Second Chance
By Bartan Tirix

    The evening came quickly, dimming the light across the wild grassy field of an unkept lawn. Covered in a light snow that nearly camouflaged the slumbering bear within it; his furred coat keeping him warm, though certain parts of him still needed shelter. Hence the strange position of him covering his eyes and nose with paws, and making it that much harder for the shadows to find him from above.
    They scanned. Circled about and soon spotting the strange imprint in the grass before diving down and landing a ways away. Thankful for the hunter's moon still appearing through the thinned out clouds and giving the two dragons enough light to land safely. The white one instantly cursing under her breath while the copper just smirked at her. "How do people stand the cold..." Jyrn grumbled, almost shivering as they walked together in a pair.
    "I don't think I've ever seen you so grumpy before." Travv'esa chuckled. "It's kind of a turn-on-"
    "Don't even go there until we've at least reached +25 Celcius (77 Fahrenheit)! I can't even feel my ears after what was maybe a two minute flight!"
    "Just be thankful that Arson's suggestion was correct, and that we found him within that short amount of time." The copper one nudged the smaller female, then looked at the furred bear within the field as the two stood over him. "...Whether or not he's alive is up to debate."
    "Doesn't matter, just pick him up and we'll do the autopsy next to a fire." The white scaled one grumbled, actually getting a surprised look from Travv. "S-sorry, the cold just really brings out the worst in me."
    "They did warn you-" Travv teased her.
    "I know! I know! I just didn't think it would be this bad!" Jyrn'thellan whimpered, her wings and tail huddled in close to preserve precious warmth. "Winters back home were nothing like this...!"
    "Well, we do live in the tropics, this is the extreme opposite."
    "And probably why this furball immediately declined on having this damned Xmas party there. But why not that Beach House or something!?" A grumble from the bear got the two dragonesses' attention, then made them share a look. "Good, he's alive. Carve a message in the snow and let's head back."
    "So eager for another taste of that gingerbread?"
    "You're the one who was downing entire plates-!" A sharp whimper from Jyrn as she instantly lowered her head. "I'm sorry, it's the cold talking. I love it when you eat my plate of sweets and give me a silver belly to hug- PleaseDon'tLeaveMe." The copper one just stared at her, smirking, then giving the smaller one a playful nudge.
    "I'd lick you, but I'm afraid my tongue would get stuck."
    "Can you two keep it down? I'm trying to sleep." The male grumbled below.
    "Out in the middle of a cold field?" Jyrn snorted. "We had beds back in the house."
    "And a lot of noise with that, including lights and interruptions." Bartan sat up, looking towards a barn nearby. "And that was locked, so next best thing."
    "Which means Cold Frozen Grass was next in line, huh? Not the remains of that burnt house up..." The copper dragon stopped herself, especially when seeing his four ears lower. "...Sorry."
    "It's alright... I've had a lot of time to process it." The bear mumbled, though not without getting confused looks from the white dragoness. Causing her to look around; over two acres of a large field at the corner of two roads intersecting. A small hilltop that led up to the remains of a large driveway, space for a garage, and the foundation to a house that burnt down many years ago. A large swingset rested at the bottom of the hill, looking like an extension was taken from it decades prior. A little ways from that, the barn that was up against a series of trees, lining the property.
    "...This was your home." Jyrn whispered, piecing it together and getting a slow nod in confirmation from the bear. "One where you lost your...?"
    "No. We... We were forced out by the bank before that fire happened. Another couple ended up buying the place, the man was caught smuggling and sent to jail for a couple of years. The woman was left there alone, and one evening had an aneurysm, I believe. She passed on, the man was eventually released and moved out of the province. Still having the home under his name..." The bear took a bit of an angry breath. "I never confirmed this, but I think he hired somebody to burn the house down for the insurance money."
    The wyrms were quiet, though shivering. Huddling up against each other while Travv pulled the furball close to their undersides. Instantly getting the white dragoness to hiss at the cold outer layer of his coat, but then a surprise noise in question once her paws entered further into his fluff. "Oh... You are surprisingly warm."
    "Told you." The copper one playfully snorted.
    "The cold never bothered me." Bartan grumbled at the pawing, though not fighting it. "But yeah... That's why 'Here'."
    "You walked a mile to sleep in the barn of your old home?" Travv teased.
    "A-actually... I took one of Linet's teleporter thingys." He pulled back some of the fluff on his wrist to reveal a device that stuck out of the white and grey forest. "So I was planning to come back, I just..."
    "Wanted to be here since you moved back."
    "Into a different home, yes. But..." A deep breath as the male looked up at the mostly clear sky. Stars shining very bright with the moon, with only patches of thin clouds painted along the dark blue. "It's so damn beautiful here, I just have a hard time to believe it wasn't just nostalgia."
    "Yes, that front view of your new place is gorgeous." Jyrn tried to sound sincere, but was still shivering. "B-but can we... Please go back? I can't feel my everything."
    "Alright, alright." A few buttons on that device on his wrist and a portal opened up before them. Taking a few moments to safely stabilize before the three entered, but the bear took one last look around.
    "Come on." The copper one encouraged. "No more sadness tonight, okay?"
    "Y-yeah... I just..."
    "Really miss that place, I know." The two nodded as the wyrm motioned the bear within the strange doorway. Finally following them into a snowy driveway in front of a large house and a double garage. One of the car doors opened and the two chuckled at the white dragoness making her way up to a lit wooden furnace within. "Come, let's get warmed up."
    "I'm surprised you're not shivering that badly." Bartan mentioned, walking beside the metallic female.
    "Well, I'm just more tolerant. I live high up too, and the winters there do get kind of cold. Nothing like this, but..."
    "Whereas Jyrn resides around surface level, right?"
    "She is a water-dragoness after all." The two entered the garage door and sat on some of the large mattresses a decent ways away from the heat source for safety. Though able to feel the wall of warmth it put out. "This is a different experience for both of us, but I came quite prepared."
    "Prepared how?"
    "She flew up to the highest point in her land and stayed there for an hour." Jyrn snorted. "Had me worried sick."
    "You could have come with-" A hiss from the white one sent Travv into giggles, while the bear just shook his head.
    "I don't think I've ever seen someone so hostile towards the cold, let alone more than Thea."
    "I heard that." The blue dragon dressed in ear muffs and a large scarf came in. Honestly, it was more of a curtain made out of wool than a scarf. "And I like to think I've gotten better about my complaints about the cold."
    "Define 'better'." The bear snorted, getting one back as the blue one came in and set down a large tray of sweets. Making everyone stare at them, then Thea for a moment until he tossed his snout.
    "Fiiiiine, you can have some. But save me the chocolate mints."
    "Ugh, how can anybody even eat those things?" The copper one grumbled, taking a pawful of stuff along with everyone else.
    "Blame the bear, he got me into them."
    "You're welcome." Bartan said, taking a bite out of tomato soup cake and purring. "This turned out really good this year."
    "You're welcome." Thea brought it back, making the two males smirk as the dragonesses shared a look of awkward disgust, both avoiding the strange cake. "So, how are things in couple's land?" That instantly made the white female blush deeply and whimper.
    "Not bad, though she's still getting used to that C-word." Travv'esa answered. "Though I really wish she had more confidence. However, it's painfully obvious where she's getting that, even if it is exaggerated." The larger female looked over the bear, making his four ears lower a bit. Shrugging afterwards and taking a few moments before swallowing.
    "What do you want me to say? I've been losing a lot of confidence in my work lately. I mean, have you seen how many were Drunken Lullabies this year? A series that I'm basically not even trying on, equivalent to just making doodles."
    "Some people like doodles."
    "Yeah, but how many people are actually known for their doodles-? Don't answer that. You know where I'm going with this."
    "And that's what you want, Bartan? Fame?" Thea asked.
    "Not really, more just recognition of the effort I actually put in." A grumble from the bear. "I feel like I've complained about this for years, to the point where I'm just... Tired of trying to 'shame' people into being better. If you like the damn fetish material, fine. You like it. But it hurts a lot to put so much effort into characters, pasts, stories and relationships... Only for most people to look at a story; see it has no sex or fetish material in it, and just leave. It's honestly like trying to feed children vegetables, sneaking in some character and story into their pizza because it will be more healthy for them mentally. Or for them to just... Learn something."
    "Like a new way to describe a penis?" The copper one teased, the three chuckling at the bear's instinctual twitch.
    "Sure..." Another one as his fluff puffed out for a moment. "When it comes to Unreal act 2, I was really hoping somebody would say something about it. Was it amazing? No, no offense. But I did pour a lot of my insecurities into that piece, being self conscious about... What I am."
    "What are you?" Jyrn questioned, getting a faint shrug from the bear.
    "...I don't know... But whatever it is, it feels like it has no real place in the grand scheme of things." The others were quiet as Bartan gazed over at the tray of sweets again, grumbling at his cravings and spotting the blue tail of the male dragon twitching. Wanting to protect his gatherings. "I think I'll brave the kitchen if it's not too crowded."
    "If you must. I barely got out of there alive." Thea snorted, making the bear debate with his cravings, only for them to win. Getting up and looking over the two females for a moment, specifically the copper one.
    "Someday I'll write Party Monster, but I can't promise you when."
    "No rush." Travv reassured, getting a nod from the furball as he left the garage, hearing them question what he was talking about. "Just a story we were planning."
    "About what?" Thea asked with a mawful, but they were out of earshot before the bear could make out things clearly. Overpowered by the noise within as he climbed the wooden steps up and entered the door inside the long home. A very small entryway packed with winter gear for anyone wanting to go outside, starting to close the door behind him only to detect something in the pile.
    Bartan's fur puffed out like a form of PTSD when he spotted something white and something else brass pop out of the pile of mittens, caps, and scarves. Needing to take a breath to handle the fear it brought to his heart for a moment. "You two scared the hell out of me."
    "That's healthy." Rev, the white wolfling, stated. Getting his wyrmling brother to nod in agreement.
    "But you came back!" Lexar chirped. "On your own, too."
    "Surprising." The two little ones just stared at the bear, and Bartan stared at them back. Growing more and more cautious that something was going to happen. "We're going to have a snowball fight!"
    "Between who?"
    "Us vs everyone else!" The brassling chirped.
    "That hardly seems fair." Bartan grumbled, causing the two's heads to tilt in puzzlement. "...For them." That made them giggle, but the bear just opened the door for them. Watching them scamper out, climb the railing, and actually run up the garage roof. Shaking his white head before closing the door and scouting the kitchen.
    Much more opened than what he previously had in the apartment. Every counter surface was packed with delights and meals, though quite a bit of them were half gone by what appeared to be a stampede of creatures raiding the room. Homemade candy, treats, and drinks... As well as a large load of dirty dishes that were being tended to by a certain black tirix. Making Bartan give off a small soured look as he came over. Grabbing a couple of peanut-butter balls to ease his cravings before starting to help. "Are these washed-?"
    "Don't put your hand in there." It made the bear freeze in place for a moment to hear a familiar chittering of metallic 'snakes'. "Or do, I don't really care."
    "You care about me more than you lead on." Bartan teased, carefully taking out of the top of the pile and starting to load them into the drying wrack and dishwasher. "But they look clean." Some vocal clacks and... Higher pitched sings from the water within.
    "They said thank you, they did their best. But if you touch them, there will be blood." Rixxix stated bluntly, making the bear look at the black panther and he shrugged. "After a while you get an ear for them. I wouldn't press on if I were you."
    "They... Realize it's just dishes, right?"
    "Yes. And they do enjoy having a task. Something they take very seriously." The tirix stated, almost bored. "Now, if you don't want to lose a paw, get a clean dish and be on your way. I've got this." A few looks from Bartan's brown eyes back and forth, then just carefully taking a clean dish and backing away. Serving himself the Xmas dinner and walking over towards the table. One occupied with a brown drake, white wyvern, and three smaller rodents that needed boosters to reach the surface properly.
    Among the smaller ones were a Navy Marmont, a Yellow Degu, and an Orange Marten. "You don't mind if I eat here, do you?" The bear asked them a bit shyly.
    "Not at all. We just ate." The navy one happily gestured for him to have a seat, or at least make room for one like the drake had done.
    "Your chefs are absolutely incredible!" The wyvern nearly chriped inbetween his finishing bites. "I learned so much by watching them."
    "Just don't expect to find everything you need back home, Gar." The drake snorted, but got a smile from the much smaller male.
    "It just means we need to go exploring more, my dear-"
    "No." Vati instantly shut the idea down, getting the wyvern, marmot, and degu to chuckle. And a sad smirk from the bear.
    "But to see such a structure so well kept and functional... You do not find that fascinating?" Gar'sinn teased her.
    "The decorations are a bit much." She grumbled, and the others couldn't help but look around at all the fake wreaths and red ribbons.
    "Odds are they have some cultural significance. It's all been very exciting to witness."
    "A view from the old world, it is pretty astonishing." The small Degu added, her eyes nearly as curious as the male dragon's.
    "Yeah... Though don't expect the decorations to be up for long. My roommate detests Xmas, to say the least, and it is her house." Bartan stated, taking a couple of bites to eat before continuing. "...I don't know how I ever ended up back here."
    "Is that a bad thing?" Gar questioned.
    "Not at all, just..." A breath as the bear took a drink. "The clan likes the beach house a lot, and I don't blame them. But... I always thought highly of the countryside. The hay fields, the hills in the view, the mountains on the horizon." He attempted to look towards the living room, out the large window leading to said view, but it was black outside due to the winter night. At least from the perspective from within. "It's home to me, and after everything that happened in the past twenty years, I'm finally back home." He mumbled sadly, causing the others to share a questionable look. "I just don't think I deserve it."
    "What do you mean?" Vital, the yellow Degu, asked.
    "I'm... Okay, I know like every one of you here are new, but I'm really used to things going wrong in my life. Losing my mother last year was incredibly hard, but... After that? It's like things started sliding into place for the better- but in my life. 2020 was hell for a lot of people, and that hell is still ongoing for most. Several of my friends are struggling to make ends meet, having to move, find enough supplies to make it through the next month... One couldn't even find a mattress at one point." A heavy sigh from the furball. "I wanted so badly to help them... Because I know what it's like. But I... Just couldn't. Be it due to the border restrictions or just the plain cost."
    "And for once, you were doing alright." Gar mumbled a bit sadly.
    "Still am to... Despite everything that's happened, including my roommate's mother even passing away in June. Hence the..." The furball stopped himself, looking over the table as well as a quick glance around the home. "Well, I guess everything is new to you guys."
    "Yeah, it's so weird to see something in good shape." The navy one added, looking around with the small yellow one. "I honestly want to go exploring, see how things were really like back then."
    "Me too! If that's okay with...?" Vital asked the orange Marten, who only looked at her strangely.
    "Why are you asking me for permission? Go have your little adventure." Koulon grumbled, making her yellow ears fall a little bit.
    "You heard him, girl. Let's go have some fun." Disson blew off the mood, lightly tapping the Degu with a smile as they headed away from the table. Instantly getting the wyvern to lightly whimper while looking at them, then quickly shift his gaze to the drake. Only to find her staring at him, unimpressed for a few moments. Then tossing her snout.
    "Fiiiiiine, we can go exploring. But don't touch anything." Vati snorted, nearly getting Gar'sinn to chirp in excitement. "You'll be the death of me, I swear."
    "J-just..." The bear started, getting the group's attention for a moment. "If you see a closed door with a ribbon on the handle, don't open it."
    "Why-?" The small yellow rodent questioned, only to get interrupted by the wyvern.
    "N-now now, dear. Don't question the host." Such a statement even confused the navy one for a moment, but he put it together soon enough. Making the bear sigh and eat his meal with the orange weasyl.
    "...You're protecting yourself, I know." Bartan spoke up, getting a light murmur in response from Koulon. "I don't know if it's worth it though."
    "I'd say it is."
    "Is it?" A glare from that red eye, the other having a patch over it. "I've written a lot of stories about loss. Many of which tend to involve survivor's guilt-"
    "That's not the same as experiencing it." The orange one grumbled, taking the last sip of his drink. "And it's not just about that." That lightly caught the attention of the white one, only to look down and realize that those orange legs were bare.
    "...Oh."
    "Damn things break down at the worst of times."
    "Like right in front of the driveway." A white and black-spotted panther came from behind them, carrying two mechanical braces for legs. "They should be good now though."
    "Just be thankful we have a mechanic here." Bartan teased him, getting the expected grumble as Linet began putting the devices onto each of the paralyzed legs.
    "Do they fit okay-?"
    "Yeah, yeah." The orange one grumbled, sighing afterwards. "...Sorry, I just-"
    "Don't like being helped, I understand." The spotted one smiled sadly, getting more brighter when the marten started walking with them, as noisy as it was. "I tried to make them as smooth as I could."
    "It's good." A bit of an uncomfortable look from Koulon. "I'm not good at thanking people."
    "Too bad, you better unless you want to be charged." The panther stated, in such an assertive tone that came off as intimidating. Getting the orange one to grumble- more at himself than her.
    "...Thank you for your work."
    "Let alone...?" She led him on, smirking at his ever-growing shy state.
    "...On the holiday-?"
    "On such short notice, yes. Now, catch up to your group and keep them from breaking things." A sigh from the weasyl but he didn't argue. Watching the bear struggle to keep himself composed until Koulon was out of earshot, then releasing his silent chuckles. "I've been hanging around Kin-?"
    "You've been hanging around Kindle too long, yes." The two lightly laughed. "But good on you." The panther moved up to him and gave him an affectionate bunt, making Bartan smile and give her a pet... Until she snatched a slice of turkey from his plate and escaped before the furball could stop her. "Hey!"
    "I'm starving, sue me!" Linet teased, heading into the living room, but not without flashing the bear. Just making him shake his head as he continued to finish his plate peacefully in the chatter filled house. Though, at the 70% mark of his meal, those four ears flicked upwards. Picking out a strange walk... That of hooves?
    Immediately the bear moved underneath the table, needing to squeeze in order to hide himself as he spotted a pair of black legs walk by. That of a large bull of sorts, heading into the kitchen. Grabbing a few things, then back down the hallway. Not seeming to notice the furball hiding as Bartan cautiously came out. At least nobody seemed to notice the odd behaviour as he finished his meal and returned the dish to the kitchen.
    "Sorry to add to the pile." Bartan mumbled, only seeing the black tirix tilt his head in a shrug.
    "Is it cleaned off?"
    "Licked clean, as I always do." He answered Rixxix, getting a nod in reply as the panther took the plate and placed it into the water.
    "Go mingle, we've got this." The white one didn't like that word, but he moved on regardless. Knowing which direction the bull went and avoiding that hallway, even though Bartan's bedroom was down that direction. Some part of him longed for a private place as he looked over the living room and down the corner stairway; both equally crowded with people.
    All of which were familiar faces too, a rat and a black (near metallic) snow leopard in a corner sharing some tea. A few dragons getting a little too comfortable on a couch, including a navy one with a red underside and golden trim. Clearly over-eating too much dinner but absolutely enjoying the bellypets he was receiving. In another chair, a purple eastern dragon was being playfully pinned down in his seat by Linet. His blushes as she teased him made the bear smile for a moment before his awareness kicked in a bit late. "Excuse~"
    A sharp double take at an otter carrying a plate of treats and a hard drink spooked Bartan a little as he moved towards the stairway, giving him some space. However, not accounting for the possible slippery floor and finding himself overshooting the distance before falling down the stairs with a yelp. Tumbling a few times before getting caught by something larger. "O-oh, hello-"
    "S-sorry! Sorry!"
    "He's okay, people." A black wyrm called from the landing; halfway down the corner stairs where the furball landed on a slightly bigger red dragon. Hearing the people above cheer for a moment and chuckle as Bartan squirmed his way off the red one.
    "Are you alright-?"
    "Sorry." The bear apologized profusely, sliding inbetween the larger wyrm and the wall. Getting stuck and whimpering.
    "He looks fine, especially with all that padding." Zanna, the black one, observed. "I hope you are comfortable there, dear. Eura has gotten up too many times during his meal that he just wants to eat in peace."
    "T-that's fair." The bear blushed, seeing only about half a plate left anyway.
    "Want some?" The smaller wyrm offered, getting a growl from the larger one and chuckling in response. "I'm just teasing, Eura."
    "N-no, I just ate. I'm stuffed." The crimson dragon paused for a moment, then looked at the bear squeezed between him and the wall. Gently pressing his own scaled body into the furred one, testing it and hearing Bartan lightly whimper.
    "...Really?" Eura questioned. "You are... Much thinner than you look then."
    "I-it's just the winter coat."
    "It looks wonderful on you." Zanna smiled. "I've always wanted something like that. Scales can be pretty, but..." A deep purr from Eura as he bunted his snout against the furball's neck, making those four ears blush. "Yes, they're not quite as comfortable."
    "He's just so... Soft...!"
    "T-thanks?"
    "Do you see what I mean, dear-?"
    "Yes, but I'm still mad at you." The red one snorted, getting the black to just chuckle. Spotting Bartan's questionable gaze and Zanna explained.
    "You have a lot of red dragons at the party here tonight."
    "And every time I lose you, you're on top of one." The larger one grumbled, going slightly back to his meal. "I don't want to come off as a sourpuss, but this is our first outing together. I don't-"
    "I assure you, Eura. Time and time again: I thought it was you. But each time it turned out to be..."
    "Zhai?"
    "That was one." The red wyrm grumbled.
    "Zarj?"
    "Paired with a golden long dragon, yes?" The bear nodded in reply to the obsidian.
    "That was another. Then there was the older one."
    "Nalchulus?"
    "That's it." Zanna smirked, loving the slightly jealous look from the other crimson one. "But I swear there was a fourth..."
    "Well, When Dia'vidd is excited, he tends to turn red." The bear bluntly stated, still stuck.
    "A blusher, is he?"
    "N-not exactly. His scales change color with his mood." A slow nod from Zanna. "A strange ability that he got from his father. And there's also Zhai's sister: Lyc'ridd."
    "One that has yet to be mounted tonight." The red one grumbled.
    "That's quite a list." The smaller wyrm playfully ignored him, getting a stare from Eura for a moment before going back to his food. "I wonder if they like games-?"
    "No gambling, Zanna. That was our rule going in."
    "Who said anything about gambling? I just want to see if anyone is interested in some holiday fun, is all." The dark one attempted to look innocent. "If said rules suggest some teasing, I merely must follow such instructions." A low growl from the larger dragon made the bear feel a little uncomfortable... Until he noticed the red tail wagging and those frilled ears blush. As well as Zanna smirking, trying to hold back his chuckle.
    "You..." A little huff from Eura'thar. "Are just too good to me." It wasn't sarcasm, instantly spotting the crimson one nearly drop the 'tough wyrm' act and whine. "B-but must you do it in front of the bear?"
    Bartan's brown eyes shifted back and forth, eventually getting the obsidian wyrm to chuckle. "I'm afraid Eura dear has gotten a slight kink towards jealousy, and is feeling a bit emasculated compared to the other dragons around." A grumble in disappointment from the red wyrm. "How do you deal with it, Bartan?"
    A sudden double take from the pinned bear. "Deal with what?"
    "Not being the 'Alpha', so to speak." That puzzled look didn't ease up, only shifting between the two as the wings of the larger one shrugged.
    "Don't ask me." Eura mumbled through his chewing. "I don't know where Zanna is going with this."
    "I guess it never bothered me." The furball replied. "I don't like being the center of attention, I'm honestly not that interesting."
    "You're a four eared, long tailed, polar-bear-wolf-thing. I'd say that's pretty interesting."
    "W-well, Alaskan Malamute was the intention- but whatever." Bartan whimpered. "I just... Never found a reason to be proud or feel the need to be recognized. It's a mix of Lack of Confidence, Misidentity, and a general amount of apathy towards the leadership role." A sigh from the furball. "Maybe that's not quite the right word, when people listen to me I don't mind being a leader. But they have to listen to me is the thing, and... Well, I have a history of people not even noticing me."
    "It can be a lot of responsibility." The red one mumbled with his maw full.
    "And responsibility is exhausting at times." Bartan grumbled. "And getting people to work together is frustrating. Even worse when they think they're the ones that should be leading."
    "And what about that white fox? You don't mind getting pushed around by your mistress?" Zanna teased, getting a strange look from the furball for a moment.
    "I mean, I guess that's one perspective. The way I see it is that I have a difficult time admitting that I want something, and even worse ability of asking for such a thing." The bear shrugged. "Kindle reads that, makes me more comfortable by saying that she wants it too."
    "Even if you deny it, I can relate to you there." Eura mumbled, getting a devious look from the obsidian wyrm which only made him blush. "B-but what about the...?" A questionable look from the two. "Gender thing?"
    "Gender thing?"
    "I believe he means switching genders." Zanna chuckled, able to keep himself from blushing unlike the others.
    "Ah..." Bartan lightly whimpered. "Well, it doesn't bother me, if that's what you mean. Male, Female, even Herm; it mostly just depends on my mood at the time. But I don't dislike the idea of being something else, it's just..." The white one took a breath as his gaze drifted away. "It's just another blank space in my identity."
    "Would you prefer to be non-binary?" The black one offered, giving the bear time to think for a moment.
    "I've thought about that before, Zanna, but... Nah. I'm fine with my default self being male. In fact, I like it. But I also do find the idea of being female kind of exciting from time to time. Having both sets... I admit to being more mixed about, but it's still in a more positive light. Being mounted is kind of fun, but also mounting is fun too. Getting others to 'sing' is fun, while being the one performing makes people happy."
    "Sing...? Performing...?" The red wyrm looked back and forth between the two, then started blushing as it was pieced together. "O-oh..."
    "Granted. I don't see any of this as... Emasculating. Even if it's another male or female in control, I don't really care as long as they're not trying to humiliate or insult me. There's a line, y'know?"
    "Of course, dear." Zanna smiled again, watching his red partner for the evening finally finish his plate and bunt the trapped furball one last time. "Come now, don't stain his coat with gravy."
    "I'll have to see about getting a fur coat myself." The larger dragon purred.
    "Or find a way of giving me one?" A slightly high pitched whimper from Eura at the black one's suggestion, making him freeze in place while the bear's eyes shifted back and forth a few times.
    "Uh, could you-?"
    "R-right! Sorry." The crimson wyrm got up, letting Bartan free at the same time. Getting him to shake as Eura began climbing up the stairs. The two unable to stare under his tail and the heavy set of orbs the red one was equipped with, leaving the two huffing in sync. Sharing a shy glance and only making the bear lower his blushing ears.
    "Want a three-way sometime-?"
    "M-maybe." The furball whined, getting a loud chuckle from Zanna as he gestured the way down to the basement. However, taking such a stairway came at a toll; one hug from the smaller dragon. Taking such a thing and making Bartan lightly laugh it off and amusing the dragon with a few bunts and sliding his entire form against the obsidian scales... Then misjudging the first step down and falling with a yelp. Once again tumbling down the stairs with a series of thuds made everyone whence until he hit the bottom. "I'm okay!"
    Several chuckles from above as the bear shook himself off and glanced over at the opened room that took up most of the basement. A large futon was occupied by the white fox, and within a recliner was a black latex theropod. One who's large gut was being 'massaged' by a yellow wyrm. The group of three staring at the bear holding large cue-cards for a few moments while Bartan's eyes shifted between them.
    One by one they lifted up their cards; the fox's saying: 9.5, the G-Rex's saying: 10.0. and the dragon's... "Is that 3 noses?" The bear questioned them out loud, making Dia look at his card and realize that it's upside down. The group shared in a large chuckle as the dragon's scales turned into a deep pink and continued bunting that large belly.
    "You suuuuure you don't want to join in the snowball fight?" Dia asked the dinosaur.
    "You realize how big of a target I am?"
    "Oh, I'm counting on it, but I have a plan." He whispered into Jinx's ear, soft enough that the bear couldn't quite make it out. "But you are a key factor in my strategy! So pleeeeeease?" A slight blush from the G-rex as he thought it over.
    "...Alright. But if your plan bombs, I'm going back to listening to Kindle's strategies." A snout toss from the now orange dragon.
    "Fiiiiine. But nothing can go wrong! Promise!" The large wyrm gave the belly one last hug before picking the living latex dinosaur up, ignoring his yelps. Then stepping through a portal that then closed.
    "Well, that explains how they got downstairs." Bartan grumbled, seeing the canine lean up and tap the futon space she was in a few times. Offering it to the bear who walked over and climbed on... Only to be dragged down and rotated face up while she laid on top of his fluffy body. Making him chuckle as she booped his snoot. "You're too good to me~"
    "Not good enough yet." A noise in question, then a slight whimper at her devious smirk. "Since we haven't really gotten much opinion of yours in the past, specifically the last year's meta- within reason, it's question time, furball." A snout toss attempt from Bartan. "But not without reward~" A noise in question as she gestured her buttoned Xmas sweater; somewhat tight and showing off her obstructed curves within.
    Such a thing made that long fluffy tail of his wag as he blushed. "First question:" Kindle started. "Why haven't you done another... 'Holiday Shuffle'?" A groan from Bartan got her to chuckle.
    "That was a tremendous amount of work for how little payoff there was. To this day, I'm not sure why I put myself through that: basically 7 Drunken Lullabies in a damn week's time." The male snorted. "I still enjoy the scenes, sure. And it was the first time I put myself into an adult situation, oddly enough with ZiZi. But... I don't want to say 'Never Again' but I'm at least giving myself more time to do such a thing."
    "Good idea. Now..." Kindle leaned down, exposing her chest towards the whimpering snout. Taking a single digit from her hand and beginning to pry out the top button.
    "W-wait." The fox paused at his request. "S-star with the second one?" A chuckle from her and she did. Causing the red sweater to pry open due to the weight and expose some of that white chest fluff underneath; revealing a... *Sighs* 'Boob Window' of sorts within her sleeveless shirt underground. Leaving the brown eyes of his focused as that tail wagged on the opposite end of the shifting couch.
    "Alright, next we're going to go through your stories within the last two years. Starting with..." A sly grin from the canine. "Almost." Chuckling at his whimpering reaction.
    "I-I'm not really sure what you want me to say."
    "I want you to admit that you like finding yourself in a stuck situation." She purred, loving his blush. "As well as finding your body... Altering in some ways." A single paw slid two exposed fingers sliding down to his chest, drawing two large circles on his fluff as Bartan whined loudly. Unable to keep his tail still. "Either growing some assets..." The digits moved down to his middle. "Or gaining more... Volume around here." Moving down further as he panted loudly, knowing what exactly she was leading too. "Or even here~"
    "Y-y-"
    "Take a breath, bear." Kindle smirked, hearing him take several to calm down. "I do enjoy pressing your buttons."
    "T-thank you." Another whine and a loud swallow. "But... You could always read me really easily. A-Almost specifically, I've liked the idea of using Voodoo as a form of sex, then seeing it being used in tangent with a different fetish the way Stonefire did... That's what inspired it. It was also my first piece in... Well, the more feral form. And I..."
    "Yes?"
    "...I really really liked it." Bartan blushed deeply, even though he was serious. "The meta that came out before it was kind of heavy on me, and I felt like I really needed a large change to help me... Maybe redefine myself?"
    "You had the anthro polar bear form for a very long time."
    "Yeah... And I didn't dislike it specifically, but I..." He took a breath.
    "You needed a change, because You, yourself, changed since then." A nod from the male as his blush began to retreat. "And I find it suits you better. The question is..." The canine smirked at him. "Do you want me to change too?"
    "A-actually... No." He whimpered. "And I mean that honestly too."
    "I know you do." The fox confidently replied.
    "Occasionally I do enjoy some parts of you..." The red returned.
    "Alterting-"
    "C-changing, yes. Even if it's just to tease me. Which is what Right Behind You was about-" A single paw in his view stopped him.
    "You're getting ahead of yourself. Next: Cloud Factory." A rather unexpected chuckle from the bear, making Kindle smile too.
    "I really liked the Voodoo-Balloon idea, and Dia's idea of a Secret Santa involving it was fun. Jinx is one of my oldest fans, and the oldest that actually still actively says something about my stories... Okay, usually the inflation ones- but that's at least something. This is why he's involved in so many of my stories from time to time."
    "He does deserve it, for all he does for you."
    "Yeah... The amount of times he's floored me with a random gift, or how far he goes to make things for friends... He deserves more, y'know? And I wish I could do better."
    "You do enough~" A smile from the bear, one that was interrupted when the third button of her sweater suddenly gave out. Exposing more of that fluff and making the furball whine again. "All For You #1?"
    "T-the first time I did Second Person View. I've always kinda wanted to do it." Bartan huffed, trying to concentrate. "That actually started with me just randomly... 'RPing' with a friend and sending basically a small skit over an evening. I asked if I could just alter the perspective and post it as a short story piece, thus: All For You. Though it was called something else beforehand."
    "That song brings back memories." Kindle smiled a bit sadly.
    "Yeah... It was one of my sister's favorites." The two hugged, her snout nuzzling under the bear's chin. "And then All For You #2? I felt like females needed something once in a while. I admit, the main reason that I don't use females too often is because I don't know them that well- realistically, I mean. Geez, I barely know males and even then it's just my own perspective." A heavy sigh from Bartan. "That was the last one I wrote in that house..."
    "Before... Yeah..." The two shared a quiet moment, embracing before she nudged him. "Little Smirk?" A sudden groan from the male made the fox chuckle. "C'mon~"
    "Moving was... Difficult, to say the least. And I did a massive amount of cleaning in the new apartment. I don't remember who it was, but somebody stated that I would look good in a Maid Outfit-"
    "Beo." Kindle answered with confidence. "I mean, I definitely agree."
    "Y-yes." A deep blush as that tail wagged again. "...I-I do as well, and uh..."
    "You love being caught in sticky situations-"
    "I really do." The two laughed. "I'm such a sub, as Theo keeps telling me."
    "You are, but that's not a bad thing." She smirked, sliding up the bear and pressing her chest against his muzzle. Making him whine loudly as she actually used one of his fangs to pry open one of the buttons, then stuff that black nose into her cleavage. Making that tail wag wildly for a few moments before pulling out. "I'm too good to you-?"
    "You are wayyy too good to me~" They shared another small laugh. "Then... Clouds Over California?"
    "Yep. The April Fools one."
    "Not much else to say. I tried something different, I didn't care for it. Nobody really did, whatever." Bartan tilted his head in a shrug. "I'm not bitter about it, it wasn't really my thing anyway."
    "Waiting For Tonight Act 4?" A deep breath from the bear, as he didn't even notice another button become loose and actually expose most of her chest.
    "I... Loved that one. Absolutely loved how it turned out, and though I don't think it's the... 'Hottest' one of the series- I'm a sucker for the first one. But I felt like Act 4 really had some character in it, the idea of it nearly having the last act's 'antagonist' as the main character... Getting her to actually show some kindness- if you want to call it that, and needing to earn the other two's trust... I don't think it could've come out better." Another breath from him. "Definitely my favorite that came out in that year, even if I did technically start it the year before."
    "It comes out when you posted it, not when it started." She smirked at him, wiggling her chest pillows and finally getting his attention. "Not to mention: Charr-"
    "I looooove Charr... I mean, I detest Guild Wars 2, but Charr...!" A groan of near arousal. "I absolutely love Charr... Best thing to ever come out of that game."
    "Besides Beaker-"
    "Somewhere in the top five." They shared a chuckle.
    "When Worlds Collide?" Another laugh as they started to quietly sing.
    "Are You Ready To Go?"
    "Cuz' I'm Ready To Go!"
    "Whatcha Gonna Do, Ba-By!"
    "Ba-By!" They shook their heads as Kindle spoke. "Another very old one."
    "I still remember the way you looked at me when I first sang it to you."
    "Because you sounded like such a dork."
    "You're not wrong." Another chuckle as he led her to snuggle up to him like before. "When Worlds Collide... That was fanart, and I was floored by it. Did I mention Jinx is just amazing and deserves so much better?"
    "I read about that in a magazine." They shared a laugh. "As well as some others that I can think of."
    "Oi, there's a list now..." The furball tossed his muzzle overdramatically. "Jinx, Bunsen, Theo, Cross... They've all done a lot to help me out either when I need it, or just because they're great people." A deep breath. "And then there's Jack, Linet's Favorite, for the amount of stuff he does for others."
    "Now, he is too good for you."
    "I couldn't agree more." The bear took a breath. "And then All For You #3..." Bartan groaned, making her snicker. "Why did I even write that one? I mean, who asked for that?"
    "Is that shame I detect?" She teased him.
    "A little bit. I really don't mind the subject matter, honestly. I don't know why I like Somnophilia, but I just do. But I can totally see why it made people uncomfortable! The sleeping thing, air inflation, the fact that you Sold Me...!" He snorted playfully as the canine laughed. "Again: I don't mind, but NOBODY asked for that! I just...!" A groan as Bartan covered his own eyes, making the fox just shake her head while smiling.
    "And then..." He took a breath. "Right Behind You... That took way too long for me to do a session about us and only us. Jaysus, I even agreed for Thea to get a session with you before I did- Even though it was just a dream."
    "It was quite the wait." She pestered him, giving that chest a few pokes. "Any specific reason why?"
    "...I honestly don't remember. I think some part of me just... Didn't want to expose you. I didn't want people to ask questions about your past because holy fish-"
    "Holy fish indeed." She just smirked at him, but there was a hint of pain in her voice. "I understand though."
    "I still really liked that one though." The bear mumbled. "It was strange, and if someone didn't understand your abilities it could be quite confusing, but... It was fun. It was something you did for me, and well... That's often how you treat me."
    "Like this?"
    "Exactly like this." He gave the canine's ear a lick. "And I hope people can understand why I love you." That made her smile. "That, and these." A paw was felt on her chest, wobbling them within the confines of that sweater, getting a playful shove that actually moved the futon a little. "Easy, girl~ You don't want to break the bed-"
    "Before I break you, I know." A slight whimper from him as she gave a nuzzle. "Almost Act 2!" A sharper one that time, made her laugh loudly.
    "W-well... I wasn't really planning to make a follow-up. But I got a commission from Mako and I just... Looooved it so much that I had to make another one." Bartan admitted. "A while before that, I had someone on Inkbunny half complain that the first act was open ended, and how they didn't like that. -Granted, in that same conversation I had one of the best comments I've ever gotten on the same site defending that they like the open ended better. They didn't do it in a mean way, of course, but I'll never forget how thankful I was for that."
    "However...?" A sigh from the male as he half grumbled.
    "However, I decided to see which ones people would be more interested in overall. So for act 2: I made 3 endings to it. Opened, like the first act. Non-popping, and one for Popping specifically." That blush began creeping up at her red stare, smirking at him.
    "...And-?"
    "People really like to pop me, apparently." A chuckle from her. "I-it's quite flattering in a way, but... Wow. It was quite the large amount of..."
    "Bear scraps, I imagine."
    "It was like... Double the favorites of Non-popping. Granted, everything is softcore popping, nothing death-related. But like... Wowzers."
    "And then: Absolutely." The two shared a look for a moment, and Kindle started. "This Iiiiiis The Story Of A Girl."
    "Who Cried A River And Drowned The Whole World."
    "And While She Looked So Sad In Photographs," Then the two together:
    "I Absolutely Love Her When She Smiles."
    "Another really old one, but yeah. Back to the story..." Bartan half blushed. "This was another one of those strange tone shifts. I wanted to make a meaningful story that had at least some substance in it, but... It's really hard to do that and keep the tone in when it comes to involving fetish material. I gave it an honest shot though."
    "And the... Jinga, was it?"
    "Yeah, a pet in Phantasy Star Online 2 that honestly does not have enough porn-I mean, Art of it." A playful shove from her.
    "Admit it, you just wanted to mount her-"
    "Heavily, yes! Sideways too, just... Phew...!" A huff from the furball. "...I have a problem-"
    "You have an interest, that's not a problem." Kindle corrected him. "Oooo, Butterfly's next~"
    "I'm actually surprised I pushed out two Waiting For Tonights that year, even if one was just a spin-off. I knew it wasn't going to be as good as act 4, but I enjoyed how Butterfly came out. I was planning to do another one eventually, just..." He shrugged.
    "In time, in time." They nodded. "Dangerous Tonight?"
    "Seems just every once in a while I have to do one with the Rex Overboard couple. I tried to give it some form of stakes or even risk, but whereas nobody in that universe just seems to die from stupid impulses."
    "Like sticking hose in their 'Pooltoy Valve'?" A sharp whimper from the male. "Silly bear~"
    "Y-yeah." The furball whined. "But like with Absolutely, it's hard to keep either tension or tone when mixed with fetish material. I might just have to grow to accept that they cannot be combined, but that doesn't mean I'll stop trying. More just... Not be so serious with the subject matter."
    "And that was year one." The canine chuckled at the male's groan. "This year you started your Drunken Lullabies."
    "And got someone Really into that song." Bartan nervously said, getting a puzzled look from her. "Tune." A large nod in response.
    "I'm not sure where he is, but he's around here somewhere."
    "Odds are in the snowball fight, they'll need all the help they can get." The furball snorted.
    "But okay, let's do a lightning round to get all these out of the way: #1." A sharp whimper from him made Kindle chuckle loudly after he recalled which was the first.
    "R-right... The one where I..."
    "Snuck into Linet's little shop and decided to try inflating your balls-" A loud whine as the bear blushed deeply, covering his eyes with both paws. "You okay?"
    "Give... Give me a minute." A couple of breaths as she just smirked at him.
    "Horny writing?"
    "Horny writing." A chuckle at his grumble. "I guess I just wanted a good introduction of what the series was going to be."
    "And that was:"
    "Silly, possibly arousing, scenes focused on fetish material. No real story, no real context, just... I guess what people wanted. But I made the promise that it was something I wanted to do for myself. Not to... Well, get attention."
    "And you wanted to-?"
    "Blow up my furballs to the size of a room, yes." He tried saying that with a straight face, blushing uncontrollably. Eventually getting the fox to cave and chuckle.
    "You're weird."
    "But you like it~"
    "I love it~" A few taps on his chest. "Keep that confidence bear. #2!" A loud heated breath from Bartan got another small laugh from her.
    "Holy fishsticks, I wanted to just... Muzzlefuck a PSO2 Banshee since I've seen it. And..."
    "And you also got mounted by it." Kindle smirked deviously at him.
    "That was just a spur of the moment thing, honestly. Just because..."
    "You weren't done-?"
    "I was not done, no." The fox just shook her head.
    "3?"
    "What was three...?"
    "Inflation traps." That time the bear burst out laughing. "I'm guessing Dia's idea?"
    "To write it, but it was a silly conversation me and Linet had to guard her lab from 'Intruders'. Specifically Dia to satisfy him. And it would just be my luck to stumble across one, so..."
    "You did so, and put a scientific 'study' twist to it as well." A shy nod from the male. "4?"
    "The portal one, and possibly the most popular overall. I think it came out well, but it's not an original idea."
    "Yeah, it's been done before." She rubbed his belly a little bit. "You just wanted to play with portals-"
    "Play with portals, yes." He chuckled. "#5... Oi..."
    "Micro squeaky fun!"
    "L-let alone with sounds." Bartan groaned. "I mean, I know Dia loved it, and I kinda liked it too, but..."
    "But?"
    "It was a little on the weird spectrum. And I'm absolutely certain I overdid it on the Onomatopoeia. I feel like I kinda ruined it due to that."
    "Eh..." Kindle shrugged. "Number 6?"
    "R-right... The other one 'Nobody Asked For'." Once again, the male covered his eyes with a paw as she gave him a few pats, smirking. "Again, I know it's weird-"
    "It's a little weird."
    "But I just..."
    "Love the idea of being stuck."
    "Y-yeah." He whined again. "Let alone..."
    "Sexing yourself. Or better yet, your own belly." Another loud whimper as those ears blushed deeply. Getting a pestering lick. "But okay, 7?"
    "What was 7 again?"
    "Hyper Muscle Growth with Linet."
    "Ohhhh. Y-yeah... I half did it just to satisfy Beo with another What's The Matter Man." A slight whimper. "I usually don't care for muscle, and I have a very hard time writing it well. I try it once in a while, but I keep looking at it and thinking 'it's not good enough'."
    "You're better than you think you are." A quiet sigh from the bear. "Hey. You are."
    "A lot of people say that, but..." Another quick breath. "Anyway... I still really liked PSO2's Banshee a lot, and once in a while..."
    "You want to get it... Structure, so to speak." A devious smirk at his whimper.
    "Y-yes. A-as well as-"
    "That perfect ass-"
    "That PERFECT Rear...!" A loud whine from the male and she laughed. "And since Linet was part of it, I convinced her to add something else to it."
    "Hence the hyper knot-"
    "Well, that was her main request. It was so damn cute to see her flustered about the idea." The two chuckled. "It's quite fun to talk to someone when all they can respond with is: fhjksykshksytrktnbjkshjk."
    "Indeed~" The fox nuzzled him. "8?" A sharp whimper and a freeze from the furball made her nearly break into laughs. "Beaaar?"
    "Fhjksykshksytrktnbjkshjk." That shattered her, actually moving backwards and falling onto the floor laughing loudly as the male's entire body seemed to blush deeply. Covering his eyes as he whined. "Are you okay?"
    "Are you!?"
    "-No!" That didn't ease her flabbergasting session. "Why...!"
    "Be... Because you...! Like it, silly!"
    "I know that, but WHY!?" At this point there could be some movement heard from upstairs. "We're fine, don't worry! Just... Ignore us! Mostly her, but both of us!" A few chuckles could be detected through the fox's giggle-fit. "Especially if you start to see a red glow from down here or if the temperature starts increasing by a thousand degrees."
    "B-be... Cause....?"
    "I'm Blushing THAT badly, yes!" The furball groaned in near frustration, trying to control all the red while Kindle took her time recovering. "I-I mean, the sex and leashplay was exceptionally hawt, b-but-" He whined loudly, unable to lift his paws from his eyes. "The i-in...flation...!?"
    "But... You like it-"
    "I KNOW! But I don't know WHY!" Another grumble that morphed into a whine. "Again, it's another case of 'Who Asked For This'!?" A sigh of satisfaction from the canine as she sat up, giving his chest a hug before prying the paws off his face so those brown eyes could look into hers.
    "You did." The fox said quite softly, getting a whimper in response. "Because you like it, and you enjoy it. You enjoy writing it, you enjoy discussing it, you enjoy planning these stories out- seriously. When we're all brainstorming for a serious story, you reject a lot of our ideas. But when it comes to these things...? They're silly ideas, so there's no pressure on how good or bad they are, you're so much more flexible towards them." Those four ears lower a bit sadly. "You do this for yourself, because you find it fun. Be it writing about you inflating your own tool-" A sharp whimper. "Along with your balls-" A sharper one, but that tail wagged regardless. "Or just any part of your body, including your paws like in #9." That made the bear cave again, covering his eyes and groaning while Kindle just shook her head and tapped his fluff. "Why can't you just own up to it like Jinx does?"
    "...Do you want the honest truth?"
    "-Yes." A slight whine at the assertive answer.
    "...It's... Fun to be embarrassed about it." A stare from her for a few moments before chuckling, breaking Bartan into doing the same. "It's... Actually fun to feel this way, even if it is just embarrassing. But I still do not really... Know why I like this stuff-"
    "Nobody does." The canine tossed her snout. "Sure, they can explain WHY they like certain parts about it. Perhaps how it all started, but nobody knows exactly WHY they actually do-"
    "But-"
    "And That Is Okay." She said slowly and sternly, smirking at him. "It's just like Linet and knots."
    "Or you and..." The furball paused for a moment. "...I actually don't know what you like-"
    "I like you, dumbass." That made the male chuckle. "I like your fluffy, clumsy, awkward furball self." She leaned up and gave that muzzle a small kiss. "I like your tongue, I like your ears, how plump and full your balls get when I tease you." A sharp whimper made her smile deviously.
    "A-and whiskers?" A sudden stop from the fox, one that actually made him uncover his eyes to witness her surprised and slightly blushing gaze. As if Kindle totally forgot about that. "T-that means yes-" She suddenly turned around and aimed for his fluffy tail, giving it a pull as he grumbled. "E-easy!"
    "Grow whiskers. Two sets on the snout, with little pom poms at the end." A growl in response from the bear as two pairs of 'fluffy dragon whiskers' grew out from the sides of his muzzle. Then immediately diving for them as he yelped, once again getting mounted on by the canine while receiving a deep kiss. Ignoring his whimpers and purrs until she broke it and aimed for one of the newly grown addons.
    "Don't chew on them again." Bartan growled, feeling them being combed by her fangs and that tongue playing around with the ends. "E-easy, girl. We still have some things to discuss."
    "R-right." Kindle huffed, lapping at them a few more times. "O-okay, number 10?"
    "DL Ten..." The bear sighed with a bit of regret. "That should've been longer and it's its own story, honestly. I've wanted to do something with Theo for a while, and..."
    "You had that scene as a dream." A whimper made her chuckle. "A while ago-"
    "A VERY long while-a-go. So many other things kept getting in the way that I really couldn't..." A sigh from the bear. "It should've been longer, more detailed, and likely multiple sessions overall. Because for everything he's done for me, he deserves it."
    "Consider it a start, perhaps." A slight whimper from the furball. "After all, there's always time next year where he could pound this padded rear of yours~" A louder whimper. "But that took way too long. Let's go through some highlights instead. For this year; your most unexpected?"
    "Probably the April Fools one: Look At What You Made Me Do." A chuckle from the two. "I liked how it turned out, both the contest and the story itself. It was fun, kinda hot, and it did surprisingly well."
    "It was quite fun. Your personal favorite?"
    "For Those Who Wait, almost paws down." Bartan answered, expecting the question. "Even though it wasn't quite my own story, more of Mr. Cross' than anything. But I did love how it turned out: a heavy amount of emotion considering half the cast was rather stoic by nature. That last journal entry of his... Still brings me to tears."
    "Mmm, Easiest and Hardest to write?"
    "Easiest that wasn't a DL? Probably Forevermore. I barely had to think about it, I knew the concept alone was going to be able to carry the attention all the way through. It was just a matter of doing very little session prep; positions, transitions between them, and just..." Another blush from the bear.
    "Just how much Bunsen was going to fill you as a dragoness?" A sharp whimper as the bear nodded faintly, tail wagging again. "I'll give you a minute to calm down."
    "T-thank you." A few breaths as she rested on Bartan's chest. "Hardest... By far was Afterlife Act 4 - Scars. And not because it was... Difficult to actually write or plot together. But... It was 'hard' to actually write, emotionally. Not to mention..."
    "Hmm?" The fox made a noise in question. "What's on your mind, bear?"
    "You ever... Have a lot to say to the world but nobody wants to hear it? Afterlife is that series for me, and... As expected: nobody has really read it. It's one of those series that I pour a lot of work into, and for nearly a decade it has gone unnoticed." A breath from the bear. "Then again, some part of me doubts that any of it is really that good."
    "Numbers don't define anything's likeness."
    "But validation does. And considering..." A shrug from the male. "That's nothing new with my work though."
    "It's just your curse." The fox nudged him jokingly.
    "That would be a good way to describe it." Bartan grumbled, getting a smile and a few taps on the chest as she got up.
    "I'm going to scavenge what's left in the kitchen. You want anything?"
    "Nah, I should... Move on." A nod from Kindle. "See you later tonight?"
    "If you keep the whiskers, yes. And I'll let you 'relieve some of the frustration' I gave you during our talk~" She purred, getting a whine and a blush from the furball as she leaned down and gave that large snout of his a kiss... Only to rip open her sweater and sandwich it with her chest pillows. Making him yelp loudly and throw that tail into overdrive wagging, the hind paws flexing as he attempted to resist the tease.
    "P-please~"
    "You've been good this year." Another pester as she playfully moved the encased snout side to side before withdrawing. Loving the deep blush the bear was giving off as he attempted to hide the red between his legs. "I'll even let you..." The fox leaned down and whispered into his ears, leaving him in deep huffs; turning around and sticking his muzzle into the cushion. Groaning loudly in impatience and frustration as she laughed at such a reaction.
    "You... CAN'T Just...!" Another muffled growl. "-Just TELL Me That!"
    "Alright, alright. I'll let you calm down~" Kindle chuckled, heading back up but not without swaying her own tail. Feeling the gaze following it before Bartan released another long and drawn out groan. Followed by heavy breaths.
    "Okay..." He coaxed himself. "Just calm down, bear... W-we'll find some bells later." Taking a few moments to relax the blush from his face and begin heading towards the stairway himself. Hearing the crowd outside begin the snowball fight, as well as the sound of... A large balloon being blown? Then several dozen 'bongs' of snowballs bouncing off of it. Cheers of progress were slowly turning into cries of fear as the commands to retreat were soon heard. Making the bear shake his head. "They should've known better-"
    Then the heavy steps of hooves overhead made the white one panic a little. Lowering himself as he followed them from below, before scampering off into a back room within the basement. Making sure they weren't coming down, but instead... Heading outside on the porch in the back? Giving the bear a sigh of relief as he relaxed again. "You're avoiding him."
    A loud yelp as the furball's mane puffed out dramatically, now spotting a large Charr in the corner in a jumpsuit of sorts. Groaning at his own reaction, Bartan glared at the feline. "Ninjas make more noise than you do...!" Another breath as Eman just stared at him. "And so what if I am?" Those blue eyes continued to gaze at the bear, but more importantly... On his muzzle? Causing the white one to feel for it and realize why. "Ignore them. Kindle likes Whiskers."
    "I see." The orange beast bluntly stated. "The real question is: why are you avoiding him." The irritated look from those brown discs morphed into sadness.
    "...What am I supposed to say to him? That all the signs were there and he should've seen this coming? That things will be that much harder in the future? Everything from seeing people to being with friends...?" A heavy breath from the bear as his gaze fell. "And why me...? Because I'm the 'creator'?"
    "Because you've been through it all. A lot." The charr spoke in a thick, lecturing tone. Making those white four ears spade. "Who better than one who's experienced-?"
    "And I have to be reminded of it every time something bad happens to someone, is that it?" A heated breath from Bartan. "Let alone, 'I'm a prime example of what you could become'? Don't talk to me as if I'm fine-"
    "You are-"
    "Not all the time!" The bear growled lowly, trying not to attract more attention. "I'm not always okay, okay? But I won't burden others with my own problems, because..."
    "They have their own."
    "And I can handle the weight of my own burdens. My Survivor's Guilt. But that doesn't make everything Okay." A breath from the white one as he looked up where those hooves were last heard. "What am I supposed to tell him, when I don't even know what to tell myself?" A heavier breath. "That's why I've been avoiding Gorret. That's why I don't want to talk about Afterlife. I don't know what to say."
    "You misunderstand, bear." The Charr stated, getting Bartan's attention. "I'm not requesting for you to speak to him." Those white ears slowly lowered, and the white one sighed quietly. Nodding before leaving and climbing up the stairs, meeting the two dragons again with a small bunt before climbing up to the kitchen.
    From there, he had a straight view to the glass doors that lead outside, displaying the porch, as well as a large black bull looking out into the moonlit snowy uphill. Taking a breath before approaching the door, sliding it open... Sliding it open... Sliding it open with a lot more effort than it really should have needed before stepping through and attempting to close it. Struggling for a few moments before spotting a large black hand come behind the bear and slide it closed almost effortlessly. "Thanks." The white one half grumbled, getting a noise in confirmation from the Aatxe before returning to his original position; Against the railing on one side of the stairway down while Bartan took the other side.
    For a few moments the two sat in silence, looking up at the night sky before each detecting something along the side of the house. Catching the attention of those brown eyes and the solid red glow of the black beast's. A few dragons yelping loudly while a ridiculous amount of snowballs shot towards them, attempting to take cover behind the house as they attempted to regroup and rearm themselves. "I take it your plan backfired." The bear grumbled at Dia, who double taked at the two on the porch.
    "Using Jinx to reflect the snowballs worked for the first little bit!" The now orange wyrm snorted. "I... Just didn't plan on them actually Catching the reflected snowballs, increasing their fire rate-!"
    "They're coming!" A yellow wyrm yelped, making the others do the same.
    "Tactical Retreat!" Dia commanded, opening a portal for the others to pass through and following suit just in time for the brassling and wolfling to reach the corner. Staring directly at the two on the porch, clearly fired up from the thrill of victory.
    "Safe zone, guys. Don't even try it." Gorret called in a rather deep voice, causing the two to just glance at each other and nod before scampering away.
    "I'm surprised you didn't join in this year." Bartan mumbled a bit sadly.
    "There's another one after their game." The black bull explained, taking a drink of eggnog. "I made the mistake of going up against those two a few years ago, never again."
    "I bet that turned out well."
    "They turned the opposing team into snowmen... And snow-dragons, and snowbulls, snow griffons-"
    "Anton joined in?"
    "Somebody ended up threatening him, but I couldn't quite figure out who it was. Arson or maybe that snow leopard."
    "Thais?" A noise in confirmation from the dark larger one. "Y-yeah, I'd believe it." A bit of an awkward silence between them.
    "...You have a nice place here." The bear looked over at him before answering.
    "Yeah... I used to live not far from here. This honestly is... Surreal to me. To the point where I feel like I don't really deserve it." Bartan looked around into the distance and in the bright night sky. "This is all we ever wanted; a place back out in the country. Quiet, spacious, forests and wildlife..." A breath from the white one. "Why is it that I get a Second Chance, when all I've done was just survive?"
    "Surviving opens a lot of doors. Some of them leading to where you feel is home." The bull replied. "If you're back here, you must've done something right."
    "Maybe..." Another period of silence and the bear sighed. "There's... A lot of phrases that I've grown to resent over the years, and one of the top five is probably 'I'm Sorry For Your Loss'." A heated exhale from Bartan as the Aatxe's gaze lowered. "I've heard it so many damn times in my life, and it feels so... Backhanded, somehow. But there's nothing else to really say, even though you really... Need to say something."
    "What do you say then?"
    "Do you want a hug." A chuckle from the black one. "It feels more genuine to me, even though it's not perfect." The dark bovine shook his head. "So... Do you want a hug?" Gorret just stared at the furball for a few moments, the solid red curtain of light making it impossible to read his eyes beyond it. "I won't think less of you for it."
    "...Yes." He admitted quietly. "Yes, I'd like one-"
    "I'll find someone for you." A sudden jerk in surprise from the dark one while the bear chuckled, indicating that he was only joking about that last part as he walked towards the bull nearly 25% larger than him. "Sorry, it's just something Kindle would've said."
    "That does sound like Arson, yes." The bovine snorted, but smirked at the idea of it. Feeling the thick fluff in his paws as those strong arms wrapped around the furball; as did the white set of forearms. Getting embraced tightly by the bear, but eventually lifting Bartan up a little to make up for the height difference. Though, not without a whimper from the bear.
    "J-just... Not too tight." The white one whined. "I've been broken before, and I know how strong you are."
    "Don't worry, I know how to restrain myself." A deep breath from that black muzzle as the Aatxe was half swallowed by the fluffy coat. Holding onto him for a few minutes before finally letting the bear down. "...Thank you."
    "Anytime." Bartan replied, only to get lifted up again for another hug and chuckling. "I suppose that does fit into the 'Anytime' window."
    "Yes, it does." But for real, the bull set him down and let the furball free. Only to get a bunt and rest his forearms up against the railing beside Gorret.
    "You want to talk about it?" Though he couldn't see the worry behind that red gaze, the bear could feel it. "We have all night."
    "...Maybe just a little then." Bartan nodded in response. "I'm just... Not really sure what to feel at this point. Numb, blank... But I know something's wrong." He listened as the dark one spoke, though a bit quietly so as to not attract attention. Seeing the two outside through the glass doors, Kindle slid over the blinds to give them a bit more privacy from those inside. Taking her own snacks and a tray of dozens of mugs filled with hot chocolate into the living room. Where a large group of guests who were in the snowball fight huddled together for warmth. While some of the larger ones (like Beo) were still outside getting cleaned off.
    One by one, she handed over a hot mug for each person, setting down her own snacks on the coffee table in front of the Troublemakers. "Steal one bite of my stuff, and I'll turn you two into snow critters until next spring." She playfully threatened, getting them to lower their heads and ears before glancing at each other. Agreeing that the treats wouldn't be worth the risk, watching her finish up and sit directly inbetween the two with the tray. Taking something for herself and offering each of them one, making them chirp happily in response.
    As the night went on the group went off in couples to few, turning in for the holiday evening. Finding a good place for some rest somewhere in the house, or even to another location entirely. Bartan finally returning inside the home after what felt like hours of listening, nearly tripping over a few things in the dark as he made his way to the living room. Catching a glance of his wife stuck between the two slumbering little ones. "Hey." She whispered very quietly, as to not disturb them, but leaning in for a small kiss that the bear offered. "Ready to head to bed?"
    "Yeah." He watched as the fox very carefully moved her way out of the tight spot with absolute grace. Resting each of their small heads gently onto a set of pillows and hearing them murmer faintly before continuing their slumber. Leading the way to the bear's room, as he double taked at an orange panther somewhat nearby. Giving her a motion for just a moment as he carefully moved towards the tiger-sized creature and hugging him... While spooking him a little in the process. "Thank you, Deago."
    "Oh, it's you. For what?" The orange one yawned, trying to be quiet.
    "For giving me a chance... All those years ago." A pause from the Tirix, but he nodded in response.
    "Get some sleep, you two." One more small squeeze and the white furball let go. "You're welcome, Bartan." The two smiled at each other, and headed off down the hallway. Stopping at a door where the bear suddenly cursed under his breath, leaving Kindle to double take at him in question.

"Forgot to find some bells."
The canine just tossed her snout and shoved him in the door.