Without any of their "guides" around watching them, Carlos had begged Jay to go to the stables. Even if it was only for a few minutes. Ever since Doug had pointed them out yesterday during the tour, he'd been longing to see it. Or, more accurately, the animals living there. According to Doug there were fifteen different horses kept on campus for various different sports and majors, whatever sports were.

It didn't matter. There were horses on campus and he was determined to spend time with them and Jay had agreed without much fuss. There were very few animals on the Isle and all of them were jealously guarded and controlled by Gaston. He had only ever been able to watch them from a distance. Being here, it was almost a dream.

The stables were better than anything he could've imagined. It wasn't a tall building, but it was long, longer than the dorms, and it wasn't obnoxiously fancy like all the other buildings on campus. Instead, it was simple wood and stone with a focus on functionality. Of all the places at the University, this one felt the most familiar, the most safe. There weren't people everywhere, and the only sounds were the horses moving around in their strange rooms or eating hay.

Even the smell was calming, though Jay muttered something about how it smelled like shit. Carlos didn't point out that that was a normal smell and it shouldn't bother Jay anymore at this point. Besides, there were other smells too. Something almost sweet and earthy and another smell that had to be the horses themselves. It smelled like life. It sounded like life.

Swallowing hard, he sank his nails into his palm to fight back the sting of tears. No crying in front of Jay. Not over something so stupid. A nudge pushed him forwards, closer to one of the horse's rooms.

"Get on with it, pup," Jay grinned, but there was no heat in his voice. "They look just as interested in you as you are in them."

With a small nod, Carlos stepped up to the wooden bars, wide enough for the animal to stick its nose through. The soft grey muzzle moved to sniff him and he held up a hand. Soft lips moved against his palm with little nibbles. Awed, Carlos stroked the horse's nose with his other hand, earning a soft huff of air. Still stroking the horse, Carlos looked over the room's door, spotting a label.

"Mist," he read. "Is that your name?"

The horse huffed again. Carlos felt like he was glowing inside.

He made his way through the stables, greeting every horse, learning their names, giving them all a good nose rub. While he was introducing himself to Quick Shot, a small furry creature wove between his legs, a strange thrumming sound coming from it. It looked exactly like what Lady Tremaine described as…

"A cat," he whispered, giving Quick Shot a final pat on the head before crouching slowly, trying not to scare the cat. Soft black and white fur covered its sleek body and a long thin tail stood proudly in the air. Yellow eyes blinked at him as the cat sniffed the offered hand.

"Like that old bat Tremaine talked about?" Jay asked from where he was leaning against the wall.

"Yeah," Carlos nodded. The cat rubbed against his hand, demanding to be stroked and he did as requested. Refusing felt like a crime against…something. Something good? "You're beautiful," he told the cat and it made the thrumming noise again. A purr if he was remembering the stories correctly.

After that, several other cats made their presence, and desire for pets, known. Two of them harassed Jay until the older boy gave in to the inevitable. He made Carlos swear to never speak of it again. That was fine by him. If Jay ever pissed him off he could use it as blackmail.

Eventually, Jay wandered back outside, Carlos following him, and the black and white cat following Carlos. Together he and the cat sat against the stable wall as Jay did a few stretches then dropped to the ground to start a round of pushups. Logically, Carlos should join him, build his own strength. But it was more a waste of effort on him. He wasn't like Jay and never would be. All he had to offer was speed; at least he was fast enough to earn a spot as one of Mal's pack.

With a soft meow, the cat moved to curl up in his lap, tiny paws massaging his leg as it purred. Absently, Carlos ran his fingers through its fur and managed to make the cat purr louder. He lost track of time, the sun warmer than it had ever felt on the Isle, the grass soft.

In his lap, the cat stirred and meowed and Carlos looked up to see an animal he didn't recognize approaching, head tilted, tail wagging slowly. The cat seemed to sigh before it stretched, bumped its soft head against Carlos's face, and moved to curl up a few feet away in a patch of sun.

Turning his attention to the new animal, Carlos extended a hand. Immediately the tail moved faster, the ears perked up, and the creature joined him. A wet nose sniffed his hand then his arm, dark brown eyes meeting his. Friendly eyes that didn't hide secrets or lie or judge. Eyes that were innocent, something only animals could be.

"Hi boy," Carlos grinned, running his hands through the slightly matted brown fur. "Where'd you come from?" He hadn't seen this animal around the stables and it hadn't been around campus yesterday. It wasn't very big, maybe the size of a goat. He would've noticed it unlike a cat. Cats seemed sneakier. Quieter. Kind of like him in a way.

The creature just waved its tail harder and Carlos laughed, scratching behind its ears. "You're a good boy, aren't you? What are you anyway? I never saw anything like you on the Isle. Not that we really had a lot of animals. Rats mostly." The tail moved faster. "You probably have fun chasing rats…Are there rats in Auradon? It doesn't feel like there would be."

It raised a hind leg to scratch behind its ear before shoving its head under Carlos's hand.

"If there are rats, you and the cats probably make sure there aren't so many," Carlos mused. "Wish we had some of you on the Isle. That would've been too dangerous for you though, since you have pretty fur..." Carlos shoved the thought away. "And we kind of need the rats. They don't taste great, but, well, they are food. You probably like how they taste though, huh?"

The tail thumped against the ground as the creature flopped down beside Carlos, head on his thigh. "Do you get to eat other things? Other than rats? Or are you not allowed to eat anything else?" He hoped animals were fed well here. He…he couldn't imagine heroes neglecting the animals. Not after so many of them were saved or helped by animals.

"You guys should've been the heroes," he murmured, scratching behind a floppy brown ear.

"Carlos, hi."

Carlos froze and lifted his gaze carefully. Standing only a few feet away was Prince Ben. And Carlos hadn't heard him get close! Stupid stupid stupid. Bracing himself, curling his body slightly over the animal resting against his leg in a useless attempt to shield it, Carlos swallowed.

"H-hi," he managed.

The prince considered him, gaze searching, assessing, trailing over him. But he didn't move closer. It was a temporary pause. It always was. Carlos couldn't abandon the strange animal or the cat, even if he could never win, so he was trapped. The only question was when the prince would strike and why. Jay was close enough that he'd be able to help. But he wasn't close enough to stop the first strike.

"Looks like you've made a couple friends," Prince Ben smiled, nodding towards the animals. "The cats here don't usually warm up to people so quickly."

"Oh." What was he supposed to say? To do? If he said the wrong thing, it could be the reason the prince attacked. Asking about the cats or acknowledging that he liked them was dangerous. They could become the prince's targets instead of him and…and he couldn't let that happen. "They kinda just showed up on their own," he said. There. That should be okay. He'd acknowledged their presence without giving an opinion.

"You should get to know them," the prince said, moving to pet the cat, who watched him. She let him pet her a few times before moving back to Carlos's side.

"Maybe," Carlos shrugged, fidgeting with the other creature's ears. Then, with a faint frown, he asked before he could stop himself, "Where'd he come from? I didn't see him on campus yesterday."

Strangely, the prince's expression fell a little. "He's a stray, actually. He likes to wander around campus for food and pets. I'd have-"

Whatever else the prince had to say after 'stray' faded as Carlos stared at the still happy animal sniffing his hand. A stray. Unwanted. No home. Nothing. Chest tightening, Carlos stroked the matted fur. He'd been thrown to the streets because no one wanted him…It was something Carlos understood. This time the tears couldn't be avoided and he swallowed.

"-dog."

Wait. What? Blood turning to ice, Carlos went still, breath catching in his lungs. "What?" he whispered.

"It's sad," Ben repeated. "He's a good dog."

Dog. Dog. Dog dog dog dog dog.

He couldn't move. Couldn't think. Couldn't breathe.

Dog. There's a dog. Right here. Next to him. Touching him.

A high-pitched whine escaped him.

"Carlos? Carlos, are you okay?"

Ben's voice sounded so far away.

"Carlos? What the fuck?" Jay. Jay! "Ben."

"He just froze," the prince said.

"What did you do?!"

"I don't know! We were just talking about the dog and-"

"DOG?!"

DOG. D. O. G.

The dog whined, big brown eyes sad, worried. Carlos fought to draw air into his lungs. A long, wet tongue licked his face, another whine following it before another lick warmed his face. Then another. And another. And another. And another. And another…No teeth. No growling. Nothing. Even though he was at the dog's complete mercy.

"Dogs aren't vicious."

"Like hell they aren't! That bitch Cruella knew all about dogs!"

"J-Jay?" Carlos gasped.

Immediately the older boy was focused on him, hand resting on his knife. Then swore when he saw the dog licking him. "Fuck. Fuck, Carlos hold on."

"It's…it's okay?" Carlos managed. "I-I think? It isn't-isn't attacking…"

Crouching, the prince called softly, "Come here, boy. Come on."

The dog hesitated, eyes meeting Carlos's again. Worried. Unhappy. Wanting to help. Nothing made sense anymore. This animal was supposed to be vicious. Attack him on sight. Not beg for scratches. Not lick him. Not look at him with an expression he's only seen a few times in his life. Gentle, he pushed the dog towards Ben. Giving him one final lick, the dog went to the prince. Once there was enough room to move, Carlos reached for Jay, who pulled him up.

As he wrapped an arm around the dog to keep it in place, the prince frowned. "Carlos, I-"

With a quick shake of his head, Carlos moved closer to Jay. There was too much in his head. Too much to process. Too much not making sense.

"Don't," Jay interrupted. "Just don't."

"I…Okay," Prince Ben nodded.

Still staying close to Jay, Carlos followed him back towards the dorms. But he looked over his shoulder to watch the dog watch him with those sad eyes. If he'd paid attention to the prince too, he would've seen the same look on the prince's face.