Chapter 79 - Legosi and the Lions

Louis and Legosi slept in that day, despite Legosi's anxiousness before they went to bed. The deer had comforted him with rubs across his naked body and then they curled up together.

Like every morning, the deer opened his eye first. He sighed when he remembered that Legosi has to go on his little mission today.

The buck felt a little terrible about the little lie he and Pina had given to give the Branded more time. He felt even worse when he reminded himself that he was just delaying the inevitable.

This sucked.

Louis suddenly felt a little nip on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw Legosi gnawing on him gently in his sleep, getting drool everywhere.

The buck blinked, but he didn't really fight back against it. It was adorable, after all. He stroked the bridge of his muzzle, thankful he still had this.

Legosi hummed happily in his sleep at the contact, his tail thumping under the covers. His eyes peeled open slowly, and he looked up at Louis, mouth still full of shoulder.

The buck was grinning. "Good morning, sweetheart."

Legosi disengaged his jaw and yawned. "Mmm, I was eating you?"

"Not in the bad way. Not in the very good way, either," Louis chuckled. "You were nibbling, though."

"Mmm, hope I don't bite too hard if it happens again..."

"Don't worry so much. You're just a ball of worry, lately." He leaned forward and kissed his lips, softly.

"You aren't?" the wolf asked, innocent look in his eyes.

Legosi reached over and checked the time on his phone. It was a little past 10. He rubbed his eyes. "I don't remember if Melon-san wanted to meet at a certain time...but he did say he'd pick me up."

"Pick you up? From...?" Louis blinked.

"Yeah, he was vague. I guess maybe I have to call? Or he'll call? I don't know. It's a weird way to do things considering he's a yakuza boss."

"I've learned that gang bosses are weird," Louis joked.

Legosi chuckled and nodded. "Guess you're right. Wonder what I should wear? Melon-san said that the lions won't like me because I'm a canine, so does it even matter? I guess I should wear something easy to move in."

"Do you even have anything like that?" Louis reached up and played with his ears.

They twitched at each touch. "I have my Cherryton tracksuit still. Guess that'll do."

"You kept it?"

Legosi nodded. "No use in throwing out clothes. It's still in one of the boxes, though."

Louis thought for a moment. "Does is it even fit, still?"

"Why wouldn't it? I don't think I grew."

"I feel like I grew in a lot of different ways."

Legosi sat up and looked down at his husband. "A lot has happened since we left, that's for sure. I'll go look for that tracksuit, grab something to eat, and then call Melon-san, I guess."

"I'll be right here." Now it was Louis' turn to yawn. "Mmmm...Do I even have to go to the tower today?"

"Do you?" Legosi asked, back cracking as he stood up and stretched.

"I honestly don't even know. Still a little out of it." He sat up fully and the blanket fell down to his lap, exposing his top half. "I'll see if I got any texts from Ichi."

He turned and grabbed his phone, yawning again and wiping the crust from his eye. "Oh, right. There are a few messages from Nori."

"Wow, he's really attached now. I don't blame him," Legosi smiled, digging through one of the boxes and pulling out the outfit he mentioned before.

"You don't?" Louis said, typing back his response to the red panda.

"No. You're very approachable now."

"Now?"

Legosi chuckled. "I don't have to remind you how you used to act, right?"

"No. It feels good that someone wants to turn to me, though. But it also feels like a responsibility..."

"Especially him. I hope he can rely on others aside from you one day."

"Eventually, he'll need to rely on himself, too." Louis exhaled, smiling at a text Nori had sent. "But for now, I'll help him as much as I can. We all need to help one another. Some of us just can't do it on our own. Which is why you're even helping the Shishigumi in the first place."

"Well, it's more like they're helping me, I guess. To get stronger." Legosi swayed back and forth as he bent down to look in the fridge. "I hope Melon-san is okay with them being a Plan B. I read what Pina wrote in the notebook, and it seems reasonable."

"What did he write again?" Louis tilted his head, scratching behind an ear.

"He says how it'd be best for all parties to try and solve things nonviolently. Melon-san told me the Shishigumi is low on members right now, so he'll want to keep them from being killed, I'm sure."

"I wonder why that is. Like, what got them to such low numbers. I hope that he's alright with them being a Plan B as well. Then again, he's most likely going to question what Plan A is..."

"Well, he wanted to just go in and kill everyone, I think." Legosi pulled out some milk and grabbed a bowl and some cereal. "Melon-san...I wonder if he's the same as Nori. With killing."

"What? You mean, like...addicted to it?" Louis blinked. "I don't think so. He probably gets others to do his killing for him."

Legosi shook his head. "No. He told me himself that he's killed before. He says he kills his enemies, but also he..." The wolf looked down at his breakfast, his appetite fading. "He killed and ate animals in the past trying to feel satisfaction for his carnivore side or something."

"And...did he?"

Legosi shook his head. "I...I feel really bad for him. I want to help him, but I don't know if that's possible. I guess this is more for him than it is for me."

"You feel bad for him? Why? You've only met him a few times. I mean, I feel bad for Atsushi's lack of childhood and the wrong path he's led himself down, but he's clearly delusional and insane. I don't think he can be helped."

Legosi cocked his head. "Atsushi?"

"Ichi's real name. I heard it when we were eavesdropping on him and Ni. And by we, I mean Pina and I."

Legosi nodded. "Ah, okay. And...I can't help but feel for Melon. He's suffering just like my mom did, I'm sure. In a different way, but the same. I told him that and he seemed angry at me."

"Be careful, Legosi…" Louis warned. "Then again, I'm trying to help an animal addicted to killing so I can't really say much."

Legosi finally took a bite of his breakfast and smiled. "Yeah. I think I'll be okay. Melon-san doesn't scare me."

"He scared me. Really, both he and Atsushi could kill us in an instant. Isn't it strange how we're always so close to death but it still feels far away? But then there's always that chance that makes you wary..."

"I think that's just a sign that we're not meant to die yet." Legosi took another bite.

"I'm not worried about that, my love. I'm worried about those around us..."

"I don't think Pina can die," Legosi laughed. "But yeah, the others...I'll do my best to protect them."

"Protect them...Animals you haven't met," Louis reminded.

"They're important to you. And Hachi has seen me and I talked to them!" Legosi reminded before drinking up the rest of the milk in the bowl.

"They shouldn't even be important to me. But they are and this is how it is. If we could just completely dismantle the group..."

"And I'm sure you and Pina can do it. I have faith in you both. You two are the strongest herbivores I know." Legosi stood up and grabbed his phone.

Louis nodded. "We can."

Legosi quickly got dressed, after which he crouched down to where Louis was still sitting under the covers, giving him a hug and a kiss. "I'll try my best to be back before dinner, okay?"

"I'll have it ready for you, hopefully." He grabbed his wrist softly and looked into his eyes. "I love you. Be safe."

"Love you, too." Legosi pulled back and moved to the door, putting on his more athletic sneakers. "Let me know if you go to the tower at all, okay?"

"Of course I will," Louis nodded with a grin.

Legosi bowed his head and left out the door. His heart thumped steadily in his chest as he descended the stairs. He took his phone out and found Melon's number.

It rang a handful of times before that familiar, raspy voice answered. "Legosi? About fuckin' time."

"Yes, Melon-san. You didn't tell me a specific time, so I slept in a little. I'm heading to the big park near my apartment. Do you know where that is?"

"Obviously, I don't!"

Legosi sighed and gave Melon as many directions as he could remember. The hybrid used the information to find the park online and confirmed it as the place he could pick Legosi up.

He stepped outside, feeling the warm summer sun on his fur. The street was bustling like usual. He set off in the direction of the park, nearly running into a coyote garbageman and apologizing before picking up his pace again.

His mind was full of thoughts of how to break the ice more with Melon, if even possible. Now that he knew the plan was to keep them away from the Branded, his goal was to try and help the hybrid. He held the notebook closer to his chest as he traveled, eyes forward.

Soon enough, that park came into view. Images of the day he and Louis played frisbee there flashed in Legosi's mind. His tail wagged, hoping that one day they'd be able to do that again soon. He stepped onto the soft grass of the field, making his way to one of the benches near a parking area, where he sat, waiting.

After around five minutes, he texted Louis just to tell him that he was waiting. He then looked over some messages he sent to Kai, as well as the last messages sent to both Pina and Bill. It had been so long...

The background noises that Legosi had phased out were suddenly disrupted by something loud yet muffled. He looked up and saw an old, sporty car pull into the parking area, and the loud noise from inside ceased as the engine turned off. Legosi perked up and squinted, reminded once again of his eye appointment at the end of the week that he had made.

After nothing happened for a bit, Legosi stood up and slowly made his way over. Once he got close, the driver's side window rolled down, revealing a familiar masked animal, who waved at him casually. The wolf walked around and entered the passenger door, sinking slowly into the seat. "Hey, Melon-san!"

The hybrid just stared at him.

"H-hi?" Legosi tried again.

"Stop being so happy. It's weird," Melon said, turning the key and starting the car.

Legosi's ears drooped. "Uh, um, I don't think I can?"

Melon just sighed and rolled the window up. "It's annoying. Canines are annoying."

"Uh, okay." Before Legosi could say anything else the car was filled with noise coming from the speakers. He could tell it was being made with instruments, but the overall sound was unlike any other music he had heard. It was a dissonant cacophony that relied heavily on metallic percussion.

His ears folded back more, and he wondered if Melon did this specifically so they couldn't talk. They pulled out of the park, driving out toward the black market.

Legosi tried to relax, despite the strange music putting him on edge. He tried speaking up a few times but to no use. Eventually, he managed to get some words in during a quieter moment. "Aren't we supposed to be discreet! If you're playing this music so loud then it will be easier to track us!"

At that, Melon looked over at him, eyebrow raised, and he lowered the volume. "The Branded only employ one flying animal for this sort of thing, and I didn't detect anyone."

"How would you be able to?" Legosi asked, curiously.

"Carnivore herbivore hybrids have heightened senses. Their spy isn't watching us. In fact, their whole operation seems to hinge on the fact that a lot of them are good at fighting and killing and not much else. I won't underestimate them, but neither will I overestimate."

"Ah, I see. Well, the info I have today is in this notebook-"

Melon held a hand up to him. "I'll read it myself when we get there."

"Okay..."

The music was turned back up, and Legosi couldn't help but stare at the hybrid's features once again.

His mask was pulled underneath his chin, showing a fang poking out slightly from under his lip. He looked to his hands, sporting claws just about as sharp as his own, as well as more rings than anyone should realistically wear, which matched with all of the watches and bracelets he wore on his arms. But then again he had a delicate build like Louis, as well as some crooked, pointed antlers.

He thought of all the kids at the daycare growing up to look like him. Would they also suffer like he was? Would the carniherbi kids all get tempted by the allure of meat and turn to kill as he did? What happened to Melon...?

The music went down again. "Planning to eat me, wolf?"

"Ah, no! No, never!"

"Eyes ahead, then!"

"Yes, sir."

Despite what he said before, Melon cut the music as soon as they entered the black market proper. Since it was daytime most of the stalls were put away and the meat out of sight. It looked just as it did the day Legosi went to buy that gun for Louis. If only his past self knew just where his life would go in such a short amount of time.

The car began to slow, pulling into a narrow road flanked by trees and walls. They drive a while like that before entering what looked like a small garage, which was part of a larger structure, although it was obscured by trees and foliage.

Melon parked and hit a button to close the door behind them. "Okay, get out," he said as he opened the door. They both stepped out and Legosi looked around the space. It looked quite plain.

Melon walked close to him, looking up into his eyes. "Don't say anything until I say it's okay. Just follow me."

Legosi nodded and did as he was told. They went through a door and down an unremarkable hallway, then up a small set of stairs, and then out another door.

The room they found themselves in was lavish, with furniture strewn about in a haphazard way. A little less than a dozen or so lions were milling about, and all their heads turned to the pair that just emerged.

"I'm back, kitties!" Melon shouted out with some force, his voice carrying throughout the room and causing Legosi to flinch. The many pairs of feline eyes upon him didn't help, either. Some wrinkled their nose at him while others just scowled. His ears perked when he spied one of the lions walking toward him, and he recognized him as the lion he met last year.

"You weren't lying, boss," the bespectacled cat observed the dog. "Never thought I'd see you again, wolf."

Legosi looked up at the stern yet kind eyes behind the glasses. "Uh, hello again."

The lion looked Legosi up and down. "Hm, you have quite a few scars that weren't there before. I hope that gun did your deer friend good."

"It...did." Legosi shook his head and then bowed slightly. "I-I'm Legosi, by the way."

"Ibuki. The others will introduce themselves if they feel like it, but from what the boss told us it seems like that won't be the case."

"Oh..."

Melon came between them, waving his arms around. "Alright, alright! Enough of the heartwarming reunion crap!" He turned to Legosi, his face deadpan. "Just thought they should get a look at you and smell you so they don't mistake you for an intruder and disembowel you or something, although there's no guarantee they won't, I suppose." He walked off, and Legosi reluctantly followed, looking back at the colorful band of felines.

"Would they really do that to me?"

Melon shrugged. "They're a bit on edge. We lost a few members to the Branded recently, and I've cut back their meat rations."

"Meat rations?"

Melon turned back as he walked forward. "Yes, they eat meat like normal carnivores. I seem to recall you don't? You're a strange case, Legosi."

"I...suppose. Why did you cut them back?"

"Because carnivores get stupid when they get to eat too much meat. Get a bit too confident. They were a group of gluttons before I got my hands on this operation."

Legosi stepped a bit closer. "How did you become the leader of a lion organization, anyway?"

At this, Melon turned around and leaned his back on the wall, casually. "Oh, I did some scouting. Looked around to see which group I could call my own. The Shishigumi had the most waste potential, I found out, so I marched in and told their boss I was the new boss."

The wolf cocked his head. "He didn't just let you do that, right?"

Melon smirked. "Of course not. So..." the hybrid brought one of his hands out from behind him, making a gun shape. "Pow. I'm a fast draw."

"But, how did you get away with it? Why didn't the lions attack you?"

"When I gathered my intel, I learned that they hated their boss. Plus, I'm perceptive, as I said before." Melon's smile widened, showing all of his hybrid fangs. "Your friend Ibuki even said having a hybrid as a boss might help their image."

The wolf dipped his head. "And now? Do they like you?"

Melon laughed. "Nobody likes me! But they don't want to kill me. I keep a good balance like that."

"I like you, Melon-san."

The hybrid's face morphed from a smile to grimace in an instant as he smacked Legosi's hand. "Fuck off! Don't say shit like that!"

The wolf rubbed his hand, even though it didn't really hurt. "I-I mean it! You're the only-"

"You like me because I'm a hybrid," Melon stated coldly. "It ends there. Now drop it and let's keep going."

Legosi hung his head and complied. He noted to himself not to come off too strong and just let things progress naturally. An arguably more reasonable side of him argued that he shouldn't even be trying to get close to a self-admitted murderer.

Down some halls and up some stairs, the pair were soon inside a modestly sized bedroom. Melon strolled over to the bed and plopped down onto it, the size of it clearly suggesting it had probably belonged to the boss before him.

Legosi looked around, noting the various trinkets sitting on most of the surfaces. Noting the many accessories on Melon's person, it wasn't surprising. Legosi walked carefully over and sat next to him, only to have the notebook in his hands snatched away. "Let's see what your deer has fetched for us."

Legosi twiddled his thumbs as he watched Melon's eyes hover over the text on the page. His brow furrowed, and he mumbled to himself. After a few moments, he set the notebook aside and scrutinized the wolf. "So, he's determined that he doesn't need us?"

Legosi cleared his throat, trying to remain composed. "As was written, Louis has the help of a close friend, and they've discovered that the group might be easily splintered without violence. I thought, considering the Shishigumi's low numbers, you might prefer this."

Melon scowled even more. "Did you tell Louis about our situation?"

Legosi's ears flicked back. "Uh, oh, no! No, I didn't!"

Melon sighed. "You did. Don't even try to hide it."

"I wanted to convince him that you could see the reasoning in this plan. Please don't be upset."

Melon looked back up at Legosi, meeting gazes. Legosi was putting on his puppy-dog eyes, although he wasn't aware of it. Melon blew some air out of his mouth. "Whatever. He'd better not squeal."

"Of course not! And I'll still train with you! And we'll still have you as a backup plan!"

"I know, I read the pages. I'd like to meet this other man on the inside, but that might be risky." Melon stood up, brushing out the wrinkles in his floral-print shirt. Legosi made a note not to wear his own similar shirt to one of these meetings lest it creep Melon out or something.

"Alright. It looks like you're dressed to train so I guess we'll start on that. Come." Melon gestured for Legosi to follow once again, and he did. Legosi tried his best to draw up a mental map of the place as they walked through it, but it was old and almost labyrinthian. Eventually, Melon lead them into a sizeable, mostly empty room with a mirror on the far wall. In the corner, a lion with his mane tied up was pummeling a punching bag. When they walked in, he turned and bowed slightly.

"Boss."

"Miguel. Put a shirt on or this fruit of a wolf might start panting."

The lion grunted. "Let him. I'd knock him flat if he tried anything."

Legosi coughed into his fist, deciding it was best if he didn't specify he was specifically into herbivores.

A beat of silence before Miguel spoke again. "Wait, you don't want me to train him, do you? I thought that was going to be your little project."

"Oh, don't worry! It still very much is, although I may use your assistance in the future." Melon turned to Legosi. "This guy's the strongest lion here. Do you want to be as strong as him?"

Legosi looked over the lion's form, ears twitching. "Well, I really just want to know the best ways to fight. It's not all about strength."

"Huh, looks like you're actually not a complete moron. Miguel, we'll be using this room for a while. Whether you wanna stay and watch is up to you."

"I'll stay, but I won't watch." With that, Miguel turned to resume what he was doing.

Melon stretched his arms forward, fingers laced together before he started to unbutton his shirt. He let it fall on the ground, revealing a large garden of leaf tattoos all over his torso. His build was lithe, yet toned, Legosi observed. Melon started talking the accessories off of his wrists when he spoke again. "I want you to punch me as hard as you can, Legosi."

The wolf gawked. "Uh, huh?"

"Deaf? Hit me." Melon dropped the last watch from his wrist to the padded floor.

"Why?"

"Just humor me. I want to see something. I know you're no stranger to this sort of thing, too. You're scarred up to hell and back. You put some of my men to shame!"

Miguel glanced over to them briefly before continuing his own thing.

"Uh, alright." Legosi took a few steps back and clenched his fists, careful not to have his claws out. He stared ahead at Melon, who calmly stood there, staring back. Legosi strode up to him and held his arm up.

Melon looked up, his eyes suddenly squinting and his mouth pursing up. At that moment, Melon shifted into looking like an herbivore. His horns, his ears, his face shape. He looked almost like Louis. Legosi's fist faltered and fell.

"Ahh, ha, ha, ha, ha. Knew it."

Legosi huffed. "Knew what?"

"You're all bark and no bite. You can't fight herbivores when you're fucking one."

The canine blushed. "Well, I-"

In a flash, Melon crouched down and swept a leg behind Legosi's calves, knocking him off his feet and on his back. "Oof!"

Melon skipped backward, hopping from one foot to the other, rapidly. "Alright, then! You can't leave today until you hit me! C'mon, mutt! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

Legosi slowly got up. "Uh, shouldn't we start slower? I don't have much experience with-"

As soon as he stood up, Melon shot in and kicked him off his feet again.

"Owch!"

"C'mon, c'mooooon! Hit me right in this ugly mug, pup!" Melon clapped his hands a few times before making a beckoning motion. "Fuck me up! Gimme a black eye! Show me that carnivore strength!"

"Melon-san! I can't fight you! I came here to learn!"

"Bullshit! Where'd you get those scars on your head!"

Once again, Legosi stood. "We...Louis and I and our friend...We apprehended a murderer in the winter. My friend, a tiger, he did most of the fighting."

"But you still did some, right? Your instincts broke through and you acted with your gut! Show it to me."

"Melon-san, I-"

Legosi sighed. He didn't expect his day to go like this.

Suddenly, Melon was in his face again, this time striking high. Legosi held his arms up to block his punches.

"Ohh, you do know what you're doing! At least on defense! How boringly predictable! Show me more! Prove to me that you can take on those Branded thugs!"

"Nngh! I-I!" Legosi pushed Melon away when he had an opening. The hybrid fell back, curling up and rolling on his spine to allow himself to spring backward onto his feet.

"Woo! More like that! Make me bleed!"

Legosi rubbed his eyes, letting out an annoyed growl.

"Oooh, was that a growl? C'mon, you stupid mutt! Your deer whore of a husband told me he wants to hire one of our men to off you! He's sick of you and needs to move on!"

In a split moment, Legosi's heart rate accelerated and he shot forward, tackling Melon to the ground. "HE DIDN'T SAY THAT!"

The room was silent. Miguel was staring but made no apparent move to help his boss.

Legosi looked down at Melon, panting. His hands were grabbing his shoulders tight, while the hybrid held his wrists tightly. The animal smirked.

"Atta boy. Now use your claws. Don't worry, I like pain."

Legosi gasped and stood up. "O-oh! I didn't realize I-"

"DON'T APOLOGIZE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

Legosi yelped and stood stiff as Melon stood up.

"I told you to attack me and you finally did. Don't. Apologize. We'll be doing this a lot so you need to get used to hitting me. It's a step closer to fighting an herbivore."

Legosi nodded. "Ah, okay, Melon-san."

"Now let's go again. Hit me more willingly and I'll refrain from using the below the belt insults."

It was a few grueling hours of this before Melon finally called it quits. Legosi panted while Melon wiped his brow.

"Whew, that was actually pretty fun, even though you never properly hit me! But I'm getting hungry, I think. How about you?"

Legosi caught his breath finally and looked up, a bit confused by how cheerful the other animal sounded. "Ah, I am. Hungry."

"Well, today is a meat day! Jimma should be done preparing it by now. I'm gonna go wash up. You go tell the boys I'll be right there."

Legosi took in all the words and before he could process them, Melon was gone. "...Oh crap."

Unfortunately, the smell of cooking meat filled the air when Legosi stepped out. He grumbled and pulled his t-shirt over his nose, as he had tied the tracksuit jacket around his waist during the training a while ago. It filtered the smell just enough that it didn't drive him into dangerous territory, but he could still smell enough to find his way to the kitchen.

Inside, a lion with a buzzed main and dark fur spot over his right eye was finishing seasoning and chopping up a portion of meat. It took all of Legosi's effort not to gag. He pulled his mouth from his shirt.

"U-um, Melon says he'll be right back. He has to shower."

The lion, Jimma, apparently, looked up at him with squinted eyes. "What, you're still here? We're supposed to share?"

Legosi shook his head. "Ah, no. I won't be having any meat. I'll eat anything else you'll have, though."

Jimma laughed. "It's meat day! Ain't nothing else!"

"O-oh..."

"Should probably leave then, wolf boy."

"Well, Melon-san said...well I said I'd join for dinner, and he's the one taking me home, so..."

Jimma didn't respond. Instead, he walked out of the kitchen with the meal.

"...Great," Legosi sighed. He reluctantly followed him, finding a dining area with a low sitting table. Nine Lions sat around on zabutons, talking and laughing amongst each other. Legosi tried to focus on that rather than the smell. A few of them glanced up to him but continued to pay him no mind.

The timid wolf stepped around, looking for a place he could possibly sit. He spied Ibuki across the room and instinctually went over to him and sat down beside him. Ibuki looked over, his squinty eyes peering at him through his glasses. He chuckled, heartily. "Like a lost puppy..."

Legosi's ear flicked. "Sorry?"

"I'm the only one here that you know, so you came to me. Typical canine." Despite these words, there was a certain fondness in his tone.

"Ah, you're right. But wouldn't any animal do that?"

"I suppose. It's quite funny that you seem closest to the boss. He's the scariest one out of all of us."

Legosi looked around at all of the jovial felines. Gone were the serious faces from before. They reminded him of Bill.

"...You guys...don't seem scary. I don't know everything that you do in detail, and I know you eat meat, which I won't do, nor will I agree with, but I'm not scared right now."

Ibuki cocked his head. "Huh? Not eating the meat?"

At this, Jimma piped up. "Oh yeah! He said he ain't eating!"

All the lions burst out into laughter, some slapping each other on the back.

"What kind of carnivore are you!"

"What are those huge teeth for, then?"

"Aren't wolves supposed to have some of the strongest jaw strengths in the world? Use it!"

The door suddenly opened, and in stepped Melon wearing a deep purple bathrobe. "Hey, hey, hey, hey, did I miss a joke?"

A lion sporting a pompadour mane-style and a scar over one of his squinted eyes shouted out, "Wolf boy won't eat meat!"

Everyone burst out laughing again, and Legosi hung his head. Melon stepped over and plopped down next to the wolf, nudging him with his elbow.

"Reckon he won't! He's got enough herbivore meat to eat at home, eh?"

"Oh yeah! The deer meat, right!" the same lion fired back.

A lion with his mane tied back in a ponytail perked up. "A different kind of meat, though, right?"

They all laughed, once again, and Legosi hid his face in his hands. Melon slapped his back, roughly "Aw, cheer up, kid! Hino over there likes men, too!"

The lion Melon had indicated looked over. He had lighter colored fur as well as a long, flowing mane and piercing eyes. He regarded Legosi, coolly. "That's true, but I've never tried to be with an herbivore before. Sounds exciting."

Legosi blinked as more laughter rippled through the table and they started to dig into their meat. All these apparently criminals seemed fine with one of their members being gay, and even him being gay. And with an herbivore, for that fact. They were making jokes about it, of course, but they were a far cry away from the hate he and Louis had experienced before.

Melon's laughter died down before he grabbed a plate of meat and set it in front of Legosi. "There ya go. Don't worry, your deer won't know."

Legosi swallowed hard. "N-no thanks. I won't eat meat."

The hybrid's glare returned. "Legosi. Eat."

Ibuki reached over and took the plate. "More for us then, boss. Guest won't eat, let's not make him."

Melon squinted at him and then moved his attention back to Legosi. "I...can't taste anything and yet here you are, having a fully functioning tongue and mouth capable of it and yet you refuse what your genetics are screaming at you to indulge in! Can you not see how infuriating that is for me?"

Everyone had gone quiet at that point, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. Legosi maintained eye contact with Melon before considering his response. "Melon-san, I hate the fact that you can't taste, but I still won't eat meat. I told myself I never would. Ever since...I..." Legosi's ears folded back and he looked down again.

"...Since?" Melon prodded.

"...Since the night I lost control of myself and almost ate Louis. It was before we were even friends, and he didn't know it was me at the time, but..."

Melon's expression changed to one of mild amusement. "Oh? What an interesting relationship you two have, then. He ever find out?"

Legosi nodded. "I told him, eventually. He didn't hold it against me."

Silence once more, before the pompadour lion spoke up once again. "Damn, you two are hardcore! So, who's on top?"

The laughter from before burst forth, and Legosi was surprised at how thankful he was for its return.

An older looking lion sporting a mohawk took a bite of meat before pulling the bandana around his neck over his mouth. "Just look at him. It's pretty obvious."

"A carnivore that lets an herbivore dominate him! There are clubs back here that offer thrills like that!" The pompadour lion seemed very, very talkative, Legosi noticed.

The jokes and laughter eventually moved on to talk that Legosi had no context to, to the meat itself, and to various black market happenings. It was during a lull in the conversation that Melon shook Legosi's shoulder. "Alright, kitties! I just realized you guys don't know this pup's name! This is Legosi, and as you know he's the guy giving us our intel from the Branded! His lil' deer is being forced into that group so he wants out!"

Hoots and hollers sounded around the table, and Melon continued. "However, today I learned there's another guy on the inside helping him, and they wanna try and handle this themselves now. My bloodthirsty side was disappointed, but after losing Sony, Victor, and Hugo to them, I'm not taking any more chances! We'll be preparing in the shadows, while I teach this herbivore lover here how to properly fight them!"

Legosi was offered a few greetings, especially from a lion with chocolate-colored fur and a freckled pattern below his big eyes. "Hey, Legosi! I'm Agata!"

"Agata-kun! Let me introduce you guys myself!" Melon snapped, although his tone lacked any potency.

"Right, right. Sorry, boss."

Melon cleared his throat and pointed around the table. First was the pompadour lion.

"That motherfucker over there that can't shut the fuck up? That's Free. He likes violence just for the sake of it. And women, unlike you."

Free pulled his one eyelid down and stuck his tongue out at Legosi, prompting an unexpected laugh from the wolf. Melon moved on. "That serious guy with the x-shaped scar on his face? That's Dolph."

Dolph grunted in acknowledgment.

Next came the lion with the ponytail and two small dots of fur on his brows. "Dope there is great at non-violent negotiation. Not fun at all!"

Dope scoffed at this, but smiled nonetheless.

"That guy over there who doesn't take that bandana off? That's Sabu and he's old as fuck. Remembers the old boss the best."

Sabu nodded. "He was a sick sonofabitch."

"And there's Agata, Hino, and Miguel, who you've all been introduced to already. Not to mention Ibuki next to you."

Legosi glanced at the bespectacled lion. "Yeah..."

The wolf's stomach growled at that moment, and Melon leaned in. "You're really hungry, huh?" Legosi simply nodded slowly, and Melon clapped his hands together. "Agata! Go fetch some non-meat thing from the fridge for our guest here."

"Yes sir!" The young lion quickly got up and went into the kitchen.

Legosi looked down at Melon's own plate. "I know you can't taste, but you said you were hungry. Won't you eat?"

"I've been too busy introducing all you bastards to each other! Give me a break!" Melon then reached for a box next to his plate and opened it up, revealing a myriad of spices and sauces which the hybrid wasted no time lathering all over his portion. The potency of them all reached Legosi's nose and caused his eyes to water.

"Can you taste all of that?"

Melon shook his head. "Nope, but I've gotten used to the texture! Plus, maybe one day I'll find a good combo that'll unlock something!" With that, he started cutting and tearing up the meat and shoveling it in his mouth, looking instantly bored the moment it touched his tongue.

"Here you go."

Legosi jumped up slightly as Agata set something down in front of him. It was a slice of melon. He looked between the food melon, the Melon next to him, and back to Agata, eyebrow raised. The congo lion simply shrugged at him and smirked before going back to his spot.

Legosi took a slice of the fruit and popped it into his mouth, savoring the sweetness and focusing on it. At that moment, he realized he hadn't even been registering the smell of meat for a while now.

The dinner concluded shortly after, and everyone took their plates away. Agata, Hino, Free, and Ibuki even said goodbye to Legosi before leaving. Soon, it was just Melon and him in the room.

"I'll drive you back now." He stood up, retying the strap on his robe. Legosi followed.

"Oh, aren't you going to get dressed?"

"Why? I won't leave the car."

"Sure, but, uh..."

Melon chuckled. "You're weird, Legosi."

The wolf huffed. He didn't trust Melon's definition of 'weird'.

Soon enough, they were back in that car and back on the road. At this point the sun was setting and Legosi realized he hadn't looked at his phone the entire day. He sent a short message to Louis telling him he was coming home.

"They liked you."

Legosi's ear perked. "Hm?"

"The kitties. I was saying how they wouldn't like you but...they did."

"Oh. Well, they seemed like really friendly guys. Maybe it was the meat."

"Maybe..."

Silence again. It was at that moment that Legosi realized there was no ear-splitting music playing. "They like you, too."

Melon peered at Legosi from the corner of his eye. "You think?"

"I know! You said nobody likes you but they do! I can tell."

"They fear me. I had to whip them into shape, and even then they're the ones who didn't get killed or leave the organization. There's bitterness there."

Legosi's ears folded. "W-well, I have a tiger friend, and I know how he acts when he's with friends and I know how he acts with people he doesn't like. I really can tell that they like you."

Melon continued to stare ahead, biting his lip. He let out a long sigh and nodded. slightly. "No. No. No, no, no. They don't."

"Well, I believe they do," Legosi mumbled, staring out the window.

The rest of the drive was spent in silence.

Melon pulled into the same parking area as he had that afternoon. Legosi said goodbye to him and stepped out. As he walked away, the car's horn beeped, causing Legosi to jump up. He turned around to see Melon cackling in his car. Legosi turned to leave again when Melon put his window down and stuck his head out. "Legosi-kuuuuun~"

Confused, Legosi whipped his head around. "Wh-what?"

"You will make me bleed next week! You'd better~"

"M-Melon-san! Don't say that so loud!" Legosi looked around, frantically, thankful that the park was mostly barren at night.

Melon simply laughed harder before rolling up his window again. The blaring music from before reverberated through the car's frame as it rumbled to life and peeled out, leaving Legosi awestruck.

"Melon-san...you really are going to be a difficult animal to gauge."

Legosi made his way home, feeling strangely optimistic. Melon didn't seem to completely hate the new plan, and he and his gang didn't seem to hate Legosi, either. He wondered if this was how the Branded was for Louis? Except, Ichi really did sound like he was the worst.

Legosi thought more. He was sure both the Branded and the Shishigumi killed, but most likely the Shishigumi had killed more. They probably did things ten times worse than the Branded did. Legosi had been ignoring it the whole time, but it was a fact.

Still, his mind couldn't tear itself away from the scene at dinner. A group of carnivores all laughing and having a good time and a very odd hybrid who seemed to be enjoying himself as well.

Right as Legosi got in he greeted Morgane and headed right for the showers.

Recently, he and Louis had made use of the lockers down there, keeping them stocked with towels, underwear, and pajamas so their trip up to their room was as couth as possible. He took off his smelly tracksuit and everything underneath and threw it in a laundry basket and went on with his shower, humming and wagging his tail at the thought of seeing Louis again.

He finished and dried up, not minding his poofy look since he knew Louis loved it. He put on his soft, plaid pajama pants, a plain white t-shirt, and some slippers before heading back home.

Legosi opened walked up to their apartment door and slowly pushed it open once he found it was unlocked. "Hey Louis, I'm-"

At the table, not only Louis, but two other animals raised their heads, one of them, the shortest one, standing. A rather tall but beautiful elk and a small red panda were in their home.

Louis smiled at the sight of his wolf, then had a look of realization and looked at the animals next to him. "Legosi, this is Hachi and Nori."