do—
Do Howdy and Barnaby ever get together in your human au 🥺🥺
of course they do, who do you think i am
oh BOY do i have things to say about human!Laughingstock! im so unwell about them allow me to talk and talk and talk and ta-
~
so in this au they're like... the ultimate slowburn. their feelings for each other slowly simmer and grow over the course of *checks nonexistent watch* a lil over a decade i think. it's not very dramatic - just soft & silly w/ just a heap of pining and a pinch of angst for Flavor
it starts when they were teens - Howdy had a lil crush on Barnaby in middle school. and how could he not? Barnaby was cute, hilarious, and kind. at this point, they weren't friends! Barnaby knew Howdy's name, but only because they'd shared a school since elementary (as with 6/7 of the other neighbors) & speaking from experience, you just Know Those Names. Howdy slowly "grew out of" this crush, especially when the friend group started forming and he & Barnaby became actual friends.
that crush would fluctuate over the years. It starts out strong and then softens into just this hum in the back of Howdy's mind. always there, often easy to ignore, just... part of him, in a way.
Barnaby has a similar experience. when he and Howdy became friends, he got a lil crush - how could he not? Howdy was cute, laughed at all of his jokes and had a few of his own, and was endearingly eccentric. but at the time, Barnaby didn't recognize the crush for what it was. so he elected to ignore it until the crush dwindled to something easily manageable, something he wouldn't realize is still there. as with Howdy's, it'd never fully go away
and its noticeable enough to their friends that they'd all kinda side-eye how touchy Howdy & Barnaby are with each other (Barnaby is a physical guy, but damn. if Howdy is nearby they Will find a way to be touching at all times), the way they always laugh at each others jokes, the way they always ask "where's [x] / is [x] coming with" whenever the other is absent. but the group couldn't be sure if they were looking into it or not. it's too subtle. over time they get so used to it that they don't bat an eye - Howdy is Barnaby's best friend after Wally. of course they're close!
but then there's this one college party Howdy drags Barnaby to (and by extension, Wally). they're drunk off their asses, Wally's edible has kicked in, the party is pretty chill and everyone is having a decent time. all three of them are on the couch, and Barnaby and Howdy start drunk-complimenting each other. naturally, this feeds their mutual attraction, and one thing leads to another! they make out on the couch. naturally with Wally sandwiched between them, snacking on chips and committing the moment to memory (it's a surprise tool that'll help them later!) neither Barnaby nor Howdy will remember this
now, something i'd like to state for Barnaby in this au! he has had a lot of relationships - from one night stands to actually dating someone for months. sometimes the one night stands were a "he takes someone home after a date, & they leave while he's sleeping and ghost him" situation. with actual dating, the other person always breaks things off after a few weeks, if not days. it breaks Barnaby's heart a little bit every time. to the point where in his mid-20s, he just... stops dating. he avoids other people's advancements towards him, he always takes a friend with him to bars/etc as a buffer, he becomes an expert at gracefully turning people down
("why, pray tell" no one asks "do they always leave him? he's such a catch!" that he is! when he was in school, it was his friend group. he'd try to introduce his 'girlfriend' to his friends, and it'd be an immediate "eugh, you're friends with those freaks? no way!" as an adult, people found it off-putting how (by societal standards) unusually close he was with Wally. also, again, a "weird" friend group. they'd think it's too much, or just not their scene, or 'why don't you date your little blue haired boyfriend', etc. Barnaby never holds it against Wally or his friends. he has the mindset of if that person was the one, they would accept every part of Barnaby - and his friends are indeed part of him. Howdy has also dated around a little, but to a much lesser extent. he's too busy! he doesn't have time for that!)
but the ball really starts rolling in their late 20s. something the group does together - as a fun lil rare hobby - is LARPing. they get really into it! Sally made them all custom costumes, Julie helped make the weapons (like a giant sword for herself), etc etc. they fully commit to the bit (even Frank <3). so at this event's point in the timeline, Eddie is fully integrated into the clique, but that's unimportant - just to show where we are!
so they're all doing their thing, it's a pretty big LARP event - there's always way more people than our dear neighbors, yk. they're just part of the crowd! & there's a big battle hosted, the group is split between teams, but Barnaby & Howdy are on the same side! yay! during the battle, Barnaby is "mortally wounded." Howdy half-drags him away from the main battle under the cover of their teammates (including Eddie and Julie) and sits him down by the tree. now, Howdy & Barnaby are the ones who get into the roleplay the most. they get lost in the sauce! they perform the hell out of everything they do!
& since Barnaby is "dying", he really acts like it. Howdy acts accordingly, but again, they get a little too emotional, a little too into it, a little lost in the sauce. genuine tears are in their eyes, Howdy's voice is genuinely shaking a little as he holds Barnaby in his "dying moments" (Barnaby is holding the sword between his arm and his side. he has ketchup on his armor.) Eddie and Julie are getting choked up just watching this happen. and as Howdy & Barnaby look into each others' tear-filled eyes, those little feelings that have been so quiet for so long come right back babey! full force! but then they all get hit with "arrows" and have to die right there and then, and the moments over. but! both Barnaby & Howdy walk away from this LARP session grappling with Partially Realized Feelings.
Barnaby struggles with this the most, since yk at this point he's sworn off dating. he's being careful with his heart! but when he tells Wally all of this, cause he tells Wally everything, Wally's like "oh. yes, i know! remember that one college party where you two kissed for an hour". and then he goes on to point out every instance where he's thought "right, Howdy and Barnaby are in love" (bc Wally is way more observant than he lets on! he saw that shit! his peepers were peepin!)
BUT IT'S STILL A SLOW BURN BABEY!
Barnaby and Howdy don't approach each other about this. they're both in the boat of "well, i'll just keep going and see what happens" to the point where they're practically dating without ever saying anything to each other. Howdy notices how Barnaby lingers around the store more. Barnaby notices how Howdy keeps turning up at his work to talk more. (they already chat so much...) but they still! dont! say! anything! but they both Know! they're not emotionally circling each other they are Dancing to their Own Music!
and Barnaby is letting himself believe that this can work because, well... Howdy already accepts him as he is. Howdy is part of the group. Howdy loves Wally just like the rest of em. Howdy has seen Barnaby at his (presumed) worst and didn't even flinch! as for Howdy, well, he just thinks this is right! his whole life no one has really caught his eyes or heart, but Barnaby is different. he's always been in Howdy's peripherals. it feels natural to love him so deeply. Barnaby slots into his life like the final piece of a puzzle!
there's a lot of stuff that happens in this inbetween state - Howdy's store burns down & almost takes him with it, there's some family drama that needs to be handled, The Crash happens, etc etc etc - so it's a while before they "actually" get together. but they're both patient! they've waited this long, even if they didn't know they were waiting. neither of them are in a rush. they're young. they have time.
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The Trouble With Gimli:
*Context: During Legolas and Gimli's stay to Tol Eressea in the Undying Lands, many had changed. The two would reunite with Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Gandalf and the High Elves (Galadriel, Celeborn, Elrond and Celebrian). Then, with help of the Valar, Legolas would meet and marry the Wingildi of the Bay Of Bafalas, Nenselde (of the LOTR Trading Cards). This union would result in a daughter, Marillalote. All the while, Thranduil, Tauriel and the last of the Mirkwood elves migrated to the Undying Lands.*
Gimli: *runs in the room with baby Marillalote in his arms* Legolas! Nenselde! I have great news!
Legolas: What news, old friend?
Gimli: Wee Marilla's got the true makings of a dwarf! I just taught her the greetings of my people and she's a natural!
Nenselde: Aaw! She's said her first words?
Gimli: Nope! Better than that!
*LATER*
*As Legolas, Nenselde and Marillalotte are being visited by Gandalf, Elrond, Celeborn, Celebrian, Elrond and Thranduil...*
Thranduil: *as he holds Marillalote* Hello, Lotte-Nin. Did you miss your grandfa-
*Thranduil is met with a hard headbutt by Marillalote.*
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What's your opinion on barn cats/mousers? Are they an acceptable subset of "outdoor cat"?
Certainly barn cats pose the same problem as pets that live in more urban environments. They still hunt birds, spread disease, out-compete native wildlife— all that bad stuff. In an ideal world barn cats wouldn't exist so those things would all stop happening. I don't think harmful, invasive species are in any way "acceptable" and I definitely wouldn't encourage it.
At the same time though I do think sometimes the barn cat solutions proposed on tumblr (hiring ratting terriers among some other ideas) also seem a little... unrealistic. At least given my personal experience with farms and farmers, particularly in places far less populated and more remote than the USA. Asking people to get rid of their barn cats cold-turkey is an approach I think would see more pushback than progress.
Working towards better welfare for barn cats and restricting their impact on the environment through education, low cost spay/neuter/vaccine programs and limiting cats' range to the barn buildings only seem like more attainable goals right now. Barn cats are not good for the environment or the cat, but I think we need to take a more gradual approach to the issue than a rip-off-the-bandaid solution in order to make progress. As animal welfare laws continue to develop and indoor cats become the norm in urban areas I think that will also encourage the transition from rural outdoor cats to indoor ones as well.
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Davis brothers but there's a little more in their past stories than "one was better one the other was worse" or "they were equally hopeless teens until Jeff decided to become a cop".
They both were troubled children messing around in the neighborhood, being either famously unfamous or just thinking they've already hacked the system because of stolen gummy bears pack from the nearest shop (usually both).
But I tend to think there always were some difference between them. Not in terms of "Aaron was a full-time trouble and Jeff always secretly stood on the side of justice" because that's NOT what they were. Instead, I chose to believe that Jeff was just a little bit more looking-forward person that Aaron possibly could be.
He was the one to plan their little criminal shenanigans, he was the one to collect stuff and imagining scenarios in case police finds them and/or they were arrested. Not because he thought that what they're doing is 100% wrong — not at the start — but because he was the first one to think about his and his brother's future. Just like he decided to focus at this future in the end, deciding to change a side, being grown enough to understand that counting to do what they were doing means slowly digging himself a grave.
Aaron looked at all his papers, all his plans and thoughts and just straight-up laughed, not mockingly but without any belief in that being serious, giving Jeff an uncertain look.
"Hey, did you decide that we're goin to end up in the cell or something? Don't worry about this, bro. Everything is in our hands, remember?"
Jefferson would like to say his brother also knows where to stop. That he also knows the moments were risk is a useless flow of adrenaline, where it's better to wait, to think about what's next.
In reality, he didn't. There's plenty of time, Aaron thought. He thought they were the youth who hacked the system, that everything is so easy, so cool for them that there's literally no reason to worry. He didn't want to worry about the future when it's so, so far away and they're still young and open-minded.
While he has Jeff on his side, everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be easy because there's nothing they can't go though together.
Aaron called it being optimistic. Growing up, Jeff started to think that he was just blind. Kind of both of them being a trouble, yes, but sometimes Aaron just... didn't have any breaks.
Because time flew by faster then he thought. Because Aaron has digged himself a grave, because he didn't stop thinking in this criminal world deeper and deeper with every second. Because Jeff was his breaks.
Yeah, that how they were.
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