Chapter 73 - The Silent Speaks
Louis' head swam with all the things the elk could say to him. What their personality could be like, how they would text, what they would talk about. Surely there was a lot, right? He would just have to find out.
Shi: Hello, Hachi. Sorry for bothering you but it just occurred to me that I could message you.
There was no response.
A few minutes passed, then a few more. The deer was sure they were busy. "Well, what now?"
"Maybe they don't speak through text, either?" Legosi suggested.
"We'll see. Would you like to watch a movie?"
"Did you have one in mind?"
"...I've been craving a musical. Even if the songs always end up stuck in my head."
Legosi snorted. "That's the cheesy side of you I love!"
"Nooo, I'm going to be singing and humming all night!" Louis cried.
"Should I write that in as a flaw?" the wolf asked.
"Oh please." The deer rolled his eye.
"Or that you're a robot? I could write that."
"Is that really a flaw? You could program me to do whatever you want~"
"I'm not a coder! Anyway, what are you going to write on mine?" Legosi's tone was a bit too cheerful for the subject.
"...I have no idea," Louis' ears went back a bit. "Really."
"I bother you when I go on about bugs?" Legosi suggested.
"That doesn't bother me. It's adorable." He began scratching behind his ear.
"Mmm." Legosi's leg kicked slightly. "I guess we can try to come up with some later."
"Later," Louis repeated.
"So, did you have a musical in mind? Maybe lunch, too?"
"Leave it to me," the buck grinned.
Louis chose a musical he had seen before, that way he could sing to it. He was laid over Legosi with his hand raised in the middle of a held note when his phone buzzed and he stopped abruptly, looking down.
Legosi looked over too with an audible, "Oh!"
Hachi: Hi, Louis!
Shi: You're not going to call me Shi?
Hachi: Louis is you're name isn't it? I'm fine calling you that. We only need to call each other our numbers at work.
Hachi: Your*
Hachi: Sorry I always get them mixed up .
Shi: You're completely fine.
Hachi: Ah! I just get so nervous talking to people! There's so much to say! I never know what to talk about...
Shi: I did get a sense you were like that by the way you reacted.
Hachi: Yes, haha! You make me blush so much!
Shi: You deserve the praise for all your hard work. Especially on my outfit.
Hachi: I know you love it! I am so glad!
Hachi: Gosh, I type too slowly! Sorry!
Shi: Don't worry about it.
Hachi: I am still working hard on Shichi's outfit! He is so pretty I am almost intimidated!
Legosi blinked. "Um, is everyone there actually pretty friendly?"
Louis sighed. "They aren't monsters. They're animals just like us. It's just the things they do that are bad..."
"This one...they'd hate me?" The wolf's ears folded.
"Why do you ask?" Louis then grinned. "Aww, do you want to be friends?"
Legosi huffed. "It's not really funny. They seem really friendly but would they hate me for being a wolf?"
"I'm not sure."
Hachi: Hello? Are you there?
The buck looked back down and began typing quickly.
Shi: Yes, I'm here.
Hachi: I really thought I scared you off or something!
Shi: You don't have to be so nervous.
Hachi: It is just a habit of mine...I am sorry.
Shi: With everyone?
Hachi: Yes...
Shi: But you're so strong and graceful! Your horns are incredible.
Hachi: It is sad we do not have little funny faces on our phones! I would have sent three of the blushing ones!
Legosi whined softly next to him as he read.
Louis squeezed him. "What are you whining about?"
"I feel left out, I guess."
"They aren't on the couch cuddling with me," Louis nudged. "Don't feel left out."
"It's just frustrating. I feel bad that they might not like me," Legosi clarified.
"You haven't even seen them," his husband continued.
"But they seem so friendly!"
"You're so adorable, don't make me start making me out with you when I'm trying to text."
The wolf sighed. "Later?"
"Definitely later."
Shi: These phones are rather basic.
Hachi: Ichi has the money too. Hmph.
Hachi: I am crossing my arms right now.
Hachi: In my head. I need my arms to type!
Shi: Some people can type without looking.
Hachi: Wow! I am so slow at typing. Always squinting at my phone.
Shi: Do you have bad vision?
Hachi: Yes! I wear glasses at night! You have not seen them?
Shi: And you wear contacts during the day?
Hachi: No. I just go around blind during the day and crash into everything of course!
Shi: Hahaha!
Legosi nudged Louis. "Hey, I need to go in for that. Tell them I need glasses too!"
Shi: Legosi says he needs glasses, too.
Hachi: He is your wolf, yes?
Shi: Yes...
Hachi: Do not worry, Louis! It is merely the black market which I hate!
Shi: That actually makes a lot of sense. I don't think Ichi feels the same, though.
Hachi: He hates carnivores, yes...There is no getting through to him, either.
Shi: What a shame.
Hachi: I have been very hurt by carnivores. But I have also been helped by them, too.
Shi: I lost my eye to one but I'm also married to one.
Hachi: Funny how the world works, no?
Shi: Tell me the truth. You like working around the tower more than going on missions.
Hachi: I am like the parent of all the little birds!
Shi: Even Ichi?
Hachi: Someone has to take care of him.
Shi: I'm very glad you like taking care of your family.
Hachi: Ah, yes...It is because my family never took care of me. Always locked inside of a box...No food...So violent, too.
Shi: That's horrible.
Hachi: I was adopted by carnivores. I do not remember my parents. I used to be called Ryouta. That's what they named me. I do not like that name. The carnivores never cared about me and I was very upset with them. One night they finally decided that they wanted to eat me. My carnivore father had a katana. It is the same one I carry now. I did not know how to use it then but I stole it and killed them all with it after I escaped because I was so angry at them for treating me that way. Animals need love but I had none. After that night, I got rid of my name and became merely an animal, not a boy or a girl but just me.
Hachi: I am sorry, Louis. I am not the best storyteller and I type very slowly.
Hachi: Also it is hard to see because these are such painful memories for me...
Shi: I completely understand.
Hachi: It is the meat of the black market that made them that way. If they had not had such easy access to it maybe they would not have wanted to eat me. Meat made them crazy!
Shi: You don't like killing?
Hachi: No! But I do not feel so bad knowing the animals of the black market are possessed by the strange powers of meat. They cannot help themselves.
Shi: Powers? Meat doesn't have powers.
Hachi: But it does, Louis! It changes carnivores and makes them evil! The black market supplies them with a constant supply of tainted meat.
Shi: Does Ichi know you feel that way?
Hachi: He does not like when I talk about meat that way...He tells me that the carnivores have a choice.
Shi: Wow.
Hachi: Has your wolf eaten meat?
Shi: None.
Hachi: That is very good! Can I see a picture of him?
Louis wasted no time finding his favorite picture of Legosi, which was also his wallpaper, and sending it to his burner phone, then to them.
Hachi: !
Hachi: He is beautiful! You should never let him eat meat and become evil!
Shi: Never.
Hachi: Do you believe in magic and spirits?
Shi: I don't know, honestly.
Hachi: I think they are real. Meat contains evil magic. It is simple.
Legosi blushed at the compliment but stayed quiet.
Shi: I've never seen it that way.
Hachi: There is good magic in animals, too. I see it in your wolf.
Shi: I promise I won't let him eat meat.
Shi: Is it okay if I ask what happened that made it so you can't speak?
Hachi: I can speak. I just do not.
Shi: I bet your voice is lovely.
Hachi: You must have a secret goal to make me as flustered as possible, Louis! I am comfortable not speaking though.
Legosi nuzzled against Louis. "You just have that effect on animals, I guess."
Louis blushed a bit. "I guess so. I just try and be kind...unlike how I used to be. It feels a lot better."
"It's good to get them on your side." Legosi's smile faded. "I...I'm not sure what to tell Melon-san now. Knowing that they're animals with feelings like that...I was just so focused on getting you out of there..."
"...Like I said. It's hard."
Shi: Can you send a picture of yourself so I can show Legosi?
Hachi: We are lucky we can take pictures with these phones! Give me a minute! I will even put my glasses on so you can see!
More than a minute passed before a small photo of the elk was sent.
"Wait, aren't they not supposed to know that I know?" Legosi pointed out.
"I don't think they care. I...think only Ichi really cares."
"Mm, okay. Lemme see them, then."
Louis held the phone out so he could see. The picture revealed Hachi, wearing a grey tee-shirt with a small smile and clear happiness in their brown eyes. Dark brown glasses laid on the bridge of their nose, which was obviously intentional and they were holding up a peace sign for some flare.
Legosi immediately blushed. "Oh...wow..."
The deer turned his head. "Oh right! You have an herbivore fetish!"
"W-well what about you?" Legosi shoved Louis gently.
"I still prefer carnivores but...I guess I like herbivores, too."
Hachi: I am so ugly there I am sorry!
"I meant how you have a carnivore fetish! You don't get to judge me!" Legosi whined.
"You're right."
Shi: Legosi says you're the most beautiful animal he's ever seen.
Hachi: You are joking, Louis!
He handed the phone to Legosi. "You should tell them what you think, yourself."
Legosi's face was burning even more. "A-ah! Uh? I don't think I know how to text on one of these!"
Louis took a quick moment to explain how it works.
The wolf got a hang of it but he was very slow..
Shi: This is Legosi speaking. I think you look very pretty! I guess it is okay that you know that I know about Louis and you guys. Please do not tell anyone.
Legosi handed the phone back, clearing his throat.
Hachi: Do not worry! You are not an evil carnivore and Louis is so nice to me I will not tell!
Shi: This is Louis again. Thank you so much. I'm starting to realize that the Branded aren't quite what I thought...
Hachi: What did you think?
Shi: I thought you were evil specists at first. But as I'm getting to know you...my views have really changed.
"So...do you think it's just Ichi?" Legosi nuzzled himself against Louis once again.
"I don't want to count my blessings just yet," Louis answered, rubbing his side and continuing to massage with one hand.
Hachi: Maybe one day they will understand the evil magic within meat.
Shi: I hope so.
"Hachi's a lil' weird, still," Legosi mumbled.
"Why is that?" Louis asked.
"The magic talk."
"I guess they don't really understand meat addiction."
"Well, I'll never become an evil carnivore," the wolf promised with a kiss to his cheek.
Louis adjusted to turn his head so he could kiss him on the lips properly.
"Maybe...once this is all over...you'll come out with some friends?" Legosi said, hopefully.
"That would be the best possible ending to this," Louis said. "They don't seem like bad animals...Besides maybe Ichi."
"And maybe even he has a good side," Legosi said.
"Ni brings it out, I think..." Louis whispered.
"Really? Maybe you can talk to Ni?"
"I think he really dislikes me," Louis said. "And I'm done texting for the night."
Legosi's ears perked up. "So...can we make out now?"
The buck snorted, then laughed. "I thought you'd never ask."