Ask Yuri; Bike Repair Bandit

 

Yuri: Yeah, he did...without my permission mind ya...

Ada: *Chuckles* Hey, it's running beddah ain't it?

Yuri: Well...yeah...but still...*Shakes head* That boy still needs his boundaries reinforced afor he get's himself in trouble...*Laughs* Next thang ya know he'll go to Itaily and fix the Leanin' Tower fer 'em...

Ada: *Pfft...* Seems like he's just like his Dad eh? Let's his enthusiasm run away wit him...

Yuri: Damn straight he does...but at least I don't gotta pay that snooty vixen a premium to keep my hog up to snuff thanks to the lil' gremlin'...*Snickers* So I can't be all that mad at 'im...

Ask Ada; The Success of Hyenas over Lions.

 

Ada: Who exactly says dat?! Seriously, I want names!

Yuri: I don't think I've ever heard any mammal say hyenas had it better than lions unless they was bein' sarcastic. *Chuckles* Er' had recently suffered some form o' head trauma...

Ada: Seriously, us hyenas have been unda da thumb of loins since da dawn of Simbology. Even here's in da civilized world we still catch da judgemental eyes of da mammals who follow even da most basic rules o' dat religion.

Yuri: Well, to them yer all demons right? Scar's henchmammals. 

Ada: Exactly! At least unless dey practice Zoodoo...*Scoffs* At least dat religion recognizes da importance dat hyena's hold in da circle of life. But in mainstream Simbalogy, we exist outside da coicle. We are non-mammals.

Yuri: What'dya expect from a bunch o' aristocratic type lions terrified they was gonna have their precious remains 'desecrated'...*Chuckles* 

Ada: *Laughs* Yeah, I got news for ya's pal, every mammal, from da biggest elephant to da smallest shrew, craps demselves da moment they die...dere ain't no dignity or grace in deth...ya' self descrated da moment ya's took ya last exhale. *Cackles*

Ask the Femme Canines; The 'B' Word

 

Audrey: I think the short answer is, it really depends on species...and maybe tone? Iffin' I recall, it was the technical term fer a long while....but around the time I was hittin' my early teens it was already startin' to be frowned upon bein' used due to it bein'...tainted from usin' it as a slur. At least in terms o' wolf social circles...Although I've heard it's still pretty liberally used with native wolves...

Val: I've only ever been called a bitch with a negative slant...which I guess is technically wrong since I'm a vixen. But it's not like that's ever stopped a guy from using it... *Snickers*

Dawn: So use of that 'term' spread to foxes?

Qali: I mean...we've always been included under the 'B' word umbrella...at least for as long as I've been alive...

Val: Probably cause we're closely related to canines...pretty sure coyotes get it too...wild dogs...probably any mammal that's vaguely related to canines has heard it at least once in their lives, in a technical sense or otherwise...*Val shrugs* I dunno, I'm no expert in this stuff...

Dawn: I guess that can probably be chalked up to the evolution of language...

Ada: Personally, I take pride in bein' called a bitch...

Dawn: Aren't Hyena's technically related to felines? I...I believe you told me that, didn't you...?

Ada: Technicallys yes...but I can be a bitch when I need tas...*Cackles*

Talia: In Grrussia, bitch, or сука, is all slur...it has been slur since turn of century...and anyone who calls me the B 'word' gets snapped in half...

Audrey: See, it's...real touch and go territory...so I'd recommend y'all don't go about usin' it unless yer aimin' to insult...cause most shewolves are probably gonna take it the same way a bunny takes bein' called 'cute'...As fer with other canines...I really couldn't tell ya...

Talia: It's probably for the best you just don't use the word at all...your life may depend on it...

Found AU Yuri's Ballgame Tickets

Zach: Really decided to tempt fate on that one huh?

Yuri: *Seated with an ice pack on his groin in his and Ada's apartment, staring up at the ceiling kind of disoriented.* How was I supposed even begin to guess the was havin' a 'fan at bat day?' *Groans* "Let alone that out o' every mammal there Marcus would get the winnin' ticket..."

Ada: *Walks into the room, passing Yuri a fresh ice pack, which he proceeds to swap with the old one and pass it back to her.* Luckily we was aimin' to adopts anyway, cause I tink dat one took da factory offline entirely...*Chuckles*

Yuri: *Let's out a groaning, strained but sarcastic laugh.* Yeah, gettin' his in the pup factory is so funny, just like the cartoons and what not, totally harmless...

Ada: *The Hyena drops the amusement, looking genuinely sympathetic and concerned.* Still dat bad huh? I'm sorry, I was just tryin' to kinda ease da tension is all...

Yuri: I know Darlin'...*groans* I know...it's just....

Ada: Maybe we should head down to da emergency room? *Winces uncomfortably* I mean, I did 'check' dem and all, and I don't tink youse got a rupture but...

Yuri: Iffin' it's still this bad in a half hour I'll take ya up on that Babe....*hisses as he shifts in his seat.* Cause it's still blindin' right now...

Vanna: We are so sorry...

Yuri: I-I'ts fine....Just...iffin' we have to head over to the ER, tell Marcus...I 'unno...we went to get groceries er' somethin'...er Lance needed us over his place to help with somethin'...*Groans* Last thang I wanna do is ruin the boy's day...

Zach: I mean, it's not like Marcus isn't already worried about you...despite you tryin' to 'walk it off'....

Yuri: Yeah, but it'd probably devastate 'im iffin' I end up going to the ER and he found out...don't want the boy blamin' himself...even if he's dangerous lumber like Wade was... 

Ada: Aww...Mookies...*She cooes sympathetically, petting Yuri's forehead.*

Zach: Yer a good Uncle Yuri...*Zach chuckles, shaking his head* And a good brother...

Yuri: *Flashes a smug smirk.* Tellin' me what I already OW-! *Cringes visibly, clenching his teeth as he shifts on the couch.* A-aw forget it...*Huffs*

Zach: Ya can tell it's bad when Yuri can't even get a good jab or self-congratulations in. *Chuckles* As fer how the rest o' Marcus' uncles felt about the ballgame, and the...incident after the fact...well, only some of them were a little cheesed off...They didn't care fer Yuri gettin' one up on them in the fight fer favorite Uncle.

Vanna: Not that they have...all that much room to argue considering at this point they've all gone a little...over the top trying to bribe Marcus' favor.

Zach: So them tryin' to call out Yuri fer bein' 'sneaky as usual' don't hold as much weight compared to their own bribin' attempts. *Chuckles*

Vanna: That said, they almost all unanimously changed their tune when they saw Yuri *Ahem* catch Marcus' pop-fly on tv. It was pretty much all sympathetic calls and check-ins after that...

Zach: Honestly, I did expect a few of them to say Yuri deserved it, and laugh at him...but I guess either we're all startin' to finally mature, er' it was just that bad of an injury to garner nothin' but sympathy from their side o' thangs.

Yuri: Yep...*Laugh turns into a cough* Nothin' like a possibly ruptured testicle to bring out the brotherly love.

Ask Zach and Vanna; Zach's Cool Down Corner

 

Audrey: No more than the rest of my Pups...*Chuckles*

Vanna: It only works because it's so ingrained in him...And even then I do think he fights me more on it...I generally have to resort to the...erm...tiger grip, rather than the ear pinch. I sort of...I mean, that's more of Mom's thing.

Dawn: Tiger Grip?

Vanna: *Winces* I erm....well, if he puts too much of a fight I sometimes...grab his shoulder and...squeeze...

Ada: *Raises brow* Full force?

Vanna: Almost...*Blushes* Sometimes he just blacks out right there...

Ada: *Cackles* I wish I could pull a Wofcan neck pinch like dat! It'd shut ol' Mookie up dat's for shoi. Even if he goes to sit in da corner, he still mouts off!

Audrey: That's because you girls haven't landed the glare yet. With a bit more practice you'll have them boys scurryin' to the cool-down corner with their tails between their legs.

Vanna: As for the Nyantendo switch...I mean, we don't exactly have one. Zach games a little on PC, but he's not much of a...gamer per-se...outside of the occasional trip to the arcade. And he's more of a skiball mammal when he's there.

Ada: Yuri and I prefer da go-karts if dey have 'em...do we get kicked out of dem places a lot for treatin' dem like bumper cars! *Laughs*

Dawn: We have a switch, it was Vernon's, then ours, and now the families. That said, taking it away isn't exactly the first thing to come to mind when Vernon and I don't see eye to eye on something.

Ada: Does ya do dat ting where you swear off ruttin' him?

Dawn: *Laughs* What? Are you kidding? I'd be punishing both of us!

*The girls, save for Audrey, share a cackle*

Dawn: I find simply threatening to not talk to him is more than enough...Puppy can only go about an hour before he's begging me to talk to him again.

Audrey: Ah! Now that there was one of the most effective weapons in my punishment arsenal. Always worked way better than takin' away personal effects er' groundin' 'em...Not to say I didn't ground them, but I only did that in the most extreme cases....and almost all of those cases were strictly Yuri. *Snickers*

Ask Ada and Yuri; Nude Beach Trips?

 

Ask Special; It's Enough Part 2/2

 

Ask Special; It's Enough Part 1/2

 

It's practically the next day, but here it is. I bring you a short little comic idea I had as a surprise special...something too short for a fic, but too nice an idea not to use somehow. So please enjoy this two-part ask special, "It's Enough", Featuring Ada and Yuri.

-Wasty

General Ask; Other Lethal Chefs

 

Melanie: Oh Gus is pretty bad...

Gus: Hey, I can make instant ramen! That's enough! *Laughs*

Megumi: Instant Ramen is inferior ramen...*Huffs* As Zootopian's you have no excuse! You have plenty of genuine Japandese Ramen places around here!

Gus: Well sometimes you're in the middle of a twelve hour Oblivion session and you don't want to leave the apartment just to get a bit of food in you so you can keep going! You lose precious time!

Vernon: *Snickers* Just gave me a flashback to our roomie days...anytime you had off fer the day, and it wasn't BnB night, you'd be fused to yer beanbag playin' some RPG fer half the day...I think you wore a hole in that thang before I moved out.

Gus: Not the point of this conversation Sheepdog, thank you...

Melanie: I do most of the cooking for us, more so to make sure we actually eat decent food...if Gussy was left to his own devices it would be all cold cereal, ramen, and turf tarts.

Gus: I mean...I'd order pizza too...

Melanie: *Snickers*

Vernon: I can't think of anyone else in the group I've seen cook...so...what about y'all Brooms? Joel?

Joel: I make a lot of Japandese stuff, so I don't offer a lot because I know most of you guys aren't into it.

Megumi: He's not bad...he gets by...I'm just better at it having grown up actually making the food he's trying to mimic.

Joel: Is that why every night your turn to cook comes up you offer to take us out?

Megumi: *Blushes slightly* No...I'm just lazy...*Laughs*

Broomie: I can get by, probably a little better than Gus, but nothing to write home about. At least I'm not leaving demolished kitchens in my wake. *Chuckles*

Vernon: Outside o' that...only mammal I've heard talking about not bein' a great cook is Ada...mostly cause she ain't never had time to really practice...I think between her and Yuri they live off o' Snarlbucks and vending machines thanks to their jobs. *Laughs*

Dawn: Well, the last Ada...confided in me about trying to cook, she told me she tried to replicate one of Audrey's pies as she was taught...but ended up burning the crust pretty badly...to the point where they basically ate the filling out of the shell...

Vernon: She couldn't tell she was burnin' it from the smell?

Dawn: You know how Ada's sense of smell is...powerful but very resistant to bad odors, so she might have inadvertently tuned out the smell until Yuri brought it to her attention. Since then, she's been pretty skittish about trying again. But still, that's not quite on par with Xavier setting the stovetop on fire while trying to boil water...

Melly: *Snrk* Y-you're joking?

Dawn: *Shakes Head* Nope, though to be fair that's because he knocked over Malcolm's cooking oil while clamoring to keep his water from boiling over...Malcolm said he was inconsolable for the rest of that weekend...he couldn't get over that he had essentially ruined the stovetop trying to do something as simple as boil eggs.

Vernon: The Anti-crust strikes again! *laughs*

Ask The Hunters; Musical Energy P2

 

Yuri: Metal, black metal...rock...Rammstien is my favorite. O'course I don't really listen on shift cause I that kinda music drowns out the police radio no matter how low ya set it. To be honest...I really only get to listen when I'm doin' chores... helps me tune 'em out and get through 'em quicker...o' course me and Ada don't exactly have overlappin' musical interests save fer rock...so I don't really get to play it loud in our apartment fer fun...

Ada: And duh neighbors dank you. *Laughs* And toos be fair, I does like some metal...just not da kinda pure noise dat black metal is...I'm more seventies and eighties metal...same goes for rap...

Yuri: Ugh rap...I still can't believe yer into that. Next yer gonna tell me yer into country like Zach and Trent...

Trenton: Hey, don't knock country till you try it. It's at least generally soft enough to listen to while on patrol without drowning out the police radio. Rascal Flaps, Keith Urbaahn, Bucks and Dam...all awesome artists...

Yuri: That all make me wanna tear my ears off...

Ada: Unlike Yuri, woikin' in da morgue is pretty slow and quiet...so music helps get trew da shifts dat really drag on...ya got ya classics like Metailica, Pink Boivid, Hiss...Denn for rap we's got Ram DMC, Snoop Dog, Dr. Hay, Public Animal...I's even got a soft spot for Erminem, at least his early stuff...Stan is my jam!

Yuri: Yeah, cause an Ermine is the kinda mammal I picture doin' rap professionally...

Vanna: As you probably already know, Dawn and I share a love of Suri Nicks, but...I'm also a pretty big fan of Disco music... and 80s stuff...

Qali: Ohh I love eighties music! That synth sound always makes my fur tingle...*Giggles* Crowded Mouse, Tears for Deers, Bahhkota, Ohhh...Pat Bennataur!

Vanna: *Squeals* Ohh Pat Bennataur! I love her! And Bunny Tyler!

Qali: AHHHH! She's so cool! *Starts singing* I need a heeeero...! I'm holdin' out for a hero till the end of the night! *giggles*

Vanna: *Joins in.* And he's gotta strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight! 

Ada:*Chuckles* Hey, eighties stuff ain't bad...Bunny Tyler could rock it.

Zach: I'm more of a rock and country guy...but I can dig the eighties stuff...plus it's always cute when I come home from a solo shift to catch my little Kitten dancin' along to her favorites while tidyin' up...*Chuckles*

Vanna: *Blushes* G-goofball...

Dawn: She also does karaoke with us...that said, after that little performance you, me, and Qali need to do a girl's night where we go karaoke together!

Qali: *Squeals in delight* That'll be soooo much fun!!!

Vanna: *Still Blushing* I-I mean...I wouldn't say no...

Qali: Oh...just to chime in...I do like some of Trenny's country songs too...and I tend to listen to music the most when trimming trees...it really helps make the work more fun and feel less overwhelming! 

Vanna: I tend to listen to my favorite music when I'm doing housework...although Zach and I will often listen to our favorites while on shift, just at a low volume.

Zach: It's basically background music...Y'all might find it hard to believe, but workin' the North Meadowlands is purty slow...it ain't like the city...

Yuri: I'll bet.*Snickers* Some might call it glorified pupsittin'. 

Zach: That said, I think me and Vern have a lot of overlap...Wade too when it comes to rock. Red Hot Canid Peppers, Metaillica, Gorillaz, Queen, y'know...sorta all over the place from the 70s to 90s and early 2000s. And me and Trent er' on the same page with country.

Trenton: I'm also big into blues...one of my favorite bands is actually Blues Labrador...Run around was stuck in my head from most of the late nineties...ooh and Hook...course it helps those were popular radio singles I heard constantly growin' up...O'course I like some of the more classic bands too like Eric Clopton, B.B King...hell even Billie Howliday iffin' ta want to talk oldies...

Wade: I think my favorite genre is ska...So like Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bossicones, The offspring, Reliant Hay...I love the mix of horns and guitar and stuff...it's real upbeat and keeps me super perked up on some of the longer shifts. Plus Gizzy likes them too...

Giselle: Oh I love ska, Skaand, while I don't want to sound completely Roarupe-centric, Kittish punk and Irelambish folk. The clash, Dead Cannideys, Sex Pistails, The Grrumble Strips, The Hogues, Petless Eric, the Ramoone's...I could go on and on...those bands made up the soundtrack of me' teenage years... and aside from gettin' to share 'em with me little bobby, I also get to play them at work when my turn comes up to pick the in-store music. Makes the shifts just fly by...

Xavier: I know I'm going to get grief over this, but I'm a big fan of...pop... specifically nineties pop.

Yuri: He means boy bands and eye candy artists...like Gazelle fer instance...

Vernon: Hey, don't be too hard on Gazelle, she's a nice lady...even iffin' her music can be hit and miss...*whispers* Don't tell her I said that...

Dawn: Relax Vernon, you know I'm worse off as I used to hate her music. If she should be mad at anyone, I'd be first in line...but I've grown to love her catalog...

Malcolm: Fair, but in Xavey's case he's gone as far as lovin' the Mice Gals, backstreet Baah's, N' Mink, Rocky Marten. Oh, Britney Shears too!

Yuri: *Chuckles* The signs were all there huh?

Xavier: I'm also a fan of classical and orchestral music. So Goatzart, Beethooven, Baa'ch...I tend to favor listening to classical at work during my down time, and save the 'pop' musicians for home...it...*blushes* makes me look more professional.

Malcolm: There's some overlap between us when it comes to pop...long time Gazelle fan...ooh, and Bear! Can't ferget Mawdonna either...she's a classic...otherwise I got an overlap with Trent on country songs...what can I say, I may live in the city, but I'll always be a country boy...*Laughs* I tend to listen to my favorites while doin' housework, and o' course I have a lot of them songs on a playlist fer the speakers at work...customers seem to like 'em...

Yuri: What about you freakazoid? Still into that bleep blorp crap?

Honey: Hey, it's called Techno...and I think Ully's got great taste.

Ulric: I also like dubstep...

Honey: And that's where we diverge...

Ulric: It makes me feel like it's the future...

Honey: *Snickers* He needs his 'super hacker' soundtrack while he's 'investigating' leads...

Ulric: Calf Punk is probably my favorite...

Vernon: Heh, I think Joel like's 'em too...

Ulric: Damoode, uh...Eifshel 65...then for Dubsteb I'd have to lead with Skrillrex, and then Buriheel, and Aviisea...to name a few. also video game soundtracks...so I share that with Vernon i think...I like that chiptune sound....

Honey: we share a love of techno and video game sound tracks, there's a lot of shared bands there, and i've gone so far as to drag Ully to concerts with me...with mixed results.

Ulric: It can be overstimulating at times...emotionally overwhelming.

Vernon: I could see that, I don't think my ears could handle a crowded concert hall, even iffin' I like the band. I ain't fixin' to make myself deaf like Yuri...*Chuckles*

Yuri: That reminds me, we gotta Rammstaien concert comin' to Seaotter in about a month...we should definitely go. *laughs* If we can get our schedules lined up that is..

Ada: if I can's get outta dead duty, den sure handsome, I'd be dere wit bells on...*Giggles*

Vernon: What about y'all Ma? You and Pa?

Audrey: Aww, well you know I've always loved Rick Springhopper...if I hadn't tithed yer father I'd probably still be after that Kangaroo... *Giggles*

Yuri: Oldwyn's great grey muzzle...I remember him, that fella was like our pack's patron saint. *Chuckles*

Audrey: Otherwise I'm on the same page as Vanna, Qali and Dawn...Love Suri Nicks and Bunny tyler...the eighties were mah era. *giggles*

Dorian: And I'm into classic rock and country...Led Shepplin, Bun Jovi, Baahston, Fleetwood yak...that sorta stuff...then with country y'all get Glen Cambull, John Denfur, Billy Nelson, ooh...and Kenny Rogfurs....*chuckles* you remember Kenny Rogfurs don't y'all Darlin'?

Audrey: *Nuzzles up to Dorian* Mhh...I remember...Lady was our tithin' song...

Dawn: Aww...that's so sweet...

Ask the Wolves; Moonlight Love Making

 

Vernon: I mean...it ain't like I'm...keepin' track of exactly when the full moon is to get some...'private time' with my Honey Lamb. Like we ain't goin' out of our way to 'schedule' er nothin'...that ain't how we...operate fer the most part...

Dawn: I mean...I'd like to think most couples are....well I mean they don't 'limit' themselves to specific nights of the week, or monthly events. With us, the only thing we have to worry about scheduling around is where the lambs are, if they will hear us, or if we know they'll be staying with their grandparents, aunts, and uncles for a weekend. *Giggles*

Vernon: Hoo boy, yeah...when we know we got a whole weekend to ourselves we tend to go whole hog...er' in this case whole lamb... *Chuckles*

Dawn: *Blushes* Puppy, hush! *Giggles*

Yuri: Ugh...sounds like a nightmare to me...

Ada: Oh c'mon...it ain't like wes don't gotta pull some creative time management of our own to work out some alone toim in between our jobs.

Yuri: Exactly mah point! Now imagine tryin' to juggle our demandin' jobs and raisin' pups at the same time...we'd never have time fer ourselves with all that chaos goin' on around us...

Vernon: *Ahem* With all that said though, I mean, makin' love under a full moon...there is somethin' real comfortin' about it...it definitely adds to the atmosphere.

Wade: Makes the blood hotter...makes everything feel a bit more...primal?

Zach: Savage even? *Laughs before catching himself* O-oh, sorry Dawn...

Dawn: No worries Zach, I'm fine. The word doesn't make me flinch.

Vernon: I mean, in terms of the ol' wolf belief systems, both Norwulff er Native, the full moon is a representative of the wolf mother Lupa. Her watchful and protective gaze looking over her pups all across Animalia and offerin' them her blessin'. Only time she ain't supposed to be able to see us is durin' the new moon when she 'blinks'. So there's been a er...long time cultural element ingrained in all wolves regardin' the moon. It's where the stereotypes come from...

Trenton: In Volkism, or Norwulffish beliefs, whichever you want to call them, making love under a full moon is encouraged as it's sort of...it's like Vern said, it's a blessin'. A communion if ya will. Lupa is considered the mother of all wolves. She's a fertile goddess, and so she'd want nothin' more than to have her descendants... 'be fruitful and multiply'.

Xavier: So Consummation of a relationship on the night of a full moon is well, it's seen as seeking Lupa's approval on such a union. Granted that's also part of the point of a tithing ceremony, which is why tithing ceremonies are largely held during full moon nights. And since generally, a couple will... consummate on the same night, it is sort of one big plea for Lupa to bless the couple's union, and the offspring it will produce.

Malcolm: I mean, iffin' I recall even long-term tithed couples will usually aim to try fer a pregnancy on full moon night because of that belief in the blessin' thang...

Vernon: *Chuckles* The night we figure we conceived Paige based on how things all lined up was probably durin' the full moon that March. So...I mean...it probably didn't 'help' make that happen' er' nothin'...but...I mean who can say?

Dawn: It is an interesting 'coincidence'...*giggles*

Ulric: I've done a pretty intensive study on old Norwulff religion stuff...mostly in preparation for the trip me and Honey took to Norwulff to visit the family crypts.

Yuri: Y'all mean the trip that got our pack banned from ever visitin' two countries, and made us the center of an international scandal?

Ulric: Yeah?

Yuri: The one that Dawn had to bust her ass to get lifted so at least Ma and Pa could visit Norwulff fer their anniversary, and see it before they died someday? And they absolutely refused to lift the one in Scottram altogether so Dawn and her Ma have no chance to visit their homeland in their lifetimes?

Ulric: Your point is?

Yuri: *Shakes his head and mutters* unbelievable...

Honey: *Sheepishly* Eh....still sorry about that guys...

Ulric: Anyway, supposedly it pleases Lupa to watch her pups consummate their love. To become 'one' under her watchful gaze, and express the highest form of love one can with their partner. It gets...really mushy and sentimental. Not my kind of thing...

Zach: Kinda saccharine iffin' I'm rememberin' the part yer talkin' about. "Two mammals, united as one, pledgin' their souls to one another un undying adoration and love" er...somethin' along them lines.

Ada: Jeez...Lupa's kinda a perv huh? *Cackles*

Vanna: I mean...so are most other gods if one is to consider the whole 'omniscience' thing that most of them supposedly have. So Lupa isn't exactly unique.

Qali: I mean, I feel it...and I'm not a wolf. A full moon night definitely adds to the atmosphere...like Vernon said...it just makes it more...romantic.

Dawn: Especially if you are outside...*giggles*

Ada: In a cornfield I takes it? *Laughs*

Vernon: Well...I mean...not factorin' in the whole...gettin' caught risk...er' the howlin' thang...I gotta say that night in the cornfield at Ma and Pa's was...I mean...it felt right...*Blushes*

Dawn: I mean...it felt wrong too...

Ada: But fun wrong?

Dawn: *Blushes* I mean...I'd be lying if I said no...*Snickering* I only wish the heat hadn't made it a somewhat painful affair before we uh...reached climax. Then again, had it not been for my remnant estrus being so bad in the first place, it wouldn't have happened...and as bad as I feel about the fact that I sort of...forced Vernon's paw and broke Audrey's trust, as well as alerting everyone in the district to what we were up to...looking back it was...*Cooes softly* it was really something...

Qali: Me and Trenny have made love dozens of times in the tree field...thankfully he's not much of a rut howler, so we never really had to worry about my Dad or Sisters catching us...but those nights, under the stars...*sighs wistfully*

Trenton: Sometimes in the snow even...

Qali: *Giggles* Yes, even in the snow...it...it almost felt magical at times.

Ada: What is you nuts?! Ruttin' in da open snow? 

Wade: Yeah, I mean...I've never done that...

Giselle: Well once...*Giggles* But that was in a hot tub...

Wade: Yeah, but that's my point. It was snowing on us, but we weren't really 'out in the cold'...

Giselle: Speak for yourself! We were in a bloody large mammal hot tub, perfect for you but tiny for me! *Laughs* Seriously I think about everythin' above my knees and hips was above the water line! Luckily I happen to be pretty cold resilient unlike the rest of my family...well that, and we found...other ways to keep warm...*Giggles*

Ada: Still, Trent ain't no arctic wolf despite how much he looks like one...how could yous stand that?

Trenton: We had a blanket...and one of those space heater thangs...

Qali: And a really long extension cord. *Giggles*

Honey: Makin' love under the moonlight for my first time with Ully was pretty hot for me...even if it was in a Norwulffish prison cell...*Chuckles* In fact, that may have added to it.

Ulric: It was not romantic! It was...I was trying to make you feel better! I-It's important to...it was for moral an-!

Honey: Sure it wasn't my little prisoner of love...*Snickers*

Runner up Sam Hain Costumes!

 

Here's a follow up to last week's Belated Sam Hain post to keep the spooky fun going for just a little longer. I thought up some good costume/character combos to take a stab at and show off for you guys...naturally I picked a sort of random scattershot of characters based on those ideas because...well if I wanted to dress up the entire cast this would take till the new year.

So I picked my favorite ideas, and put the pen to the tablet to show them off to you.

First we have Giselle, who I was torn on. The first and obvious idea was Farigiraf, the new pokemon evo for Girafarig. But literally, everybody is doing that to their giraffe characters, so I decided to save that for next year. I have to credit Elite Shade for the 'Siren Head' idea, as they featured that as Giselle's costume in the "Found Sam Hain Special" which you can read at the link below.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13128859/34/Found

Give it a read, it's adorable! 

I also had the idea for a Mommy Long Legs Costume from Poppy's Playtime as a good pairing for the spindly and long Giselle, though I'm not condoning the game maker's practices. I just like Mommy Long Leg's design and thought it was fitting. So I decided to show off both ideas.

Next, and this one has been a long time coming, it's Ulric as Dale Gribble from King of the Hill! I must say, I do take some elements of Ulric's base character from Dale...usually more of Ully's extreme behaviors, so it was natural I'd want to revisit that connection in a Sam Hain costume. I imagine Ully feels Dale Growlbble is probably the smartest character on that show, and misses the comedy of it.

For this next costume idea, I had the thought of using a costume before I had a character for it. When I considered Lady Demtrescue from Resident Evil 8, it was between Ada and Vanna as they were both big gals. However, when it came down to personality, I imagine Ada could better pull it off, and so the choice was made.

Last we got Gus and Melly rocking Geralt and Yennifer from the Witcher series, which...I mean I feel it just perfectly suits the pair in terms of interests, I think this is actually my favorite of the costume sets, which is funny because it was a last minute add. Still, Gus and Melly being a happy dorky couple is adorable.

Don't forget to check out Elite Shade's Sam Hain special of FOUND! 

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13128859/34/Found

Seriously it's awesome! See you next week with a return to the normal ask format.

-Wasty

Found AU Ask; Progress with Marcus

 

Dorian: Well, the obvious place where the boy's still stalin' is his incessant need to do chores and work on Zach and Vanna's behalf...but I think that's somethin' that the poor boy's gonna be stuck with fer a while.

 Zach: To be fair...it's kinda a hard line to walk fer me and Vanna...I mean, y'all don't want to not give yer teenaged pups a chore or two to instill responsibility and structure into 'em...

Vanna: Though I'd say Marcus has had more than enough responsibility instilled into him for a lifetime...in the cruelest possible ways...

Zach: But y'all want him to be able to look after himself when he grows up...to take care of his own pups and pack...Still...if I ask him ta' clean his room, 'er wash the dishes, er' take out the trash...I'm real scared he's gonna fall right back into overdrive, and I'm gonna catch him redo'in wallpaper fer the whole house, 'er Winterizin' the sidin'....*Shakes head*

Ada: Wells, disregauwdin' Marcus' incessant need to please his folks, and possible chronik OCD, I tink da kid has made a lotta progress...

Trenton: Yeah, he really seems like he's grown real comfortable with everyone...

Audrey: More than comfortable! That boy fit right into our pack like he'd always been a part of it. It's like it was meant to be!

Vanna: It's such a relief to see him really start to open up and just...thrive. Whether he's playing in his band with his friends or just watching him interact with his cousins...it just... makes my heart swell with joy...

Zach: Even watchin' er' playin' sports with him, despite the risk o' bodily harm...I mean...it's worth the trip to the ER just to see that boy smile.

Vernon: Me and Dawn know how that feels, we feel the same sorta joy and pride lookin' over our pups.

Audrey:*Laughs* Now y'all know how it felt raisin' y'all...there wasn't a day that went by where me and yer Pa's heart wasn't burstin' with love just watchin' you boys thrive...and now I'm burstin' with pride all over again seeing y'all rear pups of yer own...

Zach and Vernon: Thanks Ma. 

Audrey: That said, I think y'all were worried fer nothin', all four of y'all took to bein' parents like a fish to water. And I know in my heart y'all can handle whatever trouble y'all come across along the way.

Zach: Well...I wouldn't say me and my Kitten don't still have our worries and misgivin's and all...but I don't think I'm too alone in sayin' I think we've grown a bit more confident in terms o' raisin' Marcus. 

Vanna: It's true...of course, a lot of our initial fears evaporated rather quickly as soon as we got to know Marcus.

Zach: Yeah, I think our fears quickly shifted from 'are we ready fer this?' to ' How can we do  our very best by this boy?'

Vanna: And at this point...despite my Goofball sometimes taking his...parental paranoia too far, I feel like we've adapted to something...well...something comfortable. Something that works. And I really believe that we are doing our very best.

Zach: I take offense to that...

Yuri: This from the fella who was seriously talking to me about usin' a tracker anklet on the boy.

Zach: You were supposed to keep yer trap shut about that!

Yuri: Honestly, I'm surprised Vernon weren't the one to tap me about that first, mostly cause Lily's the one always pullin' Hoovdini's on him and Dawn.

Wade: That's because he asked me about sneaking one out of the station fer him.

Dawn: Puppy!

Vernon: *Ears splay against his head* Wade, I was merely considerin' that! And you promised you'd keep that muzzle o' yers shut over it...

Dawn: A tracking device!? She's our Daughter, not Princess Calibre!

Vernon: I-I mean we'd only use it fer when she's bein' pupsat! Or when we take 'er to the park!

Dawn: *Shakes head* I'm disappointed in you...at least we could have talked about this in private before you decided to go to Wade...I-I'm not necessarily against keeping tabs on Lily with something....a bit less intrusive than a leash....but a tracking anklet?

Vernon: Well, I thought it was better than a chip implant...I mean, that's literally what ya use on pets...er' Ully...

Yuri: Ha!

Zach: Oh Mam', looks like yer in the doghouse now there Vern...

Vanna: Well, that would make two of you then...because don't think I'm not upset with you for considering tracking our kitten without consulting me...

Zach: *Ears splay against his head* I-I just wanted to make sure the boy was safe!

Vanna: *Holds up a paw* We will discuss this when we get home.

Yuri: *Laughs* Better make room in that doghouse fer one more Hunter...to answer that follow-up question you have. Yes, Ully tried to take samples just today...and after I tuned him up over it, Ma put him to work cleanin' the whole ranch...without any help.

Audrey: *Shakes her head* Speakin' of, I best go check on yer brother...if I go leavin' him alone fer too long he might make a bigger mess outta them chores then before he cleaned 'em...

Ask the Hunter-Girls; Sons and Masculinity

 

Ada: No offense to da rest of yas, but I tink I've got to market cornered on givin' my pups a pep talk when it comes ta not bein' masculine enough. I can just go ' Hey look at yas Mom, I ain't traditionally feminine and I do just fine...youse gotta be youse!"

Dawn: I wouldn't count my side of the family out either, though to be fair I think Vernon would make for a better example in this conversation...in fact, he's already had that talk with Edison...

Vanna: Aww... what happened?

Dawn: Edi had some other rams making fun of him at school because he didn't like sports and...well he's kind of small and fragile like me. It was eating at him for a while, and he eventually went to his father to talk about it. Thankfully Vernon was able to put him at ease by talking about being in the same boat growing up, and pointing to some of his own brothers as examples in terms of feeling inadequate to them in terms of masculinity. He went on to explain that there's no 'required roadmap' to being a male, and that 'masculine traits are not all about being extremely active and muscular'. That it's about being 'honorable, reliable, kind, and understanding. That it's about trying to be the best version of yourself you can be.'

Qali: Wow...Vernon really did take to being a Dad with Gusto huh? *giggles*

Vanna: That sounds like that conversation came right out of Dorian's muzzle...

Dawn: *Snickers* Well I can't say for certain, considering Dorian's stance on Vernon's choice of career for several years, but it definitely felt like a fatherly pep talk for sure. And it worked thankfully. Edison has seemed more confident and less shy about his interests since then. He's even been very vocal about joining the math team in order to set the groundwork for being an astronaut.

Vanna: That's delightful to hear. I'm so glad my little nephew turned around on his doubts like that.

Ada: Yeah, good on da little guy!

Vanna: As for the rest of us, I think we could all manage a serviceable job when it comes to reassuring our kittens about such matters. Between us and our mates, I don't think anyone is a definition of perfect masculinity or femininity, and so we all stand to be able to connect with them in one way or another should they have such doubts.

Giselle: And If we can't provide a decent enough comparison about being masculine or feminine, thankfully we got a lot o' aunts and uncles to lean on in order to better reassure our calfs.

Dawn: Speaking of, Vanna and Ada, I just wanted to put a feeler out about getting help should Allison ever come to us with concerns about not being 'feminine' enough. I get the feeling she's been having trouble, but unlike Edison, she's more prone to burying those feelings than dealing with them, and I know better than to try and pry them out of her.

Ada: I getcha, da two tomboy aunts comin' in to save da day. Youse can count on me when yas need it.

Vanna: Same here sis, I'm always happy to talk to my nephew and nieces whenever...you know Zach and I adore them.

Ask Special Collection; The Hunter Pack; the next generation Pt 2

 Moving on to sheet number two, or as I like to call it the 'Hunter-Dabu' pack sheet, as I ended up using the whole sheet to cover all Yuri and Ada's pups.

Yuri, Ada, Omari, Dakarai, Jabari and Piper Hunter;

The emergency trio, as dubbed by my Patreon backer Unformed8. The triplets Omari, Dakarai and Jabari are the first to be adopted by Yuri and Ada under limited griping and most part from Yuri. We've already seen them as adults in a previous ask, so here I get to show them off at around the age they were adopted, which is around 4.

These boys have a complicated and nearly tragic story that saw them being taken by the state and put up for adoption. As I've discussed in previous posts about Hyenas in my AU, and their cultural background, the root of their species is highly entrenched in a matriarchy with males considered second-class citizens. These beliefs run deep and are impossible to shake with some, especially the old mates tales surrounding the birth of multiple sons at once. Twins, triplets, and beyond that are made up of all males are seen generally as an omen, a curse if you will. And unless the parents kill them off, they will be stricken with bad luck for the rest of their existence. In the case of these three little ones, their birth mother was a fierce believer in that tale, and decided to bundle them together in a weighted burlap bag and toss them into a river to be rid of them shortly after they were born. Thankfully, she was caught before throwing the bag over the bridge and the boys were saved.

Ada of course, doesn't believe in such things, and finds treating males as anything other than equals appalling. So naturally, when her and Yuri go looking to adopt, and she sees these boys, knowing how hard they would have it, and then what led them there, she refuses to leave without all three of them, much to Yuri's chagrin. They had agreed to one pup after all, just one. but there was no arguing with his mate. By this point they were tithed, and there was no other way out. Although Yuri's misgivings were short-lived, as though he continues to gripe and complain over the next few years after adopting the boys, he takes to fathering them with gusto.

The name 'emergency trio' should give you some idea that these boys tend to get into trouble more often than not, though usually, they aren't trying to, they just seem to have a natural talent for making messes. Generally, most of these 'incidents' are led by Dakarai, (At least when Piper's not involved.) the unofficial leader of the bunch, as he tends to be the idea guy despite his other brothers being more of the brains of the operation.

Omari is probably the softest of the trio. Kind, sweet-natured and soft-spoken, even as a cub. He spends a lot of time in his own head, thinking a lot as well as asking his parents tons of questions. He's also the Mama's cub of the group, and just likes being hugged and snuggled by Ada. As an adult, he is inspired to follow in his mother's pawpads into the medical field and eventually becomes a pediatric cancer doctor. he also develops a childhood crush on Malcolm and Xavier's daughter Elizabeth, though it takes him until quite late into his teenage years to confess his feelings. Elizabeth surprises him by returning his feelings in kind...but it still takes a few more years for them to get together in an official capacity as Yuri actively fights it due to his discomfort with the loose familial relations and what he thinks will give more ammo to outsiders about wolf families being backward hicks. But eventually, he relents and gives his blessing.

Jabari starts out as the more sporty brother. Into organized basketball, and football (soccer). But when it comes to computers and technology he proves to be exceptionally proficient at it at a young age. By age nine he becomes the household password bank and computer expert, as his mind is like a steel trap when it comes to remembering them, and if he can't he's very good at finding his way around them. His teenage years are spent building bigger and better pc set ups, and running an on again off again pc repair shop from his bedroom, and as an adult he goes on to become a tech support genius. He still plays sports from time to time, but generally, he reserves that for home visits so he can play against his brothers and Dad. Otherwise he's become more of a desktop jockey, doing the minimal amount of physical fitness to keep healthy and in shape during his down time.

Lastly Dakarai, the extrovert and loudmouth of the pack. He's got snark in spades like his adopted Mom, and is constantly getting himself scrapped and chewed up doing all sorts of dangerous things for his age. He's into more non-organized sports activities, such as skateboarding, mountain biking, snowboarding, etc...and the more organized sports he tends to favor are the brutal ones, like hockey, which he and his Pa bond massively over. He's also the one to drag his brothers into dumb and dangerous situations on the basis that they'll be 'pretty cool'. Of course, his Pa being a police officer is really inspiring to him, and he lives to hear stories about his Dad working the mean streets of Seaotter. But as he gets older, while his loud mouth and boisterous personality remain intact, his ideas about following directly in his paws pawpads begin to skew in favor of forging his own path.

Despite his outward bombacity, and seemingly wild nature, deep down he's a caring and thoughtful guy, and the prospect of actually hurting anyone, even a criminal rubs him the wrong way, which is what eventually pushes him into fire-fighting. Naturally, Yuri isn't happy about his son's ultimate choice in career, mostly because he knows he's going to get razzed by not only his brothers, but his fellow officers at the precinct over it till the end of time. But Yuri learned enough from his Pa, and his brother's own experience with breaking away from 'the family business' to know no vocation is worth cutting ties with the ones you love.

The problem with Piper

Initially, the troublesome trio was all Yuri and Ada were meant to get, making him tied to Dawn and Vernon in terms of the number of cubs they were raising. However, again...I felt that strange pang, that weird sense that Yuri and Ada's household needed another pup. An even four making him the biggest Hunter family of the seven. So what to do, what to do? I started rolling through the species in my head. Should it be another wolf? Something small and meek that Yuri can't figure out how to raise right? It didn't take too long before the answer hit me like a ton of bricks.

I've long established both in asks, and my two-part 'Queen of the Dead' fic where Yuri first meets and charms Ada into dating him that he absolutely hates otters. He's 100 percent speciest to otters, and isn't shy about saying it. So naturally, I had to drop an otter pup in his lap.

Enter Piper, a maybe six or seven-year-old otter whose family was involved with one of the city's biggest crime families, albeit at a low level. I imagined them as not being directly involved with any plots, but more suppliers of stuff to those in the actual gang in order to get by and raise their daughter while trying to keep the nature of tier jobs hidden from her. Of course things go south when the mafia decides it needs to end their former partnership with Piper's parents abruptly and brutally, leaving Piper as the only survivor and witness to her parent's murder. Unfortunately for Yuri, he and his partner Lance are the ones to take the case, and summarily Piper is dumped into his lap as he is charged with being the pup's bodyguard until the court case.

Naturally Yuri gripes and moans and complains, but the longer he's forced to act as a surrogate parent to young Piper, the more attached he grows, until eventually, at the conclusion of the case and the subsequent collapse of the city's biggest organized crime outfit, Yuri goes out of his way to get Xavier's help to make sure him and Ada could secure adopting Piper. Much like Ada had been with adopting the boys, Yuri was adamant about adopting Piper, and wouldn't take no for an answer. Though, unlike Yuri, Ada didn't argue or put up a fight, and happily adopted Piper into their pack. 

Despite appearances in the sketches, as you can imagine from the ask featuring her as an adult and mentions here and there that Piper is a spitfire and a troublemaker. The kind to insult and egg on adults and larger mammals without a shred of fear or anxiety. That spitfiery nature of hers is what would end up endearing her to her adopted father the most, as he saw a lot of himself in her. Being older than the troublesome trio upon being adopted, as well as her personality has her leading the boys around by the nose a lot of the time, at least when they were little. And if the boys were to live up to their namesake as the 'emergency trio', there was a guarantee that at least half of the situations they got into growing up had been the result of Piper leading them there and then bailing when it looked like things were about to go south, leaving her 'dumb brothers holding the bag.

Piper is a bit of a bully like her Dad, always ready with a put-down or mean spirited remark when it comes to her brothers, and especially her cousins Grace, Paige or Lumi (Trenton and Qali's daughter). Naturally, that attitude, especially in her teenage years, sees her getting into a lot of scraps and scuffles, some of which those 'same dumb brothers' of hers had to bail her out of, but she never backed down. She never let anyone see her cry if she could help it. Of course, a lot of that is fueled by having seen her parents murdered, and the mental scars it left her with.

As an adult she mellows out a bit more, still with an edge similar to her adoptive Dad, while having fully adopted her adoptive mother's accent, but she's closer to her cousins and brothers for the most part. Piper's nature and knack for getting in way over her head sees her pursue a career in hard journalism, covering wars, corrupt political dealings, and all sorts of scandalous exposes that see her get more hate mail than even her aunt Dawn. But while it's a dirty job, someone's got to do it, and Piper just so happens to revel in it.

Okay, I've got about...three sheets left...and it's late, so we'll pick this up tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed these looks into my thought process and character conceptualization, and I hope you like what you've seen so far. Until tomorrow...

-Wasty