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_ The Substitute _

Y'know, I'd spent so much of the past year or so trying to prepare myself for university. Sure, two years of finishing school might've given me a taste for what classes and studying might be like, but not everything else that came with it.

Living away from my family, most of my friends, and the neighbourhood I called home; I had to deal with all of these on the fly. All things being equal, I'm sure I'd have coped with it all for the most part. Sasha, too, even if our mixed-size dorm was the first time he'd ever lived outside of a home built to our scale.

What... or rather, who made settling and adjusting here difficult refused to let up, even after a good three months of our first semester had passed.

"Dammit!" I stamped across the sticky tiles of our shared kitchen area, closing in on the shallow gap within the base of the wall. Inside, a small stove and refrigerator had been installed for smaller students to use. Perfect... provided our incredibly witty and humorous roommates didn't interfere with it.

"The shit I gotta do 'round here to get something to eat." As I slapped my paws to the big backpack that'd been left to block off our kitchen space, I realised I'd done most of those living here a disservice. Of the four 'larger' undergrads me and Sasha shared this place with, most of them left us to ourselves. It's the most I could have asked for, what with us being the only ones local to Zelengorod, let alone from a shared district.

"Ya kiddin' me..." I peered back from my struggle, finding Sasha standing at the doorway to the communal living area. "Again!?"

"You're surprised? Really?" Hard as I tried, this damn backpack full of books or bricks or whatever refused to budge across the tiling. "All I want is some dinner."

"Makes two of us." Sasha scowled, slinking low across the kitchen like only a fox could. "Shouldn't haveta go through all this." He threw his own paws out, joining me in a collective grunt as we strained to clear the blockade together. "Him and his fuckin' pranks."

"Don't have to tell me that." We heaved again, and again. "I hoped he might've got bored of this by now."

"Yeah, dream on." Another groan, another slither of progress. I could see our stove by this point at least. "He's his own biggest fan."

For the record, 'he' was Vadik; by far the most noteworthy person we shared the dorm with. While he'd never struck me as being a bad guy, mostly, Vadik had done a fantastic job of making living here as a smaller student that much more difficult. If I had to be honest, during the first week or two of the semester... some of his jokes were actually pretty funny. I didn't mind the way he'd do this kinda thing now and again, and I figured it was his way of... well...dealing with the fact we were all living together under one roof. I can't imagine he'd met many people my size back in Kremensk, given how split off things were between us Velikans and the growing number of Polcian immigrants there. Whatever the case, after enduring three solid months of his increasingly frequent 'humour', I was done. This shit had to stop for good.

"Kaz, you gonna help or what?" I shook my head clear and stared at Sasha, his chocolate and white-furred muzzle creased up tight. "Stop daydreamin' and push!"

"Sorry, man."

We shoved and shoved; keeping up our efforts until, finally, we'd shifted Vadik's backpack far enough to slip on by. Thankfully, our other roommates had steered clear of the kitchen for the duration. Now, that might sound weird, given how easy it'd have been for them to move Vadik's latest attempt at comedy, but the last thing I wanted was to rely on anyone else around here. I felt enough like some sort of sideshow as it was.

"At least we can eat now..." I said as I stopped in front of our fridge. No reply came. "Sasha? Where you at?"

"I've had enough of this."

"Huh?" I hurried back through the opening we'd just created. "What you gonna do?"

"Imma find the prick and set him straight."

"You what? You sure that's a good idea?" Of course it wasn't, but that's never stopped him doing something stupid before.

"Don't really care." He kept up his march away from me, the white tip of his brown brush lashing with the force of his steps. "Someone's gotta set him straight."

Oh gods... him and his big mouth. "Hold up, wait for me!"

Sasha barged our smaller kitchen door open, slamming it round into the frame of its larger counterpart. I followed him through, sidestepping into the relatively small living area just as it rebounded and thudded closed. Talking him down from whatever he'd planned didn't seem all too likely.

"Either of you seen Vadik?" I stopped behind him, looking up at the two girls of the dorm sitting upon the couch. Kira, the petite mink on the left, and Anya, the taller doe beside her, peered down at us in shock after having their TV show interrupted. "I gotta talk with him."

Kira shook her head and turned back to the set. Anya meanwhile, in her strong, eastern accent, replied, "We have not seen him, not since getting home from class. I know that Isaak is in his room, studying--"

"I didn't ask 'bout Isaak."

"I know," she grumbled. "Perhaps he is out at another party--"

"No, he's here! His backpack blockin' our kitchen's kind of a giveaway."

"Okay, there is no need for shouting! We have not been back long. If he _is_here, he is most probably in his room also. Go and check for him there."

"C'mon, man... don't take it out on them." I felt bad for the girls. They were friendly enough for country folk, even if I'd not gotten to know them all that much this semester. Between their class schedules and the university church group they attended, our paths didn't cross often. Same could be said for Isaak to an extent, our fourth and final dorm mate, what with how much time he spent studying over at the library.

"Fine, gods dammit!" Sasha stormed on across the lounge. If he'd heard their tutting and grumbling, he didn't take much notice. "I'll go drag him outta hiding myself."

"What you gonna do?" I chased him and his fiery, red head fur carefully around the base of the couch. The chip-filled wooden flooring could trip you if you weren't careful.

"What you think?"

"Shout. A lot. Since I don't think punching him in the ankle's gonna make him take much notice." The sneer I'd earned back stopped me from making a second snarky remark.

I'd caught up with Sasha by the time we stepped onto the worn rug sat just inside the dorm's front doors. Beyond it, the wide hallway leading off to the bedrooms greeted us.

Sasha made a beeline for the first door on the left. He'd definitely not calmed down any during his march over here, and with the short distance left to his target, that didn't look likely to change.

"I don't think this is gonna help anything..." I watched him practically throw himself down to his knees, then his stomach. "Be careful--"

"Hey! Vadik!" He slipped his muzzle into the gap between the door and floorboards, reaching up to pound a fist at the former. "You in there!? We need t'talk some."

"What if he doesn't see you--" A piercing squeal cut right through me as the door swung inwards.

I took a few steps back, neck craning up to see the big, stocky grey wolf smirking down at us.

"What d'you want?"

"Wanna know what your game is," Sasha growled back.

"C'mon," I mumbled, spotting a couple of Vadik's even taller friends waiting inside his room. "Leave it."

"No, Kaz. I ain't gonna!" He picked himself back up, standing his ground as he gazed up high from the bottom of our roommate's shin. "We're getting real sick of your shit."

Vadik shared a laugh with his fellow wolves behind him. "And what's_that_ exactly?"

"You know what, gods damn it!" Another groan from the girls in the lounge. As if Sasha cared. "We don't really enjoy having to lug your bag about just to get somethin' to eat."

"Oh, come on." Vadik folded his arms, letting himself fall against the doorframe. "It's a joke. Lighten up."

"It stopped being funny ages ago--!"

"How 'bout you stop being a killjoy, Mini-fox. Look." He let out a huge snort, glancing to me with a flick of his muzzle. "He's not complainin' any."

I froze. His eyeline trapped me to the spot. My chest started to tighten. Thank gods Sasha jumped in again.

"You can stop callin' me that, too!"

"Ah, quit whining." Vadik raised a bare footpaw as long as Sasha stood tall above him. "Learn to take a joke, short stuff." He stomped down hard between us both, crashing on by with his pack towards the living area. "You'll enjoy things 'round here a lot more that way."

"M-Make 'em funny and I might," Sasha squealed. "And stop with all that 'short' crap!"

"Why doncha ya just go and have a sulk in your little room about it?" Vadik flashed us a snide grin from the end of the hallway. "And take Red Raccoon there with ya."

"Panda," I grumbled, waiting for him to disappear around the corner, obviously. "Red panda... dick."

The force of Sasha's huffed groaning turned my head back towards him. He'd already started off along the hall, leaving me to chase after him all over again. "Hey, wait up."

He didn't wait. In fact, I couldn't get another word out of him by the time we'd reached the far end of the hallway.

"Coming inside?" he snapped, prompting me to keep an extra step between us as we arrived at the door to his bedroom.

"Sure... if that's okay--?"

"'s fine." He wrenched the handle and barged his way inside the narrow room, set up with mine in the corner like some kinda afterthought beside the dorm's side entrance.

I followed him through, closing the door behind us as he flicked on the lights. "That didn't go so well."

He didn't answer, choosing instead to walk the handful of steps to close the window above his study desk.

"At least yours opens properly... I think they screwed something up whenever they threw my room together."

Still, nothing. Sasha yanked his blinds closed, shutting out the snowy darkness. He didn't look at me once before throwing himself onto his bed with a grunt.

I shook my head and turned over my paws. "Something I should know?"

He batted a thick study book away from him. I caught its title, 'An Intro to Business Strategy', just before it thumped to the carpet. "Why didn't ya back me up out there?"

"What?" The bluntness knocked me back against the door. "It's not like anything I said would've made a difference."

"If you're scared of him, just say it."

"I'm not scared!"

"Good... 'cos I'm not. You shouldn't be, either. After all, _you're_the one that grew up with a bigger family."

"How's that relevant?" I heaved myself towards his bed. "Family's family, and that guy ain't part of mine."

"I'm just sayin--"

"I_know_ they'd never do anything dangerous, even when we argued. Same goes for pretty much everyone back home."

"Yeah, well Vadik'd never do anything, either. Even with his goonish friends around." He jumped up from his bed, throwing out his arms from his sides. "They'd kick him outta here so fast. The dorm _and_the uni."

"Before or after we end up with something broken?"

"Nothing--"

"And it ain't necessarily something that'd happen on purpose!" My shoulders shifted forward while Sasha's did just the opposite. "People like that-- they're not used to being around us. They don't know how to act." He sat back down, but I wasn't done. "What would've happened if he came flying outta his room when you were playin' psycho, huh? One misstep and you're in hospital, or worse. It's stuff like that that makes me scared. Not how some prick that belongs back in high school says shit and does shit at our expense."

"Ah, get real, Kaz." He shook his head. "He was waiting there for us."

"And you know that, how?"

"'cos he's got form for it, just like every other time he's blocked something off, or taken and hidden our stuff." He shifted back to lean against the wall beside his bed. "Anyway, we'd have heard_and_ felt him and his friends coming if they weren't right there already, wouldn't we?"

I couldn't fault any of his logic... much as I wanted to. "Listen, just don't go all suicide squad on me again, okay? ...I still don't trust the guy."

"Fine." He snorted out a laugh with folded arms. "Would love to get back at that prick, though."

"Yeah, you and me both." I sat down next to him on the bed, slouched forward with arms rested on my knees. "Still pissed at him for blocking up the front door after class last Monday. I was soaked by the time he let me in."

"It's not even like it's just that; blockin' things off and shit." He batted a paw towards his guitar standing in the corner. "Three days it took him to admit he'd taken and hidden it in his room. I mean damn, it's even the little things, like when you're just tryin' to move around the dorm. If he's there, he'll make sure to take a step and slam one of his oversized paws right in your way. I just get so pissed off with it."

"I know." I reached back to pull the red and brown stripes of my tail closer, giving Sasha a little more room on the bed. "Me too."

"That ain't to mention all the loud music and the noise his dumb friends make when they're round. Can't believe it's only us that it gets to."

"What we can do to stop it?" I tried to smile. "He loves the reaction he gets from it all, I guess."

"I've tried ignorin' it. I've tried just walkin' away. Now, I've tried tellin' it how it is and it ain't worked either. The fuck else is there t'do to stop him?"

If I'd known, I'd have told him. A solution to all this crap would've made things ten times better for both of us.

"Been thinking about it all." He sat forward, matching my position at the edge of his bed. "There's one thing that might help us out of this."

"What's that?"

He scratched under his muzzle, then at his cheek before rubbing over his triple-studded left ear. "Maybe it'd be worth looking into that dorm complex on the side of the sciences building for next semester."

I reeled away from that. "Really?"

"Yeah." His focus found the floor. "I mean... doing this excited me at first. The whole living with bigger folk thing, like you do with your family... but it's gotten old. I can't deal with it no more."

Was this really happening? Sasha, of all people? He never backed down from anything. "Well... don't let this ruin your outlook on it. It would've been cool to room with Niko for example, but... yeah, that didn't happen."

"No doubt." He picked his head up, turning towards the window to our right.

"But hey, just another couple of weeks 'til the end of semester. Then it's back home for New Year's Festival."

"Man, it's that and the three weeks of freedom that've kept me going lately." Finally, I got a smile. "Gonna grin and bear it until then."

My stomach did a good job of filling the space the end of our discussion created. Its rumbling reminded me just how all this crap had happened to begin with.

"Yeah, I'm starving, too," Sasha said, "but I'm not going back out there. No way."

"I'm not particularly looking to, either..." Man, I had to do _something_to try and cheer him up. "We can head out if you want? There's that place we went to near University Station, on the corner. Their spicy noodle soup was awesome. They were real size-friendly, too."

"Naw, I ain't goin' out tonight."

"Did I hear that right?" I mocked, pushing him by the shoulder. "Sasha Sidorov, staying in on a Friday night?"

He flopped over easily, sticking out an elbow to catch himself. "Ain't in the mood. Just wanna stay here... chill out. Maybe we can do that tomorrow."

"Yeah..." I offered out my paw. "Can't argue with that."

He slapped his palm to mine, letting me help him back up. "Wanna play a game online or something?"

"Sure. That don't solve the food problem, though." My eyes drifted over to his cork noticeboard on the wall opposite. More precisely, they found the handful of takeout menus he'd pinned up next to his class schedule; all of them places local to the campus that catered for smaller customers. "Wanna order something in? We can ask 'em to deliver to the side door again."

"Sounds like a plan." He dragged himself up from the bed, slumping past me towards the door. "You take your pick tonight. Imma head to the bathroom."

I barely had the chance to stand up myself before Sasha's low growling perked my ears. He'd opened his door, only to find it completely blocked off by a wall of black fabric. Vadik's backpack.Again.

We didn't bother to shout, whine or anything like that. We just turned to one another and quietly sighed. When the hell was this gonna stop?Was this gonna stop?

"He's a creative fucker, I'll give him that." He took a backhanded swipe at the all too familiar barricade. "Hope it's movable... else we're goin' out the window."

"Y'know, I wouldn't even mind so much if it was occasional." I started across to join him. "Or even remotely funny."

"Or by someone I actually like." We took our positions at the doorway, palms flat against the coarse fabric. "Alright... Push."

Our collective straining generated some movement, but nothing like as much as back in the kitchen. "Damn it... I think he's filled it up even more."

"Figures," Sasha spat back, throwing another punch.

"It's amazing how quiet he can be when he wants."

"Yeah... compare that with when I had that girl from the student union bar back here a couple weeks ago." We pushed harder, enough to start us panting, but also gain traction. "Pretty sure the overgrown dick was jumping... not stepping about out there... Kinda killed the mood."

It took push after shove after curse-filled scream, but finally we'd shifted that fucking bag all over again. Vadik wasn't gonna beat us, but damned if I wanted to keep dealing with all his shit.

"Just a couple more weeks," I said, gasping for air. "Then we're back home... Away from this."

"Can't wait," Sasha panted back, pushing past me and squeezing out into the hallway. "For that... or the bathroom!"

Thankfully, those final weeks of class passed by at a decent pace. In that time, me and Sasha only had to suffer through a few more tricks and pranks between us. As much as I tried not to let Vadik's 'jokes' get me down, heading along to University Station to board the train back home felt like we were escaping to freedom. I'd made this journey a few times during the semester, but this particular trip would be the first where I'd be staying for longer than just a weekend.

Seeing my neighbourhood covered in a festive dusting of snow helped lift a huge weight from my shoulders. Standing here in my toasty winter jacket, letting the walkway carry me leisurely along the wintery sidewalk, I couldn't not smile at being back in familiar surroundings. Back where I belonged.

All the lights and decorations my dad had put up, just like every year, welcomed me onto our snow-sprinkled front path. Hanging beneath our porch, a multicoloured gathering of paper clocks fluttered in the icy breeze, waiting to be burned on the bonfire under cover of fireworks come New Year's Eve; all to signify and celebrate the passing of another year.

Of course, I'd always been focused on the gift-giving part of the holiday, but now, after living away from home for the first time, the traditional, family-orientated things interested me that much more. Especially after putting up with Vadik all semester. Fucking Vadik. I might have been able to escape him by coming home, but there'd be no escaping the memory of everything he'd put me through. To my credit, I managed to spare my family from venting about him right away, making it all the way through to my dinner back home with them.

"There must be someone there you can talk to about him," Ma suggested from her seat at the end of the dining table on my right.

"He'll soon stop if you report him to the university," Dad added, sitting at the opposite end, past my kid brother Luka to my left.

"Really don't see how that'd help." I carried on poking and prodding at my vegetables. I'd been messing around with them so long, they'd become a confused, mashed up mess of colour on my plate. "The housing department only care about getting their money on time, and that no one burns anything down."

"You can try," Dad insisted. "You won't know unless you do."

I glanced up from my plate, and from my smaller seat set atop the table. My whole family were looking over me; five raccoon masks all directed my way.

"Ma and Dad are right, Kaz," said my sister, Nadia, diagonally across from me and in the seat next to my teenage brother, Artur. I opened my mouth to ask just what they all thought would happen if I _did_report Vadik, only to have Art pipe up first.

"If Kaz reports him, most they're gonna do is warn the guy not to do it no more. Probably just make things worse."

I couldn't believe it. The most sensible thing said at the table that evening had come from him of all people. Of course, Art being Art, he soon reverted to form. "You and Sasha should just prank him back."

"You're serious?"

"Sure." His grin shone almost as bright as the glittering tinsel and patterned lights hanging on the wall behind him. "He keeps messin' with you and your stuff, right? Why doncha do the same to him?"

"And just how should we do that?"

"You... How 'bout you lock him out of the dorm, just like he did to you?"

"I don't think--"

"You could dump loadsa sharp stuff on the floor outside his bedroom?" suggested Luka beside me, eyes sparkling behind his glasses. "That'd teach him."

"Boys, I don't think this'd be a good idea."

Art didn't let Ma stop his flow of ideas. "Or... or how 'bout the next time he leaves that backpack of his somewhere annoying... you get inside and mess up his class books somehow."

I noticed Nadia watching Art in silence, arms folded. Didn't have to wait long for her to turn to me. No doubt she'd echo Ma's warning. "Pour a load of water into it the next time he dumps it in the kitchen."

"What!?"

"Yeah! Yeah, that'd do it!" Art ignored my shock, rocking on his seat while his big, stripey tail flicked up behind him. "Mess his books up plenty that way."

"Alright, alright. That's enough." Dad's loud rumbling cooled my younger siblings' excitement. "If there's anything that will make things worse for Kazimir, it's doing something like that."

"Too right it will... but doing nothing just leaves me in the same position I'm in now."

The table fell silent, leaving me to paw at my food again. I really didn't know what to say or to do next. Didn't seem like anyone could offer me any real help. Not that I'd expected it.

"Ma, can I be excused?"

I glanced up at Luka, then down to his empty plate just as Ma answered, "Of course."

He clambered out of his seat, pushing it in with a noisy grind across the floor tiles. "Hey, Kaz. Wanna help me with my maths homework this weekend?"

"He's only just got home." We both looked up at Ma. "Give him a chance to get settled."

"Yeah, I know, but--"

"I can help you out again," Dad said. "Just let me know when."

"Well 'kay... Kaz is better, though."

"...Go watch television," he grumbled back, leaving me to snort quietly as Luka cheerfully padded off.

Art did the same, followed by Nadia. Only then did it dawn on me that I'd been so caught up thinking and talking about Vadik, I'd barely even touched my dinner by the time everyone else had finished theirs.

My siblings quickly filed out into the lounge. That left me, our parents and my cold plate of meat and vegetables sat at the table.

"This is really bothering you, isn't it?"

I rubbed at my temple, sighing through my nose over Ma's questioning.

"I really am sure that reporting him to the university will help."

My nose twitched and my muzzle creased. "It... No, it's fine--"

"Because you know, they won't tolerate sizeism."

"Oh, he's not sizeist." They both shared a look between themselves. "No, really... I mean... I've heard the kinda things sizeists have done in the past, and it's nothing like that... Just stupid jokes and generally being a jerk. We'll think of something to get back at him."

"I hope you're not thinking of listening to your brothers and sister."

"No, Dad, 'course not." I pushed my plate away and slumped back in my seat. "Me and Sasha'll work something out. I mean... he kinda mentioned about maybe trying to move into the dorms for students our size next semester."

"You can't do that."

"We can. It might be tricky at such short notice, but--"

"No," Dad snapped, thumping his elbows to the table. He clasped his paws and leaned forward to peer down at me through his furrowed black mask. "What I mean is, whatever else, you can't back down from him."

"Your dad's right." I turned to Ma. Her expression was a little less... intense. "You can't let someone force you into doing something you don't want to do... just because they're bigger."

"You didn't when you were younger, and you're not going to start now."

"But that was school, Dad. It's not the same. There were more of... us."

"That doesn't mean you can turn tail and run whenever things get tough."

"Yeah... I know." I clasped my own paws between my thighs, shoulders dipping. "It was Sasha's idea... but the more I think about it, the more I figure it might be for the best. We're both getting sick of being on edge around the dorm, hiding away in our rooms when we've had enough of all the pranks and stuff. At this point, I think we'd both be happy to pay a little more just to get away from it all."

"It sounds like such a big step," Ma said softly, shuffling her seat closer to lean over the table. "Such an upheaval, all because of one person."

"It's not like we'd be giving in completely and heading off to the university in the Polcian district or something." My tail started to curl around the leg of my chair. "I just don't know what else we can do. This guy's clearly not gonna stop... Makes me feel so... powerless."

Dad followed Ma's lead. He hauled himself up to his feet, shifting closer to drop onto the seat that Luka had left empty next to me. "Do whatever's best for you," he said, hovering over me with a smile. "But don't do anything just because someone's bullied you into it. If you do, you'll be doing that for the rest of your lives."

"You're both students, just like everyone else attending that place. You deserve to treated like it." Ma reached out to rub my shoulder with a finger. "Never forget that."

I sat there quietly, letting my parents fuss over me a little while longer. Students just like everyone else? I appreciated the sentiment, but this last semester made that hard to believe.

"Okay?"

"Yeah... Thanks, Ma."

Much as I hadn't planned on it, I wound up spending the majority of my first evening back home holed up in my bedroom. Sure, I poked at a couple of video games, half-listened to some music and spoke briefly to some friends online. I even made plans with both Sasha, and our friend Niko to meet up and hang out the next day.

Usually, I'd have been pretty satisfied with that, but not after being away from home for so long. In fact, I was annoyed at myself. This wasn't how I wanted to spend my vacation at all.

On the train home that day, I'd thought over how much I wanted to catch up with my family. No doubt so much had happened while I'd been stuck on the other side of Zelengorod. The distance had made me so keen to know how my parents had been getting on at work, as well as my siblings with their studies. Nadia had started high school this summer, while Art had begun his second to last year there. Luka was still in primary school of course, fighting on in his eternal struggle with school work. I hoped they were all coping better than I'd been.

Of course, the logical way for me to find all that out was not to join them in the lounge, but to lock myself away in a small room built just for me all over again. At this rate, that fucking wolf from my dorm was not only gonna ruin my first semester at university, but my New Year's Festival, too.

"Screw it." I pushed back from my desk, spinning in my chair to practically jump towards my door. "I ain't having that..."

It's only when I finally left my bedroom in the corner of Art's that realisation set in. His room was pitch black, not even a flicker of light seeping in from the hallway outside. I squinted up through the darkness to my biggest little brother's bed. Sure enough, I found him; sprawled out and snoring beneath his sheets.

I snatched my phone from my pocket. That only confused me more. "1am? When'd that happen?"

In a weird way, the disappointment only made me more determined. I might have left it too late that evening, but for the rest of my three weeks of freedom, I'd make sure they were exactly that.

"Good to be back, ain't it?"

"Back where?" I turned to Sasha as we strolled on through the park, sticking close to the banks of snow running alongside the damp, slushy path. "Home or here?"

"Both, I guess." Our steps crunched atop the grit that'd stopped the gentle snowfall from laying. It made for a much easier walk to the seating area overlooking the lake.

It'd been a good many Saturdays since we'd wandered a few streets over to come hang out here. Even in that time, not much had changed. The wooden shelter that housed a set of park benches looked as ancient as ever, but still managed to keep the elements out.

"Didn't realise how much I'd miss this place."

"We've only been gone a few months, Kaz." Sasha shoved me in the back, grinning as I returned the favour. "And only across town."

"Yeah... I know." Smaller benches sat between each of those built for our bigger neighbours. We settled into the first we came to. It gave me a chance to look out across the blanket of white that'd been thrown over the area. "They haven't held back on the decorations this year. Got 'em in the trees and everything."

"And they're just gonna burn it all come next weekend," Sasha scoffed. "Seems like loadsa effort for not much return. Never made sense to me."

"Fireworks'll still be awesome, though."

"Oh, ain't no disputin' that. They're the best part." He adjusted on his side of the bench, tugging the collar of his bulky winter jacket up to brush his cheeks. "So, did you get the whole third degree off your parents yesterday, too?"

"Not really." I followed his lead and adjusted my own. "Actually didn't talk to 'em as much as I'd hoped."

"Wow, really? Damn! I couldn't stop my folks from chatting on and on 'bout how things'd been back here. Had loadsa questions 'bout how uni had been, too."

"What you tell 'em?"

"Truth... That things'd been good... mostly."

I glanced at him just as he turned back ahead. This wasn't the time to push. "Fair enough."

A loud cheer attracted my own attention back to the frozen lake, where another tradition was already well underway amid all the festive decorations. The first Saturday of New Year's Festival break always saw a pick up hockey game break out between the larger-sized neighbourhood kids. Not to be outdone, us smaller guys used to make sure we got our game in first, before their skates carved the ice up too much.

"Think this is the first year we ain't playing," Sasha said, settling back and stretching his arms across the bench. "Feels weird."

"I know, man." I gestured to the mess of players crowding the makeshift rink, focusing on the familiar grey and black striped tail of one player in particular. "Art's representing at least."

"'ey, I wouldn't expect any less."

"Kept meaning to time a trip back home with one of his games, since he finally made the school team this year."

"Yeah, but that ain't never gonna happen midweek, is it?"

"If my timetable works out better next semester, it might."

"Hey, guys!" The sudden call almost made me jump out of my seat. "How's it going?"

I looked up to find another, far larger red panda smiling down at us. Niko.

"All good," Sasha barked, getting up from the bench to stand beside his ankle "When'd ya get back?"

"This morning. Had a couple things on last night, so had to stick around campus." He carefully shifted around, lowering himself into the big bench beside ours with a gentle thump. "Good to be back, though. Haven't seen you guys since summer."

"Good to have you back," I replied. Couldn't help snicker as I added, "Missed having your overgrown self around."

"Now you know how I've felt all these years. You guys have _always_been easy to miss."

"Fuck you," Sasha barked. I'm sure his smile up at Niko came a second after it normally would.

"Hey, hey, sorry, man." Our big friend held up his paws, cheeks pressed up by his grin. "It is real good to see you guys, though."

"Same." I stood up beside Sasha. "Things haven't been the same without you around."

Niko gave us a satisfied smirk, reaching down with his upturned, gloved paws. "C'mon, you're makin' me blush."

"Calm down, big man." Sasha stepped up into his palms right before I did. "We ain't missed ya that much."

He lifted us steadily, bringing his cupped paws into his midsection while watching the hockey game himself. "Wouldn't you guys prefer to go someplace else?"

"Why?" I peered up at him with Sasha. His quick bout of shivering forced us both to steady ourselves.

"I'm freezing."

"Ah, it's not that cold."

"Coulda fooled me!" Niko snapped a cloud of breath out into the air, nursing us from his paws and onto his lap. "There I was thinking it's the middle of winter out here, what with all this snow and wind." He reached to zip his coat to the very top of its collar, covering his muzzle.

"Besides," I thumbed back over my shoulder. "We're watching the game."

"You still wanna head down to the strip for dinner though, right?"

"Definitely." It was hard not to laugh at Niko's muffled voice as he shoved his paws into his coat pockets. "Art wanted to come with us, too, so figured we could meet him here and head down straight after. If that's cool?"

"'course." His leg rocked and trembled beneath my feet as he shivered again. "Just hope his game's not gonna last too much longer."

Niko did eventually stop himself shaking, making it easier to take a seat and for us to strike up a conversation. Just like with my family, we had plenty to catch up on.

"How're things going over in Novolesk, Niko?"

"Pretty tough so far. Classes have been pretty intense right from the start."

"What, no grace period?"

"I wish," he snorted, pulling his collar down from his muzzle. "Got project work dropped on us barely a week in. Been full pelt ever since."

"Damn," Sasha said. "First few weeks was just recapping basic economics and stuff for me."

"Same here, kinda," I stated, nodding. "Basic programming and networking theory, just to make sure everyone was up to speed before the first assignments were handed out."

"Sounds like a dream," Niko grunted. "I didn't expect to get thrown in so deep so quick."

"Liking it, though?"

"Oh, yeah, for sure. It's all interesting stuff. Classes might be tough, but the professors at NovoTech are all real good. Know their stuff and helpful, too." He sat back, grinning at whatever had crossed his mind. "Sharing a dorm with some odd guys from Sokolka, but there's a couple of others from here who are pretty cool. Fun to hang with. Biggest thing that's taken getting used to is that everyone's the same size... Still feels pretty weird, actually."

"Y'shouldn't have gone out to the sticks," Sasha said, jumping up to give Niko a mock punch to a small section of his gut. "Ain't no place like Zelengorod."

"Hey, you know I'da loved to join you guys at State." Niko poked a big, gloved finger at Sasha's shoulder, knocking him a couple of steps back down his thigh. "The engineering school there sucks compared to Novolesk, though. The open day was proof enough of that."

"Yeah, I can't blame ya f'that." A loud slap rang out as Sasha's sweeping backhand nudged the large paw aside. Not that it hurt Niko, of course; as shown by his wry smile as he reached to flick Sasha's brown brush. "Hey!"

He snorted loudly, setting his paw down before turning to me atop his other leg. "How're things with Eva?" A flutter and a wrenching in my chest struck hard and fast. "Spoken to her since you've got back?"

"Not yet... no." My ears flicked down to my scalp. Didn't get the chance to explain more before Sasha jumped in.

"She's given him the cold shoulder ever since headin' off up to Tayda."

"What the fuck, man!?"

"Hey, don't take it out on me," he scoffed back. "Heading that far north, she'll have a cold everything."

I took my eyes, and mind, off of Sasha's smirk. "I've not really heard much from her since a couple weeks... a month or so ago."

"Really?" Niko replied, his tone in that horrible place right between surprise and pity. "That's a while."

"She's busy... We all are, ain't we?" I started to scruff up my head fur, looking for anything but his sympathetic smile. "She told me how full on her nursing studies were... It's to be expected I guess."

The choir of voices coming off the lake behind me caught my ears; the only sound to be heard within our wooden shelter.

"She's blown you out."

"Hey!" I glared at Sasha, but clearly he had nothing else to say on the matter. "That's not true."

Back came the silence. Thank the gods for Niko moving things on not long after.

"How are you guys finding State anyhow? Enjoying it?"

"Much the same as last time we spoke, to be honest." The pressure that'd started me tensing began to ease. I dove fully into his new line of conversation. "Classes are fine, and the uni itself is pretty good in terms of things to do on campus."

"Nightlife ain't all that great, though."

I glanced to Sasha with a nod of agreement. "Yeah, things are a bit tired on that front, definitely."

"Gotta head into the city to find something fun to do, or a good place for a drink. A lot more size-friendly places there."

Niko might not have reacted outwardly to Sasha's explanation, but I could see the processing going on behind his eyes. "Are you coping with getting around the place? I know it's not like here... but I hope there's more to it than just a few paths from the dorms to the classrooms."

"Ah, sure, we can get pretty much anywhere we want. Just gotta be a bit careful in the busier places around campus."

"Like the quad," Sasha mumbled. "Hangin' around there without a bigger friend probably ain't a good idea, what with a lot of our classmates not used to having folk our size around. Don't take care."

"Yeah, well we kinda need to watch out for ourselves, too. Told you that at the time."

"That damn bear wasn't looking where he was stomping! Wasn't far from kickin' and sendin' me flying."

"You weren't looking, either."

"Not the point!"

"Kinda is."

"I can believe it," Niko stated, grinning down at Sasha. "It's not like that's never happened to you here."

"Hey, don't go takin' sides, big man."

"I'm not--"

"Only place I ain't at risk of gettin' kicked or stepped on is in the crappy excuse for a room I've got in our dorm."

"They're_that_ bad?" Niko's mouth twisted back up with his sympathy.

"They're livable," I said. "Not much more than that. Real tight for space once you take into account the desk, the bed and the bookcase they include."

"Even worse when you gotta spend so much of your damn time cooped up in there."

"You don't hang out in the communal areas?" Niko's brow started to furrow as he peered down at Sasha's steady slumping. "What are your roommates like?"

"They're okay... for the most part," I answered on Sasha's behalf. "Most of 'em just let us get on with our own thing. Leave us be."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yeah. I guess. I mean, we get the opposite, too. We get people looking at us like we're some weird novelty on campus. They're harmless, though, and it helps us know which students are from out of town--"

"There's one guy," Sasha blurted with words something like a quiet explosion. "One guy who's always on our case."

A thunderous, roaring cheer rumbled from the lake. Someone had scored what sounded like the winning goal. None of that took my attention from what was about to be said here in the shelter.

"On your case?" Niko sat forward, lifting a thumb and finger to his chin. "How?"

"Messing with us and shit--"

"Y'know if he's done anything threatening, they'll kick him out in a heartbeat. The engineering school might suck at State, but I remember them droning on and on about how 'size-friendly' they were back on the open day. Really pushing it."

"Yeah, I remember, too... No, he ain't bein' threatening. Not really, anyway."

"Then what's he done to you guys?"

Sasha huffed out loud, placing a paw to his head and turning away to look to the shelter's wooden sidewall. Guessed I'd take over and explain. "Just stupid pranks... being generally annoying, unfunny and a pain in the tail to live with in the process."

"Damn. That sucks you've gotta deal with that." Niko grumbled. "All that... I gotta say doesn't sound that bad on the face of things."

I glared up at him, Sasha going one step further and snapping out a, "You what!?"

"Sound." He threw up his paws. "I said it doesn't sound that bad."

"How 'bout when I tell you how all his shit, all the fuckin' time, makes even living there almost impossible?" Sasha hurled himself up onto his feet so fast that even Niko recoiled above us. "Blockin' off doors and openings with his stuff." He threw out his arms with a heavy shrug. "How 'bout all the times he gets in the way when he sees you coming, stepping and stomping and leaving you unsure about even moving around the place that's supposedly 'home'?"

"It sounds--"

"He don't give a damn about how it affects me and Kaz. Couldn't give a damn about the fact that it makes me nervous... no, fuck it, I'll admit it. It makes me scared to be around the guy, even if there's a chance we could get him kicked outta the dorm."

"You're scared? Really?"

"Yeah, I'm scared! How can I not be!?" Sasha lost his edge, a squeal creeping into his snarling. "The way he throws himself about all the time, getting in the way and shit. Mocking us for nothing except being... small." He turned to me, pleading. "Living like this... like you do... I never thought it'd be this hard."

"It shouldn't be." My ears splayed out to match his. "Not at all."

Niko adjusted his jeans and jacket, tearing us from our outpouring as we bounced atop his legs. "Clearly it's getting to you guys... and not just a little bit."

"I just wish we could get our own back," Sasha whimpered as he slumped back down to sit. "Show him how we'd react if he did shit to us while being the same size."

"It's a shame you can't make him shrink or something." Niko flashed a grin. "Show him your side of things."

I watched Sasha's eyes grow wide, his ears springing back up from his skull in a heartbeat. "What are you thinking?"

"Why don't we?"

"Why don't we, what?" I shared a glance of bemusement with Niko. "You wanna shrink him?"

"Don't be dim!" He jabbed out a finger towards me. "We make you big."

"Yeah, cos that makes much more sense, don't it."

"Hey--"

"I think you've finally lost it," Niko snorted.

"You two gonna gimme a chance to explain, or what?"

"Go on then." I had to admit... I was kinda intrigued by whatever idea had sprung up in his head.

"I know a way. A way that we can make you bigger."

Stupid me. "Niko's right. You've fuckin' lost it."

"Well, it wouldn't actually be you!"

"Who then?"

He gestured up at Niko with a face that suggested I'd missed the glaringly obvious. "We bring in a substitute."

The shelter went quiet all over again. My focus started to wander, Sasha's suggestion ringing in my ears as I watched a few of the players from the hockey game depart the lake. Their game had ended. Art would be up here soon to join us down on the strip for food. Not before we addressed whatever Sasha had cooked up, though. "You're insane."

"Why?"

"It won't work is why!"

"Gimme one good reason," Sasha spat back. "You're both red pandas."

"Because all red pandas look alike," I sneered. "You speciest or something?"

"You know what I mean... You guys have similar markings, the same brown-shaded cheek stripes and your fur colour ain't all that different--"

"Different enough," Niko grunted from above. "Kaz's head fur's a darker red for one."

"And that's before we even mention the fact that Niko's arms and paws are brown." I held up my paws, palms facing me as I waved and showed off their black fur. "How do we get around that?"

"C'mon." He stabbed a finger up at his bright red head fur. "Have I gotta think up everything?"

"Fur dye?" Niko couldn't hide his distaste. "Isn't that a bit... much?"

"It ain't permanent, damn." Sasha pointed over to me, or more precisely, my arms. "And you could wear gloves and something with long sleeves if you're that worried."

"But... our eyes. My eyes are blue eyes, Kaz's are brown--"

"Oh my gods." He hacked out a laugh. "You think that prick's noticed his eyes? Get real. Far too busy giving us shit for that."

He had a point. Kinda. The glance Niko gave me meanwhile said he shared my reservations.

"Anything else?"

I turned back to Sasha, struggling to meet his challenge... and struggling to want to, honestly. There was one last thing that needed to be addressed. "Looking like me is one thing, but how about the fact that we sound different. Even with my Normaliser."

"Easy." He grinned up at Niko. "Just don't say too much... and make your voice squeaky when ya do haveta speak."

"Fuck off, my voice ain't squeaky."

"It is a bit," Niko retorted in some whiny squeal that supposedly sounded like me... Much to Sasha's delight.

"Hah, see!? C'mon, we'd only need to make it believable enough to mess with this guy... We can pull it off!"

I was caving, no doubt about it. Imagining that dick Vadik getting his comeuppance slapped a smile as big as Sasha's right across my muzzle. "It's worth a shot, I guess... If Niko's game?"

"Well..." He held his paws up above us, offering a shrug. "I don't have a class until the Tuesday after vacation's over. If you're headed back down before that, I can tag along with you?"

"That'll work!" Sasha yelled, punching the cold air hard enough to set him bouncing across Niko's thigh. "That'll totally work!"

"Man," I scratched at my scalp, running fingers through the red fur that Niko's might soon match. "Are we really doing this?"

"Fuck yeah we are!"

One last question remained. Niko had the foresight to ask it before I got the chance. "So... this whole 'getting even'... What exactly did you have in mind?"

Sasha grinned hard enough to show off most of his teeth. I guessed the short answer'd have been 'plenty'.

I'd loved being back home so much, back in familiar surroundings with friends and family, that the next three weeks raced past way too fast for comfort. All the bonfires, firework displays and partying on New Year's Eve, followed by present opening, overeating and even more partying on New Year's Day and beyond: it somehow made the idea of going back to deal with Vadik even less appealing.

Still, travelling down on the train with Niko the Sunday before classes started up again made things more bearable, as did the thought of what we had planned for that evening.

"You_really_ think this is gonna work?" Niko spread his arms, scanning over the dark green hoodie and frayed jeans we'd decided to dress him in.

"Sure it is," Sasha called, peeking through the smaller doorway of our dorm's kitchen again. "You and Kaz look like twins wearin' that." He smirked toothily. "Apart from your slight height difference, obviously."

Honestly, Sasha had called it right. Wearing almost identical clothes, and with Niko's head fur dyed practically the same darker shade of red as mine, we really did look alike. Sure, we had a few different markings here and there, and different coloured paws, too, but having him standing here in the fur, all dressed up and ready to go, made this insane idea of Sasha's... not quite as insane as when he'd first come out with it back home.

"What if he doesn't come back?" Niko sat himself in one of the chairs around our plastic kitchen table. "This is a lot of effort to go to for him not to show."

"He'll be here," I answered, glancing back over my shoulder. We hadn't had to wait long for the all too familiar sight of Vadik's backpack blocking off our kitchen area. "It'd be too much of a blessing for him not to be."

Niko grumbled, jumping back up from his seat. With a couple of long strides, he made it over to where I stood. "I can see what you guys were talking about now." He swung his big leg out past me, kicking Vadik's bag aside with absolute ease. "What a dick."

"You_so_ need to stay for the rest of the year," Sasha called from across the kitchen. "Can't we tempt ya with another tour of the engineering school?"

"Sorry." Niko grinned. "Let's just hope all this helps make things better for you guys after I'm gone."

Sasha jumped with enough shock that I could see it all the way from our kitchen area. His large ears flicked, pricking up as he placed his head to the door.

I stood frozen to the spot, wondering if his cue would come, or if it'd be yet another false alarm.

"I think he's here!" Sasha confirmed with a muted cry, bursting into sprint across the kitchen.

"You sure?"

"Dunno! Go look."

"Why didn't you!?"

I had to dodge him as he raced on by, barely managing to stop himself clattering into our kitchen worktop. "I... didn't wanna give it away."

"You didn't-- Why would you being here, in our dorm kitchen, give anything away!?"

"I... don't know." He shot me a gormless glare. "Panicked."

"Uh, guys?" Niko crept over to our hideaway, kneeling down to look at us. "What do you want me to do?"

"Really? We're gonna screw this up before we even get going?" I resisted throwing a paw to my head, jogging over to his muzzle instead. "Wait where we said to, okay?" He nodded quickly, hauling himself all the way back up to his full height. "Alright... let's do this."

The kitchen door squealed as I eased it open. Louder than usual, I'm sure. I pressed my head through the gap, making a quick scan of the living area.

I couldn't see anyone to start off with; the couch ahead sitting empty. Squeezing myself out a bit further, I could just about see the armchair adjacent to it.

Isaak, the lanky tiger, sat there quietly with his earphones in and a study book in his paws. It didn't make sense. No one else was here. Maybe Sasha had got it wrong--

"Hey, Kaz," Isaak said with a quick wave.

"Hey--"

"Yeah! Hey, Kaz!" The door flew open, damn near taking my arm along with it. I glanced up to have Vadik's smarmy, wolfish grin greet me. "How you been?"

"Fine."

"Good." He released his finger and thumb from the top of the door, rising back up. "Not gonna ask me?"

Hadn't planned on it, you overgrown fuck. Too bad I didn't have Sasha's ability to speak my mind and to hell with the consequences. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been great," he sang, grin stretching while I spotted the tip of his tail wagging beyond his broad-shouldered frame. "Missed you and Mini-fox, though. Got kinda used to you two scurrying about the place underpaw."

Dick. What I wouldn't have given to spit out a reply that'd shut him up for good. "Right."

"Where_is_ Mini-fox anyway? That whiny little ball'a fuzz is kinda growing on me."

"Dunno."

"For real?" I tried not to shudder as his low growl rumbled in my ears. "Might as well be holdin' hands the amount you two hang around each other."

My conscious screamed, begging me to make a comeback. "Whatever."

"Yeah." Vadik bent back down towards me, still wearing that damn awful grin. "Whatever." He grabbed the door and faked to slam it closed.

"Hey!" I stumbled back, almost falling through the doorway.

His howl of laughter pissed me off even more. "Damn it, you're _so_easy!"

My tail started curling around my leg. This really wasn't going according to plan.

"So. Damn. Easy." I watched him swagger off to the couch, throwing himself into it with the most self-satisfied smirk I'd ever seen.

"Well... So's your Ma."

"My Ma?" He snorted out another laugh. "What are ya, twelve!?"

My tail wrapped tighter. I couldn't do this.

"Anything else?" Vadik sat back, sprawling out and stretching his arms along the back of the couch. The bastard was adoring this.

The sight of Isaak adjusting in his chair caught the corner of my eye. I glanced up at him, finding the small flick of a glum smile directed back at me.

"Hey, Red." My focus flashed back to the couch. "Red Raccoon." I cringed hard. "Just so you know, I left my backpack lying around someplace... Can't remember exactly where." His smug snickering set my teeth grinding. "If you find it, lemme know."

"Yeah, I found it." I started to tense up, fists balling. "In front of our kitchen. Again."

His large ears flicked. "Good." His thick tail twitched. "Figured I could rely on you. You and Mini-fox have a knack for it."

"Gotta say, there's been times when it's stopped us getting where we wanna go so easily."

"Oh, really? Shame..."

"I-It is." I pushed past my stuttering and down the path unfolding ahead of me. "But, it does give me and Sasha the chance to have a little nose inside."

His brow arched. That smug smirk wavered. "What?"

"Yeah, I mean it's all we can do sometimes when we can't get by at all. Might as well spend the time usefully."

Vadik pinched his mouth, squinting. "You're talking crap."

'course I was, but I couldn't let on. "Seriously. We kinda enjoyed getting some of your assignment work open for a read... Comedy has always been my favourite genre, y'know."

"Hell you mean by that?"

A voice of doubt told me to stop. My voice said otherwise. "I mean, I'm not sure if you're deliberately trying to be funny with some of those answers, or if you're just really fuckin' stupid."

A loud snort rumbled out from the armchair. Vadik whipped his head towards it, shooting Isaak the most deathly glare I'd ever seen. His growling started our roommate casting a sheepish glance my way, then back to Vadik before finally getting up with book in paw to slink off towards the bedrooms.

"Don't call me stupid!" Vadik leap up from his seat. "You runt!"

The power of his landing shook the floorboards, startling me into retreat but not slowing my mouth any. "I'll stop when you stop calling me a raccoon. Not that I've got anything against 'em. My family are raccoons after all. But me, I'm a red panda, yeah? Gotta be a bit slow not to notice that."

"Shoulda known," Vadik grumbled, eyes narrowing to slits. "Always figured you stank like one. That'll be why."

"Hey, fuck you."

"Don't like it?" His bared teeth drew closer overhead. "What ya gonna do about it?"

"I'll..." Him talking about my family like that started my chest burning... and my eyes watering. "You'll see."

"Will I?" Vadik laughed right in my face, forcing me to wince and recoil away from the hot jet of spit-filled air. "Don't try and play tough guy with me. Leave that to someone big enough to back it up." He drove a pair of fingers into my stomach. "And big enough not to squeak like a toy."

"People like you don't deserve to be bigger." I batted at his paw, though it was more his effort than mine that moved it aside. "I'd love you to know what it feels like to be down here."

"Not gonna happen, Red Raccoon." I ground my teeth at the way he sang those words out. "I'll always be big, and you'll _always_be a runt."

That was as good a cue as any. I darted off, slipping away from his paw before he could poke, prod or push me again. "I'm done with this."

"Aww, y'gonna go cry about it?"

In one swift motion, I heaved open the kitchen door, rushed through and slammed it closed behind me. Showtime.

"Quick, quick!" Racing across the cracked, sticky tiles, I craned my neck up to Niko waiting patiently in the middle of our kitchen. "Get ready."

"He's coming?"

"There ain't no way he won't be after that." I passed by his feet, diving back into our scaled-down section where Sasha remained hidden away. "He'll wanna mess with me s'more for sure."

The larger door of the kitchen started to creak open, raising both my voice and my pulse rate. "Just like we said!"

Niko nodded, throwing his arm down to heave Vadik's bag back across the opening.

"This is gonna be hilarious," Sasha snickered from behind me.

He ducked his head as I threw a finger to my mouth. "Quiet."

We crept to a narrow gap left between the bag and wall, just about big enough for us to see through into the main kitchen area.

Niko rushed across the room, each bound trembling the floor and rattling the dishes on our counter until he reached the refrigerator.

He heaved the door open and threw his head inside just in time for Vadik to call out, "Hey! Who the hell are you?"

We shifted for position, forcing ourselves as far into the gap as possible to watch Vadik creep across the kitchen.

"Who let you in here!?" He stopped at the table sitting between himself and Niko.

I grasped at the backpack keeping us hidden, holding my breath in wait for him to say something back.

Niko's huge, hooped tail swayed faster and faster while he clattered about inside the fridge.

"Hey! I'm talkin' to you!" Vadik smashed his fist into the table. "What are ya doing!?"

"What's it look like?" He spat back, tail lashing something fierce. "I'm trying to get myself something for dinner!"

Vadik took a step back. "Huh?"

"Came here to find your bag blocking my kitchen. Again." Niko pulled his head from between the shelves, glaring at his target to send him into another backward step. "So, you've left me no choice but to dip into your groceries. Not that there's much in here."

"W-What?" My face ached from the smile Vadik's awkward shuffling and squirming put upon it. Despite all his posturing, all his aggression towards Niko, he'd dare not go any further than the plastic dining table. "I asked you... Who are you?"

"Who d'ya think!?"

"His voice is too deep," Sasha whispered. "Not squeaky enough."

"It's fine." I prodded him with an elbow. "Look."

Vadik's ears had folded all the way back by the time he leaned forward across the table. "You look like..." He sniffed at the air, then again. It didn't help him look any less lost. "K-Kaz?"

"No, it's your mother." Niko nudged the fridge door closed, glaring at Vadik with paws in his pockets. "Who else would I be!?"

"But... no way. It can't be."

"Why not?"

"Because... you're not tiny."

"Maybe us smaller guys from Zelengorod can get big when we want to. Ever thought of that while back in Kremensk?"

"Yeah, right." Vadik blurted out a laugh. "D'ya think I'm stupid?"

Niko just smirked back, spreading his arms and shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't believe--"

"I don't really care what you believe." He stomped forward, thumping his own paw to the table and poking a finger into Vadik's chest with the other. "Either way, me and Sasha have had enough of all the crap you're giving us." Niko might have needed to look up past Vadik's hanging jaw, but that didn't stop him from recoiling back in terror from his advance. "Leaving stuff and getting in our way all the time, blocking off our kitchen, hell, even the damn dorm_itself. Not to mention all the showing off in front of your friends and the 'jokes' you play at our expense. Let me tell you, we're not taking another semester of it. It's gonna stop. Right._Now."

With Niko doing his best to fight our corner out there, Me and Sasha also had to do battle down here in our hideaway. We grabbed each other by the shoulder, leaning to snicker and snort as quietly as we could into our clenched fists.

"I can't believe this is working." I punched Sasha in the arm, bouncing at the sight of Vadik frozen to the spot, staring at Niko like some kind of alien that had beamed down into our kitchen. "You can actually see his brain starting to melt... I think he _really_believes I've grown."

"You doubted it? Told ya, there was no way this wasn't gonna work. Guy's a big, dumb wolf; all brawn, no brain."

I started to creep forward, squeezing my way even further between the backpack and kitchen wall.

"What're you doing?" Sasha made an effort to pull me back, failing. "Where you going?"

"I'm not done with him yet." It took a huge effort, lots of jerking and pushing, but I made it out beyond the plaster and fabric.

"Kaz," he whispered after me. "Wait!"

No chance. I kept my eyes on Vadik, making sure his own didn't drift from Niko and down to me. Not that there'd be much threat of that. Even as I crept across the tiles, closing in on the kitchen door, his dumbfounded expression over the bigger me standing in front of him never changed.

Our smaller door sounded a warning creak as I nursed it open, ordering me to slow down. Mesmerised or not, I didn't want to risk ruining the work Niko had done on Vadik.

I sucked in my gut and thought thin, sidestepping back into the living area once I'd pushed the door ajar.

The armchair Isaak had been reading in remained empty. Couldn't blame him, really. Retreating to my bedroom after getting on Vadik's bad side would've usually been my reaction of choice. Usually.

Approaching the base of the couch, I heard Anya and Kira enter through the front door, their chatter dying away as they passed on through to their own rooms down the hall. Everyone here remained completely oblivious to the scheme unfolding beyond the wall behind me. Most crucially, that included Vadik.

I stood in wait for him, just about able to pick up on the mutterings escaping past the big door above. It was a gamble, sure, but deep down, I knew he'd be out here soon enough. There'd be no way for anyone to endure the kind of headfuck we'd set upon him without fleeing eventually. The thought made my fur tingle as I clasped and rubbed my paws together. It might have been harsh, cruel even, but we sure as hell deserved some payback. Who knows, maybe it'd even convince him to get off our case.

It took a minute or two of patience, but the tall, wooden door I'd practically burned a hole through with my glare did eventually fly back into the kitchen. I had to fight the urge to jerk away and pin myself to the couch's fabric, what with the sheer speed and force of Vadik's thundering out into the living area.

He didn't spot me at first. Of course, he wouldn't. Not that it mattered. I'd make sure to get his attention. "Hey, and another thing! Stop blocking off our dorm rooms!"

Vadik's face was an absolute picture, I swear. I could see the moment his brain went from melting to complete and total breakdown; somewhere around the point he almost jumped back into the kitchen.

"Me and Sasha have had enough of having to do heavy lifting just so we can go to bed."

"What the..." He placed both paws on each side of his head. "What in the gods... What's going on?"

"What are you talking about!?"

"How did you... get out here? How did you get small... big... I mean, who's that in the kitchen?"

"Who's who in the kitchen?" I set my teeth, struggling to keep my grin hidden and my laughter silent. "Are you feeling okay?"

"No." Vadik spun on his feet, charging back through the doorway. Or at least, he tried. "W-Wait... Who are you!?"

"He told you," I heard Sasha yell, spotting him in Niko's paws as they entered. "Doncha know Kaz when ya see him?"

Vadik rushed back so fast that I had to dash away from his slamming, staggered footfalls. Once clear, I could turn to watch him trip and go crashing down onto the couch. He peered down at me with eyes like saucers, then back to Niko, right before gawking at me all over again. Back and forth he went, struggling to process the identically dressed, but very differently sized pair of red pandas staring back at him. I loved every last second of it.

"Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on here!?"

"It's not funny, is it?" I spat, backing away from Vadik and towards Niko. "Getting messed around like this."

"Now you know how we feel havin' to put up with all your stupid crap," Sasha added, grinning at me as the paws carrying him touched down to the ground.

"Messing?"

"Yeah, messing." I slapped and clasped paws with Sasha as I joined him in Niko's. "Consider this a taste of what it feels like to be on the receiving end."

All three of us watched Vadik squirm in his seat, almost shrinking down before us as Niko returned to stand. At this point, with his big tail tucked and his head hanging, I'd honestly hoped for some kind of sitcom-style ending; one where he offered up an apology, told us of the error of his ways and vowed never to repeat them. With the rest of our dorm mates all gathered at the end of the hall, probably wondering what all the noise out here was about, it'd have been the perfect moment for it.

"So just who the hell are you!?" Vadik's ears sprung up into spikes, matching his bristling hackles. "And where d'ya get off barging in here like this?"

"He's a friend. From back home," I explained. "We invited him here--"

"This ain't funny, y'know." He sprang up out of his seat the moment he spotted the crowd behind him. "Dressing up the same 'n all. It's pretty damn pathetic you went to all this trouble to try and make me look stupid."

"We didn't have to try all that hard," Sasha fired back, forcing my lips to curl as I sucked air through my teeth. "Plus it was funnier than anything you've pulled on us, you unfunny prick."

I tried to keep my grumbling quiet. Not that I disagreed with anything he'd said, far from it, but by this point, Vadik looked beyond pissed. This wasn't a sitcom episode I'd ever seen before.

"Fuckin' Polcians," he snapped, growling loud enough that me, Sasha _and_Niko all shirked back. "All the same. Coming over here, moving in and acting like they own the place."

"We haven't come over from anywhere," I replied, awfully aware of how close his muzzle had got. "We're not Polcian. We're Velikan."

"Yeah," Sasha followed, folded ears undermining his defiant cry. "How 'bout you go back home to Kremensk if you don't like it."

"Betcha wouldn't be saying all that if you didn't have your friend here!"

Niko drew his paws away right on cue, folding his fingers to try and keep us shielded from Vadik's snarling muzzle. "W-Well they do, don't they."

"Oh, you wanna start, too? Runnin' your mouth while a pair of Polcians make a joke of us both--"

"What language are we speaking right now!? Do we sound Polcian to you, you thick fu--"

I grabbed Sasha's shoulder, stopping him mid-retort. No way that meeting of minds would've ended with just a slanging match.

"Well ya sure look like one, you little--"

"Stop this!" A loud shriek echoed from the hallway. Kira, the relatively small mink, stepped forward. "All of you. That is enough."

"Mind your business," Vadik snapped as he turned towards her and the others. "Nothing to do with you."

"It's_everything_ to do with us," boomed Anya, the taller doe.

"Oh yeah?" Thank the gods, he started across the room and away from us. "How's that then?"

"We had to put up with all your noise, your cursing and all your stupid jokes all last semester." She didn't back down from him. In fact, Anya marched forward to meet him head on. "Mark my words, we are not going to put up with it for another."

"That goes for me, too." Even Isaak jumped in, though his mumbling tones matched closer with Kira's. "It's not funny... For any of us."

Outnumbered, verbally outgunned, and without any of his fuckwit friends here to spur him on, Vadik finally shut his muzzle. Not that he'd be put off from offering us one last parting shot.

"Puny pricks," he rumbled, standing taller to glare down over Niko's paw at us. "Wastes of fur, just like the rest of your kind hiding away in those damned cities springing up here."

Neither me, Sasha, nor Niko reacted, but to say that those words rolled right off my back would've been a lie. They rang in my ears and carved their way deep inside. In fact, by the time I'd shaken them off enough to focus, Vadik had already stormed halfway towards his dorm room.

"Fuck all of you," he growled, barging Isaak aside with a shoulder and forcing the girls to swerve out of his way as he disappeared down the hall. With a creak and a slam of his door, the action had ended.

"Whelp... that didn't go as expected." Sasha raised a paw to his brow, rubbing, scratching and looking anywhere but at me. "Felt sure he... Actually, I dunno how I expected him to react... Didn't expect... so much hate."

"Yeah... I figured it might put him in his place... To hell with that, huh?" I glanced up to where the girls had been, waiting for their tutting at my cursing. They totally would've I'm sure, if they'd not already left. "Maybe we can head down to the housing department sometime this week... see what they can do for us."

Sasha flicked me a small, gloomy smile. "Changing dorms'll probably be for the best at this point."

I looked upwards, finding Niko holding much the same expression. "Thanks for coming down with us."

"Yeah," Sasha added. "Appreciate your help."

"It's no problem. Like I said, I don't have any classes 'til Tuesday, so no rush to get back to NovoTech... Just wish things had gone better."

"What are you gonna do now?" I asked, realising we'd never plotted this far ahead back home.

"I... don't know." Niko delicately crowded us both into his left paw, reaching for his phone with the other. "I should be able to get the subway back into the city in time to catch the last train to Novolesk."

"Hey, guys..." We all turned back to the hallway where Isaak had remained standing. "I don't mean to butt in, but... y'know, the couch is free. You'd be welcome to that if you like."

"If that's okay... Sure." Niko glanced back down with a much more cheerful smile. "I don't think I'd fit inside either of your rooms."

"Probably not." I smirked back before turning to Isaak. "Thanks."

"Hey, it's not a problem. I mean... this is your dorm, too." My ears flicked, then even more so once he went on to say, "For the record, just so you guys know, I put in a complaint about Vadik at the end of last semester. After all this, if you want to put one in, too, it'd only help us get rid of him."

"For real?"

"Totally! I can't stand the guy! The whole time back home, I dreaded coming back to another semester of this." He took a couple of steps closer, nearing the back of the couch. "Not to mention that you two shouldn't have to move out on account of some sizeist jerk..."

Sizeist. My ears flitted at that word. My parents had been right after all. I'd never imagine that words, even those spat out by someone whose opinion meant less than nothing to me, could make me feel less than whole. I never wanted to experience this again.

"Damn." Sasha jabbed me in the shoulder, beaming away. "We might get this guy out of our fur after all."

"Huh...? What?"

"Didn't ya hear Isaak?"

"No..." I pushed my thoughts down low. Buried them as best I could. "Guess not. Sorry."

"That's cool." Isaak smiled. "I just said that maybe we can get the girls on side, too. Really get things moving along with having Vadik thrown out of here."

"Yeah, of course... That'd be great."

"Oh, one more thing." He chuckled as he looked between me and Niko above. "You two dressing up, pretending to be each other to mess with him... I totally wish I'd been there to see it."

The others all shared a quick laugh together. I meanwhile took another chance to admire Niko and his dyed head fur. He'd done a lot for me and Sasha this evening. I couldn't be sure what would have happened if he'd not been here when Vadik finally exploded.

As for Isaak, the same went for him, too. With everything that had been said here in this living space, it only felt right to ask, "Hey, you wanna join us? I guess we're probably gonna hang out for a bit if Niko's staying."

"Yeah! We could watch a movie or two or something," Sasha called, way perkier than at any time since we'd left home. "Haven't got class 'til after lunch tomorrow."

"Ah, that sounds good, but I should probably head to bed soon. Mine start first thing in the morning. Thanks, though."

"Don't mention it," I answered, managing to smile. "Maybe some other time."

"Totally." He raised us a paw, starting off down the hall. "I'll leave you to it. Night, guys."

In the end, that left just me, Niko and Sasha to settle down in the living area for the evening. We chatted away, reminiscing on what'd we all got up to with our families during winter vacation. At Sasha's recommendation, we also watched a pair of movies he'd been itching to see. I reckoned he'd enjoyed them more than me or Niko, but I didn't mind. We'd not done anything like this together since we'd been back at finishing school.

"Let me know when you guys wanna run off to bed," Niko mumbled, letting out a yawn so huge that I'm sure it rocked the couch beneath us. "It's almost two."

"No rush," I answered, eyes getting heavier as I gave a yawn of my own.

"Ain't gotta be up early," Sasha added, his propped elbow the only thing keeping him from sprawling out on the cushion we sat upon. "Having too much fun anyhow."

"Okay," Niko snickered, his huge, sweeping tail flicking behind us as he settled back. "As long as you don't mind spending the night up here if I fall asleep."

"Whatever. Just try not to fall asleep on us if you do, big man."

"Hah, alright." He nudged my arm with a finger. "How 'bout you, Kaz?"

"Yep." I caught myself from flopping over. "Good here... No falling on me either, please."

"I'll do my best, guys." Another of his rumbling yawns sprung my eyes open, for a moment at least. "If you wake up pinned to the couch beneath me, though, 's not my fault."

Hard as I tried, even as I slowly drifted off surrounded by friends, I couldn't stop replaying the moment Vadik revealed his true colours to us. Not once in my entire life had someone acted with such... hate and spite towards me. Growing up in our neighbourhood, as integrated and diverse as it was, made sure I'd been able to grow up as an equal to my bigger friends and acquaintances. What it also ensured, for better or worse, was that I'd be largely spared from the words and actions of those from outside it.

Everything suddenly shifted, tearing me from my thoughts. I glanced up to see Niko's huge frame slumping towards me, his weight sinking the cushion enough to tip me against his thigh. "Wake up, Niko."

"Am... am."

"Whatever," I snorted, giving him a firm, grunt-winning poke as I sat myself back upright. Tonight's events, unpleasant as proved to be, also helped me realise just how much I'd missed having Niko around, and just how much more I'd miss him once he headed back to Novolesk. Still, it wouldn't be all bad. Isaak seemed like he'd be a good guy to have around. Someone to hang out with and look out for us, even after Vadik hopefully, eventually, got his sizeist, speciest, overgrown tail kicked right outta here.

Even so, Niko was Niko, and it felt good to know he still had our backs. I couldn't speak for Sasha, but I'm certain he'd agree with me. With friends like him, no matter how far we might venture from the safety of home, or what kind of hostility we encountered along the way, our neighbourhood and those within it would never feel all that far away.