" Crunchology "

Velleity sighed softly through their nose, mismatched eyes gazing out at the Forneus sea, distracted from their work by the monotonous sway and pull of the waves. With 'beach-body' season finally over—a stretch of time Velle thought dragged on far too long—they had the beach mostly to themself now. Well, almost. 

There’s a demographic of buns who practically live on the beach, regulars who operate for business reasons or social reasons. Then of course there’s the regular visitors who are on vacation. The point is; there’s less people than before. Velle can enjoy themself in relative peace. They’d missed the beach. Funny how you can miss a place, they mused. It’s not like the beach could just get up and leave. Velleity giggles at the stupid mental image of a cartoonish depiction of a beach sprouting legs and stomping off. 

As they wandered along the shoreline, Velleity's attention was caught by a cluster of shells partially buried in the sand. Kneeling down, they picked up a small, iridescent shell, turning it over carefully in their hands. The soft colors shifted in the light, and they traced the delicate ridges with their fingers, feeling the subtle grooves worn smooth by the ocean. Velle retrieves the fine-bristled brush from their trouser pocket, dusting off any sand particles on its surface–

“Ayy, brah! Hella, Velleity! Yo, Elle!”

Velleity squeaks as they jolt, head spinning in the direction of the surfer-accented voice. Oh Hells, it's Jude.  “Nope,” They softly whisper under their breath, popping up to their feet and swiftly turning away to walk. Pretending like they didn’t hear or see him. 

“Vellllleity, it’s Jude!”

“Nope, nope nope.” They pick up the pace, only a little, trying not to look suspicious about avoiding him. They were having such a nice, peaceful, quiet evening, as harmless as Jude is and as much as they like him.

"Whoa, where ya rushin’ off to, dude- dudette- dudex! Got a party to catch or somethin’?" Jude’s voice is much closer now, the sound of sandals on sand picking up. 

“ Nope, nope–” Velle walks faster too, cheeks flushing pink at the idea that Jude is chasing after them– for whatever reason!

Velleity's face burns brighter as they noticed Jude's shadow fall over theirs. Before they could speak again, a strong, tanned arm wrapped around their waist and pulled their back to his front in a warm half-hug. Velleity froze, then let out a sigh, dropping their head in resignation, “‘Ello, Judy…” Velleity says as they gently pat the larger doll’s forearm. 

“Ayy, dude sup! For a sec, I totally thought you were like speedwalkin’ from me or something!!” Jude laughs brightly and obliviously. 

Admittedly, his sweet attitude quickly melts away any lingering irritation Velleity felt, “...I was,” they turn around in Judy’s hold, tilting their chin up to make eye contact, glasses a little askew. 

“What? Why’d you want to run? It’s just me!” Judy reached down to adjust Velleity's glasses. Velle tensed at the sudden movement but quickly relaxed upon realizing what Judy was doing, feeling tingly as their stomach flips.

“I’m just… You wouldn’t understand,” They waved a hand dismissively, glancing away. Explaining to such a people-person why they didn't want to be interrupted, even in public, felt far too exhausting.

"Ah, I kinda get it! You're just one of those people who aren’t super chill on talking to folks, no worries, Jude don’t judge," Judy says with a much gentler smile, adjusting his hat. "But you’re a total blast, dude. I’d be stoked for you to meet my crew.”

Velleity would not describe themself as a ‘total blast.’ The Cloudy mist around them coils a little tighter, flustered and nervous once again. Jude gently places a hand on Velleity's shoulders, noticing the far-off look in their eyes, like they’re slipping into a bad headspace, that’s no good. "Hey, hey, it's alright. You just gotta say a quick 'what’s up,' you might even vibe with 'em! Mostly just wanna introduce you to my girlfriend, though."

Girlfriend. The word hit Velleity harder than expected, leaving them feeling strangely disappointed and hollow. They hadn't realized Jude had a girlfriend. Is he loyal to her? Velleity is vaguely aware to some succubuns that’s an important title. They would like to be called Jude’s girlfriend… –Wait what?

“--The horizon must be, like, super rad lookin’ if you’re zoning out on it like that,” Jude chuckles, nudging Velleity with his elbow.

“Oh, uh, yeah– Sure,” Velleity clears their throat, “ I’ll say ‘ello. I mean.”

“That’s the spirit!” Jude claps Velle on the shoulder, making them jolt. “Let’s roll, dude!”

–*–

Brooke slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose, spotting Jude and another succubun trailing behind him. “What in the Hells is that?” she called out, loudly chewing her bubblegum. She gave Ahana’s foot a nudge with hers, trying to get her to look too.

Ahana glanced up from her tablet, raising a brow as she peered into the distance. "That’s a person, sweetheart," she teased, slipping her tablet into her purse.

“No shit it’s a person, Ahana! I’m not an idiot, alright?” Brooke snapped, her voice sharp. “But why the Hell is Jude bringing that total geek-ass over here?” She seethed, not recognizing the bun’s color palette, and she was sure she hadn’t seen them online before.

“Because he’s charming, personable, and sweet,” Ahana replied with a casual grin, sitting up and taking a quick sip from her drink through a silly straw. “You wouldn’t get it.” Brooke laughed, and Ahana joined in with her, soon the giggles died down “...But maybe try to so you don’t scare off one of Judy’s friends, yeah?”

There was a moment of silence as the two women stared at each other.

“Your boyfriend is stupid and I hate him, Ahana.”

“I know.”

“You should dump him.”

“Not happening ~!”

“He’s ugly.”

“Wrong.”

“And annoying.”

“Also wrong.”

“And talks with a ridiculous accent!”

“Your boyfriend has a bowl-cut, love.”

“You keep Ezekiel out of this,” Brooke warned, her eyes narrowing. 

“What are we keeping Ezekiel out of?” Ezekiel asked as he arrived under the umbrella, standing behind the two with drink refills. He’d brought them unprompted, like the gentleman he is, and set them in the cupholders of the ladies' beach chairs.

“Oh, I was just insulting your hair,” Ahana said, nodding in thanks as Ezekiel swapped out her low drink for a fresh one.

“You’re just jealous yours isn’t as pretty a shade,” Ezekiel teased, giving a playful pout. As he settled into his beach chair, Brooke quickly slid out of her own and onto his lap. She made herself comfortable, draping across his front and placing his sunglasses on his head so she could see his eyes. “Everyone should be jealous of you, Zeeky…”

“Mmmhmm,” Ezekiel purred in agreement, his arm wrapping around Brooke’s waist as their tails intertwined. Velleity spotted three succubuns ahead: two with greed horns and one with sloth. The greedy buns were clearly a couple, which meant the sloth bun must be Jude’s girlfriend. She was stunning—broad shoulders, a strong square face, striking eyes, and a beautiful mane of hair sprinkled with pearls. Velleity fought the urge to let out a miserable sigh.

“ Ayo, Ezekiel, Brooke, Ahana!” Jude calls, waving a hand as they finally make it under the beach umbrella with them. Velleity drifts closer to Jude, easing their nerves as the three strangers’ eyes look at them. Jude correctly interprets the movement as Velleity seeking comfort, though he misses the part of how they jump when he drapes a plump, muscular arm over their shoulder. 

“This is Velleity,” he announces with pride, gesturing toward them. Velleity shrinks back, adjusting their glasses and offering a small, hesitant wave.

Brooke’s expression makes it clear she’s not impressed. She exchanges a glance with Ezekiel, both silently agreeing they’ll enjoy gossiping about this odd, nervous-wreck later.

“Hiii, Velleity,” Brooke coos, rolling onto her back as she lounges atop Ezekiel. She wriggles to get comfortable as Ezekiel rests his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling her temple. “Nice to meet you, Velleity,” he adds, unable to escape the smugness in his tone.

“Pleasure to finally meet you, Velleity,” Ahana says as she sits up and extends a hand. Velleity immediately feels more at ease with Ahana’s calm, professional tone and the polite handshake—much better than the snide, mocking tone of the other two. They can work with this, be cordial and brisk.

“Jude’s talked about me?” Velleity offers a faint smile, glancing briefly at Jude before shyly meeting Ahana’s gaze again, focusing on her instead of the couple clearly uninterested in them.

“Oh yes, all the time,” Ahana replies with a warm grin. She finds Velleity charming—and rather cute. “He mentioned you study seashells? That’s how he described it.”

“Yeah! Elle studies crunchology, dude—it’s, like, totally rad,” Jude chimes in with enthusiasm, his mispronunciation drawing an amused breath from Velleity. “Conchology, sweetheart,” Ahana corrects, putting one leg over the other as she discretely observed Velleity’s body language around Judy.

“Seashells? What on earth is there to study about seashells?” Brooke cuts in, face quirking in annoyed confusion. Velleity starts to respond but stops, reconsidering whether engaging with Brooke—intimidating, beautiful, and clearly too popular for this conversation—is even worth the trouble.

Velleity shifted awkwardly, the silence between them and Brooke feeling heavier than the humid beach air. They looked down at their feet, the sand cool beneath their shoes, and debated saying something, but it was hard to muster the energy to push through Brooke’s hostility. And then there was the pompous, cocky chuckle of her boyfriend behind her. He hadn’t said anything outright yet, but Velleity could tell what he was thinking. Ahana seemed mildly irritated by Brooke’s interjection, but apparently didn’t feel the need to step in.

Jude, noticing the tension, tried to fill the gap. “Yo, it’s actually pretty gnarly! Some of those shells are, like, crazy old, dude! Elle knows all this rad nature history about ‘em—stuff you’d never even think just lookin’ at a shell!”

Brooke raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Fascinating, Jude. I bet bizarre sea-rocks must really entertain that brain of yours for hours,” she said dryly, before rolling her eyes and sinking back into Ezekiel, who snickered softly in agreement. Velle hand twitches, stopping themself from commenting on the ‘rocks’ detail, which is very inaccurate.  Ahana, however, remained engaged. “I actually think it’s quite interesting,” she said, her voice steady, cutting through the sarcasm around them, “Maybe you can accompany me and Judy to lunch? Get something arranged, somewhere nice. Less in the heat with more places to sit,” Ahana spoke amicably. 

Velleity’s brows raise. Huh… Ahana is attempting to save them from this social wasp-nest, they notice, feeling grateful, “Ah, yes, I’d like that.”

“Judy, why don’t you take Velleity to the Bar Cabana? I’ll join you two briefly,” Ahana ordered, Brooke rolling her eyes again and Ahana being all bossy and taking charge again. 

Jude had his usual laid-back grin on his face, he patted Velleity on the back. “Let’s roll, Velle. You’ll love the Cabana—it’s got the best vibes, trust me.”

—*—

Velle watches their shoes leave imprints in the sand as they walk, enjoying the moment of peaceful silence, “They don’t like me,” Shyly they glance over to Jude, who’s been oddly silent. 

“Ahana likes you, Elle,” Jude nods, "And, like, it’s totally nothing personal with Ezekiel and Brooke. They don’t even know you, so how can you say they don’t like you? They’re all about judging a book by its cover, you know? Being popular just makes you shallow like that."

Velleity’s brow furrows, still staring at the sand, “Why do you spend time with them, then?” They ask, nervously tugging at the cuffs of their sleeves. They wouldn’t describe Jude as a ‘shallow’ person, maybe just a tiny bit dim.

“Ah, my Ahana Banana is totally hanging with the right crew! Those peeps have all the clout and cash—she’s Brooke's PR manager, after all! It’s all business with those three,” Jude says, clapping Velleity on the back again and playfully shaking them, “So don’t start frettin’ it, man!” Velleity wobbles, gripping the frames of their glasses to keep them in place, and a smile spreads across their face.

“And if it means anything, I  like you, Velleity.”

Velleity's cheeks flush with warmth, wishing they could say more to Jude without feeling scared or second-guessing themselves. Their smile widens. “...It means a lot, Judy.”

—*—

As Jude and Velleity shrink into the distance, Brooke dramatically turns her head toward Ahana. “That twink is definitely into your boyfriend.”

Ahana takes a loud sip from her drink, raising her eyebrows. “Duh.”