"You know, Ty, Jerome is fine with both me, and Chip. Even after knowing the both of of. After a lifetime of deception, you're the exception. Not reptiles as a whole." Jay twiddled with his thumbs. It was a learned behavior. Tyrone waved a hand in front of the lizard's face, just to double-check. There was no reaction. He remembered that Jay was blinded from an injury, not born that way. He still made the same gestures he'd made for years, rather than change like most animals did over time. In a sense, that made him reliable.

"Deception is a horrible thing, Tyrone. When did he even learn you sold hides on the black market? Was it when the police busted his door down to hunt you? Or when you used his car to hide four rotting hides from the cops?" The strangest thing was the lizard's tone. He wasn't harsh, or cruel, like Tyrone had been to the kids. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad. I just want you to think. To understand why Jerome is so, well, careful, right now."

The air lifted. Not because all was well and Tyrone had a change of heart, but because Jay smirked instead of wearing that fake smile. "I heard you use those big fat Latin words, you know. And I can smell your panic. You used to be a huge science nerd. You forget that I knew you when you were youn-"

"Y-yeah, well I want- I wanted 'em to know that I'm smarter than them." Tyrone had to think of an excuse. At least the dread was no longer in his stomach. He hated the feeling. It wasn't one he grew up with. He used to be happy. So dread wasn't welcome.

He saw the smirk grow on Jay's face. The large reptile even turned to face him. "I know you're not that insecure. So, were you really showing them, or were you showing yourself? You sure had a lot of animal knowledge to share with them." Jay probed to uncomfortable levels.

"Look, I just wanted the stupid ki- the kid, the know his biology. Every animal oughtta. Especially when there are so many kinds of us." Defensively, the croc grabbed his arms.

"Really? Is that what it is?" Jay's grin slowly fell. He looked, dejected. Strange as it was. "Ty, you used to be such a science whizz. Such a stress-free, care-free, fun-loving guy. What happened after high school to turn you into a- a... a thug?"

That hit a nerve. Tyrone shivered. His mind flashed between quick images. A giraffe. A jail cell. Blood on his teeth. He pressed his claws into the couch. He had half a mind to tear through the material, but knew that he couldn't afford to explain it to Jerome, or replace it. "Tsk, ain't nothin' happened to me, Jay." He tightened the mask he wore every day. He stood, and glared at the blind reptile. "I just finally stepped into my skin. I stopped living in denial. I stopped being that snake. That kid is going to get a lot of hurt, and he's going to get it very fast if he doesn't step into who he is as a carnivore. The sooner he wakes up, the better off he'll be."

He stormed away. But he stopped at the entrance of the hallway. "One more thing; You may not know how I look now, but you remember my old face. So you of all animals should know that when you grow up with scales and fangs, life is harder than it is with hooves and antlers." He snorted, and stared down at his trembly claws. "Since these brats love you so much, 'I bestow custody unto thee', or whatever the lawyers say. I'm takin' a nap!" He disappeared in moments.

Jay sighed. He rested his head against the back of the couch. He stroked the walking stick, just to assure himself it was there. He knew the truth about Tyrone. One that the croc didn't realize, though he'd said it himself. The real reason he'd told off Chip earlier wasn't to be macho, or to be cruel, but because he was still a scared little hatchling himself.

He didn't want the snake to get hurt in the same ways he had. He acted like he hated the kids, but Jay knew better. He was so scared that they would hate him, like the rest of the world, that he refused to build relationships. It made no logical sense, but that was basic psychology.

If only he could make Tyrone see it that way. Then he and the kids would love to hang out with each other. "He's in my bed, isn't he?" Jay quietly muttered. He remembered that Tyrone was to sleep on the couch. "I guess someone has to take care of the kids." He heard the front door close.

"Mr. Jay, why is Mr. Tyrone so mean?" Chip had ice cream shoved halfway down his throat. He ate it whole, like every snake enjoyed their meals.

"Don't talk with your mouth full. You're gonna choke." Vincent flicked one of the snake's fake rabbit ears. He did it just to get Chip's attention. He knew, just like everyone else, that the viper couldn't feel it. "Here Jay, we got you cotton candy-flavored." The impala offered a suspiciously-damp cone toward the lizard, who looked at the doorway instead of them.

"I don't know how to really explain it to you guys," Jay knew better than to be cryptic and wise with either the impatient teen or the clueless child. If only Tyrone knew how to speak to them. "Chip, Vincent, Mr. Tyrone is mean because the world has been mean to him."

So that the ice cream wouldn't melt on the couch, Vincent licked it instead. He'd tried to give it to the blind lizard, but he wanted to talk, so why let a good snack go to waste? "He's lost. Which makes him very sad, and very scared. You see scared people who are also mad all the time in movies, right? He's the same as those guys." It was the best analogy he could think of that they'd understand.

"But wait! How'd he get lost? Maybe we can find him! Oh, he's in your room 'cause he's sleepy, right? We don't even need a map!" Chip's attitude quickly reminded Jay that perhaps even analogies were too much for someone as young as him.

"He doesn't mean that kind of lost, Chip. He means he's like, lost 'inside' or something. Blind to who he is, I guess. He's just doing that ancient-old-guy thing like in my video games." Vincent offered the ice cream to the snake. He wasn't angry. He smiled. This household, before Tyrone came by again, was filled with the only carnivores he could be happy around.

"Blind? Is that why you can't see, Mr. Jay? Can Mr. Tyrone not see anymore, too? That's so sad!" Chip went into panic mode, but stopped when he saw the ice cream. What a relief it was when he calmed and ate it straight out of his brother's hoof.

"N-no, I was blinded by an injury. When I was a little older than Vincent here." The lizard rubbed his temples, then sighed again. "Note to self, be very direct with children."