at me. This is getting excessively weird. So, let’s just pretend this never happened and move on ok?”

You slip away from the boys and rush to your locker. You get dressed as quickly as possible, trying not to overthink everything that just happened. You knew teenage boys could be experimental for lack of a better word, but to do all that on school property? Far be it for you to judge, but it weirded you out. They could at least have the decency to do all that at home.

With the clang of your locker, you shove the thoughts from your mind. Grabbing your bag, you rush to your meeting, wondering how the hell you were going to get over this.

#ivar the boneless #ubbe ragnarsson #hvitserk ragnarsson #ivar's heathen army #reader insert #Lothbrok Vampires

35 notes · View notes

fuck-customers · 7 years

Text

Tl;dr at the bottom, this is long sorry ^^;

Straight up fuck my old store manager (and a few other coworkers). I used to work for the Orange Home Improvement store. I’ve submitted plenty of posts before now about this horrible store (apparently it was just my particular store and store manager…) anyway, let me step back. I had decided to take a break from college to try and get myself a good, stable job. In the mean time, I needed a job that would pay for my needs and wants, so I applied to a bunch of places and got hired on the spot at this home improvement place. I thought it was going to be fantastic, and it was! By the end of the first month, I had decided that I REALLY liked it there and genuinely would not mind STAYING there for a long time. Sure I had bad customers, especially since I worked the customer service desk, but my supervisor and most of the managers always backed me the fuck up so it was nbd.

Flash forward another month and I was discussing my life plans with another coworker. One of those plans involved me purchasing a car within the year and a house within the next 4 years. There’s no reason for that to not be a possibility for me, but because I’m young, baby-boomers have made it a point to try and shoot me down strictly because of my age and pretend like they know how much money I have in savings and like they know what my credit score is. My baby-boomer store manager, who I had worked around and seen for a collective 10 minutes (not even that long) in the 2 months I had worked there, eavesdropped on the conversation and told me that wasn’t possible to do. I know she said this because, at the time, I was only 20 years old and that was reason enough for her to believe I wouldn’t manage to be successful. I ignored her and kept talking to my coworker. SM decided to join us at our table and join in the convo. She kept saying things to passive aggressively turn me down (comparing me to her failures basically), yadda-yadda. Basically being a straight up bitch for no reason.

Flash forward one more month (3 months working there now) and I get a customer complaint. I think this was my first one, actually. Keep in mind I have 100’s across the board and have kept 100’s since my first day regarding my customer service scores. I think I had like one 99, but that was it. If I was a cashier, I would have wiped the floor with the other cashiers and been cashier of the month every month. A contractor came in on a Saturday (this was before the company decided to keep the contractor desk open on the weekends) and they wanted an install on their account to be edited. They were already pissed because the contractor desk was closed and they were “running late” like these types of customers always tend to be. I politely informed them that the contractor desk is always closed on weekends, always has been, and that I had never been trained on how to edit installs. Our store system is fairly complicated, so it would be hard for me to make guesses without risking screwing something up so I told them I’d call a manager up. I called the only manager on duty, but he was busy. I told the contractor that and said I’d take a look to see if this particular thing happened to be straight forward because some of these process were straight forward, others were as complicated as they could get. Anyway, they could see my computer screen, so they could see what I was doing and that I was trying to fix this for them. After about 5 minutes, I called the manager back. He had run into a bigger problem and would be even longer now. I told the contractor and said “Let me see if I can get a hold of someone from that department, maybe they know how to edit installs” to at least try and dump these assholes on someone else. I called that department several times and paged several times and received no answer. I also called the head cashier to see if she had any idea how to do this (she didn’t). I apologized, said the manager was extremely busy but he’d be up here a.s.a.p., and said “Let me take another look at your order to see if I missed something”. I kept my cool on the outside. Anyway, you know how this ends. I tried my damndest to help, but it wasn’t enough because they were “in a hurry” and don’t know how to manage their time and that’s obviously my fault too. It’s also my fault that it took the manager 15 minutes to get to us. When they complained to corporate they even lied and said I just stood there and did nothing. Another customer a few days later decided that me standing at the counter late at night after finishing all my closing duties just prior to the store closing was me “Being bored and not wanting my job”, so THEY complained too, saying “I just don’t feel like she wants her job” like ????? Fuck off???? Store manager pulled me in her office and put me on final warning over those two things. I received no warning beforehand, I was basically put on the chopping block. All that would have needed to happen to get me fired was an old lady coming in and complaining about me not selling her a cookie even though we are a hardware store and don’t sell cookies. Part of her decision to put me on final warning was also because “Every time I’ve worked with you, you just seem off or upset or like you don’t enjoy your job”. Every time she worked with me, which was a whopping total of about 15 minutes in a 3 month period, I basically just acted casual. I’m an unfortunate sufferer of R.B.F., so I guess that’s my bad for assuming my manager would know that I’m a-okay and just dropping my fake af customer service persona and know that I’m not actually pissed off or bored or upset or whatever someone feels like reading my relaxed expression as that day, that’s just what my face looks like when I’m relaxed. One of those times she was with me, I was suffering from side effects from my medication and was feeling VERY nauseous and I had told her what was going on, but whatever. I’m supposed to be a robot, incapable of needing medicine or getting sick, so that’s my fault.

Another thing that got to me was one day when it was SUPER hot and humid outside, the HR manager asked the front end people (she asked all of us, but it ended up being only me doing all the work) to get some big displays ready for a set up. I’m talking like, big pieces of lumber, heavy sheets of plywood, all moved, painted, and generally set up. This all fell on me because tbh our one cashier that day was kind of prissy, but that’s fine. If construction isn’t your thing, that’s fine. Keep your nails and makeup pretty, I’ll do the dirty work. Just hand me something I need every now and then when I ask (and she did, she was one of my favorite coworkers). I love construction type work and I’m very good at it (minus the heavy lifting, I’m 5’4” and 120 pounds, there’s only so much weight I can lift). So on top of being on the side of the store with the only non-functioning a/c unit, it being over 100 farenheit outside, and the humidity being ridiculous because it’s Tennessee, I had to do all of this work. It didn’t help that our box fans had been taken away by the store manager, I guess because some customer complained. Needless to say I didn’t smell like flowers after I was done. HR manager decided to pull me into her office about 2 hours later and said “People are complaining about your…how do I put this gently…smell…” like no shit bitch, I know I smell bad, you don’t have to fucking sugar coat it. This is a home improvement store during a Tennessee summer, the contractors alone are enough to make you want to break your nose so it won’t smell anymore, but I get it because they are out working and they don’t have much of an option, short of getting in trouble and not getting paid. She just kinda put this dumb face on when I responded with “Well, I was the only person working on that display that we’re trying to set up and you do know that the a/c unit over that part of the store does not work. It’s also really hot outside and our box fans are missing (can’t accuse the managers of taking our fans even though we know that’s what happened, that’s a no no). There’s only so much my deodorant and perfume can do, I’m really sorry. But I got the display done for you!” Like, tell it to someone who cares. Either do this shit yourself or leave me alone when I break a sweat because our new cashier doesn’t want to break her nails or get a splinter and you haven’t gotten someone out to fix the a/c yet. (We got our fans back the next day btw.)

Needless to say, I fucking hated this place at this point in time. I loved most of the coworkers and would have loved staying, but I would not be able to survive or manage with such a shitty store manager and, hell I don’t even have a word for the HR manager. She’s just majored in idiocy I guess. I started applying everywhere I could and, 2 months later, landed a job working for my state government (which is where I still work over a year later and I LOVE it so much). I noped the hell out of the hardware store, gave them a notice, left in good terms, etc (the HR manager tried to guilt me into staying, but I straight up shot her down. I had been trying to change departments since I got put on final warning and I coincidentally did not receive a legitimate offer to swap until I turned in my 2 weeks notice ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Anyway, it’s been barely over a year since I left that hell-hole and not only do I love my job and have a really nice, new car now, but I’m buying a house at the age of 21. We close on January 10th (for those unfamiliar with housing terms, Closing means that we sign the final paperwork, pay our realtors, and I get the keys to my house and I get to move in the next day). It’s not even like I had to get a hovel of a house. Im going into this purchase with $30k in equity (this house was appraised $30k higher than what I’m paying), this house is younger than me, has 3 bed rooms and 2 full baths, is in a SUPER nice neighborhood, is within walking distance to so much stuff, and the worst thing about it is that it’s a little bit of a commute and it’s just a bit outdated on the inside, so I will definitely have to do some renovations. Guess who has a new, super fuel efficient car and loves construction work, though :)

Fun little tid-bit, the store manager and HR manager both fill in as paint mixers when the other guys aren’t there and they aren’t there a lot. I’m 100% planning on being a petty asshole and going out of my way to that store just so they can mix my paint for me. I’ve got nothing against the store, they still get my business for sure. I just want to be a bitch and let the store and HR managers know just how much better off I am now, to the point that I’m willing to go out of my way to go to this particular store. I’ve already talked up and down about how nice my new car is (I went from a ’99 chevy tahoe to a 2014 chevy spark, so it was a pretty awesome change for me. My car is actually me-sized now)

TL;DR : I took a break from college to get a good job, landed one at the orange home improvement place, ended up loving it and wanting to stay there. The store manager eavesdropped on my convo with a coworker and told me that my plans to buy a new car within the year and a house within 4 years were horse shit (most likely only on the basis that I am young), treated me like shit while I worked there, tried to fire me because of some REALLY horse shit reasons (typical customer hearsay vs my word) despite the fact that I was the best performing front end person, even better than the head cashiers. The HR manager didn’t make it any better, so I got a new job that I still currently love and work at over a year later and now I have a really nice, new car and I’m about to close on a really nice house…All within a 2 year span. Now I’m going to be a petty jerk and make those two mix the paint for my walls and listen to me relentlessly talk about how excited I am to own my own house and renovate my own place because I’m still pissed.

#submissions #happy ending #fuck coworkers #submission

162 notes · View notes

kathydsalters31 · 4 years

Text

What Are The Best Chew Toys For A Puppy? [Our Top Picks For 2020]

This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

What Are The Best Chew Toys For Puppies?

Before getting my first puppy I never bothered to ask: “What are the best chew toys for a puppy?” I just went to the nearest pet store, grabbed the cutest, squeakiest, squirrel toy and brought it home to Linus.

Two years later, before bringing home my first guide dog puppy, our group leader suggested I bring a plush toy to rub all over Stetson’s litter mates. Getting the scent of litter mates on a plush toy would make our puppy’s first night home more comfortable.

Fast forward 10 years and we finally found our favorite plush toy for puppies. The Snuggle Puppy w/ Heartbeat & Heat Pack is by far our favorite puppy toy during the first week with a new pup.

Not only do we get the scent of the litter mates on our Snuggle Puppy, we have the added bonus of a heartbeat and heat pack to comfort our puppy during those first few nights.

However, over the years we learned that plush toys are great for young puppies, but as they get older our little Goldens and Labs tend to shred the basic stuffed squirrel (they love extracting the squeaker).

So, if you’re like me then you’re always on the look out for the best chew toys for your puppy.

Something durable, entertaining, fun, and…DURABLE!

Best Chew Toys For A Puppy

We recently received this email from one of our readers:

Wanted to find out any additional puppy toy suggestions you have? We have a stuffed duck. A rope. A Kong. Any other references for best toys? Thanks and have a good. We have an 8 week old golden retriever pup.

—K.G.

Over the years I feel like we’ve purchased every puppy chew toy under the sun.

The good news is every year companies come up with new, innovative chew toys for puppies.

Here’s our quick list of Best Chew Toys For A Puppy.

Our Top Picks

BEST OVERALL CHEW TOY: KONG Classic Dog Toy “Dublin loved his Classic KONG. We love it’s versatility.”

BEST CHEW TOY FOR PUPPIES UNDER 3 MONTHS: Snuggle Puppy “We gave Charlie a Snuggle Puppy during his first night…not a peep!”

BEST NATURAL CHEW TOY: Best Bully Sticks “Our pups love them! We love the pups chew on the sticks vs our hands.”

BEST INTERACTIVE CHEW TOY: Hide-A-Squirrel Puzzle Dog Toy “Cute, adorable, and practical. Adelle loved pulling out the squirrels.”

BEST DURABLE CHEW TOY: Goughnut – Indestructible Chew Toy “Possibly the most durable chew toy on the market.”

BEST BUDGET CHEW TOY: Leather Fox Dog Toy “We love the leather texture and at just over $1 it fits the budget.”

BEST CUTE CHEW TOY: Mr. Bill Dog Toy “I may be dating myself, but I love Mr. Bill and his patented “Oh No!”

What We Look For When Picking Chew Toys For Our Puppies

Okay guys and gals you may not like my answers because you’re going to have to pull out your check book (does anyone truly still have a check book) if you want to follow my advice.

For openers you should have lots of puppy toys…lots of them!

When it comes to the best chew toys for a teething puppy you need variety.

That’s right! There’s not a one size fits all when it comes to the best puppy toys.

Here’s our list of what we look for when we pick the best chew toys for our pup:

Durable – What good is a puppy chew toy if it only lasts 5 minutes before it’s destroyed?

Texture – Puppies get bored with the same type of toy so we always keep our eye out for different textures like fluffy, extra furry, rubbery, leathery…you get the picture.

Interactive/Puzzles – We are always harping on our readers to not just exercise your puppies body, but the mind as well. Interactive dog toys are a great way to tire out your puppy’s mind.

Variety – If all your puppy toys are plush stuffed toys with squeakers your puppy will get bored in a hurry.

Price – We have puppies throughout the year and in fact this past summer we had a litter of 10 puppies. The little ones and small breed dogs don’t need the higher priced durable products. A budget toy will do just fine with our smaller pups.

Cuteness – Yep, it’s a factor when we choose our puppy toys…especially if my wife is with me

DURABLE! – Did I already say durable? When you have a mouthy lab puppy you need something that is close to indestructible.

After reading the above list you probably guessed that we have a lot of puppy toys. Yup, our house is a puppy playground, but we have one more thing we need to mention:

Don’t let your puppy play with all their toys all the time.

We only allow our puppies to play with one or two toys at a time. If they get bored with those toys then we pick them up and give them new toy.

That’s why it’s important to have variety and different textures. You can keep your puppy entertained and interested for long periods of time.

7 Best Chew Toys For A Puppy

Drumroll please…

Actually you probably already saw the TL;DR section above so no drumroll necessary.

We broke our list up into 7 “Best of” categories and also listed a couple of Honorable Mentions just in case you don’t like our picks or you want other puppies to be jealous of your pup’s toy box.

Without further adieu:

Best Overall Chew Toy: KONG Classic Dog Toy

KONG Classic Dog Toy

I guess you could say our best all around chew toy for puppies is the KING! Get it? KING KONG? Yeah, I know I’m dumb.

Seriously, we love our KONG. It’s versatile, durable, and fun.

The KONG was Dublin’s favorite toy when he was training to be a guide dog. You could give it to him and he’d sit their and gnaw on it for a good thirty minutes.

DESCRIPTION

Offering enrichment by helping satisfy dogs’ instinctual needs, the KONG Classic’s unique all-natural red rubber formula is ultra-durable, with an erratic bounce that is ideal for dogs that like to chew, while also fulfilling a dog’s need to play. Want to extend play time? And to add some extra fun into the mix, this toy can be stuffed with KONG’s Stuff’N Easy Treat, Snacks or Ziggies (sold separately) or any of her favorite rewards like peanut butter, yogurt or kibble! – Chewy.com

OUR EXPERIENCE

One of our favorite uses for the KONG is during crate training. If your puppy is having issues in the crate, try stuffing your KONG with a treat and freezing. The next time you have to crate your pup give him his frozen KONG to gnaw on.

The shape of a KONG reminds me of a football. When you play fetch with it bounces erratically keeping your puppy on his toes.

PROS

Dublin’s favorite toy and it lasted him throughout puppyhood.

You can freeze and stuff your KONG which makes for a great treat.

Add a few treats through the bottom and your pup will be mentally stimulated trying to remove the treats.

CONS

Some of our pup’s didn’t care to play with it.

While durable we have seen some dogs destroy their KONG.

Has a rubber smell that some people dislike.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST OVERALL

Nylabone Double Action Dog Chew – This was Adelle’s favorite chew toy (and a favorite of many of our other service dog pups). Be careful when your puppy walks around with this in her mouth. After a few days/weeks the plastic ends get jagged. Adelle dropped this bone on my bare foot more then once…OUCH!

Benebone Wishbone Dog Chew Toy – Raven is testing a Benebone Wishbone right now. It’s her early Thanksgiving/Christmas present. So far so good!

Best Chew Toy For Puppies Under 3 Months: Snuggle Puppy with Heart Beat & Heat Pack

Snuggle Puppy with Heart Beat & Heat Pack

The Snuggle Puppy is literally the first item on our new puppy checklist.

Before we pick up a new puppy we always make sure we have a Snuggle Puppy. Why? Because we take this plush toy and rub it all over our pup’s litter mates.

Getting the scent of the litter mates helps your puppy feel more comfortable when moving to his new home. This can be especially helpful when you start crate training your puppy.

DESCRIPTION

Snuggle Puppy Behavioral Aid Dog Toy is designed to help your dog cope with everyday stressors. This comforting toy recreates the intimacy and physical warmth that your nervous pup craves in times of stress due to loneliness, fear and separation anxieties. This stuffed animal behavioral aid also features a real-feel, pulsing heartbeat and heat source that works to calm your pup and reduce negative behaviors such as barking and whining. – Chewy.com

OUR EXPERIENCE

We use our Snuggle Puppy as substitute litter mate during crate training. It’s an adorable plush toy with a heart beat and heat pack. We put a Snuggle Puppy in the crate with Charlie on his first night home and not a peep until 7am the next day!

Today we get a Snuggle Puppy every time we bring home a new service dog puppy. So far (we’re 3 for 3) we haven’t had a fussy puppy at night thanks to our Snuggle Puppies!

If you’re having problems getting your puppy to sleep through the night then I highly recommend trying a Snuggle Puppy.

PROS

Great to help with crate training during your puppies first nights home.

Innovative heart beat and heat pack simulates a litter mate.

It’s soft, snuggly, and cute.

CONS

You only get 3 heat packs with your Snuggle Puppy.

It’s not durable.

Some pups are afraid of the ticking heart beat.

Snuggle Puppy FYI – There is an older model of the Snuggle Puppy that has an issue. It had a large stitched on nose that Charlie thought was great fun to play with and pulled off within the first few days. He could have very easily swallowed the nose. I’d advise against purchasing the older model.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST CHEW TOYS FOR PUPPIES UNDER 3 MONTHS

Nylabone Puppy Starter Pack – We bought one of these for Linus many, many moons ago. One of the bones in the pack is edible. The others are not. Your puppy will most likely outgrow these starter Nylabones. When our pup’s are teething we keep one of these in our pocket and when our puppy grabs our hand with his mouth we slowly pull out our hand and replace with a Nylabone.

N-Bone Puppy Teething Ring – We have a package of these waiting at home to test with our next puppy. It comes highly rated, but at this time we have not used it with one of our pups. Stay tuned…

Best Natural Chew Toy: Best Bully Sticks

Best Bully Sticks

Our puppies love Bully Sticks! However, if you don’t already know…

Q: What is a Bully Stick?

A: Bully Stick = Beef Pizzle = Bull Penis

DESCRIPTION

Made with only 100% beef pizzle, this bully stick is high in protein, low in fat and is a safe alternative to rawhide treats! Not only will your pup enjoy chomping down on this protein-rich treat, but it will also naturally help remove tartar and build-up, promoting healthy gums, teeth and overall dental health. Watch your pal chew to his heart’s content on a treat you both can feel good about! – Chewy.com

OUR EXPERIENCE

This is our favorite natural chew toy for puppies. We discovered bully sticks way back when we got our first puppy, Linus.

We usually get 6 or 12 inch Bully Sticks which can last quite a while with the smaller puppies. As your pup reach adulthood they will consume these chews much more quickly.

The biggest drawback we’ve found is the smell. I won’t lie. These things stink! However, you can find some that aren’t as stinky.

We’ve found that the Best Bully Sticks advertised as “odorless” are the best (least stinky). However, they too have a strong odor once your puppy starts chomping away.

PROS

Can entertain your puppy for long periods.

Relieves your puppy’s need to teeth/chew.

Natural product made from real beef pizzle.

CONS

Can be a choking hazard when it gets too small.

Even though Best Bully Sticks advertise odor free they do have an odor. However, not nearly as bad as some others we’ve tried.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST NATURAL

Himalayan Dog Chews – I usually order a pack of Bully Sticks and Himalayan Dog Chews at the same time. Again, it’s important to get different textures when getting chews for your dog.

Deer Antlers – Somewhat controversial as a chew toy as some of our readers have had some difficulties with deer antlers as chew toys. Some aggressive chewers ended up with cracked teeth. Know your puppy and proceed with caution.

Best Interactive Chew Toy: Hide-A-Squirrel

Hide-A-Squirrel Puzzle Dog Toy

Cute, adorable, interactive, and fun! What more could you ask for? Maybe more durable!

DESCRIPTION

Treat your pup to hide-and-seek fun with Hide A Squirrel! Just stuff the squeaky squirrels in the plush tree trunk, and watch as your dog sniffs them out. To keep the game going, just stuff them in again and again! – Chewy.com

OUR EXPERIENCE

We love our hide-a-squirrel. One of our favorite parts is it simulates the de-stuffing of a regular plush toy.

However, it’s still not a super durable dog toy. Just like any plush toy the hide-squirrell will eventually meet it’s demise even with a moderate chewer.

PROS

It’s a cute and fun for your pup.

We like how it simulates the de-stuffing of a regular plush toy.

It’s like 4 toys in one. 3 Squirrels plus the plush wood log.

CONS

Just like most plush toys it’s not very durable.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST INTERACTIVE

Jolly Ball – Dublin’s all time favorite chew toy. We’d buy him a new one every year and bring it to him in Arizona. The good news his old one would survive the year. The bad news it was usually in terrible shape with holes and a shredded rope. FYI – we like the Jolly Ball with the rope vs the one with the handle.

KONG Wobbler – One of our favorites. Technically not a chew toy and if you’re puppy does use it as a chew toy (like Stetson did) then he’s using it wrong. Stetson did a full review of the KONG Wobbler way back when.

Best Durable Chew Toy: Goughnut – Indestructible Chew Toy

Goughnut – Indestructible Chew Toy

Looks and smells like a rubber tire. Heavy and durable as heck!

DESCRIPTION

The GoughNuts Ring Dog Toy was designed to give pups a safer, tougher chew toy. This natural rubber ring is made in the USA using engineered carbon reinforcement. Each GoughNuts toy has two layers — the outer color indicates the strength, and the inner core is always red to serve as a safety indicator. Red means stop, so when a dog chews down to this red layer, you know it’s time to order a new GoughNuts Ring. This GoughNuts Ring bounces, rolls and even floats, so it can stand up to extreme games of fetch and all types of outdoor play. – Chewy.com

OUR EXPERIENCE

Our dogs originally played with Goughnuts at friend’s house many years ago. Recently we bought Raven a Goughnut of her own. She’s not the heaviest of chewers so not a good test subject. However, one of our most destructive puppies, Dublin was never able to destroy a Goughnut.

We’re going to get one of these for our friends aggressive chewer, Higbee to see if he can destroy the much vaunted, Goughnut.

PROS

Durable. This is one tough chew toy!

Floats in water.

Made in the USA.

CONS

They have a strong smell like a tire.

Power chewers have been known to destroy the Goughnut.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST DURABLE

KONG Extreme Dog Toy – Dublin was the aggressive chewer in our pack. He barely left a mark on the KONG Extreme. Although he also didn’t like the Extreme as much as the Classic KONG Toy.

West Paw Zogoflex Hurley Durable Dog Bone Chew Toy for Aggressive Chewers – That’s a mouthful! We first met with the folks at West Paw Design back in 2016. We love their products and they have a good reputation for being durable. Raven is the first to test out our new Zogoflex Dog Bone.

Best Budget Chew Toy: Leather Fox Dog Toy

Leather Fox Dog Toy

We got a few of these leather toys when Archer was a puppy. We love the leather texture, but it’s lifespan left a lot to be desired.

DESCRIPTION

The Dura-Fused Leather Fox Dog Toy is strong enough to withstand regular playtimes while soft enough for your pup to curl up with in his downtime. This durable toy fuses real leather and jute together to create two layers for added strength. The seams are then double stitched with a heavy duty thread for extra protection against tough chewers. – Chewy.com

OUR EXPERIENCE

We like this toy because it’s a different texture for our puppies. It works well with the young ones (under 10 weeks old).

Okay folks. At the time of this writing the leather fox is only $1.22. Lower your expectations. This is not a durable toy. If you have a light chewer or a young puppy then this might be a good toy for your pup.

PROS

Good for young puppies and smaller pups.

It’s inexpensive ($1.22 at the time of this writing)

We like the leather texture to add to our chew toy mix.

CONS

It’s not durable.

Stitching unravels rather quickly even with our small pups.

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST BUDGET CHEW TOY

Stuffing Free Monkey Dog Toy – For a couple bucks you can have you’re own “Monkey Dog”. Just kidding it’s a Monkey Toy for Dogs. Get it? Yeah that’s not funny. Sorry…

KONG Squeezz Ball Dog Toy – There was this company called DuraDoggie. We loved their toys. The KONG Squeezz is the closest thing we could find to the DuraDoggie Chew Toys.

Best Cute Chew Toy: Mr. Bill Dog Toy

Mr. Bill Dog Toy

Mr. Bill: “Oh No!”

DESCRIPTION

Enjoy playtime fun as much as your furry pal with the Multipet Mr. Bill Plush Dog Toy. Inspired by the hit vintage skit from Saturday Night Live, it has a built-in voice box that yells Mr. Bill’s hilarious catchphrase when squeezed. Made for dogs of all ages, it’s great for playing fetch as it’s easily tossed, and it makes a soft cuddle buddy that’s always ready for nap time. Reinforced stitching and no plastic parts make this a toy to be loved. – Chewy.com

OUR EXPERIENCE

The Mr. Bill Dog Toy was a hit at our Christmas party a couple years ago and why not? Who can resist the adorable “Oh No” when you squeeze Mr. Bill?

Just like the leather fox this toy is not too durable. We kept a close eye on our pup’s when they played with Mr. Bill.

We were able to preserve him and his little sound box for a few months, but eventually Apache cracked the plastic sound maker and soon after removed his stuffing.

PROS

Nostalgic, cute, funny. If you’re a Mr Bill fan you’ll like this toy.

Relatively inexpensive.

CONS

It’s not durable.

The plastic noise maker can be a choking hazard

HONORABLE MENTION FOR BEST CUTE CHEW TOY

Hedge Hog Hide & Seek Plush Dog Toy – Baby Hedgehogs are just plain cute. Nuff said.

Gumby Dog Toy – Okay reaching back to my childhood again. This one has a regular squeaker so not nearly as cool as Mr. Bill. FYI – there is also a rubber Gumby which we have not yet tested

Are Puppy Chew Toys Safe?

It’s a simple question:

Q: Are Puppy Chew Toys Safe?

A: YES, but know you’re puppy. Monitor your puppy when he’s playing with a toy. It’s your responsibility to keep your puppy safe.

Dublin was my most aggressive chewer and at one point we removed all of his plush toys from the house because he would not only destroy them, but swallow pieces which made for choking or even blockage hazards.

Plush toys were off limits for Dublin, but we were able to give him other toys like KONG toys, Nylabone, Jolly Ball, Bully Sticks, etc.

Dublin could be left alone with a KONG Extreme and he wouldn’t destroy or consume any parts.

However, some puppies can destroy a KONG Extreme or even a Goughnut and swallow the rubber parts. If this is your puppy then please do not leave your pup alone with any kind of chew toy.

Some of the chew toys we’ve recommended are very hard and some aggressive chewers can crack their teeth.

Again, if this is your puppy then stay away from the hard chew toys like the Benebone, Deer Antlers, Nylabone Durachew, and the many other hard chew toys on the market.

Know your puppy. Monitor your puppy when he has a chew toy.

Conclusion

It amazes me that I tried almost every toy on this list before I even started writing this review (the few I did not Raven is playing with as we speak).

It goes to show you 13+ years of raising service dog puppies equals lots of puppy chew toys.

One thing that has been pounded into my head by our guide dog group leaders. Get a variety of chew toys with different textures so your puppy won’t get bored.

That’s a total of 21 different chew toys on our list! So lots of different textures to keep your puppies entertained.

What about you guys?

Does your puppy have a favorite chew toy?

What do you think are the best chew toys for a puppy?

Tell us about you experiences in the comment section below.

Save To Pinterest

What Are The Best Chew Toys For Puppies? – Bear says I like the Bully Sticks!

Top Picks For Our Puppies

BEST PUPPY TOY We Like: Snuggle Puppy w/ Heart Beat & Heat Pack – Perfect for new puppies. We get all of our Service Dog pups a Snuggle Puppy.

BEST DOG CHEW We Like: Best Bully Sticks – All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors.

BEST DOG TREATS We Like: Wellness Soft Puppy Bites – One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies.

Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist.

source http://www.luckydogsolutions.com/what-are-the-best-chew-toys-for-a-puppy-our-top-picks-for-2020/ from Lucky Dog Solutions https://luckydogsolutions.blogspot.com/2020/07/what-are-best-chew-toys-for-puppy-our.html

0 notes

barryswamsleyaz · 4 years