Ask Dawn and Vern!

I’d like to apologize for the ask delay. I’m a bit under the weather right now and it’s severely impacting my output. Hopefully I’ll be able to do some drawn asks tomorrow, but I can’t promise anything. I can say that at the very least we should be back to normal next week, hopefully.

I’d also like to take this opportunity considering the recent “AU” asks, to once again shout out Elite Shade’s “FOUND” fic, an AU of my AU that is still ongoing and a very good side fic. I thank Shade for finding my Zoot universe so interesting he felt compelled to write his own series based off mine. Thanks again Shade!

WT: This is a post related to Elite Shade's BellHunterverse AU “Found”. Check it out on Fanfiction.net and Archive of our own. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13128859/1/Found

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Dorian: Unfortunately, it's true. Some mammal saw fit to purchase that place and not tear it down fer somethin' else. Ain't really heard anythin' about the buyer myself. I don't think he's actually shown his face locally yet, but the rumor mill pegs the fella as purty much every type of mammal under the sun. *Chuckles* Once I hear the fella is actually skulkin' around the place though, I'll be sure to look into it myself.

Dawn: I'm actually kind of...I'm not sure...disappointed? I mean, I didn't grow up there, but if my grandfather was anything like my father, then there's no chance that anything but darkness hangs over that place. And anyone who'd willingly buy it to live there as it is...well...they must find that aspect of it appealing.

Vernon: There's a scary thought...

Dawn: Most mammals in Zootopia know what my grandfather did, and what that manor came to represent before the fallout of the scandal saw him and my father ousted from it. Even the Bellwether's who came before Ash were reputed to be...less than savory mammals. Any mammal who would willingly buy the place with that knowledge with the intent to renovate it? I'd certainly question their moral character.

Vernon: Always a chance they're from outside of North Mammalia.

WT: This is a post related to Elite Shade's BellHunterverse AU “Found”. Check it out on Fanfiction.net and Archive of our own. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13128859/1/Found

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Dorian: I don't exactly know how y'all out there know about that. Most of the poor boy's personal files were supposed to be locked up purty tight. Still, the fact that any mammal who'd call themselves a father would do that to their boy...it just...I can't...*Sigh* Auddey?

Audrey: It makes me wanna just throttle that mammal, wherever he is! Maybe give him a taste of his own medicine by whippin' him, but instead of usin' pleather, I'd upgrade the bastard to chains! How's that?

Dorian: Thank y'all dear. That's more or less what I was lookin' fer...

Yuri: I like the chains, but instead of whipping I say we use those chains to drag him from the back of my motorcycle.

Ada: Ooh? All accross Seaotter?

Yuri: Pft, why limit the scope? I say we take the fella fer a drive across North Mamalia. *Chuckles* Let him really take in the natural beauty of the 'civilized' part of the world.

Dawn: As a victim of abuse, with a few scars of my own...I can really related to Marcus. I'm just...I'm so glad he got away from that life.

Vernon: And has probably the best set of parents right behind my parents and us o'course. *Chuckles*

Dawn: As for what I'd like to see happen to his father...well, I'd like to see him actually pay for his crimes. Although, similar to the case with my own father...I think we're well beyond that.

Vernon: Bein' hopped up on that much night howler looked purty painful, though I ain't sure if I'd consider it painful enough fer both Aster, er' Marcus' father.

Xavier: I'd like to see the mammal prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Malcolm  And let the prison system sort the fella out, iffin' y'all know what I'm gettin' at.

Xavier: Well...it is true most abusers don't...do well in prison. Most don't end up completing a sentence. As a lawyer, I'm not supposed to condone 'jail justice', but in Marcus' case, I wouldn't exactly shed a tear for his father succumbing to the same treatment.

Trenton: I think we're all in agreement over the poor boy's scars. I know I was mortified when I saw the photos.

Qali: I can't believe anyone would do that to a pup! Let alone thier own!

Trenton: I'm a fan of taken the fella on a long drive out to the real backwoods of the burrows, and takin' the fella fer a 'hunt'. *Chuckles*

Yuri: I take it y'all would be riding back alone from that hunt?

Trenton: Well after all, it was a solo hunt...at least, that's would be my official story. Lest risky than turnin' the fella into fertilizer fer Qail's family farm.

Qali: Yeah, as much as I'm behind the idea of punishing him, I'd rather not taint my families business.

Wade: I learned a few tricks from some of the...seedier folks of tundratown that would be a suitable punishment for Marcus' father. Most of which involve trapping him in freezing cold water.

Yuri: Ah, the Big family method. Well, the 'alleged' Big family method. After all, that's all 'alleged' accusations which there is no 'proof' for.

WT: This is a post related to Elite Shade's BellHunterverse AU “Found”. Check it out on Fanfiction.net and Archive of our own. https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13128859/1/Found

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Ada: I guess dat dey is brave. I guess dat's da best woid for it. I mean, don't get me's wrong. I love dose pups. But for dem to be raisin' pups dat not only do dey know anyting about da species of, but neider does da rest of Animalia? I ain't usually one to admit dis kinda ting, but...I'd be scared.

Giselle: Scared you wouldn't know 'ow to take care of them attol?

Ada: Who knows what dere species go trew? What do dey experience during puberty? And da kinda problems dey are gonna have at school is only gonna be magnified. Cause not only is dey from a mixed species family, but dey is like da only two of dere kind livin' here.

Qali: Yeah, that does sound a little scary...

Ada: But I'm also proud of dem....you knows? Takin' in dose pups and protectin' 'em witout even tinkin' twice. Dey treat 'em just like da rest of dere pups witout any hesitation, and well...it makes me proud to know 'em.

Giselle: I agree. It actually makes me aspire to try and do as well as them should...Wade and I adopt one day.

Ada: I'd agree witch ya's dere. Plush and Kitt Kat, along wit dere mates are really settin' da bar pretty high for da rest of us. *Chuckles*

Malcolm: I only wish fer their sake there was more information on these 'humon's' to help 'em out, especially fer Marcus and Lily's sake. I mean, I know Marcus has some inclin' as to his folks, but Lily don't know nuthin' about her species. Those pups deserve that much at least, and I'm sure it'd help Dawn, Vern, Vanna and Zach out too.

Honey: Well, you know me and Ully are doing whatever we can to help on that front...well...within' reason....

Ada: And keepin' Ul's from going too far?

Audrey: Aw shoot, we've had that bedroom ready fer the girls fer close to thirty years. *Chuckles* O' course, with the big room up stairs occupied, it's been a bit harder to find a place fer all the older pups and their mates to stay.

Dorian: We still got the two guest rooms o'course, but we've had to invest in a few air mattresses and...well...I mean, the basement is the only place Gizelle can sleep without havin' to bend her neck and all...so...

Audrey: We've basically had to suspend the ol' boys and gals sleep in separate rooms rule...

Dorian: Much to Auddey's disappointment.

Audrey: Ain't all of 'em parents yet. Y'all know some of 'em still have 'howl' issues. And I don't want to know that 'that' sorta thing is happin' with my boys!

Dorian: Well, they are adults. But hey, at least we solved that lil' issue with the 'two couples to one room rule', right?

Audrey: And that was a genius idea I have y'all to thank fer my knight in shinin' armor! *Smooch*!

Dorian: Aww...shoot now...*Blushes* Y'all don't need to thank me Darlin'.

Audrey: As fer iffin' any of the little ones might take to law enforcement, well...I don't wanna step on Dori's toes but...

Dorian: Vern was...a soberin' learnin' experience iffin' I'm bein' honest. Before the whole...'tithin' fiasco', I had sorta fooled myself into believin' that somehow me pressurin' Vern about bein' an officer was somehow different from my Pa pressurin' me to farm. *Sigh* I sorta justified it by tellin' myself unlike my Pa, who was on me about workin' the farm out of family obligation, me tryin' to get Vernon to join law enforcement was about honin' natural talent I thought he had. Well...I still think he has it. But, it's Vern's life. Hes found his own way, and i want my little gals to be able to do the same. I don't want 'em to feel forced into anythin'.

Audrey: I'm so proud of you Hun.

Dorian: Of course, if any of 'em show any interest on their own when they get older, I'm happy to advise. But I ain't gonna push no one. And if I do...you'll be there to rein my in, right Auddey?

Ada: Yeah, sponge bath's ain't exactly a ting for eader one of us...

Yuri: Nurses and sponge baths to me always conjure up images of washin' up withered old mammals who've soiled themselves. And havin' seen it first paw a few times, Ada sorta has a complex over it.

Ada: It's like PTSD. Anytime sometin' about sponge baths come up I's just...*Shudders* My mind just gets filled wit horrible flashes of old mammals flaps and folds...and da stuff you's might find unda dere. At least when it comes to washin' dead mammals, sprayin' dem down wit a powerwash from a distance foist ain't considered un-mammalian.  Also....da dead don't tries to floit wich yas while youse are woikin' on 'em...

Nick: Correction, Carrots attracts the trouble...I'm the one who gets hit with it.

Judy: *Chuckles* Oh come on Slick, you are exaggerating.

Nick: In the roughly four years I've been on the beat, I've had my ear bitten and permanently scarred when a badger made a lunge for Carrots. Had a kneecap shattered with a pipe by a teen fox when he was initially swinging for Jude's head, three fractured ribs from a rhino who was intoxicated and basically looking to stomp Fluff butt of her out like a cigarette. And of course, let's not forget the bullet wound from the shootout at the bank.

Judy: Hey, I never asked you to throw yourself between me and those guys, did I?

Nick: I know.

Judy: I can handle myself! I passed the ZPD Academy same as you did, and we were both valedictorian.

Nick: Believe me, I am well aware.

Judy: So why did you do it?

Nick: Because you were my friend and partner before you were my mate, and I did it because I'd rather me get hurt than you. *Chuckles* I may tease you about, but make no mistake If I had to do it all again, you better believe I'd make the same call every time.

Judy: Well...I....Pft...I'm not....you are not going to get me all gushy when I'm trying to be pr-professional here....

Nick: You know you love me...

Judy: Don't you give me that smile!

Nick: You. Know. You. Love. Me....*Crooning*

Judy: *Sigh* Do I know that? *Shakes head* Absolutely, one hundred percent...*Chuckles* You dumb fox...

Ada: most disgustin' deth I'd seen? Lemme tink....that'd probably have to be da otter who got sucked down a reservoir drain pipe after he unplugged da thing. Da force of da water pulled him into da pipe father den he could swim, and squeezed him trew da six inch mouth of da ting before draggin' him down tirty or forty feet. Poor little guy was movin' so fast his organs started shiftin' up into the upper part of his body....dat was until he slammed inta da bottom of da pipe bend and was reduced to little more den a clot of foir and bones...*Shudders* I couldn't even tell he was an otter wittout lookin' at da report. And as you can imagine an autopsy was kinda pointless...it was just a formality to confoirm for da state dat da guy was gone.

Ulric: Most...disgusting. Hmm...I really...look I'll pick one that's only...sorta dark. I feel like I've seen some more pretty disgusting and soul wrenching deaths that...I feel might be inappropriate for retelling here. So I’ll go with the lion who boiled himself alive in his bath tub.

Ada: Yeesh! How did he do dat?

Ulric: He was an older guy, with a history of drug use, so his system was already pretty strained. And while he was trying to take a bath, we guess he must have just had a stroke. If that weren't bad enough, in his desperate attempt to claw himself out of the tub, he had turned the hot water on full blast.

Ada: Ooos yeahs, I rememba hearin' about dat one on da news a while back. Dat's da one who's skin just pulled off like a sheet when dey tried to get him out of da tub right?

Ulric: Yes, that’s the one. He had been in that tub for over two days before the water finally started to soak through to the downstairs apartment, which is why the cops were called. The burns were quite extensive, practically down to the bone. Essentially the poor guy had been cooked alive. And removing him...his flesh just completely ripped away from his bone like chicken stew meat...*Shudders* I still can remember the stench of boiled lion meat permeating that bathroom.

Ada :Geeze...I tink you win dat one...dough I do have a story about an elephant dat had been rotting in dere apartment for tree days, and one of my co-woikers accidentally nickin' one of it's organs in da poifect way to release a massive rot fume into da whole foist floor of da hospital.

Ulric: Sweet Sawgrass! *Chuckles Weakly* I wonder if the smell of a boiled lion is less or more offensive than that.

Ada: I dunno, I didn't get da full effect danks to my yeen nose, but man, most of da rest of da staff was full on pukin'! Dey had to bring in a big fan to air out da joint! *Cackling*

Ulric: Alright, so how about the weirdest way a mammal died in your department?

Ada: Hmm...maybe da kid who choked on da giraffe condom? I mean...kids chokin' to deth ain't neva funny, and when I say kid I mean teen, but pulling dad whole ting out of his troat made it look like I was doin' a balloon trick. What about you?

Ulric: Stoat with the snake up his ass paws down.

Ada: *Cackles* Youse can't be serious!

Ulric: I swear to the gods! He ended up perforating his insides cramming a very frightened boa constrictor inside himself. By the time we arrived on scene, we found one dead stoat and a very traumatized boa constrictor weakly trying to wriggle free of this guy. The only reason it was still alive was because it had managed to double itself back just enough to get it’s nostrils back out of him. I don’t know what happened to the snake after that, but I hope it’s recovered.

Dorian: I mean, yeah...I've had to have that talk with the boys over the years, more than once in some cases. Vern...several times...

Yuri: What a Puppy...

Dorian: Might wanna hold yer tongue critisizin' yer brother. I mean, it ain't like y'all didn't blow up at me durin' yer teens over my job.

Yuri: Pft! As if I would! You know I thought having a sheriff for a father was cool.

Dorian: Well y'all tried to pretend you was mad at me fer somethin' else, somethin' insignificant. But c'mon, we both know you was worried fer me. It was literally the day after I got out of the hospital fer that collapsed lung. Y'all remember, from when that drunken rhino shoulder-checked me? Ya'll started hollerin' the moment I mentioned headin' back to work...

Yuri: *Huffs*Whatever.

Dorian: Well, to better answer yer question I've had to have this talk with the boys a few times. Before they were teens, I'd get a lot o' tears. They'd see movies where cops was hurt, er' hear somethin' from one of their classmates, er' I'd actually come home sportin' a wound er' too, and that would set off a talk fer a spell. And I'll admit...I ain't proud of it, but...sometimes I did lie to my boys. *Sigh* I'd reassure 'em the Meadowlands wasn't like the city, or I'd straight up tell them there was no way in hell I'd let anyone take me away from 'em...*Shakes head* I mean, I'd call it a lie, but I did really believe what I was tellin' 'em. I was still purty young myself...and that youth helped foster a confidence in me that was probably a mite displaced.

When they got older, that cryin' turned to anger fer some of the boys. Yellin' and arguin'. By then my excuses changed to more realistic ones. Sure It was a dangerous job, but some mammal had to help those who couldn't help themselves. Some mammal needed to stand up fer the weak folk, and iffin' everyone refused to take up the work because they had family er' pups, there would be no one there to protect the public. This led to some purty fierce arguments with some of the boys. Even bein' told I was 'hated' by a few of 'em.

Zach: I-I'm sorry Pa...

Yuri: Yeah...me too...

Dorian: It's fine boys. I ain't mad, I wasn't even all that mad then. I understood where y'all was comin' from. And now, I'm guessin' y'all more than understand where I was comin' from at the time.

Zach: I'm guessin' I do...and I ain't exactly lookin' forward to havin' these same conversations when me and Vanna adopt pups of our own.

Dorian: Y'all will get through it just fine. *Chuckles*

Yuri: I ain't never havin' pups...

Dorian: Still, what surprised me then was the lot of y'all that even though y'all were still cryin', you seemed to understand and accept what I was sayin'. I think it made me feel even more guilty about goin' to work than the bunch of y'all that fought me over it. *Chuckles*

Vernon: Well, ain't like I could argue the logic. Sides', as worried as I was, I was also proud of what y'all did.

Xavier: We all were.

Wade: We still are.

Dorian: *Chuckles* You boys tryin' to make me cry now?

Xavier: *Laughs* Don't worry Dad, we know that's a Purrculean task.

Dorian: As for the girls...I'm kind of hoping I never have to have that talk with them. By the time they get old enough for them to really grasp what I do, I'll more than likely be eyein' retirement, and bein' a stay at home Pa.

Yuri: Then Vanna can take up the mantel of Sheriff in yer place. *Chuckles*

Zach: Hey, are y'all puttin' down my performance?

Yuri: I'm just sayin' if y'all didn't have Vanna to back y'all up, ya'll would have been shot fove er' six more times by now. Clearly some mammal is better at keepin' a cool head.

Xavier: I think we were asked this question last year, and while we appreciate the support from whoever you are, North Mammalia and Zootopia don't really have 'Pride Months” or “Pride Festivals” or anything like that.

Malcolm: Not that we ain't proud of the mammals we are, er' who we love er' nothin'. It's just, bein' homosexual is just a small piece of who we are. It ain't the end all be all definin' feature of who we are. It's what they fought to prevent from happinen' back in the 1910′s when us same sex mated mammals won our equality.

Xavier: All the mammals then wanted was to be seen as no different than your average couple, and to have access to the same rights afforded to those couples. It was considered a crucial element of the movement back then to prove to the rest of society that we were the same. We were brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors, police officers, doctors, the list goes on and on, but the essential part of it was that the movement wanted to be defined by how similar we all were, rather than where we differed.

Malcolm: And that's why big shows of sexual pride ain't exactly common to this day.

Dawn: Unfortunately, the platypus has been extinct since the “Mammalian Explosion” about nine to ten million years ago I think...I'm not one hundred percent, as that sort of thing isn't exactly my field of expertise. I only remember it because the discover of their remains and nests really threw Paleontologists for a loop. I mean a mammal that laid eggs? Can you imagine.

Vernon: Bird beak and beaver type tail too...Almost like the thing was designed by a mad scientist, er someone tryin' to play a prank on the Paleontologist community.

Dawn: Indeed, in fact that's why it took nearly a decade for the paleontologist community to accept the platypus as having been a real creature, and it was only in the face of overwhelming repeat discoveries of platypus remains. As for why they died out exactly, most paleontologists aren't sure.

Vernon: O'course that makes a bunch o' species they ain't totally sure about why things happened to 'em the way the did around that time.

Dawn: Yes, the “Mammalian Explosion” is still a mystery that is still hotly debated and argued about by both Paleontologists and Archaeologists. All we know is that something happened to the planet about ten million years ago that caused a miniature extinction event for some species, while others...mostly mammals, began making rapid leaps and bounds in evolution and eventually leading to the creation of our modern civilization.

Vernon: Seems like the mammals that suffered most were the sea types, which either kept evolvin' at a slower pace er' just up and died off. Otters seemin'ly got spared, as well as beavers and other furred partial water dwellers, but a buncha whale species, dolphins, and so on ended up completely dyin' off. Also, lotsa apes fer some reason, at least a good chunk of the bigger ones. 

Dawn: It's all very bizarre. But again, I don't profess to be a professional with that sort of thing, so I can't make any statements.

Vernon: Y'all don't have to be these days. Y'all remember them “Ancient Aliens” TV shows.

Attn; This list of Patreon backers is from last month, and as such is still using the old Patreon Reward Tier names and so forth. This will change next month as the new Patreon stuff went into effect pretty much this month. If you are interested in supporting me, and are curious about the change of tier pricing and reward check out my Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/wastedtimeee

Anyway, sorry for the self promotion, just wanted to make sure nothing was confusing here. Let's get on the the supporter shoutouts!

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Thanks to all of you for your continued support, especially now with all that's going on in the world and my...health issues getting increasingly in the way. Seriously, it means a lot, and I'm almost ashamed to even take it.

Of course, that doesn't mean I also don't value the support by those of you not in the Patreon. Seriously, your kind words and support do wonders, and I appreciate you caring about my work even with how long it's been going on.

Now...ahem, on to news. First the Val fic, I'm about half way through the second chapter and it's coming along. I did hit a few walls and snags, but it's going to get there and I really hope it's worth the wait because I assure you, based on Patreon in progress feedback, it's going to be a heavy one.

Now for Ask related stuff, As you may be aware there was a delay this week. I mentioned briefly that I was sorting some stuff out behind the scenes, and that's true, but I spared you the details before. Well, let me now explain why the delay happened and what to expect in the immediate ask future.

Part of the delay was due to health reasons, but the majority of it was because of the increasing number of asks about Joel in Japanda making it a priority to finish it. That of course, required some scheduling in order to make sure I made time to conclude the arc. So I sat down on Tuesday and wrote the script to the remaining Joel strips, all 3-4 of them, and spent the next day hammering out the page I posted today. Unfortunately, the health issues are why I didn't finish it till today, but it is done and up. Now, what about the remaining strips? Well, I'm going to be using every other ask week to conclude the comic. Example, next Tuesday-Wednesday I'll be doing standard asks. However, the following week I'll be doing the next Joel installment, and then back to asks the next week, and so on. I'll keep up that schedule until the “Japanda Journeys” comic is all done. I realize of course that this will slow down the opening of the ask box even further, as I'm still sitting on close to 70 asks, but with Joel's arc playing a minor part in the Val fic, and just all the asks regarding Joel, I want to finish it. I think int the future I will also have to toy with a better system overall for asks. Something where I won't get overwhelmed by volume, or feel too guilty over cutting some (Something I almost never do). But for the moment I'm not entirely sure how to go about that, so I'll be mulling it over along with the help of the Patreon’s to figure out a solution.

Now, Commissions...well, I've hit a real bump in the road there, so much so that I had to change my Patreon rules over them. As most of you who aren't Patreon’s know, I've had commissions largely closed to the public for like...four or five months now. This was due to a combination of factors. My health, Patreon Commission fast laneing, work for the blog/or for fun, writing, and life stuff outside of all this, I haven't been able to arrange for any outside commissions. I'm not going to give a strict time table on when I'll be able to take all comers again, as my health is...worse than usual at the moment, but know that I am making a concerted effort to try to please as many folks as I can.

And with that...I guess I should explain health issues that are currently hanging over my head at present, and why it's directly affecting work. As most of you may already know, I have issues with my drawing arm and muscle tearing in my shoulder. I managed to avoid needing surgery at the time when it was at it's worse thanks to having anti-inflammatory medicine, which seemed to solve the problem for the most part. The last few weeks though it had been acting up more than usual because I didn't have my anti-inflammatory meds, at least...that's what I thought. Now that I'm back on them, it has helped a great degree, but it still feels a little worse than it was...which probably means I'll have to go back to the doctor about it. There's also an ongoing issue with my heart which cropped up again recently, so I have to visit a cardio doc.

So yeah, that's me being up front about it I guess...I don't like being public about my health, but I figured as it impacts my work output, I needed to tell you guys.

So...with all that said, once again, thanks for your continued support and contact and stuff. I do appreciate it, and I'm glad to see so many folks still dig what I do, even if it's at a snails pace. Much love to you all...

-WT

P.S. Oh yeah, I have a twitter I guess. Half smut, half garbage posting when I do use it. You can check it out at link below.

Japanda Journeys Episode 5 Pg 3!

You were probably wondering where the heck the asks were this week, or why I hadn’t said anything yet. I apologize for the delay, but I had to do some retooling behind the scenes to figure some stuff out, and I was also dealing with some arm issues. I’ll go into details in a little while, as I have a roadmap and may Patreons to thank.

That said, here it is...god it’s been months since i did one of these, but Joel’s Journey continues. This strip properly introduces Megumi Gomipa, owner of the Manga shrine and the last mammal standing between Joel and Yukari-chan being re-united. Then again, she’s merely a shopkeeper...it should be a simple transaction shouldn’t it? There’s probably no strings attached to the sale...right? Based on Megumi’s actions in the last panel..perhaps not...