Authors Note:Hello lads and ladies!… Holy lord, this chapter sure was difficult to finally start with.
Well, a lot of things family-wise have happened that not all I can talk about, but one thing I want to let you know due to it getting my blood to boil.
My parents are divorced, not a very uncommon thing, for the better or the worse. I live with my mom and my dad lives on the other side of the country. (The route between us is 372, 8 miles long, for metric system users like me it's 600 kilometers.) Now over team viewer, he got onto my main work PC to sort a couple things out, which by the way he failed miserably at. Now, in order to clean the computer and make it faster, he deleted files of the desktop, without asking us about it. And you guessed it, among them was my WRITING FOLDER.
Not much was lost, but the already written 500 words for this chapter were gone due to me not having made a backup. So I was punished for trusting my Father. It has caused a fight that I will not go into detail on.
I don't expect any sympathy or anything, but I thought I should let you know what's been going as to why it's taking its time with the chapters. Due to school still affecting my editor, and me having personal issues to work through, it's taking more time. So I once again ask for your understanding and a bit of patience. I know how impatient I am, so I want to let you guys now that we are steadily working on it.
I hope you all have a good time reading as i had writting, and have a wonderful day/night afterwards.
Editor: SuperAverageFoxyboy
Enjoy!
-Portal
Chapter 2: Carnivore Night
Juno looked into the mirror, wet trails of tears still too noticeable for her liking. Gently wiping them away, the wet spots faded until no trace was left of them other than her eyes seeming more irritated.
She observed her face closely, a sad wolf looking back at her. Her fur seemed to have lost some of its sheen, just being a dull reddish-brown. It was an effect that appeared to be universal among furred animals. The intensity of and the color itself of their fur changing with strong emotions. During some of the most extreme periods of stress, some animal's fur would even turn completely white, making them look like pale ghosts in their state of shock.
The strong emotional reaction at the table embarrassed her. She didn't have the right to feel so traumatized by an incident that she wasn't even the victim of. Haru and Louis had reasons to be haunted by the place that they would have almost died in, and yet both showed no signs of trauma or fear. She was sure they had their own fair share of scars, but they took it a lot better than she did, or at the very least, they're better at hiding it.
What right do I have as a carnivore to feel trauma when there are herbivores in this world that live in fear of being eaten at any given moment their entire lives.
Juno reached down, dusting off her uniform. She brushed back her fur and wiped the last residing wetness off her face. Looking back at the mirror, she mustered a forced yet cheerful smile. Now, the she-wolf looking back seemed more like her old self again. She felt relief in having regained control of her emotions and herself. Wolves are tougher than this.
She opened her hand over the trash can by the door, letting the tissues drenched with tears fall into the plastic bag loosely draped on the can mounted to the wall. Weights fell off her shoulders, her sadness falling with the tissues into the trash. She looked down the row of sinks and mirrors opposing the bathroom stalls. The scent of her tears would stay in the air for at least another half an hour. How many students would walk past the salty water in the air? How many would look into the mirrors, checking if their uniforms had stains or if their makeup looked good? They would walk past and smell her and her tears, asking themselves why someone would cry here. And they all wouldn't know the reason behind her despair.
With the restroom door closing behind her, she saw the mostly empty cafeteria before her. Only a few stragglers bringing their trays to the dish cart or small groups finishing their lunch upon realizing how much time they spent just talking. She sighed, looking down at the ground. How long did I cry in that stall? Am I really so weak…
The luscious smell of earth began to fill the air, announcing the individual's identity who had just walked closer to her. She looked to the left, observing the wolf standing beside her. He towered over her by a decent bit, her face merely reaching his chest. His arms, when hanging down, fell slightly lower than his waist, reaching his upper thigh. When looking at his arms closer, one could see the defined muscle beneath the layers of fur. His claws remained sharp even if he tried to file them as often as he could. His tie was a bit loosened to allow him an opened collar, also letting her grab him by said tie whenever she so desired to pull him closer.
She didn't notice how close she had gotten while examining him up and down, losing herself in his body, making her forget where she even was. She looked up at his eyes, the small black pupils looking down at the amethyst gems sparkling back at him.
"Are you ok?" The wolf asked softly, the she-wolf finally returning back to the present moment.
"Oh..? I'm ok." She looked down with a somber expression, the weight of her fear bigger than she liked to admit. "I just needed to collect myself. I… didn't think it was this bad."
He came a bit closer, the she-wolf looking up at his face. His eyes were filled with worry, the small pupils of his focusing on hers. His expression was undeniably sweet, making her swoon over the kind gesture. She slowly stepped closer until her arms reached around him, hugging him tightly. Instinctively he hugged her back, resting his head upon hers. There was a solace in his embrace. One only felt in the embrace of a loved one. The feeling of safety you feel when you touch one of your own: A family member, a good friend, or your partner. It was an effect that was strengthened by the fact that both were of the same species. A biological mannerism to feel at ease when around or when in direct bodily contact with one's own species.
Juno separated from the hug, the two once again looking back at each other.
"It's still a bit until classes start. Would you like to take a walk?" The she-wolf asked the large canine standing before her. He smiled, happiness finally breaking through the worry that just moments before resided in his facial expression.
Of all things going on, I think at least you should be happy. Legosi thought to himself, reaching out to grab her hand.
"Anything to make you feel safe."
With a squeeze of her hand, the two walked out of the cafeteria.
"Another devouring, coming at the worst of times." Juno lamented. There was enough pressure between students already. The next victim of a blood-lusting carnivore wasn't making things less difficult.
"Yeah... It really does kinda suck."
"The nightly absence checks are what's worrying me." Juno looked down, thinking about the multitude of nightmares that would cost her all sleep she needed. She wiped away the forming wetness in her eyes, her emotional state making her feel like she was out of control of her thoughts.
"Hey..." His soft voice brought her gaze to his. He looked warm, his expression one of pure kindness. So much life was behind his face. The dead husk that her mind imagined in the nights couldn't differ more from reality.
"We'll find a solution… no need to lose hope." It was more words that lifted her from the cold grave of nightmares that she was stuck in, letting her forget her problem.
"I know we will. Can you come tonight before the curfew?" Legosi's expression changed to an apologetic one upon hearing Juno's question.
"Well… Bill has invited me to carnivore night, and he wanted me to go there for a while now..." Legosi looked away. He felt conflicted. He knew he would drop everything at a moment's notice if it meant that he could make her happy. But on the other hand, Bill had invited him to carnivore night multiple times now. Legosi didn't want to disappoint him by calling it off at the last moment, but he also didn't want to leave Juno alone.
"I can always-"
"No, it's ok. Bill has been waiting for a while now, and I just remembered tonight is movie night with the girls." Juno cut him off. She had remembered that it was the once a month movie night in the female dormitories. The school offered bonding experience activities once a month. It was added to allow students to form friendships outside of their classes and clubs and to have a larger and more healthy social cycle for those looking to boost their social skills. It was a night that she had completely forgotten over the last few days due to a large amount of stress her fears had put her under. She would be surrounded by other students, Classmates, club mates, and friends alike. She would be safe from fear while she was having fun. It didn't change the fact that she still wanted to see him before going to bed.
"After carnivore night, just come to the stairwell. I'll be waiting for you there." She kissed him, standing up. With a friendly wave of the hand and a very strongly wagging tail. Juno herself departed to her classes, leaving Legosi to sit at the bench for a little longer, before also departing to his own classes.
Legosi opened the door leading to the roof of the male dormitories, the sound of casual conversation and laughter echoed down the stairwell behind him. Carnivores of all kinds walked past the wolf who awkwardly stood in the doorway, unsure what to do. There were too many animals around him. Legosi was definitely not as sociable as the average canine. And in the claustrophobic setting of larger groups, he could be indecisive on how to act.
"Legosi, over here!" Bill's voice rang out among the chatter of the others. Legosi spotted the tiger sitting on the concrete border of the roof beside Tao, Aoba, and a few other students the wolf didn't recognize.
"You finally managed to make it. Welcome to carnivore night."
At first, Legosi was nervous about this, but the friendly greeting of Bill made him feel at home. The smell of this place was one associated with friends and family. All the students here were friends in some way if it was just a wave in the hall while passing by or knowing them through clubs or classes. No matter how little you knew somebody, here they were automatically your friend. Legosi had heard about this place often, never really thinking to go.
Legosi was, of course, less social than his fellow wolves. Plus, being focused on all the relationships he currently held: his roommates, club mates, and the new addition of his girlfriend. The wolf decided that he didn't feel the need to come check it out. But Bill persisted in trying to drag Legosi out of his cave, and eventually, Legosi gave in.
"I nearly forgot where to go, to be honest."
"It's always here, top of the stairwell, hard to miss if you ask me," Aoba explained casually, opening a can of soda.
"What brings you here? I don't remember you ever going to carnivore night." Tao looked at him with a friendly smile. It sure was a rarity to see the wolf at social outings. If it came to asking the wolf for anything, he would drop everything and do it, not even expecting a thank you. But social outings were a foreign land to him. If Legosi didn't have to go on order, he would simply stay away.
"Bill invited me… and I thought I just might give it a try." Legosi sat down between Bill and another student he didn't recognize. The sleepy-looking Saint Bernard seemed to be deep in thought, looking ahead with a glazed expression.
"I thought it would be harder to get you to a social event. All it took was asking…" Tao was surprised at how simply Legosi was persuaded.
"Dogs, am I right?" Bill teased the wolf, nudging him in the side. Legosi couldn't stop himself from smiling as Tao and Aoba both let out a snicker. It was a nice change of pace to see average school life set in again after the events only a mere month ago.
The noise of a loud sniff pulled his attention to his side. The saint Bernard who before was blankly staring into space was now sniffing Legosi's arm. Legosi was quite perplexed at the gesture; one acted out as if it was the most normal thing to do. But Legosi knew how smells could be sometimes. When a specific one entered his nose, he lost all control over himself in the pursuit of the new scent.
"Barkley, no sniffing!" Bill shouted at the daydreaming dog sniffing at Legosi's arm. He immediately pulled back, collecting himself again.
"I'm so sorry, I couldn't help it. You smelled so nice..." the dog excused himself, rubbing his nose in pure embarrassment.
"Eh… it's ok… I can be that way too, sometimes..." Legosi smiled dumbly, the memory of the first time he smelt the strong floral scent of his girlfriend close to three months ago in his mind.
Barkley looked back at the wolf, only now realizing that he was another canine. He smiled at him, extending his hand.
"The woes of being a canine, am I right?" The dog's nose twitched as it pulled him elsewhere, his hand slowly falling before he grasped himself again. He then extended his hand fully, offering a handshake.
"I'm sorry… it must be flower season. My name is Barkley!" Barkley's tail began to swing behind him wildly, the saint Bernard cheerfully smiling again.
"I'm Legosi. Nice to meet you." He awkwardly shook Barkley's hand. The dog's excitement could be felt through the strength of his handshake. Barkley's eyebrow shot up, looking at the wolf as if trying to recognizing him, tilting his head to the left. Suddenly he smiled widely, clamping his hands together like a giddy child.
"Your Legosi from room 701, right?" Barkley looked as if he could explode from over-excitement at any moment. The wolf asked himself how this dog knew him. He wasn't that popular the last time he checked.
"Y-yeah… h-how do you know me?" Barkley laughed at the nervousness of Legosi. The lighthearted laughter not putting any less pressure on the awkward conversation.
"Jack told me about you. He's a good friend of mine," Barkley explained, putting Legosi at ease. Of course, the Labrador would be the one to talk about their friends all the time. It was another instinctual thing that all dog breeds seemed to do. Obsess over their pack members.
"… I didn't know you were friends… but I think Jack mentioned a Saint Bernard." Legosi tried to remember what exactly Jack said to him over the last few months, but his memory failed him. Too much had happened recently.
"He talks a lot about you… Jack takes the accelerated math class with me, and he told me how worried he was about you." Legosi started to feel bad for Jack. He really neglected their relationship since Juno showed up. I should make up for last month… maybe go to B-strike with him and room 701…
"Yeah… I wasn't that good of a friend to him recently..." Legosi looked down, disappointed in himself. Barkley looked at the sad wolf and laid his hand on his shoulder.
"He also said a lot of good things. Like how you seemed so happy in a long, long time." The wolf looked up at the Saint Bernard, a reassuring smile on his face.
"Well, thank you for letting me know. I really should spend more time with him."
Barkley pat him once on the shoulder and took his hand back. Legosi found his nature to be a comforting one, albeit very easily excitable. Barkley's nose twitched once again, the dog rubbing his nose violently.
"You really do smell nice… do you use some kind of cologne or conditioner?" Said Barkley through his arm, still rubbing his nose. Legosi looked at Barkley in confusion.
"I-I don't think I do..." Answered Legosi as Barkley stopped rubbing his nose only to sniff the air involuntary again.
"You smell like..." He took another deep sniff. "Like roses… wild roses."
Legosi tensed up, remembering that he hadn't taken a shower this morning. What the dog beside him smelt was Juno's scent. Do I tell the truth? Well, I don't have to tell the full story...
"Oh!… T-that must be my g-g-girlfriends scent." Legosi stuttering returned when he thought of her. His mind jumping to the sad face that he saw a few hours ago. He turned sideways, looking over the edge of the roof, overlooking the campus. I wonder how she is doing right now.
The female dormitories were opposite of the male ones. They're behind the large tree lines in the center of campus, surrounding the green lawn that most students used to sunbathe in the heat of summer that had just passed. I hope she is doing ok. She was so shaken during lunch…
"She must be lovely." Said Barkley, having finally calmed down his nose. Legosi smiled, still looking at the female dormitory.
"She is..."
A sudden cheering pulled Legosi's attention away from the female dormitory towards the middle of the roof, a few students setting down large cardboard boxes.
"This will be fun," Bill said, standing up approaching a box that a few other felines had already grouped around. Tao got up and joined Bill, while Aoba joined the group of birds around another box.
"What are they doing?" Legosi's confusion made Barkley laugh.
"You really haven't been at carnivore night before. Come on, I'll show you." Barkley stood up and walked ahead, encouraging Legosi to follow with a hand gesture. With a great deal of curiosity, the wolf followed the dog to their own box already surrounded by a few fellow canines.
The girls around Juno screamed, the cheap jumpscare not affecting the she-wolf. The majority of the girls voted for a horror movie tonight, a choice that Juno found to be boring. She didn't care all too much for horror movies, favoring cheesy romance or drama. Her boredom was made worst by the fact that the movie itself was not good at all. The acting was sub-par, the soundtrack generic, and the overall aesthetic uninteresting. But despite the lacking quality of the movie, the girls around her were captivated, their eyes locked to the screen, every jumpscare causing a few to scream.
Juno turned on her phone, the time in the top right corner reading 9:12 PM. Annoyed, she looked out of the window, the passing hues of the sun finally setting, leaving the outside world in blueish black darkness. She sighed, the sudden urge to be alone overcoming her.
Juno stood up, walking past the many rows of couches and seats around the television. She left the common room and entered the hallway, cool air brushing against her legs through her track pants as she stepped out of the room. Juno looked ahead. Someone had left a window open. Having walked over, she looked outside, the cold handle of the window in her hand. She looked at the opposite side of the campus, the male dormitories standing tall, the building matching the female's one in size. Juno always thought the red brick style of the school buildings to be quaint and calming, even though they were truly nothing special. Maybe it reminded her of the red brick walls of her parent's house in the suburbs where she grew up. It gave her the comfortable feel of home, one that many missed while in school.
She spotted a group of carnivores on top of the building on the opposing side of campus, many standing or sitting in circles, talking. It didn't take long for her to spot a tall Grey wolf sitting beside a Bengal tiger on the outer edge of the roof. A smile emerged upon her face. The knowledge of Legosi being happy pleased her. She closed the window feeling satisfied with her choice to let him go to carnivore night.
She opened the door to the dorm, the room being warmer than the hallway. The heater was turned up, making it nice and toasty. Juno closed the door, sticking her tongue out, beginning to pant. It was an instinctual mannerism. Being animals with thicker fur, wolves preferred cooler room temperatures, starting to pant and sweat in warmer surroundings. She turned down the heater and opened the window, the cooler air refreshing her.
The school was situated on a hill, giving all dorms over floor one a nice look over the city. Juno saw the city life still remaining in full roar, most nocturnal members of society now on their respective way to work. The tram drove over the in street integrated railway tracks, carrying either a tired workforce home or just awoken workforce to their jobs. It felt reassuring somehow, to know that there were always people awake somewhere, even in your longest and most sleepless nights.
She leaned on the now turned off heater, her face resting on the windowsill, and began to lose herself in the bustling city life before her. No memories or cruel thoughts existing in her world…
Legosi stood still, looking straight at the machine in front of him. The small metal cylinder was mounted on a small moving Metal Box, many smaller tubes sticking out from any side in varying heights, a large plastic hoop on the top of the cylinder, the entire thing reaching to Legosi's stomach. He was standing completely still, about 15 yards away from the device that canines of all kinds stood around. Barkley stood to his right, just as motionless as everyone else, fixated on the cylinder.
With a satisfying affirmation sound coming from its small speaker, the box began to drive in a circle, turning in circles. With a thumping noise, a green ball blasted out of one of the holes into Legosi's direction. A green streak, zooming right at Legosi.
With a perfectly timed jump, Legosi grabbed the ball, throwing it back to the machine, landing in the hoop, rolling back into the cylinder.
"Score" sounded out of the small speaker, bringing the canines around Legosi to cheer, the wolf returning to his position. The affirmation sound repeated itself, the box beginning to turn again.
With another returning thump, the green ball shot out again in a different direction, but this time not landing in one of the canines hands. Instead, it was snatched out of the air and into the hands of Daizo, the Doberman third year acting as the leader of the canine group.
"Alright, guys. Playtime is over." The command by the large dog made a few of the other canines groan, a few others outright whine. Not fazed by the dissatisfaction of the others, he walked to the machine and placed the ball back into the cylinder, pressing the power button, shutting the device off.
Legosi relaxed, the tense game having caused the wolf to sweat. Barkley rolled down his sleeves, laughing at the exhausted wolf he was seeing in front of him.
"So this… is carnivore… night?" The wolf was still in the process of catching his breath. Barkley simply smiled at the wolf, patting his shoulder affectionately.
"You really powered yourself out, didn't ya? Yeah, we do this every Wednesday." Legosi finally began to calm his breathing, not being able to help himself but smile at the saint Bernard, his caring nature reminding him of Jack.
"Ehh.. what club are you in?" Legosi asked.
Barkley's eyebrow shot up. The dog laughed and grabbed into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He opened it proudly, a photo of the school band being beside his student ID, the dog sitting behind the drums, striking a pose for the picture.
"Main Drummer of The Beasts!" the dog's wagging tail flew wildly from left to right, barely being able to contain his excitement.
Legosi smiled as he thought of the drama club. The previously arrogant deer that now was as humble as could be, the tiger that managed to coax a vigor out of the wolf he had never even expected of himself. And Juno… the lovely she-wolf he had the fortune of calling his girlfriend.
"I'm in the drama club… I'm part of the stage crew… even though I did act once on stage before," Legosi told Barkley.
The saint bernard's face turned to one of curiosity.
"Which play?" The wolf smiled. opening his mouth to speak when he noticed the rest of the guys walking to the door.
"We can talk on the way to the dorms. You are in room 701, right?" Barkley asked Legosi, the wolf nodding.
"Well then, go ahead… which play?" Barkley walked ahead, waiting patiently for the wolf to follow. Legosi followed, beginning to tell the story of the second play a good two months back.
"Well, due to Louis suffering from a leg injury-"
"You know Louis?!" The dog broke of Legosi, excitedly looking at him.
"We're kinda friends, actually."
The dog clasped his hands in front of him, smiling widely.
"OOOOO! Might you be able to introduce us? I'm a tremendous fan!" He jumped around excitedly, the dog looking like a yo-yo bouncing up and down.
"Uhhh...I don't see why not..."
"Thank you so much!" The dog stopped jumping, hugging the wolf tightly, almost lifting the wolf. The sudden gesture of gratitude startled Legosi, making him stiffen up. He only now realized that Barkley was just a tad bit shorter than him. Barkley felt the tensed up wolf and released him, taking a step back.
"I'm so sorry… I… get very easily excited…" Barkley excused himself, looking at the ground in embarrassment, as the two started to descended the stairs.
"Yeah… I noticed…" Legosi looked at the now embarrassed Saint Bernard, who was now rubbing his elbow, fidgeting his fingers nervously. "It's ok…"
Legosi pat Barkley on the shoulder. The dog smiled again, now keeping his arms by his side.
"You were… telling a story?..." He reminded Legosi of the only time that he stood on stage.
"Oh… well… Louis was injured, so we needed a replacement. And Louis picked Bill." The dog's excitement returned at least halfway.
"Oh, Bill? He's a great guy. I think I was at that performance. It was the last one before the meteor festival stuff, right?" Barkley asked, the two now walking down the hallway towards their dorms.
"Yeah." Legosi's smile widened as he thought back to his and Juno's first kiss, the moment bringing a multitude of warm feelings into his chest. Barkley's face lit up, finally remembering which role the wolf played.
"You played the third demon!… for a first-time actor, you did a good job!" The encouragement made Legosi happier than he expected to really care about the performance.
"Thank you-… oh crap." Legosi suddenly thought back to what Juno asked him to do after carnivore night. Barkley looked at the wolf, pure confusion in his expression.
"I forgot to do something… I'll see you later, Barkley! It was great meeting you!" With a quick wave, the wolf turned around and ran back to the stairs. Barkley stood there for a second, waving down the now empty hallway, before smiling to himself. Just as Jack guessed, Barkley liked him immediately.
Juno sat by the small stairs at the front doors of the female dormitory building. She had waited for a good five minutes now, having waited the entire evening to talk to him for a little bit. The she-wolf nearly fell asleep on the windowsill numerous times, only waking up due to a passing car honking loudly at the traffic. She checked her phone again, debating if she should just call it a night and go to bed.
Her ears flicked, picking up a new sound, making her turn her head. Legosi came running, stopping harshly against the dirt, almost falling over in trying to keep his balance. The wolf was hunched over, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.
"In a hurry to somewhere?" Juno teased the wolf, who was now sitting down beside her, still panting from his sprint. He might have had a lean build, but he wasn't as athletic as he could be. Well, that paired with the fact that he powered himself out at Carnivore night made it even worse.
"I'm sorry… for being late." Legosi's breathing started to normalize. Juno leaned over, pulling his head to hers and giving him a quick kiss.
"How was it?" Juno asked, making Legosi smile.
"It was fun… they brought out a machine for the different species of animals that were participating. An automated laser pointer for the felines, a fish catching game reflex game for the crocodiles, and a ball shooter for the canines." Juno smiled at him, noticing how intense he smelled.
"So like a mini B-Strike?" Juno's question made him laugh, the similarities being see-able.
"You could say that, yes..." Legosi noticed Juno leaning into his side, the she-wolf looking away with a sad expression, her nightmares having wandered back into her mind.
"Have you found any solutions to your nightmare problem?" Juno's expression remained unchanged, looking gloomily off into the arrays of trees in the middle of campus. The teeth filled maw of the chief lion lurking behind every corner, lusting for wolf flesh.
"No… I've been only now really worrying about it." Juno thought how spontaneous fear set in before she hadn't even thought about her nightmares at all, but now… they had returned out of nowhere. Legosi looked at the lovely wolf next to him and looked back at himself.
"Legosi?" He had stood up, unbuttoning his shirt, letting the cold air of the night cool him off. He turned to her, shirt in hand, the only thing covering his torso being his undershirt.
"Here, it has my scent. If it gets bad, just smell it to calm yourself down." Juno was speechless at her boyfriend's kind nature and the structure of his torso… Damn it Juno, pull yourself together! The she-wolf grasped herself from a beginning trance, standing up, picking up the large shirt.
"Thank you..." She pulled him down, kissing him on the lips. The wolf caressed her face, softly brushing over her fur. They separated, looking at each other with love-filled eyes.
"Well… it's late… I should probably get going…" Legosi embraced her, pulling her close. He shifted closer to her ears, beginning to whisper.
"No nightmares can hurt you…"
Juno brushed a tear out of her face, the kind gesture making her swoon again and again. "They won't. Goodnight, Legosi."
"Goodnight, my Juno."
With that, Legosi departed, walking back to his dorm, his only hope that no nightmare would dare to disturb her...
