Setting up for other plot threads in a story is hard work. Enjoy the new chapter.
CHAPTER 3: Learned
Haru silently watered the flowers she often tended to. A variety of reds, purples, yellows and oranges colored the many flower boxes. The roof of the school building was littered with them as they bordered a system of long, slim concrete pathways. The pathway started from the doors that led to the roof and the path ran down to the right of the entrance, passing a wooden shack to the right of the roof's entrance. Haru typically kept an eye on the entrance to immediately attend to anyone who entered as quickly as she could.
"Hello?" Kibi opened the door to the garden area with Legoshi accompanying him. Haru placed her watering can on the ground and went to greet the two.
"Ah, hello. How can I help you?" Haru asked nicely. Kibi felt shivers crawl up his spine at the sight of her.
"Uh, well my friend can tell you! Legoshi, I just remembered I have to go handle something!" Kibi turned around and dawned the stairwell. Legoshi whipped his head around, his face full of confusion.
"Please just let me go, I'll pay you back later!" Kibi begged quietly with a worried expression. Legoshi didn't have the nerve to say anything during the exchange and simply waved Kibi away.
Legoshi's attention returned to Haru. The small rabbit smiled warmly, her pure white fur matched her uniform of the same color.
"Sorry about my friend." Legoshi rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don't worry about it. You're here to get flowers for the entrance ceremony for the new students, correct?" Haru asked. Legoshi nodded and followed the rabbit to the flowerbeds. She picked up two baskets and Legoshi told her which flowers to pick.
"That should be enough, thank you."
"Of course." Haru smiled. Legoshi's presence gave her an odd sense of comfort. "I have some paper wraps in the shack over there, would you help me?" Legoshi nodded again. The two entered the shack through its sliding glass door. The shack had a bed to its left and a small wooden desk a few feet past the bed's end. Opposite to the wooden desk sat four boxes and beside them a chair under a window with blinds. Haru took out seven paper wraps from one of the top boxes and set them on the desk. She motioned her hand for Legoshi to come closer and he set the baskets on the floor next to Haru. She took out some tape from a desk drawer to her right and the two got to work.
"How've summer classes been for you?" Haru asked.
"They've been pretty good." Legoshi still thought of Kibi's abrupt exit and wasn't in too much of a talking mood.
"That's good. Personally I've never done summer classes until now and I didn't think it would be this difficult. I mean my second-year here was bad but these classes were way worse." Haru spoke with a slight grin.
"The closer you get to graduation the more… difficult… school makes it to graduate?" Haru giggled at Legoshi who failed to properly quote his friend. Soon the wrapping was finished and the bouquets were put into the baskets.
"Thank you." Legoshi thanked Haru.
"Of course, happy to help. The flowers weren't the only thing you came here for, right?" Legoshi tilted his head and began to think if he needed anything else. "That's why your friend left, right?" Legoshi was too busy thinking to hear what Haru said.
"I've never been with a carnivore before." Haru admitted while she began untying the scarf around her collar. Legoshi finally noticed and crouched to Haru's level. He softly moved Haru's hands and retied her scarf, placing it neatly under her collar in one swift movement.
"Please don't make assumptions about me." Legoshi stated. He picked up the two baskets and the extra bouquet. "See you at the play tonight."
"Huh?" Haru was still stunned by Legoshi's rejection.
"To see Louis, his scent is all over this room. I'm guessing you guys are friends?" Haru's mind went wild but she maintained composure.
"Yes he comes up here to nap sometimes."
"Oh, I guess he needs a break too. He does work a lot." Legoshi remarked. "Well I hope to see you there."
"Yes, I'll see if I can make it."
"See you." Legoshi left and Haru waved goodbye as he did.
"This looks terrible." Haru smiled to herself as she looked at her scarf's fold.
Several gentle yellow lights illuminated a bar. The bartender, an Iguana, stood behind a long stretching countertop made with finished mahogany wood. Behind the bartender, were three long shelves of glass bottles. Some were filled with a clear liquid and others were brown in color. The Iguana took a small circular bottle of brandy from the wall and poured it into a short glass with a piece of clear spherical ice.
"Here you are." The reptile gave his customer the halfway filled glass.
"Thank you." A komodo dragon sat on a stool at the bar. He wore a short sleeve loose fitting black shirt and a pair of gray sweatpants with shoes that individually covered his toes. He took a few sips of his drink and checked the watch on his left wrist. A few seconds after he checked the bell on the bar's door rang and a vixen and a male jaguar entered.
"Ten. Miso." Savon said both of their names. Ten wore a black eyepatch over her right eye, red halter tank top with blue jeans and red high heels. Her light orange mixed will with its slight brown hue. Miso's fur was yellow and covered with black spots. He wore a loose v-neck shirt with short jogger pants and flip flops. Ten sat on Savon's left and Miso on his right.
"Do you need to carry your sword everywhere?" Savon asked.
"What's it to you?" Miso responded, leaning his weapon onto the lower part of the bar.
"Nothing." Savon responded, drinking from his glass. Ten leaned on her left elbow with her fist under her chin and her left leg over her right.
"What did you call us here for Savon?" Ten asked, Savon looked at the bartender. The reptile set down the glass he dried and went to the front of the store. He pulled the shade to the front door, closed the blinds and turned off the streetlight in front of the store.
"Nikushi needs to be dealt with. He's impeding business."
"Our or yours? If I remember you're the one who moves the purest meat in the black market." Miso stated.
"His addiction to meat is causing the customer pool to grow smaller and smaller. Especially his fixation with white rabbit meat. You think my business will be the only one he chews away at?" Savon retorted.
"So what? Me and my people move product all over the city, we have no reason to fear Nikushi." Miso said with a laugh.
Within the black market each gang had a role. Miso's gang, the Madaragumi, moved illegal drugs around the city. Ten's clan, the Inarigumi, loaned out their services in extortion, reconnaissance and loansharking. Savon's group, the Dokugumi, moved komodo dragon poison and herbivore meat. Nikushi and his Shishigumi had a vice grip on all the venders within the black Market, controlling what comes in and out of it. This includes every single gang as well. Nikushi held the most influence in the Black Market.
"What are you asking us to do? Band together for a war?" Ten asked.
"Of course not, at least not with the Black Devil around. I just need your help taking him out." Savon answered. Miso couldn't hold back his laughter.
"There ain't no stake in here for me, you don't have a plan to kill Nikushi and you're scared of an herbivore? Losing your money and your mind." Miso scoffed. He grabbed his katana and stood up.
"If we kill him, there won't be any threat to any of you in the future." Savon tried to argue but Miso shook his head.
"Don't waste my time again unless you've something important to say or you plan on giving me your territory. Only reason I don't cut your head off is because I got to see Ten in those tight jeans." Miso winked at Ten as he walked to the bar's exit.
"Aren't you going to leave too?"
"If I did that right now, I would end up killing him." Ten answered softly. "Also, I want to help with your problem." Ten pulled a phone from her back pocket and placed it next to Savon's drink.
"It's a burner. There's only one number on it, a pair of good runners who have done a lot of jobs for me so you'll have to pay double." Ten instructed Savon.
"They are talented at their craft, far beyond that of the normal and they work with professionalism at heart, so they'll be right up your alley."
"You trust them with a job like this?" Savon asked.
"Who's to say? That's up to your discretion. I'll tell you this though. They've never failed a single job I've given them." Savon listened and began mulling over the idea. He knew that anyone would place a hit on Nikushi . Rival gangs or politicians he dealt with, everywhere Nikushi had an enemy. His untouchable status was built from flimsy agreements with said politicians, so any of them could on a dime. Still Savon knew The Black Devil might still be a problem if they were to be angered.
"Ten, what do you stand to gain from this?"
"Think of it as payback." Ten felt her right eyebrow, signaling her eyepatch just below it. Savon nodded and watched her get up from the bar.
"It'll be nightfall soon, have a good evening Savon. Till next time." Ten left the bar pulling up the front door's shade as she did.
"Go ahead Tenchi." The iguana moved at the komodo dragon's behest. He pulled the shade again while Savon inspected the phone. He took off the phone's back and took out the battery pack. Savon inspected the phone thoroughly. He then put the phone back together.
"No bugs?" Tenchi asked somewhat impishly.
"No, no bugs." Savon chuckled. "I'm not Miso, you can speak to me normally, my friend."
"I wish I could Savon but now that you're this big time gang leader it's a little bit jarring. To be honest you could flip on a dime and take my bar under." Tenchi aired his concerns.
"A healthy amount of caution is good, so if I do flip on you then I'll be sure to give you enough money to get out of here." Tenchi smiled at the sentiment and nodded.
"Thank you, that's the second time you've promised that."
"I guess it is." Savon smiled in return. The phone vibrated in his hand as it booted back up.
"I'll be in the back if you need me." Tenchi said and went into an employee's only room to the left exit of his bar. Savon looked at the phone in his hand and called the only number on it.
"Hello, and who are you?" A voice calmly asked on the other side of the phone.
"My name is Savon, I was referred to you by Ten, I'm an associate of hers." Savon answered.
"How am I supposed to know you're not lying?"
"There's two of you."
"Are you spying on us?"
"You have purple shades over your window." The voice laughed at his random guess.
"Good answer, so what else did Madame Ten tell you?" The voice was still quite relaxed.
"She told me that you are talented at your craft, far beyond that of the normal."
"Yeah, that's definitely Madame Ten. So, how can we assist you?" The voice happily spoke.
"I need you to take out Nikushu, the Shishigumi head boss."
"That's a heavy bag, you got the money to fill it?"
"Name your price." Savon asserted.
"I like your determination or maybe it's desperation? Either or for a mob boss we're talking at twenty million total."
"Done." Savon responded.
"Good, you got a deadline in mind?" The voice responded with a chuckle.
"By the end of this month. I hope that's enough time." Savon responded.
"Yes, more than enough, we'll make contact with you through this phone when the job is finished."
"Alright, just so we're clear the final date is September 30th."
"Yeah, we'll pull through for you." The voice said confidently. "Have a goodnight." Savon hung up the phone. He looked at his drink and took a few more sips of it.
Haru walked towards the auditorium. It was bigger than the new one built within the main school building, having its own separate space altogether. She noted animals from the school and from the city. Herbivores and carnivores surrounded her, all of them were taller than her. It was a sea of legs and waists.
"Why did I come here?" Haru asked herself. She remembered Legoshi's actions earlier in the day. His demeanor, his calm presence but most of all his lack of pity. He didn't put on a smile or seem to act unnatural to Haru. She felt as though she knew him from that one interaction.
"I'm being a bit too presumptuous." Haru sighed to herself and walked forward. She bumped her head against someone's thigh.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Haru quickly apologized only to be met by amethyst colored eyes.
"It's alright." Juno reassured Haru. "Are you a student here?"
"Yes, I'm a third year student. Are you one of the new students?" Haru asked.
"How did you know?" Haru pointed at the Cherryton branded school bag Juno carried on her shoulder.
"Oh! Right! Sorry my mind seems to be elsewhere!" Juno laughed aloud. She felt nervous in Haru's presence.
"Hey move it already!" An older goat yelled at the two girls. Juno and Haru apologized and the two moved deeper into the auditorium. They were forced to flow with the crowd and ended up sitting next to each other. Juno placed her bag on the floor in front of her and the two sat in silence. There were multiple beasts waiting in anticipation of the play but the two girls could only feel uncomfortable next to each other.
"Did you want someone to sit next to you tonight?" Haru shook her head.
"No, it wouldn't matter anyway thanks to the crowd and all." Juno's attempt to be somewhat amicable failed and her discomfort grew.
"This is uncomfortable for me too. I don't really interact with carnivores all the time." Haru made the first move.
"Yes it is. I spoke with you out of impulse." Juno chuckled.
"Glad we can agree. I want to preface that me straying from carnivores isn't you specifically."
"I know, it's instinct. Herbivores naturally fear carnivores so, I have no hard feelings. You're not the first or the last herbivore that will tell me that." Juno responded.
"I didn't mean it that way."
"Of course not. But that is the truth of the matter. Like you, carnivores have to control their feelings and instincts. More so than herbivores." Juno continued.
"I'm well aware of that fact."
"Are you? You can run from that instinct. We cannot." Haru shuddered after hearing that. She felt inferior to Juno because of the knowledge and perspective she lacked. Juno looked into Haru's eyes and a sense of shame washed over her. What was the point of her heightening the tensions already present with this conversation?
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't let my emotions get out of control like that." Juno sincerely apologized. Her defensive posture complimented her sentiment which captivated Haru.
"Beautiful." Haru impulsively responded.
"Thank you?" Juno thanks came out as a question. Haru shook her head.
"Sorry about that and my ignorance. I suppose I should get out more." Haru laughed off the exchange. Juno's beauty and knowledge imprinted themselves inside Haru's mind. Haru's calm nature and mature feel imprinted in Juno's mind.
"My name is Juno."
"I'm Haru." Juno smiled at the rabbit who reciprocated the gesture. The two sat in silence once more, looking forward to the stage with closed curtains. Anticipation replaced the tension previously present.
"A big crowd tonight." Sanu commented from behind the slit between the curtains. Kibi, Legoshi, Riz and Kai were standing behind him.
"Are we ready to go?" Kai asked.
"Yes. The stage lighting seems to be fine, we're on in ten so get to your positions." Sanu ordered. The four nodded and turned to make their way up to the catwalk. Legoshi controlled the main spotlight while Kibi and Kai worked the side lights from the catwalk above the curtains and out of the audience's view. Riz would stay on the ground and help direct the lights from above. Legoshi's friends moved into a wide space to the right of the stage and ran into Louis who gave a speech to the actors team. He saw Bill, Ellen, Tao, and Sheila listening to the buck intently and Legoshi had joined them. Louis' speech was filled with encouraging expressions and sayings. He sounded like a true leader. The longer Legoshi listened, the stronger a medicinal scent became and another scent that made his skin crawl. The scent of blood. Louis finished his speech and turned around to see Legoshi's nose beginning to twitch.
"Why are you standing there? Don't you have a spotlight to control?" Louis asked. Legoshi gave no response, his nose simply twitched and he instinctively approached the scent of blood. He moved past Louis to sniff Bill's costume.
"What the hell are you doing?! G-get away from me!" Bill shoved the wolf away. Legoshi straightened his posture and looked into Bill's eyes.
"Why do I smell-" Louis responded with his prop sword pointed into Legoshi's face.
"Have you no manners? I understand that carnivores have different customs but they can wait until after the performance don't you think so?"
"Louis? Are you serious?"
"Go to your post pup!" Louis declared angrily. Legoshi couldn't make a scene here, he looked at Sheila, Ellen and Tao who were confused.
"Fine." Legoshi quickly recoiled and ran to get set up. Louis sheathed his sword and shot a look at Bill.
"Did you eat some of his food or something?" Louis asked angrily.
"Maybe." Bill knew what Louis was doing and he answered loud enough for Ellen, Sheila and Tao to hear.
"It's almost time, Louis." Sanu told the buck who placed the fake deer mask on his head followed by a large black hat. His red attire felt perfectly balanced with the white mask and black hat.
"You better put that blood to good use." Louis whispered to Bill.
"You better remember you asked for this." Bill warned.
"It's time." Sanu announced. Louis took a deep breath and fixed his mind.
"Tonight… this stage belongs to me and no one else." Louis smiled and braced himself for the performance ahead. The curtains opened and Louis' mind opened to its fate before it.
Stay safe out there. Don't do anything dumb either.
-A tired college student (AKA Malik Syv)
