#also i tend to spend way too much time looking up scenes... i went overboard with akai oh my god

[akai-anna]

So I already asked this before, but here I am asking you to do it again cause I honestly really enjoy reading about how you view each of the relationships in decto. So if it's not too much to ask will you do a part 3 just rambling about other relationships in decto. Also I'm glad my last ask made you that happy, and don't worry take as long as you like there's no rush to make them.

Anon-san. Dear. Darling. You are truly a blessing, a pure source of joy, a beauty in this measly existence we call a life. I would have never thought you'd come back for more rambling. Just. Thank you. So much.

And I'm happy you enjoyed my previous ramblings, and I hope you will enjoy this one too.

Notes, as always:

as in the previous asks relating to the ship opinion bingo, i interpret relationships in the broadest possible sense

i check everything that makes sense to me, even if they seem contradictory; i view them applied to different situations/universes/possibilities

*rolls up sleeves* Ok, now buckle up.

I. Akai Shuuichi/Okiya Subaru - Kudou Shinichi/Edogawa Conan (and The Kudous)

The Silver Bullet Duo (and the Parents Partners In Crime)

They just... have such a fascinating dynamic.

Akai, first learning about this lil kiddo through investigating Vermouth (Cool Guy) and as they started interacting, treating this boy as an equal despite him (seemingly) being a child. The fact he is openly impressed by Conan/Shinichi ("You always amaze us, boy."); I cannot put into words how important it is to me that Akai respects this gremlin child. (ONE OF thE BESt INVEstigAtoRS IN JAPAN HE SAID!!!!) Shinichi Being all sus of the guy at first, only to find a great mind in him, an amazing scheming partner, someone he can trust to protect his friend. They are not only on the the same wavelength (not even being in the same place) but make a very effective as a team; the sheer compatibility.

But also their actual first meeting BEING: SHINICHI BASICALLY CALLING AKAI SHUUICHI A CLOWN. INCREDIBLE.

And also, Akai being one of the precious few who knows about this lil gremlins identity. It's so important to me; as someone who dearly wants and aches for Shinichi to share his identity with at least a few other people, I cherish all individuals who are aware of his true identity. Not to mention, that the identity reveal to Akai was one of the most hilarious things I have ever witnessed. (Shinichi literally outing himself because he is too comfortable, too at ease in his own home and around these people, and distracted by Ran and solving the mystery, he forgets to be cautious. THIS FCKIN CHILD I LOVE HIM.)

And Akai constantly hinting at his real identity gets me so bad too. They are so precious to me.

And then there is the whole Akai-Yukiko & Yuusaku dynamic too. He literally became part of this oddball of a family? (YUKIKO tAUGHt HIM to COOK I CANNOt???) FITTING IN WITH THEM SO EFFORTLESSLY. I LOVE THEM.

⊱✿⊰

II. Agasa Hiroshi - Kudou Shinichi/Edogawa Conan - Miyano Shiho/Haibara Ai (- Detective Boys Trio)

Found Family: "Sometimes a family is 1 middle-aged man, 2 fake and 3 real elementary students" as I like to say.

Not many scenes to share here (tho I will definitely collect them in my newest reread session) because I don't have the energy to look for them. BUT.

Agasa Hiroshi is a Good Man. He doesn't have to invent all that stuff for Shinichi BUT HE DOES. He doesn't have to help this lil gremlin out BUT HE STILL DOES. All the times he just drove him around, all the times he allowed himself to be used (with no advance notice which he keeps ASKING SHINICHI FOR, TO JUST LET HIM KNOW) as a way to solve a crime; EVERYTHING HE DOES, DESPITE KNOWING HOW DANGEROUS IT IS. The way he only helped Yukiko and Yuusaku with the mad plan (because IT IS MAD; ODDBALLS) of "kidnapping Edogawa Conan" because he thought it would help drive the point home, of how dangerous this whole business is. Agasa Hiroshi just wants what might be best and safest for Shinichi. Just being there for him, and if he cannot he lets others, who can, know (Yuusaku and Yukiko in the above scene, Heiji in desperate revival, and so on). He cares.

On the other side, Shinichi might seem like, he doesn't appreciate Prof Agasa much at first glance (his constant comments about Agasa creating junk, says the one who uses his inventions, HYPOCRITE), but god, he goes BALLISTIC WHEN IT COUNTS. (Kidnapping case, just to mention one off the top of my head.) Shinichi literally grew up with this weird adult figure around, he is like family to him, and he cares. Tons. He trusts Agasa Hiroshi, literally, with his life.

Moving on: another point of Prof being a really good man. The way he is with the kids. He literally goes out of his way, to take them out to places, spend time with them. Be it camping, or eating out, or invent stuff for them, cooking for them, or just getting a cake to eat together... He got attached to these kids (just like Shinichi himself) as they spent more and more time together, and cares a great deal about them. And the kids grew fond of him too, despite all the little comments and teasing. (Or as I see it: he is an adult figure to them that they are comfortable around, and are not afraid to say what they think.)

As for Ai. Exhibit C of Agasa Hiroshi being a really good, kind-hearted person.

Agasa Hiroshi picked up a girl that brings even more danger with her mere presence, and at this point she is not trustworthy. Who knows what she might do? But he took her in anyways. (Without talking to Shinichi too, which led to some Emotions and Yelling.) And as time went on, this girl, who constantly lives in fear of being discovered (fearing so much, that she even tries to let herself die, and considers leaving everyone behind to protect them), slowly crawls out of her shell, to just be a person. Ai and Agasa come to care about each other too, so deeply; there is no blood-relation between them, yet there is such a strong familial bond between the two. (People mistaking them as father and daughter!)

They are a weird lil family unit, your honour, and I care about them so. So. SO MUCH.

⊱✿⊰

III. Mouri Kogorou - Kudou Shinichi/Edogawa Conan - Mouri Ran

The Mouri Family Unit

I just love them. God. I do.

I love how Shinichi got integrated into Kogorou and Ran's everyday life (be it cleaning, or just checking he's there and didn't run off again LOL). I love the rare moments of Kogorou actually being parental, be it to the lil gremlin or Ran. (HE LOVES BOTH OF THEM YOUR HONOUR!!!

I adore the fact that they watch stuff together, and discuss it, I find it really sweet (and funny). Also the fact that they eat together. Eating together with loved ones is a very important point in my own life, and it's a really... "intimate" is not quite the word I'm looking for but... I guess a bonding thing. Something meaningful. And these 3 definitely do it most days. The way they are so comfortable around each other, and everyone has their own lil space at the table. I really adore the thought of Shinichi getting so used to the lil routines and bustle of the Mouri Household, that after he turns back, he'll miss it. Especially, how he was living alone for years before the Conanification, without his parents; the Mouris are such a strong contrast against that. (Post-Conan Shinichi, that moves back to the Kudou House, and finds it too big and quiet and lonely, just going over to Agasa's and the Mouris' all the time to be around his loved ones. Him spending most of his time at their places, so much, his stuff is slowly moved into both places. And No One says a thing about it, it just happens, and they all let it happen. Please. I'm WEAK.)

I also love to see them in various combinations: Ran-Shinichi teaming up against Occhan, but also Ran and Kogorou constantly being "WHERE IS THE CHILD" in their own ways, and Shinichi and Kogorou team up too (like the time they tailed Ran, or when Ran told them Araide will be in the play too, HAHA). Each is so very delightful for their own reasons.

Thank you so much for asking me (AGAIN!!!!) to talk about relationships, it means a lot tome, and I truly hope you enjoyed reading these! May you have a blessed day, darling.

[7nosecrinkle7]

🤧🤚 from the Valentine’s list for natasha please

Thank you for sending this in, and I hope you enjoy! <3

(Sorry if it comes out a bit choppy. I started it before Valentine’s Day and wrapped it up now.)

———————————————————————-

Changing Plans

This was it. Your first Valentine's Day with Natasha. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t nervous, though. You’d been gathering “intel” from the other Avengers about Natasha’s likes, dislikes, and general feelings about the holiday of love in preparation. You had been dating for about a year, so you wanted to make this first Valentine’s Day really special.

Natasha didn’t do holidays. Not really. But, there was something different about what you and Natasha had; something that might just last. You were going all-in to show that to her. You’ve always been a bit of a romantic.

You figured out rather quickly that despite Natasha working closely with all of the Avengers for years, they still didn’t know much about her. They told you about her favorite flowers, but you already knew that answer. Natasha tended to hold private information close, but you were slowly breaking through that wall she had built. It was a process that you were happy to be patient with.

Of course you also had a conversation with Natasha about Valentine's Day. She seemed apathetic about the holiday but not opposed to festivities. You took it as a green light...

...

You stepped back and looked around at the decorations… So you went a bit overboard with the planning. What can you say? You wanted a romantic evening with the Black Widow.

The living room, dining room, and bedroom had been transformed into one giant metaphorical Valentine’s Day explosion. There were red hearts everywhere and red rose petals lining their way towards the bedroom. You had a heart-shaped box of chocolates on the living room table. Next to it were two large bouquets of red roses and a bouquet of pink lilies.

It was all planned out. Thanks to Pepper and her connections, you were able to reserve a spot in the new fancy restaurant that had just been built with a skyline view. That’s where you’d begin your evening: with a romantic dinner looking out over the city. From there, you had planned a short walk through the park. It was a place both of you liked to go to get a clear head and also happens to be where the two of you met. The park would always hold a special place in your heart.

After your walk, you planned to bring her back to the tower to enjoy the setup that you had constructed at her apartment. There was no way to avoid her seeing the decorations beforehand, but that was okay.

At the end of the day, you loved any and all the time you could spend with Natasha.

You sighed, content with the results of your decorating. The sound of a key scrape had you heading to the door. As soon as the door opened you were all smiles.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Natasha,” you said and gave her a hug. You gave her a quick peck on the cheek as you parted from the embrace.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, (Y/N),” Natasha said, returning your smile. She sniffled softly and swiped at her nose.

You closed the door behind her and led her into the living room. Natasha took in the scene.

“Oh, it’s beautiful! You know you didn’t have to do all of this, though, right?”

You shrugged and smoothed out a wrinkle in your evening formal-wear. “I know, but I wanted to do something extra special. I love you everyday, but today it’s socially acceptable to practically shout it from the rooftops just how much I love you.” You couldn’t help it as your cheeks turned a bit pink. For a second you thought you really might’ve done too much.

Natasha set down her mission bag and gently placed a hand on your cheek. “It’s perfect, and you look incredible.”

You believed the sincerity in her eyes. You sighed, relieved, and smiled with a hint of a blush.

“You deserve perfect,” you leaned in and kissed her.

“So,” you said when you pulled away, “we have reservations in an hour, which is just enough time for you to shower and get ready.”

Natasha sniffled again, “sounds good. I’ll go--” She cut herself off with a sneeze.

Hih hngt-shoo! She had bent away from you bringing the back of her hand up to her nose.

“Bless you, Natasha,” you said, a bit surprised.

She sniffled a few more times and shook her head. “Thanks.. I’ll go shower.” And she took off towards the bathroom.

You watched as she walked away, her steps a bit stiffer than normal. Not to mention Natasha rarely sneezed, and when she did, it was almost always completely silent.

The sound of the shower brought you out of your thoughts, only you grew more concerned a few moments later when the sound of two less-restrained sneezes could be heard over the fan and running water. That was her body's tell.

Oh. Natasha’s unwell.

“Right,” you said quietly to yourself. You put your hands on your hips and looked around at the room. Natasha was known for her quick showers, so you had to prepare quickly. If Natasha wasn't well, then what you both needed was each other and a night in. Not the events that you had planned.

So you went about scooping up all of the rose petals, red hearts, flowers, and chocolate. You put the water on to boil as you went and changed into comfier clothing. You also swapped out the outfit Natasha had laid out for herself in exchange for pajamas. Extra blankets and pillows were then deposited onto the sofa just as the kettle on the stove started to whistle.

With a quick jog to the stove, you turned off the burner and poured the hot water into two cups for tea. As you moved the steaming cups to the coffee table, you heard the shower shut off. You checked the time. It had taken Natasha longer than average to shower. She was definitely coming down with something.

The last items of preparation that you needed to do involved a quick phone call to the restaurant to cancel the reservation and a quick apology text to Pepper that you regrettably wouldn’t be going tonight.

Natasha came out of the bedroom still walking a bit stiffly but looking much more relaxed. She sniffled again as she came towards you. You opened up your arms, and she melted into them.

“How’d the mission go,” you asked her quietly.

“Fine. We did what we had to do. It got a little messy, though.”

You hummed in acknowledgement and ran your hand up and down her back. “Well, how about we get under these blankets and relax with a movie? How’s that sound?”

Rather than responding, Natasha brought a hand up around your back and held her knuckles under her nose. Natasha sniffled just before her breath hitched. Hih -- hiiih hngt-shoo... t’schhhoo!

“Bless you, bless you!”

“Sorry,” Natasha mumbled between sniffles.

You kissed the side of her head before stepping out of the hug and grabbing the nearest box of tissues.

“Here,” you said and held the box out. When she took them, you guided her to the sofa and sat down.

You positioned yourself so she would be able to lay back into you. “C’mere,” you said as she leaned back.

“What about the -- mmmmmmh -- reservation?” She asked. A low moan slipped out of her lips as your palms began working slow circles across her back.

“Don’t worry about that. Tonight is still all about you and us. But I get to take care of you and make you feel better.” You leaned forward and kissed the top of her head for a long moment.

“Happy Valentine’s, Nat.”

“Happy Valentine’s, (Y/N).”

[wing-ed-thing]

Cliché (shy!Reader x Might Guy, Part III)

Notes: OOOOOoooh boy. You know, I’m usually really insecure about my writing but I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Probably my favorite. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading as I did writing. Links to part I and II are on the Masterlist pinned at the top of my blog. Unfortunately, Tumblr won’t let this post show up in the tags if I link them here. Lots of love!

Warning for foul language and some sexual innuendo.

It was a small step, but that small step began your blossoming bond with Might Guy. The both of you became almost inseparable. You didn’t know what it was exactly about him, but whenever he was near, you just felt at ease. Wherever you went, Guy accompanied you. Whenever Guy went to train, you were there if not to just spectate. It was apparent to the whole village that you were a good match, yet the two of you stayed near oblivious. Day by day, you grew bolder. You spoke more, laughed more, and for once it felt like you had a seat at the table in your own life. He balanced you as you balanced him.

“You can slow down sometimes, you know,” you would tell him, “Life isn’t a race, it’s meant to be savored.” He took your advice. At times where he normally would have been training for the umpteenth time, you would spot him taking his team out to dinner. When he normally would have run 500 laps around the village, he walked with you as the both of you chatted. You were still soft-spoken and Guy was still outgoing, but you had grown together. You thought you’d never see the day that Might Guy would become the closest person to you, but here it was. Even if you stayed friends, you would be happy.

It was the end of the training day. Your team was splayed out among members of Team Guy. All six children panted, catching their breath on the dirted training ground. Guy worked them hard today. You, well, you reminded everyone that water existed while you tended to the inevitable scrapes and bruises. You were always told that you had too much of a gentle hand when it came to training up Genin, but with Guy’s tough love attitude, both of your teams seemed to be benefiting from your mixed style.

“Alright Team, be sure to thank Guy-Sensei.” You announced as they gathered their kunai from around the field. They gave a tired yet resounding thanks to your colleague. Guy stood across the grounds and gave a thumbs up. One of your students came up to you.

“Do we always have to train with Team Guy?” she complained in a hushed tone. Your other students turned to face you, nodding in agreement. You gave a quiet laugh.

“And here I thought you liked spending time with Team Guy.” The kunoichi in training sighed. The two other boys stood beside her now, directly in front of you.

“We like Team Guy but Guy-Sensei always goes overboard!” one of your boys protested earnestly.

“Yeah,” the other pouted. “Just because you like having boring talks with Guy-Sensei doesn’t mean we should have to do all these crazy routines, (Y/N)-Sensei.” You blinked in shock for a moment before the shock turned into annoyance. Why these little-!

“I’m sorry.” You crossed your arms, a smile on your lips. Your brow twitched. “Do you want to run another 500 laps? Because that’s what I’m hearing right now.”

Your smile made your team uneasy. They passively felt your increasingly negative energy. Creepy. That was the end of those questions. They trudged back home as you trailed behind and walked with Guy.

“What did they want?” Guy asked, lightly bumping your shoulder with his.

“Who?”

“Your team!” he chuckled jovially. “It looked like they wanted to talk to ya.” Your students had begun to branch off at this point as they headed home. Guy continued to walk with you.

“Oh.” Your student’s words echoed through your head. Just because you like having boring talks with Guy-Sensei doesn’t mean we should have to do all these crazy routines, (Y/N)-Sensei. You kept your features light despite inwardly cursing those brats you loved so much. “Nothing! You know Genin. Complaining!”

You looked at Guy whose aura was as positive as ever. You really were smiling more, weren’t you? The both of you continued. In the distance, you saw two figures waving over to the pair of you.

“(Y/N), Guy, you’re just in time!” Kotetsu declared loosely. “Genma and them just got back from a mission!”

“We’re all getting drinks, the whole gang! You gotta come along,” Izumo chimed, “When’s the last time we were all in the village together?”

You did miss your friends and it had indeed been a long time. However, you didn’t know if the bar was the scene for you. Guy had already made up his mind.

“Aw yeah! I can’t wait to see everyone!” The two shinobi before you quite obviously pregamed before running into you, but Guy’s enthusiastic energy still matched theirs. You stood by, watching as the three hyped each other up for the night to come. You inched back.

“Um,” You started in a small voice, “I’ll see everyone later.” Despite their slight inebriation, Kotetsu and Izumo heard that.

“No! C’mon (Y/N)-chan, you gotta come!”

“Yeah you gotta come! We’re on missions tomorrow, and Kurenai and Asuma are being sent out the day after us! When’s the next time we’ll all be together?”

“When’s the next time we’ll be together, (Y/N)?”

Guy cleared his throat, putting a large hand on the shoulders of both men.

“Don’t pressure the lady. She doesn’t have to do anything she doesn’t want to.” You could’ve melted right there. What a dream for introverts! However, you were trying to be bolder, to step out of your comfort zone every once in a while.

“No,” you peeped, “It’s okay, let’s go. I’m sure it’ll be… fun!” Guy gave you a look as if to ask if you were sure. You nodded.

Kotetsu and Izumo led you to the bar where the others were already seated. They migrated to the bar where Kakashi sat with Asuma and Kurenai. Anko seemed to have claimed a circular booth so both you and Guy slid down at one of the ends. Shizune and Ebisu greeted you as Genma called for another round for the table.

The bar was busy but not enough for you to mind. In fact, the more you drank, the less you minded about most things in general. Despite your earlier hesitation, you were starting to really enjoy the company. Listening to your fellow Jounin tell stories, your posture relaxed.  You had one leg slung over Shizune’s thigh as you leaned back against Guy, his arm coming up to rest on the top of the booth behind your shoulders.

“And this dude really fell! Like ‘BOOM’ flat on his face!” Genma narrated animatedly, slamming his open palm against the table. The glasses on the table jiggled. “When I picked him up I asked him, ‘Are you sure you have a bounty? Because you’re the easiest catch I’ve ever hooked!’” The booth was in hysterics. Even the ever-stoic Ebisu couldn’t hold back upon hearing his ex-teammate’s story. Tears welled up in your eyes from laughter as you felt the deep rumble of Guy behind you. You sat up.

“Excuse me!” You exclaimed, waving the short distance from your booth to the group at the bar. “Would someone please do me the favor of getting me another sake?” Your words slurred towards the end. Anko snorted.

“Well fuck, I didn’t think we’d be getting (Y/N) shitfaced tonight!” She cackled.

“I am not drunk!” You defended, accepting your third sake from Kakashi who leaned against the side of the booth with an amused look. “But I may be a little tipsy.” The table howled as Genma reached over to ruffle your hair.

Guy leaned down to whisper to you. His fingers came over yours, delicately taking the glass from your hands. “Maybe you should lay off the drinks right now.” He breathed in your ear. He set your sake down by the one he had been nursing all night. You turned to face him, your leg slipping off of Shizune’s. You leaned more into his shoulder. Guy tensed.

“Maito-Kun…” You whined. Guy was taken aback. Maito-Kun. That was new. He took in your features: the pout on your lips, your large eyes framed by silky strands of hair, the fact that you were slowly trying to reach for your sake cup. He moved it to the end of the table. His attention was drawn again to your lips as they moved. Guy had never paid particular attention to your lips before… wait, as they moved? Guy shook himself out of his thoughts as he realized you were speaking. Now wasn’t the time.

“What did you say?”

“I said I was fine, really. Please don’t worry about me.” You smiled up at him. Before he could answer, Izumo’s voice boomed from the bar.

“Guy! Kakashi!” He called, “Come do a shot with me and Asuma!” Guy hesitated.

“Go!” you encouraged, lightly prodding him with your elbow. He stood up, Kakashi giving him a pat on the back as they walked towards the bar.

“So,” Kotetsu started, sliding into the other end of the circular booth.  You retrieved your drink from where Guy placed it. “How long has that been going on for?” You waited for someone to respond, but no one did. You looked up and all eyes were on you.

“Who, me?” You inquired, taking a sip. Anko puffed.

“Yeah, you.” She took a swig from her drink. “You’re the one who Guy’s been feeling up all night.” You almost choked on your drink.

“What? No, no he hasn’t been-”

“‘Cause you’ve had a thing for him forever, haven’t you?” Kotetsu questioned. Your heart sank. How did he know? “I gotta hand it to you, (Y/N), I don’t think anyone thought you had it in you.” He shrugged. You didn’t think anyone knew about your crush on Guy. You looked over to Kurenai. There’s no way she told anyone right? Your eyes drifted to the man in question. Did he also know?

“Yeah,” Anko barked, “It was always so cringy watching you try to talk to him.” You tensed, the pit in your chest growing larger and more painful the more she spoke. Every word felt like a punch in the stomach.

“It was painful to watch,” Ebisu added. “Especially back in the academy.”

Anko continued, “But we’re all happy for you that you pulled it off, (Y/N). I wasn’t sure how much more I could take! You know, all the stuttering.”

It felt like there was a knot in your throat. You cleared it. Your cheeks had begun to burn from more than just the alcohol. You batted back the tears that began to gather in your waterline. They weren’t from laughing this time.

“Actually, Guy and I are just friends.” You corrected, hoping that you could end the discussion there. That sentence alone barely made it out. You prayed for this conversation to end. You murmured, “Always have been…”

“Heh, I’m sure.” Genma leaned forward to rest his arms on the table. He gave you a wink. “So what? Are you just thirsty for his, uh, Green Beast, huh (Y/N)-chan?”

“Genma!” snapped Shizune. “Stop being gross.”

At this point, you regretted coming. You felt crushed, like you could burst at any moment. All your energy went into maintaining a straight face. You would not be the one to cry in front of your friends at the bar. It was a silly promise to yourself that held your last shred of dignity. Luckily, the topic of conversation quickly changed. You suspected that Kotetsu and Shizune picked up on your discomfort while Anko and Genma were too out of it to notice the bluntness of their words. You have never felt such embarrassment. You wanted to leave. Guy stayed at the bar. It made you relieved, despite a small part of you wanting him to come back. Despite time passing, you couldn’t help but continue to feel dejected.

You couldn’t hold out for long. As you started to sober up, you whispered to Shizune that you were leaving. She gave you a nod and an apologetic look. You only planned on talking to Kurenai and Guy before you left. As you were getting up from the booth, that’s when you heard it.

“C’mon Guy, what about that one over there?” Izumo was gesturing towards a woman near the other part of the bar. You had to admit, she was beautiful. Much more beautiful than you thought you were. “You should go talk to her! Guy, when’s the last time you got, you know, some action?”

You didn’t want to hear the rest of that conversation. It all became too much for you. You weren’t sure if you were overwhelmed. Maybe it was the fact that you didn’t really want to come in the first place. Perhaps it was just the alcohol, but you felt wetness on your cheeks and you quickly made your escape.

You stood outside under the moonlight, surrounded by cool air. You began to shed silent tears, your hands covering your face. You wished you could’ve at least walked home first, but your legs felt locked, as if they would collapse if you tried more than just standing. How did everyone know about your secret? Were you that obvious? Was Guy just playing with you? Your face burned. You thought about the conversation between Guy and Izumo. You had no right to be upset about what Guy decided to do with his own life. He didn’t owe you a relationship of any kind. You knew that, but it wasn’t Guy you were upset with. It wasn’t Genma or Anko or Kotetsu or Izumo. It was- someone called your name. You turned your head slightly. It was Kurenai.

“I just-” you tried to wipe the tears from your face, but they only kept flowing- “You didn’t tell anyone, did you?”

“Tell anyone what?” She came to stand in front of you.

“About my crush on Guy-San.” You felt like a Genin, like a child all over again getting upset about something as dumb as a boy. Shame coursed through your body.

“No, I didn’t.” Kurenai reassured you softly as she pulled you into an embrace.

“I know you didn’t,” You cried into her shoulder. “I’m sorry, I just feel so pathetic.” Your friend patted your head slightly.

“You’re not pathetic, (Y/N).”

“I just-” A sob wracked your body- “I feel like everyone thinks so! Why am I like this, Kurenai?” You shook violently. “I just, I just feel… horrible right now. I’m sorry, Kurenai.”

“Shh… don’t be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about. You know how Genma gets when he’s had too many. And everyone knows Anko is a mean drunk.” Your friend whispered.

You let out another sob, “She is a mean drunk!”

Kurenai smiled at you. “Yeah, she is. Let’s get you home. We can talk more when we get you home.” And that’s where you went.

[nona-gay-simus-main]

How to Show Instead of Tell

One of the most commonly given advice is “show, don’t tell”, yet this is still one of the biggest problems in manuscripts I see by novice writers, and I think it’s because many people don’t understand what this means in practice. 

So, in this post, I will try to break down the most common ways people tell and how to fix it.

1. Telling Relationships and Personalities

A lot of fanfics start the way of My Immortal, with something along the lines 

“My name is so and so, I’m a senior in high school, these are my five personality traits and a three-paragraph description of my outfit. This is my best friend/love interest and here’s all the same information about them.”

I feel like everyone above the age of... fourteen understands that this is bad writing, but I still see a slightly more advanced version of this pop up in many people’s manuscripts. (Especially manuscripts told in first person for some reason?)

When you spoon-feed your audience this information, it feels like you’re breaking the fourth wall and you’ve paused to give us some backstory as the author. Because your character has no reason to be thinking about all this. 

And nobody believes you, because you're just telling us something, but haven’t portrayed that within the story.

For example: Let’s say you want to illustrate that your main character’s best friend is a flighty party girl, who is a little too nosy and is constantly trying to mess with the main character’s love life. 

Well, instead of saying, “This is my best friend Chris, she’s always coming from some party and trying to set me up on dates”, what you can do is have the best friend burst into the MC’s apartment with her spare key in yesterday’s cocktail dress and heels, and start rambling about how she lost her wallet in someone’s apartment last night, and she couldn’t get an Uber or take the subway, so thank god the MC lives in a walking distance from the party. Then after the MC lets the BFF use her shower, the BFF tells her about how she met this cool guy who would be perfect for the MC.

What you are showing in that scene: they are close because she has a key to the house and the MC shares her clothes with the BFF, she’s a flighty party girl because she goes to parties loses her stuff in other people’s houses, and she is constantly trying to set up the MC on dates. 

Or, let’s say you want to portray that a character has a tense relationship with her father, but is close to her mother. 

So maybe have a scene where she shares something personal with her mother and they laugh, but when her father enters the room, she gets tense, doesn’t want to tell him the story, and pretends it's nothing.

Think of it as, instead of giving the reader the information, you “put it in a scene.” The readers get all the same information, but it’s no longer spoon-fed to them, and instead, it’s illustrated. So this time, they actually believe you. 

2. Naming Emotions.

This one is pretty straight-forward. People tend to name emotions in the narrative. “He looked confused.” “His face showed anger.” “He eyes regarded her with admiration.”

Just... don’t do that.

Instead, try to show the emotion by describing the character’s body language. Or through their inner thoughts and sensation. Or through their dialog.

For example: Instead of “He was confused. What did she mean by that?” Try: “He frowned. What?”

Instead of “He was angry at whoever would hurt his sister like that.” Try, “His face darkened. “I will smash his head in, just say the word!”

3. Telling Through Dialog

Expositional dialog finds its way most of often in fantasy and sci-fi, but also pops up in contemporary and historical, especially if you have some kind of professional field or time period you need to set up. The “as you know, Bob” structure for conveying to the audience things that the characters would know, but the audience doesn’t. 

The best advice is to insert this only when it’s relevant to the plot, and talk about it in a way that feels natural, like two people in that situation would actually speak to each other about. 

Also, don’t go overboard with world-building. It’s pretty cool that you went through all this work to build your world, but the audience doesn’t need every little detail, especially not right away.

4. That Extra Step

The other thing I also see writers do is essentially the “show and tell” sandwich. You show something, but you can’t help yourself push it that extra step into telling.

For this I will use an example of my own writing (not because I’m the end-all-be-all of writers, just because I think it’s weird to use other people’s):

He’s lucky he gets a choice. We both live in the Burrows, but Nox is the only child of two abled parents. He can work for his own bread, he doesn’t have a brother in a wheelchair, or a single mother barely managing to make ends meet, and mountains of medical debt along with all his other debt.

Now, this paragraph SHOWS the main character bitterness and jealousy that her best friend is doing better than her financially and it's perfectly fine as is (it also has some telling, but I’ll go into why that’s okay into the next section).

But I could’ve written it as:

He’s lucky he gets a choice. We both live in the Burrows, but Nox is the only child of two abled parents. He can work for his own bread, he doesn’t have a brother in a wheelchair, or a single mother barely managing to make ends meet, and mountains of medical debt along with all his other debt. And I hated that he had it so easily, it made me jealous.

That last sentence? Going way overboard! 

Just trust your readers. Occasionally you’ll see readers who don’t get it, but they are usually outliers. Or just poor readers. That happens too.

5. When is it okay to tell?

Some details are okay to just... say. There’s no need to beat around the bush about every little thing. 

Unless you are writing fantasy or complex sci-fi, it’s fine to just say the character’s ethnicity, for instance. Don’t go overboard on the description - you can just use the word, that’s fine.

You can also just say your character is tall or short instead of having them constantly bump into door frames or reach for things.

You can also give background details of characters that don’t really affect the plot or story that much. Like in the previous example, I use telling to show Nox’s situation, because his parents' background doesn’t really affect much and my main goal with that paragraph was to show how Jules feels about it, rather than spend a lot of words on his family. 

Basically, all kinds of information that you don’t need or want to hit the character hard emotionally and is just for background, can be told. That said, don’t go overboard and describe every detail either, just summarize stuff for us.

Words are precious after all, and the more words you spend on something, the more important it seems.

[queenofallthewrongchoices]

And He Lets the Chips Fall Where They May

Series: The Freshman  

Synopsis: This fic takes place in The Freshman book 1 in between chapters 15 and 16. I’ve been replaying The Freshman over for the hundredth time and always wanted a better glimpse at what the conversation between Chris and Becca was like when he suddenly realized that he wanted to go to the winter formal with the MC instead of her, so this is my take on that conversation. 

Pairing: Chris x MC (Nadia)

Characters: Chris and Becca with mentions of the MC

No real age restrictions but there is some very mild suggestive language

Author’s Note: While writing has been a long-time hobby of mine, this is the first fanfic I’ve ever written and the first time I’ve written a piece work featuring characters that aren’t mine. I know it’s both lengthy and wordy but I tend to write how I talk so forgive me. 

Chris walks up the steps of the large sorority house he’d been residing in for the past couple of months, he can’t help but notice an uneasiness weighing down on him. While his heart was never truly in any of his dealings with Becca, he had convinced himself it was inconsequential because it was all in the name of having a good time. It was his first semester of freshman year, after all, and he was only interested in cutting loose, unwinding, and forgetting she who shall not be named. Trying his best to avoid anything serious at all costs. Admittedly so Becca, in a lot of ways, provided that for him. She was a little older and more experienced, so she often took the reins in their “relationship” in all aspects, which was new yet exciting. Or at least it had been.

Any other guy would’ve been overjoyed at the prospect of shacking up in a sorority house with a bunch of beautiful carefree college girls, and at first, he himself was quite delighted by the notion. But for some reason Chris couldn’t shake the thought of one specific girl who had charmed him from the very first moment he had laid eyes on her. He kept telling himself that it was for the best that he kept his distance. He wasn’t ready for a relationship and he didn’t want to hurt her any more than he already had. That was all true, and yet his mind continued to wander to what seemed to be a far-off reality of them being happy together.

He decided to put those thoughts to rest for the time being as he knocked on the large oak doors of the Kappa house. Becca had texted him excited about the dresses she had purchased for the big winter formal scheduled for that weekend and wanted his opinion since he was her date. “It’s important that we make a statement together as a couple.” She said. A concept that he thought he left behind in high school but he didn’t question it. He didn’t question much, as of late. He was just going with the flow. No expectations. Just fun. But his lackadaisical attitude seemed to be leading him towards real relationship territory with Becca and that was something he didn’t like. Although he had made it quite clear to Becca that he wasn’t interested in defining their relationship now or any moment in the future, she still felt an ownership over him. And could he really blame her? He had been sleeping in her bed on and off for the past several weeks, he had drunkenly admitted to her some heavy things concerning his dad he hadn’t told anyone, and they’d been engaging in all manners of hooking up over that time frame. So yes, she wasn’t wrong to have expectations of what they were becoming. But still the whole thing was uncomfortable for him. Here he was, Mr. Hypocrite, doing all the things he said he didn’t want with a girl he knew he didn’t want them with.

Suddenly the door swung open, pulling him from his thoughts as he was greeted by a familiar redhead who he saw regularly during his visits to the Kappa house. She was a sophomore who was dating one of the upperclassmen football players named Reggie. Her name was either Amber or Cassidy. He could never seem to remember despite her constantly reminding him. He was ashamed to admit it but all the Kappa girls sort of meshed together these days, none of them having any real distinguishable personalities, at least not to him.

“Oh, hey Chris. I should’ve known it was you. Becca’s upstairs in her room.” She said in a loud sing-songy voice. She seemed tipsy undoubtedly pregaming for some party, kickback, or another.  “Hey, thanks.” He said as he walked in. She answered with a smile and nod then returned to her awaiting pre-party cocktails and friends, more members of the sorority he recognized, all huddled around the island in the kitchen.

Her familiar greeting was another thing that didn’t sit right with him. He had become too much of a staple in the house. Football players frequenting the Kappa house wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Oddly enough it was sort of tradition at Hartfeld. The politics surrounding the dating scene amongst the Kappas and the football team reminded him of that of the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds from Grease. The Kappas were the football players’ girls and vice versa. They had first dibs on one another and everyone else, meaning the rest of the Hartfeld population, had to get in line. Even with that knowledge he still felt conflicted. Was Becca at her core truly a cool girl to be around and very different from the off-putting stuck up persona she portrayed to the general public? Yes, unbelievably so. But his heart just wasn’t in it. A fact that was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Regardless there was no point in dwelling on it. He turned and closed the door before heading up the winding stairs leading to Becca’s room.  

And before he knew it there he was. Standing outside Becca’s bedroom door glancing at the jewel encrusted “B” that adorned it. It was so regal and so Becca. Hanging from the doorknob was a yellow sign fashioned after a yellow light indicating to anyone seeking entry into her room that they should “Slow down and knock first”. She also had a green one that read “Go ahead and come in” and a red one that read “Stop. Don’t even think about it.” The red one was only used if she wasn’t in the mood to deal with whatever petty squabble her sorors had found themselves in or when she was trying to set the mood with someone in particular, that someone being him as of late.  

One knock was all it took before he was greeted by the stunning leggy blond. He couldn’t help but admit that Becca was indeed gorgeous. She was attractive in an obvious and conventional way. When he first met Becca, he couldn’t help but think that she looked like your typical mean girl that served as a foil to the female lead in a classic young adult comedy film. She immediately pulled him into a hug and gave him a quick peck on the lips before she ushered him into her room. “There you are. Finally. I’ve been dying to show you the dresses I picked out.”

The room that was normally so neatly put together looked like a department store after a huge weekend sale. Scattered around the room were a different assortment of dresses of varying lengths and colors.

“I admit that I may have went a little overboard at the mall but they all looked so cute on me. Luckily you get to watch me model them and help me decide which one best compliments my amazing body.”

“Can’t wait.” He chuckled to himself. Becca was definitely the most high maintenance girl he’d ever met. He didn’t mind though. It was something he found charming about her believe it or not.

“Good. I’ll try this red number on first. Red always looks good on me. Something I’m sure you can agree with.” She says flirtatiously. She gives him a devilish wink and scurried to her closet to change.

While he waited, Chris pulled up his Pictogram account mindlessly scrolling to pass the time. His fingers landed on one post from Nadia that cost his attention. The caption read, “Throwback to last summer visiting family in Miami. The sun was good to me that day.” And there she was, sporting the most brilliant smile he’d ever seen on her. Her eyes were closed, face tilted up toward the setting sun as it cast an angelic glow across her features. Her brown skin was a couple shades darker than usual undoubtedly tanned from being out in the sun. Her wavy hair was longer here. It cascaded in waves over her shoulders and down her back with a complimentary red flower tucked neatly above her right ear. She looked breathtaking. That was the only way to describe it. He stared at the picture for what seemed to be an eternity memorizing every little detail. Completely and utterly captivated.

“Ahem. Chris I said what do you think?” Becca said in a familiar annoyed tone. He was so distracted that he hadn’t realized that she had returned to the main room let alone that she was talking to him.

“Oh, my bad Becca. You look great.” He said slightly embarrassed sitting up a little straighter in his seat. And she did honestly. The dress was an off the shoulder long flowing gown that hugged her figure in all the right places. Although Chris’ compliment was mostly genuine he still couldn’t help but notice how flat it sounded to his own ears. He only hoped that Becca didn’t notice.

“Boys.” She said in a dismissive yet playful manner. “I know you’re only interested in what’s underneath it.” She said. “Oh well I still have an assortment of gowns to try on so you’re just going to have to fake interest Mr. Powell. I promise I’ll make it worth your while later.” She gave him a smirk that otherwise would’ve been sexy if his mind wasn’t elsewhere and grabbed a strapless black dress to try on next.

While she changed, his thoughts began to wander once more. This time he thought about the formal and wondered if Nadia was going and if so with who. James no doubt. They had been spending a lot of time together lately and they were obviously attracted to each other. James was indeed an attractive guy. He was secure enough to admit it. Honestly James was an ideal match for just about any girl especially Nadia. He was good-looking, studious, a real gentleman, slightly older so more mature, and rich. What’s not to like? They seemed to have a lot in common. Way more than he had with her anyways.

This whole line of thinking made him feel guilty and a little hypocritical because here he was making plans to go to the formal with Becca and he was worried about who Nadia, a girl he rejected, was spending her free time with. But he couldn’t help it because deep down he knew that she was the one he wanted to be with. The chemistry they had was undeniable. Anyone who had ever been around them long enough commented on it. But he was afraid. Of what at this point? He was no longer sure. All his past reasons now seemed like mere excuses.

Becca modeled gown after gown each one more gorgeous than the last but her indecision began to set in as she started to retry on certain dresses that exuded the right amount of elegance and sex appeal. Or so she phrased it.

“There all cute I suppose but it has to be perfect.” She says in a huff becoming annoyed with her own indecision. “Have you already rented your tux? You don’t seem to be concerned with what you’re wearing.”

“Yeah. I still have the one from the sorority ball.”

She scoffs and shakes her head. “Boys. I swear you guys have it so easy. Here I am indecisively picking through a dozen dresses to wear and you’re simply settling on a tux that you’ve already worn. Luckily it looks so good on you.” She says flirtatiously once more.

At this point, Chris had grown tired in both a literal and mental sense of this entire conversation. It had been two hours of watching Becca model dresses for him and the more he thought about it the less the whole idea of going to formal with her interested him.

Nadia had been consuming his thoughts all night long. Her smile, her laugh, the way she cocked her head to the side when she talked to him. He could no longer ignore what he was feeling. It was quite simple. He wanted to go to the formal with her.

He wanted to see her in a beautiful gown with an expertly made up face just for him. He wanted to hold her on the dance floor, swaying to some romantic R&B hit while the world faded around them, and he wanted to close the night out with her peacefully laying her gorgeous head on his chest as the collective sounds of their heartbeats lulled each other to sleep. And it pained him to think that James or anyone else could possibly experience those things in his place.

Becca continued to make mindless conversation regarding the formal in the background as he finally came to the realization that he had known all along.

“Becca, I can’t do this.” He said.

“Oh fine. I’ll just ask Madison to help me. I should’ve known that as a guy you wouldn’t be all that interested. It’s fine. Just help me out of this dress and maybe we can go grab a bite eat.”

“No. I mean…” He hesitated. “I mean I can’t go to formal with you.”

His words seemed to echo shortly followed by an immediate uncomfortable silence as they stared at one another. Becca’s expression was completely unreadable. No trace of sadness or anger. Just completely blank. Maybe there was a taste of confusion mixed in but he wasn’t completely sure. He began to avoid her gaze.

She eventually broke the silence with a long and exasperated sigh saying, “Well are you going to at least give me an explanation or continue sitting there with that dumb look on your face? And please don’t tell me this has anything to do with that skinny, fashion-challenged freshman.” And there it was anger and annoyance perfectly mingling together across her features.

He hated having to admit that her assertion was correct but lying would be an insult to them both at this point.

He nodded with an apologetic look and began to say, “Sorry. I don’t mean to hurt you or anything. I just…”

“Oh please.” She cuts him off. “Just go. Whatever pointless thing you’re about to say next you can keep. Your energy is better spent on whatever crackpot apology you’re going to run by Nadia.” She gives him an unfazed look undoubtedly to mask the hurt and embarrassment she feels and walks back towards her closet to change out of her gown.

Chris stands there a little while longer debating on whether he should go try to apologize once more or leave. He settles on the latter. Becca’s anger was justified and he felt like crap doing this to her, but more than anything he felt a greater sense of urgency to get to Nadia and try to salvage what was left of their relationship. If he could even call it that.

He hurriedly dashed down the steps and out the door towards his car. He drove as fast as the speed limit would allow towards the parking lot of the freshman dorms. All he could do at this point was hope and pray that he wasn’t too late.

[is-this-a-skam-account]

Shelter Chapter 4 (part 1) by Shawnie1718 ao3

One week and four days

Basile tells the other guys that Lucas got a number of some girl at the party. They bombarded him with questions, especially asking him if he’s contacted her yet. Lucas says no but that he had saved her contact, but what’s the point? He’s never going to be interested in her. He doesn’t say that aloud, of course. Lucas almost wishes he had when he sees Yann grab his phone and dart out of the living room. Yann types as he runs from Lucas, who is yelling after him, practically begging him not to do anything and just him back the damn phone.

When Lucas does finally reach Yann, it’s too late. He had sent the message.

One week and three days

Lucas runs into Chloe in the hallway, she asks him if he’s open to a party on Friday. He was going to say no, but just his luck that Le Gang was walking up behind him to answer for him. Once Chloe disappeared Lucas’s friends began questioning why he wasn’t excited about getting a free lay from a first year girl.

Lucas didn’t have a good answer.

One week and one day

The party was awful. It was the most awkward situation Lucas had ever found himself in. Lucas kept trying to let Chloe down gently, give her subtle and not so subtle hints he wasn’t into her. He locked himself in the bathroom when he got a notification from Eliott. Lucas sat there for the next hour, just talking back and forth. Making awkward jokes. Asking each other about their past.

@srodulv: I miss you, Lucas.

Lucas laughed out loud. Not to be mean, it was just so overwhelming. The fact that Eliott missed him even though they hadn’t even met yet. Lucas would never say it aloud, but he felt a similar way.

@lucallemant: we haven’t even met each other in person yet.

@srodulv: I know but-

Lucas had to stop reading mid-sentence because suddenly there was a banging on the door. He opened it warily and in tumbled two girls, one puking and the other holding her hair. Lucas took that as his key to go. He went out the back exit of the house. As soon as he was out of sight from the house, he opened up Instagram and headed to the nearest bus stop.

Six days

Lucas spent the entire weekend in his apartment. Working on projects, both for school and social media. He chose to do a cover of Love is Strange and post it on his Instagram. He’d heard the song in Dirty Dancing and took it upon himself to learn it. Lucas also held a short live, and did a quick Q and A.

Srodulv entered the live!

Lucas felt his heart stop. The chat started freaking out when they saw who joined. Apparently Eliott was pretty famous.

@srodulv: what are you doing six days from now?

Lucas rolled his eyes at the question and over how the chat started flipping out even more. “Six days from now? Nothing comes to mind.” With a quick wink at the camera he ended the live.

Eliott messaged him right after, because of course he did. They ended up talking on and off the rest of the weekend. He hated how he was becoming such a needy Omega, yet at the same time didn’t mind it so much. He was still his own person, he wasn’t owned by Eliott in any sense of the word. Lucas liked it that way. But he supposes he also wouldn’t mind if Eliott were the one to introduce Lucas as “my boyfriend” or even, in limited circumstances, “my Omega.”

Five days

He ran into Chloe, and she tried telling him off. Lucas isn’t entirely sure why he does it, maybe it’s because he wants to make a scene in front of his friends who are standing just a few feet away, but Lucas chases her. He grabs her arm, giving her a speech about how he acts stupid when he’s in love. How he’s falling so fast he was scared. How he wasn’t sure what to do about it, because it’s the first time it’s ever happened to him.

It’s the truth, he is feeling all those things. He just said it to the wrong person.

Chloe kisses him, and he swears he can taste her lunch. He nearly pulls away. She walks away, satisfied. While he walks back to his friends, repelled.

Four days

Luckily on Tuesdays Lucas doesn’t have any classes, so he was able to stay home and relax. He ignored any messages from his friends and was actually relatively productive. He cleaned his room and did some homework before settling himself on the couch.

Lucas was scrolling through their TV programs in search of something to watch, when his phone binged with a ringtone Lucas immediately recognized. He picked his phone up quickly, frantically opening Instagram. They hadn’t talked since last Friday.

@srodulv: four days!

@lucallemant: don’t you mean three days and twelve hours?

@srodulv: actually three days and eleven hours and 47 minutes.

@lucallemant: whoa creepy

@srodulv: ☹️

@lucallemant: haha I’m just kidding. Anyways what’s new?

@srodulv: Japan is surprisingly cold, and I just finished a photo shoot outside without any shirt on, so currently freezing.

Lucas tried not to visualize what he must have looked like... probably looked like a God. Eliott tends to post photos from his photo shoots on his instagram, so Lucas can wait until then.

@srodulv: Also! I was finally able to watch your new cover. Truth be told I watched it a few times. You’re so talented, Lucas.

@lucallemant: well I’ve found videos of you playing a guitar, so don’t act like you don’t have any talents yourself.

@srodulv: oh so you’ve been stalking me huh?

@lucallemant: I’m not the one counting down the minutes until we meet

Yes you are, Lucas thought.

As soon as he sent the message, Mika burst into the room. Lucas could tell there was something wrong, his nostrils were flared and his eyes around the edges looked irritated. He was breathing a little heavily, but he could still walk upright and form coherent sentences.

“Hey, Lucas,” Mika began. It made Lucas bring his legs up towards himself, and tuck his phone underneath him. “Sorry I just-I’m starting my rut so I’m going to a friends place to avoid...you really,” oh, so that’s the sound of an Alpha in rut.

Mika is usually gone before any rut symptoms begin to show, because Mika is always afraid he’ll lose control around Lucas. But Lucas has told him that it’s okay, that he wouldn’t let Mika jump him anyway. “I’ll be back in a week.” He mumbles before closing the door after him.

Lucas exhales a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. Lucas had heard stories of Alpha’s going into rut. He’s read articles about how ruts are even more violent than heats, how they are more sexually driven whereas heats are more contact and comfort driven. While heats are still very much affecting the Omegas sexual drive, they don’t do nearly as much as Alphas ruts.

Lucas had seen his dad jump his mom once when he was in a rut. He had been so terrified that he ran out of the house and begged Yann to spend the night. Lucas spent an entire week over there, and when he came back his dad was back to normal. But his mom had turned into a mess. She was crying and there were bite marks all around her neck. Lucas was petrified.

Two days

Two days until they meet and he was stuck talking to Chloe in the hallway after one of his classes. She had waited outside for him. How did she even know his schedule? He tried to let her down gently once, twice. But he couldn’t stand the look on her face after he rejected her second proposal of a date.

“How about tomorrow we go see a movie or something?” Lucas offered. Shit, he was digging his own grave.

Chloe smiled at him, “sure! Meet at the bus stop after school?”

Lucas nodded and watched her walk off. What the hell was he doing.

One day

Lucas was in charge of getting the snacks while Chloe got them seats. So there he was waiting in line at concessions. He didn’t know what he was doing here. He was going on a date with a girl he felt absolutely nothing for. Here he was, the night before he was going to meet an Alpha he wishes to see every moment of every day.

Lucas kept glancing towards the large glass doors, hoping for something... maybe to see Eliott come rushing into the movie theater. Who knows. Instead, two girls popped into his vision seemingly out of nowhere. They asked Lucas for an autograph and a photo, telling him that they were fans. It wasn’t the first time Lucas had been recognized in public, but it doesn’t happen too often. He watched the two fans walk off, and smiled as they started freaking out.

Once he got the snacks he shuffled back to the theater. He should have just disappeared and ghosted her. Why did he go back to sit next to her? Why did they walk to the bus stop together afterwards?

He decided to lie to her and say that he lived close the theater (when in reality it’s a good forty minute walk to his flat) just so he could avoid taking the bus with her. She wished him goodnight and Lucas watched the bus roll away from the stop. He felt like he could finally breathe normally once the bus was out of sight.

When he got back to the apartment Manon was still up. She gave him a knowing look as he shuffled over to her. She asks him how it went, when he doesn’t respond she decides that they don’t need to talk about it. Instead they put on some French comedian that helps lull Lucas to sleep.

Five hours

Lucas wakes up at one o’ clock in the afternoon on the sofa and immediately freaks out. He yells out Manon’s name a couple times, but hears no response. He comes to the conclusion that she’s out with friends.

Five hours. Five hours until he gets to see Eliott in person.

The first thing he does is take his suppressant before proceeding to jump in the shower. He doesn’t check his phone, too scared and too anxious to see if there is anything from Eliott. When he gets out he tries his best to style his hair, but decides to just let it air dry like he normally does. With the outfit he decided not to go overboard, just wear his normal jeans, shirt and blue bomber jacket.

As he watched the next hour pass by he builds up the courage to check Instagram. Nothing from Eliott through their direct messages, but he does see that Eliott posted a photo. Lucas tries not to be frantic as he opens it, but fails. Suddenly Lucas is looking at a photo of someone sitting in a plane looking out the window. You can practically hear the whirring of the engines and distant murmur of other passengers. He’s on his way back from Japan.

Once Lucas finds the willpower to close out of the photo, he debates whether or not to send Eliott a message, but decides against it. Instead he distracts himself, he decides to catch up on his studies, makes himself a sandwich, fusses with his hair, cleans his room. And yet only another hour passes by.

One hour

Lucas decides to take his motorcycle to where they are meeting. He hasn’t ridden it in a while and it would feel good to get some nerves out of his system. I’s about a ten minute walk to where he parked it. He figured he’d take the long way to his destination, just to get out and try his best to clear his mind. It’ll probably turn out to be a forty minute ride to the Eiffel Tower. Because of course that’s where Eliott wanted them to meet. That romantic, good-looking asshole.

Doubts start to fill his head as he gets closer to us motorcycle. He gets on and puts the key in the ignition, feeling as if his legs were detached from his body. What if Eliott ends up finding Lucas annoying? What if people around them suspect something? What if Eliott thinks Lucas is disgusting? And this whole thing is just a ploy to out him? Lucas tries to swallow the lump in his throat. Plus, they aren’t even going on a real date...right? It’s not like they’re a couple or anything. They’re just two guys who are meeting up. As friends.

There’s nothing wrong with this situation. Just two friends meeting up. Lucas figures he more times he tells himself they are just friends, the more he’ll believe it. After all, Lucas has a... Chloe. He doesn’t necessarily want to call her his girlfriend, because obviously he isn’t interested in her. Even if she can’t take a hint. At least it’s a good ploy for his friends to believe.

He debates on whether or not to just turn around, once he sets off down the street. Even if Eliott is interested in Lucas, would he want to deal with all of Lucas’s bullshit? The fact that he’s a closeted gay who also has a girlfriend because he’s trying to impress his friends. Or that he’s created a persona as a Beta who’s secretly an Omega taking suppressants because god forbid people actually know who he is. Or the fact that he’s so trapped in his own head that he doesn’t even know which is the right path to take anymore.

Lucas tries to let the purring of the engine drown out his thoughts, as he’s done so many times before. He loves feeling the weight of the motorcycle beneath him. He loves how in control he feels when he puts his hands on the handlebars. When Lucas stops at a red light, there is a group of Alphas standing on the corner. Lucas can feel their eyes on him before any of them speak up. He’s tempted to just speed through the light when he sees one of them take a step closer in his peripheral vision.

“Hey, baby, how about you come take a ride with me rather than that hunk of metal?” The one closest to him shouts.

Lucas is seething, he shoots him a glare but the Alpha is unfazed. “Aw, don’t look at him like that! Just trying to make conversation, sweet cheeks.” Another one of them says. Lucas doesn’t hold back the growl making its way up his throat.

The first Alpha takes a few more steps until he’s practically in the street, just an arms length away from Lucas. “Did you guys hear that? Sounds like a little kitten growling!”

How long is this damn light?!

Lucas reaches out, a fake smile plastered on his lips. He knows how to deal with idiots like this. Lucas places his hand on the Alphas forearm, winking only briefly. The Alpha is frozen, just long enough for Lucas to ghost his hand down the arm and snatch the cigarette from the Alphas hand. Lucas takes a long drag, keeping their eyes locked on each other. As soon as he sees the light turn green, he puffs all the smoke into the Alphas face and grounds the cigarette onto the guys leather shoes. “Fuck off,” Lucas says through gritted teeth before setting off down the street.

His heart is pounding as he takes a sharp right turn. He feels something stuck in his throat as he sees the Eiffel Tower come into view. He tried to forget about the guys back there, and focus on Eliott. But it was just a nagging reminder at the back of his mind of how Alphas choose to act.

After Lucas locks up his motorcycle he checks Instagram, something he’d been forcing himself to avoid doing this past hour. He sees Eliott posted again, and his heart races even faster.

It’s a photo of Eliott standing with a plant. Looking like total boyfriend material. @srodulv: L reads the caption. Lucas smiled despite himself. Eliott was holding a plant in the photo, most likely another one he acquired before leaving Japan. That boy kills plants faster than Lucas can keep track.

With a deep breath, Lucas stuffs his phone in his pocket. He hands his helmet on the handlebars of his motorcycle before walking off.

There he stands, a couple hundred meters away from the Eiffel Tower. Lucas surveys the crowd, his heart beating so fast it feels like it’s going to pop out of his chest. Eliott would probably laugh if that ever happened, if Lucas knows him at all.

Five minutes left and Lucas walks a few steps closer. He’d never really been to the Tower. Of course he’d seen it, peeking over the tops of buildings. But he supposed it was never on his To Do List. It’s very tourist-y. Even now he can hear mostly English being spoken from the people passing him.

Four minutes and Lucas stops to help a little American girl catch her balloon that started floating away.

Three minutes and he pauses to looks up at the sky. He’s almost completely underneath the structure by now. It has spider-like legs holding it in place, at least how it is perceived from where he stands.

Two minutes and Lucas takes another look around. He tries to pick Eliott out from the crowd, but it’s hard to do so when he hasn’t actually seen him in real life.

One minute and Lucas gets a message. He turns his phone around to read it.

@srodulv: one minute.

A smile pulls at his lips as her stares at his phone, biting his bottom lip.

@lucallemant: you romantic asshole, you can see me can’t you?

@srodulv: ;)

Lucas tries not to count down in his head, but fails. It’s like every second is another eternity. His eyes are looking every which way except for in front of him. Which is unfortunate because suddenly he is tripping and falling face first over a cart holding buckets and buckets of flowers. A container of roses falls with him off the cart and he curses. Thankfully, his hands and chest cushion the fall.

He hears laughter and there are hands helping him up, “falling for me already?”

Lucas’s eyes snap up, and hoooly shit he looks this good in real life too? “I...uh-um,” great start, Lucas. “You couldn’t have been a couple seconds faster to catch me?” Lucas jokes in a teasing tone and shakes his leg to get the bucket off.

Eliott laughs again, and Lucas would whole heartedly fall again just to hear that laugh. “Here,” he says and helps pick up the bucket, placing the majority of roses back on to the cart.

Lucas is busy standing up, and trying to regain some of his dignity, that he doesn’t notice Eliott snatching a single rose from the bin until it’s shoved under Lucas’s nose, “it was a good find, you literally stumbled upon them.” Eliott said as Lucas took the flower.

Lucas was left breathless for a second, but quickly made himself form a coherent sentence, “thanks, a memento of my failure.”

Eliott just smiles it off. They pause for a second. It isn’t any movie crap, like where the world stills around them, and everything fades away. No. Lucas’s shoulders are being bumped every few seconds from tourists cramming themselves in to get through the slow moving crowd. The loud voices of people passing them are tugging at his ears. Yet, all he can look at is Eliott. All he wants to look at is Eliott. Lucas looks down briefly, to play with the rose he has in his hands. It gives him some time to take in Eliott’s scent. He doesn’t have the overwhelming scent most Alphas have, though it is present. It’s more like the scent of old books and cigarettes, very masculine and rough. Yet soft around the edges. And Lucas loves it. There is also something electric, something exciting hidden in his scent, most likely a reflection of how he feels at the moment.

Lucas nearly saddens at the fact that Eliott can’t smell his scent like he can smell Eliott’s. Lucas looks up from the flower, “you really had us meet up at one of the ‘most romantic places in the world.’” Lucas says sarcastically and gestures around them.

Eliott smiles, his scent peaking in the air. “Well, I hoped that you would think it was romantic.” He paused for a second, he looks like he’s debating over something in his head as he runs his fingers over his lips. That simple act nearly floors Lucas. “You know, I couldn’t sit still on the plane ride home. I was literally shaking, and my heart was practically beating out of my chest. Like now.” Eliott laughs again and, before Lucas can really react, grabs Lucas’s hand and brings it up to his chest.

Lucas can feel the unsteady and erratic rhythm of Eliott’s heart under his palm. Lucas debates on whether or not to grab Eliott’s other hand and bring it up to his chest, but quickly gets side tracked. Because holy shit those are some long and nimble fingers. Lucas didn’t even know he had a thing for hands until he saw Eliott’s. Everything on this guy really is perfect, huh? Lucas tries not to stare too long at the veins snaking their way up his arm, disappearing behind a sleeve. Instead, he brings his attention back to Eliott’s eyes. “If it helps any, I was super nervous until I tripped over that cart. I think I’ve maxed out on embarrassment for today.”

Eliott shrugs happily, taking a step closer. Lucas feels like he’s going to explode. “It was cute, you were just too busy looking for your admirer.” Eliott added a wink for good measure. Lucas didn’t have time to respond because suddenly Eliott is pulling him along, talking so fast that Lucas can’t even comment on how cute it is. “I tried to find an okay-priced restaurant near the Tower, but everything around here is super expensive. Did you know that? So I was thinking we could just stop at a cafe or something, get some coffee maybe a scone or-“

“Eliott,” Lucas said cutting him off. The name rolled right off his tongue, and he had to remind himself to keep talking, “you’re rambling,” he laughed, “take a breath. And at least give me a chance to just comment on how hot you look-I mean,” Lucas’s subconscious had totally taken over. He meant to say how tired you look.

Lucas was about to correct himself before Eliott leaned in a little closer. He gave Lucas a once-over, eyes staying on his lips a second too long, “what are you doing to me, Lallemant.”

Eliott licked his lips as he retreated and Lucas felt personally victimized by the action. They were walking on a dangerous line. Lucas would never deny that he is attracted to Eliott, holy crap was he attracted to him. But was Lucas ready to actually admit that he wanted a relationship with a guy? Even if the guy was Eliott, who would probably be gentle and welcoming.

“You just going to trail behind me the whole time?” Eliott smiles over his shoulder.

He helps pull Lucas back to reality. He had been so lost in thoughts that he didn’t even realize he was so far behind. Lucas pauses for a second, trying to grasp where they were. “Where are we going?”

Eliott chuckled...or giggled. That was definitely more of a giggle. Jesus Christ even his giggle is hot. “I’m taking us to a Cafe, of course. The real French experience.”

Lucas laughed, “you’ve been deprived of the classic chocolate croissant, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Eliott joked.

“Well I suppose we have to fix that. How about here?” Lucas said and pointed to the closest Cafe.

Eliott smiled, “sounds good.” He reaches past Lucas and opens the door, “after you.”

Lucas smiled and enters the Cafe. It’s much more rustic than it appears on the outside. It’s your stereotypical French Cafe, most likely designed to lure in tourists. Sure enough, he looks to his left and sees a rack of Eiffel Tower shaped merchandise.

Lucas turned to Eliott and whispered, “this is like a tourist trap Cafe.”

Eliott grinned, “exactly! Look at this tourist crap, I love it!”

Eliott practically bounced over to the racks of mini Eiffel Tower keychains with different names inscribed in the statue. Lucas smiled and followed after him. They spare a moment of silence as they look through the different names, but suddenly it’s over as Eliott is shoving one into Lucas’s face. “Look, it’s your name!”

Lucas laughed, “it is!” He said, mocking Eliott’s tone.

Eliott paused, eyes dancing around Lucas’s face. “Do you want it?”

Lucas smiled and took it from him, “you already got me a rose, at the Eiffel Tower of all places.” Lucas scoffed, “I don’t need a keychain,” Lucas placed it back on the rack. His eyes found their way back on Eliott who stood there somewhat dejected. You could practically see his ears and tail dropping.

Lucas laughed, “c’mon, don’t look down like that. I’ll let you buy me something pretty later.” Lucas said jokingly and patted Eliott on the shoulder.

Even though it was a joke, Eliott did seem to be a bit consoled by the thought. Lucas was going to say it was just a joke, but decided against it.

They spent almost the entire afternoon in the Cafe, talking and eating. Eliott ordered about ten different desserts in the amount of time they spent at the Cafe, which Lucas didn’t mind because everytime Eliott got a different treat he would give Lucas half.

They talked about their childhood, how they got into their careers, and drabbled on the family topic, though Lucas tried to keep that part of the conversation short. Once it seemed that Eliott gave up on the desserts, he asked a worker if it was okay to smoke in the shop. She told them they would have to go outside if they wanted to smoke. Eliott was about to say that they would just say inside, he didn’t want to make Lucas move, but Lucas interjected and said that it was okay. So they exited the store and stood outside a few feet from the road. Lucas swears he had never seen someone be so hot as they used a lighter before. It was like porn for Lucas. He almost started drooling.

[icarusatmidnight]

Oh gosh, asks definitely coming your way for this one! For Olea and Thyme, #s 4, 10, and 19. And for you, #22 and 29. (Let me know if you want more asks and I'll send one for the other two, too!)

:D!!! Thank you so much for these and sorry it took a bit of time for me respond. I kinda went overboard with ninety percent of the questions. ^^;; For anyone curious, the questions are from this ask game too~ It’s cute, so reblog it and have fun!

4. Their favorite physical feature on each other? 

Thyme would die for Oleander’s smile and his tooth gap, oh my god!! I will never be able to stress this enough. Thyme always has had a thing for teeth but he really digs people who have imperfect teeth, like crooked ones and teeth gaps and the like, especially when they smile all bright too. Oleander isn’t honestly much into bright smiles, but he smirks like a goddamn boss and his tooth gap just peeks out and it kills Thyme every time. It’s goddamn beautiful & he will fight everyone who says otherwise! o:

And I wanna say ‘awkward natural charm’ for Oleander because he’s kinda endlessly fascinated by the way Thyme holds himself. But! I’ll go with his eyes for Olea because he dearly loves Thyme’s mismatched eyes too. He has one albino pink eye and the other is this deep dark brown color but unless it’s during one of the Icarus meetings, he tends to cover up as his pink eye. It’s one of the signs of his burn. But Oleander thinks they look so frickin’ cool! *o*!! Even putting colors aside, Thyme is just so expressive and bright and it definitely carries into his eyes effortlessly too, all that love and warmth and joy. You can just see the whole of the universe within them and it’s a crime that he tries to hide them behind contracts and dark sunglasses.

Like Oleander knows that Thyme is uncomfortable showing them at times and he definitely respects that, but he also really wants to burn all the sunglasses that boy owns. >:(! Your eyes and existence are beautiful, Thyme, deal with it!

10. Do they have pet names for each other?

Haha! They should have pet names but not really?? Oleander isn’t much of a nickname person in general and Thyme is so a ‘romantically calls you dude, platonically calls you babe’ kind-of guy. I think if they ever stumbled over a set of names, they’d be ridiculous and semi-ironic. 

Sugarpop would be a good one though. o:

19. Describe how they communicate.

TT___TT!! This is my favorite question, ngl, and I might’ve gone overboard answering it.

Okay! At a glance, it probably would seem like they’d be complete shit at communicating at first, just given how much they differ in their styles. Oleander is sarcastic and blunt and a bit callous at times, and he does his absolute best to keep everything on a surface level. He’d much rather be thought of as shallow then to let people see his depth without his permission. Thyme instead is stupidly sincere, absolutely wears his heart on his style and is sympathetic towards people, all people even ones he’s just met. He has …kinda puppy-dog tendencies with how affectionate he’ll be around people too.

Buuuut! they’re actually really open with each other and get along amazingly well. Part of this is because like, while Olea is pretty blunt, he’s definitely not tactless. He knows when to shut up and likewise with Thyme, he knows when not to push and when to tone down a bit. They’re also both giant frickin’ dorks?? Like I also can not stress how much of their time they spend just like, sending each other stupid jokes and even dumber memes. So much time!! Is Spent!! Doing this!! Like Kingcup starts a little group chat for them all after Thyme joins Icarus so they can talk easier outside of meetings ( like ‘hey, I won’t be able to make it tonight’ and junk like that). But Olea and Thyme just ruined it~~ instantly~~ with the memes~~ She refuses to ever open it up again because it’s just nonsense and stupidity and that’s fine when it’s just Olea but not when it’s the two of them. :’l

And when they stop joking around to have a more serious talk, their differences actually help put them both at ease. Oleander doesn’t mind Thyme’s touchy-feely nature but when he’s talking about the past, it doesn’t do him any good to have that extra stimulation. And Thyme totally gets and respects that, so he’ll pull back until Olea is okay again, offering him a shit ton of emotional support in the process. And when it’s Thyme’s time to trudge through the muck, Oleander’s composed nature is kinda life-savior. Thyme has a lot of emotional support if he needs it, but having someone just let him vent?? With absolutely no judgement?? He definitely wants that more than another dose of empathy. Olea also makes an effort to be more physical too, mostly just like holding his hand or laying his head on his shoulder but that little extra presence helps let Thyme he isn’t alone, you know? 

Sooooo. That’s kinda them in a rambly nutshell, lots of silly joking about and doing their bests to be there for each other in their own ways when the other needs it. /thumbs up

22. From the outside looking in, what is their dynamic like? 

^^^ It them.

Okay! They’re friends. They’re definitely idiots in love. They joke around like loons until shit gets real, then they try to do their best to make the other one happy again. One of my favorite aspects of their dynamic though is how they seem like two halfs in a whole, but aren’t. Oleander is drawn to Thyme’s joyous ray of sunshine aura, but he’s also an extremely guilt-ridden Stepford Smiler with serious anxieties. Thyme has major heart eyes over Oleander’s unflappable rock act but it’s really just an act. He’s really unsure on even what he is, let alone who, and that’s dangerous line of thought of a kid who’s not entirely of the natural world. So, he just… pretends.

It’s really fun writing them learning more about each other and that not much changing their opinions. Oleander still likes Thyme’s need to bring a little extra joy into the world and Thyme loves how absolutely resolute Oleander is. It’s same things just in a new light~

29. What are your favorite moments that happen between them?

All of them!! ;;v;;!! I get really distracted writing them at times because I just wanna write all the scenes with them and let them be happy and sad and desperate and in love. I just really love them both, especially together.

But~ One of my favorite talkable moments in one of the first ones I kinda ever wrote for them, I guess?? Back in the early days when Icarus was just a weirdo book club, Kingcup and this other member of their club were debating over magic theories, as you do, and in the background Thyme and Oleander were just fuckin’ around, chucking stupid candy hearts each other.

They were supposed to be like a little bit of background favor but I just really really loved them in that moment. They were dorky and darling and that’s pretty much when I started shipping them. I really adored the idea of Oleander (who’d been around sullenly for years at that point) having this cute dorky boyfriend he can just screw around and be like an actual …kid with, and Thyme changed from this sarcastic bad boy to my little sunshine hopepunk nerd and I couldn’t be happier with that! 

The moment still exists in the story because I basically refuse to give up them being dorks. It’s too endearing to me~

And thank you again for the questions!!

[only1jinyoung-blog]

Grazia, September 2017 Issue

[Interview Cut]

Congratulations. On Hanteo’s Weekly chart, you ranked first. JB: Honestly, because it’s a unit that’s returning in 5 years, I paid a lot of attention to it. Rather than the results that are visible to the eyes, I am prouder to hear things like, “my heart is crying”, “the lyrics are good,” when people listen to the songs.

In this album, you’ve participated in the composition and/or lyric making of all tracks. JB: At first, it was merely the mindset that I/we have to work hard. But when we got down to actually doing it, the greed of “gotta make a good album” grew and as we went along preparations, I think we paid more attention to it. JY: There are many fans waiting for GOT7′s album but instead if we were to return with weird songs for a unit album, I would be apologetic. As GOT7′s representatives, we worked hard in order to make an album that does not cause harm or embarrass (the members). All these while, we’ve not participated in either the composition or the lyrics making of our title songs but in wanting to show that actually we are ‘people who can tell our own stories’, we worked together.

We met Mark last month and he strongly recommended JJ Project’s song. JB: Mark is currently JJ Project’s promoting king (laughs)

Listening to the album, I can feel that you’ve grown. I’m sure there has been a lot of changes in these 5 years? JB: I think I’ve been able to accept reality positively. In the past, I would insist on doing things my way but now I’ve been able to compromise to a certain extent?

You’ve become an adult.  JB: I’ve come to realize that not only my thoughts are the right ones. JY: I’ve become quieter compared to 5 years ago. Back then I spoke a lot but now I feel that it’s not necessary to talk a lot.

Is there any special reason behind that change? JY: Through various stuff, I’ve learn that ‘silence is the best medicine’. And unlike hyung, I’ve developed my own opinions. Back then, with an amateur mind, I was the type to accept others’ opinion but now I’ve realized the need to express my opinions too. As I developed my skills, slowly I began developing thing/traits of my own.

When do you feel ‘I’ve aged’? JB: Lately, as we head to music shows, there are many new (rookie) friends. When we look at their staged and we don’t go ‘wah so sauve’ but instead say ‘it’s really refreshing’. that’s when I realized I’ve grown older.

The trait that is unique to rookies is the overflowing passion, isn’t it? JB: I see that now. We too work hard when we stand on stage but I think the feeling is a little different. I thought that I did it with ease/in a relaxed manner when I was a rookie but to anyone else, that look alone was ‘Why is that kid doing it with so much force?” (laughs) JY: It’s the same for me too. When I see rookies stand on stage with their extremely bright selves, I feel the same way but on the other hand, I think ‘Ah these friends are going to regret this in 5 years.”

Why would they regret it (laughs) JY: After 5 years, those things will, in a way, be their shameful past*. No matter what you do, it looks a little overboard. Just like what we feel. *Shameful past meaning things that you would be embarrassed of when you look back on your past. 

At the same time of the album release, you opened an exhibition of the same name with the photos you took and the words you wrote. JB: I’ve always like reading and taking photos and when the company suggested it, I thought let’s try doing it. But still, I feel pressured. My skills are still not of a level adequate enough to be opening an exhibition.

Out of the captions that each of you wrote for the exhibition, is there any that left an impression? JY: There is one that hyung wrote that sounded like he was having a conversation with me; “Time passes really quickly huh, Jinyoung-ah?’. I got real shocked seeing that. I thought, ‘Hyung with this type of tone?” Haha.  JB: I was shocked seeing that caption too. It’s true that it is something I wrote but it was revised slightly. The original was “A time of 5 years have passed. Time passes by quickly Jinyoung-ah.”

The original is pretty open/direct. JY: Yes. But it transformed into a really sweet feel. JB: I too thought, “It’s the same meaning but why does this sound so sweet?” Because I decided to write (the captions) for the exhibition calmly. JY: The concept of this exhibition is ‘8th grade syndrome’*. So that everything can be taken lightly and enjoyably. JB: But I became a sweet guy overnight. Of course it means the same thing but there is a subtle (difference) in the nuance. *8th grade syndrome is the puberty stage where adolescents act out.

Therefore, which of Jinyoung’s caption left an impression on you? JB: In the scene/photo where I’m walking while looking at my phone, he wrote “There is a reason even if he’s looking at the ground.” I wasn’t looking at the ground but I was looking at my phone. I remember it because it didn’t fit the picture. JY: I wrote it like that on purpose. When people at their phone, they go around with their heads down. (The caption) meant that (the lowering heads) did not mean that there are was no energy/strength but everything has a reason to it. JB: The other one would be a picture of the sky and a barley field. He wrote “Sjy and barley, ah I’m thirsty” randomly. It was so funny hahaha.

Looks like not everything was written with an intention/meaning. JY: If everything was serious then there would be no fun in it. JB: We included random captions here and there. We wanted to share it enjoyably with the fans.

The title song for this album, ‘Tomorrow, Today’ is a song that talks about youth’s concern. What kind of concerns are the two of you having lately? JB: On which path to take, on how to be my own self- I think it’s always the same things. I also think of what to eat every day. A very light concern (laughs)

Don’t you have food that you like? JB: Of course I do. But I don’t experience things like I have to definitely eat a certain food, or craving for a certain food.

Alright, let’s now confirm that with Jinyoung who is always by his side. JY: This really... (looking at JB) Hyung, can I talk about this? I’m going to be honest about this (laughs). When we’re ordering food, hyung definitely say that he’s not eating. But just in case, I’ll order 2 servings and then he’ll come over and go “Is there food?”. There’s nothing that he would specifically like to eat but if we order, he will eat. Even if he says he’s not hungry. JB: Even if I do want to order, there are so many varieties on the menu. I honestly can’t choose. Since there’s nothing that I specifically want to eat. JY: Hyung has got to see it in real life in order to choose. JB: I can’t think of a menu (to eat) so I’ll say that I won’t eat but if I smell food. I get hungry. So I creep up. JY: Then I was naturally take out (his share). (laughs).

Looking at how long you spend overseas, don’t you get desperate for Korean food even if you don’t usually like it? JB: I eat Korean food even when I’m overseas (laughs). I’m a real Korean food mania so I must always have soup and jjigae (stew).

So what is Jinyoung’s concern as of late? JY: Although this may sound funny, I try my best to prevent my voice from cracking. There are many instances where we do rehearsals in the morning when our throats have not even warmed up. There are many singers watching so my greatest concern is in getting through that without cracking my voice.

That seems like a definite concern for singers. JY: Hyung has a great tone and he sings well but I have a rather low tone and I tend to strain my throat when singing high (notes) so it’s hard every morning. But because I stress about not cracking my voice in front of other people, it’s even harder.

Have you not been able to find a resolution for that? JY: There’s something. When I’m singing a high note, I pull my mic away as far as I can and pretend to sing. Hahaha

Can we include this is the interview (laughs) JY: It’s something I do only during rehearsals. I do well during the actual performance. JB: My voice cracks from time to time too. Even yesterday’s rehearsal too.. (laughs) JY: Hyung, you were really amazing yesterday.

Did something happen at rehearsals yesterday? JB: I sang a part and my voice cracked each time I sang it. JY: Hyung was so taken aback that when we ended, he said “Hello” instead of “Thank you for the hard work”. JB: Honestly, to singers, our throats is our most important instrument but even if we did the exact same thing at the same time, even if we sleep the same, our condition always differ. Therefore there are days when my voice cracks and there are days when it doesn’t. I used to get really stressed about it but now I just laugh it off. What can I do about something that has already happened? I just tell myself to do better next time. Thankfully I did well during the actual performance yesterday.

Is Jinyoung blood type A by any chance? JB: I’m type A. Jinyoung is O.

That’s unexpected. JB: For type A, we are unexpectedly optimistic when a huge accident/incident happens. But we keep worrying about the small things. JY: Cracking you voice in front of people is no small matter. JB: If I made an embarrassing mistake, I keep looking at it until I get used to it. And once I get used to it, I don’t want to be reminded of it again. So I put in effort in order not to make the same mistake.

What if you were faced with a choice? Are you the type to not have any regrets on the choice you did not make? JB: It differs depending on situation. And I think the feeling of regret is dependent on how important it is. Rather than saying I barely have any regrets, if my choice turns to be a mistake, I will just look back and say “let’s not make this kind of mistake again.��� JY: For me, I’m the type to push forward with my choice and then turn back to have a look later on.

You’re the type to focus on your current choice, huh? JY: Because it’s something I already committed myself to and the ending is something I have to do/create. After that, I’ll ponder as to why I did it the way I did.

Is there a choice that you did you not make that left you with a lingering feeling? JB: I do think I should have worked a little harder back then, that it would have been great if I had this mind-set back when I was younger. JY: I’m the opposite of hyung. During trainee period, I came to Seoul and I didn’t have any friends so I practiced so much. I was not relaxed at all. It would have been nice if I took it easier and met up with friends. Back then I had a lot of concerns and because of the pressure to succeed. I didn’t close to my trainee friends.

The two of you have a history of being joint winners for the trainee open auditions with the same song. After that, you’ve been together for 8 years, is this fate? JB: There’s also another (type of) fate apart from that. Actually we were supposed to audition separately but the last contest in which we perform as a team, it was the company that paired us up. Ever since then we’ve been continuously together. JY: I spend my trainee period with hyung (in trying to see) who’s better and who’s superior. Then we did a drama together, debuted together, did GOT7 together. That’s how we spend the last 7-8 years.

 And I think that made your existence different (from others) to each other. JY: There’s trust. JB: Since we know what the other likes and dislikes, we don’t really collide into one another. We have a consideration for each other. JY: For me, in a relationship between people, I think the most important thing is not doing what the other person dislikes, rather than doing what that person likes. Because we already know what the other dislikes, we are considerate of each other.

What was your first impression of each other? JB: What should I say? Jinyoung was like this really clear, clean, pure water.

Is there any of that image left in him (laughs) JY: People change, it’s been 8 years. JB: No matter how clear the water is... (laughs) Rather than changing for the worst, I think he’s become a little more adept in keeping that image as it is.

How about Jaebeom’s first impression? JY: Really in the best sense of the word, I think he was like a ‘player’*. If I’m to compare to that time, he’s living more fiercely now but in the beginning he had this ease to him. *It means he had time/ freedom/ease in his life.

When do you think that the both of you match each other best? JB: We definitely match well in our usual times but we match really well when we’re working too. When we’re doing something together regardless of what it is, it gets done cleanly and efficiently.

What is something about the other person that hasn’t changed despite time passing? JY: From the first time I met hyung up till now, he has always like music. I’m saying that it’s time for you to change now (laughs). JB: Jinyoung has that feel of a man who lives right. It’s not that he has to live right deliberately. I think he’s just born like that.

When were you the most genuinely happy recently? JY: When JJ Project’s album were released. I received the album because I had to sign on them and the albums came out really well so I liked it. JB: Um... I’m not someone who feels great or happy well. Of course I felt great when the album were released though.

When what makes Jaebeom happy? JB: I don’t know. I just live life easily. I don’t live to feel happiness. I just think “Well life is just life”; I don’t think I’m someone who puts a huge meaning to it.

Again, we’ll need Jinyoung’s report. As someone who watches him by his side, when does Jaebeom seem happy? JY: When he’s watching funny videos on YouTube? Just yesterday he was laughing so much by himself; turns out he was watching videos of the rapper Desiigner and laughing so much. He sincerely looked happy at that time. 

Recently you asked GOT7 member Yugyeom for a one-liner comment on Verse 2. I’m asking the same question here. JB: A masterpiece. According to my standards, it is a masterpiece that was well produced. With the creation of every album, I work to make sure it turns out well but this album is a little more special. Compared to other albums, I participated a lot in this and as much as the hard work we put in, I like the track order and the album design as well. JY: I have no regrets. That feeling of putting my all in it. There was no relaxed (feeling) in making it together but it was a good time. I have no regrets. JB: Now when this (promotion) wraps up, we’ll have to work hard in making GOT7′s album too.

GGOONERR_ | haetbitmark

[nostalgic-blood]

THAT MOVIE THO.

spoilers under the cut of course

Yeah yeah yeah pacing issues, too much cool stuff crammed into a movie with too little time to spare for many characters including AJ and Flutts who unfortunately made no friends and thus, had they not been in the movie nothing would really have affected the plot. They were there for MORAL support okay. Also my favourite gag wouldn’t have worked without Fluttershy. I wish I could watch it again to refresh my memory, but basically they were stowaways on an airship full of pirates, and the pirates find them and threaten them, like eating them or scarring them or SCARRING THEM EMOTIONALLY, and each threat is tailored to a specific pony, and the emotional one focused on Fluttershy. That was great. I loved that gag.

Also the plot was like, simple. EXTREMELY SIMPLE. bad guys show up. Run away from bad guys. search for macguffin that can defeat the bad guys. Bad guys capture good guys anyway. FRIENDSHIP IS POWER THAT CAN DEFEAT--well no, not in the giant rainbow beam smashes into bad guy kind of defeat. The bad guy actually died, and there was a lot of fighting in the climax. Huh.

Well anyway the world building was very good which I normally would never even comment on because when it comes to MLP I usually don’t give two shits about the lore. For instance in season seven they’re introducing a whole bunch of mythical legends that while might be interesting on their own, are presented in a such a way that the episode tends to be a complete bore. What do I learn about Rarity or AJ in an episode where all they do is tell campfire stories? There is no focus on a conflict or any moral lesson (except the small ones in the stories themselves) and little interaction between the main characters. I was so bored by that episode. The Daring Do episode fared even worse and somehow they shoehorned it as Pinkie’s legend (??!!?) despite Pinkie having not read any Daring Do books and having little reason to be on this adventure. (This doesn’t even begin to describe how much Daring Do being real is one of the weakest aspects of the show itself, but I digress)

The only episode that was an interesting way to depict a legend was the Fluttershy episode because figuring out who this historical healer was, was important to curing and preventing the spread of a horrible deadly illness, so that one had great and suspenseful setup with a lot of development for Fluttershy. And frankly I think in terms of legends themselves Fluttershy’s was the least interesting, but because it was framed by a really good episode about Flutters it was the best one.

Oh right I was supposed to talk about the movie.

But yeah, one thing I REALLY like and thought was a possibility in the MLP universe were sky pirates or at least sky sailors or whatever, and HERE THEY ARE, EXISTING! And BEING PIRATES! AIRSHIPS ARE A THING! They even had one in the newest MLP episode. I knew they existed for a long while (one appeared in a small moment during Rarity’s song in Sweet and Elite back in season two) but they were never really utilized until this movie. I don’t know how i feel about tons of all anthro-looking creatures though. I always assumed the world of MLP was all these quadrupedal creatures and if they did stand on two legs it was because they were hybrids with human-like pieces such as minotaurs. Or dragons, but let’s not talk about them.

But here it’s this anthro-cat, and some anthro-fishmen, and then anthro birds, and the big bad is okay because he looks like a primate of some sort, so it makes sense, but the rest of em... ehhhh. I guess since they went OUTSIDE Equestria it makes sense there are a much larger variety of creatures/races, and maybe Equestria is the just the one with the most four-legged equines, but...

Also I think we almost had enough screentime with these new characters to like them. Almost. I was starting to like them, but it wasn’t to the point that if these characters suddenly decided to help the mane six that it’d be 100% believable. Since there wasn’t much time devoted to each of them, the fact that catman decided to side with them just because Rarity in those few precious seconds fixed the hem of his shirt was a little less realistic or believable as it could have been. I get what they were trying to do, but if more time was devoted to it, it would have had much more impact. The pirates especially I thought maybe they would blame the Mane Six for leading to the destruction of their ship, but they were actually really reasonable for pirates that when we first saw them were about to eat them. They realized straight away that the real reason their ship exploded was because their boss sucked.

I could totally believe the Princess Seapony!Hippogriff thing siding with them though. She was just lonely and wanted friends. There were no ethical issues to get in the way at all like murderous pirates or conmen. The fact that the queen did not join them made sense though, since Twilight royally fucked up.

Speaking of Twilight I see a lot of people complaining she was not very Twilight in this movie, doing things that opposed the message of friendship. It made sense to me that she fell back to her more logical, rational way of life though. As they were journeying to find the Queen of the Hippogriffs, normal singing happy friendship methods to solve problems wasn’t really working. They befriended this cat man but he actually just wanted to sell them and was using them. Then they changed the ways of the pirates, but in doing so led the enemy straight towards them. I can see how Twilight thought this wasn’t like Equestria, the land of the colourful happy pastel ponies and their usual modus operandi wasn’t gonna work here. She was desperate! But due to the amount of time they had they could not spend a lot of time emphasizing this, so it may have come off to some people that Twilight was acting a lot more malicious than she is.

Another thing is this movie is clearly not for some random person to walk into a theatre, sit down, and just start watching like they’d understand the movie if it were just a standalone thing. There isn’t much time used up at all to introduce our characters and to make a blind audience care about them. It only really works if you’re already attached to the characters and know who they are, so it really wasn’t a good movie to attract casual moviegoers or anything like that. 

I think another comment complaint is how helpless the ponies are especially when they are outside Equestria. This I thought was odd because we have Twilight who still had her magic which could basically solve anything and do anything if the plot demands in the show. Or Rainbow Dash who is supposedly faster than mach 3 or whatever, but neither of these two used their overpowered abilities effectively throughout the movie, almost like the movie forgot that Twilight could teleport or Rainbow Dash could escape.

But anyway all of that is moot. Why is all the above moot? Because we had a movie with a clear beginning, middle, and end. There were decent songs and a pretty good score. It’d otherwise just be a normal run of the mill 6-7/10.

BUT THAT IS MOOT BECAUSE PINKIE PIE WAS AMAZING IN THIS MOVIE. AND I WATCH MLP FOR PINKIE PIE. SHE IS THE NUMBER ONE REASON I AM INVESTED IN THIS FANDOM AT ALL. AND SHE HAD THE MOST FOCUS OF THE MANE SIX AFTER TWILIGHT.

The biggest issue I always had with adventure episodes which were usually the season premieres and finales of the show was that it was always heavily Twilight focused with the other five on the wayside. I did not want to watch a movie where Twilight solves the problem herself and her friends are hostages, or out of commission, nor not themselves, or otherwise not doing anything that affected the plot. They were just along for the ride. Yes unfortunately this ended up being the case for two of the Mane Six, but that’s just another side-effect of them not making this movie longer or utilizing what time they had effectively. (We could have had less new supporting characters or something, idk)

But luckily for my biased-self it was Pinkie they chose to focus on. When they don’t focus on Pinkie and she isn’t important she’s usually just the mindless comedic relief, which was always a depiction I hated of Pinkie. Equestria Girls Pinkie is exactly this, and that’s why she’s my least favourite in the EG Universe. This is fine if Pinkie’s comedy was actually good, but usually they aim for lolrandom humour when that happens. Pinkie’s comedic moments in the movie were much more often hit than miss. I didn’t really dislike any scene with Pinkie at all! At no point did she seem overly obnoxious. Maybe the time when she was trying to play I Spy, but the rest of the Mane Six were audibly exasperated with her so they were self-aware how obnoxious she can be at times, lol.

Also yes, she did ruin some moments too like a few others. And by ruin I mean, the Mane Six are trying to do something and have a perfectly good plan to do so, but one of the characters do the thing they’d always do and it’d ruin the plan. For Pinkie that was just yelling out loud in the marketplace trying to find help, this led them to being conned by the cat man and almost being captured. Then Rainbow ruined everything when she went overboard trying to turn the pirates by showing off her Sonic Rainboom, which is a very loud and flashy technique catching the bad guys’ attention and ruining their plans. Finally Twilight ruined everything when she straight up tried to steal the pearl. So at least it wasn’t ONLY Pinkie... and all of them to me seemed perfectly in-character or made sense for that specific context anyway.

A good example of an adventure episode where Pinkie isn’t very important but has great comedic moments is the season five premiere. She’s the first to notice the odd smiles and has great expressions and reaction faces to the weird town they’re in, and when the Mane Six are being brainwashed she has some great dry humour as well. Still funny when not even trying to be funny! A good example of an episode where Pinkie is not effective whatsoever at being comedic relief is the season three premiere. Pinkie’s just being really loud and screechy. Even if I did like the flugelhorn bit where she yells “FLUGELHORN” into a flugelhorn while trying to play the flugelhorn.

I think the reason why this movie gave such focus to Pinkie over the other five instead of someone else is that Pinkie is the most popular character among the target audience. All the little girls adore her. She’s definitely not the most popular among the brony community, but I’m glad the little girls have great taste! Also Twilight messes up and SHE gets captured, not all her friends at once! It is her friends who she alienated and ostracized that came to the rescue instead. I like this because even though Twilight is the Princess of Friendship now, it doesn’t mean she’s some flawless individual who is the end-all and be-all to friendship. She is the princess because she has many great friends, and they all complete her. It doesn’t make sense for a princess of friendship to not be doing things with her friends. That’s like Luna with no moon, or Cadance without a husband.

Also while Tempest whatever has a much better backstory than Starlight, I still find it a little annoying that MLP has a habit of infodumping a villain’s (that is meant to be redeemed) backstory blatantly in our face, and now we have to feel sorry for them and completely understand their motivations. I thought her villain song started out strong but fell apart when it just jumped into her backstory like that. Again, if the movie had more runtime we could have explored her backstory and motivations in either much more subtle ways, or with more depth, or not all at once. Still despite her edginess she was one of the more fleshed out new characters, so I’ll give her that. 

The movie actually reminds of two fanfics I’ve read that have sky pirates and a world outside Equestria. In one, the villain is trying to find and kidnap the protagonist for their dastardly deeds, just like in the movie trying to kidnap Twilight for power, and the cast runs across faraway lands to escape. The other just has a bunch of sky pirates. I love those sky pirates. I made a sky pirate AU for ponies once that if I weren’t so invested in my RWBY AU powered by 1000% salt I might actually attempt to write. SKY PIRATES!!1!11!!!

It’s like the movie was pandered directly to me. Good Pinkie content and sky pirates. Yay! So, with all that bias included I’d give the movie a solid 8.5/10. But that’s just me personally. If Pinkie ISN’T your favourite character or you enjoy more complicated plots with more unpredictability you might rate it a more objective 6 or 7 out of 10.

8.5 tho. Just for Pinkie. PINKIEEEEE!!

[owly-sims]

7/24 Replies

Before the replies, two things: 1) My queue ends NEXT Monday, not tomorrow. I don’t know why I thought it ended so soon. Anyway, thanks for the comments and reblogs. I’m suddenly hit by that anxiety that everything I do is awful and boring and I’m disappointing you, and then I have to remind myself:

jk jk. But this first issue is a lot of table-setting and will hopefully lead to more interesting issues down the road, including more sci-fi fare and less internal monologue. Or maybe not? Who knows.

2) I’ll be going out of town this Thursday, 7/29 and coming back Monday, 7/31. I wanted to start the next issue as soon as this one ended but there will be a gap. I need to get some things done before I leave town, sim and non-sim things alike. (:

Anyway, here we go:

I Love to see comic strip sim stories! So much easier to read :D

They really cut down on unnecessary language. I tend to go overboard with both exposition and dialogue, and it’s making me restrain myself.

experimentalsims replied to your photoset “I went to an awesome used bookstore and spent almost $90 on this haul....”

Yay for real books!

Seriously! I like digital books and all but nothing will ever compare to a real book.

acquiresimoleons replied to your photoset “I went to an awesome used bookstore and spent almost $90 on this haul....”

I love books �� i am always at risk of spending all our money if i go in a bookstore xD

That was a serious risk here, too. XD This bookstore accepts exchanges so next time I need to take some old books in for credit. But I have a really hard time getting rid of books. XD

willky12 replied to your photoset “I went to an awesome used bookstore and spent almost $90 on this haul....”

I wasn't annoyed :P I am rather fond of books, just looking at them all stacked up makes me happy, weird hey?

It makes me happy, too. I have two literature degrees and I used to stack up all of my books at the end of the semester and take pictures. It was like porn, but very innocent.

simblu replied to your photoset “I went to an awesome used bookstore and spent almost $90 on this haul....”

Not boring or annoying..in fact this was very interesting.

I’m glad! I sometimes find boring things interesting. XD

ashuriphoenix replied to your photoset “I went to an awesome used bookstore and spent almost $90 on this haul....”

I love Grendel. Still one of my favorites; we had to read it in high school. For one of my college projects I illustrated three scenes from the book. I might have scans somewhere.

There’s no excuse that it’s taken me this long to read it. I’d love to see those illustrations! :D

treason-and-plot replied to your photo “previous | next[[MOR] Zenith: (from the other room) And all the...”

I don't think I could ever get sick of Wonderwall just saying ;=)

I don’t think I could ever get not sick of Wonderwall. XD

futurecarrie replied to your photo “previous | next[[MOR] Zenith: (still off panel) …And all the lights...”

HE DOESN'T KNOW ANY OTHERS, HE'S A FAKE FAN

What’s worse: a fake Oasis fan, or a real Oasis fan? Jk jk.

futurecarrie replied to your photo “previous | next[[MOR] Zenith: (from the other room) And all the...”

Ugh Wonderwall

Right??

simblu replied to your post “Hi! I'm not sure if you're looking for constructive criticism but, I...”

Yes, that is an improvement.

Good! I’ll go back and revise some pages so they’re more readable.

hyperkaos replied to your photo “previous | next[[MOR] Zenith: (from the other room) And all the...”

Yeah thanks for that ♫♪

Hey, you’re welcome!! :D

holycannolis replied to your photo “previous | next[[MOR] Than fucking Lucky Palms. (the fiery)...”

Yeey so fun!!! ��

I hope it continues to be fun. :D

futurecarrie replied to your photo “previous | next[[MOR] Last my parents heard, the capital city had...”

It's the evil guy in the bottom panel! I can't remember his name but he's an asshole! Aaaaaa I found the Easter egg

Eridanus! And yes, you found it! Have a cookie! :D

novellam-under-the-stars replied to your photo “previous | next[[MOR] Than fucking Lucky Palms. (the fiery)...”

Oh I'm excited!

I hope it stays exciting. XD I’m getting really stoked for future issues, which is cooling my excitement on this one.

treason-and-plot replied to your post “Replies!!”

I was only thinking the other day about the sad lack of first person stories on Tumblr. Thanks for helping remedy that! ��

:D I think first person can be really powerful, but it also limits perspective in a way I think a lot of people feel uncomfortable with. But luckily comic books allow for some amount of omniscience since first person is usually reflective. My next goal is to get out of the habit of writing in present tense.

treason-and-plot replied to your link “2.13. Better Not Wake the Baby”

Maybe she should just get a new vibrator ??? And a fairy...How intriguing!!

I don’t think Lark is the “do it yourself” type. :|

[whydoyouthinkileft]

{ *leaps into you ask* JEMMALANCE }

listen this was for couple so I’m totally writing it in the span of their relationship going from friends to couple good luck (I thought about the one where they went rogue together but really, in the end it works in any.

-who cries when someone dies in a movie

Does it even need saying lol Jemma. JEMMA. Every single time she re-watched LotR she cries when Gandalf ‘dies’ and his friends cry even though she KNOWS he’s not dead. She cries when characters die. She cries when characters get a happy ending. She cries at proposals. So help her if it’s a movie where a dog dies. Hunter just has to put tissues in front of her whenever they decide to watch a movie that isn’t a romcom (because she’s only invested enough to cry over proposals when she knows characters better than for two hours, like for tvshows, so at least she won’t cry over a happy movie that way). (The first time, she has to explain to Hunter that no, she’s not having some kind of breakdown due to what happened in SHIELD, she genuinely is just crying over the movie and can he please hand her a tissue)

-who wears the ugly holiday garb

Jemmaaaa. But she also brings Hunter stuff to wear like hats or something to hang on his clothes - though it depends on what you mean by ugly because most of the time it looks cute on her. And then she makes it wear to other people and it does not look cute on them. There are also made-up holidays and putting the small cockade from a gift on his shirt because “you are the best gift” and what’s he gonna do then? he has to keep it at least for a bit. Hunter strikes to me as the type who would also wear something stupid during a holiday to cheer her up the one time she gets depressed over something and is like “whatever, holidays are stupid anyway, I won’t celebrate it” because it’s like having a Christmas elf turning into the Grinch and it’s sad. It works.   

-who pays for the meals

Okay, it depends and Jemma prefers to split up the bill than having him pay for her, and Jemma doesn’t mind paying for both before he finds out and then leaving before he can comment on it (especially in the verse where he works for her? though she passes it as work expenses) but if we are talking about the ship and not broship and it’s a romantic date and he pays, she looks so damn pleased and blushed that he’d probably want to pay all the romantic things lol while normal lunches can be still split or either of them can get to pay first. She’s a sucker for clichés, she’s all for paying for herself at any other time, but during romantic outings him paying and doing other little romantic gestures will make her melt, and Hunter likes that he can make her blush.  

-who slams the oven door and who plays the trombone

He can play the trombone, she’ll smash the oven door with enthusiasm! (The contrary though is also true so really, he can pick)

-who brings home stray animals

Both? And then they need to have talks about ‘but can we keep it or not’ and what’s best for the animal. 

-who leaves the bathroom door open

I think neither unless they are just fixing their hair? or in her case make-up? She is particularly (and only) private when it comes to that (unless she wants to join her for a shower, but that’s different).  

-who tells the 'dad jokes'

They both make jokes, but Jemma puns and makes non-funny jokes all the time (which actually end up being funny out of sheer incredulity for what she said - she has more dark humor on her side) while Hunter is sarcastic as hell, self-deprecating too... So she tells the dad jokes if you count things like “we’ll do it old school... but not in our old school” and mimicking people. And then she looks at Hunter with a smile waiting for his reaction. (”a kiss to make me stop for ten minutes” has been said). If Hunter tells a dad joke she can either laugh, because it’s Jemma, or pat his arm, especially if it’s sad with him expecting her to tell him to shut up like a true Dad Joke  

-who wants kids more

I think it would be her? But she wouldn’t push for it unless he truly wants them too. She wants kids to be loved by both parents. Actually, it also depends on the timeline. Normally she knows she wants kids, but she’s also afraid of mess it all up, and Hunter seeing her being adorable with kids might spark in him the wish to have their own kids first, while she’s still doubting her ability to be a good mother. Though once he reassures her, they both want it.

-who travels more

They both travelled a lot so I don’t think it’s easy to tell. They are both working in the field too despite their job description so it’s a tie? 

-who spends more cash

I’m starting to think it might be him, for things that have nothing to do with work at least? Because she’s so content with what she has already, she doesn’t have much left to buy by the time they are together. Well, except clothes, but he does that too. 

-who buys the things in infomercials

Hunter may have considered it so I’ll go with him (and then Jemma went “Just tell me what you want, I’ll build it for you.”) 

-who draws in the dust on their cars

Both. Given the sappy smile on Hunter’s face during the few happy romantic scenes he had, I’m willing to guess that he’d also draw cute things for Jemma when she’s right there because he knows he’ll get rewarded. Jemma isn’t as romantic and would probably draw something to make him laugh (she leaves romantic messages in post-its, okay) 

-who starts the snowball fights

Either is good. The very first time, Hunter gave it a go with a small snowball to check her reaction like ‘will she play along or find it childish?’ and then Jemma nearly tackled him in the attempt to just grab ALL the snow her arms could carry and throw it in his direction as if she was splashing him with water, and from that moment whoever wants to start it can start it. There’s going to be yelling. 

-who throws away the directions to things

Hunter. Jemma complains about him doing that ten minutes straight because it’s more correct to follow the exact direction. Hunter is just done with her having to follow them so perfectly. Until the day he finds out that if she doesn’t follow plans she goes completely insane and has no regrets about it, so he is a bit more cautious and accepts that some people (just her) need to have more directions. Hunter can take different paths, metaphorically or literally while driving, without needing directions, he won’t go batshit crazy.  

-who puts up holiday decor

They both do! And it’s always a happy time! Except like, the one time she didn’t feel well and postponed it, and Hunter started for her, and obviously she started crying because happy when she walked in and he was very proud of himself. (crying is good in these cases) so while before then she was the one who went a bit overboard, once he knows how much it apparently means to her on a sentimental level he also joins with more enthusiasm. 

-who is more likely to forget to bathe

I think they are people who don’t easily forget to bathe, of all the things (I’m looking at you, Hunter, you are way too good looking to actually not put effort in your looks. You put efforts into looking effortlessly handsome, admit it.) but sometimes he doesn’t forget as much as comes home tired to death and falls asleep while sitting down for five minutes to catch a breath after a long day of work. Meanwhile she takes a shower in the morning every day, but she usually takes another after work, unless she gets fixated on a project. In that case she forgets to shower. And eat and sleep. 

-who gets more obsessed about things

Jemma, oh man. If by things you mean projects, fandoms. If you mean bringing up past slights and being petty, it’s both of them, but in a non-aggressive way. If the problem has been solved, she can bring it up but making sure he knows she’s just teasing. If Hunter keeps bringing some unsolved problem up, she lets him until she snaps and then they both need to cool off. But usually they have very few disagreements, so their ‘obsessive’ talking is mostly limited to good or neutral things. Harry Potter is a common fandom, though, so sorting hat talks are also something to obsess about (”What House do you think X is?” “Ravenclaw” “I’m going to fight you”)

-who sings in the shower more often

Absolutely Jemma because she has Glee moments whenever she’s showering or cleaning, nearly every day. Including dancing. But whenever there is music playing in the bathroom (she left some mp3 thing there) I don’t think Hunter is capable of resisting for too long? Let alone the duets when she pulls Bon Jovi on and loses it while fixing her hair, Hunter is welcomed to join. And does. It tends to end with Jemma jumping him for kisses because it’s so fun.

[askdawnandvern]

A Lamb Among Wolves Ch:14

Chapter Fourteen: Et Tu Zachary?

Vernon felt sick, too sick to even finish his the warm, sticky homemade breakfast that had been one of the few things the wolf looked forward to when visiting home. What remained on his plate had become as revolting as the scent of his Mother's perfume, and the wolf simply slid it aside as the rest of group continued to eat in near silence. Barely anyone had said much of anything after Dorian had come in and chased Yuri out of the room, something Vernon was at least partially grateful for. If things had continued Vernon was sure he would have slugged the wolf, probably earning himself a black eye among other wounds, and trashing the dining hall in the process. But the cavalry had ultimately arrived too late to save the already abysmal turn the morning had taken. Granted, it had already been on shaky ground to start with Dawn's sudden and unwelcomed visitor. But Yuri's little performance had successfully managed to destroy any little remaining hope that the day would be an overall positive one. It had already seemed to be ruined, and the wolf had barely been awake for more than thirty minutes.

Vernon had long been used to Yuri's particular form of teasing and torment. The black pelted wolf had always been nasty, vindictive, rude little mammal ever since they had been pups. And there was not a member of the young Hunter brood that didn't suffer at one point or another due to Yuri's usual cruelty. But it was Vernon more so than the rest that the wolf seemed to reserve the worst he had to offer for. When they had been pups, Yuri had been the largest member of the brothers and was always using it to his advantage in sinister ways. Whether it was intimidation, or brute force the pup was quick to exert his 'dominance' over the others, especially Vern. Vernon could easily remember a number of times Yuri had simply sat on him to pin him down, and refused to let the wolf up until he stated that Yuri was the 'Alpha' and that he was the 'Omega'. Yuri knew better of course, they weren't allowed to use terms like that under Ma and Pa Hunter's roof. But he was nearly a master at being able to perfectly evade their parents detection when torturing his brothers.

As he got older the abuse worsened, and losing Dawn as a childhood friend only gave Yuri more material to work with. Rather than offer the wolf pity or sympathy, Yuri ramped up the already incessant teasing and fighting. It was only when Vernon went through his growth spurt that Yuri seemed to lighten up a bit when it came to physical side of hurting Vernon. Looking back, Vernon could easily chalk it up to the fact that Yuri had went from the largest wolf in the pack, to the smallest after the others all sprouted up around him. Yuri had always been an opportunist and a coward, never going after mammals larger than he was unless he knew it was a situation he could get away clean from. But despite no longer getting physical with Vernon, Yuri was no slouch. He had perfected the art of verbal abuse, and now reveled in the fact that as long as he wasn't the first to swing he would always be in the right.

If it hadn't been for the fact the Yuri was one of the first to leave the ranch Vernon was certain he would have lost his mind and killed him despite taking a vow of nonviolence after getting into high school. Vernon could remember one or two nights he had drifted to sleep plotting exactly where he would bury the wolf where no one would find him. But when the first litter of the Hunter brood graduated high school, while Zach and Xavier were spending their Summer preparing to attend their respective colleges, Yuri had decided to spend his Summer traveling. The wolf simply took off with little warning, taking to his motorcycle with a duffle bag full of his things and blowing away like a tumbleweed in the wind. He had spent his time traveling all over North Mammalia if the post cards Vernon's parents received were anything to go by. But before Dorian and Audrey could question whether or not the wolf intended to become a professional drifter, Yuri turned up on his first scheduled day at the Marshland Police Academy, and with that their worries seemed to be put at rest.

Meanwhile Vernon had spent his Summer actually enjoying being home for the first time in his life. By comparison to Yuri he managed to get along with his other brothers like a dream. In fact, Yuri's absence is one of the reasons Vernon ended up lingering around the Meadowlands for a few years after high school. It was, in some way, like an entirely new experience exploring the district without the weight of his brother looming over him, and the wolf was making up for lost time. Eventually though, Vernon made the choice to break away from the family vocation, and strike out on his to become an architect when the opportunity finally presented itself. With Gus living in Zootopia, and willing to share his apartment with the wolf, Vernon was free to support himself without worrying about Dorian trying to steer him back on the path to police duty. Vernon was free of the responsibilities that being a Hunter seemed to carry along with it, and was more than delighted to be. That said, his visits to the Ranch since leaving for college had been few and far between. And if Yuri was set to visit, Vernon would tend to cancel at the last minute. It was only as recently as Zach and Vanna's tithing ceremony that had he seen the wolf again.

Vernon had hoped he would have changed, but in fact Yuri had become worse during his time on his own. And while he was attached to Ada at that time, who despite her seemingly similar demeanor turned out to be a rather sweet mammal, it had done nothing to change him. It was for Ada's sake that Vernon had resisted the urge to belt him when he used his opportunity to speak at the reception for Zach and Vanna to devote a minute and a half of material to putting Vernon down. And it was also for Ada's sake that Vernon ended up leaving early rather than stay another day and risk mauling the smug sneering wolf.

The wolf had remained silent for most of what remained of the morning meal, occasionally sipping his now disgustingly cold coffee or glancing over at the ewe sitting next to him. Somehow Dawn had managed to finish her food, something that Vernon found surprising considering all that had happened just a short while ago. The wolf ended up more or less reasoning that Dawn's appetite surviving Yuri's mood killing scene had something to do with her four chambered stomach.

"Vernon Darlin'?" The wolf was pulled out of his thoughts by his Mother's voice. He turned his head to catch the wolfess staring at him, her features fraught with concern.

"Yer done with your food? You've barely touched it." She grimaced.

"Yeah, I'm about done. I'll just stick with what's left of my coffee." He muttered, giving her a dismissive nod.

The wolf took a sip of the brew, cringing at the nasty aftertaste the chill somehow amplified.

"Vernon." That came from Dawn. The wolf glanced down at the equally concerned looking sheep sitting next to him. He could tell by the lack of inquisitiveness in her tone that she knew he wasn't being honest and pressing for truthfulness. Something she had either learned to pick up on better than his Mother, or his Mother simply knew to let some things go.

"I'm fine Floof's, really. I feel better now." Vernon grumbled. "Just not very hungry."

The ewe placed a hoof on Vernon's paw, rubbing it affectionately.

"Well, I guess if everyone's more or less done eatin' we can start getting ready to head out." Audrey interjected. "We should probably start by figuring out who's riding with who."

Vernon winced as he recalled the number of cars available to carry them to the fair. If he counted correctly, between the food truck, his Father's squad car, and his Mother's pick-up that limited the number to three cars in total. Vernon knew, thanks to Yuri's punishment he would be forced to ride in the food truck. And Dorian refused to let anyone drive his squad car but him. Vernon wasn't willing to be in the same car with either of them at the moment, the prospect of relentless mockery should he be stuck in the passengers seat next to Yuri, or painfully awkward silence that would come from sitting near his Father were almost equally unappealing. So that left Dawn and himself with no options other than his Mother's truck, which considering his Mother took up the driver's seat, left the pair split up once more. Unless he could convince Zach to take the pair in his squad car so they had some modicum of privacy and recovery time after the mornings events, but the wolf rarely used his squad car outside of work.

"Vernon?" The ewe asked. As Vernon turned to face Dawn he went to open his mouth to speak only to accidently gulp a large whiff of his Mother's perfume coming off the lamb. The odor burned his throat, causing him to let out a few hacking coughs as he turned away.

"Teeth to Tails!" Vernon hissed. "We really went overboard with that stuff!" The wolf wafted a paw in Dawn's direction in an effort to diffuse the smell. Dawn frowned sharply.

"I wasn't going to say anything..." Audrey spoke quietly. " But it is a little much. Tell me Darlin', do you always wear your perfume that thick or...?"

Vernon watched the ewe briskly shake her head, waiving her hooves pleadingly at the she-wolf. "Goodness no!" She stammered. "I'm so sorry I used so much, I just-just-"

"Ya'll don't need to say the reason. I don't need to know." Audrey assured. " I just hope it's helping..." Audrey trailed off as she seemed to struggle to find the words. "Whatever it is ya'll needed it for." The she-wolf scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

Vernon nearly laughed out loud. Of course his Mother knew, everyone more or less knew thanks to Yuri's little scene. The wolf wasn't sure what he found to be a more horrifying prospect, the fact that his mate now smelled like his Mother ready for a hot night on the town, or the fact that his Mother was aware that Vernon seemed to have such little self control when faced with his mates pheromones that the couple had resorted to something this drastic.

"I-It's nothin' against you Ma." Vernon stammered. "Really! I ju-"

"A sensory conflict." Xavier muttered, sliding his empty plate atop of Malcolm's. The red wolf rose to his feet and continued to collect empty plates as Xavier went on.

"A scent and a stimuli that aren't usually mentally associated with one another can be quite jarring, more so for certain..." The wolf lingered for a moment, seeming to be carefully choosing his words. "Relationships those connections pertain to."

"What he said." Vernon said, gesturing to his brother.

"Oh gods, ya'll don't need to go any further." The she wolf huffed, rising to her feet with her own empty plate. "I said I really don't need to know!"

"Is it bothering anyone else?" Dawn asked, twiddling her hooves together nervously.

"Nah, you just smell like air freshener." Qali said before clasping her paws over her muzzle. She eyed Audrey nervously, a deep blush peeking out under her fur. "I-I mean, no offense Mrs. Hunter. It smells great when you wear it!"

The she-wolf let out a scoff as she rolled her eyes. As she scooped Dawn's empty plate onto her own she let out an exasperated sigh.

"I told ya Qali, please call me Audrey." The wolfess said as she took Vernon's plate, laying it gently on top of the stack she was holding.

"I'm really lousing things up this morning." Vernon heard Qali mumble quietly.

Vernon groaned as he slumped his head into his paws again.

"It makes sense that it would only really bother Vernon all things considered." Xavier added, intertwining his fingers together as he leaned forward on the dining room table. "But Vernon dear brother, what exactly are you going to do for the rest of the day?"

Vernon looked out from between his fingers at Xavier in confusion.

"I don't follow." The wolf muttered.

"Well." Xavier adjusted his glasses. "Surely like the rest of us you intended to spend time with your mate at the fair. Together, as a couple."

"He means a 'date'." Malcolm laughed. "Honestly Hon, you ain't in the courtroom so try to talk normal."

Xavier coughed awkwardly, adjusting his spectacles again. "Yes, well. How do you expect to go about that if Dawn's smell is so off putting?"

Vernon blinked at the wolf a few times in surprise. The wolf hadn't even considered that. Part of his big plan for the day was to have as much fun as possible with Dawn in an effort to make up for everything that had happened so far. To blot out every last bit of negativity brought on by the others members of his family by the sheer joy of experiencing the fair together,  just the two of them. Yet the emergency plan Dawn had come up with now seemed to have created a roadblock that Vernon wasn't sure he could easily over come. It would barely make for a very good date if he had to remain a few feet away from her most of the day.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Audrey said. The she-wolf was handing her plates off to Malcolm creating one large pile. " The first note on my perfume is the most potent, it'll be more or less gone in a half hour. All and all it'll be totally gone by the afternoon."

"Notes?" Vernon asked.

"Layered scents." Audrey replied. "Perfumes are made up of scents that burn off throughout the day."

Dawn glanced at Vernon nervously for a second, then back to his Mother.

"W-what do I do-"

The she wolf held up a paw. "By then we'll be heading back home. You can borrow more if you need it."

The ewe gave a meek nod.

"But, I figured you guys were going to ride in the same car together." Wade added. "How are you gonna do that if-"

"Dawn can ride with us in the back of the pick-up." Vanna said. The tigress had been sitting in Ada's empty chair. By now she was on her second cup of coffee. "It would be a good way to introduce her to the rest of the girls proper."

"Now hold on-"

"I-I'd be okay with that." Dawn muttered.

Vernon stared at her in shock.

"I-I mean, as l-long as Vanna will be there." She added.

Vanna gave the ewe a nod, smirking slightly.

"Now wait a minute!" Vernon huffed. If there was one thing aside from Yuri that got under Vernon's pelt, it was being talked around. "I don't really know if that's such a hot idea."

"Why not?" Audrey asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Vernon dropped his paws to the table top, clenching his teeth in irritation.

"Ya'll act like I'm a puppy here." Vernon hissed. "Just because I don't like a smell doesn't mean I can't tolerate it! There's no reason we shouldn't be fine riding together."

"I know Honey." Audrey cooed. "But we're trying to make this easier on everyone, including you."

"Easier?" Vernon crossed his arms. "What would be easiest for me would be to make sure I'm around Dawn at all times here. I can't ju-"

"Puppy, yer bein' too overprotective again." Audrey chided.

The wolf ran a paw over his scalp before slamming it down on the table. 'Overprotective' had become an entirely meaningless word in the face of everything that had happened so far, and Vernon had begun to stop caring about how overprotective the rest of his family perceived him to be, especially when it came to his mates welfare.

"Overprotective!?" Vernon laughed sarcastically. "Sure, clearly the better idea is to just leave Dawn at ya'lls mercy! You think after all that's happened so far I'm gonna leave Dawn alone with any of ya'll!?" Vernon snarled.

The table seemed to fall silent, leaving the bitterness of Vernon's comment to hang in the ether. The awkward silence caused Vernon to immediately start to regret his words, and he quickly glanced over to Dawn in fear he had inadvertently offended her. She was frowning, but once his eyes were on her she seemed to be trying to smile. It was weak and forced, and in that instant the wolf felt slightly ashamed. Here he was complaining about the rest of the family treating him like a child while he was doing the same to the ewe he professed to love. It was a feeling made worse by looking out among the sea of faces all staring back at him in a mixture of confusion and in the case of his Mother, hurt.

"Vernon." She said sternly, a slight tremor in her cadence. "It's wrong of you to throw the rest of the family under the bus just because of your Father and Yuri's behavior!" The she-wolf crossed her arms "I've done nothing but try to make you and Dawn feel welcome, and there ain't another mammal seated at this table right now who's said anything out of turn!" Audrey's gaze flashed over Ulric briefly, causing her to grimace as the dark grey wolf seemed to falter slightly. "Well almost all the mammals seated here."

Vernon frowned as his Mother continued to heap spoonfuls of truth onto him, with each statement the wolf found himself releasing an involuntary whimper.

"Thinking you need to be around to protect Dawn from the rest of us is not only an insult to me, but I'm sure it's an insult to Dawn." Audrey lamented.

Vernon glanced at Dawn as his feeling of shame continued to deepen. The ewe wasn't smiling, but she didn't seem mad either. She was eyeing the wolf in what seemed to be a mixture of concern and worry. Vernon could feel her hoof wrap around his nearest paw, squeezing it tightly.

"I-I'm sorry Honey Lamb." Vernon muttered, averting his gaze.

"I-it's okay Puppy Love..." Dawn cooed. "I-I know it's just because you worry about me."

The wolf winced slightly, turning his attention to the rest of the table. The other mammals were still more or less silent.

"I-I'm sorry guys. I-"

"Don't Vernon, believe me I understand." Xavier cut him off.

"Yuri gets all of us pretty riled up, he's practically got that down to a science." Trenton added.

"The first time I brought Malcolm home he was making the most vile wisecracks." Xavier grimaced. "He got me so worked up I nearly broke a dinner plate over his head."

Trenton chuckled. "And Xavier is a lawyer, he's paid to keep his composure as cool and analytical as possible."

"Key words being 'he's paid'. I don't get paid to keep my composure together in the face of Yuri's 'charming presence'." Xavier scoffed.

Trenton leaned over Qali, placing a paw on Vernon's shoulder. The white wolf gave Vernon a smile that seemed to ooze confidence and reassurance.

"Regardless, listen to Ma." Trenton said. " I can't speak for everyone else here, but I've got nothing against you and Dawn."

"Me too!" Qali piped up, placing a paw on Trent's elbow.

"I second that." Xavier added, adjusting his spectacles. "Both from a legal standpoint, as Dawn has fulfilled her debt to society, as well as from a brotherly standpoint."

"Could ya'll sound anymore like a robot?" Malcolm gave Xavier a playful elbow as gathered together the last of the silverware. The red wolf turned toward the kitchen, only to take two steps before glancing back at the family table.

"Oh, and I'm with ya'll too." Malcolm said, grinning broadly as he turned back toward the kitchen with his load of dishes. As the red wolf disappeared behind the door frame, Ulric suddenly rose to his feet. The wolf had been largely quiet since his own outburst, only letting out the occasional mutterings since being shouted down.

"I-" The wolf glanced at Vernon, then at Dawn, his eyes darting back and forth as the cagey wolf seemed to be trying to process what to say in the face of what he was looking at. "I-I better help Yuri out."

With that, Ulric quickly darted out of the room in the direction of the kitchen. Almost as quickly as he had disappeared behind the doorframe a loud crash erupted from somewhere in the kitchen.

"ULRIC, YOU DUMMY!" Vernon could hear Malcolm shouting loudly. It didn't exactly take a genius to figure out that the paranoid wolf had collided with the dishes Malcolm was carrying. Audrey sat back at the table, placing a paw to her head as she let out a sigh.

"Teeth to tails, at least those weren't the good dishes." The she-wolf muttered.

Despites Ulric's little flight or flight response, Vernon suddenly found himself feeling his spirit renewed. With Xavier and Trenton on his side, as well as their mates, more than half the family was now pulling for him and Dawn to really fit into the family. He had never hoped to change Yuri, or expected anything out of him other than humiliation, but he could accept that if the family largely didn't share his views on things. For a brief moment the wolf felt like the day could be salvaged, that he had a real shot of bringing his Father around and making Dawn a real member of the pack.

"Hey Vern?" Vernon turned to find Zach once again standing in the hall. The wolf was peeking around the archway, his face had uncertainty written all over it.

"C-can I talk to you for a minute?" Zach added.

Vernon crooked an eyebrow at the wolf in confusion. He was about to simply walk over to him when he remembered the thread of the conversation at hand. The wolf waived a paw at Zach dismissively.

"Yeah, give me a sec." Vernon replied.

Turning back to Dawn, Vernon gave her a soft smile. "You sure you wanna ride with the girls Mutton Chop?"

The ewe seemed to have a flicker of confidence shine behind her eyes as she nodded briskly.

"Yes Vernon, It'll be fun." Dawn smiled warmly.

"Well, mostly fun." Vanna said, sipping her coffee. "Qails and Ada don't have as good a taste when it comes to music as we do, but we'll manage."

Dawn stifled a giggle as the diminutive arctic fox crossed her arms and let out a huff. "Just because I like some of today's top hits doesn't mean I have bad taste in music!"

"Backstreet Bucks." Vanna replied with a smirk.

"They were my childhood! C'mon Vanna!" Qali yelped as she placed her paws on the table.

"I rest my case." Vanna said, taking another swig of her coffee.

Vernon smiled as Dawn tried to hide another giggle. This is what he wanted to see, how he wanted things to be for her. This little moment was like a fleeting golden glimmer of what the wolf had dared to hope introducing Dawn to the family would be like. It was almost enough to forget what happened at the start of breakfast.

The wolf gave her a playful tousle of her wooly poof as he rose to his feet. He could feel the ewe's playful swats as she pretended to protect herself.

"VeeeRRRNoooOOOoooN!" She whined as she adjusted the clump of wool atop her head, trying her best to stifle her laughter.

"Alrighty, I'll meet you all outside then." Vernon said, brushing his shirt free of whatever crumbs had accumulated there. Glancing over to Vanna, to wolf flashed her a slightly serious glance. Vernon pointed a stray finger at the large tigress.

"Keep her out of trouble." Vernon chuckled. His words were a playful jest, but his eyes said what he truly meant. And Vanna's stern nod told him she had gotten his message. 'keep her safe if things go wrong'.

Vernon leaned down, stealing a quick kiss of Dawn's cheek before heading making a half jog over to the hall. He could hear Dawn let out a surprised squeal as he put distance between them. He was sure he had left the ewe blushing fiercely, and on top of that he had managed to snag the kiss without inhaling the perfume.

As Vernon rounded the corner he could immediately feel the rising pleasant vibe in him begin to wither as his eyes fell on Zach. The russet tipped wolf was pacing in front of the main door, seemingly unaware that Vernon had entered. The nervous wolf ran a paw over his scalp as he continued to pace.

"Zach?" Vernon muttered quietly.

The wolf seemed to jump at the sound of his brothers voice. and clutched his chest briefly as he turned his attention to Vernon.

"H-hey little bro." Zach said with a shudder.

"Everything alright?" Vernon eyed the wolf curiously. It was a rare sight for Vernon to see the wolf this consternated.

"Y-Yeah, no. I mean." The wolf shook his head briskly. "I'm okay."

"You don't look it." Vernon murmured. "What's got your hackles up?"

Zach ran a paw over his scalp, glancing out the front doors side window for a moment as if he were afraid he was being watched. Turning back to Vernon, the wolf let out a long sigh.

"I- I spoke to Pa." Zach said solemnly.

Vernon grimaced as it became clear why to wolf seemed to be behaving so nervously. It was obvious the talk Zach had promised hadn't gone well.

"I see." Vernon murmured.

"Yeah." Zach replied.

The two remained silent for a moment. It was disappointing to say the least that Vernon wouldn't be expecting an apology to Dawn anytime soon by his Old Mam' for his behavior. Sadly it seemed they would have to rely heavily on their 'B Plan' of bringing the wolf around by impression alone. Still the wolf was at least appreciative of his brothers efforts, however for naught they may have turned out.

"Well, I appreciate you trying." Vernon huffed. "What exactly did he say anyway?""

The wolf glanced over his shoulder again, frowning deeper as he returned he glance on Vernon.

"H-He really kind of ignored what I was saying." Zach sighed.

"Should have figured." Vernon grumbled. "He's a stubborn as an ass."

Zach gave a simple, meek nod.

"Well, I guess I'll be riding in the food truck then." Vernon scratched the back of his head. "If Yuri's driving he won't be able to actually talk to me if I'm in the back. So that's a slight improvement on riding with you and Pa. I should probably ge-"

As Vernon went to turn away he felt Zach suddenly grasp him on the shoulder. Turning back to his brother he seemed to be even more nervous than before. It was quickly becoming clear there was something more deeply wrong he had yet to tell the wolf.

"P-Pa..." The wolf swallowed hard. "Pa thinks it would be best the for the family if..." The wolf trailed off, tugging at the neck of his hoodie. "You two hung back here for the day."

Vernon stared blankly at his brother for a few moments. He couldn't have heard that correctly, could he? Vernon blinked a few times before it finally began to register.

"What?" Vernon said, irritation and disbelief lacing his inflection.

Zach let out a whine, placing a paw over his face as he started to stammer.

"H-He thinks, I mean, T-the townsfolk, U-Uh..."

Vernon clasped his paws on his brothers shoulders, giving him a brisk shake.

"Out with it Mam'!" Vernon sneered.

"Pa thinks that between you two being a predator prey couple, and who Dawn is th-th-tha-" The wolf stammered.

Vernon gave him another shake, harsher than before as his blood began to boil.

"THAT WHAT!?" Vernon snarled.

"That it'll cause a huge stir!" Zach sputtered. "Maybe a scene! And Pa thinks it could cause trouble for the whole family's reputation!"

As Zach sputtered out his last few statements with rising panic, Vernon finally released his grip, practically shoving the wolf away as the last of the painful statement hit him. Vernon felt like the ground was falling out from beneath him, the surreality and irony of situation leaving the wolf feeling almost hollow. He could feel the acid rise in his gullet as his nausea returned in full force. Vernon tried to stare his brother dead in the eyes, but he had grown so angry he couldn't even see straight.

Interspecies relationships among the family had never caused his Father to 'fear' how the public would perceive the family before. It hadn't mattered with Zach and Vanna, nor Yuri and Ada, or Trent and Qali. In fact, Vernon imagined the Hunter's were known to the native Meadowlanders as having somewhat of a monopoly on 'unconventional' relationships. Sure predator and prey relationships were rare, something that mammals tended to whisper about behind closed doors. But Vernon found the prospect of his and Dawn's relationship causing a scene of something completely preposterous. Especially considering Meadowlands came off as a much more socially tamer place compared to Zootopia proper. To Vernon's recollection, a mammal getting accosted in the meadowlands for their life choices was a rare as a shooting star.

No, it was clear to Vernon this was more about who Dawn was, and what implications that could have for the family. Despite her hardship endured during her time and prison, and her effort to reform. Despite nearly getting killed multiple times, and ultimately having to kill her own Father to save the city, it somehow failed to be enough for the older wolf to give the lamb a shot. Dawn being around was somehow a risk to the Hunter's family image, the feelings of a bunch of strangers mattered more than the feelings of his own son. And what made him even more enraged was that his Father hadn't even had the courage to tell him face to face. Instead he had twisted Zach's arm into acting as an arbiter for his orders.

"That's insane!" Vernon spat. "How dare he insinuate, to even-I-" Vernon shook his head. He was becoming more livid the more he thought about his Father, and it strangled his words.

"I mean, can you believe that!?" Vernon hissed. "That's the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard!"

Zach remained quiet, his eyes darting around as he tapped his claws together.

"W-well it's not entirely implausible..." Vernon could hear Zach mutter.

Vernon was sure he was going deaf. He had to be seeing as this was the second time in just a few moments the wolf wasn't sure of what he was hearing. Vernon stared hard at Zach, and the wolf began to shrink away.

"What?" Vernon asked, his voice trembling.

Zach placed a paw over his muzzle. "W-well I mean..." He stammered. "The way Pa p-put it, w-well..." He trailed off, nervously scratching the back of his head. "I hadn't thought about it that way before."

Vernon blinked at the wolf in utter shock.

"Y-you agree with him?" Vernon muttered, his voice faltering as he spoke.

Zach winced. "Well, I mean Dawn's pretty w-well known. Who k-knows what kind of mammals would come out of the wood-work in pu-"

"I- I can't believe you." Vernon's voice cracked. The wolf could barely process what Zach was saying.

"It's just safer if you two-"

"Do you have a problem with us being together!?" Vernon growled, he could feel the fur on the back of his neck stand up as he found himself looming over Zach. The smaller wolf placed his paws up defensively, frantically waiving them.

"NO! No of course not!" Zach whined. "But other mammals at the fair might no-"

"WE'RE GOING! UNDERSTAND!?" Vernon was seething, his blood boiling over. He could feel his heart beating in his ears, nearly drowning out his brothers voice over the rapid rhythm. "Neither one of you is going to tell us we ain't! GOT IT!"

Vernon slammed a paw into the nearby wall causing it to tremble slightly. It hurt, but the wolf could barely register it over the blind rage he was feeling. It was bad enough to have his Father try to exclude him from the families traditions, but for his own brother to agree was practically treasonous.

"If ol' Mam Hunter has a problem with it he can talk to me in person and see how that shakes out!" Zach continued to shrink away, until he was finally back against the wall. "I don't need his lapdog trying to convince me to see things his way!"

"WE'RE GOING!" Vernon was in Zach's face now, and the smaller wolf began to slide down the wall.

"Y-yeah, y-yeah, okay." Zach placed his paws out defensively.

With a huff, Vernon pushed himself away from the wall and turned back toward the kitchen. With a final glance back at his now crumpled and pathetic looking brother, the wolf flashed a sharp sneer.

"I ain't telling Dawn about this, and you better not either. We are going to have a great time today, understand?" Vernon hissed. "In spite of that old mangy mongrel Rutter! And you can tell him as much. I just hope staying in his good graces was worth it Zach, I really do." Turning back to the door the wolf continued toward the dining room.

"Do me a favor, and steer clear of me for the rest of the day. Got it?"

"G-g-got it." Vernon heard a whimpering reply.

And with that, Vernon stormed his way out through the now empty dining hall. The sooner he was alone in the back of the corn truck, the better.