#Trust her she’s fat and floofy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rubykgrant · 3 years

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Wash gets everybody into helping him with foster cats, and it was all part of his devious plan to trick them into adopting kitties! Master of manipulation!

Church; gets one of those looong cats, who is also very fluffy. she’s a white kitty named Marshmallow, who he sometimes calls Marsh, or to get her attention “Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!”. she’s one of those very talkative cats who constantly makes little chirps and beeps, which Church starts doing too

Tex; got a tiny little orange kitten, who turned into a lanky cat that likes to jump. she trained him to sit and wait for her to lift up one knee and then pat her shoulder, and he jumps to the knee first and then the shoulder to perch. he was just a baby, so she got to name him, and went with Austin (because she’s a dork like that)

Tucker; insists he only got a kitty for Junior... and then insisted he only got another one to keep the first one company. now he’s got two kitties, a black-and-white boy named Tux (he’s got a stubby bob-tail) and something that looks like an Abyssinian (but is probably a mix)- a girl named Ginger (they sleep on both sides of his head at night)

Caboose; has one big chunky brown cat named Teddy (this cat isn’t just fat, he’s HUGE, like almost the size of a medium dog. his full name is “Teddy Bear” because he looks like a bear cub). Caboose also takes in 2 more, one cat who is missing an eye and ear (she’s named Daffodil, mostly white with creamy/yellow tips), and one who is missing the right front leg (he’s named Zip because he still likes to run, dark gray with black tabby-stripes). Caboose is very good at taking care of their specific needs

Carolina; has two cats that are sibs, both calico girls. one has more white with many small orange/black spots and yellow eyes, the other has more black with a few large orange/white spots and green eyes. the mostly white one is Jasper and the mostly black one is Jade. They are the best at wearing harnesses/leashes, and are very well behaved when going on walks

Kai; has a mix that is some kind of Norwegian Forest Cat/Ragdoll, a very fluffy guy with dark-brown/orange fur that fades into a lighter belly. his name is Ash, and he is one of those cats who can actually pay attention to a TV, and he oddly likes watching action cartoons/anime

Sarge; first took in an big older dark gray boy cat that had been feral and covered with scars on his face. Sarge took his time to slowly get the cat to trust him (earning several scratches in the beginning), but after a couple of months the cat was super affectionate. Sarge named him Maximus, and also calls him Max. At one point, Sarge was visiting Wash with Max, and the old cat started cuddling up to two young kittens that had been abandoned. Sarge obviously wanted to keep them too, and learned how to hold little bottles to feed them properly (both girls, one is a little ginger tabby named Clementine, the other is a little white short-hair named Sugar). he spoils them all

Simmons and Grif; together, they got one kitty that resembles an Egyptian Mau with rusty fur and spots (probably a mix of unknown breeds). they name her Blaze (and had to convince Donut that it was NOT a reference to drugs). she likes to give them affectionate head-butts (they get two more kitties later when family times happen)

Donut; has one kitty with glossy brown fur, lighter blonde-ish tips around the feet, one green eye/one blue, and a floofy tail named Diva (she WILL get your attention when she wants it, and is very dramatic). he later gets another kitten who likes to rough-house (but doesn’t actually hurt anybody, just playful attacks). she’s a dusty-colored little fluffball he calls Cookie, “because she’s a tough cookie”

Lopez and Sheila; they have a quartet of 4 kitten sibs who were rescued from a fire. Sarge taught them how to use the little nursing bottles. the babies didn’t even have their eyes open yet. all 4 are white with patterns of brown stripes (when you line them up, one has only a few pale stripes on her back, the next has more darker stripes that reach his ears and tail, the third has even darker stripes that go down his legs, and the last has the darkest/most stipes with solid brown on her ears/feet/nose). they’ll get names when they’re older

Doc; he got a cat first, a big boy named Domino (two-tone white and black, split right down the middle. his head and front legs are white, his back legs and tail are black). he’s a very cuddly and comforting pet... once O’Malley finally admitted he wanted a cat too, Doc got another kitty. a little kitten that has gray fur on the back that fades into a cream color that O’Malley names Stephen (yes, after Stephen King... Doc talked him out naming the kitty after a specific character from Pet Sematary, at least)

Locus; kept the all black stray cat that seemed to take a liking to him. he started saying “ki-ki” when calling her (you know, that short for kitty-kitty call), and now her name is just Kiki. she’s much more calm around other people now, but pretty much doesn’t come up to anybody but Locus (she’ll sit and watch other people, like she’s saying “Get off my property”)

Wash; still has like, 10 cats

#red vs blue #cats

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evilsnowswan · 7 years

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Summary: [Rumbelle Mermaid!AU] based on this prompt by repeatinglitanies: “In a world where people are aware of the existence of mermaids, Belle is a mermaid who lives in the world’s largest aquarium along with other sea creatures. She enjoys looking at the little humans who come to visit, especially a floofy haired boy who comes every week with his father….” An injured Belle is captured and brought to Gold and Milah’s aquarium. Gold is a marine biologist dedicated to protecting the creatures there, Milah wants to turn a profit, and their son has his own ideas about how to befriend a mermaid.

Rating: G/Teen Link to full story: [Read on AO3] Previous Chapters: [Coverart][Chapter 1][Chapter 2][Chapter 3][Chapter 4][Chapter 5][Chapter 6][Chapter 7][Chapter 8][Chapter 9][Chapter 10][Chapter 11][Chapter 12]

Current Chapter: 13/? Chapter Summary: (♫) You can't always get what you want, But if you try sometimes you might find, You get what you need (♫)

Chapter 13

What had gotten into him today? Something was definitely off, Belle thought, tilting her head back to catch a glimpse of his face. He seemed distracted, preoccupied with something; so much so that he had deviated from their usual routine and wasn’t paying attention to where they were going now either, taking yet another wrong turn - for the second or third time in a row.

Belle touched his arm and waved at him. What was going on?

She pointed over her shoulder, off to the right. If they wanted to go and see TEACHER, they had to turn around and take a left, a right, and then another left. And they had to hurry, or she would be late. She couldn’t be late. To leave a dolphin waiting was highly offensive.

He smiled, shook his head, said something.

Belle bit her lip. It didn’t matter that it wouldn’t be her fault; she didn’t want to be rude.

She leaned back in her seat, making herself as heavy as she could to force him to stop. They were going in the wrong direction and needed to head the other way.

“Indigo!” He let go of the Travel Puddle and it hit the ground hard.

Bend double, holding onto the edges of her sitting-mold not to be thrown off, Belle felt the sudden impact reverberate in her body, making every cell and raw nerve ending tingle. The water sloshed around and splashed against her in angry waves, breaking on her fur-clad tail.

She glared up at him. That hadn’t been necessary, had it?

He gestured, raised his eyebrows.

Question. But she had missed the contents.

It didn’t matter. Belle blew damp frills of hair out of her face and gave him a double beak in response. No. No. This was entirely his fault! He was the one who had dawdled too long, taken wrong turns, and was acting all funny - not her!

Using her hands, she mimicked swimming with TEACHER, then pointed at the sun. It was too high already. They were late. Perfect.

He copied her, making his hands swim, but then signed a firm ‘no’; and the knot in her belly that had just begun to loosen at the sight of him finally cottoning on, tightened painfully.

But… but… why not?! Belle gaped at him.

He repeated the gesture, pointed at the sun, then seemed to try pushing it down with his hands. Silly airling. Didn’t he know that the sun, the moon, and the flow of water and time could not be meddled with?

Unless, ... that sort of thing was something airlings could do?

She squinted at him. Was he trying to make them even later than they already were?! Could he do such a thing? Why would he do such a thing?!

She watched; the sun didn’t budge an eel.

He did everything again; and she was about to laugh at his feeble attempt at… whatever this was, when suddenly the dots connected in her brain and formed a crooked line of understanding. Oh,… oh!

Later. He must mean: later.

Well, actually... no. Absolutely not! Belle sniffed, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and crossed her arms.

“Indigo?!”

Eyebrow-raise.

Indigo, what?

Oh, she would tell him ‘Indigo, what?’ alright!

Belle pointed in the direction of TEACHER’s home, at herself, at him, but he wouldn't listen. Instead, he had grasped the steering poles and was moving them again, resolutely following down the wrong current, heading into the least sensible direction.

He was a lying liar who lied. Oh, how Belle wished she had her throw-thing with her right now, but that was way out of reach, back at the place, Inside, on the sunbathing platform somewhere.

He was talking to her - well, at her - as they went, but she wasn't in the mood. Why should she make an effort to put the bits and pieces together, go out of her way to try and understand him, when he didn't even so much as try to listen to her, or include her wishes in the decision-making process?

They had agreed to go out and see TEACHER. And now… where was he taking her?

She wanted to shut her eyes and cover her ears - to let him know that he could talk to the sea slug, if he expected her to listen to another sound coming out of his mouth today; however, this area was a new one, one he’d never taken her before, entirely unfamiliar and exciting, and she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

There were more airlings here than anywhere else she had been recently. All of them had wrapped themselves in fabrics of the same color: white.

Perhaps it shielded their skin from the sun? Like the cool, white mud he put on her every morning before they left Inside and came here?

The airlings smiled as they approached, some uttering what Belle assumed to be greetings, and politely stepped out of their way.

She wasn't scared of them. Not anymore. Still, part of her was glad they didn't come any closer. Just because she didn't fear them any longer, didn't mean she trusted them; and she’d rather observe them, their comings and goings, from a safe distance.

They were such curious beings, though. Always moving, always busy, always headed some place or other; some clutching strange-looking objects in odd combinations that didn't make the slightest bit of sense to her.

She wanted to ask the airling about them - the others and their objects - but then remembered that she was mad at him just in time, and refrained, resorting to watching intently and storing away her questions for another time.

***

As soon as word reached her, Ruby dropped everything at the diner, jumped out of her waitressing garb and into her wetsuit, and dashed off towards the old show tank.

Technically, it wasn’t in use, hadn’t been for years, but the old show tank was where Mr Gold wanted her; wanted her specifically and asap, so Ruby had no time to wonder or question the instructions she’d been given.

She knew where it was; knew the way, of course, but, seeing as it had already been shut down and replaced by a better, larger tank closer to the main buildings by the time she and Granny moved onto the premises, she had never performed there herself. The equipment probably still worked though, Ruby assumed. Plus, the old tank was on the outskirts now, out of the way, so it might offer some privacy? Maybe that was why she was supposed to meet Mr Gold and Indigo there? Maybe he wanted to watch her work with Indigo to assess if she was ready to resume regular training? Ruby’s stomach clenched with nerves.

“Ruby!” With a delighted squeal, a pair of short, chubby arms flew around her middle, and Ruby would have recognized that mob of wild hair and the cheeky, toothless grin anywhere.

“Hey, Emms.”

“Emma Ruthie Nolan!” Mrs Nolan, a fat pink plush-kraken clutched in one hand and the other coming to a full stop on her hip, fixed her daughter with a stern look. “What have we told you about-”

“I know. I know.” Emma let go and stepped back, holding out her hand instead. Bemused, Ruby took it, and the two of them laughed. “I’m not supposed to jump at people like that. But this isn’t people, Mom! It’s Ruby!”

“Don’t get smart with me, Emma.” Mrs Nolan dropped the kraken into one of the open cardboard boxes, and came over to say hello. She looked tired today, more so than usual, her friendly smile coming off a little forced. “Hello, Ruby. How are you?”

Ruby put on her best toothy show-smile. “Hi, Mrs Nolan. Good. How about you?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “I get it! I get it!”

“Manners are important, Emma.” Mrs Nolan lectured as the kid stomped off towards the half-restocked toy shelves and open cardboard boxes, and kicked the nearest one.

“Emma!”

Ruby smirked.

Mrs Nolan shook her head and, apparently deeming her sulking daughter a lost cause, returned her attention to Ruby. “What can I get you, Ruby? Does Granny need a new batch of toys for the Mermaid Menu?” She sighed, looking put upon. “Let me tell you, they can’t make them fast enough. We only got one box left, I’m afraid. Not sure when the next order is due.” Eyebrows arched, she turned and moved behind the counter to flip through pages on a clipboard. “Monday, I think. Tuesday? The rest of them are in back, if-”

“No. No, thank you.” Ruby held up her hands and lifted one shoulder in apology, making the frazzled frown on Mrs Nolan’s face deepen and her hands pause. “I’m not here for the toys.” She let her gaze roam over the shelves and the goods on display next to the register as she walked up to the counter. “You got batteries, don’t you?” She nodded toward the polaroids and colorful kiddy cameras. “Mr Gold wants me to record Indigo, but this ancient thing -” She patted her bulky bag - “is out of juice.”

“Oh! Yes, of course. Which model is it?”

“Uh,” Ruby shrugged. “No idea.”

“If we haven’t got it in the shop, I’m sure David can help.”

Right. She had forgotten about Mr Nolan’s fascination with anything and everything with a lense and a flash.

“It’s these…” She rummaged in the side pocket and produced one empty, square battery, setting it down on the counter between them for Mrs Nolan to have a look. “Two?”

“Ah. Those we got. They’re right over-”

“Got them! Here you go!” Out of nowhere, a grinning Emma materialized next to her mother, rising on her toes to place the desired objects next to the old battery. Then she ran over to the cluster of cardboard boxes again; this time not to kick them, but to get something else and carry it back to them fast as lightning - there and back again, before anyone had the chance to say anything about it.

One kiddy camera. Cheap plastic on a shoulder strap. Bold red.

“You’re taking pictures? Of Indigo? Can I come? Can I be your assistant? I could be your assistant, see?” She held out the kiddy camera box. “Please, can I? Can I?”

Ruby glanced at a tight-lipped Mrs Nolan. The kid had nerve.

“Emma.” They wrestled for the ugly thing. Mrs Nolan won. “This belongs to the shop. How many times do I have to tell you not to remove things from the shelves?”

Emma sniffed. “I can pay for it! … How much is it?”

Mrs Nolan shut her eyes for a beat. “More than your allowance.” She held the box out to Emma. “Now, please, put it back.”

Emma clutched the toy camera to her small chest. “But… but…”

“On the correct shelf.”

“But how am I supposed to be Ruby’s assistant if I don’t have a camera?!” Emma protested.

“Have you asked Ruby if she needs an assistant?” Mrs Nolan shot her an apologetic smile. “She is working right now, and we are keeping her, Emma. You’d be in the way; and we don’t want you falling into the water again, do we?”

“I can swim proper now!” Emma whined. “Daddy showed me. We practiced!”

Mrs Nolan grabbed the batteries, checked them against Ruby’s, and proceeded to scan them quickly, opening and closing the register, and handing her her receipt. “Would you like a bag?”

“Nah, I’ll pop them right in. Thanks.” She made to open her bag, but then caught a glimpse of Emma, who seemed glued to her red treasure in its box, determined not to part with it again, and Ruby thought better of it. Best not to torture the kid unnecessarily. “Better do it on the way.”

“Mooom! Pleeease.” Emma hopped from one foot to the other. “What if you take all my allowance money for… for… until school starts?”

The kid looked so hopeful, Ruby almost felt sorry for the little pouting pest. She bit her lip and reached for the Apollo Bars, quickly tallying up the loose change in her fanny pack in her head. Three, maybe four. Perhaps she could give one to Emma later - to cheer her up.

“No, Emma.” Mrs Nolan leaned on the counter for support. “Now, put it back, please.” She proceeded to scan the candy in silence and waited patiently as Ruby unzipped her bag and dug out the coins.

“No fair!” Emma fumed. She stood rooted to the spot for a moment longer; then, after another pointed look from her mother, set the box down and began kicking it across the linoleum floor towards the right aisle.

Ruby heard Mrs Nolan draw a sharp breath. “Emma!”

“Don’t ‘Emma’ me!”

“Emma Ruthie, you will pick that up at once and carry it. Carefully. Do you hear me?”

Emma kicked the toy again, making it slide a few more inches, then lazily strolled after it and picked it up. “Fine. Whatever.”

Mrs Nolan ran a hand over her face. “Sorry about this,” She nodded toward her daughter. “She’s bored. Two more weeks.” She sighed.

“Oh!” Her face lit up. “I heard about school. The program? Your grandmother told me someone got the big envelope in the mail?” She took Ruby’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze. “Congratulations! Are you nervous? Excited?”

Ruby suppressed the mile-wide grin that bubbled beneath the surface and settled for a regular smile and a non-committal shrug. “Yeah, it’s pretty neat. Checked out the dorms the other week. Granny almost had a stroke when she heard some of them are co-ed now.”

Mrs Nolan smiled warmly. “She’s worried for you, Ruby. A pretty girl like you is bound to break some hearts in college.”

Ruby felt her face flush. “Dunno. I’m fine with whatever - co-ed, all-girls - I don’t mind.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Don’t tell anyone - especially not Granny - but I’m really going for the knowledge.” She giggled. “The program is amazing. Classes don’t start until late September, though.”

“It’s not far, is it?” Mrs Nolan asked. “You could live with your grandmother and commute to school? Fewer distractions?” She winked.

Ruby raised her hands in front of her body. “Let’s not take it quite that far, okay?”

They both laughed.

“I’ll be around. I get to keep my job, do both, part-time.”

“Good for you.”

A loud bang and crash had them turn their heads, and the conversation died abruptly as a tidal wave of toys and plastic rubbish came bursting out from behind the aisle where the toys, cameras, and photography equipment was. That, and presumably, a very grumpy Emma Nolan.

Ruby glanced at Mrs Nolan, who watched her merchandise spill all across her shop’s floor in horror.

“Emma! Come here! What are you doing?!”

“It was an accident!” Emma hollered back into the shocked silence. “I didn’t mean to…”

“Excuse me,” Mrs Nolan said, leaving Ruby at the counter to find her daughter between the shelves. “Ever since her father promised her... all she talks about is going to see that mermaid!”

The polite and right thing to do would have been to leave, Ruby knew, but she felt sorry for them both - and she had an idea. “Mrs Nolan? You know, maybe I could take Emma off your hands for a bit…”

Mrs Nolan stopped and turned around to face her. “That’s very sweet of you to offer, Ruby, but I couldn’t possibly. I know you’re good with kids,” she added quickly, “but Emma has been a little… difficult lately, and, well… thank you, though.”

“Okay. But if you change your mind…?”

They found Emma on the floor, on all fours amidst several pink octopi, schools of different-size dolphin plushies, and an army of wind-up rubber crabs that walked sideways and clicked their nippers if set loose. The kid, scooting about on her knees on the floor like a distressed pelican flapping its wings, was trying to scoop up as many crabs as possible in her little hands to return them to their - overturned - cardboard box.

When she spotted them, Emma scrambled to her feet and brushed invisible dust and lint off her knees. “Wasn’t on purpose,” she mumbled, glancing at her mother. Her ears were the same color as the octopi. She shuffled her feet.

“Leave it,” Mrs Nolan said, holding out her hand and squatting down to be eye-level with her daughter. “Leave it, and come here, please.”

Ruby watched as a very sorry little Emma did as she was told. Mrs Nolan truly had the patience of a saint. If it were her, a younger her anyway, making an absolute mess of her grandmother’s kitchen or the diner, she would have found herself across Granny’s lap long before now.

“Emma,” Mrs Nolan didn’t yell. Her voice was firm but gentle. “I told you. The mermaid-”

“Indigo.”

“Indigo got sick and we can’t go and visit her until Dr Whale says it’s okay.”

“I know,” Emma’s head snapped up and she wriggled free of her mother’s grasp, looking around wildly, trying to spot something amongst the rubble. “That’s why I ran and got the picture! It was on the fridge, and Ruby was about to leave, and I wanted to… and then I crashed into your boxes, Mom!” Breathless, she twirled on the spot, then dropped to her knees again to look for her picture under a pile of plushies. “I’m sorry.”

Ruby scanned the floor. There was something white peeping out from underneath the toy shelf.

Carefully stepping over the general mess, and side-stepping a frantic Emma, she went to retrieve the piece of paper from its hiding place. Bingo! As she turned it over, there was Emma Nolan’s precious masterpiece.

Ruby held it up. “That it, Emms?”

Her finder’s reward was another Emma-hug.

“She wanted to give it to… Indigo. As a present,” Mrs Nolan explained, picking up the crab box and setting it right. “Bae told her… told her she draws?”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, we gave her crayons. She’s not half-bad.”

“See? That’s Indigo.” Emma pointed to a human-shaped blob with brown hair and a blue tail. “And that’s Bae and me. And you-”

“Found Nemo!” Ruby laughed, indicating red and orange fish at the bottom of the picture, swimming around the words ‘Get well soon! Xoxo’ in big, strained letters. Emma snatched the picture from her.

“Very funny.”

“Hey, just joking, kid. It’s a beautiful picture. I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“You think?” Emma scrutinized her own work. “It’s not stupid?”

“It’s a great idea.” She ruffled Emma’s hair. “And you know what, I got another one.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember Indigo’s favorite food?” Ruby asked, grinning.

Emma pulled a face. “Bananas.”

“Yeah, and I bet Indigo would love it if she got one from you - together with your picture. I’ll tell her they’re from you. She’s feeling much better already. Or,” Ruby exchanged a quick look with Mrs Nolan before she continued. “Or, we could all go for a flying visit? A few minutes tops, and you can tell her yourself?”

Mrs Nolan nodded behind Emma’s back. “A banana. That’s a lovely idea, Ruby! How about you and I tag along and give her one, Emma? But, like Ruby said, only a few minutes!” She cautioned.

Emma beamed at them. “Can we wrap it? The banana?”

Mrs Nolan hesitated. “Err… we could, but we only got the Christmas paper right now. It’s a little early for that, don’t you think? It’s not even Halloween yet.”

Emma frowned, thinking. “When is Halloween?” She asked.

Mrs Nolan blew out a breath. “Over two months away, Emma.”

“Yeah, but… how many sleeps is that?”

“Many, kid.” Ruby cut in before Mrs Nolan could lose her cool at long last. She really didn’t look so good. Maybe it was the shop’s lighting? “How about you tie a ribbon around it? It’ll look much nicer than wrapping paper anyway.”

Mrs Nolan gave her a thankful smile. “Yes. Emma, could you get me the biggest banana from the fruit bowl, please? Make sure it doesn’t have any brown spots? We can pick out a nice ribbon for it together.”

“Okay.” Emma skipped off to the back, and Mrs Nolan wiped a hand across her forehead and cheeks.

#rumbelle fic #rumbelle #mermaid!belle #ouat fanfiction #rumbelle au #my fic #fic: indigo

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