Olivia smiled. "It's been a long time, Lee-kun."

KILL HIM. CRUSH HIM. BREAK HIM.

"Y-yeah." Lee was smiling despite being so enraged that a vein was popping out on his head.

MANGLE HIM. TEAR HIM APART. LIGHT HIM ON FIRE.

She giggled. "It's nice to see a familiar face here."

RIP HIM OPEN. TEAR OUT HIS GUTS. BURY HIM WHERE HE'LL NEVER BE FOUND.

Lee was so beside himself with rage that his brain was practically screaming at him to punish that Great Dane. Of all the people it could be, he was calling Olivia a "bimbo." She's one of the smartest people he's ever met. The chimera likely would have failed some of his classes in middle school if not for her. She could not possibly be further from the definition of "bimbo".

Olivia had an hourglass figure and was extremely conventionally attractive. However, the first thing most people noticed was her bust size. Calling them "above average" or even "big" would be a major understatement. They were so large that it was physically impossible to hide them. It was a miracle that the lab didn't suffer from back pain.

She was subjected to sexual harassment and catcalls a lot throughout her life. And when she complained about it, people would accuse her of humble-bragging about how attractive she is. The chimera was one of few people she could go to so she could vent without being judged.

Lee would be lying if he were to say that he had no physical attraction to Olivia. Perhaps it was his "instincts" as a male to have an inherent affinity for her particular body type. He knew the lab very well though, so he just got used to them and paid them no mind in most situations. The two times he ever remembered they existed was when she was being harassed about it or he was hugging her.

Lee chuckled nervously as he tried to calm down. "Y-yeah. Esther-chan is here too."

Olivia frowned. "Oh, goodie." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Lee flinched. He forgot that Olivia thought very little of Esther's intelligence. The lab was very nice most of the time, but she had a hard time hiding that she looked down on people she saw as less intelligent than her.

This was not to say that she was a mean person. Nobody is perfect. Her unintentional superiority complex could easily be compared to Lee's affinity for violence. But Lee was her friend, so he accepted every part of her, including the negative. She was trying her best to not think that way so how could he blame her?

Lee gave her a serious look. "How have people been treating you here?"

"Once in a while, I get the odd sexual proposition. They usually go away when I say no. When they don't listen, I throw fertilizer at them and that makes them flee." She chuckled. "And believe me, this fertilizer is the kind that's made of feces."

Lee laughed awkwardly. There was something equally funny and alarming about Liv throwing handfuls of poo at people. At least the lab can defend herself. Still, Lee more than ever wanted to beat that Great Dane to a pulp for disrespecting his friend.

"Oh, right." He pulled out the sketch for the flowery archway and handed it to her. "I need roses for this prop for Adler."

Olivia took it and looked it over. She gave Lee a warm smile. "I've got just the thing." The lab set to work getting the flowers for Lee and by the end had a considerable bouquet for him.

Lee bowed. "Thanks."

Olivia nodded with a smile. "Come back some time. I'd love to talk more."

Lee chuckled. "I will."

When Lee went down the stairs he was happy that Olivia wasn't upset anymore about that kid who's hand he crushed. Still, he needed to calm down and not think about that Great Dane. No need to get into fights now. He had a promise to keep.

After classes ended, Lee started heading for the practice building.

The familiar voice of a certain flirt came from behind him. "Ooh. Look who it is."

Lee rolled his eyes as Sebastian and Viola started walking on either side of him. Sebastian winked. "Have you thought about my offer, at all?"

The chimera shook his head. "I'm not ready for that kind of thing. But if you'd like to date, I wouldn't mind trying that."

Sebastian rubbed his chin in contemplation. "We'll have to see." He winked at Lee. "I don't date prudes though. I don't want to wait too long if you know what I mean."

The twins giggled.

Suddenly, Lee heard an unfamiliar voice behind him. "Viola!-san"

Lee and the twins stopped and turned around. A female ferret with a clipboard that was clearly a member of the faculty was looking at them. "I need to speak with you."

The twins started heading for the ferret, but she put up a hand at Sebastian. " JustViola. It's a private matter."

Sebastian looked shocked and somewhat frightened. "B-but…"

Viola gave the ferret a pleading look. "I needto bring him with me. He has a severe case of Separation Anxiety Disorder. It's an official diagnosis. You can call my father, he'll tell you."

The ferret shook her head. "Rules are rules. He can't come." She beckoned Viola, looking impatient. "Now let's go."

Sebastian grabbed Viola's arm and clung to her. "V-Viola." He looked incredibly distressed.

The female Dall sheep pulled her arm away before holding Sebastian's right hand in both of hers. "I'll try to be back as soon as I can, Bast. Just try to stick it out for me." She gave her brother a hug, but this gesture didn't seem to ease his concerns.

She walked off with the ferret while Sebastian had an anxious look on his face. Still, Lee and the male twin made their way to the practice building.

As Sanu gave instructions, Lee noticed Sebastian looked incredibly nervous. Esther leaned in towards Lee. "Where's Viola?"

"One of the faculty needed to talk with her about something."

The white tiger grimaced. "Oh, boy. I hope she gets back soon. Sebastian goes completely nuts without his sister around."

Sanu turned to Sebastian and Ibuki. "Now I need you to practice your lines together." They took opposite sides of the stage. They both held their scripts. Ibuki had most of his lines memorized so he only looked at it a couple of times for reference.

Ibuki cleared his throat. "How ironic that I'd meet you here, Odie, the Water Spirit."

Sebastian shook as he read his script. He was an excellent actor that was usually really good at remembering his lines. But he was trembling and sweating as he read from the script. "P-perhaps our d-destinies are tied, r-reaper."

Lee was very worried about Sebastian. His usual confidence seemed to be entirely non-existent at this point. Seeing the flirty sheep this vulnerable was incredibly bizarre and unsettling to the chimera.

Ibuki crossed his arms. "Why do you say that, spirit?"

Sebastian continued to tremble. "Y-you have d-defied fate itself. If you… if..." The Dall sheep stopped and reached into his pocket, pulling out a cellphone. "I-I need to call my sister."

Lee's sensitive ears picked up the sound on the phone. It didn't even ring once. "Heeey~! This is Viola! Leave and I'll try to get back to you."

Sebastian hung up, looking even more upset.

Ibuki shook his head. "If she's in a faculty meeting, then her phone is off. Just get back to your lines."

The Dall sheep whined like a canine child. Lee was feeling terrible for him. He was also angered by Ibuki's lack of empathy.

Sebastian gulped. "I-if you c-continue as you a-a-are you will be c-cursed as I-I am."

As time went on, the Dall sheep's performance got worse. He was an absolute stuttering mess. He was sweating under the hot theater spotlight and making whining noises.

His eyes started to tear up. "I… I…" Sebastian dropped his script and fell to his knees. "I need my sister!" The sheep began hyperventilating, his chest heaving as his breath became more and more shallow. Esther ran up to him with great concern. "It's okay Sebastian-kun. Just take deep breaths and calm down."

The sheep fell forward, his elbows keeping him off the ground as he cried. His breath kept getting more shallow as he cried very loudly. "I need Viola! I need her!"

Lee couldn't believe what he was seeing. Who in their right mind would separate these two?

The Dall sheep started to loudly sob and hide his face in his hands. His crying continually became louder until it turned into outright screaming.

Sanu looked around nervously. This must be the pelican's first time dealing with a situation like this. Ben looked confused too. He probably expected Sanu to show him how to deal with this type of thing. Everyone else in the club just stared at him and whispered to each other.

Esther placed a hand on his back. "C-calm down, Sebastian-kun! Viola-chan will be back soon!" The white tiger was trying her best. But the distressed sheep seemed completely deaf to what she was saying.

Lee gulped. Is there something he can do? He hated standing by the sidelines, but he was no therapist. The chimera felt completely useless.

The doors to the practice building swung open. "Sebastian!" Viola came sprinting into the building towards her twin brother. She knelt down and pulled him into a hug. "It's okay, Sebastian! Your sister is here. I'm here for you."

Sebastian held her tightly as he continued to loudly sob. "V-Viola..."

As he cried, Lee noticed how much of a wreck he was. His usually beautiful wool was a total mess as it was strewn all over his face, he was dripping with sweat, and black streaks went down his face as his tears ruined his make-up.

He sobbed as Viola held him and stroked the back of his head. The rest of the club whispered and chatted about the sight before them.

"What a nutjob."

"That's just pathetic."

"Dude's got problems."

"Siblings shouldn't be thisclose."

"I've heard they share a bed."

"They're totally fucking."

"They actually do. A buddy told me."

"Really? Gross."

Lee's fist trembled. How dare they talk about him like this?! The poor guy was having a complete emotional breakdown. He was about to yell at them before being interrupted.

"Hey!" Ibuki called out. The entire class turned to the deer-wolf. "I hear you whispering." He sounded absolutely disgusted. "If you're going to mock someone for being mentally ill you can just head out the door now. This shameless whispering will not be tolerated."

He turned to Sanu. "Sanu-san, go tell the faculty not to separate these two again. Whatever 'private' information they have, it won't hurt to tell the sibling that they share all their secrets with anyway."

Sanu nodded and turned to the twins. "Viola-chan. I think you and your brother should take a break from Drama Club for today. Let him get some fresh air."

Viola nodded and stood up, dragging her brother to his feet. "It's okay, Bast. You'll be okay." Sebastian continued to sob as she led him out of the building.

Lee watched them leave with a sad expression. Seeing the playful and flirty twins so distressed was incredibly strange and unsettling.

Sanu cleared his throat. "Let's get back to practice."

As Lee made his way back to his dorm he spotted Viola sitting on a bench. Sebastian lying down to her left, sleeping peacefully with his head in her lap. She was stroking his head slowly.

Lee walked up to Viola. She looked up at the chimera. "He gets tuckered out after a panic attack. I'm just letting him rest a bit before I take him back to the dorms."

Lee looked at her sadly. "It must be rough. I'm sorry about the nasty things some of the other club members were saying."

Viola scoffed. "It's nothing new. Everywhere we go people spread rumors about us." The female Dall sheep had tears in her eyes. "People don't understand our bond so they need to classify it as something it isn't."

She sighed. "We share the same bed and cuddle at night. One of our roommates must have taken it the wrong way and blabbed to everyone. It's only a matter of time until the paparazzi hear about it. Then they're going to use that to spin a false narrative of us being in an incestuous relationship so they can make money off of defaming us."

Lee had a sad expression "That's awful. I'm so sorry you have to put up with that. I can't even imagine what it feels like."

The female Dall sheep wiped the tears away, causing her own make-up to get smeared. She smiled at Lee. "You're a kind person, Lee-kun. At least youseem to understand us."

He smiled back. "I try not to make assumptions about people. Besides, you two are just siblings looking out for each other. Nothing strange about that."

Viola chuckled before putting her hand on Sebastian's side and shaking him. "It's time to wake up, Bast."

"Mm." He grunted as his eyes fluttered open.

He sat up and she stood to pull him onto his feet. "Let's go to sleep in our real bed." She turned to Lee and waved. "Goodbye, Lee-kun. Thank you for your concern."

Lee waved back as the twins walked away. "Bye."

The chimera didn't show it, but he was beyond irate. First, someone calls his friend a "bimbo", then his clubmates insult someone for having a mental illness. What the hell is wrong with people?

A furious Esther paced back and forth in her dorm. She looked absolutely enraged. "I can't believe those people!"

Ceci looked sad as she sat cross-legged on her bed. "I felt so bad for him. I don't get why people said awful things about them like that."

Lin scoffed. "People lovespreading rumors about celebrities. They treat them like they aren't even people themselves."

Hikari crossed her arms with a disgusted look. "People are just jealous of their fame, fortune, and good looks. They need to bring down celebrities to make themselves feel better."

Mila frowned sadly. "They must have it so hard already, having to deal with a mental disorder that bad. You'd think people would be a bit more understanding."

Donna sighed. "There's not much we can do about it. The rumor mill never stops."

Esther growled. "Next person I meet talkin' shit about them is getting knocked out."

Mila shook her head. "Getting violent will just get you in trouble. It won't make them stop spreading rumors."

Esther's frustration was at a boiling point. "Is it time to shower yet? I'm gonna need an ice-cold one."

Ibuki sat on the edge of the fountain outside the auditorium. He simply gazed off into the distance as he allowed his mind to wander. That certainly was a disastrous club meeting. While he did scold them for spreading rumors about Sebastian, he was concerned that the Dall sheep might become a liability.

Would it be wrong to have him replaced over this? It seemed that the sheep was a talented actor when he was with his sister. But is it safe to use an actor that's so mentally unstable?

He sighed. Then again, if he dropped Sebastian, Viola would absolutely refuse to perform and maybe even quit Drama Club. Worst case scenario, he'd incur the wrath of Pina. It just wasn't worth it no matter how he looked at it.

He heard footsteps and could smell a familiar fox approaching him from behind. Jiro took a seat next to the chimera. He opened his notepad to that angry face he showed Lucas. "That was absolutely infuriating."

Ibuki nodded. "Get used to it. People love spreading gossip."

Jiro's grip tightened on the notepad and his hand started to somewhat tremble. He took a deep breath and switched over to the small smile. "I must say though, you did a wonderful job handling the situation."

Ibuki shrugged. "Just me trying to act like an adult."

Jiro stared at Ibuki before flipping to the concerned face. "That's about your conversation with your father, isn't it?"

The deer-wolf sighed. "I need to be more mature and a better leader. I'm going to be taking over a massive corporation someday."

Jiro flipped back to his small smile. "That's a commendable attitude. I'm sure your father will be proud of you."

"I hope so. Hearing him call me a 'spoiled brat' got me thinking about a lot of stuff."

Jiro flipped to a surprised face. "He really said that to you?"

Ibuki nodded. "He apologized pretty quickly. Apparently he didn't get much sleep. He's never called me that before so he must've been holding it in for a while. I have to wonder how long he's been annoyed by my immaturity. How long was it bottled up?"

Jiro closed the notepad. "It doesn't matter how much you love someone, there's going to be things you don't like about them. The closer you are to somebody the more flaws you notice. He still cares about you, I'm sure. But as a parent, he'll always want you to be better."

The deer-wolf considered asking his father for advice. But he was intimidated after being loudly scolded by him. Louis had never snapped at him like that before.

Jiro flipped his notepad to the small smile. "I'm sure there are things your parents do that you dislike. To embrace someone you need to accept their flaws too. Are there any criticisms you could make about your parents."

Ibuki snorted. "Well, Mom has no filter whatsoever. She's gotten us in trouble before with her big mouth and has embarrassed me several times."

Jiro flipped to his curious face. "And your father?"

The deer-wolf looked a bit sad. "He's a little harsh. There's a lot of stuff that he lets get under his skin. And he makes some really destructive decisions sometimes. Not to mention he just works endlessly and acts like if he takes a vacation the entire company will go bankrupt and we'll be living in the streets. He's way too paranoid about that."

Jiro flipped to the small smile and chuckled. "See? That wasn't too hard, was it?"

Ibuki smiled. "Guess not. What about your parents?"

The fox completely froze and stared at Ibuki with his usual unreadable expression. But he didn't flip the page on the notepad, he just looked askance. "I… Uhm…"

The deer-wolf looked concerned. "N-never mind. You don't need to tell me if you don't want to."

Jiro sighed and shut the notepad. "My mother did something terrible before I was born. I don't want to get into it. It's caused a lot of drama in my life." He opened the notepad to the big smile. "She's no saint, but she's still my mother, and she's been a good one to me all my life. I'll always love and appreciate her."

Ibuki chuckled. "Good answer." He stood up. "We should get back before curfew."

The fox nodded and the two walked away. On their way, Ibuki spotted that lion janitor raking leaves. He was starting to wonder if janitors even rake leaves. He dismissed it as more paranoia.

Lee was lying in bed, typing on his phone.

Lee: "Pina's son had a massive panic attack in club today. His sister was in a meeting and he got super upset."

Legosi: "That's not surprising. Pina's mentioned before how much of a handful that kid can be."

Haru: "Does he get counseling?"

Legosi: "I think so. But even the best counselors a rich actor can hire aren't miracle workers."

Lee: "It must be tough relying on someone else that much. Maybe I should be glad I don't have a sibling."

Haru: "You don't have a sibling because you were hell to carry when I was pregnant and you damn near tore me in half when I gave birth."

Legosi: "Her mood swings were really scary, too."

Haru: "I already apologized for throwing that plate at you. Just let it go. Geeze."

Lee: "Right. I'm going to bed."

Lee was awoken by his phone going off in the middle of the night. Who the hell is texting him at this time of night?

He grabbed his phone off the charger and opened it. He had a message from an unknown sender with a video attached.

Unknown: "I have questions to ask you tomorrow. If you don't respond or I find your answers unsatisfactory, I'm uploading this video and sending it to every student in the school."

Lee gulped. He was immediately overcome with terror at what this video could possibly be. With trepidation, he slowly pressed the play button.

His face went pale, his blood ran cold, and a chill went up his spine. It was a video of the chimera in the shower, wagging his tail as he pleasured himself.

Lee believed beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the instant he pressed play, a part of him died.