TAWOG: Instinct

The Olfaction

The Olfaction

It was now Friday afternoon and this week had marked Gumball's return to school and he'd been practically welcomed like a celebrity by both the students and the teacher (with the exception of Miss Simian). Penny, along with everyone else close to him, were overly relieved that Gumball hadn't been greeted by an angry mob, not just at school, but anywhere else he went. It would seem that, when Gumball threw himself into that portal, the action quelled most people who wished him harm, and those who still harbored such desires were swayed by the mayor's strategy. Hard to be angry at someone when their very presence brings in profit.

However, Gumball's behavior during this week had Penny concerned. He was surrounded by people who were either asking him what it's like to be the abyssalis cat, requesting he demonstrate his ability to them with a transform, or even asking him to eat someone for them; the majority of the latter asking him to eat Miss Simian. And throughout it all, Gumball was…humble? No matter who approached him he always politely declined their requests, his most meaningful response being when he corrected those requesting demonstration of his transformation, stating it was more of a regression than a transformation, but still declined them.

And this made Penny really uneasy.

The Gumball she knew would be drinking in the attention; like with what happened with the incident involving Sarah's comic, but he almost appeared…uninterested. And that wasn't the only thing about him that had her concerned. He was taking the loss of his nemesis really well. Rob was obviously gone as well, probably went down with the Dark Place and Penny had been anticipating Gumball's reaction, whether it be a somber reaction, with him lamenting his loss, or him going out and trying to find a new nemesis, but he hadn't done anything. It didn't make sense to Penny. When Rob decided to become nemesis to Banana Joe instead of Gumball he went ballistic.

And yet it got weirder still.

Ever since the incident with the heart emoji’s Penny had been making an effort to always add three in her emails to Gumball; despite insisting rather strongly that he needed to take things easier, but due to recent events, it had slipped her mind a few times. She'd only caught on to it a few days ago and had been expecting a reaction from Gumball, but again, there was nothing. No grand gestures, no overly proportioned attempts to woo her, he just acted as if he didn't care, or more accurately, acted like he wasn't concerned her lack of emoji's wasn a sign of her losing interest in him. Not that she was complaining about the latter overly much, she definitely didn't want a repeat of what happened last time. But what could have made Gumball change so much in regards to his reactions? 

Humble in the face of fame, not lamenting his nemesis, no overreactions to anything that he might perceive her leaving him, what had caused him to dial down his tenancies so much? What next? Was he also not going to get jealous the next time someone flirts with her?

“Hey there, Penny,” said the voice of Tobias flirtingly as Penny was putting away her books in her locker at the end of the day.

—

Gumball was in the boys showers, rinsing soap off his body as he examined himself. In recent days he'd begun to notice that his body was going through some changes. And not the typical changes one experiences when growing up. Ever since leaving the hospital his belly pudge had begun to rapidly dissipate, his stomach receding and becoming flat, as well as toned. Not only that, but his arms and leg muscles had started to get more lean and prominent as well. He knew it had to have something to do with the changes. Maybe it was because animals burn calories more efficiently than people do, maybe it was because he only had an appetite for meat and nothing else, but whatever the reason, his body was quickly becoming firm and fit, more so than ever. Not that he minded. It was one of the few things he was appreciative of about this whole ordeal.