It was just sound tonight. No visual horrors, no mad voices, no scents; just a pulse, a heartbeat. Whether it was his or someone else's he didn't know, but it sang out to him like a lullaby, drawing him into the best night of sleep he had since that night. But there was something familiar about the vivid stench of raw meat he kept experiencing within his dreams. He had smelled something the night it started and that rabbit, the one he smelled a week and a half ago, the scent who's similarity he just wrote off as his imagination... was it his imagination? Was that the scent he detected from across that fountain? The pulse rang out faster the more he thought; it was his. "Just me." Then another thought hit: "I have to make sure."

"Why?" He questioned.

"So he can't hurt her. I can't hurt her. I sniff her once and I'll stay away. Yeah, that's what I'll do... Yeah."

"No you won't." The voice in his head spoke out. "That smell is something stuck in your head."

"Who-"

"You. Just the you you've been pushing down for so long. Hmmm. Why deny me? Because you're scared of hurting others. But the more you resist, the more you desire. Free me, free yourself. Do not deny your full nature. Approach her, see what happens."

"NO!"

"Haha... in time."

"Nooooo..." Legoshi whined in his sleep. It was nearing morning light and even through the curtains, a little bit managed to find a way through into his bunk. His own moan had woken him up, if very groggily, and the light going across his bedded legs made sure he couldn't go back to sleep. Just as well as it had been the best night's sleep he had gotten in a while. He looked to see where the light was coming from and found his curtains to be parted slightly. Either one of his friends checked up on him, which was likely, or he just forgot to close it all the way, which was equally likely. The words that upset him enough to say "no" were quickly forgotten. "Something about hiding? Or was it about insects?" At the thought of that, he took a look inside Kabu's insectarium to see if the beetle was want of anything.

After finding everything in order, aside from food, Legosi stretched and yawned. The dream had all but been forgotten by now and he made his way to the shower. The water felt good on his fur, he released a slight growl of pleasure as it got slicked down. He worked hard to scrub his fur clean, removing the previous day out of his body and preparing fresh.

He stopped when he felt something watching him.

He turned the water off. It trickled for just a few moments as he strained to listen to anything out of place. Besides his roommates getting up, nothing. His heart hammered in his chest as adrenaline amped him up. Luckily, he hadn't trimmed his claws yet, so he had something to arm himself with.

Gathering himself, he tore back the shower curtain to find... nothing. Nothing at all. Not even a scent. Legoshi held and shook his head. "Guess I didn't get enough sleep after all." He put on his uniform and straightened his fur before leaving the bathroom.

As he went to leave the dorm, Jack spoke up. "Hey! You're not going by yourself are you?" Legoshi raised an eyebrow. "Just give me a minute, we're going down together!" Legoshi shrugged his shoulders, a sigh escaped his lips.

He felt a large paw slap his back before he was drawn into a hug with Collot, which invited everyone else in the room to hug him as well. It was hard not to feel loved and a small smile formed itself upon Legoshi's face which was reciprocated by the gang, the 701 boys.

Durham exclaimed "You're looking better than you have been." Everyone else concurred.

Legoshi replied "Uh... thanks guys. You didn't need to do this."

Jack said "Of course we did, what else are friends for?"

"Dude, are you for real right now?" Aoba said, staring at Bill with an exasperated and incredulous look on his face.

"What do you mean 'are you for real'? Of course I'm for real! These legs don't stop until there's a need for it! That's why I was champion at track and field in middle school the entire time I was there."

Aoba nodded, his brow scrunched up in thought; Bill noticed.

"What are you thinking about?"

Aoba turned, put his talons on his friend's shoulders. His beak opened but nothing came out as his eyes looked into Bill's. Several moments passed before he said "You're stuck." clearly enough for Bill to understand, letting him go.

"Stuck? I'm not stuck. I graduate in a year you know. I move forward like anybody else."

"That's not what I mean."

"What are you saying then?"

"Haven't you noticed that I'm the only one who actually hangs out with you?"

"Yeah, ok, what's your point?"

"You don't actually know how to talk to people."

Bill laughed. "Yeah right! I can talk to people just fine, dude."

Aoba nodded. "Ok. Then start a conversation with the next animal you see."

"I don't need to prove anything, Aoba."

Aoba thought for a moment, and then smiled. "You're right, you don't need to prove anything. I'll see you at lunch."

"Bye." Bill started talking to himself. "Huh, that was weird, I wonder what he meant by all that?"

A few minutes later, his tail moved from side to side and his heart beat faster as he saw Els walking towards him. "Eh!?"

She stopped. "Hey Bill, Aoba told me you had something to tell me?"

"EHHH?!! Aoba you bastard!" Bill thought.

"H-hey Els. Um, y-yeah. I uh, I just... Youshouldwatchmerunsometime!"

"...What."

"Idiot! Why did you say that?! You could've said literally anything else! I like your wool! Or do you wanna go for coffee later?! But no! My dumb brain wants to look good!" Bill chastised himself internally.

He didn't realize he had zoned out and was unintentionally staring at her. She stared back at him, frightened and suspicious. "Yeah, I'll see you later Bill." She said as she walked, then ran off.

"Oh no! I scared her! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why am I so stupid? Aaaaaahhhhhhh! Fuck me! Fuck my life!"

Bill continued muttering his thoughts out loud as he continued walking to class. He put his head down during lectures, trying to keep the tears in, he was an adult after all and adults don't cry.

Aoba had no idea what he had done until, at lunch, Bill stormed up to him.

"I've been looking for you!" Bill yelled. "What the fuck was that about?! Sending Els to me without telling me?! You know I don't do well doing impromptu stuff! You've seen me! I suck at it! But seriously, what the fuck are you trying to do?"

"What 'the fuck' I'm trying to do Bill is make a point. The point being is that you're approach to conversation doesn't work. Making up stories to make yourself look better doesn't work because it falls apart in the end and-"

Bill struck him with a right hook, sending Aoba to the ground. "Fuck you!" Bill spit before walking off.

At the same time, Aoba got back up and brushed himself off, saying "I'm your only friend Bill, I'll be here when you get back."

"That's horseshit." Bill muttered to himself. For the rest of the day, it was one long emotional slump, glad to not have acting practice that day. He felt even worse when he realized, Aoba was right; besides Aoba, he was alone.

On impulse, he thought of Legoshi. "I wonder how easy he is to talk to?"