Creator questions

What's your name (real or screen, your choice)

Steve Gallacci

Tell me about yourself, age, where you're from, what you do, anything you want others to know about you, sex, etc.

Very long time artist/cartoonist, doing SF cons as an exhibiting artist since '80 and first published Albedo Anthropomorphics in '83.

So when you first started doing SF cons as an exhibitor what were you exhibiting?

I started with Boston Worldcon in 1980 with some SF themed art, including an early illustration of Erma Felna from what would be my comic Albedo. This was also an opportunity for a fair number of early furry fans to get together and kind of "jell" the notion of an over-arching fandom that included funny animal cartoons, comics, and the like. I then did SF convention art shows pretty regularly, and began including dealers rooms selling more art, sketches, and later comics and ancillary merchandise.

So what inspired you or set you on the path of doing anthropomorphic animals?

For the comics, two things. One, it was easier/more fun to do, as I was an unremarkable/lazy artist and "drawing the marvel way" style art was awfully labor intensive for me. Two, specific to what would become Albedo, I had seen how several well-done adaptations of straight SF stories were duds with the market. That was partly due to choices of stories that might not have been the best for adaptation, but also with the bulk of "straight" art being dominated by superheroes, non-superhero/action comics just didn't sell. But, as I had my eye on the underground/"ground level"/alternate comic market, the juxtaposition of funny animal/hard SF comic would have a chance. However, what initially started me on doing cartoons with animals was when I was in the USAF as a graphics specialist. There was a briefing that wanted a few cartoons in it, using the cartoon mascot of the technology versus a Soviet bear character, this being the 1970s cold war era. Having done that, I discovered I liked doing cartoons. At the same time, I discovered the notion of writing fan fiction, based on some SF stories and StarWars.

How long were you in the air force for?

Six years 1974-1980. Primarily in Florida and Germany, with a long temporary duty in Oklahoma.

Were you a graphic specialist the whole time?

For a couple months I was also a "security augmentee" , helping fill out the ranks of the normal security police that were needed to deal with the Vietnamese boat people/refugees after the fall of Saigon and were being held at the neighboring base. And out of basic training I was selected to be a North Vietnamese translator, even went to language school at Monterey CA., but didn't have an ear for it (very subtle vowel phonetics) so got graphics, which is what I wanted to begin with.

So what kind of training did you have to do for a graphic specialist?

Nothing formal. It was all on the job, and as I already had some practical skill, it was no problem. One of the neat/fun things about the job, especially in the unit we worked for, is that we could, and did just about anything/everything one might think of related to "graphics". We even vied for particularly fun/interesting/different jobs that came in. The only thing we never did was TV and film related production, which was part of our job description. Most of the work was simple paste up and layout of text for briefing and training visual aids or simple hand-lettered "flip charts". But, over the years, I did technical illustrations, signs, laid out camera ready art and text for books and magazines, even was the primary layout artist for a monthly magazine for a while.

So basically you were the forerunner to death by powerpoint?

I guess(?) This was all way before any kind of computer assistance at any level. All hand made, with the exception of photographically created text.

Was any of this useful when you started creating your comic?

Oh gosh yes. I did all the camera ready layouts for everything. The only thing I didn't do was the photo-composing of text or shooting the negatives and half-tone screens for the printers. The only thing they usually did was the final striping for shooting the printing plates. Had I access, it could have done most of that too. I could have, but wouldn't want to, work at a print shop/press house. Hated the often Really Stupid/Ignorant customer requests/demands.

So how did the comic actually get off the ground? Did you have a publisher or did you just start selling it at cons?

I did con sales and sent samples to the, then small, independent distributors who would order dribs and drabs. Bud Plant was an early and steady buyer. All the original Thoughts & Images issues were self-published, as were the one issue of Zell, Sworddancer, three issues of The Desert Peach, and the Paul Kidd Albedo RPG sets

And you had it going for 20 years?

Not quite. I first handed it off to Antarctic press in 1992 and they published another 14 issues. Then passed it off again in 2004 to Shanda Fantasy Arts. I stopped working on it in 2005 when my Wife was diagnosed with cancer.

It's my understanding she lost her battle almost 2 years after that?

Yeah. Doesn't sting anymore so no problem in talking about it. It was a practically untreatable form of ovarian cancer, so to get that much time was a blessing. But I haven't been really up to focus on things much since. The rough pencil draft for "Alone Together" has been the only bit of comic work since (think "Hell in the Pacific" or "Enemy Mine" with funny animals) Then I got into doing the Zootopia Fanfic, something like a half million words so far.

Do you feel Zootopia has kind of rekindle that spark of creativity?

Oh Yeah! Though, at the moment, I'm a bit lagging. Chronic depression can do that.

Certainly wish you the best in dealing with your depression. So where do you see yourself headed for the future?

Staying alive. I'd like to see more Albedo content, as well as other stuff. I'm a big fan of Elin Winkler's "Tales of the Fehnnik" and have even pitched some ideas to her. And more Zootopia fanfic. Just had a bit posted in AO3, though it was written months ago.

What brought you to the Zootopia fandom?

Fell in love with the movie and wanted to get into the universe.

What about the movie made you love it?

It wasn't just a "kid's movie" in that it made the effort to have a level of depth to the characters that an attentive adult could catch. It also had some emotional hooks that I was susceptible to. And I really liked the tight editing, though I thought the Mr. Big part and the train crash were a bit over the top. Also saw a few little continuity bugs that, as more about the making of came out, could easily forgive. In the end, I watch it again and again for the fun and evoked emotion. I still get out of it. I liked and cared for the characters to make an emotional investment in them that has carried on to my fan fic interest.

Can you share what those emotional hooks are for you?

Well, the characters are well-fleshed out, with quirks and flaws like real adult people, not simplified caricatures with only superficially "grown up" behavior . So when the characters act and react, I feel a connection to them and their situations as though they were real. "Real" as any film actor.

Who is your OC today?

Celeste Whitefoot

What animal are they?

Coyote

What do they look like? Special markings, colorations, etc.

Unremarkably scrawny coyote girl, white "gloves" and "socks"

What inspired you to create them?

Unusual girl friend to a Hopps bunny boy

What are they like?

Somewhat shy/retiring personality. All too aware that she is a not well regarded minority species and doubly disregarded as a female. She has learned to be self-reliant (partly in her solo coyote nature) and that she has never been anywhere long enough to have "roots'' or strong relationships. She loves reading and is always curious to learn new things. Will, on occasion, hang out with co-workers (male mechanics mostly) and is a keen pool player. No vices, and is late in becoming sexually aware (not obviously feminen and has no real notion of how to act like a "girl'. Often mistaken for prepubescent) and has avoided those kind of complications up to the time of the stories

What's their family life like?

She was an orphan. Sort of, stayed with her uncle, an itinerant mechanic. Not very close, not a demonstrative emotional support. At the time of the stories, she is on her own.

Do they have a love interest?

The two stories both have her finding a first boyfriend/lover. The first is with a Hopps rabbit boy, with complications. The second is with a wolf in which they become seriously mated.

When building your own character what's your favorite part?

Working up the back story/psychological model. While I have some plot goal for the character, I want to have a credible bit of why and how behind all that. Then, with that defined, the character has a proscribed range of behaviors for any subsequent action.

Do you have any stories written about them or that they're included in?

Two different story lines. One is a fairly mainstream setting a while after Nick and Judy become ZPD partners and Celeste finds love with a Hopps boy back in Bunnyburrow. The second is in the gender-swapped Nichole and Julius story, where she meets Nichole at the ZPD academy and then becomes part of N&J's inner circle of friends.

Tell us how you see culture in Zootopia. For example, do all foxes or rabbits have the same culture or is there a difference depending on subspecies or region?

Have more of a species-specific cultural/behaviour things, not just people in fursuits. (very much more so when it comes to complications like sex) And individuals coming into Zootopia having other species/cultural/national differences.

Ultimate Zootopia question. Are you a WildeHopps shipper or do you prefer them with a different ship?

Got them together, but in a long slow burn, and with more of the complications of species-specific differences.

What specific differences are you referring to with your WildeHopps ship?

In part, I'm trying to avoid them simply being humans in fur suits, as far as behavior, especially horny teens as all too much of the fanfic ends up being. Then, as a rabbit, Judy would be potentially sexually receptive pretty much all the time, but not driven to excessive/aggressively seeking out sex (though, in my early fanfic, hadn't done enough research and got a bit silly/conflated Hare behavior) . Further, while sex is nice, in itself has less of an emotional investment/not a major point in pair bonding. Nick would be more, but not exclusively, driven by Vixen in heat scent cues. At the same time, it is a rare/special thing, not normally done lightly nor often. So I see them bonding more as a matter of social animals in close proximity, social grooming, literally sleeping together rather than a sex-based relationship.

When looking at that, did you do research into the difference between grooming habits of foxes and rabbits?

I have to admit I just punted that.

So you just went with a generalized theory of what grooming would be like?

Well, with opposable digits and tool making, I'd figure it involved brushes, combs and such as claw raking or more than licking (though the film does show licking grooming) . My "full Hopps treatment" was a full body brush/rake/massage when it came to describing the Nick and Judy version. Or at a more atavistic level, a scene in which Judy lost an argument with a bench, Nick licked the damaged paw. Or in a scene with Celeste and her mate, after coming out of surgery, they were both distraught and licked, nuzzled and nibbled at each other's faces and heads to assure and comfort each other, not far for natural canid behavior (Coyote and Wolf couple)

For the purpose of the OC interview the setting is the creator's OC is about to be interviewed by my co-owned OC Vicky Chola. A north american grey fox vixen in her mid 20s. They're both in a studio booth with headphones on and microphones to speak into. The interview we did earlier about the creator and their OC is considered a pre conversation between these two before going on the air. Vicky will ask questions based on the answers provided by the creator. In this instance, Vicky will interview and question the character on the two different universes that she exists in.. Enjoy!

"Welcome everyone to another edition of the Characters of Zootopia show! I'm your host Vicky Chola and joining me today is Celeste Whitefoot. Thank you for joining me Celeste."

"Hi, and thanks. I was a little worried how this was going to work out."

"I think we all were. Hopefully we'll get through this without a hitch. Now, I think the first thing we need to share with our audience is the uniqueness of your situation and this interview. Would you care to explain that in your own words?"

"Well, my life seems to have taken two different paths. One, where I find a home and extended family in Bunny Burrow with the Hopps clan, and a second one, where, inspired by Julius Hopp's heroism, I join the ZPD and become acquainted with him and Nicole Wilde."

"Why don't we focus on the first so we don't confuse our audience as we go. What is your life like before going to Bunny Burrow?"

"Sure. Well, I came out of the Territories as a little cub with my Uncle. As far as I know, my parents had died or something. Death or disappearance "by misadventure" in the various tribal areas is far too common, and there was not other family that ever came forward that I was ever aware of. My Uncle was a roving mechanic, doing odd jobs at garages or work sites with heavy equipment. As a little cub, I'd become the mascot of the operation as often as not. Looking back, it seems kind of weird, but as a little cub at the time, what did I know? I never went to school, usually never stayed anywhere long enough for that, but I'd often find myself at the local libraries and became a ferocious reader. Things like math I learned by practical application as I got old enough to safely use basic tools. By my early teen I could actually help my Uncle with his work. At the point where I could work on my own, my Uncle was found dead. No one knew what happened and no one was going to bother much with an old Coyote from the Territories. I drifted for a little while myself until I found a position at Pablo's, the farm equipment sales and service biz in the 'Burrow."

"I'm sorry to hear about your family. About how old were you when your parents passed away?"

"I don't know. My first reliable memories start when I was somewhere around three to four? And by that time, being with my Uncle already seemed normal. At various times I would ask, and he would obliquely not really answer but would get very sad and light a sage smudge. It was one of the very few things, along with little bits of tribal language and lore that he ever did in the Old Ways. And even then, I only found out later, was one of the trade tongues used throughout the western and southern territories. I suspect he was trying to obscure exactly where we came from. I never thought it was for anything nefarious, like he'd kidnapped me or anything like that, but perhaps there was something shameful, maybe? I really don't know."

"And I see from your expression that you seem a bit surprised or dismayed how I can seem to be so dismissive about all that. Well, coyotes, especially those with anything like a hint of coming out of the Territories, have never been well-regarded in the wider world. So, growing up around that, I didn't really have much sense of self-worth. Again, as a cub, I didn't know any different, so thought that it was just how things were. My Uncle was very much "keep your head down and don't draw any attention to yourself". And as I was always a bit small for my age and species, I was easy to ignore for the most part. At least around wolves I could be treated a little bit better, as they could regard me as still a harmless cub, even though they didn't like Coyotes very much."

"Have you ever thought about going back to your roots? Getting to know more about your heritage?"

"Sort of, kind of. I had a few experiences that were, I guess, a bit metaphysical, so do wonder about how much is just myth and how much is really something more. But at the same time, I don't know where to even begin as to where, and as I mentioned before, I don't know about the circumstances of my family. While I might never find my clan or tribal origin, I might also step into some nasty situation if I do find them. On the other paw, simply settling into being just a generic "townie" does have its appeal, especially now that I feel like I have a home I can feel like I belong to. Bunny Burrow has been pretty good to me, even as a Coyote. But, yeah, there are times when I do wonder."

"So how did you end up in Bunny Burrow?"

"Well, I was hitch-hiking out of Deer Brook and a local farmer picked me up. I noticed his truck wasn't running very well and made the usual suggestions as a Diesel mechanic. Ended up being a fuel filter and possibly a clogged pump and injectors. He was impressed, especially as I being maybe eighteen at the time, looked more like a scrawny thirteen or less if you weren't familiar with Coyotes." Making a small gesture to herself, still looking like a skinny young teen. "Mentioned Pablo's, the local farm equipment sales and service shop in Bunny Burrow, and how they were always looking for hires, especially in the busy season. Pablo and his family, all Llamas, has been running the shop forever, and didn't care who or what anyone was, providing they could do the work. I asked, did a little show and tell for my qualifications, and he hired me on the spot. From the get go I was allowed to do real work, not just sweep the floors or random scut work no one else wanted to do. Mostly straight Diesel work, but also plumbing and hydraulics. They didn't have a Weasel or similar small and slinky type for access, and the one Raccoon in the shop only did electronics, so I was the next smallest for the work."

"How long were you at Pablo's?"

I guess maybe three years before I met Jeremy Hopps.

"And who's Jeremy?"

"Ohh" Shy cringe "One of the Hopps Bucks. He was home on summer break from med school, and he had come in with a couple of his kin to pick up one of their tractors. We started talking, he being impressed that I was a mechanic, though at the same time mentioned that his Sister, Judy, the famous cop, was a cop in the big city, so why not a little Coyote Girl. It was how he said that, and other things, that it was clear to me that he had taken a sincere interest in me as an individual, not just making polite small talk. I was surprised that he asked if I'd be interested in doing a meal or something with him. I'd never dated or even had anything like a real friend, even less anything like a boyfriend, just co-workers with a bit of that kind of camaraderie. And, long story short, we hit it off. We just talked a lot at first. He was in med school, as I said, and between his formal education and my informal devouring of libraries, we went on for hours on, like they say, life, the universe, and everything. That he was a Rabbit and I a Coyote was never an issue, until..." another shy cringe "We began to talk about more personal stuff. And one thing lead to another regarding physiology and stuff. It started off rather clinical, and went to a bit of playing "Doctor", and, uhmmm..." Wringing paws a bit in embarrassment. "But through everything, he was always so considerate, so attentive to anything and everything. All of it was pretty overwhelming. I mean, I'd never had anyone show such obvious care and concern for me in things big and small. Like, I guess my Uncle cared for me, but it was kind of utilitarian in many ways, and never very demonstrative, though that was as much his general stoicism as anything."

"As you two were... getting to know each other better, did your size differences ever become an obstacle?"

"Well, first of all, I'm not quite a head taller than the famous Fox, Nick Wilde, who'd I'd eventually meet. And Jeremy, who has Judy's coloring, but is like a head or more taller than her, yet is more stout, takes after his Father. So, yeah, I'm taller, but we match up okay. A funny bit about meeting the family, regarding Nick. While he had been a regular at the Hopps warren for a good while and all the little kits love his thick coat and tail, I became something of a challenge to his title of "The Fluffy One". I'm not nearly so "fluffy" as a Fox, especially in my summer coat, but being local and coming by more often, as well as the novelty of being a Coyote, I was unique to them, I became very popular."

giggles "Was there ever a 'fluff' competition?"

"Never anything directly, but Nick could get SO dramatic about the challenge to his status. Then, the Hopps family were going though "interesting times". Another son of the family, Bailey, still in High School, began a relationship with a Fox there. Now a little explanation. While most Rabbits and other Herbs in the area were wary, if not more overtly prejudiced against anyone of tooth and claw, Judy's own Father was famous for such, but after Judy's relationship with Nick became normalized, most of the Hopps came around pretty well. They were already pretty decent folks in general, so it didn't take much to broaden their horizons, so to speak. So, getting a little psychological, while Jeremy likely saw me a as shy and lonely outsider and started off by just reaching out, Bailey pretty much saved his Fox from a nasty bullying incident. And now I have to apologize, as I keep referring to Riina as the Fox. I had some self-esteem issues early on which not exactly poisoned my initial reactions to her. She's a perfectly nice Girl, just very different in status and background. Anyway, the point is that the younger generation were particularly kind and empathetic, once that got over that particular Pred hump. So no surprise that the Boys were bring home wayward canids. And in Riina's case, she was a stunner by any measure. She was a European Red, but a silver sport, not quite Arctic in looks."

"Well that's fascinating. That's quite the unique fur coloring. So how did you feel as things were becoming more hospitable in the Hopps home?"

"Well, Like I said, they had a couple(?) years of Nick to deal with already, and Riina had just been rescued by Bailey, she'd been dyed by some mean/jealous Bunnies who objected to her noticing Bailey and Mrs. Hopps and family immediately helped with their relentless hospitality. So I was just the next fluff novelty to the warren. Then, as there was additional drama related to Nick, Riina, and others that got pretty crazy, I was the last thing the family was worried about. (see Selaxes' "Sounds of the Heart" for all those details) However, in the long term, Jeremy and I broke up, as in practical terms, we were just a summer fling and he had to get back to med school. It hurt, but the rest of the Hopps were not going to just let me go. I had a great rapport with the youngest kits and several of the teen girls had come to think of me as the weird sister. I was older, but never had any "teen" life, so they were more than happy to drag me into those kind of things. And Mrs. Hopps took to all but adopting me, so things worked out ever so well. I suspect that it was my first impressions to them that helped from the beginning. Even though I was a Coyote, tooth and claw and all that, I was, and still am, come across as the meekest, scrawniest little 'Yote, and covered in Kits seeking out the replacement Fluffy One that first time really helped."

"I'm sorry to hear you and Jeremy didn't work out. So it's kind of odd that he would mention you trying out for the ZPD out of the blue like that. But did that plant any ideas in your head?"

"Well, here's where things get confusing. What I've described so far is my stay in Bunny Burrow life choice with no thought of ever going to Zootopia and the ZPD. My other version diverged not long after I first came to Bunny Burrow and Pablo's and a couple years before I would have met Jeremy. What changed is that I was inspired by hearing about Julius Hopps (gender swapped) heroics in becoming a cop and ultimately saving the city and beyond from the Bellwether plot. I always wanted to be something more at various times, and though I appeared to be just an undersize slip of a Coyote Girl, I was very well read, and had a mechanic's wiry strength. And my Uncle had taught me how to defend myself. Nothing special or exotic, just some quick and ruthless ways to neutralize an opponent. So I figured if Hopps could make it, I had met him a time or two before, always up and optimistic, but physically unimpressive as any Bunny would be, I had an even shot. So I applied, and was accepted, but only after some remedial academics. What the really big surprise was that I ended up bunking with Nichole Wilde, the other half of the Hero Saviors of Zootopia. That was the persistent little joke/dig that some of us would tease her with."

"So before we jump ship and go down that line let's clarify for our viewers. Up until this point your story is basically the same?"

"Yes. What we have been talking about up until now was my stay in Bunny Burrow with the Hopps Clan to the point were they spot me for my own auto repair shop. Meeting Jeremy would have been about three years after Judy left for the ZPD and now catch up closer to five years on. My life split came about in the months after Julius goes back to Zootopia with the night howler answer to the the Savager Predator Crisis and me wanting to join the ZPD too. This split version has only been diverging for little over a year so far."

"So let's jump into that. What was it like for you to go through the academy?"

"Well, a lot of culture shock to begin with. Formal class room settings and a lot of very "alpha" personality females were the big things, especially after a lifetime of of living and working in an almost exclusively male's world. I had always been just the little cub who could do the job and avoided the male social dynamics of the rest of the crew. Well, I did "hang out with the boys" a bit after hours, shooting pool, but still had the little cub vibe which kept me apart. Now I was in the middle of all these females and all these unfamiliar social dynamics. Being younger than most as well as a Coyote and the second smallest member of the class didn't help. That's where being paired up with Nichole Wilde was so fortuitous. She was the oldest of the cadets and I the youngest and also an academic and social outsider, being a Fox with an unorthodox past and all. That she was half of the Famous Heroes who had just saved Zootopia held little weight compared to being an old, ah you know, lets say less polite form of Vixen. Especially among the other canids, a couple of Wolves and a Painted, who though us smaller and less socially acceptables shouldn't be there. Nichole took on an almost Motherly role at times, helping me sort out how to function in a more, I guess you could say, conventional setting. And we complimented each other's learning styles, She had street smarts as well a lot of practical knowledge but wasn't keen on the book grind, while I was all about the reading but was so painfully naive. Once I got into criminal justice and policing procedures, Nichole would rib me about how I was nearly as bad as Julius in the ideals of the process versus her often less than best experiances at the receiving end of real world policing."

"Were you ever openly threatened by the other class members?"

"No. There were a few petty slights and insults, but nothing beyond that. I suspect it was because of me being so small and looking even younger than I was helped. Since we were all working against a standard, not really competing with each other in anything that counted, the general assumption was that I would wash out so there was no need for anything like real hostility. There were some attempts to really bully Nichole, as there was some real hate on for foxes in general, and most everyone assumed that she only got in because of her celebrity rather than any merit. She able to deflect or avoid the worst of it. Ironically, as several of the instructors had an extra eye out on her for "reasons" they actually caught a couple others who were giving her grief. One got a heap of demerits and another was tossed out entirely. In the end, I mostly just kept my head down and powered though. Nichole took the high road though, and by the end she had, at least, a level of grudging admiration from most of the other students. That lead to some extra points for her that lead to her getting assigned to the First and teamed up with Julius. The two of them partnering up was never a given and she had to earn her spot. I got the Fourth, perfectly fine, just none of the glamor of being in the heart of the city."

"And which precinct is the fourth?"

"Just one of the more suburban areas, straddling two climate zones. Though I'm out there, I keep in contact with Nichole and the First because I also have my boyfriend, Allen, there. We also met at the academy, and in retrospect, may have been an extra source of friction with the other she wolves. He's a Wolf too. We were very much the odd couple, to look at us, he's a particularly striking Dog, big and boldly marked in the classic pattern, while I'm the scrawny and scruffy little Coyote Girl. But what drew us together was that we also had a lot in common, especially related to family. Me an orphan and he raised in a somewhat dysfunctional family of a single mother with issues and sketchy older siblings. We were both a bit disconnected from "normal" Wolf or Coyote social and cultural behavior and have been finding our own way together. And by odd coincidence, we've been getting help from all kinds of directions. Allen has the Wolves at the precinct to give him some guidance when they aren't doing goofy male's games. I've been getting pointers from Nichole about urban living (and occasional motherly advice) and some touches of tribal stuff from my patrol partner Jefferson, a Puma, originally out of the Territories too. And just recently, my advanced martial arts trainer Carol, another Coyote. She's kind of my opposite as a Coyote, very well put together in everything, and even a Special Ops veteran with the ZAF."

"That's quite a diverse support group."

"Yes. And so very much needed at the moment, as I'm recovering from a gunshot wound to the face. (Points to bandages on the left side of her face and under her jaw) Turns out I was the target for some radical "pure blood" Wolves that didn't like the idea of me associating with Allen. They tried to go after him too, but he caught the attempted shooter and took what might have been the group's only gun away. That is the best guess for why they tried to break in and steal what they thought were real guns at the martial arts training site. They were also after Carol, who also had a Wolf as a mate. He's one of the doctors at the Honeywell Center. They do advanced genomic research, originally to resolve fertility issues between couples who were not otherwise close enough to have interbred young. They belatedly got into any number of other genetic issues like hereditary birth defects and such. Sadly, the later part has been more successful and Carol's mate, Dave, has been having a hard time with the too common failures of the former. But, right at the moment we're all on edge over the attacks on me, Allen, and now Carol, and I can't go any further on all that due to it being an ongoing investigation."

"So how's your recovery coming?"

"Still very preliminary. I was told that I made a bit of a scene when I first got out of surgery. Was still very loopy and Allan was there, so I was very licky-kissy with him, and as he was so relieved that he was just as licky-kissy. We kind of realized how deeply we were connected by then, so , yes we're full on mated now. As for my injury, lost some lower jaw bone, but there are some advanced processes that will be able to fix that. Luckily, I didn't loose any teeth, but with all the damage below it, its only the softest food for a good while yet. Then, when the fur on my face grows back, I'll have a bit of scar across my left cheek. Allan says it will make me look more like the rough tough cop I've become. Don't feel like it at the moment."

"I don't imagine anyone would. So before the injury had you and Allen realized each other's attraction?"

"Oh gosh yes. It was First Crush for the both of us while at the academy and we started dating right after. Just social grooming and such for a good while thereafter. Then I forgot my chill pill, especially as I'm kind of irregular and going into season was never very dramatic or an issue heretofore. So we did get more intimate, but in a very sweet way, not trying too hard to be serious or do it "right" the first time. A lot of fumbling. And very knowing looks from Nichole and Julius thereafter. Funny, while we "clicked" on personalities pretty early on, I only belatedly noticed what a catch he was physically after some of the other female officers commented on him. But we were pretty much mated even before I got shot, so it just really pushed how much we really were. Allen was a wreck for the first hours, even though he'd been reassured I wasn't in mortal danger."

"After you noticed what a catch he was, did you feel kinda silly for not noticing before?"

"Not so much. And even after, it was still not a major thing, but did seem like a little bonus. Not to sound too mushy, but we had the matching souls kind of thing going, so the merely physical was very secondary. Luckily it wasn't something I thought too much about in comparison to me. I'm still this scrawny undersize coyote, and in my short summer coat. look almost mangy. So if I over thought things I could have easily gone into a an irrational spiral of thoughts of being undeserving . However, I was told that, while I was still pretty out of it after surgery, I initially was really upset about how I was repellently disfigured and that Allen couldn't love me anymore. Of course that didn't happen, though it took a lot of licky-kisses to convince me otherwise. On the other paw, I was a bit amused with the reactions of the other females. In truth, I don't think they were so superficial to think looks were the be all, especially as they also knew he was with the First, which meant he was the cream of the crop of that academy class. So I got a lot "smarts and looks, lucky girl" kind of friendly ribbing."

"You seem very negative or even self conscious about your appearance. Almost every time you've made a reference to yourself you've said you were scrawny and undersized."

"Yeah. I guess it a little bit of, what do they call it? Imposter syndrome. My self image is has always been of this nobody, too easily dismissed as a Coyote to start, then doubly so as, very honestly, an undersize, under-developed little Coyote Girl. While I'm on the job or with Allen, those kind of self-doubts and self-depreciation are pushed aside for the moment. I'm kind of surprised, in retrospect, that I passed the psych exams back at the academy and the check-ups at the ZPD. But on the beat, I'm totally focused on mission and it simply doesn't enter in. My evaluations so far have been exemplary. My partner, Jefferson, is an old veteran in the force, and though we get along wonderfully, he can be brutally honest. I suspect he wants to see me be the best I can be, both as a matter of personal pride as a mentor, and a bit of tribal pride. Seeing a child of the wild Territories succeed in the modern urban environment and all that."

"But, sadly, off the clock and by myself in public, I'm still judged by what others see, and tend to react in that role."

"Have you thought about possibly going to therapy."

"No. And possibly I ought to consider therapy for thinking that. But it doesn't really bother me. Its just how it is."

"Has Allen ever said anything to you about it?"

"Not really, not in the sense of doing anything about it. But he does understand whats happening and perhaps hope I'll grow out of it. And in a way, that's my hope too. I'm only just 25 (21 base 8) maybe, and being a fully responsible adult outside of a garage or machine shop is still very new to me. My new support network/family is helping me find my way in so many things and this too may get sorted in time. Carol did wonder about me have a bit of medical condition, issues of early nutrition and/or some hormonal problems for both size and being slow to and still underdeveloped as a female. Not all Coyotes get curvy, but basic things like cycles are still an only sometimes thing. Maybe, with all the unpleasantly new medical scrutiny I'm under, that could be checked out?"

"Well we certainly hope for the best for you in your recovery. Thank you for joining us today Celeste."

"I hope I was worth the time. And thanks. It has been fun."

"Of course you were. And thank you viewers for joining us. See you next time."