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sleepymccoy · 4 years

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Aziraphale’s demon aspect

As voted by 246 people!

The winner is

Owl

with nearly 26% of the primary vote

many people added in their free form answers that they were imagining a barn owl specifically

Owl was the front runner the whole way through this survey, but most of the time by a very beatable margin. The 40 or so people who voted in the last night really tipped it over, it was a tight race! And the results are crazy split imo, a quarter of votes constitutes a win! I love the different opinions and ideas we all have so so much

Ram/sheep came in a hearty second with 16.5% of the vote

A very regal demon there.

After that it gets a little murky, so I’m going to share the second graph I made when is every animal that got more than 1% of the vote. So it’s the top six animals

Magpie and Lion holding strong! Then Moth and Goat looking very good

The second question let you vote for as many options as you thought were appropriate for Aziraphale! So, there were a lot more write-ins! It’s crazy!

I’m using google sheets so I can’t get it to show you every name, but the raw data will be in a read more so you can scroll through everyone’s beautiful imagination there

Again, Owl winds with a solid 20% of the vote. Ram/Sheep coming in with about 15%, followed by Moth, Magpie, Goat, Lion, then Tortoise.

Tortoise was 11th in the first round, tied with Snake (but pale), and managed to surprise me by coming through so strong in the second. Slow and steady, baby.

Nearly everyone who wrote in about Magpies told me that Magpies hoard stuff, so it’s nice to see the hive mind at work there!

Five people told me they were voting goat because of that one piece of art by @hollow-head that shows Aziraphale scaling a bookshelf like goats do cliffs. As an artist myself I found it legitimately moving that this one image had stayed with people so strongly. That’s just beautiful. Here’s an example of just one person’s comment

idk dude i just remember one person posted art of him scaling the bookstore shelves like those goats scale mountains and just eating his clothes while he reads it was so fuckin funny but anyway goat eyes are great or he could have lil stubby horns that r covered by his hair

One moth enthusiast took the time to give me a short essay on their choice of moth. I have included a portion of it, cos it was so great

So if I had to choose an insect, it would be a moth, preferably a Megalopygidae, also known as the Flannel Moth. They are fluffy, white-beige and look innocent and fluffy, but their larvae can cause painful inflammations. A poodle moth would also fit because it's almost pure white.

Here’s a flannel moth for everyone

and a poodle moth, which i honestly thought was a hoax but i looked into it just now and it seems legit? There’s not a tonne of proof, but the og pictures are from a scientists who stands by them, so like, wow

And then a DIFFERENT PERSON put this in;

the moth i had in mind is Acherontia atropos, in polish called Zmierzchnica trupia główka (meaning more or less "dusk death's head"). i have a whole symbolism planned out and stuff

Fucking, moth fandom come through!!

I’m vaguely scared of moths, fun fact. I don’t like the thick thunking sound they make when they hit stuff.

Here is the second round but with all the animals that got four or less votes removed for ease of viewing

the one segment there at 12 o’clock that google hasn’t labeled for me is Swan at 0.9%

I cannot believe I didn’t put swan in as an option, that’s all write-ins

So, to summarise, I suggest you take a lot of this with a grain of salt. It is not meant as an instruction to fandom or to railroad creativity. I have a narrow corner of the Good Omens fandom that I interact with, and while this quiz was up for a week I’m not sure it reached a great variety of people. About 250 folks filled it out, which was tonnes more than I expected and I love each and every one of you for filling it out!! But I have noticed that Owl was first on my list and in the free form answers the example prompt I gave included, “such as a breed of owl that specifically speaks to you,“ so I think it’s possible I did that unknowing bias thing that practiced survey folk know now to do. So, grain of salt.

I also think that if animals like Swan and Cat were in the list of options they’d’ve gotten more votes because the people who voted for those were coming up with it fresh themselves. I suspect people would’ve voted for them, but it just didn’t occur to them in the moment. In much the same way it didn’t occur to me in the moment I was writing this survey.

So people know, I got the ten or so animals that I put in the survey from searching the demon!aziraphale tag on tumblr, so it was all stuff that other people had come up with. I was trying to avoid my own bias, but i think in hindsight i could’ve done better!

Having said all that, this was all so much fun and the results are clear!!! Love a good owl!aziraphale

Imma continue to draw my boy as a ram, though. Cos this was all just for a laugh <3

numbers and a few more things under the cut

So some of these have half a vote ascribed to them. That’s for people who in their freeform answer said things like this;

ngl, that one post about him being a swan still makes me laugh

Mourning Dove. Though that Scallop answer was fucking brilliant

And I kinda made a judgement call that that wasn’t a vote, but it was kind of a vote. So I gave them half a point.

There were a few situations where people would write in a specific species. If I got more than one vote for the root animal I just grouped them together, but if it stayed the only vote then it kept the species. Cat got the most specific species mentioned, and in the second vote Bat had a few species mentioned (albino bat being my fave), but I ended up grouping them all just under Cat and Bat to give them a better chance of getting on the graph. There were probably a few other examples but I can’t think of them. The one exception to this is the person who wrote-in Duolingo Owl specifically. For that one I figured Owl is already pretty solid, and that’s just fucking funny, man

I was also pretty generous about some stuff. So, this person didn’t vote for Moose but they clearly regretted it so I added a vote for Moose in the second one where you could vote for multiples. They kept their Ram and Goat votes, of course, but I added Moose for them

I get very bastard energy from my demon az headcanons. Like f-ing shit up for a laugh more than anything, but otherwise indifferent. That's kinda why I like the ram/sheep/goat thing so much because it reminds me of indifference and random chaos. Or a moose. Shit, I should have written in moose

So yeah, it’s hardly a double blind study that’d stand up to any real criticism, but it was fun and I think the essence of it is fun!! Scroll through and have a read. Imma pull a few more of my fave write-ins and put them down the bottom cos it’s great. Esp the ones that only got one vote, the reasonings were stellar on some of those

Here is the first vote results, where everyone could only vote for one animal each

Owl 63 Ram/Sheep 40 Magpie 28 Lion 26 Moth 21 Goat 17 Swan 4 Eagle 4 Dove 4 Cat 4 Tortoise 3 Snake 3 Scallop 2 Rat 2 Rabbit 2 Mongoose 2 Badger 2 Shima Enaga 1 Shark 1 Porcupine 1 Orangutan 1 Mouse 1 Long Furby 1 Hippopotomaus 1 Goose 1 Duck 1 Dragon 1 Cow 1 Cereberus 1 Boar 1 Bee 1 Bat 1 Alpaca 1

Second Vote results, where everyone could vote for as many as they wanted

Owl1 82 Ram/Sheep 136 Moth 108.5 Magpie 98 Goat 96 Lion 72 Tortoise 61 Snake 37 Eagle 33 Cat 9.5 Swan 7.5 Lizard 4 Rabbit 4 Badger 3 Mongoose 2 Dove 2 Mouse 2 Squirrel 2 Bear 2 Raccoon 2 Capybara 2 Dragon 2 Bat 1 Long Furby 1 Rat 1 Boar 1 Goose 1 Peacock 1 Pangolin 1 Lindworm 1 Moose 1 Chinchilla 1 Duolingo Owl 1 Cackatoo 1 Crow 1 Cow 1 Alpaca 1 Dodo 1 Shark 1 Big Dog 1 Snow Leopard 1 Scallop 0.5

All voting was optional. To help explain how scallop lost 1.5 votes from first to second, I believe the people who voted for it in the first question just skipped the second cos they’d said their bit.

In terms of how many people engaged with the questions, Q1 had 245 answers and one skip. Q2 had 241 answers and 5 skips, and Q3 where I just let people talk at me if they wanted to had 84 answers and 162 skips.

So please enjoy my selection of free form answers. They all made me smile but putting all 84 in seems excessive to me, so I’ve chosen the ones that are either full blown mini essays or that make me laugh. It’s still a lot, this project brought me so much joy

Shima enaga - It's the hair man

Cow (aka golden calf)

Scallop. He is a snack.

Swan. Elegant but very capable of fscking you up. Mates for life.

basically anything that is both gentle in nature and fiercely loyal, territorial and protective (but prone to anxiety). Also hedonistic esp. with food. For all of these reasons, I think a dog would be the best choice.

Dragon with his hoard of books

it’s about the teeth. just too sharp and too many to be human. (comment from op here, this person voted for shark, just for context)

Turkish Angora cat. Magnificently fluffy, incredibly intelligent, love heights and will jump off crazy high things and land on your head, gloriously dignified until they see a string and run into a wall, love one or maybe two persons to distraction and want everyone else to fuck off, will drape themselves over their person’s shoulders and go to sleep, range from “will jump in the sea to hunt fish and has a murder pit full of seagulls they’ve massacred” to “will fall over at the sight of a baby bird”, very particular about food and will yell at you if you get it wrong. Also the breed that some asshole took three cats from and bred parent to child to make Persians. The cautionary tale has been acknowledged and we love our crazy smart, single braincelled children.

I usually imagine him as an owl because they are nocturnal (and we know that Aziraphale can easily stay awake the whole night reading). Also the image of an owl puffed up is kind of ridiculous and reminds me of him, of how an annoyed Aziraphale would look. However the options above have made me think that a lion would suit him very well, too. A lion or just a very BIG cat. I mean, he makes pleading eyes to get what he wants, likes to be confortable, is a bit of a bastard and often puts himself in awkward situations from which he needs to be rescued. He just... acts very cat-like in my opinion. Also owls and cats are both predators, but are usually imagined (or, at least cats are) as cute little creatures, just like Aziraphale is an Angel of the Lord (a Warrior, actually) but looks all soft and cute and huggable. I dunno. Maybe I just want to pet an Aziracat.

I love all the other people's thoughts about demon!Aziraphale, but what about the honey badger? I try to explain why I have it in mind for demon!azi: its name (I think it's funny, expecially in English because 'honey' can make you imagine it's something sweet (it is for me), while the 'bad' in badger can be an alarm bell (like 'be careful! It is not like it seems!')); its face (ok, who can say its face isn't cute? I think, and hope, nobody can, and like the name, it is a misunderstanding: as always, be careful, it's not like it seems!, I think demons can say something about demon!azi as like "you don't seem like a 'good' demon, you can't be, your face (animal and human) is too f-ing disgusting sweet to be a demon!", I think maybe even angel!crowley, at the beginning, can think something like this ("how in the world somebody so cute like you can be a demon?"), then he discovered how demon!azi can be a very talented demon sometimes, but in Crowley's mind azi is still his little cutie angry furry); its furry's colour (black=demon, white/grey/silver/idkitsname= color of demon!azi's wings, because even if he fell, I can't say no to his white wings 😭); it is a snake's predator (and in my mind angel!crowley is still a snake); its solitary life (demon!aziraphale is alone and he doesn't mind it, unless it's angel!crowley we're talking about, then our cute demon minds it); its behaviour (demon!azi, even if he's cute, can be a really very talented demon: honey badger is fearless and dangerous, it can fight bigger animals if there aren't other chances and it can't escape); its skin is very tough (except for a soft/safe spot, behind its neck if I remember well, that only angel!Crowley knows and sometimes he uses it to calm demon!azi down or make azi do some good deeds); its diet (it has a sweet-thooth, for honey in primis, but it can eat everything it wants... Doesn't it resemble demon!azi?); it's smart (search for Stoffle on your browser if you don't know)... Ok,I think I finish, sorry for the novel 😅

I tend to think of animals that meet three criteria: (1) they exemplify “faults” in his character exaggerated to “sins”—gluttony, greed/hoarding, sloth, (2) they are species that favor fawning or flight as a defense mechanism but can also be bold on occasion, and (3) blend very well or have a keen affinity with human society, specifically thriving in urban (i.e., city) environments. This is mostly because I can’t see “Aziraphale” in a reverse AU that doesn’t preserve some of his core traits as an angel (a little hedonistic, hoarding, anxious, etc.). So I like city-dwelling bastard animals with bonus points for relation to scripture, like a rock dove or a fox or an owl.

Owls aren't smart, and the pedant in me says not an owl. But, thinking on it, demon aspect, owls are perceived as smart, but designed as deadly silent predators, patient and solitary. So actually demon Aziraphale could take on more owlish aspects. I just like cockatoo better, since they are smart, and showy. Or a crow, although that does amusing things with Crowleys name.

god imagining him as a chimera is !!! (comment from op, there was this odd flurry of mythical animals being voted for one night. i think the survey hit a corner of fandom that leans that way. there was also dragon, another chimera, a griffon, and a lindworm all at the same rough time)

Magpies are great because they’re cute and fluff themselves up (go look at Sophie the magpie) and like hoarding their favorite things but also I’ve watched one just straight up kill another bird before because corvids are sneaky little bastards with no lack of a mean streak if they’re crossed

It’s the duolingo owl, I’m so sorry op but it just is. I genuinely don’t mean to clown on your post, but this take was delivered to me in a sleep induced haze and I believe it’s the god given truth. Demon Aziraphale WOULD try to make you learn a dead language and he’d go about it in a vaguely threatening way (comment from op, you’re so fucking right dude. also, shit like this is made for clowning, i’m with you 100%)

When choosing a demon aspect for a Aziraphale, I usually tried to keep in mind the artistic tradition of which animals are linked with demons. The Good Omens team seems to have drawn inspiration from that source because all the animals we do see are either reptilian or insectoid. Those species were often shown inhabiting hellish landscapes in Renaissance and Baroque paintings. However, Aziraphale never struck me as cold or slimy or hard like an exoskeleton. So if I had to choose an insect, it would be a moth, preferably a Megalopygidae, also known as the Flannel Moth. They are fluffy, white-beige and look innocent and fluffy, but their larvae can cause painful inflammations. A poodle moth would also fit because it's almost pure white.

Ok so the only reason I pick magpie is because those bastards are smart as hell but also know how and when to inconvenience the shit out of you, and if you gain their trust then they're absolute darlings but if they decide "nah, dont like ya" then you're basically done and you'll wake up every morning with shit on your car window. I also chose sheep/ram cuz I mean... idk it suits him. I don't remember my other choice but I'm sure I had a good reason.

I feel like a barn owl would suit him well but I'm not really sure why, I also think that a moth would suit him really well because of the whole "moth to a flame" thing and as a demon he would have gotten burned because of that attitude.

I write a reverse AU fic called Lambs to the Slaughter where Aziraphale's demonic aspect is an albino sheep! I imagine him as a mix between a wild Argali ram and the first woolly domestics. I chose an Argali because they're the largest species of wild sheep, but I wanted him to have traits of a domestic breed because he obtains his animal aspect from a sheep in Abel's flock which would be several generations down from the original wild species in Eden. I really think a sheep suits Aziraphale! They're an incredibly common animal and have been since they were first domesticated. Likewise, since the start of human history, Aziraphale has been living side-by-side with humans, providing for them, and protecting them. Due to how common they are, sheep are often unnoticed, which Aziraphale leans into. Crowley wants to stand out. He has a dedicated aesthetic and an obsession with human invention, where Aziraphale leans more towards simpler, known things and creature comforts. He fades into the background, and that suits him fine. He doesn't have to be outstanding to Heaven or to humans or even to Crowley -- it's enough to do his part, to trust in a bigger plan. People associate sheep (especially lambs) with innocence or ignorance which foils nicely to Crowley as the serpent tempting with knowledge, as well as with Aziraphale's own sharp mind and ongoing embers of faith in a system that is failing him, Crowley, and all of humanity. Sheep are, like Aziraphale, soft, cute, and hiding a hard-headed stubbornness and a surprising strength that makes them absolutely fearsome. Aziraphale is very much the sort to put his head down and push relentlessly forward regardless of the pressure and strain. Rams in particular have thick skulls to withstand the brutal force of headbutting one another in displays of dominance. While Aziraphale is clever, he's not above rolling up his sleeves and getting the job done, as messy and unpleasant as it might be (see: pulling a gun on the Antichrist). Also sheep are associated with Pan, a god associated with food, music, theatre, and the criticism thereof, which hit many of Aziraphale's personal interests and hobbies! I like the idea that in a reverse AU, the demon formerly named Aziraphale might be the original basis for Pan!

I wrote in Orangutan for the first question because if I remember correctly they are some of the most violent apes. Although I'd accept bonobo for him too. They fuck alll the time.

mothman aziraphale,,,,, thats it

Snowy owl, speremint's tortoise, and I just adore the goat.

moth - dusty and eats books

Long Furby the way Loni-Capri draws it.

I keep thinking about that Black Philip quote "doest thou wish to live deliciously" because... it fits so much with the general epicurean/hedonism vibe the Fandom has for him ... but in a demonic way and also I think a lot abt that art piece (already referenced many times probably but what the hell) of him climbing his own bookshelves, it's just so good!!

Albino Lion/white lion (matches his hair). I feel like maybe I should explain why I think Lion would fit him best, lol. Lions actually are rather sedate, inactive for 20 hours of the day (see: Aziraphale reading and unmoving- yes I pulled wiki for this to make sure I didn't spout anything terribly wrong, shhh) but also there's nomad lions. Lions that range widely and move around sporadically either alone or in pairs (*looks at Crowley after apoconope*) (pairs are more frequent among males who have been excluded from their birth pride) but also I think of lions as protectors, defenders, and what is Aziraphale if not that? If not an angel who fiercely protects humans, crowley, earth? (When he finally overcomes heaven and it's abuse) lions don't hunt unless they're hungry, don't attack unless they're defending. They've been known to sit directly next to jeeps full of people and just watch them, not attacking or being aggresive.

I saw art once (I have no idea who the artist is) of Demon!Aziraphale climbing his bookcases like a goat and absentmindedly chewing on his sweater while he reads. I felt like the goat aspect suited him perfectly.

Honestly I wrote Az with a rat aspect because, well, it fits who I see demon Az as. He's not super powerful but he is very consequential, like rats carrying plague fleas (this also describes how I see Az tempting). He tries to blend into a crowd, which is arguably one way rats survive, and can get himself into places/situations that should be impossible or super difficult. Like snakes, rats have been unfairly maligned by our culture for a long time, even though they are very social with their colonies, smart, affectionate, and generally good beans. Finally, male pet rats are known far and wide as the lazier of the sexes while the girls are super curious and adventurous.

Somehow his tartan pattern becomes either his colour scheme or his coat/feather pattern.

Eurasian eagle owl. A big, unapologetic grump of an owl that is soft as soft can be underneath. Possessor of the glare to end all glares to be used in such dire situations as being interrupted when reading or being told one has "had enough cake".

#demon!aziraphale #reverse omens #sleepy speaks #fandom vote #aziraphale's demon aspect #this was so fucking fun you all

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currywaifu · 4 years

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𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: pampering you 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: yukishiro azuma/reader 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw 𝐰𝐜: 1.8k words

𝐚𝐧: thank you for ordering, @sleepy-ruri ~ I actually used your tag game as a basis for certain parts~ anyways, I hope this was worth the wait! I was gonna go straight to the cuddle but got inspired to add some build-up.

The amount of sleep you get is a gamble between 4 hours and 20 hours, no in-between. Tonight was clearly heading towards the former, well if the caffeine swimming in your bloodstream had anything to say about it.

And that’s on coffee addiction, periodt.

It's pretty tough, on one hand, you valued your sleep. A comfy bed and a nice pillow taking you on a trip to meet the Greek god of slumber Hypnos himself was always ideal.

On the other hand, there were just too many things to do and too little time to do them. Sure, you had finished your work for the day, but you had a whole list of things you could stay up for without feeling an ounce of regret morning come.

Itaru told you that he saw a lot of potential in you ever since you opened up your wallet for that cat game everyone was playing during “The Great Sardine Search”. Was that supposed to be a compliment?

It started out with him recommending a few more casual and cute games, the usual cat and dog idle time waster games. After a few weeks, he had proclaimed it was time to “drag you into gacha hell with him,” whatever that meant.

It only started with a simple rhythm game, which not only had cute characters but was pretty free to play friendly.

Looking through the list the local gamer DMed you, you sighed in disappointment. Was it directed at Itaru for dragging you into this hellhole, or at yourself for succumbing to the joy and eternal suffering of gacha games? Who’s to say, really.

Obey Me!, three different Ikemen games, Twisted Wonderland, two Ensemble Stars games, a good amount of battle RPGs, one with handsome spirits, another with humanized swords, and a good amount of idol music games with either cute boys or girls to name just some of the titles.

Just looking at the google docs gave you a headache, they even came with little summaries and color-coded notes that made you wonder if Itaru tried out all of these at one point, even the otome ones. The very thought made you chuckle, plopping onto your bed as you decided to finally download one.

3 hours. Well, 2 hours and 48 minutes but who needs to know the finer details?

You’ve hit a new low, congratulations. Might as well have stayed up the whole time instead of going to sleep, but you ended up exhausting all your energy both in-game and otherwise. You ended up looking at gameplay guides until you inevitably passed out.

You wanted to sleep-in but there was still work to do. Trudging out of your bedroom and into the kitchen, several boys were already eating their breakfast.

“Good morning,” some of them turned to greet you, and you could see Yuki’s… disgust? Concern? Concern hidden under the guise of disgust?

“You look like a raccoon,” Yuki says bluntly as he stabs his pancake with a fork, “your shirt doesn’t even match your pants.”

You laugh, albeit tiredly, as you look down at the shirt you randomly snagged from your closet. Oh, haven’t seen this one in a while.

“That bad?”

Yuki scoffs at your question like it even needed to be asked, “you looked like you chose it blind.”

“Fufu, I’m sure there must be a reason why our dear director stayed up late,” a voice behind you says, patting down the bird’s nest on your head. It was difficult to resist his touch, even if it was just that little, and you found yourself shifting into a position where he’d have more access to pet you.

Did he say you had a good reason for staying up? If he thought so kindly of you, you’ll let it stay that way for as long as possible.

“Oh my, our director sure is affectionate today,” you didn’t realize that your eyes had closed until they fluttered open again, looking straight up at an amused Azuma.

“Sorry, having a hard time staying awake,” you muttered, still enjoying the man’s healing touch. Ahh, no wonder he was so popular. Not only was he beautiful and a gentleman, but you could feel your stamina bar slowly filling up just by him petting you on the head.

“Agh, it’s too early in the morning for this,” Yuki grumbled, looking away to finish the rest of his meal, “you better fix yourself later.”

You were going to dig in the food Omi so helpfully served you, but Azuma’s eyes scrutinizing your face made you more conscious than usual. Sure, Yuki mentioned your eye bags but he seemed more bothered by your not-so-cute outfit choice.

With Azuma, who always did his best to maintain and improve his appearance, it was a little different.

“You poor thing, someone as cute as you doesn’t deserve to look so tired,” he tutted, letting out a thoughtful hum. It was difficult to read Azuma’s face, but gears seemed to be turning in his head as he combed through your hair.

He paused his ministrations to bring your face closer, and you quickly averted your gaze. You weren’t sure if the other boys were watching, but still!

“Azuma, can you-“

“Come to my room later, okay? If you’re going to stay up, at least let me help you take care of your skin, hmm?”

The offer was tempting. It was kind of embarrassing going to a man’s room at night, even more, embarrassing to have him look at your face closely, regardless if it was just to help you with your skin!

Then again, he was a comforting presence. Being around him rejuvenated your spirit, which was very needed after that horrible no event card, x10 summon and the migraine Sakyo’s logistics lecture gave you.

Knocking on his door, Azuma personally greeted and escorted you inside. He sat you down on his bed as he walked away to grab a whole tray of products, the different colors and sizes momentarily distracting you. You weren’t sure if you could count properly at this point, but weren’t there 10 different products?

“I think these products will work best with your skin. There are ten steps so pay close attention to me, okay?”

Something about the way he just said things were so alluring? It really wasn’t fair to you.

“Alright,” you watched as he plucked an amber-colored bottle from the tray, pushing the nozzle that released its contents onto his fingers. It looked like an oil product, shining as the pads of his fingers touched your face.

“This is an oil cleanser, it removes your make-up and draws out other oil-based impurities,” he explained, beginning to massage the cleanser in. By instinct you shut your eyes, enjoying the sound of laughter coming from Azuma.

“Don’t get sleepy yet, director~ We still need to wash your face a few times after this.”

...

After washing your face for the second time, Azuma said you could finally relax. Well, you were gonna take him up on that suggestion.

Tomorrow you’ll take note of all the different skincare products and the steps in the routine, but for now, it was hard to pay attention, what with Azuma pampering you and his silvery voice lulling you into sleep.

Surely there were a few more steps to go, right? You’ll get some shut-eye until he finishes, then.

Azuma takes notice immediately of your lack of responsiveness, not even a gentle hum to let him know you were listening. Watching the steady rise and fall of your chest, he smiles to himself as he continues. It’s not often he gets to see this side of you, so he thinks himself pretty lucky. He’ll spoil you as much as you want.

...

Your hair being played with rouses you awake and even through the haze of drowsiness and the lack of lights in the room, you can tell Azuma’s been at this for a while.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” he says softly, and you were sure his playful teasing pinked your face.

“Sorry, how long was I asleep?” When you entered Azuma’s room there was still some noise outside from the rest of the boys, but now the silence made it feel like you two were the only people still up.

Of course, with someone like Itaru and maybe even Banri around, you doubted it.

“Long enough for me to finish my own nightly routine, actually.”

“Sorry for taking up your bed space. I’m sure you want your beauty sleep, too.”

You should move, but now you felt much too comfortable to even leave the bed. You knew some of the other boys have already slept over with him, Mankai’s local amnesiac being a frequent bed invader himself; would he be alright with it if you slept over?

You looked up at him, figuring out what to say or waiting for him to pitch the idea himself, but he only stared at you, patiently waiting for what you had to say for yourself.

“Could I sleep here tonight?” The corners of his eyes crinkled, lips lifted upwards. Maybe you never gave it much thought, but at that moment he gave off a warm glow, not unlike a fireplace on a cold, winter night.

“My room and bed will always have a space vacant for you, director.” His dulcet tones were like honey to your ears, sweet and loving, and like a moth to a flame you were entranced.

He carefully adjusted the pillows, lifting the blanket before snuggling beside you. He left a small space between the two of you, leaving you with the choice to come closer or not.

Scooting your body nearer, you turn around so that you faced the wall instead of him.

“Little spoon this time, then?” You don’t respond, not really finding a reason to do so. At first, he’s stroking your arm, fingertips drawing incomprehensible patterns and shapes against your skin. First on your hands, slowly moving upwards to your forearm, until he reached your shoulder where you could finally make out a shape.

Stopping him for a moment, you shift slightly to take his palm and trace back a heart.

“Oh, are you playing with me?” He murmurs, now fully encircling his arms around you, his stomach resting against your back. Your legs tangle slightly with his, as tucks his chin by your shoulder, making you two inseparable.

In the darkness, his embrace was like a small dose of heaven, and your senses were beginning to shut down once more.

He breathes in your sweet scent, and you take in the rhythmic beat of his heart as both of you finally close your eyes.

“Good night, Azuma.”

“Good night, lovely.”

When Azuma woke up, he was face to face with his precious director engulfed in his arms, still in dreamland. During the night you must have turned around to face him. He briefly considered waking you up or moving you to get up but shut the thought down just as fast. His skin care routine could wait a few minutes.

Silently, he observes your peaceful face for a little longer.

Sometimes getting up early isn’t bad at all. After all, he gets to see a cute sleeping figure beside him.

want to order again?

#a3!#a3! act! addict! actors!#azuma yukishiro #yukishiro azuma #a3! azuma #a3! game #a3 actor training game #a3 azuma #reader insert #azuma x reader #cafe: dessert menu #a3! x reader #a3 x reader

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just-like-playing-tag · 4 years

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Ok I've been tagged to a bit of tag games a while ago so I'm doing all of them in a single post. I feel like with some of them I was tagged by more than one person so sorry if I forgot to mention anyone,,

I was tagged by @shot-tothestars and @bluelric. Thank you for thinking about me <3

Rules: tag 10 follows you’d like to know better (Btw I don't get what does that mean? Do I have to tag people one follows, or people they're followed by?)

(Also I'm just skipping the questions I don't like, but here's all of them for reference in case someone else wants to do it!)

Cats or dogs: Definitely dogs!!

Current time: 12:14 pm when I started, then I stopped and now as the exact moment I'm posting this it's 01:20 am

Favorite animal: Uhm probably seaguls? But I really like birds in general, they look so free from everything. And cool marine creatures!!

When I made this blog: First post is from June the 13th!

Reason for url: Explained here :)

Tagging: Nobody here because I answered half of the questions so I don't find it fair to ask somebody to do it lol.

Tagged by @shot-tothestars; Again thank for tagging me; and feel free to hmu any time if you feel like it, I swear I don't bite XD

Rules: Tag 9 people you want to know better/catch up with

Three ships: Excluding tpn because that would be lame, the first that come to my mind are Bones x Kirk - Star Trek, (platonic) Elsa / Anna - Frozen, All Might x happiness - My Hero Academia. Now that I think about it, I've never been much of a shipping person? I personally find platonic relationships much more interesting.

Last song: The Opera - Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Since it's quite a long song, I listen to it significantly less than the other songs from the recording- it's still a beautiful song tho.

Last movie: I may be wrong but I think it was J. J. Abrams' Super 8. I remember being very scared by it when I was younger, so I wanted to see if watching it again now it would have still scared me. It didn't, but it was a nice movie nonetheless!

Currently reading: Unfortunately I don't read much for myself during school, and even when it's finished I find it very hard to get back on track; but I really want to read War and Peace so that's probably the one I'm starting next- together with Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground because I can't possibly read just one book at once.

Currently watching: Some things. Avatar: The Last Airbender, Death Note, rewatching Kill la Kill with my cousin; also sporadically watching Steven Universe episodes and Law & Order (the original plus SVU) whenever it plays on TV. As bonus, I just finished watching Japan Sinks and Little Witch Academia. (I hadn't realized until now how many things I was watching and had watched, wow?? I'm glad I didn't waste time.)

Currently consuming: Nothing? Should I?

Food i’m craving: Uhm... The Wok to Walk I ate back in London last year... There's so many good places to eat in London and I live in a small small town with nothing to eat, it makes me want to cry ;;;;;;

Tagging: The last three people in my dms @fandoms-and-shitpost, @puff-poff, @acaderhmic; the last three people in my notes @illbecryinginthecorner, @cookiespace, @galezea; the last three people who followed me @yeoshin-est, @losertea, @soulessgingersthings.

Tagged by @bluelric and @stray-tori. Again thank you so much <3

Rules: Answer 17 questions and tag 17 people! (Please make sure to create a new post rather than reblogging!)

Nicknames: Tag? I love the nicknames you don't chose yourself, I think it's a cute thing

Age (the long lost question everyone was wondering about): Newly 19 bby 😎

Zodiac: Cancer according to astrology and Gemini according to astronomy (I don't really believe in astrology tho,,)

Height: I really have no idea. Average??

Last thing I googled: "little witch academia"

Song stuck in my head: Drift Away - Steven Universe: The Movie.

Number of followers: Really peoples one of the best things about Tumblr is not showing the followers number, thus making it easier for smaller and bigger blogs to interact, and not creating some sort of social classes based on ephemeral and currish arbitrary assigned popularity values. Why should I tell my followers number.

n followers I love very much <3

Amount of sleep: 6/7 hours (4/5 on school days)

Lucky number: ? Dunnot? I like even numbers

Dream job: Uhm something where I can give my best to significantly do something to change the world for the better - hopefully doing something I'm especially good at. Like, putting my abilities to the service of the community. I'll start studying political science at university! (I don't really aim to become a politician tho)

Wearing: I've spent more than one hour looking for an imagine of my shirt on the internet, but, as I should have expected, it seems like clothes companies delete the public data about older collections. Anyway, it's a cute, white, very light shirt with short sleeves. It's got thin vertical stripes of various pastel colors and it's made of a kinda rough material I can't seem to identify. Under that there's high-waisted, light blue jeans. I like this outfit, I find it pretty. I like wearing pretty things even when I'm staying home, it makes me feel good about myself.

Favorite song: With no hesitations, No One Else - Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. The only doubt I have is if I prefer Phillipa Soo's or Denée Benton's version.

Favorite instruments: Probably piano; second place is cello.

Favorite author: Of what? If this is about books, I don't feel like I read enough to give a fair answer, but so far Dostoevsky and Kafka really stuck with me.

Favorite animal sound: Seaguls' squeal!!!! But also lil birdies' chirping.

Aesthetic: Docks!! The seaguls screaming in the air. The sun shining in the blue sky, originating mesmerizing reflects on the sea, like millions of dimonds. All the smells in the world concentrated in just one place. The movement, the life!! So many sights, smells, flavors and feelings mixing together. The ephemeral beauty of catching, for a single moment, the sight of something marvelous and extraordinary, and never getting to see it again, but cherishing this exaggerated memory of that serendipity. The hectic atmosphere of people going to and fro. The concept of connecting different cultures, the concept of leaving for new adventures. Just one place filled with complete strangers all so different, all so unique, where you can disappear - but without losing yourself. I just find harbors neat!

Random: My posts follow a 4 fanart posts/ 4 text posts (or 2 fanart posts/ 2 text posts) pattern; it physically hurts to mess up, thus it can happen that some of the most recent reblogs may disappear for a while (but they always come back ;)

Tagging: @neverlandstrio, @idlyingabout , @holy-mantequilla, @vapidsoup, @dpgoinghost, @chidoroki, @lovesick-lovely, @ueno-ito-en, @x-supernova, @notelectrictiger12, @bubblesandpages, @joy-in-gold-shadows, @thathilomgirl, @yalikejazzmydude, @neo--queen--serenity, @wheatormeat, @icyhotsparkybroccoli but really feel free to ignore this if you don't like this stuff

And everyone else who wants to do this (or any of the others!!)

#The reason why I tag all these people is because #I'm that kind of person who enjoys doing this stuff #But won't untill I'm tagged #And that's because I'm d u m b #But ye

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verycorrectlotr · 5 years

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21 questions

Nickname: Ell (but you already knew that)

Zodiac: I actually had to google this because i don’t know the Western zodiac very well, but I’m a Leo

Height: i can’t remember exactly but i’m taller than Pippin

Last Movie I saw: I watched the third how to train your dragon movie yesterday with a younger family friend (i cried. i’m not ashamed)

Last Thing I googled: Um. I had to google “leo zodiac sign dates” just now

Favorite Musician: AC/DC (dad rock I know jdhgkf) or Howard Shore tbh.

Song Stuck in my Head: well I walked around the house with the wii music stuck in my head for two hours yesterday (it was hell)

Other Blogs: This one, a ridiculous orchestra one, and a Marvel one that i never update anymore (oops)

Do I get Asks: Yes! from cat pictures to ludicrous headcanons, i love all your asks

Following: 54 at the moment hhhh

Amount of Sleep: Last night? seven 1/2 hours. On average? probably 5-6 hours oof.

Lucky Number: if I had to pick one, 7.

What I’m Wearing: pajamas hhhhhhhhh

Dream Job: Author!

Dream Trip: Tuscany or Slovenia (I went when I was little but I’d love to go again)

Favorite Food: i don’t wanna sound pompous but creme-brulee is delicious. tbh macdonald’s cheeseburgers run a close second (the duality of man, eh?).

Play Any Instruments?: Piano, Cello and in third grade I learned the recorder (i recall that I was a natural of course)

Languages: English is my first language, I’m intermediate-advanced (not quite fluent sdhsdh) in Mandarin Chinese, and I’m trying to beat my duolingo French course into submission at the moment

Favorite Songs: - The Breaking of the Fellowship/In Dreams (Howard Shore) - Back in Black (AC/DC) - Riptide (Vance Joy) - Heathens (21 Pilots) - Viva la Vida (Coldplay)

Random Fact: I have broken more bones than the rest of my immediate family combined (including the dog).

Describe yourself as Aesthetic Things: hm. crumpled sheet music, the glaze on your eyes after 4 am, tangled earphones, the clack of rolling dice, sketchbooks that got wet in the rain, one key on your laptop not working but trying to finish your story without the letter ‘h’ anyways, midday “good mornings” and one am “goodnights”

thanks to @whatever-imagines for tagging me! i’m not going to tag anyone, but if anyone wants to do this, feel free to say i tagged you :)

#not a quote #not lotr #whatever-imagines #dont reblog #dont rb #please dont reblog

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sinner-orion · 5 years

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Please give me your opinions

Ey I really know I have lots of asks, but I dont have time to answer them, sorry, dont worry I will answer them when I have the time, I promise!!

Btw, please would any of you tell me what y’all think about this thing I wrote for my spanish class (I translated it with the google doc translation and edited it so it makes sense but there are some things that only makes senses in spanish like “ladybug” in spanish is Mariquita, and that word is used too to insult gay people ; I think a close translation is “sissy”; is like a uh is bad if straight people use it, but not if lgtb people use it okay?) Dont spect a good translation anyway...

so yeah, please read it, is really fast to read and its short, and i want others opinions. Its gonna be long so I will put it under Read more.

I breathe

Sunsets without feelings, sadness without color, I can not breathe and I want to finish.

Do I need this or that? How is this even an option? Who are those with an option?

Tell me, please, I wish I could have it, but why is not that my case?

I walk aimlessly, I'm out, and my life is not mine, nor yours, whose is it? Who does this to me?

I go thinking and believing, what do I believe? I do not know ... I do not know ... Everything is so ambiguous, everything is so open and closed at the same time; I wish I could have it.

It arrived, my house, my destiny, it is at night, or perhaps during the day; depends on the animal, owl or sparrow, firefly or ladybug. The time does not matter.

I enter.

Screams and noises fill me and welcome, is this happiness or anguish?

Sweet cries and cries of welcome, home sweet home. This is my place, without a doubt, this is where I have to find peace and security.

I lie down, is this my room? I think so, although it does not matter.

I close my eyes.

* *

I'm out, how much time has passed?

No matter.

Everything is so big, am I the same person? What is it to be me? I ... I am me, does that mean anything? I do not think so ... I wish I had it; I wish I found it.

Ugh, what a shit!

I scream, I cry, I break things, am I my home?

Why do I do this? Everyone looks at me, I should stop, this is not right, I have to control myself, stop, stop, why do not you stop? This is crap, I'm telling you, shit!

I'm fed up, or fed up? What is it that I am? I'm not human, am I? Who can corroborate it? Nobody has seen me, or will see me, maybe it's owl, although they are very intelligent.

Maybe that sparrow, but they are adorable and free.

Maybe it's a firefly! Although I do not like to emit a lot of light.

Will I be a ladybug? This is horrible, this is horrific.

Ladybug? They are cute and small, but if they call me, I am disgusted and we are too many.

Do they crush me? I die

Flight? I die if I get too close.

They see me? I do not want stupid questions, thank you stay with them.

I close my eyes, they are so many questions, I can't stand it.

I wish, I wish ...

I open my eyes.

My home, sweet home home, I'm not well, is it? No matter.

I get to my room, my bed, I close my eyes, it does not matter, it does not matter, it does not matter, it has always been that way, more than 50 years have passed and it has always been that way, it does not matter.

I see through the window; It's so pretty ... Cars to the side, vans, trucks, everything so fast, cries, buildings, houses, shacks, screams, airplanes, children, people, objects, people, run, laugh, cry, scream, jump, dogs, animals , cats, sparrows, cries, cries, screams, cries, screams- This is great!

This is fine, and I know, it has always been that way.

It's so relaxing, I forget everything that worries me.

What is that? My eyes are directed at something small, red, black ...

I lose myself and fall, I fall ...

I want, I want ...

Please, I want it, I can not leave it, I do not want to leave it, is this what one feels in an utopia? Who can deny me that this is not utopia?

Cries of happiness and cries of joy, modernity everywhere, equality among all, is not that what I have here?

Young people of all ages ... Maybe it's utopia for people, and I'm not a person ... Maybe that's why I do not have it ... But I want it, and what do I want? Is it the same as them? Or is it something different for me? Fuck! Shit! Why can't I shut up !?

It's so noisy, I'm noisy, me and only me ...

What would be wrong with the rest? At least they are person and I sissy ...

Why does it offend me to say it? It's normal, they've seen that I'm not a person, but a bug ...

Why am I like that? Why? Why ...

I do not want this anymore, fuck! This is crap! I want to be a person! I'm noisy but I'm sick of being home, is that what I am? Screams and cries? I've always seen it so normal, everywhere in this great utopia ...

I want it, I WANT IT!

I'm going to fight.

I leave my room, I cry, I scream, inside my house, I want to break these walls, scream more, crack, a crack, a wall, scrash, plam, windows, doors, everything falls.

Silence.

Now there is silence. Is this what I wanted? ... Yes, I have an answer. Yes, I wanted this, they have shut up, there is nothing and nobody.

I close my eyes; Is this being a person? Yes, I am a person.

This is my utopia, I am a person, I am free-

Streak.

I open my eyes.

My bed, a familiar face wakes me up, says words, but I do not listen.

His hand, a pill, my hand, my mouth, I swallow.

I smile, screams and crying, this is an utopia.

Is this real or fiction?

Owl or ladybug?

Believe or not believe?

Happiness or anguish?

Want or fight?

I breathe, I go out, I walk ...

This is everyone's utopia.

#writing #writers #my writing #please send me asks about this with your opinions #is it good?#mine #orion #about orion #thanks cuties #really sorry cause i cant answer #I swear i love yall

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4clc · 7 years

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day6 as a swim team aka free!au

aka the start of my free!ly collection

sungin:

swim team captain of course

3rd year

in charge of grilling the hot dogs

breaststroke!!

smol man but he finishes 100 fast

always fckin eating bananas

hates protein bars with a burning passion

“THERE’S SO MUCH EXTRA UNHEALTHY STUFF”

hangs all his medals on his bedroom wall

next to pictures of this team :’D

<3 loves his team so much <3

googles team bonding exercises

spent 33 hours in total reading wikihow articles and guides

has been pushing a team camping trip ever since he was a 1st year

“but what if someone mistakes you for a bear” - wonpil

The Driver™

car permanently smells like chlorine and old spice

was pulled aside and asked to be in an old spice commercial after a swim meet once

NO COLORED BEVERAGES IN THE CAR!!!

lifeguard in the summer with the bro brian

pulls out his guitar at the end of season bonfire

has a loooooong ass speech prepared

ends it with “i just love you guys ok”

cries but says he didn’t

jae:

swims FREE and buttah fly

2nd year

his credits got messed up when he transferred from the u.s.

looks like a twig but don’t be fooled

this string bean will be outta the water before you even finish

very very good at long distance

the L O N G really helps him

used to do hurdles in track but decided to try smth else

he met brian at a party where he spouted some philosophical bs

and jae thought it was hot

BOOM! swim team

hogs the aux cord

plays strictly nicki minaj and coldplay on meet days

always on snapchat

u see that 600 second story?

dont bother it’s just closeups of wonpil

and sleeping brian

gets yelled at by sungjin bc he even does it in the locker rooms

“accidentally” pushes kids into pools (see: wonpil)

looooooveeess teasing wonpil

but dont even u DARE even THINK anything mean abt wonpil or else jae will fight u

in fact he nearly fought some 3rd years who made fun of wonpil’s speedo

“YEAH WELL HE’S GONNA BEAT U WEARING THAT” “hyung stop”

known for his huge ass sunglasses

“DAMN DANIEL” but at dowoon in sandals

a big dowoon fan, especially of the cat pictures he sends

but not the links to horror stories at 2am

brian:

medley king

3rd year

The Hot Swimmer™

a marketing ploy to gain more swim team members (see: jae)

hates backstroke because it feels like he could sleep but he CANT

acts like he knows u

will smile at you before and after he obliterates you

even if someone didnt come in first place young k congratulates them and shakes their hand

everyone has a crush on him

even the swimmers from other schools

likes to sling his arm around sungjin in group pics

sungjin’s lifeguard buddy

LOTS of food dates with dowoon

but they have to be sneaky bc sungjin puts them on a strict diet

dj young k, second in command to the aux cord

the first to go into the pool during morning practices

not bc he wants to

but bc his soul has already left his body

thank you cram school and swim practice

in other words this boy doesnt sleep

always forgets his own soap and shampoo

“hyung can i borrow some-” “get ur own hamster boy”

also forgot his clothes at a meet once

thank god he was saved by wonpil

but not rlly bc “WHY THE HELL DO YOU OWN THIS PINK SWEATER”

wonpil:

pink speedo

1st year

just wants brian to be thankful for his pink sweater

stopped straightening his hair bc it gets ruined at practice anyway

and he always complains but everyone LOVES it

he looks so good ok honey please bless us with ur curls again

distance swimmer

used to be intimidated by sungjin bc he’s v good at breaststroke

but it disappeared when sungjin helped him out of the pool after he got last place at his first meet

cried tears of joy (also sungjin hugged him for the first time)

really looks up to sungjin

was shocked when he beat sungjin 200 fly

but sungjin congratulates him and hypes him up

and wonpil cries again

thinks brian’s butt looks nice

he compliments it a lot

once jae recorded him singing in the shower and it went viral

because his voice is beautiful

but also bc he slipped and fell when he saw the camera

always seems to be falling when jae is around

got pushed into the pool bc he asked jae what he got on the math test

gets the aux cord when theyre going home and everyone’s asleep

sungjin gets annoyed because he’s always changing songs

*turns the radio off*

gives his teammates chocolates on valentine’s day w the help of dowoon

bffs with dowoon

wonpil was scared to try out on his own so dowoon tried out as well

BEST. DECISION. EVER.

held dowoon’s hand while the coach was talking bc he was so so scared

both ended up making it on the team

dowoon:

“i only swim free”

1st year

always makes references to anime

and spongebob

bought his swim shorts bc they look like haruka’s

tried grilling mackerel with only an apron + swim shorts

wonpil walked in on him

“....”

wrote pick up lines on cards to go with wonpil’s chocolates

“are you tired? bc you’ve been swimming thru my mind all day”

uses earphones to listen to his own music in the car bc jae sucks

“why can’t you appreciate jazz?????” “are u gonna slam nicki??”

always brings the largest bag to meets

bc its filled with manhwas

steals everyone’s parkas to spread out on the grass so he can lie down and read

quiet and shy but always trying his best

jae and young k stole his clothes while he was in the shower once

it was “initiation”

but dowoon started crying for help and mama bear came

and jaehyungparkian fckin BOLTED

his team attacks him with kisses when he gets his first bronze

they carry him to the car when he gets gold

cries when the seniors graduate

cries at the last meet of every season before they go home

and his teammates smush him in a group hug

always the first to fall asleep on the ride home

also ik their ages dont match their years but shhhhhh

#day6 #sungjin #jae #youngk #wonpil #dowoon #park sungjin #park jaehyung #brian kang #kang younghyun #kim wonpil #yoon dowoon #i made all these pics on snapchat dont judge me #yes i did this instead of finishing reqs and writing my fics #day6: free!au

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theliterateape · 5 years

Text

The Day I Visited Animal Jail

By J. L. Thurston

The first dog I remember having was a large, black mutt named Leather. He never came inside and the entire back porch was his dog house. He had a huge fenced in area in the back yard and even though I remember petting his nose through the fence, I have a feeling my mother didn’t really want me around him. Naturally, I loved him anyway.

After Leather, we had a dog named Zeek. He was a free, fully grown dog, from a family that couldn’t train him. I know my mom changed his name, but I can’t remember what she called him. I think Bullet, but that’s mostly because he got loose all the time and would shoot out of the house like a bullet from a gun. He was some kind of Australian Shepherd mix. Silver with dark gray spots, a blue eye. Gorgeous. He was a runner, so we had to give him up. Keeping him cooped up was torture for him, as he expressed daily by running away. We gave him to a farmer.

Soon after, my parents brought home an adorable puppy. His name was Mo, short for Mozart. He was a shaggy Sheltie with the brain of a scientist. The dog had a knack for solving problems and used his wits to outsmart us daily, much to our amusement. Poor Mo died young of mysterious causes, but he was happy and made us happy, so there’s that.

I went with my parents on a long drive to pick out a puppy. We were still sad about Mo, but we were a dog family and couldn’t stand living without one. We went to a Keeshond breeder. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of a Keeshond, but I’ll spare you the Google search. These dogs are considered medium sized but if you were to shave off their fur — which would take days, mind you — they were actually scrawny little guys. Long shaggy fur on top of thick wool topped by a curly tail. I found the liveliest puppy there was and we took him home.

After a long debate, we named him Oliver. He was smart and easily trained. He did tricks for the joy of doing them, but would kill his best friend for a slice of cheese. We had to stop using the word cheese around him, due to his serious addiction. We started saying ‘that yellow stuff’ but he learned that meant cheese, too, so we used ASL to sign “cheese” by rubbing our palms together. The damn dog learned that, too. Cheese was his crack.

Oliver lived a long and happy life. He was stubborn, sassy, and funny. He made happy little grunting sounds when he ate and had a bark that made visitors piss their pants. His curly tail, buried in all that fur, would shake constantly, looking like an odd propeller on a fur-boat.

Oliver was my last puppy because I grew up and moved into an apartment that didn’t allow pets. Then I moved into a house and life happened. But I still pine endlessly for a dog to bring home. One day, I always say. One day.

My puppy-fever has rubbed off on my sister-in-law. Her family has just purchased their first home and it’s dreamy. Lots of space, big yard. They got a kitten around Christmas time and then, just before Valentine’s Day, she called me to say she’s ready to adopt a dog. She asked if I could go with her to pick one out. Hell yeah.

I had never been inside the Humane Society before. Whenever I talk dogs with people they tell me to avoid that place because it’s a kill shelter and no one should support a kill shelter. But I always thought that if we don’t adopt the animals from those places, we’re sentencing them to death. Plus, if you aren’t picky about a breed or age of your dog you may as well go to a shelter and take one home. Right?

As soon as we opened the door to that place we were hit with the smell. Not surprising, given a ton of animals live there. But right away I wondered if those animals were looked after. I felt like I was visiting some sort of animal penitentiary.

A teenager greeted us at the desk. She kind of just stared until I started speaking. She told us to sign in and we can look at the dogs in the back. As we passed by several cat-filled rooms, I looked in and saw the puddles of vomit and hair balls, the cats pawing at the glass doors for attention. I wasn’t expecting a happy home when I arrived there, but this was startling.

We were led through many doorways, each one revealing a new room of cats. We passed by a mama pup with a new litter, seemingly in isolation. Then a gate opened and a swarm of dogs flooded us. Both my sister-in-law and I bent over to pet as many dogs as possible.

“You technically aren’t allowed to touch them,” the teenager said. “Insurance reasons.”

Ever been rebuked for petting a dog? That was my first time.

So, ignoring the pups, we went to the outside kennels and were immediately deafened by the barking. It was early February and cold but these dogs weren’t iced over in the least. Most jumped, some danced, all of them vying for attention. Nearly all of them were tiny little dogs. Toy breeds, small-brained and beady-eyed. Not my type of dog, but I let my sister-in-law shop. We examined them all. I found one that was actually bigger than a potato. A greyhound-border collie mix, supposedly. Black and white, long fur, reminded me of Mo. His eyes were focused and intelligent, but he looked timid.

We were told he came from an abusive household which was possibly a sales pitch, but my sister-in-law and I couldn’t help but think this dog may be the one to bring home. We spent a few hours with him, letting him warm up to us. Every noise seemed to startle him, every motion sent his tail between his legs. He was a big baby.

By a stroke of luck, my sister-in-law was able to bring him home that night. Even after much scrubbing, she couldn’t get the shelter stink off him. But I was amazed by the level of comfort he achieved in just a few hours of being in his new home. The timid pup we met in the shelter was calm, happy, and lazy. He was unaffected by the chaos of my nieces and nephew, but was a bit heartbroken that the cat didn’t seem to like him.

The whole experience made me think about how one can obtain a dog. How everything besides rescue is looked down upon. On the surface, rescuing a dog from a shelter worked out great for my sister-in-law — for everyone except the cat — but she paid the shelter $200 and signed a contract that the dog will see a vet every month for two years. The shelter puts animals down, and I believe the dog’s anxiety came from the chaos of that place and not any assumed abuse from before. I know the shelter’s probably doing the best it can, but really, that’s not good enough.

I’m glad this doggo found a good home, but I can’t stop wondering about the many other pups I saw there. The ones I wasn’t allowed to pet.

#Animal Rescue #Humane Society #Dog Pound #Adopt Don't Buy Is What Everyone Says #Puppy Love

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