Hey all, giving everyone following this a head's up! This is really my first proper fic I ever posted, and honestly, I really didn't think this through. I have a bad habit turning everything I write into angst and even occasionally tragedy, but I didn't know whether or not I wanted to take it in that direction. So, I'll need you, the readers, to give me a heads up on whether you want a bunch of random, fluffy encounters, or a more coherent story with a bit of angst and probs some violence. I will NOT be abandoning this fic just yet, I just need a little bit of help first. Once I yet going, I may even cross post this story onto AO3. I have an account there by the same name with two more stories that I will possibly post here soon. I have a small little excerpt of the next chapter below to keep you interested! Thank you all!
Stepping through the entrance of the old wooden building, Hajime sneezed, his eyes almost watering. It was musty, but more than that, it smelled. It smelled like wood, rot and years of abandonment. Suddenly, he found not his nose being assaulted, but his ears too.
"STOP THAT IMMEDIATELY!" a roar thundered loud enough to make the beams of the old hotel tremble.
Exchanging a look with Nagito, Hajime picked up the pace, trotting as fast as possible without landing face first on the rough wooden floor. The group had gathered in the centre dining room, if the open door was any indication. Dust coated the floor, and as the two stepped inside, Hajime spotted cobwebs in every corner, dust covered tables pushed against the back wall and a rather grimy lamp placed in the back corner. Like the rest of the hotel, thick metal plates were bolted across the back wall, presumably where the windows had once been. And in the centre of this grime-filled dining hall, was the odd mix of creatures. And more than anything else, his eye was drawn to the very angry mountain lion on his left. Spluttering and growling, he was attempting to…look at his back?
When he turned around, Hajime understood the reason for the big cat's temper. On Byakuya's back was a small black dog with purple and blue highlights.
What the hell is she doing?! Hajime watched in horror, Nagito in amusement.
"YAHOOOO! THIS IS SO MUCH FUN! But really, Byakuya, don't be so mad! Ibuki just wanted to touch your super-itty-bitty adorable ears!"
"YOU INSULT THE TOGAMI FAMILY!" Byakuya roared in reply.
"Awww man…" Ibuki groaned. "Fine." Byakuya froze and the small spaniel scampered down his massive back, before flinging herself at the last moment, flying through the air, her claws skittering as she landed.
"Ibuki, be careful!" cried Sonia fearfully.
"She's right," Nagito added. "It'd be easy to get a claw caught in one of the gaps in the floor and pull it right out if you keep sliding around like that."
"Shut up! That's so creepy…" mumbled Kazuichi, looking increasingly nervous.
Like the many times before, Hajime watched his friends' hijinks with a mixture of shock, confusion and amazement.
Do I really belong here with all these people? They're so-
"Crazy. That's what you were thinking, right? Seriously, playing around at a time like this. Kazuichi, pull yourself together already! You're a man, aren't you? You should be stepping in or something! And Byakuya, be more careful!" A little red cat glided gracefully over to where Hajime was standing, shocked, before sitting down by his paws, her little white tipped tail curling snug around her feet.
"So unreliable," she sighed.
Mahiru…
"That's actually pretty close, yeah. At least no one's panicking, which is pretty good. Though don't you think they're not taking this seriously enough?"
"As usual, you're a worrywart Hajime," Mahiru said, stretching for some reason. "But, then again, you were right about the whole island thing being suspicious, so maybe we shouldn't be so hard on you.
But you 'know, we've had a few hours to get used to this, we even weren't expecting you turn up when you did; we may have even forgotten for a little bit what had happened, so when a giant, black dog kinda appears at the top of the stairs, everyone may have panicked a bit." Mahiru had the humility to look rather sheepish at this, not meeting Hajime's eyes, tailed flicking side to side.
"You forgot? How do you forget something like this?" That explains all the screaming, I guess…
"It was definitely a sight to see, it even looked like Chiaki was floating up the stairs while asleep at first!" Nagito joined it, making Hajime jump. He had forgotten the silver fox had been standing behind him.
"Mhmm, it was actually pretty funny!" Mahiru agreed. "Then of course, the rest of you came up the stairs, and, well, I don't know if you noticed, but you're like, really tall. Actually, forget that, you're huge."
Hajime thought this was actually really funny. "So…I guess I scared everyone because I'm the Big Bad Wolf, hey?"
"H-Hey! Are you making fun of us?!" Mahiru retorted while Nagito simultaneously replied "That's about right."
"Hey!" she turned on him.
"I'm just telling the truth!" He protested. "It doesn't help that you always look so serious, Hajime! I wouldn't be surprised if poor Mikan thought you were going to gobble her up!" he chuckled.
"I suppose it could be worse," he sighed. "A-Anyway, shouldn't we focus? This is a really weird situation."
"I wish you good luck with that, Hajime," Nagito chuckled, and the two observed the chaos unfolding in the dining hall with a mixture of awe and exasperation.
