Hugging Is Good (Or The Two Times Lonnie Hugged Jay And He Liked It)

People Watching, Stalking, or Observing? You Decide.

Sometimes there were just some habits as a VK that was harder to kick than others. Jay had thought it would be difficult for him to wean himself away from stealing from people; pickpocketing money, smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other valuables that were just too easy to take from his Auradonian classmates. There was a thrill from it that was tough to ignore.

Surprisingly, after focusing all his energy and passion on Tourney and ROAR, the thought of thievery never crossed his mind ever again. But there were just some things that are deeply ingrained into his being that he slips into those habits without even thinking about it. Carlos had graciously called it "people watching" in the past while Mal had bluntly called it "stalking". Jay, on the other hand, called it "observing".

Just as much casing a joint meticulously was an important skill to have as a thief, being observant of people was just as valuable. A good thief had to be alert and aware of the people they were stealing from. Finding the just exact timing of a hit was crucial. Mere seconds could make a huge difference between getting the best goods for Jafar's store or being sent to bed hungry for failing that day.

Truthfully, he didn't exactly need this specific set of skills to be used in his new life in Auradon. He didn't steal anymore (unless you counted the times he did it during Tourney) nor did he have the desire to. But he still couldn't help but watch people from afar. What was considered normal on the Isle was strange and peculiar to Auradon. Like for instance, people say "Come in!" instead of "Go away!" when someone knocks at the door. People smiled sincerely at one another and never glowered when they were greeted with a "good morning" or whatever of one of the goods they were in that particular time of day. But the one thing that baffled and puzzled Jay the most was... hugging.

Hugging.

Even thinking about the word sent a shudder down Jay's spine. Villains in general weren't a touchy-feely bunch. Not the most affectionate either. Heck, Jay remembered what his father told him about hugging when he was younger.

"Son,", Jafar said, turning to Iago and stroking the parrot's chin before continuing, "The only reason why would anyone 'go in for a hug' is to make it easier to stab someone in the back!

Remember that, boy. Remember..."

Imagine the culture shock Jay felt when he saw that no one was getting stabbed in the back when people hug in Auradon. In fact, people smile wider, their gazes become softer and warmer. Was this... affection? Was that what Jay was seeing?

... Was it?

The prime source of his many observations was Lonnie, the daughter of Fa Mulan and Li Shang. She was probably the most openly affectionate person he had ever met. As the months staying in Auradon had gone by, Jay noticed that Ben was rather proper (unless you were Mal), Doug sometimes made it awkward (unless you were Evie), and Jane was very timid and shy (unless you're Carlos). But Lonnie... She always had a hug ready for the people she cares about (Well, except if your name was Chad Charming. He was strictly an "air hug" from what Jay had seen.). There were hello hugs, goodbye hugs, thank you hugs, celebration hugs, comfort hugs... Sometimes those hugs would seemingly blur together depending on the occasion. It fascinated Jay, really.

Something that looked so natural, so normal was completely alien to him. He couldn't help but try to think back to a time someone, anyone has held him in their arms or if he had ever done it in return. Unfortunately, his memories came up empty. Even with the girls he had been intimate with, he had never done anything of the sort. At first, he thought he wasn't really missing anything. He had gone for 17 years of his life not receiving that type of affection from anyone in his life and he felt fine. Content, even.

But that all changed when Auradon's Shield and Swords team won against Olympus High for the first time in years. And after he had talked to Jafar during one video call Fairy God Mother arranged for him.