Episode 5: The Pack

(Kai, Lee, Hana and Mark eat lunch at their usual spot in the Cafeteria and notice that Aki is approaching their table, Lee waves him over in excitement as it had been a couple of days since he hung out with his friends. However, he did this to inform him that he was going to eat somewhere else again, they then comment on how he has been quieter than usual.)

Lee:"Aki, Over Here!"

Kai:"Hey, You ok?"

Aki:"Yeah, I'm just going to go eat lunch."

Lee:"Why not sit with us? You've been really distant lately."

Aki:"Huh?…Oh, I guess I have…Sorry for that, I had no idea. But if it's ok with you guys, I'm just gonna go eat somewhere else."

Hana:"Ok…But you know we're here for you if you need anything…"

Aki:"Thanks guys, I'll catch you around."

(Aki says before he leaves, the group takes the opportunity to speak about their concerns for their friend in his absence.)

Kai:"He really is getting more distant…Do you think everything's alright?"

Lee:"Yeah, he's probably just nervous about finals."

Hana:"That, or maybe he's lonely and needs someone to talk to?"

Kai:"I figured he would have talked to us if that was the case."

Hana:"I dunno…I mean, yeah he's one of us and a wolf too…But it's not like he can talk to us about his Rabbit half."

Lee:"So you think he's sneaking away to hang out with Rabbits?"

Kai:"It's not like he doesn't have that right to, he should be with people that he can share a common relation with. We have the Wolf half, they have the Rabbit Half."

Lee:"Yeah, except I never saw him hang out with a Rabbit?…You don't think-?"

Hana:"That maybe he's sad BECAUSE he doesn't have any rabbit friends?…It looks like it."

Lee:"Well- How do we help him? The School's segregated, remember?'

(The two continued coming up with ideas and discussing their flaws as Kai watched Aki leave the cafeteria, he knew Aki since Elementary school and the friendship the two shared with Lee was strong. He didn't care what the risks were, he was going to help his friend any way he could, he then comments to the others as he informs them of a plan he had.)

Kai:"Aki is our friend, he's had our back for years and I'm willing to help him out however I can… I have an idea…"

[A Female Voice begins to speak.]

"A Few years ago, the devouring of an Alpaca named Tem caused calamity for Cherryton Academy, students were turning on each other, security was investigating everything…It wasn't until the day that two students brought the culprit to Justice that any semblance of order was restored…and by 'Order' I mean…The School became Segregated."

(A Harlequin Rabbit with snow white fur and a patch of black on her face wanders through the halls, from wall to wall, it was Herbivore after Herbivore. Deers, Goats, Sheep…the whole building could've been passed as an Herbivore school.)

"On the higher floors, there's Herbivores like me and my friends…even the jerks that like to pick on each other for whatever reason they decide. But below our feet, Carnivores…From what little people have seen, most of it's just fights and rough housing. Despite the complaints of some of the former students and even members of the Horns Conglomerate, the School stayed this way for years after the rule was passed."

(Carnivores in the lower halls were pushing each other left and right, males and females were arguing, playing games or even carving something into the walls with their claws.)

"As you can imagine, no Herbivores are allowed in the Carnivore section…and no Carnivores in the Herbivore's…There is…ONE student that doesn't have to follow that rule."

(She is in class and studying the lecture, until a boy next to her asks her something.)

Aki:"Hey…Do you have a spare pencil I could borrow?"

"That kid is a Hybrid, he's a Wolf AND a Rabbit-If you can believe it, because of his dual nature, he takes certain classes in the Herbivore section and the rest in the Carnivore section. I know he's not evil, but I can't help but feel nervous around him."

(She hands him a spare pencil she had and tried her best to not pay attention to him, not even so much as to look at him, even when he said "Thanks!" for her kindness.)

"My name is Clover…I'm a Harlequin Rabbit. My Parents are both Harlequin's too, my Mom is a VERY domineering woman and my Dad is a push over."

(Shows them having dinner, the Mother was none other than Mizuchi, one of the girls that was known for picking on Haru while the Father was the Boyfriend that led to their dispute. Clover's fur pattern was like her father's but her coloring was her Mother's, she wasn't too fond of being around them as their marriage was mostly to "ensure the purity of their species bloodline" so dinner would be awkward and silent and Clover would dislike being around her parents at most social gatherings.)

"As mean as it sounds, I hate spending time with them, the only reason I do it is because my Mom wants to flaunt our family purity."

(She carries a small stack of books in her arms as she walks down the Herbivore halls, best known for the green line they paint across the floor to indicate the vegetation diet most of them follow.)

"I only ever met 3 Carnivores my whole life, that Hybrid kid is the third one."

(She stops when someone walks out in front of her, it appears to be a Red Deer in a Letterman Jacket, he is accompanied by two female Deer next to him, they seem rather…devious with their intent on the Rabbit. One of the Females steals one of the books from her and as she reaches to grab it, the other pushes her down, forcing her down to the floor.)

"The fourth one I met…well…it really shook things up for me…"

(They all run away when they see something, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, she gets up from the floor and turns around to see Kai standing over her. She starts to panic and flinches when Kai makes the slightest movement, she coils up in fear of whatever he is about to do. She then opens her eyes when Kai says "Here…" and sees that he picked up the book she dropped, he held it out to her so she could take it back.)

Kai:"You dropped this…"

Clover:"O-oh…thanks…"

Kai:"Don't mention it…Hey uh…I know this is odd, but…Can I ask you for a favor?"

Clover:"(Sigh) Relax, I never saw you here."

(Kai would've been in a LOT of trouble if he was found to have been in the Herbivore area, an Herbivore being caught in a Carnivore area would lead to them getting detention, but a Carnivore being caught would easily risk being suspended or expelled. Whatever Kai's reason for being here must've been important if he was willing to risk such a thing.)

Kai:"N-no, it's not that…although…I guess that means it counts as TWO favors I'm asking from you…You know that scruffy Rabbit kid that hangs out in these halls every now and then?"

Clover:"Yeahhh?"

Kai:"You think…maybe you could… invite him to hang out with your friends?"

Clover:"You want me to hang out with him?"

Kai:"Y-Yeah! Just to make him feel like he's still a Rabbit."

(Clover was really taken aback by this request, she thought to herself "It's obvious this guy's friends with that Hybrid, but why is he going through so much trouble to ask a stranger for help, just so his friend could feel welcomed?" She was confused and was silent after he made this request but finally spoke.)

Clover:"So…That's it…We only have to do it once and that's it? It's not gonna be a regular thing or anything?"

Kai:"I-…I'll leave that up to you to decide, how's that? If you guys get along with him, maybe you could remain friends afterwards, but if not…well, then you'll never have to see any of us again. Deal?"

(Clover thought to herself once more, she considered her situation "I don't have to accept this. yeah, he scared off those jerks, but you could easily report him to the Principle for just setting foot here…Just say no and walk away." Clover finishes contemplating as she opens her mouth.)

Clover:"…Ok…"

("WHY!? WHY did you accept the Offer!?" She began to yell at herself internally, feeling like she was making a huge mistake by doing this one favor. While she was mentally insulting herself, Kai began to praise the Harlequin Rabbit and informed her that he owes her for this.)

Kai:"Eh? Really!? Awesome! I promise you won't regret this! I'll even Owe you a big favor in the future, cash it in whenever, just-…Thank you so much for this! I won't forget it!"

(Kai says as he rushes away, tail wagging in hopes of this plan working. He was returning downstairs to the Carnivore section as he was leaving the self loathing Rabbit to continue insulting herself while she waved the boy goodbye.

Later that Day, She came across her friends during the Lunch break, they always had their meals under the bleachers, they were considered one of the lowest packs in the social hierarchy. There were the Horns, they were the Varsity of Cherryton and had most of the Staff's respect and luxuries, as well as their special privileges. Then there were the Minds, they mostly consisted of Ravens, Parrots, Monkeys, Elephants and even a couple of exchange students from the Ocean, one's a Dolphin and the other's an Octopus. Of course there were the muscle heads, they were Gorillas, Rhinos, and a few Bison, though the Quarterback is actually an African Elephant.

Then there was Clover's group, they were considered inferior because none of the extracurricular activities they do actually provided anything to the school itself, they considered it worthy of a nature to a creature like the Rabbits, small and being the lowest of the low in the food chain of the environment they reside in.

Her Friends consisted of a Lop bunny named Lo, he was the Delinquent that was known to have sticky paws and a mouth that spoke on its own. There were the twins Lisa and Lawrence, Lisa was a very energetic and talkative person that loved making friends, Lawrence was always quiet and more of a thinker. There was Tai who was a Realist, he's wise when it comes to the biology of most animals, no one claims to have seen his Parents and yet he talks about them constantly. As for her, she was the one who fell from grace, she was among the popular kids and was even dating the Deer that led the Horns clique, but after a nasty break up and picking sides in arguments, she was considered trash by plenty of the Herbivore section of the student body.

As she approaches them, she notices that they were doing their usual things, Lo was playing with a deck of cards and Lawrence was studying while Lisa was talking Tai's ear off. Her attention was diverted when she noticed that Clover was approaching, within a sentence, she went from talking with Tai to her approaching friend and the following conversation transpired.)

Lisa:"-And I just thought it was super cute, so I figured if a Sheep and a Cheetah could do it, maybe a Rabbit could too! So I went to a bunch of different stores and eventually I found a cute little pink Bow that was meant for a Ferret's tuxedo but I managed to fix it so it's on my own head. Hey Clover! Do you like my new Bow?"

(The Rabbit says to her friend as she points at the tiny pink Bow placed on one of her Ears.)

Clover:"Looks nice…Hey, uh…"

Lisa:"Huh, what's wrong?"

Tai:"Yeah, you look like you're about to go to Jail."

Clover:"What do you guys think of…Carnivores?"

Lisa:"Scary."

Tai:"I dunno, I think it depends on the Carnivore."

Lo:"They're fun to watch."

Lawrence:"Well, from what I learned from the books-and keep in mind that this is what I read, I never actually MET a Carnivore before- They're large and powerful Beasts that are known to eat meat and such, of course they have to heavily alter their dietary choices once Herbivores came into the picture, but-"

Clover:"OK!…Uh…What do you guys think about Hybrids?"

Lisa:"I think they're cool!"

Clover:"R-Really?"

Lisa:"Yeah! I know this one guy who's half Rhino and Half Hippo, he's really nice. He's that guy that lives on my apartment's third floor!"

Clover:"Wellll…What about someone who's…I dunno-Just throwing this out there…Half… Herbivore and Carnivore?"

Lo:"Are you talking about that Hybrid kid we share Biology 101 with?"

Clover:"Yeah, I ran into those horn jerks, but…There was this Wolf who snuck into the Herbivore section."

Lawrence:"What! Why!?"

Clover:"Well he's friends with that Hybrid kid, but apparently he wanted me to do him a favor. He wants us to hang out with that guy so he 'feels more like a Rabbit' as he puts it."

Lisa:"Awww, that's sweet! What did you say?"

Clover:"I told him that I would."

Lawrence:"You…didn't speak for all of us, did you? -Ow!"

(Lawrence finishes as his sister punches him in the arm, deeming what he said as rude.)

Clover:"I did, look he managed to ward off those Stuck up jerks so I kinda owe him for this."

Lisa:"Well I think you did the right thing, he must really care for his friend if he's risking getting expelled for him."

Lo:"That or he REALLY wants to try Rabbit meat."

(Lisa gave Lo an agitated look, of course this was background to what Tai chimed in with as a response.)

Tai:"Ok, so we hang out with him, tell that Wolf that we didn't get along and we all go on our merry way!"

Clover:"Basically."

Lo:"Ok…So where is he?"

Clover:"I…don't know."

Lisa:"Maybe we can try tomorrow? Did that Wolf give you a specific time?"

Clover:"No, but I think you're right. We can try tomorrow, Biology 101 is a couple of classes before Lunch so I can talk to him then."

Lisa:"Then it's settled! Tell him we'd love to hang out with him!"

Lawrence:"Ehhhh…Well, tell him that he CAN hang out with us."

[The Next Day…]

(Aki was drawing Doodles in his Notebook, some of it was of creatures from a game he saw, but as Class was just about to begin, Clover spoke to the boy as she began to discuss something with him.)

Clover:"Hey, I know this is out of the blue, but do you mind if we talk during lunch?"

Aki:"Uh, sure…but what about?"

Clover:"Look, I just…I feel like we should at least introduce ourselves, who knows, maybe we can become friends. Name's Clover, by the way."

(The Harlequin says as she holds out her hand for the Hybrid to shake, "Aki" he says as he wraps his hand around hers, she gets a good glimpse of the massive strength that Aki's DNA blessed him with, while his upper body strength was still inferior to most of the Carnivores he met, it was still something quite intimidating to Clover. She took a deep breath through her nostrils and tried to shake off the essence of fear it gave her, she then continued her explanation.)

Clover:"So what do ya say?"

Aki:"I-…REALLY appreciate the offer, but I actually have something I need to take care of in the Gardening Club space."

Clover:"What? But that place has been abandoned since its last student graduated!"

Aki:"Yeah, but-"

Teacher:"Alright Class, time to begin today's lessons."

Aki:(Whispering)"I'll tell you about it another time…"

(Aki says as he flips through his notebook and to a blank page he DIDN'T Doodle on, he begins to jot down notes that his Teacher left him but as he did, Clover couldn't help but be confused by this turn of events. She had an easy out to avoid hanging out with him or to make contact with any of his Wolf friends, but this…Bothered her for some reason. "Was I too strong?" she pondered "Was I rude?" she wondered, none of this made sense, especially since he had a cheery expression on his face, as if he was looking forward to the Hour of time. It was a problem that she shared with her friends in hopes of gaining insight, their commentary varied from helpful to completely ridiculous.)

Lo:"Well, isn't that a good thing? Now we don't have to hang out with him."

Lisa:"Yeah, I mean…I would've loved to have met him but…Are you okay, Clover?"

Clover:"…Did I offend him or something?"

Tai:"Not by the way you described it."

Lo:"Then again, you might've embellished the story a little for all we know."

Clover:"I'm telling you what happened, word for word."

Lo:"Maybe he hates Rabbits?"

Lawrence:"So he hates one of his parents? Doubt it."

Tai:"Eh, you never know. Maybe he has something important in the Gardening Club. That's where he was going, right?"

Lo:"Maybe he has millions of dollars in a briefcase and is planning on trading it in for a drug deal?"

Lisa:"That? Or you really need to lay off those crime thrillers."

(The group continued to converse as Clover just sat there, looking at her food and trying to figure out the reason for Aki distancing himself like this. Eventually her curiosity and irritation got the better of her and she decided to visit the Wolves after she and her friends finished eating, she was initially going to find them alone but her friends were too worried to let her venture through the Carnivore halls by herself.

After 5 minutes of looking, Clover found the pack of Wolves sitting at a concrete bench near the Fountain that was in front of the school, they themselves were having a conversation before she interrupted it.)

Lee:"You don't think he's gonna leave our group for theirs, do you?"

Hana:"Even if he does, we should be happy for him, he should be with people he feels comfortable with."

Lee:"Yeah…I guess you're right-"

Clover:"Hey!"

(Everyone devotes their gaze to Clover, especially Kai who she seemed the most determined to speak to. She approaches the Wolf that towered over her in a sense of anger, nearly forgetting the fear that she was feeling at the moment from being near such massive Beasts.)

Clover:"Your friend declined my offer! What gives?"

Lawrence:"Clover, I don't think we should get upset about this."

Hana:"He did what? Why would he do that!?"

Lo:"Oh, he actually telegraphed his reason to us through his ears, it's a second language all Rabbits learn in preschool."

(The Lop bunny said in a sarcastic tone, he enjoyed playing Devil's advocate and being passive aggressive as such. Of course his friends would get more annoyed by it, worried that his big mouth would cause more trouble than they could afford.)

Lawrence:"You're not Helping!"

Lee:"Wait, if he's not with you guys, where is he?"

Clover:"He said he was heading to the Gardening club."

Hana:"Isn't that place abandoned? Why would he go there alone?"

Tai:"Actually, I remember seeing a Deer girl heading up there, maybe-?"

Lo:"Aw sweet! He's getting some action then."

Lee:"But why wouldn't he mention having a girlfriend to us?"

Lo:"I'm telling you guys, he's a drug dealer!"

(The groups continued to prattle on with each other, nearly interrupting one another as they continued adding speculation upon speculation, it did not help that Lo would make jokes or commentary during this. The Chaos that was this conversation finally ended when Hana shouted "OK, STOP!" which caused everyone to gaze at her in shock.)

"Maybe we can go ASK him? We've proven that speculating is not getting anyone anywhere…You said he was at the Gardening Club, right?"

(They made it their plan, they all traveled to the Gardening club upstairs, each for their own varying reasons. The Wolves wanted to check on their friend, to make sure he was well considering his odd behavior recently, Clover wanted answers, she didn't know why such a simple thing was bothering her so, but she knew she would not be satisfied until she got the truth. Lisa, Lawrence and Tai joined out of fear of leaving their friend alone with Wolves, they figured it better safe than sorry to risk allowing their friend to continue alone in such a potential danger. Lo was just bored, he figured it'd be interesting to see what was up with the Hybrid kid and why this was causing such commotion between both groups.

There it was, the Gardening Club, behind this push open door was the Wolf-Rabbit that was the center of their topic. Kai was the first to take action as he slowly leaned against the door to see if anyone was among the dead weeds and rotted wood, but was shocked to see that the place was green and full of life. The Wolves and Rabbits gossip as they all take their own little peaks at the lush vegetation and varying colors of green and flowers.)

Hana:"Woah, look how green it is."

Lee:"Yeah, I thought this place was abandoned?"

Lisa:"It is…Or, it was…"

Lawrence:"Maybe he's taking care of it."

Clover:"Or maybe he's hanging out WITH the person that takes care of it."

(Clover says as she notices Aki talking with someone, it looked to be that Deer girl Tai mentioned earlier. Except she wasn't wearing her mask, allowing everyone to see the row of sharp teeth she had, revealing her Dual Nature.)

Lo:"Hey, he IS getting some. Nice!"

Hana:"Well, why wouldn't he tell us he had a Girlfriend?"

Lee:"Probably because SHE didn't want us to know about THAT."

(Lee said as he pointed out her Teeth, this caused Kai to gain a better understanding of Aki's reasoning for being here and Hana said it better than anyone that was Eavesdropping on the two Hybrids.)

Hana:"So he DID want someone to relate to, only it wasn't a Wolf or a Rabbit-."

Clover:"It was another Hybrid…That explains-Woah!"

(Clover said as she fell, it hadn't dawned on anyone that they were all pressing up against the door, resting their combined weight as they were more focused on getting a better view of Sarah and her Teeth. Eventually the Wolf holding the thing in place, Kai, lost his grip and everyone fell to the floor as they were exposed to the two they were spying on. Sarah jumped at the sight as she rushed to reapply her mask, while Aki was just shocked to see so many people at once, he approaches the two groups and questions them as they begin to converse.)

Aki:"Guys? What's everyone doing here?"

Lee:"We-…(Sigh) We wanted to make sure you weren't feeling lonely, and we could tell something was up. So Kai asked the Rabbits to hang out with you and when you said no, we all got curious and came to the Gardening club to see why you were being so reclusive."

Lo:"I said you were a drug dealer."

Aki:"Wai-wai-wai…so, you guys tried to get the Rabbits to hang out with me, and when I turned them down…you spied on me?"

Lawrence:"I mean, when you phrase it like THAT-."

Aki:"I'm not mad, as much as I'm surprised and confused…I mean, I appreciate what you guys did for me, but you really didn't have to."

(Aki's words began to trail off as Sarah was moving away, trying to hide from the small crowd that had just arrived. She is then startled when Lo is shown to be right behind her as he greeted her with a "So, you're Hybrid too? Cool!" After calming herself and regulating her breathing, Sarah was mortified to see that both groups were devoting their gaze to her. Lo speaks again as he attempts to convince her that they already knew the truth, of course this did not help the situation as Sarah felt even more self conscious.)

Lo:"You don't need to wear the mask, we already saw your chompers already."

(Sarah covered her mouth with both hands, Lo was going to speak again but was interrupted by Clover when she tugged on his ear and tried to calm the Deer girl and explain herself.)

Lo:"Seriously, you don-OW!"

Clover:"Sorry for Lo, he's…well, he's Lo…If you wanna leave the mask on, we totally understand."

Lawrence:"In fact we'd prefer it if you left the Mask on-!"

Clover:"NOT HELPING!"

(Clover shouted to her friend in frustration, noticing that this would not calm the Deer girl and only make her MORE self conscious about her heritage.)

Clover:"We'll get out of your collective furs, we're really sorry to disturb you all."

Lee:"Weeee should probably get going too, I can tell we're making her uncomfortable, so we'll just go."

Aki:"C'mon guys, Nobody has to leave, in fact you guys should see what she did with the Gardening club after my Mom left. It looks better than ever."

Lisa:"You know…I actually wanted to take up gardening as a kid, how did you manage to get everything so bright and vibrant?"

(Sarah remained silent, she was unsure as to how to react to both the question and the situation, but began to notice something once Lawrence spoke next.)

Lawrence:"Actually, if you don't mind, I wanna ask YOU a few questions, you're the first Hybrid I ever met and one of the few that are a mix of Carnivore and Herbivore, so maybe you can help me answer some questions?"

Aki:"Uh, sure. Like what?"

Lawrence:"Well, mostly your diet, are you technically an Omnivore? Or do you have a preference."

Aki:"Meh, I'm more of a veggie and fruit guy, I never had meat before actually."

Lawrence:"Really!?"

(Aki nodded to confirm this surprising fact as he then took out a notebook and a pencil and began writing down notes as he continued to ask Aki questions. As this was happening, Lee spoke next as he recognized Clover's species and began to ask her questions on that.)

Lee:"Hey, I know this is an odd thing to ask now, but…are you a Harlequin Rabbit?"

Clover:"Yeah, one of the few left."

Lee:"Wow, that's kinda cool!"

Clover:"Being a part of an Endangered species is 'cool'?"

Lee:"Well, not like that. What I mean is, it's cool that there's few people like you in the world.-Not like that though! I meant you're more Unique…or…something?"

(Clover laughed at this poor attempt at conversation as she commented on it herself.)

Clover:"Wow, you are TERRIBLE at small talk."

Lee:"Y-…Yeah, I'm not used to talking to an Herbivore."

Clover:"Relax, You're doing better than I did, I threw up when I first met a Carnivore."

(As this conversation continued, Hana spoke to Lisa as she wanted to compliment her style of choice.)

Hana:"By the way, I love that bow you made."

Lisa:"Oh-! Thanks! It actually belonged to a Ferret's Tuxedo but I managed to make it work."

Hana:"Well you did a great job with it."

Lisa:"Thank you! You know, if you want, I could see if I can't do one for you too?"

Hana:"R-Really!?"

(Hana asked as her tail began to wag, this conversation continued like all the others, proving to Sarah her suspicions. These Animals were ACTUALLY getting along with each other, they were laughing, conversing, joking and sharing ideas and offers to one another. She knew that she would've felt awful shooing everyone away after they went through so much effort for just ONE hybrid, she then figured this was yet another test Life was giving her, to finally reach out and meet others, to try and have friends. If Aki could do it, surely she could, right? She took a deep breath and joined the other kids in their varying conversations, for the first time ever, she felt like she was part of a group. She did more than just make a friend that day, she made FRIENDS, Plural, she then tried to embrace this change as best she could as the group continued to ask and answer questions. None of them knew it yet, but it would lead to the Rabbits Pack growing in numbers along with the Wolves and the discussions lead to friendships, one that would go around as rumors to the whole School, they all began to be known as "The Odd Pack". It wasn't until later that day, that Clover commented to herself as she finished her retelling of this event and realized the funny irony of it all.)

"Like I said, the fourth Carnivore I met REALLY shook things up for me, it led to me meeting the fifth (Mark), sixth (Hana), seventh (Lee) and eighth Carnivore (Sarah) I was about to encounter. Funny thing is, my Mom always told me I'd make a lot of friends in High school… buuut, she also said to stay away from Wolves. Sorry Mom, but you can't have it both ways."


Yes, I know this is UBER LATE and I am BEYOND sorry about it. Life has been really hectic and I spent more time on my other stories than this one and I'm really sorry. I'm already working on the next Chapter and I PROMISE it'll be posted soon enough! (Definitely sooner than last time!) Either ways, I hope you all enjoyed these two chapters, sorry if they're a little weird, I'm trying my best to nail the Ambiance that Beastars naturally gives it's audience so I even started re-watching the Anime (No regrets, I LOVE The Anime) and re-reading the Manga (Also Loved it) so I could try and hit that Ambiance better. Have a great day everyone, till next time.

QUACK!- Sincerely, the Wubbzler