#vectorofhope

[bakingfox-blog]

Send “%” for a CURIOUS text.

Text meme ||  Accepting ( % curious text)

[Text: ???] Who is this?[Text: ???] How’d you get my number?

[slick-n1ck]

21. What kind of relationships do they tend to intentionally seek out versus actually cultivate? What kind of social contact do they prefer, and why?

Relationship they seek out

Nick has grown to find it rather difficult to actually spend the time to truly grow a strong, real relationship with anyone. It’s been like that for a long time, ever since scouts he distanced himself with everyone. Those metaphorical walls of his coming up the moment anyone even tried to actually connect with him. A lot of insecurities, not just with people in general but the mind set of, ‘Who’d wan’t to be around a fox?’. He’d rather save them the time and effort of trying to save face about going out with a fox by merely cutting the tie before it even truly started.

Any little partnership was more or less the means to an end. That next step to getting what he truly needed, whatever gain he could make. He’s had plenty of short partnerships where both animal was just in it for the gain, nothing more. And that’s all he wanted, all he needed. Nick didn’t have time to go out, find a date, find someone that he felt he could truly care for. Why bother? No one cared enough to even look his way without him waving something flashy around to catch an eye for the next scam. Not to mention he wouldn’t have the time, or means to keep it going if he was able to establish a connection with someone.

If Nick even wanted to try and find an relationship that didn’t depend on the constant flow of cash to keep them going, he wasn’t really sure what he’d be looking for. Something quick, most likely. He’s a fox made for cons, and cons mean time, time means money. So his lifestyle would have to be quick, in return so would his partners. They’d have to sort of work around a busy schedule of out witting unwitting animals. Even then, Nick wouldn’t be so sure anyone would even wanna try and make a connection with him if they understood what he did for the cash in his pocket, if he’d ever admit it. Only call he’d get back would be one from the ZPD, asking him to come in for questioning. So he’s scared of anything slow, serious, because it could end badly, or that’s how he’d see it. If he could find something quick, easy, and of course, somewhat meaningful, then sure, for the time being he’d allow it. Anything further, he’d cut ties. To much risk, nowhere near enough time, energy, or reward for trying to progress it anything further than maybe a small fling.

What he’d actually want.

He’d enjoy it slow, with someone he could truly get to know on a level deeper than just con partners. A relationship that wasn’t built on the drive of money, a hustle, con, scheme, anything of the sort, would be perfect for him. Nick didn’t need that, didn’t want that kind of drive between the two to be something he’d relied on for so many years. He didn’t want the promise, or goal, of cash or a successful con to be the only thing the two had, or did together, or even in a sense something he didn’t have to do at all! 

Nick doesn’t want to be the conman. Doesn’t feel like he should be the sketchy guy by the cooler of pawpsicles acquired through dirty means. But he was, and had been for a long time. 

Nick wanted out of that, and wanted someone who wouldn’t be in the same game as him. Someone who could pull him into a more normal, happy life, that didn’t require a scam.

He’d love someone that can make him feel calm, happy, content with where he is without constantly reminding him about the constant predicament that is cash flow. That had been a big driving point his entire life since he was young; whatever you can do to get the next dollar.

And he’d want an escape from that, maybe just for a little while, or even on more permanent terms if they truly could for him. The vulpine truly wants someone who can pull him from that life of con, the life he felt cemented into, that no jackhammer could ever break him from.

Someone that could break down those walls of his, free him from the chains that society held so tightly around his neck. Someone that didn’t need a hammer and chisel to get to the true Nick, somebody that could find the real Nick without some sort of bribe or otherwise dirty deed. A person that could instead do so with love, compassion, actual willingness to try and get to know him, to love him, without some end goal of their own. Where Nick is the end goal, the same as Nick would make for them.

Social Contact

He’s not picky about who he hangs out with. When you’re a species the city would much rather ignore than associate with, you’d have to take whatever you can get. It also doesn’t mean Nick doesn’t mind a little alone time, solitary time is always a good thing.

But when it comes to who he’s around, chatting with, whatever it may be. He enjoys someone who can match, or even beat, his own intellect. Someone who can keep up with the small, witty, puns he throws out now and then, someone who can snap back just as sharply. 

But one thing he really cannot stand is someone who asks way to many questions. He’s not a vending machine for answers, and he surely isn’t someone who has all of them to begin with. If he’s ever in a situation that may have him as the designated question taker, be it small time or a big time problem, best be assured he’s not gonna stick around. Nick doesn’t enjoy being the spotlight, or at least one where it could lead to some sort of trouble, so he’s surely not gonna be around to be the designated shiner.

[slick-n1ck]

*Reaches for the spot behind Shot's ear to see if he was ticklish there or not* (Breaking News: Idiot fox loses three fingers)

9:37 PM 

That’s what the little clock on his Ipaw told him.

A deep inhale and swift flick of his tail were the only signs of agitation he gave, if his tail could cut he’d have gouged scars into his tiled floor by now. Besides his more than aggravated tail swinging, he was rather stone faced, a blank expression, save for a few gentle nose twitches now and then. 

‘Half an hour to closing... Right. On. Time.’

A small huff released the held breath, elbows propping against the edge of the counter, chin falling into his paws.

‘Don’t do it… He’s just trying to get a rise of ya..’

He didn’t mind Victor hanging around his shop now and then, he had no real reason to not allow it. To a point he enjoyed it, there weren’t many other people that really knew what was truly going on behind the guise of his cafe. So it was good to have a person that he felt truly understood. What really got to him with this situation is that this was supposed to be a trained killer, a fox that was known as the fucking Monster for goodness sake!

And here he was petting Shot.

‘He touched a stud… He touched my fucking studs!’

Hissing through a tightly grit teeth. “Victor, I’m gonna give you one last chance to remove your paws, and go back to the strawberries I so generously let ya have for free…” Deep breath, eyes shut as he slowly filled his lungs, trying his best to keep from flipping on this pawsy fox.. “Before I spike your coffee with Fox glove.”

‘That to much?… Eh…’

Giving himself a few moments to collect his thoughts, and to calm himself, he lift his head up off his paws. Soon his arms lay crossed on the counter as he adjust himself to lean against it, head propped atop his crossed arms. He felt a little bad for going off the handle like that. A rough day with to many griping customers mixed with a sudden fox, who probably slipped the back door for like the third time this month for strawberries, messing with his ears was a bad combo.

[slick-n1ck]

*reaches for behind Nick's ear to see if he inherited Sylvia's ticklish spot in that area* (Victor is digging his grave rather well here)

Ears perked, emerald gaze that at one point centered on the Ipaw loosely gripped in paw, jerked up. Shoulders tensed, hold tightened on his phone as he ever so gently leaned into the paw and the scratching. 

A ticklish spot? Not so much. A soft spot that could easily bring a twitch to his leg? 

Hell. Yes. 

For a quick moment he allowed the scratching to progress, tail giving a satisfied flick before the notion to at least check as to who was doing this came to mind.. Yeah… How’d he not find a random paw invading personal space a little off putting? Maybe due to Judy’s constant toying with his fur during their brief free time together. Usually during the days they were placed on traffic duty, forced to sit around in a police cruiser and speedometer cars passing by, mostly at the section where Zootopia leads out to the more rural areas, where people don’t expect a cruiser to sit.

He could suppose over time he just grew used to having a paw scratching at his ears, not that he didn’t enjoy it. Judy got to toy with nice feeling fur, fur that he prided himself with, and he got to enjoy having his ears scratched, what’s to dislike?

But damn it felt nice, and for once he didn’t have to bend over after so many pleads from a certain, persistent rabbit. 

That still didn’t excuse the fact a potential stranger was obliging himself to scratching another stranger.

With a soft sigh, Nick reluctantly end the itching session, head giving a small jerk forward to rid himself of the person in questions paw, at the same time stilling a foot that was borderline thumping the ground at this point. 

Half expecting Judy to of somehow gained the height to reach high enough to get head level, he turn, emerald gaze soon looking over a suit clad, red furred, what he could only assume was a mischievous grin, staring back.

Victor

“No! Bad fox!” Nick’s right paw came up, open palmed to softly bop the space between his fathers ears. “Ya don’t go around itching peoples ears! Could of tased you or something..” He couldn’t help but give a small laugh as he reached to the back of his head, gently smoothing down what fur may of been ruffled during his fathers scratching section. “Can’t help but feel Judy or Mom put you up to this, hmm? Tell me I’m at least close.”

[slick-n1ck]

📚 What are Shot's vices or coping mechanisms against stress?

The fox let out a small sigh, arms crossed as he lean down against the counter, eyeing Victor. “All these questions Vic. What, gonna ask me out next?” He ask with a small grin, eye brows playfully waggling as he brushed the topic off with a small laugh. “Stress you said? Hmm... It’s hard to say really.” He brought his gaze up to scan the cafe before the two, a soft, genuine smile, replaced his teasing grin. “I guess it’s my cafe. When Big’s on my tail about trying to get a location on an animal that decided to skip out on their loan payments, or his usual excuse, ‘They wronged me, they insulted me, they’ll pay’. Half the time he barely gives a reason, most of the time it’s all I ask. Just let me know why... Never does. So when... I well..” How do you word a manhunt for an animal without it sounding horrible... You can’t. 

The fox bit his tongue, ears falling flat as he worked through his reasoning. “What sorta helps me through that... Just the idea of coming back here! Knowing that I have a place to return to.” He gave a small nod, he’d began to toy with his paws, idly tugging at his claws. “To get back here and just lose myself... Forget about all that crap out there, just keep to my own little world, even for a little bit. Especially if I can’t find that person yet... Or the fear of what he may ask of me next...” He gave a huff, head gently shaking to barely show his distaste with the shrew. “But, I just have to take it as is, and appreciate it. This shop and all that it comes with. I love it, it helps me big time, keeps me from going overboard, that’s for sure.”

[jackrabbitagent-blog]

Hey Jack? Why did the school kicked out cinderella from the sports team? because she ran away from the ball.

Before Victor could even finish, Jack begins to talk right in the middle of his joke. ❝ I don’t speak English. ❞ His eyes shifting to the side, as if he didn’t want to hear it.

[slick-n1ck]

"Do you know how ironic our lives could have been if we just didn't let our guard down for one second and got trapped in this outfit? Well, I mean, sure, I have a consolation prize of unlimited strawberries while you get a cafe but it's still pretty much a downer"

“I... Well..” The snow fox just didn’t know what to say. The question came unprecedented, completely taking him by surprise. He barely had time to hand the fox a pack of sugar for his coffee before he was already hitting with the deep stuff. Leave it to Vic to keep you on your toes. Admittedly it wasn’t something he hadn’t put to thought many times before. Getting to live without the constant, nagging reminder of what you did to get the shop below your feet? All the people that had to meet a cold, watery end because you decided that it all wasn’t that bad, that you convinced yourself it was just part of your job?!

“Well...” He began once more, blue gaze averted downwards in an attempt to hide the sorrow on display., It was after hours, shop locked up for the night, though the two remained. Perfect time to discuss topics that normally wouldn’t be heard during operational hours.

“I’m not sure, Victor..” He admit softly, ears falling as he once more bring back the thoughts that could keep him up for hours at night.. “I still resent myself for picking up that damned newspaper...  I just think if I hadn’t been so naive... Had stepped out before I had gotten to deep, witnessed one to many good people dropped beneath his floor boards... I...” The fox tap a claw on the counter top, obviously growing frustrated with the topic, more so with himself. “I just think if I had half the mind I do today... I could of done something different. Could of just... Burned the newspaper, I dunno... Tried to find a job that doesn’t have me holding hot items, or marking heads...”  He shrugged, not really understanding as to why he was asked this, but considered it was something Victor asked to just kill time.

“I wouldn’t consider this Cafe something to be admired.” Shot gave a quick nod towards the door, the gleaming neon red sign casting a harsh blood red glow on the snow that fell around it. “That’s the only thing I had a say on when it came to this place.” He didn’t really like discussing topics like this, stuff about his shop, or his life in general. Always left him in a sour mood. Though he really didn’t have anyone else to go to when it came to talking about his personal life. Go to Big and vent? Hah, fat chance. Show weakness to a mob boss? Better off just shooting yourself. And you can’t exactly talk about this stuff with just anyone! You’d be certain to expect some ZPD’s banging your door down within the next hour. So Victor’s his go to fox when it comes to this stuff.

“I’m lucky I wasn’t iced on the spot!” He exclaim, ears perking as he lean himself against the counter. “’Suppose the shrew still considers me a viable asset, still enough to let me use this cafe...” A lump formed in his throat, paws slowly formed fists as he once more came to the dull realization that no matter how far he tried to distance himself from the shrew. How normal a life he tried to live, it was all because of him. Never without that metaphorical leash around his neck. “I mean... Just look at you! You’re your own fox! You’ve made a real name for yourself... W-what was it?” He stammered, warm tears rising up, threatening to soak his cheeks. Revisiting his older days did that to the fox. You’d think a guy that had to bear witness to so many animals being dropped to the doom would be desensitized to this stuff by now... But he wasn’t... There were many things the shrew could take from him, but his sympathy, his moral? Not all of it... Twisted as it may be, he still had some.

“T-they call you... ‘The Demon’.. No, ‘The Monster’ right?” He questioned, ears perked as he scan the vulpine before him. Hard to imagine a single fox could single handily carve out such a name for himself, if anything that was to be admired... Or so Shot believed. A fox that could etch his name into the minds of prey, whether it be good or bad, he admired. “And well... With the strawberries... Not sure what to tell you on those! I hear they’re good though, right? That rabbit I hear about... I only hear so much from the grapevine of polar bears that decide to pop in now and then... What’s his name, I wanna say... Barren? That it? Anyways..” He didn’t know much of the other organization’s that worked around Zootopia, surely the one Victor was involved with. Hell, the only person from Victor’s organization that he truly knew was the fox himself! “Isn’t he like the groups berry farmin’ rabbit that let’s you have the strawberries? I mean, he’s gotta be pretty good for his name to circulate like that. Betcha your groups boss must be pretty fond of him to let him hang around like that.. What is he, a wolf?”

The fox was getting ahead of himself, more than eager to pry into the world of Victor. Shot never had learned much of Victor’s group, only bits and pieces here and there. Whatever small talk may of passed by when the bears came to meet up in the back, and whatever talk he heard as he refilled another huge mug. But when it came to the leader himself, he never did hear much, they usually shushed each other when he came in to take out a plate or cup.

[jackrabbitagent-blog]

🐤

❝ I’m annoyed. #TheresAnotherOne #ICantEvenDealWithOne ❞