"I have some interesting news," Solomon announces one one fine afternoon. The other members of the student council look up from their tasks curiously.

Seemingly content with the attention, he continues. "I have received word from the former student council president that she will be visiting us during our next meeting."

Brian jumps out of his chair, his beak curved in a wide smile. "Eloise is coming?!"

"Indeed. She's visiting since her term starts a little later in the month."

"How exciting!" Brian chirps as he swings his hips from side to side, fanning out his tail feathers.

"Eloise? Hare Eloise?" Hafsa asks mostly to herself, trying to remember the face of such an animal. The former student council president had been in power during Hafsa's freshman year, but suffice to say, the hare had never made much of an impression on her. Granted, Hafsa was very busy plotting her eventual run for president at the time, not sparing much of a thought for the soon-to-be-retired senior. So, even more egotistically, she concludes no other president compares to her own charm and memorability.

Desmond lacks the serval's courtesy to keep quiet on the matter, however. "I honestly remember the old vice president more than her. The owl."

The mention of the vice pres sets Brian on another bouncing spree. "What about the vice president? Is Iris visiting too?"

His enthusiasm is cut short by Solomon's cold glare, which causes the bird to flinch in recollection. "Oh yeah… I guess that isn't a good idea."

Hafsa's gossip radar begins to beep. Her satellite dishes (her ears) swivel to the source of the tantalizing sentence. "Why not?" She asks in as innocent a voice as she could muster.

Solomon's face contorts in a perplexed expression, as if trying to find the right words for a response. "Let's just say they had a… falling out shortly after graduation."

"Yeah, so it's for the best if they don't see each other again." The pigeon chimes in.

"What kind of falling out?" Desmond prods.

Solomon's voice becomes even graver. "That's not our story to tell." And just like that, the subject is dropped.

It is only on the following Tuesday when their questions are answered. In an extra effort to impress the visitor, Hafsa made sure to organize the room extra neatly; not a sheet or folder out of place. According to the principles of office warfare, it's crucial to present a workplace that makes a former employee jealous of ever having left. The other members, under her instruction, have also come with fur, wool and feather especially groomed, covered by especially stylish clothes. It may be overkill, but that is what a good leader must always strive towards.

A knock at the door causes all of the members to jump to attention. Hafsa spares one last glance towards her team, as if to say "I'm counting on you to make us look good", and opens the door. Her eyes meet the tips of extraordinarily large ears, rounded and wide like the end of a cotton swab. It is only when the serval adjusts her gaze downwards that she sees the owner of the ears. The hare's face is angular and harsh, lacking the docility of a rabbit. Two piercing brown eyes stare at her unblinking and unmoving, contrasted by the constant twitching of her nose and glare is so volcanically intense that even a carnivore like Hafsa can't help but be forced to look elsewhere.

But by far the most disturbing feature of her face is the jagged lines of bare, scarred skin that run from her forehead to her cheek in a sloppy arc.

"A-ah—" Hafsa powers through her sudden discomfort and returns to the plan. "Hare Eloise, welcome back! Please, come in."

The lagomorph is unfazed by her welcome. Her face remains locked in an almost hypnotic focus. What she is focusing on exactly, remains a mystery. Most hares are unsettling in this regard; the exaggerated symmetry, sharp transitions from curvature to sharpness, and unsettling silence makes them an animal that makes them difficult to communicate with in all senses of the word. That being said, they have a reputation for competence and concentration. Eloise must be no exception considering her previous leadership role.

She enters wordlessly into the office, greeted by the two familiar faces of the juniors, and a skulking ram in the corner who eager to participate as little as possible.

"Hey Pres!" Brian waves. "Or I guess, ex-Pres. Do you like what we've done with the place?"

To this, Eloise finally breaks her silence. "It hasn't changed."

"She's still as observant as always!"

Solomon mentally rolls his eyes and extends a hand out to the hare. "You look well, Eloise. How is university life?"

Eloise glances down at his outstretched hand with the same ominous glower, eventually shaking it with her petite paw. "Much like high school life."

"Aren't you in medical school?" The caracal inquires. "Surely that must be more taxing."

"I have never found excessive studying to do me any good. It remains the same now."

"That's Eloise for you!" Brian chuckles. "The straight A student who doesn't even study!"

Hafsa tries to enter the conversation. "That's really impressive! I had always admired you when you were president, and it looks like you're still making a name for yourself."

A white lie, but a harmless one.

"You are the new president now?" The lagomorph asks bluntly.

Hafsa grabs her own tail to prevent it from swishing in surprise. "Y-yes! Oh, where are my manners? My name is Serval Hafsa, sophomore! It's nice to finally meet you!"

They exchange a stiff handshake and Eloise resumes her ardent scrutiny of the feline. "A carnivore in charge. How interesting."

Desmond, still huddled up in the corner, snaps his head to her upon hearing this. "You got a problem?"

"No." She replies passionlessly. "If anything, this just proves a point."

Before Desmond can further press her, she strides towards him on her spindly legs. "You are the vice present?"

The ram sheepishly straights up under the inspection of those ruthless eyes. "Y-yeah."

"You're very attractive."

The sound of four jaws hitting the floor reverberates throughout the room.

"E-excuse me?!" The ram sputters.

"Just a comment."

"Anyways!" Hafsa blurts a little too cheerfully. "We have some tea and snacks. Why don't we all sit down and have some? Then we can give you a tour around the school?"

Eloise doesn't blink. "I already know the school."

"For… nostalgic purposes."

The hare seems to consider this. "Very well. Let's sit."

Hafsa wonders why the hare had left such a small impression on her when she studied here. A weirdo like her is unforgettable.

These thoughts are suddenly interrupted by the sound of the door opening. At the entrance stands a beautiful great horned owl, her eyes scanning the room with an intensity nearly matching the Eloise, until finally falling on the hare in question.

"Iris…" Solomon's voice is calm, almost a greeting. He slowly goes to stand in her line of sight, blocking the hare from view. "What an unexpected pleasure."

"Shielding her like that from me?" The owl asks, her tone rich with amusement. "Relax. Do you really think I'm here to predate on her or something?"

"Of course not." Solomon assures her. "But then again, you must have come here for a reason."

"Right you are." The former Vice President straightens her horn feathers. "You could even say I'm here to apologize."

The male raises a brow. "Oh?"

"I'm aware I was a bit… confrontational during our last encounter. I'm in a better place now so I'm here to make amends."

"How did you even know Eloise was here today?"

"I follow Brian on Tweeter."

Solomon spares an annoyed glance to the sweating pigeon, who quickly scuttles to his side.

"Well, that's great! We can get along just like the old days!" The bird titters.

"A blatant lie."

All animals turn to the source of the voice, Eloise. Her sinuous ears have stopped constantly scanning her surroundings, now firmly locked on the owl like a weapon. So too is her gaze, somehow even more ferocious than before.

"It is obviously a blatant lie." She repeats, stepping past the two males in front of her to confront Iris. "To come without notice to 'personally apologize', biding your time for when I visit Noah's Arc in order for our ex-subordinates to witness your little spectacle… you remain as narcissistic as ever."

Iris' eyes narrow. "And you're still a bitch."

"What eludes me here is what you stand to gain from this. The fact you even devised this little outburst proves your self-esteem is still abysmal. Have you decided to bring everyone into your little identity crisis?"

"Maybe there will be a predation incident, after all."

It all happens in no more than a second. Iris lunges at the hare, who make no move to escape the line of fire. However, the blow of her sharp talons is blocked by Solomon's arm. The claws puncture the cloth of his blazer, digging deep into his skin. The caracal's face grimaces in pain, but doesn't relent in resisting the owl's strength until the latter finally withdraws, taking her talons with her.

"Urgh!" Before anyone can stop her, she rushes out of the door, almost flying.

The remaining animals fester in the weight of what just happened.

Surprisingly, Eloise is the first one to break the silence. "Serves her right. Maybe now she'll learn something."

"I-I have to ask…" Desmond's voice quavers, now further jammed in the corner than ever before. "What the fuck was that?"

"I told you that has nothing to do with you." Solomon snaps.

"It clearly does now." Eloise retaliates before the ram has the chance. "Despite Brian's insistence that the previous generation of student council had at some point been on completely amicable terms to begin with, we never got along. Iris resented me since the beginning. What you saw today, and what happened after graduation, was simply the boiling point of that resentment."

"But why?" Hafsa asks.

"Jealousy, I presume. Or rather, envy. Iris wanted to be president, and wasn't satisfied as VP. Nothing more. A petty reason for a petty individual."

She can be pretty articulate when she wants to be. Hafsa muses. Especially when it comes to insults.

"In any case," The hare continues, now focusing on the serval. "You should probably go find her. She is a danger to the other students."

"I'll go." Solomon says, less of an offer and more of a declaration.

Hafsa grabs him by the collar. "Not with that injury you're not. You four should all go to the nurse's until I handle Iris. It's unlikely she'll harm anyone but Eloise. President's orders."

The male's objection almost escapes his throat, but stops when he analyses her expression: a clear plead to show off in front of the ex-president.

Solomon rolls his eyes. "Very well."

And so, Hafsa's plan is put into motion. Brian, Desmond, Solomon, and Eloise all huddle together and make a break for the nurse's office in the main building, while Hafsa is left to find the rogue owl. She leaves the Emzara building, passing by fellow students and pretending everything is a-okay. Considering Iris has the ability to fly, finding her may be a challenging task, even for a serval's hearing.

…Or not.

It doesn't take long to find Iris at all. As though all of her energy and rage has vanished, the owl sat on the outskirts of Priya's garden, staring blankly at a patch of cucumbers. In her more tranquil state, Hafsa could get a better look at her. She really is quite beautiful. Her feathers have a fascinating pattern, and radiate health under the sunlight. Her most notable features, the 'horns' that grant her her namesake, provide both charm and elegance, and her face, unlike the hare's, have a much more appealing symmetry, but one that can turn any animal's blood cold when her expression darkens.

Hafsa decides to take the compassionate route, and approaches her without hostility.

"Hey."

Iris looks up at her, and goes back to admiring the cucumbers. "Hey."

Hafsa sits down next to her, imitating her cross-legged position.

The owl chuckles. "I know. I must have made a great first impression on you. I'm sorry you had to see that shit at all."

"It looks like you're not too happy about what happened either."

"I— Yeah. If it makes any difference, I really wasn't planning on attacking her." She sighs.

Hafsa tilt her head. "What happened, then?"

"I guess I wanted the classic story. Finally confronting the high school bitch and being the bigger person. Burying the hatchet so I can... move on with my life. He he, I guess she was right when she said I'm narcissistic. It wouldn't have made a difference either way."

"Bully? Eloise told us you hated her because you were jealous of her."

The owl erupts into hooting cackles. "Of course she would say that. Well, she's technically not wrong. But it isn't that simple."

She looks around, moving her neck in the 360 degree angle that is unique to owls. "I'll explain since you're a carnie. You'll get it. You're very beautiful."

The servals face goes red. "Th-thank you?"

"Yeah, but obviously you weren't born beautiful. Everyone's born kinda ugly. But carnies like us can't get anywhere in life if we just settle with what we're given. We gotta go beyond that."

Hafsa nods.

"I… wanted to go somewhere in life. So I did everything I needed to. I plucked my feathers so they would grow just right. I wore contact lenses. I took speech classes. I studied eight hours a day every day. I worked part time just to afford this goddamn private school. All so I could get the respect I deserve. I wanted to be student council president more than anything."

Her pupils shrink to the size of a pea. "But Eloise. She doesn't care about how she looks, or acts, or talks at all. She didn't worry about tuition because her family is loaded. She barely even studied. But even then, she always got better grades than me. And even then… She beat me in the election. Just because she's a herbie. Just because people think hares are more reliable than owls. That ugly, monotone bitch… She even assigned me as vice to rub salt in my wounds."

"Iris…"

"Having to deal with her bullshit every day… being ordered around by her even when I knew I was the one who deserved that title. It destroyed me little by little. So of course, after the graduation ceremony, I told her how I felt. About having to fester under her for two years. So maybe she could educate herself about just how much privilege she has. But that bitch… Said something along the lines of what you heard today. And I lost it. That scar on her face is proof."

"That was you?"

She chuckles sardonically. "I think it's the best thing about her. It's a constant reminder that for a single moment, she was reminded of who really has power. Maybe I have the last laugh."

"Do you not regret it?"

"Oh, I regret it. Because the bitch went to the university I was going to attend the following spring and told them that they admitted a bloodthirsty predatory owl into their campus. Needless to say… I'm not in college right now. I probably never will be. Even now, that crazy-eyed bitch still stomps me down. My life is ruined. My opportunities are gone. And it's all because of her."

If the serval had any words to say, they are caught in the depths of her dry throat. This tale is far too haunting. Far too… close to home. All of those words could have been hers if things had gone just a little differently on Election Day. If she stayed in the town of her seventh birthday party. If she had not stopped herself when she had Desmond pinned against a wall. The fact that there were so many opportunities for her life to be completely, utterly, and irrevocably destroyed that she had only narrowly avoided… chills her.

One slip-up is all it takes.

The owl looks at her with what can only be interpreted as hope. "You must understand how frustrating it is, having to do whatever that shabby little goat tells you."

"Wait…" Hafsa's whiskers twitch. "You think Desmond is the president?"

The owl falters. "I mean… who else could it…?"

"I'm the president. Desmond is my vice."

Iris stays silent for a long time, so long that eventually Hafsa forgets they're in the middle of a conversation. The two females just stare at the garden with only the rustling of the leaves as company.

"I should go."

Iris' voice is small, barely above the leaves' chatter. The serval only offers a nod. She feels the feathered girl get up and walk off south, down to the academy's gates.

As soon as her silhouette vanishes from sight, Hafsa too pushes herself off the dirt and walks towards the Noah building where her companions are. Wordlessly.

"I'll apologize on her behalf for what transpired." Eloise concluded, her voice just as monotone as it had been when she first arrived. "Even now, I must take responsibility for her delusion."

"I'm just content that it's been resolved somewhat peacefully." Solomon nods, stroking his now bandaged arm. "She truly didn't try to harm you, Hafsa?"

"No, she went away on her own." Hafsa explains. She wonders how she must sound like to the others. She hopes she speaks with her usual voice, but to her, she sounds horribly forlorn. It's a voice she can't even recognize.

"Well, do you guys wanna pick up where we left out and have some snacks back in the student council room?" Brian offers.

The hare shakes her head, her enormous ears fanning the others. "It's best if I leave now. Perhaps I'll stop by again. Hopefully it will be a more pleasant visit."

Solomon sighs. "What a shame."

"One moment." Eloise's stringent voice stops everyone in their place. "Let me speak to the vice president alone."

All eyes fall on Desmond.

"M-me?"

Eloise grunts. "What other vice president is there?"

The room is quickly cleared, leaving only the odd hare and the sweating sheep alone together.

"So… What is it?" His voice cracks. As ashamed as he is to admit it, this bunny scares the hell out of him.

"You and the serval are close."

"W-what? " Why was that a declaration and not a question? "Why would you think that?"

"No herbie would go out of his way to defend a carnie unless it meant something to him."

"What does it matter to you, anyways?"

"Let her know her place."

Desmond scrutinizes her face for even a glimpse of jest or sarcasm, but it remains terrifyingly serious.

"Listen… I'm just not getting what your point is."

"Then you are extraordinarily dense." She barks. "Look at my face. This is what happens when you allow carnivores to self-aggrandize. Especially a carnie in a higher position of power than yourself."

Desmond's eyes narrow. "So what you're saying is that Hafsa is going to try and kill me?"

"What I'm saying is that Hafsa is going to find more and more excuses to do what she wants with others. She is just like Iris. I would warn you about Solomon as well but I know him well enough to conclude he understands the consequences of his actions and probably doesn't pose any threat."

"Shut it."

To this, the hare blinks.

"You think you're the only herbie whose gone through some shit?" He scoffs. "Who the fuck do you think I am? Who do you think Hafsa is? That's right: you don't know shit about either of us."

"Language."

"Fuck off. Treating others like obstacles you have to intimidate so that they don't kill you isn't the genius strategy you think it is, it's just called being a shitty leader. The only one self-aggrandizing here is you."

Eloise seems to ponder this. Desmond stares her down, nearly panting from how heated he's gotten.

Then, for the first time in the whole afternoon, she smiles.

"You really are very attractive."

Brian, Hafsa, and Solomon make their way back to the Emzara building, once again simmering in the uncomfortable afternoon fever.

"You sure your arm is fine?" Hafsa asks the taller feline.

"The wound wasn't that deep to begin with. And not to sound presumptuous, but I am rather good at dressing wounds."

"I can confirm this." Brian nods solemnly. "Watching him bandage it up was like watching a five-star chef make a soufflé."

"How you flatter me."

"Being in the student council with those two must have been interesting." Hafsa says with surprising directness. It catches the two males off guard.

"Well, things only got really ugly near the end." Brian scratches his neck feathers. "Both of them were really nice in their own ways."

"Eloise was always like how you've seen. Very odd and unpredictable, but maintained good intentions with her goals. And Iris… it was almost a surprise to me when she... resorted to that. She used to be a very pleasant girl."

"A surprise, huh…" Hafsa breathes.

She wants to see Desmond. It's a desire as sudden as it is inexplicable as it is overwhelmingly powerful.

Why she does is beyond her. If today has taught her anything, is that she should continue to stay as far away from him as physically possible. Him and every other herbie under the sun.

But.

But if only he could look at her with that half-joking half-annoyed expression, and call her a brat, or a sheep eater, or a two-faced cat, and they could laugh about it and move on. If only all of her problems could just be the punchline to his shitty joke. He did always seem to make her problems feel so small for just a fleeting moment, before scaling them up to unseen proportions.

For the first time since that phonecall, she realizes she misses him. Badly.

AN: Thanks for reading! Somewhat of a sidetrack (and sudden) chapter, but I wanted to write more about the ex-student council members. Something, something, we live in a society. Richard Adams, eat your heart out.

Take it easy and stay safe.