Chapter 17

Dear Robbie,

So glad to hear everything's going well at school, so far. I admit I got pretty d*mn scared after hearing you ended up in the hospital, but I also knew how strong a kid you are in getting through whatever crap life decides to throw your way.

As for me, I'm managing pretty well, I'd say. Bones and back still aching about the same and my hearing's gotten a tad worse.

Getting old ain't for sissies, let me tell ya! On the bright side, I get to have some very lovely ladies to fawn over me everyday! Hahahaha!

Speaking of ladies, sorry to hear about your recent breakup, and I get you're pretty worried about your love life and finding your soulmate.

My advice: Don't think about it so much! You're still young and a great catch! No doubt there'll be plenty of gals that'd want a piece of that "Robbie Pie!"

Not to brag, but I was quite the hunk back in my hayday, too, so I know you'll find a new girlfriend in no time after a bit of dating around. Make sure you introduce me to her when you find her, you hear?

Until next time, son!

Yours truly,

Grandpa Kaito

Rob could not help but smile and chuckle whenever he'd read a letter from the old man.

He was always so bright and cheery, even in his writing. It had been over a year since the two began exchanging letters, with the young lion visiting him when time permitted it.

When the young lion first met the old white rabbit—who also had black rings around his dark eyes—during a volunteer assignment at a certain hospital, Kaito seemed somewhat lethargic and sad.

After Rob introduced himself, the rabbit took one long look at him and then solemnly wondered aloud: "So…has my time finally come?"

"Um, e-excuse me?" Rob asked, tilting his head a bit.

The old man chuckled softly. "I don't think you'll find much on these old bones to satisfy you…but please, try your best to make it quick and painless. That's all I ask…"

It took another minute for Rob to understand what he was implying, at which time he flinched and stepped back, his face filled with fear and bewilderment.

"W-wait…! Y-you're saying y-you want me t-to—to…!? Urp—!" He struggled to keep his bile down as he tightly grasped his mouth.

The long-eared herbivore continued gazing at the sickened carnivore. Then, he began to quietly sputter, which eventually grew into a fit of boisterous laughter.

The young carnivore simply stared, completely mystified of Kaito who was currently slapping his thigh through his bedsheets.

"Hohohoh! Ahahoho, s-sorry, kid!" The old rabbit cried, struggling to breathe. "It's just—hehe—a little joke for the carnivores! Plus, you have such a cute, innocent face that I just couldn't resist wanting to mess with ya!"

Rob lowered his hands from his mouth until both arms dropped to his sides. So, all that talk about death and predation was part of some dark practical joke? That…was so twisted of him.

"Alright, alright. No more jokes, I promise," Kaito mirthfully assured after seeing the young lion pouting and shaking his fists. "So, you're name's Rob, huh? Nice to meetcha, young man!"

Needless to say, Rob was not given a very good first impression of the old prankster of a rabbit. He only began warming up to him after subsequent visits and soon became very close to one another. The herbivore even insisted on calling him "Grandpa" from then on.

Grandpa Kaito never married or had children, so he decided to make Rob his own grandchild on a whim.

The young lion never had a grandparent before—at least, not one that he has ever met or heard about. It felt very nice having another family member.

Still, with the old rabbit being in hospice, Rob knew he wouldn't have a lot of time left to spend with his grandfather. He seemed pretty hale and hearty two months ago, but there was no telling when that would change…

Rob thought about what he could do, as he gazed at Grandpa Kaito's letter on his desk and crossed his arms.

"...The b-beach," he soon mumbled aloud.

Whenever he would bring up the ocean, and how often he used to walk upon the sandy shore, he always seemed so sad. Even though the old man always had a sunny disposition, his voice would always betray a hint of lament and his black eyes would sometimes moisten a little, contrasting the dark spots around them.

"Okay…n-next time, I'll t-take you to the b-beach myself…G-Grandpa," the young carnivore decided.

He was not exactly sure how he would go about convincing the hospital to allow the old rabbit to go outside, but he was determined to try.

"What's that about the beach?" asked Lorde who had just came into the dorm room.

"It's n-nothing. Just…th-thinking about taking a f-famil—family member there eventually."

"Oh. Cool." The red maned lion then came over to drape his arm over Rob's shoulder, making him groan a little.

"So…about this weekend—"

"No."

"Ah, c'mon bruh!"

"I s-said…no," Rob firmly declared, reaching out for a pen and paper on his desk while doing so. "You always g-get your way… wh-when it comes to b-bringin—bringing girls in here t-to sleep with th-them. And I d-don't want to keep…w-wasting money on air f-freshener."

"Dude, I said I was sorry," Lorde began to whine. "Look, I get you're still mad about us accidentally doing it on your bed, bu—"

SNAP!

The young hybrid crushed the pen in his hand, with plastic and ink getting squeezed between his fingers.

"W-What…?"

His roommate slowly removed his arms from Rob's trembling body. "Oh…I guess I didn't tell you about that. Hehe…he…"

It took every faculty of strength the young lion had to keep himself from screaming out in disgust and frustration. He had wondered why it seemed like the scent of musk, pheremones, and… "sex" continued to linger long after he liberally sprayed aerosol throughout the entire room. Now Lorde just revealed that he and that lioness did the deed on his bed!?

"W-What is wrong w-with you…?"

"Huh?"

Rob turned his head, scowling at his roommate. "All y-you ever think a-about is 'sex, sex, s-sex!' S-Seriously, is it really i-imposib—impossible f-for you t-to go even one m-month without…n-needing to satisfy your l-libido!?"

"U—I-I, er—"

"A-a-and just how m-many lionesses have…y-you messed around w-with!? L-Like almost t-ten in the last six m-months!?"

"Robbie, c'mon! It's not like I forced them into it or anything."

"B-but, don't you th-think you m-might be t-taki—taking advantage of…s-some of them!?"

The red-maned carnivore blinked. "'Take advan—?' What the h*ll are you talking about!?"

"Wh-what if…th-there o-one or two wh-who actually fell i-in love with you and w-wanted more th-than just…s-sex!?"

"Love? You can't be serious…" Lorde scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I already told you: we're lions! We're practically made for banging each other for hours on end and those girls I picked up already knew this."

Becoming a little more bold, he took a few steps closer towards the frustrated liliger. "You really need to grow up and accept that the world doesn't work like in some fairy tale. Besides, what makes you such an expert on 'love?' You didn't even have the guts to turn in your v-card when What's-Her-Name clearly wanted to get in your pan—"

"TH-THAT'S…N-NOT THE REAL PROBLEM HERE! AND L-LEAVE SARA O-OUT OF THIS!"

Rob was already breathing heavily from his sudden rant, while Lorde cowered a bit with his body scrunched up slightly from his roommate's angry outburst.

A few moments passed and the young hybrid was finally able to calm himself down a little bit after taking several deep breaths.

"Look…" Rob began, looking down at his ink-stained hand. "C-can't you…j-just not do it here a-anymore, or even t-take a break f-for a—for a while? It's s-starting to get t-too much to handle…"

The red-maned feline said nothing, his body still slightly curled up with his ears flattened.

Rob then stood up, not bothering to wait for his answer.

"U—Where are you going?"

"...Sh-shower."

"H-Hey, I made sure to wash your bedsheets the next day. I swear—".

The young hybrid closed the main door behind him after obtaining his towel and a change of underwear.

He had already bathed earlier, but now he felt particularly gross after learning what Lorde did and didn't really care if his sheets were already clean.

That guy just doesn't get it, he grumbled within himself. Rob may not have had as much experience with girls as some as his peers, but at least he knows what he's looking for in a relationship. And he definitely didn't find it with her…

…

"...Uuuuuuuuuugggggggghhhhh."

Baako slammed his head on the edge of the cafeteria table, barely missing his laptop.

"Er…A-are you okay?" Rob asked, who was more than a little concerned.

"...Couldn't even find a single clue!" the boar exclaimed.

"U-umm…"

"For who killed Tem, bud."

"O-Oh! That!"

"And of course, you'd forget about it..."

The young lion nervously scratched the side of his muzzle as his friend sighed.

"S-So, you, u-uh, are having a…h-hard time gathering i-info?"

"Yeah…spent most of my free time this week scouring the student records of anyone connected with Tem or the drama club," Baako groaned as he rolled his head to its side. "Went through over a hundred people and *thbbt!* zilch…"

"Wha—O-one hundred!?" the large carnivore cried. "H-how many p-p-predators did you l-loo—you look up!?"

"Only half of those files were carnivores," the boar corrected. "I also searched through the herbivores, since there's a remote chance they somehow got mixed up in this mess, too."

Rob's mouth hung open at how thorough Baako was in his search. It was much more surprising that he didn't discover anything of value.

"Geez, this is a way bigger pain in the a$& than deleting all the vids floating around of yours and Joe's fight," he said.

"Y-you mean those...clips that g-got erased…? That was…y-you, too?"

"Duh. It'd suck if the principle or some other teacher saw what happened, and I doubt you'd get off so easy with them thinking you've got a taste for herbivores."

"Oh…I g-guess that makes s-sense."

"Mmm-hmm. Now, I just need to make a virus to seek and destroy any vids that might be uploaded again, since there's no doubt more than a few animals downloaded it…Hmm…Wonder how fast I can create one…?"

No matter how many times he hears his best friend's exploits or personal projects, Rob was always left awestruck by the boar's raw talent and genius when it comes to computer programming and hacking.

Whether or not he ever used his skills for less-than-legal purposes was always a manner of whim for the herbivore—like when he decided to hack into the Horns Conglomerate's database to test the limits of his abilities.

He was just grateful Baako wasn't interested in becoming some sort of a cyber criminal, as there is no real sport in hurting or profiting from others, according to him.

"Um…excuse me."

Rob turned to see a familiar tigress standing shyly with her hands behind her back.

"L-Lily. Hi there," he greeted. "Um, d-did you understand the homework e-equations…okay last n-night?"

"Mmm-hmm. It was way easier to solve after you taught me those shortcuts. I'm really glad you know organic chemistry so well."

The young lion nodded. "Yeah. I-It becomes simple m-math after knowing…wh-which reaction d-does what."

"It really does! Thank you so much for the tips. Oh, right." Lily brought her hands in front of her, which held a clear bag of what appeared to contain some sort of pie. "I don't know if you like sweets…but we ended up with extra at our club and I figured I'd show my appreciation?"

"R-Really? For me?"

Lily blushed slightly as she extended her arms a bit more.

With a soft smile, Rob reached out for the dessert. "Th-thank you. I'd l-love to have some."

The tigress breathed a sigh of relief and then smiled in return. "Well, I…guess I'll leave you to your lunch, then. Mind if I text you again if I have any other questions?"

"S-Sure. I'd be…h-happy to help."

Lily bowed graciously to the young lion, and then to Baako before trotting through the aisle of tables, with a small spring in her steps.

Rob gazed at the piece of pastry—which he realized was some sort of apple tart—and couldn't help but lick his lips. In the corner of his eyes, he saw his boar friend sitting upright with his chin resting upon laced hands, his mouth curving into a playful sneer.

"W-What?"

"Don't 'W-What?' me! You know exactly what!" Baako exclaimed. "So...how long have you've been seeing that 'Tiger Lily?'"

"'T-Tiger—?' Mm—*ahem* She's…s-someone that's in my O-Organic Chem class. A-and I've been h-helping here out, is all. I-it's been a week s-since w—since we first talked…w-with each other."

"Mmm-hmm…And who talked to who first?"

"Well…" Rob thought for a moment. "I-I think it was h-her…b-back when she f-found my l-literature report and g-gav—and gave it back t-to me."

"And, let me guess: she was the one who suddenly asked for help on her homework, right?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Oh yeah! That girl's got it baaad!" the boar grinned as he put his hands behind his head.

"Wait, wh-wha…?"

"She's in love with you, man! Don't go pretending you haven't noticed the way she's been ogling you!"

The young lion's face suddenly grew hot. "W-wait, hold on…! W-we're just—! I mean, w-why would L-Lily—!?"

He had noticed how the tigress would sometimes blush or stare whenever he turned his gaze elsewhere. She would even chuff slightly—which causes her to turn away, her face turning a darker shade of orange—or act unusually cheerful whenever they would speak to each other. However, he did not dare think it was because of infatuation.

Also, why would Lily suddenly show interest in him in the first place?

"Heh, guess that scar and white hairs did nothing to keep her away. Or maybe she's totally into that rugged look. Who knows?"

"B-but, why? L-Lily's a tiger, a-and I'm a-a…Well, I-I'm three-q-quarters lion. I b-barely have any v-visible str—stripes."

"Maybe she likes the ones on your tail. Plus," Baako leaned to the side, looking at the young carnivores backside. "I've heard some tigers can get really turned on by any good-looking stripes on another one's a$&—whatever 'good-looking' means to them."

"Urk—! B-Baako! Don't s-say stuff like th-that!" Rob cried in embarrassment, his hands grasping his bottom.

Honestly, the two bathed together only a few times in the past and now the boar couldn't help but bring up certain attributes of his body he found most fascinating—mostly when he wants to tease or get a rise out of the young lion.

"Dude, you gotta take her out."

"Huh…!?"

"C'mon! That girl went out of her way just to get close to you, and you recently became single again! Now's the perfect chance!"

"I…I-I don't know…" Rob mumbled, somewhat apprehensive. "I mean, L-Lily is really nice a-and…I g-guess I enjoy t-talki—talking with her. She…e-even believed me wh-when we ended up t-talking …about what h-happened to Tem that night…"

"Oh, yeah. Sounds like a keeper, all right!" Baako said in a sing-song voice. "Go for it, man! Lots of guys would literally kill to be in your shoes. H*ll, I'm already green with envy you got such a pretty girl coming after you!"

"Mmm…" The young carnivore gazed at the pastry he was just gifted. Lily is a very pretty tigress and was very pleasant to be around—unlike her.

"I g-guess…I could c-consider it…"

"Well, you better consider real soon. Chances like these don't come our way that often."

"Mmm, yeah…" Rob carefully removed the rubber band closing the plastic bag and slipped the apple tart unto his tray. Suddenly, a fork stabbed itself into the middle of the pastry and pulled off a rather large chunk.

"Wha—!? H-HEY!"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll make you lots of tasty meals and treats from here on out!" Baako chuckled, waving the piece of apple tart tauntingly. "Besides, you owe me for keeping those vids off the net."

The boar then shoved the whole piece into his mouth and let out a loud, "Mmm-Mmm!"

The young lion grumbled as he lamented over his tart which has now become a little less than half its original size…

…

It was now later in the evening in the male carnivores' dorm building and Rob was standing in front of one dorm room 701, more than a little nervous.

Thanks to Baako already looking through the school records while the young hybrid mentioned wanting to give something back to Jack in passing, he was able to learn where the canine was living. It was actually pretty scary how quick and precise the boar was at gathering information from a few sentences.

He had meant to return the Labrador's handkerchief much sooner, but between his studies and scheduled Swoosh meetings with his therapist—which were done at Uncle Dean's insistence—the young lion was not able to find the time to do so.

At any rate, he was here now and he might as well go through with what he set out to do in the first place.

Rob rapped on the door.

"Door!" "DOOR!" "Someone get that!" "I got it!"

The large feline recoiled from the multiple voices coming from the other side. He was not expecting so many animals staying together in one dorm.

It then swung inward, revealing an Old English Sheepdog in a t-shirt and sweats.

"Hello! How can we…help...you…?" The thick-coated dog slowly raised his head as his voice grew quieter.

"U-um…S-sorry for disturbing y-you," Rob muttered, bowing his head. "I-I, er, is… J-Jack here? He's a G-Golden Labrador."

The white dog said nothing while he lifted a hand to move the fur that was covering his eyes, wanting to get a better look at him.

Rob's own eyes grew wide, shocked at how…beautiful the canine's were in contrast to the rest of his shaggy face. He didn't think it was even possible for a guy to rival a girl's attractiveness!

"Uh…U-um…"

"Jack!" the Sheepdog called behind him. "There's a seven-foot lion looking for you!"

Rob groaned a little in frustration. He most certainly was not seven feet. He barely reached six-ten a few weeks ago.

A few moments later, several footsteps hurried to the door, with Jack being the first to appear next to the white dog.

"Oh, hey! It's Robbie! How're you doing?" the retriever exclaimed excitedly while giving a cheerful wave.

Soon, several more canines crowded around him: a hyena, a coyote, and a tiny fennec fox climbing on Jack's shoulder.

"Holy crap! He really is huge!" exclaimed the hyena.

"Yeah. Heh, now I know how Voss feels when he stands next to…anyone," the coyote smirked.

"$# & off, Durham…" The small carnivore snarled.

"I-I—er…" The young lion was getting a bit overwhelmed by the pack of dogs clamoring around him, almost forgetting what he came here.

"Oh yeah! We're about to get started on a board game and got one extra spot left. Why don't you join us?" Jack asked.

"Wha—? N-no, wait. I j-just came to, um…" The young lion began reaching into his pocket.

"Oh, you already have stuff to do tonight?"

"Er…n-no, but…"

"C'mon, I did say we should talk and hangout sometime. 'No time like the present' as the saying goes. What do you guys think?"

"Hey, yeah!" "Sounds like a good time!" "Mmm-hmm!" "I'm down."

"Well, there you have it! What do you say, Robbie?"

"A—um…! Well…"

Rob was already holding onto the cloth in his pocket, but could not bring himself to bring it out. Whether it was the pleading and expectant gazes or the wagging tails, but it was getting very difficult to refuse them.

"Well, we s-still got a l-little over an hour… b-before lights out, so I-I guess I can s-stay for a sh-short…"

"Alright!" Jack cheered as his companions followed suit in celebration.

"C'mon, let's get going! I'm sure he'll be happy to see you, too."

Before he could open his mouth to ask "Who," the young lion was already grabbed by the wrist and pulled inside the dorm room by the golden lab.

Surprisingly, the dorm room was actually very similar in design to his own, albeit a little larger to accommodate the pack of canines. Even though the inside of it was pretty clean, it still had that distinct "dog" smell from all of them living together.

"Hey, Legoshi! Check out who dropped by for a visit!" Jack called out with Rob in tow.

Sitting upon his knees and looking over an open board game box, the gray wolf shifted his focus towards the two and four carnivores coming his direction.

"...R-Rob?" Legoshi stammered slightly, blinking as his eyes darted between the lion and retriever. "What…brings you here?"

"Uh, I-I was j-just…um…Wait, s-so you and Jack are in the s-sam—same dorm?" asked the feline who was equally surprised.

"Yep! We've all roomed together since middle school, though I've known him since we were just pups," Jack explained.

"Oh…I-I had no idea…" Perhaps he should have given the handkerchief to Legoshi in the first place instead of focusing exclusively on Jack. They were clearly friends and would've been the most obvious choice to make, in retrospect.

"Anyways, Robbie here agreed to hang out for a bit. Shall we get started?"

The four canines gathered around the game box with each helping set up the board and game pieces.

"Dibs on the moneybag!" said the hyena.

"C'mon, Miguno. You're always the moneybag," complained Durham.

"Hey, Collot! What're you gonna be?" Voss asked the Sheepdog.

"Oh, I'm not picky. I'm happy with whatever."

As the four dogs got everything ready, Jack sat the mildly flustered lion while amicably patting his shoulders.

Legoshi stared at Rob for a bit, his left ear flicking as his head tilted to the side. The feline returned his gaze with a small, embarrassed smile. The wolf then turned his head away while rubbing the back of his neck, as if apologizing for his rambunctious roommates.

It wasn't too bad, though. In fact, Rob actually started enjoying himself.

Even though the board game slowly turned into a question and answer panel—with the dogs asking things such where his stripes were or why he smelled nicer than other lions—they were still treating Rob like he was one of the pack.

This was the first time he's spent an evening with so many male animals.

And…maybe being spending time with other carnivores like Louis suggested isn't as uncomfortable as he first assumed, the young lion thought to himself.

He turned to both Legoshi and Jack and smiled softly. The two grinned in their own ways in return.

Author's Note

Hey, everyone!

Yes, I'm still writing. Just ended up being busier last week than I thought. No worries! I'm determined to finish Robbie's story. And I'm more motivated now that Season 2 of the anime is coming next year!