Chapter 11: A Little R&R
The next day, Legosi went to his club with a heavy heart. He certainly had his suspicions, but he didn't want to admit to himself that it was one of his clubmates who was responsible for the attacks. However, after his talk with Jack the night prior, he couldn't deny it anymore. All he could do was wonder what he should do about it.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, he felt something bump into him. He looked down and saw Kai flat on his back.
"Hay Kai, why are you on the floor?" the larger carnivore asked.
"Oh nothing, just thought I'd take a little nap," the mongoose said sarcastically. "Gotta keep my strength up when there's a building with legs walking around."
Legosi laughed while helping Kai up, his tail wagging as he did. He then dusted the smaller carnivore off before teasingly giving him a lick.
"Anyway, what is today's reason for you being a million miles away?" Kai asked as he wiped his face with a grimace. "Also, why do you sound so funny?"
Legosi looked to the side as his ears folded back before looking back at Kai, his tail now drooping.
"Um… Kai, can I ask you something?" Legosi asked. "And I mean, really ask you something, something serious?"
Kai raised a brow. "Uh… sure? But only if you tell me what's up with you."
"What do you mean?" Legosi asked.
sniff
"There, that right there!" the mongoose said as he pointed at his friend. "What was that just now and what's up with your voice?"
"Oh, uh… it's just some allergies is all," Legosi said with an awkward smile as he scratched the back of his head.
"Allergies?" Kai asked.
"Yea, I don't usually get them, but Dom had me working with a lot of flowers yesterday and all the different scents kind of overwhelmed my nose. Combine that with all the pollen they were producing and well… here we are," the gray wolf explained.
Kai narrowed his eyes at Legosi, causing him to sweat before the mongoose let out a sigh.
"Fine, I'll go along with your BS explanation," Kai answered as he shrugged. "Anyway, what's up?"
Legosi took a deep breath and locked eyes with Kai. "Listen, what I'm about to ask may seem weird or that I'm suspecting you of something, but I promise I'm not."
"Legosi, what are you on about?" the smaller carnivore asked, adopting a much more serious expression.
"Kai, what would you do… if you found out that the one responsible for the attacks is in fact a member of our club? And I don't mean like, just speculating like we've been doing, but that you knew for a fact that it was one of us. What would you do?" Legosi asked, his fists clenching with rage and frustration.
"What are you saying Legosi, are you admitting that you think a member of the club is the one attacking people?" Kai asked as he walked past his friend.
"Maybe I am," Legosi answered as he also took a step forward. "The question is, what would you… or rather, what are you gonna do about it?"
The two turned to meet each other's gaze once more before circling around each other. Step by step, their footsteps echoed throughout the hallway, never breaking their stare-down.
"Tough to say, if I'm being honest," the mongoose answered. "I supposed I'd have to either stop whatever crazy plan you're making-"
The two took one final step, each on the opposite end of their circle.
"Or join you!"
The wolf let out a smirk. "Sounds like you already made up your mind."
"Heh, damn right I am!" Kai answered with a grin.
The two stared at each other with great intensity and smiled before losing themselves to laughter. They didn't expect their recreation of one of the scenes from Adler would go so well or that it would be used for such a serious topic. Nevertheless, the two carnivores continued laughing as they made their way towards their club, Legosi's arm around Kai's shoulder and Kai's around Legosi's back.
In the club room, everyone was given their assignments and got to work. Today the actors would practice some of the fight scenes, so Legosi had to really be on point with the spotlight. While the wolf was adjusting the light, Kai was untangling, reconnecting, and marking the wires just as his friend and mentor had taught him.
Down below, Juno was practicing the sword stances and techniques the coordinator taught her. It was clear from her lack of grace that she was just going through the motions and did not understand the movements.
This made things harder for Legosi as he had to try and predict how Juno would use the rapier. He thought about demonstrating it for her but, ever since he and Jack came out, their relationship had been strained somewhat.
The wolf could've asked Bill to help her, but he was talking to the coordinator and the advisor about the club's future. There was Pina, but Legosi really didn't want anything to do with him.
"Guess I don't have much of a choice," Legosi said with a sigh. "Hey Kai, can you come over here?"
"Hey Sir Wags-a-lot, what's up?" Kai asked as he walked over.
"Can you hold the spotlight for a sec? I need to go down and speak with Juno," the gray wolf explained.
"Good to know someone's finally calling her out on her performance," the mongoose said sarcastically. "Though it'd be better if you called out Pina instead, considering he's the one distracting everyone."
"Yeah, I know," Legosi responded as his ears folded back. "If not for him constantly trying to get a rise out of everyone, I'd be able to stay up here instead of doing Bill's job down there."
"Actors man, what are you gonna do?" Kai asked as he nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "Just be careful, you know how she's been lately..."
The large canine nodded to his friend and headed down. He tried to speak to Juno, but she was using the sword practice as an excuse to ignore him. Legosi, not wanting to deal with this, picked up one of the practice swords and watched his clubmate closely. As soon as he saw an opening, he struck Juno's hand, causing her to drop the rapier.
"Look, I get that you're upset with me, but that's no reason to jeopardize the club," Legosi barked. "It's fine if you don't want to talk, but I need you to at least watch me while I demonstrate."
Juno scowled at her upperclassman. Legosi was the last person she wanted help from, but she also knew that he was the only one who could really help her.
After getting a nod from Juno, Legosi picked up the prop and signaled Kai to keep the spotlight on him. He began with the first stance, then moved on to the second, and third. The male wolf moved so gracefully with the rapier, that he captured everyone's attention. It was clear that all the practice he did for the first Adler play was still engraved into his memory.
"Remember Juno, your weapon isn't a normal sword," Legosi said as he continued the exercise. "So don't treat it like one. The rapier is more about finesse than strength, something you have plenty of."
"Y-Yes sir," she said, remembering why she had fallen for him in the first place.
Outside the club room, Bill was trying to convince the advisor to have someone else play Adler. He obviously pointed to himself as the best fit for the role, but the tiger was fine with anyone other than Juno playing the part.
"Sir please, I know why you gave her the part, but if she keeps messing up then it won't matter. People will think even less of our club if our star's a total flop. I'm not saying Juno is a bad actor or dancer, but she's no swordswoman," Bill explained.
"I understand your concern Bill, but after what happened with Els, we need to show that the club is still a welcoming place now more than ever. So unless you have a better idea, the only way we're gonna show that is if we have someone new play Adler," the teacher explained.
"At least give the role to someone who's either good with a sword or can learn to use one," Bill pleaded.
Just as the advisor was about to say something, someone called out to him and Bill. They both turned and saw a certain labrador heading their way.
"Hey guys, sorry to bother you," Jack said as he walked over. "I just came by to drop off something Legosi forgot."
"Oh, your name is Jack right?" the advisor asked.
"Sure is," Bill said with a smirk. "Also known as Legosi's boyfriend."
"S-Shut up!" Jack barked as his face turned red. "Look, I just came to give this to Legosi. So can you-"
Bill quickly moved over to Jack and threw his arm around the yellow dog's shoulder. "Hey, why not come in and give it to Legosi in person? I'm sure he'd appreciate it and you can see what he's working on."
"Hey, wait a-"
"Bill, can you please let him go?" the advisor asked. "You're clearly scaring him."
"Hey teach, either you let me have this, or I keep bugging ya," Bill said with a big toothy grin.
The advisor let out a sigh before stepping aside to let them through.
The two carnivore students went inside and to their surprise, they saw Legosi wielding Adler's rapier. As they watched his performance, they too became captivated by the wolf's movements.
"Alright, that's about it," Legosi said as he finished the set before turning to Juno, panting heavily as he did. "Do you think you understand it now?"
"I uh…"
"Dude, that was awesome!" Bill called out, catching everyone's attention.
"Oh Bill and… Jack?" the wolf responded in confusion.
"Hey Legosi, sorry to show up like this, but you forgot this prop back at our room," Jack said as he handed the larger canine a smoke bomb. "This is one of Adler's tools, right?"
"Yea huff it's for the scene where he makes his getaway with his lover," Legosi answered. "Thanks Jack huff I can't believe I forgot it."
"Hey Legosi," Juno said as she walked over to the male wolf. "Weren't you still showing me how to handle the sword?"
"Oh, yea," Legosi replied. "Can you just huff give me a second? I'm a little over heated. huff huff I forgot how hot the lights can make you."
"Then take your tracksuit top off man," Kai yelled from above the rafters. "You're wearing a white undershirt like the rest of us, right?."
Legosi nodded and did just that. Ordinarily he would have taken off the jacket before performing, but he thought it would be a quick demonstration.
As the gray wolf removed the layer of clothing, everyone was shocked to see how much more muscular Legosi had gotten. The muscles in his arms and legs had gotten bigger and he had a broad chest. It was clear to the club members that this was a result of the extra work and heavy lifting Legosi had to do, thanks to two stage hands leaving the school.
This, of course, didn't stop anyone from staring at him, especially Kai, Jack, and Juno. Even Bill couldn't help but notice how big Legosi had gotten. The wolf couldn't be called a bodybuilder, but he was definitely well toned. His midsection had also filled out quite nicely, thanks to Jack helping him to formulate a better diet.
Legosi turned towards Jack and smiled. "Hey Jack, do you wanna help me with something?"
"Um… s-sure," Jack stuttered in surprise.
Legosi brought his mate close to him.
"Please consider this an apology for how I've been acting," the larger carnivore whispered. "One that I hope you'll accept."
Legosi led Jack up to the stage by the arm and had Dom prepare the music that was to be used in one of the play's scenes.
"Listen Juno," the wolf said as he turned to her. "Pay attention to how I move and make sure to keep a close eye on my footwork. I'm gonna act out the scene where Adler dances with the person he's meant to kill before he turns to fight their assailants. This way you can see how you're supposed to transition from dancing to sword fighting, ok?"
"O-Ok," Juno muttered, her face becoming even redder.
Legosi nodded before looking up at Kai. He signaled and watched as the mongoose got the spotlight and notebook ready.
"Follow my lead alright," the wolf whispered as he brought Jack close to him.
"R-Right," the labrador said with a blush.
Dom turned on the music and Legosi began by mimicking the dance steps Juno had mastered. Jack, who understood what was happening, followed along to the music. As they danced, the rest of the club couldn't take their eyes off the pair. They danced with the kind of synergy that showed how well the two knew each other.
Midway through, Legosi spun Jack once before bringing him in close.
"Sorry I dragged you into this, but this was the only way I could apologize to you," the larger carnivore whispered.
"Was it now?" the smaller canine asked sarcastically. "Does that mean you left that prop behind on purpose? So that I would come here and dance with you in front of your clubmates?"
Legosi laughed. "Hehe, sorry to say, but I'm not that good at planning ahead. That's just what I'd call a happy coincidence."
The two continued dancing, with Legosi bringing Jack down into a natural dip. Once Jack was back up, the two went on to the next phase and spoke once more.
"You know, if this really was just a happy coincidence, then that begs the question, how were you going to apologize if I didn't come and just what is it you're apologizing for?" Jack said as he lightly slid his hand down Legosi's back.
"Heheh, I did have something planned, but it would have taken too long and we both know how much you hate waiting," Legosi teased.
"Well sorry, we don't all have the same restraint that you do," the labrador joked back.
"As for why, well, it's because of what you told me last night," the wolf answered. "I'm sorry, I've been so overprotective. I didn't even let you walk beside me. I'm just… just-"
"Scared," the labrador said with a smile. "Believe me, I get it. Which is why I want to stand right beside you. I want to be the shoulder you can lean on just as you have been for me. Will you let me do that? Will you let me stay by your side?"
Legosi smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
The two moved onto the final part of the dance and as they did, Jack couldn't help but notice how Legosi was staring into his eyes.
"Penny for your thoughts?" the yellow dog said softly.
"I just think that it's a shame that there's no kiss scene here," the gray wolf responded.
"I agree, a slow dance like this would be the best place for it," Jack replied. "Though I have to ask, what would you do if there was a kiss scene?"
Legosi looked deeply into Jack's eyes before moving his muzzle close to his boyfriend's ear. "Since you're the one I'm doing this scene with, I would make it the longest kiss scene in the club's history."
"Hehe, are you sure about that? One thing might lead to another…" the labrador said with a flirtatious smirk.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Legosi responded, causing Jack's tail to stand up and his face turn red.
Up above, Kai was maintaining the spotlight but growing more and more frustrated as he did. He wanted to go down there and stop the dance. However, he knew that it was important to show how it was done for Juno and the club's sake and what's worse, he too was captivated by the wolf and his mate's performance.
"I feel like I've been saying this a lot lately, but you seem angrier than usual," a voice from behind him said.
The mongoose turned around and saw Kibi standing there with a smile on his face.
"Piss off, I'm busy," Kai growled.
"I know how you feel," the anteater said in a gentle tone as he looked over the rail.
"What do you mean?" the mongoose asked in a sour tone.
"Kai… you're jealous of them, aren't you?" Kibi asked as he turned to his friend.
Kai's eyes widened as his pupils dilated. He grit his teeth and clenched his hands so tightly that it looked like he was about to break the spotlight. It was clear that he was filled with rage and had he not been busy with the spotlight, he would have slugged Kibi right then and there.
"You should know, I feel the same way," Kibi said as he looked back down at the two canines. "I'm jealous too."
Kai began to feel less tense, but was still frustrated.
"It's hard, you know, to find that special someone," the anteater said in a calm voice. "It's also hard to lose someone you care about… or at least feel like you're losing them. That's why I was jealous of you too."
The mongoose turned his head in surprise. He wasn't expecting Kibi to say that. Then again, he wasn't expecting Legosi to dance with his boyfriend in front of everyone.
"Before you joined Legosi on the electrical work, he would always hang out with me," the anteater said softly.
"I always felt proud of that. I was able to become friends with a carnivore and be the one he confided in. Then you came along and did more for Legosi than I ever could. How could I not be jealous?"
"You really do get how I feel," Kai said with a sigh, finally calming down. "Though, there's a little more to it than that."
"Oh?" Kibi asked.
"That thing you said, about finding the right person? Well the truth is, I thought I found that person. But I guess I'll have to look elsewhere," Kai explained.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find them," the herbivore answered as he placed a hand on Kai's back.
Back on stage, the dance came to an end and Legosi unsheathed his rapier. He finished the performance by striking an invisible enemy in the manner that Adler would, causing everyone to clap and cheer for the two canines.
"Way to go!" Dom yelled.
"You should have told us you were such a great dancer," Aoba cheered.
"Think you could give us some pointers?" Sheila laughed.
"So, you two banged yet or what?" Bill teased before getting a shoulder punch by Aoba.
Jack and Legosi bowed their heads and climbed down. They were approached by Juno who looked both impressed and upset.
"That was… very good you two," Juno said in a somber tone. "This will… definitely help me improve."
"I'm glad to hear it," Legosi said happily as his tail started to wag.
"Same here," Jack said as his tail did the same. "I wish you the best of luck with your role."
Juno's eyes widened in surprise. She was about to thank Jack when someone started clapping their hands slowly..
"Well, well, well, that was certainly a grand performance!" the new voice said.
Everyone tensed up. They turned their heads and saw Pina walking towards them.
"To think, there was such a rare talent hiding amongst the stagehands," the dall sheep said in a flirtatious tone. "I couldn't help but be mesmerized."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Legosi said nervously while keeping his composure. "Though, I don't plan on doing that in front of everyone anytime soon. This was solely for Juno's benefit, nothing more."
"Is that so?" Pina asked. "Then why have Jack dance with you? Why not dance with Juno instead? It would have been much more helpful, don't you agree?"
"Well, because he was here and I was more comfortable dancing with him," Legosi answered.
"I see," the herbivore actor replied as he extended his hand. "Still, I'm afraid I would need a more hands-on demonstration. Unlike Juno, I won't be able to learn by just watching you. So what do you say Legosi, may I have this dance?"
Legosi slapped his hand away and took a step back.
"No, my place is behind the stage, not on it! This was a one time thing," the gray wolf answered. "If you really need a hands-on demonstration, then dance with Juno. You are playing her love interest after all."
"You're not wrong about that," Pina said as he continued advancing on Legosi. "But I just don't think I can really get into the role with her."
The dall sheep pressed his body up against Legosi's and continued to speak.
"Adler is supposed to be this big, strong, and imposing carnivore," the smaller animal said as he rubbed Legosi's arm. "And with such well muscled arms, I'd say you fit the bill perfectly."
The large canine was about to push Pina away, but before he could, the sheep grabbed the wolf's hand and placed it on face. Pina then dragged Legosi's hand over his snow white wool.
"Mmm, such strong hands and yet such a gentle touch," the dall sheep said in a deep seductive voice. "Yes, I believe you would be an excellent partner! In more ways than one of course."
"That's enough!" Jack barked as he pulled Pina off. "Legosi already danced with me, there's no point in asking him. Plus you are being creepy! If you wanna dance with a strong carnivore, ask Bill or something."
Pina smiled. "My word, you don't need to be offended. All I'm asking for is one dance."
"They said no!" Kai yelled as he came down with Kibi.
"Yeah, leave him alone," the anteater added.
"Come now, why are you all so serious?" Pina asked. "I figured you'd jump at the chance to prove our favorite wolf innocent."
The room went silent.
"W-What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked with a snarl in his voice.
"You better not be trying to start something!" Sheila growled.
"Now why would I do that?" the dall sheep responded. "If anything, that's your job. You are 'Miss Rumors' after all."
"Hey, you leave her out of this!" Juno barked. "Now stop playing coy and tell us what you mean!"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Pina continued. "I think we all know by now that the one attacking our club members is someone from this very club. Els's attack pretty much proved it."
The room went both cold and silent. For Pina to just say that out right was too much.
"SHUT UP!" Bill roared "Where the hell do you get off talking like that?!"
Pina shrugged. "Look, all I'm saying is that two of our club members have been attacked. We all know that can't be a coincidence."
"E-Even if what you say is true, what does that have to do with Legosi?" Dom asked, trying his best to stay calm.
"It's simple really. If Legosi can handle a long dance with an herbivore like me, then it proves that he isn't a savage who's controlled by his hunger and that will prove his innocence," Pina explained.
"That makes no sense!" Legosi barked. "Besides, I think I more than proved my innocence when I went to visit Els in the hospital almost everyday for two weeks!"
"Hey, all I'm saying is-"
"All you're saying is bullshit!" Jack snarled, interrupting the white furred herbivore. "We all know Legosi wouldn't hurt anyone and for you to use that as an excuse is as low as you could get!"
The labrador grabbed Legosi's arm. "Legosi, we're leaving!"
"Um… I'd like to, but-"
"It's fine Legosi, you can go," the advisor said.
With the advisor's blessing, the two canines left the club room. The rest of the club time was silent and awkward. It was clear to everyone that something had to be done about Pina, lest he tear the Drama club apart with his antics.
Here's this chapter's secret.
Did you know that Juno is a dance prodigy? She's able to memorize almost any kind of dance after seeing it once with simple dances and twice with advanced dances. This however, doesn't translate well when it comes to using props unless the prop is part of the dance itself.
