Chapter 34: Strength In Numbers
To say that Yasui's dorm mother was upset was an understatement. She was furious.
"It is past midnight and you've been galavanting around the city getting up to who knows what!"
Yasui gulped.
"It was a medical emergency! I was at the hospital."
Gouhin grunted.
"I can vouch for that."
The female primate narrowed her eyes.
"I don't buy that you're a doctor. You don't look like a doctor."
Gouhin crossed his arms.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You look like a thug! And you're not wearing any credentials!"
"Why would I carry my credentials around with me when I'm not at work?"
Yasui was having a bit of trouble concentrating. He was really starting to feel the effects of no more pills, and he had had very little to drink and nothing to eat in hours. Yasui weakly spoke.
"Excuse me."
The adults didn't hear him over their argument. Yasui felt like the room was spinning and leaned against a wall.
"Excuse me…. I'm going to pass out now."
Yasui's vision went dark as he slowly slid down the wall into a heap on the floor. The dorm mother noticed.
"Oh some doctor you are! He's out cold!"
Gouhin turned and saw Yasui unconscious behind him.
"Damn it."
He knelt down and propped the fox into a sitting position before gently slapping his cheek.
"Wake up. C'mon. Time to get up."
Yasui wasn't sure how much later it was when his eyes swam into focus.
"Mhhh, wha?"
Gouhin was standing nearby the couch where Yasui was currently lying. He jerked his chin at him.
"You passed out. My best guess, your blood sugar is too low. I bet you haven't eaten much all day."
Yasui shook his head as he rubbed his eyes. He didn't feel all that hungry. Just weak. Gouhin handed him a protein bar.
"Eat this, then straight to bed. Doctor's orders."
Yasui nodded wearily and got to his feet. Gouhin helped lift him up and handed him the packet that contained all the information he had written down about exercises and whatever else he had said. Yasui was too tired to think right now. He just wanted to sleep.
Yasui practically crawled up the stairs and slunk into his bed. He had crammed the protein bar into his mouth as he had left Gouhin and the dorm mother arguing downstairs. Yasui didn't even remove his glasses before he fell asleep.
Yasui cracked his eyes open and felt like he'd been run over by a bus full of professional wrestlers, which then backed over him before the wrestlers got out and mistook him for a welcome mat. Everything felt awful. His head, pounding. His eyes, itchy. His ears, ringing. He felt like he was in a freezer as he shivered uncontrollably. Miserable, Yasui wrapped his blanket tighter around himself and tried to doze. Instinctively, he knew what the issue was. He wanted to take a pill. On reflex, he reached for the bottle which wasn't there. Then the events of last night came crashing back down on him.
(What should I do? There's no way I can do all the stuff the panda doctor told me to do! I wish I still had my pills….)
As if possessed by an outside force, the images of his meeting with Ten played in his mind. Of his willing debasement. Suddenly, the craving was a bit more bearable. Just a bit though. Yasui groaned.
(Maybe something in the crazy panda's exercises will help.)
Yasui opened up the packet and slid out the contents. There were several packets of instructions for different exercises and techniques to help him resist the cravings. There was also a note and a thin baggy of some sort of capsules. Yasui froze when he saw them. He reached for them, but decided to go with the note first.
(If you're reading this, congratulations on taking the first step towards rehabilitation. It means you at least opened this package instead of throwing it away. Just wanted to give you some info. First, my phone number is on a card clipped to the back page of the informational packet. Call me to check in every other day. That means this Sunday in case you weren't aware. Also, I made an appointment with a doctor I know at Central General Hospital for one o'clock Saturday. If you're reading this the day I gave it to you, that's tomorrow. If not, shame on you.)
(In the bag are a few herbal supplements that help lessen the symptoms of withdrawal. Take one with each meal and you should be able to avoid the worst of the pain, but it's still going to be unpleasant. Stick with it, and find some people you trust to help you.)
There was additional handwriting scrawled at the bottom of the note in different ink.
(P.S. I KNOW YOU'RE NOT A LITTLE KID NOW YOU ASSHOLE! THE DORM MOTHER FILLED ME IN WHILE YOU WERE UNCONSCIOUS! THE KIDDIE GLOVES ARE COMING OFF!)
Yasui sighed and put the new pills with his personal effects. Hopefully they actually worked. Yasui wasn't sure if he could handle how bad he felt right now.
Breakfast was a bit closer to a battle than a meal for Yasui. He still felt terrible, and his stomach was upset. However, he could practically hear the panda doctor growling at him to eat his food so he could get stronger and healthier. So Yasui did his best to choke down some eggs and toast, shivering all the while.
(How long will this shivering last?! I'm so tired of being all shaky and tired!)
Yasui did the best he could to occupy himself before his doctor's appointment. He did laundry and homework, but throughout the day he had this infuriating itch he just couldn't scratch. It felt terrible, and he wanted so terribly to scratch it, but he couldn't. So he did everything he could to not think about the pills or how badly he wanted one. He tried to think about what to get people for Rexmas, which reminded him of presents, which reminded him of his birthday party, which reminded him if his accident, which reminded him of the pills.
(No! Push those thoughts out! Think of something else!)
Yasui stood and paced around the room he was in, hoping that movement would distract him. But he still felt the craving. Worried, Yasui bit down on his thumb to try to regain a bit of control. It wasn't working though. He still felt panicked and jittery. Something was really wrong. He kept gnawing at his thumb until he drew blood. Yasui sighed and squeezed a tissue over his wound.
(Seriously? I thought I had broken this habit ages ago! Now I'm back to chewing my hand when I get nervous! What's next? Living in a fantasy world all the time like I used to? Always imagining what I wanted to happen? That wasn't healthy. Now I have real friends and a real life to engage with. Crap, I need it to be time to go to the doctor already!)
Yasui just couldn't help it. He felt so… shivery. Like every fiber of his being was trembling. He was freezing but also sweating profusely, and his stomach felt like he had swallowed a very angry little creature that was using his insides as a punching bag. Yasui shuddered.
(Now that sounds like a terrible way to go. Swallowed alive. My question is what would kill you first? Would you suffocate? Or get… digested. Wait, this is way too morbid. I should plan what I should do after the doctor's appointment. I could… go hang out with Shinrai. But maybe I should wait until I'm a bit more stable first. He might freak out if he sees me like this. Oh! I should go visit Miss Diana! It's been ages since we've done something together!)
Yasui jumped as his phone beeped. It was the timer he had set to warn him when to leave for the hospital. Yasui frantically gathered everything he thought he might need and hurried off school grounds.
It felt like Yasui currently had the opposite problem than what had been wrong before. When he had still been using the pills he had felt sluggish and dazed. Now he felt way too awake and aware. Every little thing was uncomfortable. The wind made his eyes dry, and his clothes were itchy on his fur. His shoes felt too tight and his fingers prickled. He missed the pleasant numbness of the pills.
(But those pills are poison. They could have killed me, heck, they almost got me abducted by that creepy hyena! I'm better off without them. But that said… why is being without them so painful!)
As unpleasant as his newfound hypersensitivity was, Yasui was glad to be walking to the hospital. Gouhin had been right, it was much easier to keep his mind off the pills if he did something. Yasui tapped his fingers against his palm as he walked, excess energy needed to be burned. He hoped he could get this stupid cast off his arm. And maybe his eye would be better too. Although that was wishful thinking. He had been told it would take a while.
Central General Hospital was a decent bit larger than St. Bernard had been. It had multiple wings connected by walkways and there was a slow trickle of people coming in and out of the building. Yasui wound his way through the crowd and waited for his turn at the front desk. The nurse behind the counter, a male donkey, greeted him cheerfully.
"Good afternoon! How may I help you today?"
Yasui shuddered again and scratched some phantom itch on his leg.
"I'm Yasui. I'm supposed to have an appointment here today at one."
The nurse typed something into the computer and nodded.
"There we are! The doctor should be ready to see you shortly. Please have a seat in the waiting area."
Yasui nodded and shuffled over to the chairs positioned near the door and sat down. There were several other animals waiting here. He saw a giraffe with a nasty rash on his neck, a porcupine clenching her stomach and wincing, a canary with several bald patches in her plumage, and finally a mother and son cat where the little boy cat had his arm in a sling. He locked eyes with Yasui from across the way and waved. Yasui waved back. As he watched, the young cat got out of his chair and moved to the one beside him.
"Hi, my name is Jim."
Yasui nodded.
"Hi, Jim. I'm Yasui."
Jim lifted his cast somewhat.
"I broke my arm trying to do a jump on my bike. You?"
"Got ripped off by a caiman."
Jim winced.
"Ouch. A kid in my class had that happen. Except his arm got pulled off by a bear. It was pretty messy and blood went everywhere. One girl threw up."
Yasui nodded.
"My other arm got ripped off by a bear when I was younger."
"Oh. Maybe you should stop getting your arms ripped off."
Yasui was slightly taken aback by that but formulated a reply.
"I'll… definitely try."
The boy's mother seemed to notice what her son was doing and hurried over. She scolded him,
"Jimmy, don't wander off!"
"Sorry, Mom."
The mother took her son's hand and gave Yasui an apologetic look.
"Sorry. He'll talk anyone's ear off."
"That's okay. I don't mind."
As mother and son turned to return to their seats, Jim waved.
"Bye, Yasui! Hope you don't get your arms ripped off anymore!"
Yasui waved back before staring off at nothing.
(That… was weird. Kids are weird. I wonder if I was ever weird like that as a kid? Ugh, speaking of which, I hope Mom doesn't insist on getting out the photo albums this winter. Every single year she demands we all look through them with her. All the times they were in town with us and could get somebody to take a picture. Although I'm lucky enough to not have many because they couldn't find someone to take a picture of them. Actually, I should get them a camera! It could be my Winter Solstice present to them both.)
"Yasui?"
Yasui looked up as a female dalmatian in a nurse's outfit gazed over the waiting patients. She spoke again.
"Is there a Yasui here?"
Yasui stood up and she smiled at him.
"The doctor will see you now."
Yasui followed her to a simple examination room where she told him to have a seat. Yasui did so and looked around the room. It was pretty boring, but there were some posters hanging around warning him of the dangers of certain diseases. Yasui averted his eyes. He always hated doctors, they made him feel sick.
After a few minutes the door opened and an older male bobcat walked in. He was accompanied by a very familiar scary panda. Yasui pointed with his free arm.
"It's you! The panda doctor!"
Gouhin scowled.
"I have a name, you little shit. It's Gouhin."
"Gouhin! What are you doing here?"
"Checking up on you, seeing if you're serious about this."
The bobcat smiled in a grandfatherly sort of way.
"I am Doctor Hishi. Nice to meet you."
Yasui bowed his head to the doctor as he sat down on a stool. Gouhin elected to stand by the door. The cat flipped through some pages on a clipboard.
"So, Doctor Gouhin has told me about your situation. Very unfortunate, very unfortunate indeed."
Yasui nodded glumly. Doctor Hishi rolled his stool over and looked him up and down.
"So, how are you feeling today? Anything odd?"
Yasui nodded.
"I'm all tingly and jumpy! It's like my skin is super sensitive all of the sudden!"
Hishi gave him a sympathetic look.
"That's to be expected. Your body was used to you constantly having a suppressant. You got used to that feeling of numbness and now your body thinks it needs that. It's normal for someone who's trying to quit."
He then carefully touched Yasui's left hand where it was poking out of the cast.
"Can you feel that?"
"Yeah."
"Try moving your fingers."
Yasui wiggled his digits for the doctor. The old bobcat nodded.
"I think we can remove your cast today. But first, let me take a look at that eye."
He lifted Yasui's eyepatch and gently prodded the closed lid.
"Do you feel any discomfort from that?"
"A little, I think."
"Hmm… we'll probably have to do a scan to see if the tear has closed any further. If not, you might need an additional surgery."
Yasui frowned.
"Wait, how do you know what's wrong with my eye?"
The cat raised an eyebrow.
"It's in your medical records."
"Huh."
"Speaking of, I'm assuming you were born at home or something like that?"
Yasui shrugged.
"I have no idea. Why do you ask?"
"Because you have pretty much nothing for a medical history. Just a stay in a hospital when you were six for arm reattachment."
"Well I'm from a pretty small village. It makes sense."
"That's what I assumed. Now then, let's look at that eye and get that cast off."
Having his eye scanned was a rather unpleasant experience. They stuck his head in a massive machine that hummed and whirred where he was told to hold completely still. According to Dr. Hishi, his eye was healing nicely, but it would take a bit more time.
"Eyes are delicate and complicated. They don't like to be rushed." Was all he had to say about the matter. As for his arm, getting the cast removed was the most amazing feeling Yasui had ever experienced. As the nurse who was assisting finished cutting through the thick material, the cumbersome object fell away from Yasui's arm. The fur on his left arm was matted and greasy from being stuck in a cast for so many weeks, but the fresh air felt amazing on it. Immediately, Yasui moved his elbow and sighed as he worked the cramped limb.
"Oh, that feels so much better."
He enjoyed scratching all the areas he had not been able to scratch as Dr. Hishi looked at his arm.
"Seems like it healed with no issue. How's your range of motion? Can you move your arm back and forth a bit? Good, good. Now, how's it feeling? Anything tight or sore?"
Yasui shook his head.
"Just stiff. And also a bit stinky."
The doctor laughed.
"Yeah, casts are always a bit rank. Although you'll definitely find bathing a bit easier now. So long as you keep your eye dry."
Yasui looked forward to taking a shower as soon as he could. He was tired of feeling smelly and gross. As Yasui was examining his now freed limb, he saw that there was a band of bare flesh about one centimeter thick that wrapped around his elbow. It was the scar from the reattachment surgery. Yasui smiled darkly and pointed from his left elbow to his right shoulder.
"Now I have two matching scars."
Gouhin grumbled from where he had been standing.
"Try keeping it at just two. I'd think you'd be tired of getting ripped apart by now."
Yasui rolled his eye.
"I'm not trying to get hurt. It just happens."
Gouhin, noticing that the doctor was done, moved over to where Yasui was sitting.
"So, have you done any thinking about what we discussed last night?"
Yasui nodded.
"Yeah, I'm committed. I'm going to kick this… addiction."
"Admitting you have an addiction is an important step. So, have you decided who your support system will be? You can't do this alone."
Yasui crossed his arms, which he was happy to be able to do again.
"Well, I know at least two people who I want to talk to about it today. Once we're done here I was planning on visiting them."
Gouhin grunted.
"I'll give you a ride in my truck. We can talk on the way about your recovery."
"You have a truck?"
The truck in question was a little less than what Yasui was expecting. Gouhin was a big panda, and pretty intimidating looking. He had expected a large, dark truck with all sorts of scary looking pieces. What he did not expect was a tiny black and white vehicle with a green medical cross on it. Yasui stared at the machine.
"It's… pretty small."
Gouhin gave him a sour look.
"It gets good gas mileage. I mainly use it if I need to pick something up."
"Oh, are you picking something up today?"
"Already did. This hospital just retired one of their old portable ultrasound machines. The owner of the hospital donated it to me."
"Oh, is he a friend of yours?"
Gouhin shrugged.
"He's more of a fan of my work."
They sat in the small truck and Gouhin revved the engine to life. As they puttered out of the hospital's garage, Yasui asked,
"Can I ask you some questions?"
"Meh."
"First… is there really a complicated set of rules in the back alleys of this city?"
Gouhin chuckled darkly.
"Two things. One, it's called the Back Alley Market, although you should never talk about it in polite society. And two, hell no."
"Really?"
"It's anarchy back there. The strong prey on the week and nobody gives a damn."
"But Miss Ten said—"
"Oh, it's 'Miss Ten' is it? You close to that vixen?"
"No, but she was nice to me. She said there are rules."
Gouhin sighed.
"There are some rules if you're going to set up some sort of shop or something. You need permission from Management to get real estate in the back alleys. But apart from the rules that Management has for the real estate part, it's a free for all. Well… admittedly less so in the areas controlled by the Inarigumi. Of all the gangs in the Back Alley Market, they're the most… stable."
"She said something about they don't hurt women and children."
Gouhin grunted.
"Yeah, and that's gotten them popular with the street kids and prostitutes. And it's also why their section sees so much traffic. So if you do need to go to the Back Alley Market, to visit my clinic or something, it's best to get there through their turf."
Yasui gulped.
"What exactly do people… do in the Market?"
Gouhin scowled.
"If it's illegal or shady, it's there. Gambling, illicit goods, brothels, drugs, black market medicine, and of course the big draw… the food."
"Food?"
"The less you know, the better. Stay out of the Back Alley Market. If you need me, I'll come to you."
"But you just said if I have to visit—"
"Emphasis on 'if' you have to visit. As in, emergency situations only."
Yasui closed his mouth, not wanting to push his luck. He was quiet for a while, focusing on Gouhin's phone which had a map to where Yasui wanted to go. Eventually Yasui spoke up again.
"Do you really not treat the Inarigumi? At your clinic, I mean."
Gouhin sighed.
"That's complicated. I've always offered help to anyone who needed it, no matter who. But, recently it was getting crazy. Almost every single day those gang hooligans were getting themselves cut to ribbons or shot only to come crawling to me. I'd fix them up and then they'd do it again. So, a little less than a month ago I said I wasn't treating them anymore. It worked, the fights have slowed down considerably."
"Oh. So are you planning on starting up again?"
The panda sighed.
"Damn my big heart. Yeah, I am. I just wanted to prove a point. But I swore an oath to help those in need, and it doesn't matter who."
Yasui looked out the window at the light dusting of snow that was beginning to fall. Rexmas was getting closer and closer, even if he still didn't exactly understand the holiday. Yasui remembered something and turned to Gouhin.
"So do these mysterious Management people really hide what goes on in the Back Alley Market from the police?"
Gouhin worked his jaw for a bit before sighing.
"Yes and no. Yes, they're the reason why nobody get involved in the whole mess. But it's less hiding and more… bribing."
"Bribing?"
"Yeah. Whoever the actual Management is, they're very well connected. They lean on the right people to convince the government as a whole to adopt a sort of… 'ignorance is bliss' policy of sorts. The police avoid that area and no city officials look into what happens. It's why crime is rampant and the roads are a mess."
Yasui nodded. There wasn't anything like this back home. The very idea of it was a bit… sickening. Gouhin watched him for a bit.
"How does that make you feel?"
Yasui picked at his clothes dejectedly.
"Well… sad. It seems so dark and sinister. I wish it didn't exist."
"Good. Don't lose that feeling. Too many people are happy to quell that disgust all for some dirty pleasure."
"So… how dangerous is the Back Alley Market? Like, for me that is?"
"What do you mean by that?! Weren't you just talking about how sad and awful it is and now you want to visit?!"
"Nothing like that! But, well, if I know what the danger is I can avoid it."
Gouhin tapped the steering wheel.
"Let's see…. For starters getting mugged. Then there's the fur traders, fox fur is in style again. As well as the various brothels and such. Once they found out you were practically an adult who looks like a little kid they'd want to snap you up to service some degenerates who like that sort of thing, whether you liked it or not."
Yasui shuddered.
"You're right, I'm never setting foot back there again."
"Smart move."
Yasui spent the remainder of the car ride in quiet contemplation. The more he learned about this city, the more terrified he felt. But he just had to be brave and push past it. He had done well last night. He hadn't freaked out or broken down. But still, he felt shaken to his core by it all. It was like if he thought about it again, he'd probably not be able to stop himself from panicking. As Gouhin pulled to a stop in front of Miss Diana's massive house, the panda grunted.
"You know somebody here?!"
"Yeah. She's a close friend."
"Hmm…. If she ever wants to donate some money, let her know I exist. Running a non-profit hospital isn't cheap."
"Okay."
Gouhin sighed.
"So is she one of the people you're asking to help you with your rehabilitation?"
"Yeah."
"Do you need me to come with you? It's going to be a bit of an awkward conversation."
"I think I'll be fine."
Gouhin nodded.
"Well, any pressing questions before I leave? Treatment schedules or something like that?"
Yasui thought about it. Most of what he needed to know was in the packet Gouhin had given him. But, the real thing he wanted to know wasn't. Yasui looked the grim panda in the eyes.
"Am I going to be okay?"
Gouhin stared into his eyes before his expression softened a bit. He rested a hand on the little fox's shoulder and nodded encouragingly.
"Yeah, you're going to be okay."
Yasui released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Thanks. I needed to hear that."
"Yeah yeah, now get out of my truck."
Yasui clambered out of the truck and into the cold winter air. He waved as Gouhin drove off before turning to stare at Diana's front door.
(How do I go about this? When should I bring it up? Maybe this is a mistake. No… I need someone responsible and mature to help me. I need an adult. But it's going to be so embarrassing!)
Yasui sighed and trudged up to the door. He rang the bell and stood nervously looking around, as if worried somebody was going to jump out at him. This constant nervous energy was really getting old.
The door opened and Diana gave Yasui a look of surprise.
"Yasui! I didn't know you were coming over!"
Yasui smiled wanly.
"It was a bit last minute."
She gasped.
"Your arm! You got your cast off! How wonderful!"
Yasui raised his left arm and wiggled it.
"Good as new. Although the part that was in the cast is a bit nasty. I really need to take a shower and scrub the entire arm like crazy."
Diana stood aside.
"Come in! Do you want some coffee or tea?"
Yasui stepped into the entryway and was surprised at what he saw. Colorful garlands and wreaths were hanging from the banisters of the stairs and a large tree was sitting decorated in the center of the entry hall.
"Wow, your house is colorful."
"That's right, you've never seen Rexmas decorations before. I'm actually very excited. I've never really had much reason to celebrate the holiday before, but now I need to give you the full Rexmas experience! We can watch all the cheesy movies and listen to the music and all that weird stuff!"
Yasui nodded.
"Yeah… totally."
Diana tilted her head and pursed her lips a bit.
"What's wrong? You were so excited before."
Yasui scratched at yet another phantom itch and grimaced.
"Well… I don't know how to explain. It's pretty complicated."
Just then Charles walked in holding a string of lights.
"Where would you like— oh, good afternoon, Yasui."
"Hi, Mr. Charles."
The gorilla narrowed his eyes.
"You look awful."
Diana turned to scold him.
"Charles! Be sensitive! He's still recovering."
"Yes but he still looks awful."
"I'm sure he doesn't appreciate you saying it!"
Yasui braced himself and used the opportunity that had arisen.
"I need your help! I'm addicted to painkillers!"
Both adults stared at him in shock before Charles grunted.
"I'll go make some tea."
Soon Yasui was sitting on Diana's couch as she paced back and forth along the far wall after just hearing the full account of his problem. Charles was sitting in a nearby chair maintaining a professionally stoic demeanor. Yasui shifted in place as Diana continued her endless walking.
(I bet she's furious. I would be too. It was my own stupid decisions that got me here. And I made it worse by hiding it from everyone because I was embarrassed. I wouldn't be surprised if she gives me a lecture.)
Diana finally turned and briskly walked over to Yasui. He gulped, preparing himself for whatever was about to happen. Diana knelt down in front of him to be on his eye level and looked into his uncovered eye. Yasui flicked his gaze away, still ashamed. He couldn't imagine telling this to anyone his own age. An adult was bad enough, and you were supposed to tell them this stuff. Diana sniffed and pulled him into a hug.
"Oh, Yasui! I'm so sorry! I should have seen the signs!"
Yasui was taken aback. This was not at all what he had expected. Diana pulled away but kept her hands on his shoulders.
"It's just awful! I bet this has been incredibly hard on you."
Yasui smoothed his shirt.
"Yeah… it's been tough."
"Addiction is a hard thing to fight, I know from personal experience."
Yasui looked at her in surprise.
"You do?"
Diana nodded and moved to sit on the couch facing him.
"Yasui, I think I should tell you about something from my past. Something that I never hoped you'd learn about. Can you promise me you won't hold it against me?"
Yasui felt the seriousness of the moment and nodded solemnly.
"Of course, Diana. You can tell me anything."
"This is something that I'm not proud of. I always feared you'd learn about it. But I think it's important for me to tell you about my struggle with addiction."
Yasui watched as Diana took a deep breath and resolutely began.
"It's… why I had to retire. I was one of the most prominent people in the business world. I didn't have time to do things like eat or sleep or relax. So… like many of my peers, I turned to substances to keep me going. I took uppers to keep me going, downers to help me sleep. Cigarettes for stress. And morphine because I enjoyed it. I kept getting worse and worse, ruining my body until it finally gave out."
Yasui was astounded. Miss Diana… was a drug addict. She sighed.
"I still remember waking up in that hospital. The doctor told me I had two choices. I could keep doing what I was doing and be dead within the month, or I could retire and clean myself up. He said I might live to see fifty if I went to rehab and got myself healthy. I mulled it over, and decided to take my life back. I spent almost a year in rehab and have been clean ever since."
Yasui stared at her. She had been through all that, and she was fine. No, she was great. Miss Diana was one of his favorite people in the entire world. And she had beaten her addiction. Yasui looked at her hopefully.
"So… it gets better? The… cravings?"
Diana nodded.
"Sometimes are easier than others. But it never goes away completely. That's why we need people to watch us and keep us on the road. For me, it's been Charles. He's the one who watched me like a hawk for so long. Well, he still does actually."
Charles grunted.
"Damn right I do."
Diana rested her hand on top of Yasui's.
"I'm so touched you felt you could talk to me about this. That you trust me with such a deeply personal matter."
Yasui smiled sadly at her.
"Well, you've done a good job helping me not mess my life up here so far. I figured you might be able to help with this."
Charles cut in.
"So, you've found a doctor to help with your recovery?"
Yasui nodded.
"Yeah. He's the one who suggested I find some people to help me. And you two are the most responsible people I know. He also said to find someone to help make sure I stick to his workout routine at school to help strengthen my body, and I'm trying to decide who that should be. I have a few ideas, but I haven't decided yet."
Charles nodded approvingly.
"Good. You're taking this seriously. I'm happy to help when I can."
Diana rubbed her thumb across his hand and smiled warmly at him.
"And come over whenever you need someone to talk with. I'm always happy to play hostess."
Yasui chuckled and looked down at his hands. Gouhin had been onto something. This made his recovery seem more doable.
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate you so much."
Diana clasped her hands and sighed.
"You're welcome. Now, I say we watch a cheesy Rexmas movie and eat cookies. Charles? Any preferences?"
Charles groaned.
"They're all just… awful. I'll focus on making cookies while you two subject yourself to one of those awful films."
Diana whispered to Yasui.
"Charles hates Rexmas movies."
Yasui nodded.
"Sounds like it."
He then turned to the gorilla.
"Can I help with the cookies? I've never made Rexmas cookies before."
The rest of the evening was filled with holiday cheer, as they made cookies and watched a rather trite movie where a male dog and a female dog fell in love over the course of the Rexmas season. Yasui had to admit, it was pretty dumb. He pointed to the screen in confusion.
"So wait, why is she so mad at her current fiancé? It's completely understandable that he'd need to finish his work on Rexmas eve."
Charles scoffed.
"Because females have these things in their bodies called expectations."
Diana sniffed.
"Males. You're all hopeless."
Yasui frowned.
"I just don't get it."
Charles waved a hand.
"It's so she can fall in love with the handsome cafe owner, and discover the true meaning of Rexmas."
Yasui nodded.
"I see. And that is?"
Charles chuckled.
"Doing stereotypical stuff like cuddling by the fire and giving presents."
Yasui immediately imagined himself cuddling with Miss Diana as they sat by the fire. He blushed.
"Well that's not so bad."
Diana patted his head.
"You'll make some lucky girl very happy one day, Yasui. I just know it."
"Aw, thanks Miss Diana."
Charles rolled his eyes.
"Saps."
As the movie progressed, Diana looked over at Charles.
"So, Mr. Grouch. Is this still 'the dumbest movie ever' or have you reconsidered?"
Charles smirked.
"I haven't, but Yasui seems enthralled by it."
Diana turned towards the fox to see he was slumped against the couch with his mouth open. A faint snoring sound as well as a small trickle of drool leaked from his maw as he dozed on the couch. Diana gave Charles a nonplussed look.
"He's detoxing. It's very tiring."
Meanwhile, back at Cherryton, Shinrai was having his own movie night with Hikaru. The female fennec fox snorted with mirth as they sat on the beanbag chair that was placed in their hideout.
"Dude, the Grunch is an absolute banger of a movie. It never gets old."
Shinrai nodded.
"Absolutely. I watch this thing every year."
Hikaru shook her head.
"So sad it's a tragic story though. A perfectly good, criminally insane monster who hates everyone and tried to ruin their lives get caught up in the glitter of commercialism. Shame."
Shinrai sighed.
"A modern day Oedipus Rex."
"Except he doesn't bang his mom."
"The hell?!"
"Have you ever read Oedipus Rex?"
"No, I've just seen memes about it! He bangs his Mom?!"
"Yeah. It's pretty effed up."
"Dang, the ancient Greeks are nasty!"
Hikaru huddled under one of the many blankets she kept stashed up in her hideout and yawned.
"Yo, finish your Rexmas shopping yet?"
Shinrai sighed.
"Not yet. I keep putting it off."
"Sucks to suck. I already got you our gift. It's a tasteful body pillow of Yasui in a thong. Plenty of ass shown on the back, lots of bulge in the front. You'll love it."
"Oh thank you, it's what I've always wanted."
Hikaru snicked.
"Dude, but imagine you had a body pillow of your best friend. How do you explain that when they find out?"
Shinrai adopted a goofy voice.
"It's just to remember you by! It's not creepy at all!"
Hikaru joined in.
"Just ignore the stains! They're totally yogurt!"
"What kind of monster eats yogurt in bed?"
"The kind that's spooging on a body pillow of their guy best friend."
Shinrai nodded with mock seriousness.
"As opposed to the normal people who crank it out to their girl best friends."
"Exactly! Listen, if you've gotta rub one out to me, that's your problem. Just keep in mind I forgot to do laundry recently so these underwear are pretty narsty."
"Gross!"
"Ha! Instant cock-block! Can't have you yearning over my sweet bod."
Shinrai nodded.
"It's the ears for me. Totally want to lick them."
Hikaru shoved him playfully.
"Get out of here! I always thought you were a foot guy."
Shinrai laughed.
"Gimme them toes!"
Hikaru slapped his shoulder and pointed to the television.
"Yo! Best part! Shut your bitch ass up!"
The joke came and went with much laughter from the two before they settled back down. Hikaru munched on some chips she had brought and asked,
"So, you've been hanging with me a lot lately. Trouble with Yasui?"
Shinrai sighed.
"He's just… a little messed up after the accident. I'm trying to be there for him, but he's clearly in a bad place. So I'm trying not to smother him."
"Dang, sorry dude. Maybe he just needs a break? Go home, clear his head. Thankfully, the winter break starts in a week."
Shinrai shook his head in amazement.
"It's seriously almost Rexmas. Time flies when you're busy."
Hikaru nodded.
"Hellz yeah! It's nuts! Feels like just yesterday it was still summer!"
Shinrai groaned.
"And at the same time it feels like this year has been going on for ages! How is that possible?"
"Probably quantum physics or some weird crap like that."
Shinrai sighed. Hopefully Yasui was going to get the help he needed.
(The next day, Sunday.)
"You want me to help you with what?"
Yasui looked up pleadingly at Izumi, the massive and very aggressive otter who he had his territory day each Sunday with. They were both currently sitting in the otter room and Izumi was stretching before she went swimming. The fox tried to look pathetic, which wasn't hard given how terrible he still felt.
"Can you help me with my workout routine! My doctor says I need somebody to make sure I'm keeping up with it."
"And you want me to do this, why? We're not exactly friends."
"You scare me, so I'll listen to you. And you seem like you enjoy the pain of others."
Izumi sneered.
"That's a bit insulting. Accurate, but insulting."
"Please?"
Izumi thought about it, before grinning wickedly.
"On one condition. You'll be my personal servant. I want a snack, you make it for me. I want you to hand-feed me grapes as I sit in that water, you ask how many. I want a back massage, you do it. Understand?"
Yasui gulped.
"That… sounds fair. So long as it doesn't get in the way of my job or school."
Izumi strode towards the water.
"Good. I want a coffee. Cream, no sugar."
Yasui stared at her for a bit before she snapped her fingers.
"That means now! Move it!"
Yasui sighed.
(Maybe this was a stupid idea. But then again, anyone who I was close to would probably take it easy on me and be too gentle. I need someone to kick me into shape.)
Yasui was correct about that. Izumi was more than happy to see him suffer. She lounged lazily in the water and yelled at him as he struggled to do a single pushup.
"What the hell is that?! You call that a pushup?! How about I go over there and put my foot so far up your ass I can just puppet you through the process!"
Yasui wheezed.
"I literally… just got my arm back! It's very… weak!"
"Use your chest not your arms idiot! Spread those arms out!"
She sipped on her tea and yawned.
"This is fun. I should become a drill sergeant."
"I'm glad… you're happy."
"Shut the hell up, maggot!"
On one hand, these exercises were torture. On the other, they did definitely take his mind off things. Turns out it's hard to think about much of anything when you're exhausted. And so Yasui began a new, miserable routine. Wake up, go for a quick run, shower. Breakfast, classes, lunch. Classes, either club or work, dinner. Finish whatever needed finishing then work out as Izumi yelled at him. By Tuesday night, everything hurt.
Wednesday morning, as Yasui sat down to breakfast, Shinrai joined him at his table. He cast an appraising eye over the fox and nodded.
"You look a bit better."
Yasui grunted.
"I feel exhausted."
"Well at least it's winter break next week. And only seven days till Rexmas!"
Yasui frowned.
"It is? Wait… today's the eighteenth. Holy crap! I didn't know it was that close!"
"Panicking because you still have presents to buy?"
"Yeah! I haven't gotten any yet!"
Shinrai twiddled his fork between two fingers and raised an eyebrow.
"Got any ideas?"
"Well, for my mom and dad I'll get a camera. For Yone… maybe some sort of music player? Or maybe a cool hat? I'm not sure. But for Kime I was thinking of one of those sweaters that Yufine has. She loves that thing, and it looks like something my sister would wear. As for my two younger sisters… last time I got them candy. So this time I might get them something like a game or toy or… something."
Shinrai shrugged.
"What do you think they'd like?"
Yasui sighed.
"I'll need to think about it."
The thought of what to get for everyone weighed heavily on Yasui, lurking in the back of his mind. He also needed to get something for Shinrai and Miss Diana. And also Charles, and the boys from room 701. And maybe Mimi? He was walking down a hallway when a familiar female voice came from above him.
"Yasui! You got your cast off! That's so wonderful!"
Yasui looked up and smiled.
"Oh! Juno! Long time no see!"
The female wolf smiled at him.
"Yeah. School keeps me pretty busy."
Yasui suddenly had an idea.
"Juno! You're the same age as my sister! What would you like for a Rexmas gift?"
The wolf seemed somewhat taken aback.
"Me? Well… I guess I'd like a new purse. Mine is getting a bit worn. The strap is coming unsewn."
Yasui's eye went wide.
"That's a great idea! She doesn't have a purse! So much better than a sweater!"
Yasui scratched his chin and looked up at her quizzically.
"You wouldn't happen to know any younger girls, would you? Perhaps in the nine to twelve age range?"
Juno rubbed her arm.
"Well… I have some neighbors who are that age. Why?"
Yasui wagged his tail excitedly.
"Can we eat lunch together so you can help me think of ideas for Rexmas gifts!"
And so, during lunch break, Shinrai was shocked to see that Yasui was already at a table with someone. A very pretty female wolf. And they were talking a lot! Shinrai frowned as he sat down beside Yasui.
"Yasui. Who's your friend?"
Yasui nodded at Shinrai.
"Hi, Shinrai. This is Juno. We've bumped into each other a few times. She's helping me come up with ideas for Rexmas gifts."
Shinrai crossed his arms.
"Oh, I see. I guess I wouldn't be much help there anyway."
Yasui frowned.
"I didn't think you'd care."
Shinrai rolled his eyes and punched Yasui's shoulder.
"I don't, I'm messing with you. So what have you come up with so far?"
Yasui counted them off on his fingers.
"Camera for my parents. Purse for Kime. A Thimble Hampstette for both Lily and Mina—"
"A what?"
Juno gestured with her hands.
"It's this toy that's popular with younger girls right now. It's a little hampster doll you can dress up and it comes in a tiny little dollhouse. The big selling point is that they're all small enough to fit into a pocket."
Shinrai nodded.
"Girly stuff. Got it."
Yasui nodded.
"Yeah. So those for Lily and Mina. One of those little music players and headphones for Yone. And I'm going to make something special for Miss Diana."
Shinrai took a large bite out of his lunch and spoke through a mouthful of vegetable stew,
"So, do you want to go shopping after your club thing today?"
Yasui frowned.
"Hm…. Well maybe part of it. Are there any stores near here that sell some of that stuff?"
Shinrai nodded.
"There's a pretty good camera place near here. In case you didn't remember, I am a hobby photographer."
Yasui went wide eyed.
"That's right! I'd completely forgotten! Sorry, Shinrai."
Shinrai shrugged.
"It's not a big deal. I don't exactly broadcast it. You know, I'm not just walking around with a camera all day."
Yasui nodded.
"So once my club is finished we can go to this store and get a camera for my parents."
"They might have a music player for cheap too." Shinrai added. Yasui smiled.
"Perfect! I'll text you when I'm done."
Juno watched the two talking somewhat awkwardly.
"So… do you still need my help?"
Yasui returned his attention to her.
"Yes, actually. Do you know how to make a scrapbook?"
Yasui's classes were going very well. He no longer had the issue where he couldn't keep up with the lectures. Instead he was so jittery still that he frequently had to wait for the teacher as he had already finished taking notes. He was answering questions correctly and did well on the various quizzes they had. Mr. Nishinoya noticed his improvement and told Yasui how glad he was that he was doing better. Even the Cooking Club meeting went well on that Wednesday. As Yasui stood reading the recipe for gingerbread bears, he was surprised that everyone was actually focused somewhat.
"I love decorating gingerbread bears!" Yufine squealed. "It's one of my favorite holiday traditions!"
Chaussette flicked her tongue.
"We never did the decorating ourssselvesss. It wasss a bit hard without any handssss."
Maihime didn't look up from where she was scrutinizing the various colored sprinkles they had.
"I usually just slather mine in frosting and then eat the head first. That way it doesn't suffer."
Yufine shuddered.
"Mai-Mai! That is so morbid!"
The kangaroo just shrugged.
"It's how I'd prefer it. Just finish me off clean. I don't want a slow lingering death."
Yasui cleared his throat.
"Guys, no talking about death or dying, remember?"
Maihime sighed.
"Okay."
Yufine flounced over to where Yasui was standing and wrapped him in a hug.
"It's good to have you back to normal, Mr. President! You had me worried there for a while."
Chaussette nodded.
"Yeah. We were all pretty worried about you."
Maihime shrugged again.
"I wasn't. It's not the end of the world to only have one arm."
Yufine pouted.
"I was referring to how tired and weak he was!"
"Oh, that. Yeah, that was problematic." Maihime corrected. Yasui squeezed his way out of Yufine's crushing hug and held up their recipe.
"Guys! Focus! We're burning time!"
Chaussette set to work gathering ingredients as Yufine leaned against the counter to stare at Yasui.
"Why are you in such a big hurry? Got plans?"
Yasui nodded.
"Yeah, going Rexmas shopping for my family."
The tiger clasped her hands.
"Fun! I can't wait to give everyone the gifts I got for them! It's one of my favorite parts about the holiday!"
Maihime looked up from where she was carefully color-coding the decorating candies and frowned.
"So far you have said everything is your favorite part about the holiday."
Yufine laughed.
"Well yeah! There's nothing I don't love about Rexmas! It's the most wonderful, cozy, amazing time of year!"
Chaussette grumbled.
"Ssspoken like sssomebody with warm blood."
Maihime spoke up.
"I think Rexmas is overrated. It's far too commercial."
Yufine stuck her tongue out.
"You're all a bunch of sticks in the mud! No Rexmas spirit!"
Yasui sighed.
"You know what would raise our Rexmas spirit? Making some dang cookies!"
Yasui rubbed his temples as his clubmates finally got to work. He and Chaussette made the dough while Yufine and Maihime cut out the cookies. The only issue was when Maihime took a knife and began cutting the arms off of some of the bears. Yufine squeaked,
"What are you doing!"
"Cutting off the arms of a few cookies."
"Why!?"
"It's a tradition in my family."
"Why!?!"
Maihime looked up at Yufine and just stared at her. The tiger realized why.
"Oh, right. Sorry."
With cookies now baked and cooled for a while, it was time to decorate them. They each were going to make a few to take with them, so Yasui had come up with a plan. As he clumsily decorated his batch, Yufine looked over his shoulder.
"Why does that cookie look so gloomy?"
"It's supposed to be a friend of mine."
"Is he really sad all the time?"
"No, he just looks like that."
"And why does that one not have eyes?"
"Sheepdog."
"Oooooh."
Chaussette peeked around him.
"I think they look very nice, Yassssui."
Yasui nodded at the snake.
"Thank you."
Maihime took another bite of a cookie absolutely slathered in icing.
"Wooks be'er en mine."
Yasui closed his eyes and groaned.
"Do none of you have anything better to do than judge my cookie decorating?"
Finally, with cramping arms and stiff fingers, Yasui finished decorating all his cookies. He packed them up in groups depending on where they were heading, and hastily worked to clean up the club room so he could go meet Shinrai. Chaussette stayed behind to help him clean as she usually did, and together they worked on the dishes. She hummed quietly.
"Yassssui?"
"Yeah?"
"What causssed you to change all of the ssssudden?"
Yasui frowned, his eyebrows furrowed as he scrubbed a pot.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Chaussette gestured with her tail before wiping some dishes dry.
"Well, you were really lethargic and off for a while. But now you're back to normal. Well, more normal."
"You think so?"
"Well, I don't claim to know you that well. But I have been in thissss club longer than the othersss."
Yasui thought about that. Chaussette had been the first member of his club. But, he had never really taken much effort to get close to her and be her friend. Suddenly, Yasui felt guilty.
"Hey, Chaussette?"
"Yesss?"
"Do you want to come shopping with me?"
"Hmm? Why do you asssk?"
"Because we're friends, but I haven't been very good about doing stuff with you. Or if you'd rather meet me when I get back from shopping we can work on some school work together. I like having other people around when I do homework, reminds me of home."
Chaussette flicked her tongue thoughtfully.
"Hmm…. That could be a nice change of pace. Want to meet in the library around eight or sssso?"
"Sounds good! Thanks, Chaussette."
"No need to thank me. I'll be looking forward to it."
With the dishes washed and put away, Yasui headed towards the cafeteria in hopes of finding Shinrai near there. He had completely forgotten to ask where they were supposed to meet, and just assumed that they were eating before they left. As Yasui waited, he pulled out his phone and sent Shinrai a text.
Y: Hello, Shinrai. Where are we meeting? And are we eating before we leave?
There was a brief delay before he heard back.
S: i can eat
S: meet at cafeteria
Y: I'll grab us a table.
Yasui made his way through the line and got his portion of tofu soba in miso broth with vegetable dumplings. He picked a quiet table out of the way and sat down to wait for Shinrai. Yasui was pretty happy. Not only was this one of his favorite meals, soup of any kind really was his favorite, but he finally had an appetite again. His mouth was watering in anticipation as Shinrai finally arrived.
"Geez, the herbivore line was long! Aw, your food looks better than mine. Veggie curry and rice is not my favorite."
Yasui rubbed his hands together.
"Finally! I love soup. I didn't want to start without you."
Shinrai rolled his eyes.
"I will never understand your love of soup. Soup isn't that great, it's just hot flavored water."
Yasui pouted.
"It's comforting. Soup makes you feel better."
"Maybe when you're sick."
"Or when you're cold."
"Huh, good point. So, Yasui ol' buddy of mine, what's with all those bags?"
Shinrai pointed to the small plastic bags he had piled beside him. Yasui finished his mouthful and explained.
"We made cookies during our club meeting today. I made some for lots of my friends."
"Where's mine?"
Yasui reached into the bag and handed him a cookie. Shinrai smiled.
"Aw, thanks dude! I was really just pulling your leg. Are you planning on bringing them with us when we go shopping?"
"No. I'll drop them off at my room before then."
"Ah, okay."
Shinrai ate in silence for a bit before asking,
"So, enjoying your first Rexmas?"
Yasui shrugged.
"So far so good. Although the holiday itself will probably be more exciting."
"Watch any Rexmas movies?"
"One. It was… a little boring."
"Most are. There's only a few kinda funny ones that I enjoy."
"We should watch one!"
"Totally. You can come over sometime before you head back home. My mother will be glad to see you. She's still crazy about you."
Yasui smiled at that comment.
"Speaking of your mother, how is she?"
"Feeling better. She got this medicine that helps you recover faster. Now she's going stir crazy because she can't leave the house yet."
They talked about what Rexmas movies were worth watching as they finished their meal before the two of them headed down to the shop Shinrai had suggested. As they got closer, Yasui furrowed his brow.
"Wait, his place is vaguely familiar."
Shinrai nodded.
"It's near that park where we hung out during our midnight game run. Remember?"
Yasui nodded. The summer night all those months ago felt like it was from a different lifetime. He remembered guiding the three herbivores down the slope of the hill where Cherryton was located and carrying Shinrai because he liked to be carried.
"That's right! Wow, that takes me back."
"You're a lot more confident now than you were then. You practically jumped at your own shadow when we first became friends."
"Was I really that bad?"
"Kinda. And you didn't talk as much. You were always caught up in your own head."
"Yeah. I feel like I've grown up a lot since I've come here."
Shinrai raised an eyebrow.
"How do your parents feel about that? My mom was hysterical when I started highschool. She was talking about how strange it was that her little baby was almost an adult."
"Aw, I love your mom dude. She's so nice."
"Stay away from my mom, Yasui. I know your type."
They both laughed as they entered into "Cidd's Electronics," a little store filled with restored cameras, phones, computers, and watches. The owner, a grizzled old mole who had a name tag denoting him as Cidd, inclined his head as they entered.
"Welcome in! Ah, Shinrai. What can I do for you?"
Shinrai pointed at Yasui.
"Looking for a camera for his parents. One that you don't need to get the film developed. Maybe a Polaraide?"
Cidd nodded thoughtfully before beginning to dig through a container of square cameras. He muttered as he did so.
"Hmm… nah. Not that one. Well… maybe."
Finally he set two cameras down and gestured at them.
"Got two that could work. This one is a slightly cheaper and more durable model, the other is a bit higher quality."
Yasui sucked on his teeth as he looked at the two cameras.
"That's tough. Both are nice, but… maybe the durable one. My parents aren't very good with technology. I'm worried they might break it."
Cidd nodded and put the other camera away. Shinrai elbowed Yasui.
"I'll check the music players. Be back in a sec."
Yasui gave him a thumbs up before returning his attention to Cidd. He purchased the camera as well as some film for it and had them tucked neatly in a little bag when Shinrai returned with a small silver rectangle and some headphones.
"This should work. I'll help you put some music on it. Do you have any ideas as to what genre of music your brother likes?"
Yasui shook his head. Shinrai shrugged and set the music player on the counter.
"We'll put a little of everything on it."
With camera and music player purchased, the two headed back towards school. However, as they passed a convenience store, Shinrai stopped Yasui.
"Hold up, I'm freezing my tail off. Gonna buy some cocoa."
Shinrai turned and entered the store, the same one where they had gotten ice cream all those months ago. Yasui and Shinrai greeted the owner, a male leopard named Arty, and Shinrai got himself a cup of hot chocolate. The squirrel looked up at his friend and grinned sheepishly.
"I'd offer you some, but I'd rather not kill you."
"Yeah, maybe some onion soup though."
"Maybe. My mom still hasn't gotten over that."
"Please tell her to! I don't want her to feel guilty about it. Besides, it's not like it's the worst thing that happened to me here."
"That would probably be the arm."
"Yeah. That ranks up there."
Shinrai gave him a skeptical look.
"What exactly ranks anywhere near it?!"
"You don't want to know."
Gifts and beverages in hand, the trip up to Cherryton was actually quite nice. It was a cold, still winter night where the sea is calm and reflects the lights of the city like a mirror. They went their separate ways as Yasui made his way to the library to meet Chaussette. He found the snake coiled in a chair in a secluded area of the library far from everyone else. She raised her head as he approached.
"Ah, there you are. I wasss getting a little worried."
"I was Rexmas shopping. What are you working on?"
"Math homework. You?"
"Seaspeak."
He down beside her and began the arduous process of translating phrases into Seaspeak and vice versa. Chaussette was an excellent homework buddy. She was quiet, organized, and very glad to listen to him working out his assignments out loud. They worked on homework, only occasionally chatting about something else, until the library closed for the night. As they got ready to leave, Chaussette shuddered.
"I'm not looking forward to making the trip back to the dorm. It'ssss too cold for me."
Yasui looked at her and once again realized how inconvenient being a snake must be at times. Not being able to regulate your own body temperature seemed miserable. Yasui knelt down.
"Want me to carry you? I run pretty hot, so you'll be very warm."
"Oh! You don't have to! I might be too heavy for you."
Yasui scoffed lightheartedly.
"Oh please! I'm a farm boy! I'm tougher than I look! Climb aboard!"
Gratefully, Chaussette slithered around his torso and balanced her head on his shoulder. It was sort of like having a very weird coat on. Yasui got back up and threw his coat on over her.
"There. Now you should be warm."
Chaussette wriggled a bit.
"You weren't kidding. You're very warm."
"I'm a tiny space heater. Probably because of growing up in the mountains."
Yasui trudged through the darkened grounds of Cherryton with his new burden of the muscular form of Chaussette squeezing him tightly. She hummed happily.
"Thissss isss much better than ssslithering to the dorm! Sssso much fassster and more comfortable!"
"I can't imagine how much winter sucks for you. Whenever you want me to carry you somewhere, just let me know."
"You mean that?"
"Absolutely."
Chaussette smiled her bizarre, serpentine smile and butted her snout against Yasui's neck.
"Thank you, Yasssui. You're a good friend."
"Glad to help! Now, where do you want me to drop you off?"
"Oh, the entryway is fine."
Yasui flung open the door to the female carnivore dorm and opened his coat to help Chaussette disembark. She sighed as she got down.
"It'ssss chilly without your body heat! I can't wait to get upssstairs to my heating pad."
"Alright, I won't keep you. Good night!"
"Good night, Yassssui! Thank you for a fun evening!"
Yasui waved as he headed back into the cold. The male carnivore dorm was only a short walk away, and he was soon climbing up the stairs to his room. He passed the open door of room 701 and was immediately greeted by Jack.
"Ah! Yasui!"
The Labrador hurried to the door, grinning happily. He pointed to a bag that the other boys were digging into.
"Thank you for the cookies! They're delicious!"
Miguno spoke through a mouthful of cookie.
"Better than my mom's gingerbread!"
"I'm going to tell her you said that." Durham sniggered. Miguno punched him in the arm. Legoshi and Collot waved at Yasui as they held their own cookies. Jack gestured to the room.
"Want to hang out for a bit? We're making terrible Rexmas cards for each other!"
Yasui laughed.
"Sounds like fun! Count me in."
As Yasui settled into a place at the table with the other boys, he smiled inwardly.
(Gouhin was right. Having lots of friends around to rely on helps keep my mind off things. I'm lucky to have so many great people in my life now. Maybe that's the meaning of Rexmas?)
Collot handed Yasui a poorly drawn card that read "Heck the halls and get bent. Merry Rexmas you filthy animal!" Yasui shook his head.
"This holiday is so weird."