It's the calendar's fault. Eliza will verify this.

"A pony!" Yunho's voice is way too loud for six in the morning, and way too enthusiastic for anyone over six years old. Which is just typical, and Changmin took the precaution of trailing along at the back of the group for just that reason, but it's still enough to make him wince and think vengeful thoughts about coordis with cold hands and ugly costuming.

Then wary self-preservation kicks in, because there is indeed a pony, and Changmin doesn't trust those things. Yunho and Jaejoong head straight for it, of course. That's fine by Changmin. He'll be sad if it kills his hyung-deul, but better them than him. Besides, it gives him first pick of the clothing racks.

Well, second pick. Nobody's letting Yoochun near fabric while he's less than half-awake and carrying coffee, but Junsu's already got his hands on shirts, jackets, and sweaters in exciting shades of grey and black. At least they get to wear jeans.

"Good morning, Changmin-sshi." There's a pile of fabric shoved in Changmin's face, and sometimes--like every time she talks to him--he wonders why Baeyeon-nuna even bothers with the honorific. "I picked out some of the things I think might fit you best."

"Good morning, Baeyeon-nuna." Changmin takes the clothes from her hands, since he knows from past experience that she's not above wrestling to get them on him. Despite being about thirty centimeters shorter, she'd win too. She beams at him in a way that's less a smile than a display of teeth.

"Changing screen's over there." She turns away from him, raising her voice. "Yunho-sshi! How about you spoil the animal after the shoot, for a change, and come get dressed?"

Changmin considers the likelihood that she'll murder him if he swaps her choices for something from the racks Junsu's still molesting, sighs deeply to himself and goes to change. Luckily, Baeyeon-nuna seems in a charitable mood today, which means a warm hoodie over a soft tee-shirt and no ruffles, ribbons, or weird drapes in sight. Granted, the neck of the tee is a little low, but he'll take what he can get.

Then he steps out from behind the screen to let someone else behind it, and he's immediately accosted by Seulhi-nuna, a wide grey scarf in her hands. She hooks it over his neck and flashes him an apologetic smile. "This goes with the tee-shirt."

A scarf and tee-shirt set. Just in case he'd forgotten that costuming is nothing like streetwear.

At least he's not the only one being attacked with accessories. Baeyeon-nuna's moved on to Yoochun, dropping a hat on his bent head and straightening his flannel shirt while he sets the hat at his preferred angle. He probably let the coordis dress him right out in the open, barely awake enough to flash them the little-boy smile that best displays his dimples. He turns that smile on Changmin over Baeyeon-nuna's head while Seulhi-nuna is tucking the scarf inside the hoodie. Changmin rolls his eyes. Yoochun flashes more teeth in response, saunters forward when Baeyeon-nuna releases him to go after Jaejoong.

"There." Seulhi-nuna steps back from Changmin and tilts her head. "Yeah, I think that's good. Go get your face touched up."

Seulhi has another scarf draped over her arm, and she turns toward Junsu as he comes out from behind the changing screen, but Yoochun's close enough to touch her shoulder and she hands it to him instead. Changmin reaches for one end before Yoochun's even lifted it toward him. Junsu laughs at them, looks like he's thinking about bolting, but stands still when they approach. Under cover of winding the scarf around Junsu's neck, Yoochun leans in for a kiss. Changmin thinks, <em>oh, why not</em>? and gets his own kiss when he unwinds a few of the loops in order to display Junsu's throat. Junsu's mouth is warm and tastes like mint and Yoochun's coffee, there and gone.

"I was saving that," Yoochun protests at the rearrangement of the scarf. That makes Junsu laugh again, and Changmin snorts.

"We can do it right or get yelled at by Baeyeon-nuna. Your pick."

Yoochun pouts, which is in no way adorable, then hooks his hands in Changmin's scarf and tugs. Changmin goes with it rather than have the knit stretched out of shape, gets a better taste of Yoochun's coffee. Too much sugar, but he doesn't pull away.

"Changmin-sshi!" Yoochun releases him to look up at the art director, who gestures toward the pony. "When you're done with make-up, come take the lead."

"Uh." Changmin's dubious. From the looks of it, so's the pony. It's not as big as the horse for the Vogue shoot, but it's plenty big enough. "Maybe Yunho--"

"Come on, Changmin," Yunho calls. "Come over here and make friends."

For a brief moment, Changmin entertains the wild hope one of the others will save him. Then he remembers how often he's been abandoned to members of Super Junior. Jaejoong grins at him, fingers entangled with Yunho's in the thing's mane. Yoochun pats his shoulder and Junsu pats his butt, both of them urging him forward.

"It's not going to eat you, Changminnie," Yoochun says, low and amused.

"That's right," Junsu says. "But if it does, can I have your iPod?"

Baeyeon-nuna grabs his arm before he can answer, tugging him sideways. "Face first, Changmin-sshi. Frolicking after."

"I don't frolic."

"Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure that horse doesn't either, at least not this time of day. I need to straighten your scarf, too. Remind Yoochun-sshi I have pins and I'm not afraid to use them if he starts wrinkling it again."

By the time Baeyeon-nuna's done with him, Changmin's certain he'll be ready to take his chances with the damn pony. At least he can try to point it at someone else if it decides to bite.

~END~