Coldsnap: The Billionaire Alpha's Fated Pregnant Princess (GL)-Chapter 353 - Animated Animalism Aesthetic: Take 2

Chapter 353: Chapter 353 - Animated Animalism Aesthetic: Take 2

"Oh, Cod, no!"

Holding back my growl over the wordplay that keeps *happening* from the cheap speaker, I lean to the side and pull on the fake tail. Petting it to keep calm - and to not make the decision to pretend to go to the bathroom for the final fifteen long minutes.

However, the way the different character ears flattened with annoyance, perked with interest, and the variances in eye dilation really was caricature and characteristic of normal beast society. Like wearing your intentions externally for everyone to read, should they have the understanding of what each means.

> Something that would be disadvantageous in royal courts, should shifters have kept these animal traits. Well, the stupid ones did anyway... if you pushed them right. Humans here call it heart on your sleeve? <

The episode continued with more cat and fish puns than I cared to count. And enough mewling sounds to make me wonder if the voice actress was contractually obligated to include them - or if she just *liked* doing it.

When the credits rolled, the lights came back up. And I saw that the only one who looked *exhausted* among us, besides me, was Paul. Poor kid - I knew I got along with him for a reason.

"I love the ear animations, but does she have to meow so much?"

"Goes with the character archetype, I’m afraid."

Two of the group members bantered with each other, clearly criticizing what they just watched. Even with smiles on their faces. I do not... understand these people.

"It’s kind of weird when you think about it. Real cats don’t even meow at each other."

"Wait, really?"

"They only meow at humans because they understand we use our voice. Cat-to-cat communication is all in the body language."

Zoé looked genuinely surprised when Paul spoke up his facts firmly. While explaining and pulling up an article to show her - and me. Good kid, good trivia. I’d never really thought about it because we did not exactly have ’domestic cat’ shifters in my world.

Ellie abruptly leaned on my back, her voice low enough - and right in my ear enough - that the humans would never hear her clearly. But I wish she would not.

"See, this is why I prefer canines in fiction. How about-"

"You’ll probably get all the canines you want in reality, if Ms. Voss sees you leaning on Citra like that. Chomp chomp."

Jolting away from me due to the young girl’s darkly whispered comment - made without looking back at us in anything but a mirrored surface - I realize that I was *wrong*. That was exquisite.

I’m not sure I have anything to teach her at all.

Except maybe, just maybe, to not even whisper about whatever sort of relationship she thinks I have or do not with that Alpha. To wolves, humans, mirrors, or... anything.

> And of course, to beware the Apocalypse, trust Kyrie with her human family’s lives, and that Omegas have good hearing too... even if it isn’t at our level. <

"Chomp? She’d bite her? Why?"

"Uh..."

"Good luck."

Abandoning my mentee to the wilds of her own making, certainly not because I did not want to be part of any such ’my relationship’ explanations, I head toward the snacks and take my due. Because dealing with Mrs. Morin, her husband, and Simone all *politely* not staring at me in this ’getup’ - as the stylist put it - had been hunger inducing even before sitting through that show.

"I’m not really looking to get into another whole debate about whether kemonomimi is lazy character design or genius visual shorthand. I just said I like angels, demons and dragons more because of wings..."

"The partial features has appeal regardless of species, because the accessorized expressiveness adds dimension! But who *wants* halos, horns, and... well, horns."

"Fur lover..."

A male club member, definitely older than college, whispered under his breath while talking to a frizzy haired woman with strong fervor and stronger freckles. I continued to munch on the little chocolate capped biscuit sticks while strolling over their way to ’butt in’.

"Lazy or genius, I’d argue it depends on execution. In... period dramas, costume components signaled a character’s status and dramatic intention to the audience."

Royal palace plays were definitely not the phrase I wanted to use, luckily I caught myself before revealing too much. Then again, I am ’acting’ as a Fox Princess tonight, so I guess the slip would have been absolutely fine? Hm.

"A fan partially concealing the face suggests mystery and sometimes plotting. Elaborate and impractical outfits demonstrate the power of wealth. Whether additions enhance appeal is less important in plays compared to what they can communicate in an instant without taking the time to detail it."

"So kemonomimi would quickly communicate... what?"

I shrug at his question while chewing on some kind of pressed fish paste snack. How in the world am I meant to know that? Perhaps I should have thought through opening my mouth at all, but I at least seem to be socializing well enough with these people.

> Yes, this is well enough. <

The woman is staring at me like I’m something scary to try and touch despite wanting to, which is perhaps not *ideal*. But I’ve found these sort of awkward people tend to get over that once I have talked to them enough... usually.

"Predator features can imply that they can turn threatening instantly, like any wild animal. Tension from the danger there and placing them quickly as inhuman."

"But the characters we watch are more often sweet, simple and approachable at heart..."

Smiling at the woman’s attempted rebuttal, I raise my chin while licking what feels like a small piece of fish crumb from my lip. Raising my hand toward her jaw, not touching but merely implying I could lift it up at any moment-

"Humans often underestimate each other already - and they do not have such clearly deadly fangs and claws as beasts. Are you telling me the slit eyes of the character on that screen were only cute? They did not... twitch any primal fear in you as it should?"

"Mark - go away, the two of us need to talk!"

Hissing at the man, she grabs for her messenger bag and digs for something. But the man doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to comply with her barked order. Not that I blame him, she *is* half his size.

"What? I’ve been sitting here since-"

"You move fast, how did you sniff her out so instantly?"

A hand clapped on my shoulder that made the man jump more than I did. I could hear her footsteps rushing over, after all. Her hand then lets go and makes a shooing motion.

"Mark, just... go over there. Mitzi, Citra, and I have private matters to attend to for a moment. The kind that the kids should be kept away from?"

"Oh, not another one..."

He’d barely left when a booklet was shoved in my hands. Thinner than the manga volumes, almost looks hand printed and folded. With a russet haired, fox-eared character on the cover.

Flipping through it quickly, I do it again slower and stop on a few pages... looking at the amateur but enrapturing art. And that was enough time - or apparent interest - for Ellie to pull out a tablet.

"As you see, not all art is created equal. Some is... let’s say, more sophisticated in its understanding of why things have appeal."

"Just say fetish, Ellie."

Handing the device to me after ’Mitzi’ commented, I found myself looking at what was still... *technically* ’safe for work’. But clearly designed professionally, with full adult sensibilities in mind. Lots of details and props that make it more than about the poses.

The composition was elegant and powerful. Knowing of life, rather than cutesy innocence. Honestly, it reminded me of modeling more than I expected, considering the individual could not exist for real.

My guide to ’this side’ of their world showed me I could tap to look at more. So I did. Because why not?

> Sophisticated women in appealing poses hurts no one, right? Calm your irritated barking. <

Then... I saw it. And thought it. And Vrika did stop barking, only to howl.

An athletic woman with white hair, white fox ears, and a white tail that snaked around to hide what would be her nudity otherwise. Licking my lips this time and swallowing had nothing to do with food.

Everything to do with the idea for a probably impossible request that my own wolf is now whimpering and begging for me to make. If it could stay out of my fantasies, that would be-

"She’s hooked. You were right. We have another comrade!"

"I have more examples, if you want access to our little Vossden subgroup’s cloud folder. Most of that one is not... safe for public consumption."

"Unsafe in private too, in a different way..."

The human and werewolf pair of women had unpleasant, creepy looks on their face. Like what we are doing here today would be judged by the prim parts of society as immoral.

They really didn’t have to... sell it so hard!

"You have my number. Text me later. But send me this one now."

Giving the order while handing her the device back, she gives me a thumbs up and I walk away. Trying not to obsess over how - and when - to turn this idea of mine into some kind of Friends With Benefits transaction with a white wolf.

Who should have more important things to do...