An ethereal silver light fills the room. Pupils shrink. An unbroken gaze is trained on it's source. The moon...? At least it's trying to be. Cherry ton Academy did the best they could with the model and the light, but it's far from the real thing. Muffled voices buzz like static. Through it all, a simple nudge and a voice manage to break concentration. As the mind reels back from the intense staring contest against an inanimate object, words start to take shape and information is slowly poured into the listener.
-"You think there's anything there?" Legoshi asked, staring just as intently into the light. No response. Legoshi looks next to the person the question is directed towards.
"Saki... Saki!"
Immersion broken. He blinks, taking a brief moment to soak in the environment he finds himself in. He turns his head towards the source of the sound. He sees a gray wolf, roughly his age, wearing a school uniform sitting right next to him. Looking into his eyes as if he's awaiting a response of some kind.
-"Me?" He asks, as if hearing his name for the first time.
-"Yes, you, Saki." Legoshi replied. "What's the matter? Did I derail your train of thought?"
-"I don't know? Weird, I kinda lost track of... everything for a moment there." Saki replied, looking around the room.
The room was filled with wolves of all shapes and sizes. Today was biology day in Cherryton. All animals go to their respective rooms, based on species, for an hour. The rooms are designed to imitate the animal's natural habitat, reducing stress.
-"You're fine, maybe you just haven't slept enough?"
-"Maybe. What time is it? We gotta get to our next class." Saki spoke, loosening his shirt collar that suddenly became just a tad bit too tight for him.
-"We've got 45 minutes till then. You wanna grab some lunch first?" Legoshi asked, his ear flopping down like a dog's.
-"Sure, I could eat." Saki replied, standing up from the bench he was sitting on. He and Legoshi left the room and headed outside, towards the lunch hall.
It was a beautiful day outside. Flowers were shining, the sun was blooming, and the air had a crisp freshness to it that you rarely get during this time of year. Animals of all kinds walked, flew and crawled throughout the courtyard, each having their own destination. This place was familiar to Saki, as it should be. He was a senior after all. He knew the ins and outs of the school, all the parts that were accessible to students anyway. He stopped to look at the sun for a moment, taking in the warmth and glow. I guess nobody taught him that you're not supposed to stare at the sun. With a blink of an eye, Saki was sitting in the cafeteria next to Legoshi. Egg salad sandwich in hand, he looked around, studying all the different types of animals that shared the space he occupied, coexisting and bound together by their learning institution. Finally, he spoke:
-"You know I'm thinking about joining the drama club?" Saki commented, his mouth half filled with food.
-"Yeah?" Legoshi replied, munching on a sandwich of his own. "Acting or backstage?"
-"Acting. I want everyone to see me up on that stage and be starstruck. I'd finally get some reputation around here." Saki confirmed, already imagining the showers of praise and applause he'd receive, maybe even a rose or two?
-"Yup, maybe you'll even perform alongside Louis." Legoshi looked at Saki, giving him a wink.
-"I hope. Although I'd prefer to have him in the dressing room." Saki smirked.
-"You'd have to get through all his fans first." Legoshi responded, finishing his soda. "You mind getting me one too?" He shook the empty can. There was no sound, obviously.
-"What am I, your fucking butler?" Saki cut back, getting up from the table. "Which one?"
-"Melon soda if they have any, water if they don't." Legoshi responded
Saki walked through the cafeteria towards the beverage fridge. He scanned the shelves until he found the soda Legoshi requested. He grabbed two, so he wouldn't have to get up again later. Walking towards the cashier to pay, he noticed a familiar figure standing in front of the cashier, buying a bottle of water. A tall, handsome deer with antlers sticking out like branches on a tall oak tree. His slender physique filled his school uniform perfectly, as if every single part was tailor made for his body specifically. Saki paused for a moment, stopping dead in his tracks before taking a deep breath and approaching.
-"Oh! There he is. Just the man I've been looking for." Saki opened, with warmth.
-"Hey." The deer responded, not looking towards him. A moment passed, then another, yet another, in complete silence before the deer finally turned his head to face him. Excruciatingly, another moment passed. Saki looked at the deer intently, realizing he completely forgot what the fuck he was gonna say.
"Sssssssssssaki? Right?" The deer asked, raising an eyebrow.
-"One and only." Saki chuckled. "I've been meaning to uhh, ask. I was hoping to maybe join the drama club." Saki stumbled. He was usually quite decent at the fine art of conversation, but this last hour was unusual indeed, so he was a bit awkward.
-"Maybe join the drama club?" The deer repeated.
-"To join the drama club." Saki corrected himself.
-"And what would you bring to the club?" The deer inquired, opening his bottle of water and taking a sip.
-"Well I was hoping to act, but... if there are no roles left I'd be happy to do backstage work! Maybe be your uh, assistant?" Saki negotiated, knowing he fumbled a bit. He was still in the game though.
-"Sure, I bet you'd make a great assistant. You could be with me all the time, and at my most vulnerable you'd have no problem devouring me when I least expect it." The deer's words cut like a knife through Saki. Silence. Total silence between the two.
-"If that's...what you'd...like, Louis." Saki stumbled over his words, looking around the cafeteria awkwardly. He felt Louis' gaze drilling into him. Another moment of silence. Followed by a quiet laugh.
-"Talk to Sabu, he's the president. All I can do is put in a good word." Louis chuckled. "Come after class, he'll see what you're made of." Louis turned around and started walking away.
-"Okay! I will!" Saki exclaimed "See ya later aliga-dee...fuck." He mumbled to himself. "Fucking idiot, what the hell's wrong with you" He mumbled further. Saki paid for the drinks and sat back down at Legoshi's table.
-"So, are you in?" Legoshi asked.
-"Still gotta talk to Sabu, we'll see."
-"I wish you luck. If you're not up on stage at least you'll keep me company working on the lights."
Hours passed, and Saki returned to his dorm. It somehow felt smaller than usual. He had a private room, with a king-size bed, although even that felt off to him. He stared at his room number before entering as if it was completely alien to him. He took off his clothes and hopped in the shower, hoping to wash today's embarrassment off himself. When he got out he dried himself before noticing a mirror covered in steam. He approached, wiping the fog off with a towel. Staring back at him was a wolf with dark fur. Tall, about 185 cm, with piercing green eyes. He analyzed the specifics of his face, every little nook and cranny. All of it was familiar of course...but something was missing. He could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Unnerved, he covered the mirror with a towel and left the bathroom, putting on his pajamas and jumping into bed for a good night's rest. He laid in bed for a bit before noticing how constrictive his pajamas were. After a bit of tossing and turning, he took them off and threw them on the floor at the foot of his bed. Slowly, he let sleep take him.