Kodi: Last Sam Hain, actually. I mean, I liked my costume...even if we both got some flak from the group for it.
Val: They’re nerds...but they weren’t wrong. I feel like whoever designed this stuff was like… a six-year-old trying to imagine what emo kids wore two decades ago.
Vanna: *Blushing* Y-yes...*Chuffing sounds*…
Fangmeyer: Being called a ‘Pretty Kitty’ doesn’t get me nearly as worked up as being called a ‘bad’ one. *Snickers* Or being called ‘Mistress’ for that matter… *Chuckles again, this time with a more seductive and playfully dark lilt.*
Nick: Lingerie, yes. Bunny outfit, no...because it's redundant. *Chuckles*
Judy: Exactly. If I put on lingerie, it's a bunny outfit by default...*Chuckles* These ears are built in.
Nick: What would I do? Have her put on another set of ears? *Shakes head* I'm not like Stay Puft and Puppy, I'm not looking to roleplay a sexy night with a four-eared rabbit alien.
Judy: While I'm sure they don't appreciate being put on blast for sexual roleplay, I'm with you on that one Slick. *Snickers*
Nick: Hey, I'll make it fair...we like a little 'light restraints' in our bedroom activities...
Judy: NICK! *Blushes softly* C-C'mon now...
Nick: And sometimes even I'll wear a bit of frilly lingerie if the mood catches me right...*Chuckles* I'm not ashamed to admit it. *Flashes Judy a smug smirk* There, does that make us even?
Judy: *Head in paws* *Mumbles*
Nick: What was that, Carrots?
Judy: Y-You do look pretty good in...some frilly stuff...*Chuckles*
Nick: *Laughs loudly* Of course I do! Foxes can make anything work, regardless of sex. We're a very aesthetically pleasing-looking species. *Smirks smugly* That said, I have absolutely worn a bunny outfit for Carrots. *Winks*
Judy: *Still blushing intensely* I hope my parents don't read this...
Dawn: Here's a pretty simple one...
Vernon: Amazoo, Barns and Novels, Penn and Paddocks, Word is Claw, y'know...chain book places and digital spaces. The only real outlier then was the pawful of lil' mom and pop bookstores, and o' course 'Shatterhorn's'.
Dawn: Which...in my defense, Vernon kind of pushed for...
Vernon: Hey! I was proud o' my mates' handywork! I didn't think it was a big ask! *Laughs* At least till I found out what chapters went out there...
Dawn: That's when Gus went from hesitant to thrilled with the idea of stocking my book. *Snickers*
Vernon: *Huffs* Right....Then I couldn't talk him out of it...
Dawn: Well...Gus was doing a lot of the talking...mostly to tease my poor Puppy Love...but it was really Melly who made it happen, and seemed to genuinely want to support this little project of ours.
Vernon: *Grumbles unintelligebly*
Dawn: So I made sure they had a very modest amount of books along with the rest of the distributors fairly early on...after me and my Sheepdog came to a ...compromise of sorts...
Vernon: *Whines* I mean...look I couldn't stay mad at my Honey Lamb. You know as well as I do y'all coulda worn me down just be bein' upfront with me. I'd just end up where I am now...not exactly happy about everyone knowin' how I rut with my mate in detail. I was just...more upset about bein' lied to than anything else...
Dawn: And it was wrong of me to keep it from you. And I'm still so sorry for doing that.
Vernon: The compromise was more or less an agreement not to lie about that stuff anymore...and we discuss this sorta stuff before putting it in books or talkin' about it on the podcast...
Dawn: I would have promised never to lie again, but that's probably impossible for either one of us to do. There's just a little too much time, and too much grey area to make a promise like that and not accidentally break it.
Vernon: Basically just, no big lies, and always discuss 'big' stuff that involves us 'er the pups before makin' a decision. As fer the books well...there was no real way to recall 'em...and it....really would have affected sales if we went with the 'sanitized copies'...not to mention undercut the whole...way me and my Lamb Fry feel for one another.
Dawn: That's what Gazelle liked the most about it Puppy...We didn't hold back...
Vernon: Yeah...yeah...
Dawn: *Ahem* Right so...we set up Gus and Melly with a small shipment. And then when that got cleaned out, we shipped over a slightly larger one, and then another. All of this before Yule if you can believe it. It was...pretty hectic then, but being the co-author of the book-.
Vernon: Primary author is a better term he-.
Dawn: CO-author *Dawn emphasizes* But being the author, I was always able to get Gus and Melly copies even while my publisher struggled to keep up.
Vernon: Which pulled a lot of people inta' the store that wouldn't have normally came in. Which really helped give Gus and Mmelly's store a strong start.
Dawn: Book sales would sometimes overlap with other purchases, or mammals would come for the book, see something on the community board, and get involved with a group that appealed to their interests.
Vernon: Melly used that to start her book club. *Chuckles*
Dawn: It took till January for my hard and soft covers to actually catch up with demand, and at that point, copies were showing up everywhere.
Vernon: It really just...like it just left me kinda blown away when we saw copies at the Green Meadow Market. It was purty surreal.
Dawn: I've honestly never gotten used to big grocery stores having anything more substantial than newspapers or magazines. But it's...it's just on a whole different level when you see a book you and your mate wrote on a best seller's rack. *Giggles* They were literally right across from a 'freshly harvested' fiddleheads display.
Vernon: Fer herbivores lookin' fer some light snackin' with their readin' material. Of course, iffin yer Gus you could just eat the pages as ya read.
Dawn: *Snickering, the sound of lame swatting is heard in the background.* Wolfy! That's mean...not all goats-.
Vernon: He's self-admitted! I ain't generalizin'! He knows he's eaten books before! Hel, he used to eat his own damn homework sometimes in high school just ta' get out of it!
Dawn: *Snickering* Okay, okay... I defer to your account...you've known him the longest.
Vernon: Anyhow, ta wrap this up, you can find my Honey Lamb's books just about anywhere...but Amazoo is probably the cheapest route 'iffin ya go digital....er used.
Dawn: You can also pick up 'Predator Seeking Prey; The Gazelle Story' in the same general places, and I'm currently working on 'Predator Seeking Prey; The Crosser Diaries', which unlike the former which is entirely devoted to Gazelle and her mate Finnick, is made up of several different interspecies pred and prey couples accounts explaining what their lives are like.
Vernon: I trust Clover and Cameron 'er gonna be in that one?
Dawn: *Voice sounds shaky and hesitant.* Well...I erm...I don't think they've technically been a couple long enough to...and...um-
Vernon: I see someone don't want to take even the slightest chance of gettin' inta talkin' about their mother ruttin' do they? *Chuckles*
Dawn: -So remember, use promo code 'BellHunterTrial' for a free month of 'Awoo'dable.
Vernon: And hey, why not pick up a copy of 'Predator Seekin' Prey' while yer at it. Now in audiobook form.
Dawn: Narrated by yours truly, as well as my mate Vernon...at least for the chapter I could get him to agree to read...*Snickers*
Vernon: Heh...yeah...It took me long enough to get comfortable with the fact that our bedroom laundry was out there ta' begin with....so askin' me ta' narrate it...*audibly shudders*
Dawn: Gazelle was willing to read to more...explicit passages for the book. Thanks again Gazelle!
Vernon: So...we done with the sponsors? *Vernon whines softly, clearly uncomfortable.*
Dawn: *Dawn giggles* That's all of this month's sponsors, so now we move on to everyone's favorite segment on the Predator Seeking Prey podcast, the 'Ask the BellHunters' segment.
Vernon: Fer ya' new listeners out there, that's the part where we answer emails submitted by the audience. That said, as much as we love actual hoofwritten letters, our business PO box will thank y'all for sending your questions and concerns digitally...*Chuckles*
Dawn: Seriously, before we left the old apartment and started remodeling the house, half of our shared office was filled with mail...*Laughs*
Vernon: Then it turned inta' the corner of the living room with Alli and Edi...
Dawn: Anyway, let's get to our first question...
Dawn: It seems someone, or someone close to them, is keeping up with my dream analysis blog...
Vernon: Didn't even know y'all had a 'dream' blog. Not that I'd wanna pry 'er 'nothin...
Dawn: Nothing really to pry into, I never meant for it to be a private thing, and I already share my dreams with you first and foremost. Good or bad. My therapist, Dr. Gnu advised it. Well, he advised just getting a dream journal at first. But with the nature of my dreams, he thought doing a public blog might be worthwhile. Both for interspecies pred-prey couples out there, as well as just those mammals out there struggling with feelings of deep guilt or shame over past mistakes. I called it 'Counting Sins'. I do hope the pun title is apparent to most of our viewers.
Vernon: It's cute...sad, but cute.
Dawn: Naturally, I try to withhold anything deeply personal from my recounted dreams when it comes to the public blog...
Vernon: Savin' that 'fer the books huh? *Snickers*
Dawn: Well, my publisher often says 'save the juiciest cuts of meat for the barby', which I assume is a predator expression.
Vernon: Not just pred, sounds Austailian. Which makes sense since that gal's a Tasmaneian Devil...
Dawn: Anyway, the 'reptile' dream was one of my...more absurd shares. Vernon and I were at a book signing, and everything seemed normal...except...
Vernon: Except?
Dawn: Well, every so often, a lizard or snake... even a gator at one point would show up and ask for a signature. As if they were just like any other mammal. And neither one of us blinked. Like it was just normal.
Vernon: Well, a lot o' mammals do treat their pets like thier sentient already...mighta taken a literal lean in yer dream.
Dawn: In retrospect, it just reminds me of all those lamb movies with talking birds and reptiles from when we were little.
Vernon: I mean, maybe I'm just biased...but I feel like the ninties saw an oversaturation' o' talking lizard and bird movies. Always goin' off on big adventures and lookin' fer thier owners...er playin' gridiron.
Dawn: I don't think there's a lamb from our generation who doesn't remember 'Monitor Linebacker'. Granted, that one didn't talk...
Vernon: *Doing a bostonian accent to the best of his ability.* "There's nothing in the rulebook that says a Monitor Lizard can't play grid iron."
Dawn: Pft. *Let's out a giggling snort* Oh no! Cut that in post! Please...I can't let anyone hear my snort laugh...
Vernon: Notin' it down, 45:58...*Scribbling is heard* cut adorkable snort.
Dawn: *Ahem* Anyway, it was the casual factor that made it...so strange...The gator even mentioned he was from the Canal District, but even though the environment would be perfect for gators, they're very highly regulated there to make sure most of the canals remain safe for swimming.
Vernon: Right. Otherwise, otter and beaver folk would go missin' constantly...gators are notoriously hard ta' train.
Dawn: It was a silly dream...I guess I wanted to share it to offset the dreams with a more serious tone...so the blog wasn't all gloom and doom nightmares.
Vernon: Like yer' "I'm still a criminal and want revenge dreams'?
Dawn: *Is quiet, but is presumed to have nodded.* Exactly...*Let's out a shuddering trill* Every once and a while I have these...awful nightmares where I'm still in Alpine Crag, just stewing in hatred and self-loathing and plotting some elaborate revenge plot for the original...Night Howler business...As if I've learned nothing, spent no time reflecting on myself, and I just...*whimpers softly.* What's worse is usually I'm not in my own body in these dreams...I'm just...watching myself. Trying to call out to myself, to appeal to my reason...like I'm my own conscience.
Vernon: Aw....Darlin'...
Dawn: Gazellenapping Gazelle is one that frequently comes up. Some sort of overarching scheme to get back at her, the city, and Nick and Judy all in one big operation...
Vernon: Is that the one where ya dyed yer wool purple and had purple zebra stripes dyed on yer arms and legs?
Dawn: YES! Which is crazy...first off...I may not be a big fashionista, but even I could tell you that's a fashion disaster!
*Vernon snickers*
Dawn: I may not have much of one, but I do have fashion sense, and that look offends my sense of style...I don't even think there was a zebra gang at Alpine Crag, and even if there was, why would they let me into it?
Vernon: And purple stripes? What are ya, that Zebra gum mascot?
Dawn: *Snickers* But still...every dream where I'm forced to watch myself try and get some...petty maligned revenge just...it makes me sick to my stomach. And I always wake up in tears...
Vernon: I know Honey Lamb...I know...*Whines* I'm glad I can be there when ya wake up from most of 'em...though it makes them tour trips I can't follow along with all the more painful 'iffin I know I can't be there when ya wake up from one o' them dreams...
Dawn: I know Puppy Love...I know...*A scuffling noise is heard, followed by what sounds like soft, competing grunts from both Dawn and Vern, indicating they're hugging.* Thank you for being there...
Vernon: Hey, fer' life remember...half moons and rings and the whole nine...*Chuckles*
Dawn: *Giggles* Yes, I remember the tithe. *Sighs warmly* Y'know...I-hmm...It's only sort of related, but there's another dream I used to have a lot too in prison and after being released. One that lies between absurd and distressing...
Vernon: The Tundratown one?
Dawn: Yes! It's the one where I've either escaped from jail...or I'm just...in Tundratown for some reason. I'm on the side of this...endless stretch of icy highway...and I have to run across, dodging cars and hopping over ice flows. The whole time I'm not really getting anywhere, because there's just more highway ahead of me, but I keep running, all the while growing more hopeless and discouraged...and so cold...
Vernon: Ya' don't have it anymore?
Dawn: Well...after we met, and made our little family I-...I see you now. You and the lambs are in a helicopter just ahead of me. Reaching out to meet me as I run...Sometimes I reach you all, sometimes I don't quite make it before waking up first...but the hopelessness is gone. Because I have a goal I'm reaching for, something worth running a seemingly endless marathon for.
Vernon: Honey Lamb...*Audible thumping is heard briefly before coming to an abrupt stop.*
Dawn: No amount of padding can keep that monster tail off the mic when it starts wagging can it? *Giggles*
Vernon: Seriously, the audio reading went from zero ta' ten, even with them throw pillows strapped to it...Hold on...*Scribbling* 47:04, remove 'enthusiastic' waggin'...
*Dawn snickers*
Melanie: In that way, me and Dawn are a lot alike. Not that I was physically abused like Dawn was. But we were both subjected to unrealistic expectations and emotional manipulation from a very early age. I had to succeed at every extracurricular activity they forced me to take up just to earn the tiniest scraps of feigned affection from them. Actually, I remember every time my Mother actually gave me a hug...I'd just start bawling. They meant the world to me as a kid. Only now as an adult, I realized just how stiff and emotionless those hugs were. They much preferred buying stuff to fill the role of an emotional connection, rather than...facilitate an actual emotional connection. I suppose if there's a silver lining, it made it way easier to connect with Dawn and fast-tracked us to being best friends pretty quickly.
Melanie: When I was approaching puberty, everything just kept building up. More and more responsibility was heaped on me, with less and less of an emotional reward given to me for my hard work. The older I got, the more my parents expected me to excel for the sake of excelling. And it all came to a head during my...*Cringes* Ballet recital. *Shakes head* I was performing my heart out when I made a simple misstep, and twisted my ankle, dropping to the ground center stage for all to see. I knew, I knew in that moment, that I had failed my parents. I wasn't 'perfect', and I embarrassed the family. I didn't know-I couldn't know that I needed parents who could tell me that it was 'Okay' to not be perfect. That nobody was perfect. In that instant, while the audience remained dead quiet, everything in my mind just mounted, and I...I broke. I wept and sobbed hysterically until a stagehoof could help me off stage...The only coherent thing I could get out through my sobs was how sorry I was.
Melanie: It was the worst and happiest day of my life. Worst because of the scene I made at the recital. But also the best because my Doctor told my parents in no uncertain terms, I could no longer perform ballet. He also told my parents that they were required to put me in therapy or he would report them to child services. *Chuckles dully* My parents figured while it marred the image of their daughter as 'broken' to seek therapy, something they said in front of me many times, therapy stood to fix me. What they didn't count on was my therapist becoming the parent I needed. Asking me 'what I wanted to do?', and telling me that 'I didn't need to be perfect, and no mammal was.'
Melanie: In college, I eventually met my Gussy-Wussy when he enrolled and well...the rest is history. *Giggles* And aside from his sleep equipment making so much noise it made Vernon want to jump out a window when he lived with Gus, I've been happy ever since we met and moved in together.
Gus: To be fair, it helps that you sleep like a rock. *Laughs*
Melanie: It's like white noise to me at this point. *Chuckles* I honestly think the super-reactor powering the heating and cooling systems in Zootopia could have a full-scale meltdown and I'd sleep right through it.
Myra: Oh, I don't have too many stunts under my belt...to be honest, most of my favorite things in smut are working in comedic bits, or doing purposely bad acting.
Vanna: *Flashes her sister a skeptical gaze* Purposely?
Zach: I always figured porn actors were...just bad at actin'
Myra: *Snickers* I'm not saying they aren't, and I'm not trying to toot my own horn either...*Bob's head slightly, rolling her eyes as if mulling something over.* Though a horn does tie into the pawful of stunts in my repertoire.
Vanna: *Squeezes the bridge of her snout, sighing a small sigh of annoyance.* Try to keep it tame, remember our agreement...
Myra: No, but I love porn memes. I mean, a bunch of us in the industry do, but by the gods, there are so many out-of-context clips I've seen that just made me bust a gut laughing. From the infamous 'What are you doin' stepbro'? To 'Oh sheep, I'm sorry.'.." *Smirks* At this point, my fondest dream is to get a meme to go viral from one of my line deliveries. I'd even trade in my Golden Cookie award, and my two 'Steamies' if it meant I could get a viral porn meme going. And it's part of the reason why I love to be in parodies cause the atmosphere makes it all the more cheesy and fun.
Zach: Well, y'all can't force a meme. *Chuckles* The best ones seem to come outta nowhere, and organically fer that matter...even 'iffin I can't understand it fer the life of me...
Vernon: I still have no idea what 'Schway' means...*Chuckles* Allision keeps sayin' I ain't 'Schway'...I'm just gonna assume it means cool, which means I ain't cool...*Huffs* Seems about right fer a teen to say to her Pa...'sides, ain't like I've ever been cool before...so I don't mind not bein' cool now. *Snickers*
Dawn: I happen to think you're very cool Puppy...
*Vernon pulls his mate into a gentle side hug.*
Vernon: Aw thank ya Lamb fry...*Kisses the top of her poof* I think yer purty cool too...
Vanna: I'm just glad you didn't get that support role in that...*Shudders, looking visibly disgusted.* Parody of Dawn's book.
Myra: *Giggles* Not for lack of trying! *Shakes Head* I would have killed to be the secretary that gets pulled into a three-way halfway through the movie, even if my limit is light bondage, and that one was pretty hardcore by comparison. Would have been worth it to get a shot to work alongside a legend like Wooly, and well...I mean the memes right themselves!
Vernon: *Let's out a soft whine, his muzzle now downcast*
Vanna: Still, while I know I can be....err...*Winces* Judgemental of your profession at times, I usually don't say anything about the projects you take on. But in this case, I don't think Dawn or Vernon would have been able to live down having someone who's technically a relative of theirs perform in a porn parody of a biography of their lives.
Vernon: *Places his head in his paws.* It's bad enough that it exists as it is...*whines softly* But also folks take it as some sorta realistic tellin' of what goes in the privacy of mine and my Honeylamb's bedroom.
*Dawn hugs Vernon's leg, stroking his thigh reassuringly.*
Dawn: There, there Puppy...I'm not...*Winces* Pleased about it either, but that's just what happens with popular media, it's a consequence of having a lot of eyes on a story...
Myra: And her office...and a Laundromat for some reason...*Shakes head* I swear, why set a scene at a laundromat if you aren't going to pull a 'What are you doin' stepbro' gag? *Giggles*
*Vernon Groans*
Vanna: *Rolls her eyes* Myra please, reign it in...
Vernon: Still, I think the worst thang is they portray me like I'm some sorta rural wolf stereotype with barely two brain cells to rub together'!
Zach: Well, that ain't too far off...*Snickers*
*Vanna sharply nudges her mate in the ribs.*
Zach: OOF! *Winces before glaring up at his mate as he rubs his ribs.* It was just a joke Kitten.
Vanna: A Yuri joke...
Myra: As for the second part of your question, if it isn't obvious I'd really love to work with Wooly at some point. I've been with a ram or two, but a ewe is on my hit list for sure. Though I've mostly preferred to work with wolves. *Snickers* So my sister and I aren't that different in that regard...
Vanna: *Blushing* M-Myra!
Myra: I've actually worked with Wilfred in three different movies before. He's totally sweet, and unlike his 'character' in Predator Penetrating Prey, he's very smart and well-spoken.
Vernon: *Vernon crosses his arms, letting out a scoff* And yet the fella didn't have the self-respect to turn down a roll that leans inta every wolf stereotype imaginable.
Myra: *Myra flicks a dismissive paw in Vernon's direction, letting out a laugh.* Oh Vernon, Wilfred doesn't get hung up on stuff like that, he just found it funny. He doesn't take himself or his species seriously as, like me, he doesn't see himself as the chief representative of his species or his family. *Her eyes flick over to Vanna, the tigress frowning slightly with a trace of guilt lacing her features.* Of course, If he knew his family felt so much like they weren't being listened to rather than being prudish, maybe he'd be trying to...work on things.
Vanna: *Offers Myra a small, cautious smile* Thank you Myra...*The lumbering tigress rubbed the back of her neck uneasily as a blush tinges her muzzle.* And...I'm sorry you didn't get that part...
*Myra immediately perks up, clutching her fists as a look of sharp determination overtook her features* Yeah, me too! *She laughs.* Seriously, to even be in the same shot as Wilfred saying *Myra scrunches up her muzzle, putting her paws on her hips as she slips into the worst southern drawl she can possibly muster.* "Wait just a gosh dern minute now, this here ain't paperwork, thissin' here is ewe pu#@$!"
*Vernon groans, slapping a paw to his muzzle in an attempt to hide the bright red flush on his muzzle as Dawn continues to console him.*
Myra: But at least I've nailed a role in the sequel, "A Lamb with Hung Wolves!"
*Vernon and Dawn share a shocked and horrified expression.*
Vernon: A sequel!? *Vernon whines loudly.*
*Vanna and Zach exchange uncomfortable glances.*
Dawn: Y-You can't be serious! The first one did that well?
Myra: *Nods* It's porn of a popular franchise little lamb, it doesn't even have to do all that well to get a sequel because the overhead is so cheap. *Myra rolled her eyes slightly, rolling a wrist.* Though, Predator Penetrating Prey did gang busters...
*Dawn joins Vernon in letting out a mournful groan, as she slumps into his side.*
Vanna: W-wait, why would the cast you in that? It sounds like a wolf-only movie.
Myra: *Holds up a finger toward Vanna.* Well yeah, the Hunter brothers sure, but I mean the director wanted to work the sister-in-laws in. He was especially moved by that part in Predator Seeking Prey about you and Dawn bonding in the bedroom singing Karaoke, and wanted to uh...make it a bit more..intimate...And, I'll admit, I may have...shamelessly used the fact that I'm your sister to...er...land your part...
*Vanna furrows her brow, looking visibly irritated.*
Vanna: Are you actually serious!? Really!? *Vanna pinches the bridge of her snout, letting out a huff* You were LITERALLY just say-!
*Myra holds up her paws defensively*
Myra: Look, look I know it sounds bad! But it's not like they were going to cut that segment! *Myra offers her sister a nervous smile* Isn't it better to have your sister helm the role over some stranger?!
*Vernon lets out a mournful howl, drawing both the felines attention to him. Zach has now joined Dawn in holding his collapsed, howling brother, doing his best to comfort the pair.*
Zach: There there little brother...*Shakes head* We're all in this one together this time...we'll get through this...
*Vernon continues to wail, other howls joining in as Vanna corsses her arms and glares at the shrinking Myra*
Myra: L-look, I promise I'll... bite my tongue and try to take this role seriously...
*Vernon's howling suddenly gets louder, causing both sisters to wince, shrinking into their shoulders.*
Myra: Look, it could be worse okay! I could have been cast as Misses Hunter for the scene where Dawn and Vernon make up for breaking the house rule by having a three-way in the-.
*Vanna grabs Myra's lips with her fingers, forcing them shut.Vernon's Howls and sobs reaching a painful decibel even for the felines.*
Vanna: STOP TALKING!
Vernon: Well, it ain't as obvious anymore really. These days, the names are more of a formality for a country that's united on purty much every issue imaginable. Though back in the day, the leadership of both countries were at odds more often than not.
Dawn: Especially when it came to relations with Scottram and Irelamb. Lesser Norwulff especially wasn't keen on having Scottramish and other caprine transplants so close to their borders.
Vernon: Lesser Norwulff was, historically, considerably more of a species-supremacist country. Whereas those in Norwulff had been buildin' 'unconventional' packs fer centuries based on how loyal and reliable them non-wolves proved themselves to be. Lesser Norwulff was strictly a 'wolves' only pack structure. They reluctantly welcomed non-wolf predators into their society as second-class citizens and prey mammals weren't allowed in at all.
Dawn: That's why, even with Erik's royal status aside, his tithe to a sheep would still have been accepted by the populace in general should it have gone public. Granted, it would have been easier to swallow if said sheep wasn't royalty herself. But Ancient Norwulff had by that point seen a fair share of interspecies tithes. Not that they were rampant of course, but there was long since a precedent set. Hel, Erik wasn't even the first Duclaw to pursue sheep mates.
Vernon: *Blushes, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly* Yeah, and Erik wasn't the last either, current couple excluded I mean. *Vernon grins sheepishly* Seems like the Hunter bloodline gets a cravin' for mutton every other generation er' so...But in the case o' what my Honey Lamb is talkin' about, she means my ancient...well...ancestor ain't the right term I think...is it? Y'all have to have pups fer that...
Dawn: There's really no other term to use. He may have been infertile, but he was a Duclaw.
Vernon: Right, anyway...there was a Duclaw that lived about four hundred years before Erik. Back durin' one of our families 'high skirmish' eras against the Scottramish. I'm talkin' back when Norwulff would take and occupy territory in Scottram fer ten ta fifteen years at a time before bein' forced out again. Fenrir Duclaw, yep, named after the god, was one o' seven pups in the royal family.
Dawn: Just like you...*Snickers*
Vernon: Well, I ain't a royal by any means other than blood. *Shakes head* Anyway, he was a proud warrior, and preferred to be on the front lines rather than in the royal court. The thing about Fenrir was that he was infertile. He suffered an injury while sparing as a pup that...er...well let's just say it...scrambled his eggs permanently...
*Dawn and Vern share a wince*
Vernon: That said, I think that's what ended up kinda drivin' his 'fightin' spirit', always feelin' like a lesser wolf. His brothers tore at him for it, and despite his status as a bein' a royal, as well as his increasin' number of accolades, he was passed over by all the eligible shewolves at every opportunity.
Dawn: Fed up with his lot in life he...well, he spurned the gods and decided to actively buck Norwulff morality when the opportunity arose just to spite them. It was revenge for them dealing him such a bad paw, at least in his eyes.
Vernon: And one o' the ways he chose to do that was to take a new sheep mate with every successful occupation o' Scottram territory.
Dawn: Not to say he....got rid of the old ones...he just...decided to take a page from the book of the ancient lion prides.
Vernon: *Shakes head* At the height o' thangs, he had five sheep wives. And as much of his family disapproved, there was little they could do to scold him because he remained such an effective warrior.
Dawn: I will point out though, that every time he and his armies were ousted from Scottram, and his mates had the opportunity to escape, they always returned with him to Norwulff. Even the families of the stolen lambs didn't hate him, as having such a tie to Fenrir allowed their family favor to keep operating in the occupied territory. And it made them even more wealthy than when they were operating in the former Scottramish system.
Vernon: The story has a bit of a happy ending dependin' on how ya look at it. Fenrir's last wife, once she was settled in, was an expert at readin' folks...at figurin' out how to get to a fella's soft yellow underbelly. Both her and Fenrir's personal journals corroborate how much of a 'therapist' she seemed to be...even if the job didn't exist yet. She helped Fenrir face his insecurities, and his anger at his circumstance, and come to terms with the wolf he was, and the wolf he wanted to be.
Dawn: Upon being ousted again, and returning to Norwulff, Fenrir decided to return to the old ways. He gave his mates the opportunity to return to Scottram, or live within the protection of his family name while being allowed to pursue proper mates. All of them preferred the latter.
Vernon: Fenrir would renew his tithe his second mate Kathrine Lambaher, his most beloved, and his other sheep mates would be free to tithe whoever they wanted in the Norwulff community. Three o' four married other wolves, and the last married a goat who sat in the family's high court. However, they would always remain close to Fenrir, even if it was strictly platonic.
Dawn: It's an interesting little footnote in the Duclaw history and one that was barely talked about until the whole...Moira Blackwool thing came out thanks to Ulric. Of course, it's far from the only instance of Wolf and Sheep relations in Vernon's family lineage as we've found out since then. Not to mention it's not the only unconventional one. One of my favorites is the story of Sheriff Rowan Clawter who lived in the old west. Never tithed, but frequented a saloon run by a very enterprising sheep lass named Maureen Sheepard. *Chuckles* it's believed the sheriff had taken to bankrolling her saloon just to keep Maureen from ever having to resort to prostituting herself like the rest of the girls who worked under her. According to Maureen's diaries, Rowan made it very clear that Maureen was 'his', and that was, apparently, just how she liked it...*Giggles*
Vernon: That's where that fella writin' that there magic western novel got his names fer Rowan and Dolly from...sorta...*Shakes head* Mam', we've really gone off track haven't we?
Dawn: Oh my yes, w-what was the question again?
Vernon: About Greater and lesser Norwulff bein' separate countries? Which...I guess I already said...they are still technically, but it's one o' them formalities...
Dawn: Yes....though that tangent made me realize it might be worth writing a book on the many 'unconventional' affairs that riddle the Duclaw lineage. At the rate they're piling up, I could write something as thick as a dictionary. *Snickers*
A Zootube video starts playing from a channel called "IdolPawz". The view count alone is staggering, with a number that rivaled the total population of Zootopia three times over. which explains just how it ended up on the trending tab. The intro is flashy and fast. Pink and blue ribbons bounce around the screen like a multiball pinball bonus before being overtaken by bursts of similarly colored halftone grunge splatters. Each hatched cluster of color appears with what sounds like paintball pellets colliding with fabric. Amidst the frenetic and lively display, speedy lines of scratchy, aggressive-looking Kanji moved across the screen so quickly it would be illegible even to native speakers. It was as if someone had put the very essence of fireworks as a concept into a 720p window. And all the while, this swirling, overstimulating display of graphics was set to music that sounded like an instrumental mixture of pop and metal music.
The all-encompassing cacophony only lasted for about thirty seconds, the energy swelling and swelling before coming to a dramatic and powerful crescendo of graphics and music as the channel name smashed into place in the center of the screen, shaking the canvas that surrounded it as though it were earth-shattering.
And then, just as quickly as it exploded on screen, the graphics began to crossfade, transitioning to what looked like someone's personal bedroom that had been haphazardly turned into a set. The massive table, far too large for the diminutive red panda girl sitting at its center, resembled something more akin to an old dining room table rather than anything professional. It had clearly been made for larger mammals, and as if to compensate for the huge swath of negative space immediately surrounding the stocky, bearlike mammal seated almost below its edge, the remainder of her table surrounding her workstation was absolutely cluttered with a vast collection of boy band merchandise. Shirts, hats trinkets, limited edition cups, it all cluttered the table to the edge of the visible screen. The colorful and gaudy display, not satisfied with being limited to most of the tabletop, extended into the backdrop of the 'set', the walls covered from floor to ceiling with boy band posters so thick that the actual color of the wall was anyone's guess. It was a collage of sweaty, shirtless, masculine mammals frozen in a variety of dynamic poses. Jumping in mid-air, backs arched or hunched down low in a mock predator's stalk, the scene was about as active as your average comic book despite the dueling interests represented couldn't have been farther away from one another on the spectrum of geek. At the centerpiece of this shrine to pre-teen pop music culture was a large poster for a band known as "Caress of Claws".
The tiny mammal, dressed in a rather frilly, glittery, pop idol gown that matched the aesthetic of the average ice cream truck cleared her throat awkwardly. She took a moment to adjust her oversized microphone, appearing to have to fight to sheer volume of her poofy, glittery attire before clasping her hands together. It was clear she was doing her damnedest to appear calm and professional, yet her body language betrayed her performance. Her whiskers twitched and spasmed infrequently, and every few seconds she chewed at her lower lip aggressively. And, though the silence was brief if you listened closely, it was easy to make out the red panda's slow, deliberate breathing, as if she were trying to maintain a level of calm that was hanging on by a thread.
"He-LOO-!"
Her statement had briefly pitched into a near squeal before she stopped herself. She quickly tried to cover up the crack in her voice with a sharp, ragged cough, her eyes briefly widening with horror before slipping right back into the mask of professional stoicism with an ease that would have been commended by the news anchors at ZNN.
"Hey Idol fans, Mei XionMao here with another blood-blistering, pulse-pounding, pheromone dripping, swoon-inducing episode of the IdolPawz 'Paw'dcast!"
Mei paused for a moment, offering the viewer a smug smirk as she playfully bobbed her eyebrows. It was clear she was quite pleased with herself.
"See what I did there?" Her cheesy grin widened as she leaned toward the camera as if she was actively fishing for praise from an audience that couldn't exactly answer back at the time of recording. "PAWD-Cast?"
"It's even less funny when you won't just let the bad pun hang there..."
The dull, uninterested-sounding voice had come from off-screen.
Mei's muzzle frushed crimson, her brow furrowing as she snapped at the mammal to her side.
"I thought you were keeping your commentary limited for this episode Emiko!" Mei hissed bitterly. "You hate the boy band episodes!"
The camera blurred for a moment, the view drawing backward to reveal that there were actually more mammals seated boyband banquet table. Directly to Mei's right sat what appeared to be the source of Mei's anger, a skunk dressed in a dark hoodie with hard-to-read, scratchy kanji written on the front. Around her neck hung a pair of headphones so large they were more reminiscent of some sort of Sci-fi Starwolves breathing apparatus instead of a simple music device. Compared to her co-host, this skunk looked as though she had woken up two hours ago, and had chosen to wear whatever clothes she had found on her bedroom floor that didn't smell. She was slouched in her chair so deeply that she appeared almost fully reclined, her head slunk into her shoulders to the point that her forehead appeared almost level with them. She stared at her laptop with what appeared to be profound disinterest, her tired eyes laced with the barest hint of bags as she acknowledged her co-host. Apparently unable to muster the energy to meet the firecracker seated beside her's fiery gaze.
"Limited..." Emiko muttered with a sigh. "I didn't say I was like...taking a vow of silence or anything..." She gave a half-hearted shrug. "Besides, someone's got to run the technical stuff..." Emiko rolled her pale blue eyes with little effort. "Since someone refuses to learn it..." She grumbled at an almost inaudible level.
Mei maintained her glare for a moment before letting out an exasperated sigh, flashing a dull glare toward the audience.
"Long-time viewers will remember my cohost, Emiko Sutoraipu, our Puppymetal correspondent." The red panda gestured a paw in the direction of the skunk with as little enthusiasm as Emiko seemed to hold for everything else.
"Yo." Without looking up, the skunkette flashed the camera a metal longhorn salute.
Shaking her head dismissively, Mei gestured to her other co-host, a toweringly tall hyeness seated to her left.
"And this is my other co-host who specializes in K-pop coverage, Roxxy Sauti..."
The lanky hyena offered a surprisingly shy wave while her other paw remained fixed to the front of her muzzle. Like Mei, she wore an equally snappy outfit, though her's was less focused on frills, and more on a smooth sheen. Her silvery mini-jacket and matching pants created a rainbow shimmer that danced along the fabric like sunlight on an oil slick as she stewed uncomfortably in her seat. The bulk of her face, awash with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, was hidden behind a draping swoop of dark black hair that featured a prominent bright blue highlight.
"M-Mostly Kpop, but that doesn't mean there aren't a few North-Mammalian and Zootopia-born boy bands that don't stir my very soul..." She murmured. A strange, the tail end of her statement being delivered with a gravity and seriousness that ran in direct opposition to her previous bashfulness. "Like today's special guest..."
"Yes! yes!" Mei chirped excitedly, clapping her paws rapidly before snapping back to her formerly composed demeanor. "Today we have a super special ep-!"
Roxxy's sudden, almost maniacal giggling cut Mei off. "By Jasiri, I just can't believe we got an interview with-!" She shook her head, shrinking into her shoulders as her crimson blush deepened. "OH EM GOODNESS I CAN'T EV-!"
"SHH! SHH!" Mei raised her palms, waving frantically as she tried to hush her increasingly frantic co-host. "Don't spoil the surprise!"
Roxxy clasped her muzzle shut with a paw, but her trembling frame betrayed the whirling energy building within her. Mei rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh.
"So much for keeping this professional."
The little red panda closed her eyes, straightening her posture as she let out a slow and deliberate sigh.
"Caress of Claws." She began, sliding herself aside and gesturing her paws dramatically to the poster at the center of her homemade shrine. "A boy band which stands up there with giants like N'Mink and the Backstreet Bucks despite only being relatively new to the Zootopian Boy Band scene."
"Ugh, the Backstreet Bucks..." Emiko rolled her eyes, feigning a gagging motion.
"Quiet Emi!" Mei hissed before returning to her presentational gesture at the poster behind her. "Just do the zoom please!"
Emiko sighs, and with a few clicks of her keyboard the camera blurs again as it zooms in order to better display the band poster, and the members standing proud and tall on the stage, each striking a powerful pose. There are five mammals, all predators, and all wearing matching blisteringly white shirtless vests and tight-fitted pants. The stood positioned left to right from tallest to smallest. A Polar bear stands at the far side, his arms crossed, eyes obscured by baby blue slatted shades. His pose was the least 'dynamic', and yet exuded an aura of pure 'cool' energy that was befitting of the baritone member of the band. Next to him, a Bengal Tiger stands in an arching pose, a claw pointed to the sky while he belts his heart out. Not to be outdone, dead center amid the cast of hunks stands a lithe, almost feminine-looking cheetah. His eyes are closed, muzzle twisted into a snarl so deep it forced his eyes closed as he wailed into the microphone wrapped in his paw.
On the far right of the stage, almost blocked out by what appeared to be some creative 'marker work' clearly done by Mei herself, was a small, snowy white arctic fox. The smallest of the groups mammals was caught mid-strut. His smug, confident grin engaged the camera with the energy that only a mammal of vulpine descent could pull off convincingly.
But, what was most noticeable part of the poster, mostly due in part to Mei's creative use of emphasis with a circle drawn in red marker, along with several crude hearts floating around it, was the band's fifth member. A grey wolf stood between the arctic fox and cheetah, his back arched and paws curling inward as he howled to the heavens with all of his might. His reddish-brown head fur clinging to his muzzle as he bellowed upward.
The camera drew back to the hosts as Mei cleared her throat.
"And today..." Mei continued, her chest seeming to swell with pride as she spoke. "We actually managed to land an interview with not just one of the band members but..."
Mei began to blush, drawing into her shoulders shyly and averting her gaze. She raised her paw, wafting it rapidly toward herself as if she were trying to cool down the rapid flush that had built up so quickly beneath her pelt. "M-my personal favorite member."
The little red panda coughed into her paw, doing her best to compose herself prior to the reveal. Her whisker twitched only intensifying as she struggled to keep it together. "We here at the Idolpawz crew are proud to introduce..." She bit her lip with an almost, eager anticipation. " The bad boy with the heart of go-."
"VEEJAY!" Roxxy cried! "OH EM GOODNESS! WE HAVE VEEJAY!"
"I WAS SUPPOSED TO INTRODUC-!" Mei was mid-snarl when she caught herself, quickly drawing back from her co-host as she straightened the hem of her cotton-candy colored jacket. Despite her attempt to look professional, the scowl on her muzzle remained.
"VEEJAY; the bad boy with the heart of gold." Mei uttered dejectedly, gesturing to Emiko.
In a few moments, the display shifted to a four-camera call, each of the three hosts appearing in their own camera window which sat squarely underneath the larger 'guest' window. Filling the above frame was the same wolf from the band poster. Unlike the girls, the wolf was lounging on a couch or bed draped in a deep green. The camera taken up by his face, his glimmering green eyes and broad, disarming smile taking center stage as he leaned his head against a paw. The rest of his body tapered into the background in a lazy repose, his fluffy grey and cream-colored tail lazily wagging as he mugged the camera.
"You're really too kind...is that what they're calling me now? The bad boy with the Heart of Gold?" He chuckled. "I don't think management ran that one past me."
"It-."
Mei is cut off by a shriek so loud it was a sure thing that it could be heard throughout all of Savannah Central by even the deafest of mammals. Mei and Emiko reflexively shrank into their shoulders, ears flat against their heads before turning their irritated attention to the source of the shriek, Roxxy. The lanky hyeness has her paws clapped to her muzzle, an aura of giddiness oozing from her quivering form.
"Sorry, sorry!" She murmurs sheepishly, her blush practically radiating through her fur as she trades glances with her significantly smaller co-hosts. Her breathing was sharp and fast, but still overall quiet as the fangirl seemed on the verge of hyperventilation.
"This was supposed to be professional!" Mei snapped up at the towering hyena.
"I know! I know!" Roxxy whined, chewing at her claws nervously. "I-It's just, I mean...y-you're VeeJay! Talking to us! Oh Em Goodness-I can't-" Roxxy shook her head. "I need my inhaler!"
As the large member of the Feliformia family began frantically digging through a bubblegum pink backpack that had been previously hidden beneath the table, the wolf in the webcam video chuckled softly.
"It's fine. Trust me you aren't the first fan I've met whose default method of communication is shrieking." The wolf shook his head softly. "I'm always guaranteed at least one shrieker at a concert, granted that's because my Mom goes to almost every single show...though my brother Xavier has managed a few competitive shrieks of his own when we play shows in San Francisgoat."
Another, more subdued shriek comes from Roxxy, the hyenaess cutting herself off by taking a puff of her inhaler before continuing her girlish squeal of joy.
"ROXXY! COOL IT!" Mei hissed, The flustered felid quickly closed her muzzle with both paws this time, offering her diminutive cohost a meek smile.
"Ahem...you'll have to forgive Roxxy, but we are just...So, SO honored to have you here VEEJAY." Mei said cooly, doing her best to keep the interview on track.
"You girls can call me Vernon." The wolf smirked. "VeeJay's my 'stage name'. Management thought the nickname sounded more hip and cool."
Roxxy let out another, albeit almost whisper-quiet, giddy girlish shriek, which Mei seemingly chose to ignore.
"W-Well let's start there...." Mei rolled right into the interview process, holding a paw to her cheek as she tried to hide the growing blush of her muzzle. "M-Mr. Vernon...um....why VeeJay?"
"It's my first and middle name. 'Vernon James'. They just abbreviated it and then went with the phonetic pronunciation." The wolf replied, gesturing a paw toward the camera lazily.
"Awesome..." Mei swooned, seemingly forgetting where she was for the briefest of moments before snapping back to reality. The little Red Panda shook her head briskly, running her paws down her muzzle and face in a few, rapid and broad strokes before bringing her paws together and reassuming her stoic stance. She coughed awkwardly, quickly brushing her muzzle with a paw in a movement so quick that if you blinked you'd surely miss it. She had to be sure she wasn't drooling after all.
"Oh, yeah, your management actually sent us 'approved questions'." Emiko chimed in. "They seem like a bunch of uptight hard asses..."
"EMIKO!" Mei snapped at the skunk. However, Vernon just chuckled, clearly amused.
"I don't necessarily blame them for that, I don't envy their job one bit." He said with a snicker. "That said, you can just throw those out if you want. Half the reason I love doing interviews with smaller, less structured shows is because it's nice to have a real conversation when I can."
"What's the other part?" Emiko asked, never looking up from her laptop.
"Any excuse to talk to genuine fans is always a delight." The wolf flashed his trademark grin, flicking a bit of his chocolate-colored head fur out of his eyes with an almost aloof indifference. " Talkin' to fans, making them happy with what i do, it...honestly what keeps me going."
Another quiet squeal emanated from Roxxy, the Hyena now using her jacket to cover the entirety of her face to stifle her shrill shrieks of ecstasy. Only one eye seemingly peeped out from the shrouded safety of her makeshift tent.
"Okay, settle down tea kettle..." Emiko chuckled.
"That's so cool that your Mom goes to most of the shows." Mei replied cooly.
"Well, she feels she's pullin' double duty for my Father..." Vernon winces slightly. "He's not too keen on my...choice in career. But I mea-."
"One of the first things on the "No go' list was not to ask you about your family..." Emiko interjected. " Was that a management call, or a you call?"
"EMIKO!" Mei snarled, glaring at the skunk to her side. Emiko never broke gaze with her laptop, completely unphased by her co-host's hateful gaze. However, as Mei maintained her glare, Emiko's unbothered demeanor would eventually falter. A defeated sigh escaped her muzzle. "I just...figured 'rebels' usually butt heads with their parents and all..." She scoffed. "I know I do..."
Vernon laughed. "No, no it's mostly management. Though a little bit of it is to keep my family out of the public eye. Still, from management's perspective, they really don't like me telling everyone I grew up rural, on a farm no less."
Mei let out a soft gasp of shock. "On a farm? Really?"
Vernon chuckled. "Yeah, it doesn't sound as good as having grown up on the streets of Zootopia proper." The wolf shook his head dismissively. "They've actually tried to insinuate I grew up on Pack Street, which is known for being a rough pred neighborhood. But even my Wikipawdia page says I grew up in the Meadowlands."
"Woah, talk about the sticks." Emiko uttered in mild surprise. "Did you have a North Meadowlands accent?"
"EMIKO!"
"I did actually. Hated having it even before I got scouted at my school talent show." The wolf shrugged. "It took a lot of hard work with multiple speech therapists to get rid of it. And if I'm being totally being honest...it still creeps back up whenever I actually get angry."
"Y-you mentioned your Dad didn't approve?" The timid question had come from the shuddering mass of shy yeen to Mei's left. Her blush had grown so fierce she was starting to look like a ripe tomato with fur.
"My Dad's a Sheriff, my other six brothers work in law enforcement, and he wanted me to grow up to work as his deputy." The wolf laughed. "Last thing he wanted was to have a son prancing around on stage half-dressed with a bunch of girls pawing at him and his bandmates." The wolf shook his head with a dull, dismissive laugh. "I can't tell you how long it took just to get him to understand that a boy band and a male stripper aren't the same thing."
Mei and Roxxy grew flustered almost as soon as the word 'Stripper' had left Vernon's muzzle. Mei now joined the hyena in trying to hide her flushed face as she turned away from the camera and covered her muzzle with a paw. Even Emiko, despite her impassivity seemed to don a light blush of her own as her gaze shifted away from the laptop camera. The wolf seemingly didn't notice, electing to continue with his small rant.
"He's learned to accept it, but actually going to the shows isn't really his thing." The wolf chuckled. "Knowing him, he would probably voluntarily take it upon himself to work security because he wouldn't know what else to do with himself in that sort of setting."
"So far you don't sound like as much of a bad boy as advertised." The goth skunk murmured.
"Emiiiiko..." Mei's usual rebuke had given way to a whine, the tiny red panda slumping onto the table in defeat. "You said you wouldn't do this..." She groaned through the wood. "We'll never get a big-name guest again!"
Vernon simply chuckled, choosing to ignore Mei's mini-meltdown and answer Emiko earnestly. "Well, I think most of my 'trademark rebelliousness' is aimed at my managers." He shook his head. "Sometimes I'll totally agree with them, like when it came to losing my rural twang, or picking up playing guitar. But most of the time I'll butt heads with them worse than an ornery billy goat."
"What kind of stuff did you disagree with them on, can you talk about it?" Roxxy interjected, seemingly finding her voice as Mei remained slumped in her defeated heap.
"Well, they won't be happy for sure." He snickered. "I know I'm going to get an earful after this interview is done, but generally we fight about anything they try to foist on me that I feel is trying to make me fake who I am."
Pulling her head from her arms, Mei sighed. "What do you mean?"
"Like the stuff about growing up in the city on Pack Street, or starting a rumor that I had been in a knife fight over a she-wolf once." The wolf rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "There's a very specific image they want to cultivate with me, with all of us really. They really want to make my puphood and teenage years more dramatic then they were."
"R-Really?" Roxxy asked, peeking out from her hoodie cautiously.
The wolf held his paws out defensively. "Not to say I didn't...well, my teenage years were rough. But being a bit of a rough and tumble teen at a rural middle school doesn't sound as dramatic as being one of the toughest, baddest wolves in Pack Street Public School." The wolf winced. "It just doesn't seem as...threatening I guess. But it's not like I didn't get into some nasty scraps in Meadowlands Middle and High School. Just cause I grew up country doesn't mean it was a walk in the park. Especially when I made it my mission for a while to make my life as difficult as possible, as well as my parent's lives, and the lives of those around me."
"What's the most egregious and shameful lie they wanted you to take part in?" Emiko now seemed vaguely interested in the conversation, sitting up straight in her seat and leaning forward slightly with the barest hint of anticipation in her expression. "Willing to share something juicy?"
"This is so far off the rails it's not even funny..." Mei groaned. Emiko simply dismissed her co-host with a paw.
"Oh hush, let me have some fun." Emiko replied with a smug smirk before turning her attention back to Vernon. "So, juicy tidbits?"
"Trying to force me to date a girl for 'appearances sake' for one." The wolf replied without hesitation. "And more recently, trying to convince me to break up with a girl I really care about."
All three girls' eyes widened slightly, and both Mei and Roxxy joined Emiko, leaning forward with eager anticipation and the juicy gossip that possibly awaited.
"Do tell..." Emiko mused, a smirk crawling across her muzzle.
"You're dating someone!?" Roxxy's question was almost a whine, drabbling from her muzzle with a defeated, dejected tone.
"Your managers wanted to control who you date?" Mei asked.
Vernon nodded softly. "Granted the manager who was pushing me and Chris' sister together was sacked."
"The 'VEESARI' thing wasn't real!?" Roxxy asked, looking more relieved than anything else.
"For those unfamiliar, you mean your bandmate Chris Clawleighe? And his sister? Sari Clawleighe?" Mei asked.
The wolf nodded. "Chris and Sari didn't want it either, but the suits thought dabbling in an interspecies romance that was still 'safe' would look good for my 'rebel image'." Vernon rolled his eyes along with his wrist." Plus they thought they could farm drama by making it seem like Chris wouldn't have wanted me to date his sister, and that we'd be at each other's throats. It was so-" The wolf shook his head. "Let's just say I'm glad they got fired."
"What do you mean by safe?" Emiko asked, her paws now resting neatly below her chin as she remained leaned up on the table, fingers intertwined as she listened intently.
Vernon flashed the camera a rather dull, half-lidded expression. "An interspecies relationship, any really, I think most would call controversial when it comes to the music and media world. It's still sort of a taboo there, even if it is 2015." The wolf gestured at nothing in particular with his paw. "But, two different species of predators isn't as...outrageous as say...a predator and prey couple. It's not the kind of coupling that will have parents boycotting shows and getting our songs pulled off the radio. So it's seen as 'marketably edgy' by the higher-ups." The wolf frowned. "Which is why, conversely, management is pushing for me to break off my current relationship before it goes public and is, as they put it, 'beyond damage control'."
"Oh Em Goodness..." Emiko cooed, wafting a paw at herself in a pantomimed display of being hot under the collar. "Does that mean it's a prey mammal? The Bad boy is a full-fledged crosser?"
"Is it Gazelle!?" Mei asked, seemingly having given up on the facade of professionalism as she twisted her claws anxiously. "Ultimate power couple!" She practically squeed.
Roxxy's mood, however, had soured completely. The yeen's arms were now crossed, her head sagging dejectedly. It was clear the idea of Vernon dating anyone was almost sacrilegious. At least, if one had to guess, if it wasn't her anyway.
The wolf chuckled. "No, no, it's not Gazelle." The wolf leveled his gaze at the gaggle of girls, a wry smile crawling across her muzzle. "But...it is a prey mammal..."
"OH EM GOODNESS! OH EM GOODNESS!" Mei squealed, clapping her paws together. "It's just like 'You preyed on my heart!' Mei's eyes went wide, a sudden pang of realization running down her spine as she clasped her paws together tightly. "Is that why you wrote it!?"
Vernon rubbed the back of his neck, the faintest hint of blush forming on his muzzle as he averted his gaze from the camera. "Well, me and Chris wrote it together...but my parts were largely written for her..."
Mei's squeal was loud enough to rival Roxxy's introduction to Vernon. Conversely, Roxxy let out a blubbering wail.
"Ladies, ladies..." Emiko placed her paws out, gesturing at the girls to her side to reign it in. Her tone was calm, laced with the barest hint of amusement and mischief. "We've got a groundbreaking scoop on our paws here. But that said, we need to milk it for just a little bit..."
"Wait, WHAT!?" Mei whined, flashing the skunk pleading eyes. "We can't drag this out! I need to know!"
The spirited red panda grabbed the hem of her co-host's hoodie, shaking the skunk aggressively as she stared into her very soul with hopeful eyes.
"THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW!" She spat.
Emiko pressed her friend away, taking a moment to wipe the flecks of excitable spittle that had followed Mei's dramatic declaration off her whiskers and snout.
"Yes, I agree...but we're overdue for a sponsor break." Emiko replied, gesturing at her laptop. "We can't afford to delay the spot, especially considering just how prime the meat of Veejay's interview is proving to be. Can you imagine if we were live-streaming right now? The numbers we're going to pull when this goes live are astronomical!"
Vernon laughed. "You sound like my manager." He admitted.
"Can you sit with us while we do the ad read Vernon? " Emiko asked. "It'll take like, thirty seconds tops."
"I'm in no hurry. You girls do you, get your hustle on." He replied with a charming, toothy smirk.
That smirk seemed to earn a legitimate blush from the skunkette, Emiko quickly averted her gaze, once again fanning herself with a paw. Although this time it didn't appear to be an act.
"Right, well let's Um-" Emiko coughed awkwardly, slinking further and further behind her laptop to hide the creeping crimson on her face. "Let's talk about 'BandMake', the go-to site for making merch for your indie band at affordable prices..."
(Part 2 Maybe)
