"The instructors are always a little pushy," says Barry, ears going pink as the man mentions leather. He might never be able to look at a harness again without imagining this handsome face. "I think to help the shy ones out of their comfort zone," he presses on, " But I know my own mind." Barry's frown of annoyance fades as the man's ears twitch. It shouldn't be so whimsically cute on a face so strikingly handsome, but it is.

"Wolf ears, huh?" he asks. "I had a goat's for a while, but I couldn't hear anything. But if you're looking for a jacket, the best shop is over there. Do you need any seedlings?"

The nonsensical question is followed by Barry digging in his pockets, finally producing several bronze seedlings that he holds between them. "I have to buy a shirt," he says, because he is not going back to that stage. "I'm sure I'll have plenty left over for a jacket."