#gosha the komodo dragon

[w2beastars]

Dang, they really watered down Gosha in the anime

He is less funny, we don't get to see that he is a goof. Even if Legoshi is a bit stiff, he still has traits from his lizard grandpa.

And when he saved Toki it was from a leopard instead of a hippo.

It makes little sense for Gosha to use his poison on an animal he can easily overpower. Him using it on a giant hippo shows he can handle many different sorts of enemies

[mazojo]

Me when the boyfriend that doesn’t know he is my boyfriend breaks up with me unknowingly so to marry his alleged 6 month pregnant girlfriend instead of becoming Batman and Robin with me holding hands while saving the world to complete my 360 vision or something

[casreturns]

saw this old asian man on the plane that looked like if grandpa gosha was real☹️

[my-drama-heart2406]

gosha gives legoshi a lil poison every time he sees him to make sure he stays resistant to it, I believe. it's been a while since I read the manga. but it's one of the cutest little routines :3

No no, Legoshi is already immune.

Being Gosha's genetic grandson he has the komodo dragon eyes(which Yahya recognises) and immunity to the poison. I think it's mentioned that while the poison is deadly for anyone, even other komodo dragons, the ones who are genetically related are immune to the poison.

It's as you said. It's their cute routine. We do have the flashback scene of little Legoshi happily sucking the poison from his granpa's fingers. He says that it tastes like marmalade to him.

[deuterosapiens]

More of Beastars: The Final Season- Part One (episodes 3-5).

So the conflict we are setting up is that the Shishi-gumi have new leader, one who is quite simply actually insane (we have yet to see Melon depicted on-screen, but his off-screen presence is enough). They have been involved in an energy drink crisis which increases aggression in carnivores who have consumed meat. Meanwhile, we have finally met the Beastar, a horse named Yahya who is militant about keeping order in the world. Yahya has a history with a komodo dragon named Gosha, who just so happens to be Legoshi's grandfather.

On to the highlights!

Gosha's reunion with Legoshi is so incredibly weird. If this is the man who raised him, you have to respect that Legoshi is as socially adept as he is.

Louis has become so incredibly zoophagophilic (look at me coining a new word for "carnivore fetish") that he is physically incapable of having sex with his future wife. This is pretty damn funny, actually.

More baby Legoshi!

Legoshi comes out to Louis about having an herbivore fetish. Louis informs Legoshi that the only person who did not know was Legoshi himself.

Upon meeting a leopard seal, Legoshi continues his trend of having his entire personal belief system and world view overwritten by a total stranger.

We meet a Civet drug dealer. While there's all sorts of real-world precedence for this scene, it's still weird as hell.

Oh look, Pina! Aaaand he's gone. Well, that's rude.

Legoshi continues to go the extra kilomile by ripping his fangs out for Yahya. This will obviously not come up weirdly later.

Upon finding out that Legoshi has a job, the drama club jokes that they hope it isn't customer service. Legoshi of course has a delivery job. This bit amused me.

So, we are setting some things up that I expect will be interesting later. Unfortunately for me, gotta go to work. Oof.

[mlmvoreconfessionals]

how about gouhin eating gosha? big dude eating another big dude.

Call that a r.arepair

G.osha couldn't believe what he was seeing. His grandson, Legoshi, was walking out of the black market! He’d seen the wolf by chance before while walking and went to catch up to him, but lost sight. He’d just about given up when he finally found Legoshi again and…well, he just can’t believe his eyes!

He saw his precious grandson talking to some big panda before leaving. G.osha wants to go confront Legoshi about this but…he can’t bear to look at him right now! So he stays out of sight, waiting for the wolf to leave before going into the black market himself to confront the panda instead.

He knocks loudly on the door he’d seen the panda disappear into. Sure enough, the hulking figure answers. G.osha handles things as best as he can. Which is to say, he gets into G.ouhin’s face and starts yelling at him and reprimanding him for corrupting his grandson. He’s not usually so aggressive but he can’t stand to let someone do such horrible things to his grandson!

G.ouhin is understandably completely confused and he has no idea what the Komodo before him is going on about. What he does know is that the lizard is angry and naturally dangerous. So G.ouhin handles him the way he does any other dangerous carnivore. He clamps G.osha’s maw shut, opens his own, and crams the lizard’s head inside.

G.osha’s eyes widen as he finds himself being crammed into the slick, steaming maw of the panda. What...is happening? He’s frozen by the act. Is he really being devoured right now? A Komodo dragon...being eaten? All for trying to protect his grandson? Thick gulps begin to sound out around him, dragging him deeper. His shoulders and chest squeeze into G.ouhin’s maw, pinning his arms down and lifting his feet off the ground. The panda’s heart thuds in his ears as he sinks past G.ouhin’s chest, another gulp slurping in his stomach.

G.ouhin tosses his head back, slurping wetly. G.osha’s long legs and tail go right down the hatch, the panda’s abs bloating out with a slosh as he feels the lizard dive inside. One G.osha’s tail tip disappears between G.ouhin’s lips, he’s gone, reduced to a curled up bulge behind the panda’s stomach. G.ouhin grunts softly and slurps over his lips, shutting the door to his office and wandering back inside.

G.osha is surrounded by slick, tight walls that keep squeezing and churning over him. He’s curled up into a tight ball in a space slightly too small for his frame. He can’t move at all, and even if he could, he’s completely paralyzed by fear. How did this happen to him? He was just...trying to protect Legoshi like a good grandfather. G.osha winces as something splashes down on his head and drips between his eyes. It’s got the smell of alcohol. He really is just food now...

With a swig of whiskey, G.ouhin rubs over his gut. Now that he’s got the weird Komodo sealed away, he’s not so yappy. Whatever was wrong with him, it seems like he’s settled down. But someone like this can’t be left to go around, getting aggressive with people. That’s how ‘accidents’ occur. With a flex of his stomach, G.ouhin feels the lizard fold inside of him with little more than a surprise whine. A thick belch rumbles out of the panda, some green scales flaking from his maw. He grumbles as he picks some from his teeth. Maybe he’ll ask Legoshi about the lizard; he feels like the old man had been saying something about a wolf. Kid probably got into some kinda trouble again...

[tsunflowers]

damn it's too bad that you don't have a bestie to help you out with that, perhaps a komodo dragon named gosha

[leo-the-trashcan]

!Beastars s3 ep 10 spoilers under cut!

Ya'll remember that scene where Leanno asks Gosha to keep her komodo dragon heritage a secret?

This part right here.

Gosha says he's just happy he can share a meal with her without worrying about his venom which probably means Toki got accidentally poisoned by Gosha.

This makes me so sad because imagine accidentally killing your partner with something that you're born with and that's out of your control. Poor Gosha must've been devastated.

[jabberwockprince]

like, they're furries so a bunch of immature ppl already assume they're gonna be weirded out by the manga/anime bc they're stuck in the 2010 mindset of ew furries. then it's the fact that it's presented as "big scary wolf falls in love with soft bunny girl" reminiscent of all these romcoms. so i kinda get it when ppl just take beastars at face value

but beastars as a media about nonconventional ways of living and of being, relationships in general that are just out of the norm and so on? and the struggle of learning what's expected of you vs what you expect of yourself? yeah.

watching that one video on a queer reading of beastars and hoping they bring up how Juno read as extremely comphet, wanting to be in a "typical" straight relationship where she would be the submissive girlfriend, because it's what was expected of her and Legoshi

and then halfway thru meeting Louis she realized she loves pegging and domming skinny short boys

[gothamcitycentral]

Wife Guys

Rango: Rango is a pet chameleon with aspirations for the stage and stardom, but he desires companionship most of all. After being accidentally thrown out of his human's car, he starts his journey towards his destiny. Upon reaching the rough and tumble people of the West, he builds himself up as a western legend. Throughout the film, he realizes he must become truly become one.

Gosha: He is the protagonist’s, Legoshi's, pacifist grandfather and sole living relative, whose relationship has been strained since Legoshi's mother died. He is a Komodo Dragon who entered into an interspecies relationship with a wolf, Tori, fathering Legoshi's mother. Because he is a venomous reptile, he has faced much discrimination throughout his life. While interspecies marriage become legal 25 years after meeting Tori, they were still unable to wed due to laws against toxic animals marrying non-toxic animals. He fully accepts this fate as someone belonging to a shunned species despite wanting to live in the society, and is highly paranoid about accidentally poisoning someone.

[psychicdreamfriendoperator]

I remember a au on tumblr, where Leano tried to rid of her scales by a doctor, living with Legosi near of the black market for that. And she dies. Baby Legosi, traumatised is found by Gouhin who decide to raise him. And i wonder, do you think that Legosi would have been more adjusted more happy if raised by Gouhin? Would he have had less self-hate?

I think Legoshi would have been more realistic about himself, and what he needs as a carnivore.

— Psychic

sourcing legoshi’s self-hate

In my head, Legoshi’s self-loathing comes from two sources: 1) society and 2) Gosha's ‘pacificism’.

Beastkind society pushes the idea that all carnivores are inherently dangerous, and are instinct-driven beasts. It also pushes the idea that carnivores taking pride in their non-herbivorous traits (strength, claws, teeth) are bad. Carnivores are only good when in service to herbivores, when they work to maintain society's status quo. These harmful messages are spread by societal institutions, most popularly schools. When societal narms and values are spread through social institutions (think schools, churches, etc.), it is known as secondary socialisation.

Secondary socialisation trasmits society’s values, but society is only the latter part of the socialisation process.

The family is far more formative in transferring social values. When families instill norms and values into their children, it's known as primary socialisation.

All of this is to say: society transmits its values the easiest when those values have been built up by the family.

gosha's passivity

Gosha's ‘pacificism’ (or passivity, as I find to be more accurate) shaped Legoshi’s worldview more thann society. Society still played a role, mind you, but Gosha's values undoubtedly had a large impact.

I want to pay special attention to Gosha's species for a moment.

He’s a Komodo dragon; a type of venomous monitor lizard. Due to his venom, he is ostracised from society. Those who are familiar with any form of racism (be it against black folk, or another minority) can draw parallels between that and Gosha being forced to sit at the back of restaurants, and being threatened the one time he does sit out in the open at a restaurant. It's all very clearly discrimination.

But, Gosha doesn't really try to fight the status quo. And by “fight" I don't mean that he should be aggressive or anything like that — what I mean is that he doesn't try to fight the messages that his passivity sent to Legoshi. Something as simple as a “Legoshi, it isn't right how I am being treated” would have been enough.

By not voicing discontent with his status quo, Gosha sent the message that “it’s all right for venomous animals to be treated differently”. Given that Gosha is naturally cautious about his venom (as he really should be — we've seen what it is capable of), it provides a ‘justification’.

So the message then becomes “it's all right for venomous animals to be treated differently, because their venom sometimes hurts others”.

Adding on society’s message that carnivores are inherently dangerous nets you: “It's all right for carnivores to be treated differently because they sometimes hurt others”.

It is a sensible message when taken on its face.

In a world where your tiger friend is (purported to be) just as likely to maul you as the predator that killed someone on the news, it makes sense to be wary of all carnivores as a result. Self-preservation trumps all.

The problems start when that message is taken to its logical extreme.

That is to say: if one (1) carnivore has the potential to be dangerous, all carnivores are dangerous solely because they have the potential to be.

leano + the black market

I feel like this AU would only work if Gosha was out of the picture or if Leano was so certain that the Black Market descaling treatment would work that she would took her son.

I lean towards the second scenario even though I would personally find it weird that Leano wouldn't sneak off by herself to do any experimental treatment. If she hates being looked at by everyone to the point where even her own son knows that (and it's why he didn't turn around to face her even when she hugged him for the first time in a long time) ... I feel like there'd need to be a reason.

So, let's just say that she still wanted to have her son close to her and/or she was so confident that the Black Market treatment would work.

gouhin + raising legoshi

I personally cannot see Gouhin as the type to raise anyone. I feel like 'mentor' is a better term to use — he’ll give Legoshi the tools and knowledge necessary to keep himself alive, and he’ll give the kid a safe place to stay, and as much as an education as possible, but that's it.

I’m certain Gouhin has a soft spot for children (he raised one, after all), but I think he wouldn't want any child around his place of work. Especially considering that he works with carnivores who would otherwise be arrested for predation.

I can see Gouhin making arrangements for Legoshi to be looked after by someone he knows — it would be part of an attempt to give Legoshi as normal a life as possible.

Still, thanks to Gouhin, Legoshi learns more about carnivore physiology and psychology than he would have otherwise. Yet ... I don't believe that Gouhin would have dispelled much of the rumours around meat and meat consumption.

Maybe Legoshi’s innocent questions (“How come more carnivores in the Black Market don't go feral, even though they're always around meat?”) inspire Gouhin to rethink some of his methods and beliefs.

Legoshi’s curiosity would incite him to harass Gouhin for answers that the poor man, quite frankly, doesn't have.

No matter what happens though, Legoshi would have ready access to tools and materials that differ from that of mainstream society. Still, it would be up to Legoshi to use them effectively. Giving someone a map doesn't mean that they’ll use it.

And really, it could go either way — with Legoshi fully embracing mainstream medicine as it relates to feral carnivores.

But personally? I'd like it better if Legoshi realises that not everything written in the books are true. Maybe he could start a little observation diary. It's not as hands-on as Gouhin, but it's a way for Legoshi to organise his thoughts and ideas for carnivore rehabilitation.

gosha as an antagonistic force

While living with Gouhin, Legoshi learns the exact opposite of Gosha’s belief system — that being a carnivore doesn't mean that he deserves to be ill-treated.

Given that Legoshi was probably taken by his mother to the Black Market w/o Gosha's approval and/or consent ... I think it'd be interesting if Gosha was the antagonist.

I don't mean villain. I mean ‘antagonist’: someone who opposes the protagonist (Legoshi, in this case).

The antagonism here could stem from a difference between Gosha's belief system, and Legoshi’s own.

Remember: Legoshi is all Gosha has to remember his daughter by. A daughter who so hated the scales she inherited from him that she was willing to risk death just for the smallest chance of them being removed.

For Gosha to discover that his meek grandchild shares a belief system that is completely opposite to his own ... it'd be like a punch to the gut. A final and utter rejection, in a way.

And, here ends my rambling.

[mazojo]

Oh we are SO back

[it-was-such-a-sweet-time]

How different do you think Beastars would be if Legosi, Leano, Toki, and Gosha were species-swapped? That means Legosi, Leano, and Toki are Komodo Dragons while Gosha is a wolf. (Optional: Maybe in addition, Miyagi would also be a Komodo Dragon - if you took it further, maybe a member of the Dokugumi, unless the role of estranged dad could go to Savon?)

This is an interesting idea, because it also leads to the knock on effects. Firstly, Toki and Gosha swapping would probably mean it would be Gosha that died due to Toki's venom, so Legosi would have been brought up by his grandmother.

There's also the question of whether Leano would show visible hybridisation, or if that would be Legosi this time round. If Leano does, then I imagine her plot goes similarly to normal. Miyagi would be a deadbeat dad no matter what species he was, so if Leano is visibly hybrid then Legosi just gets raised by Toki.

If, on the other hand, Legosi is the one that shows visible hybrid signs, I can see his self esteem plummeting even further. Society's not kind to predatory carnivores as is, even less so to venomous ones, and now he's a hybrid to boot? And if it's very difficult to hide, I could see him just going full Melon over the unfairness of it all.

A bit further down the line: Jack would have no reason to be jealous of Komodo Dragon Legosi, the inferiority complex just isn't there and their friendship doesn't form as strongly. Maybe they're casual acquaintances, but that would probably be it, especially without the canine pack bond instinct.

Obviously Legosi doesn't go to 701 at Cherryton, if he goes to Cherryton at all, so he wouldn't meet any of the others. As a result, his support structure is literally Toki. And that's it. And since I could see Legosi, in his grief-stricken mind, blaming Toki for Gosha and Leano's deaths in this timeline, he could very easily just run away from home.

No options, the entire world hating his existence, I think it would be very easy for him to go down Melon's path somehow. Maybe stopping in with the Dokugumi, since they kind of are willing to accept him, but even then his hybrid traits always "other" him, even there.

I can't see any way this ends well for poor Legosi. But it's definitely an interesting universe, I might expand some of these ideas in later posts.

[uncaaj]

Fanfic: Beast of a World - Pilot (Beastars)

READ NOW ON AO3!

My Zoo Balances no longer made the floor creak as I stepped intently down the hall. My large bushy tail swished back and forth and no longer kicked up a small cloud of dust. I no longer had to hunch my back for the short ceilings, but I did anyway. 

Anticipation, anxiety, wonder, responsibility all settled onto my shoulders and into my head. Numerous doors were open with excited beasts mingling, both carnivore and herbivore, big and small, no longer as afraid for their lives. What would be waiting for me behind my door? After the whirlwind of a year I’d had with the ups and downs of coming to terms with who I truly am, and bringing down an entire institution in our city, I stopped in front of the entryway to the next chapter of my life and took a breath in and out.

I inserted the new key to room 504 of the newly renovated Beast Apartments and unlocked the door with a satisfying clunk. With a surge of adrenaline, I revealed my new home for the second first time ever. 

As was often the case, I struggled to find the right words to express what I felt. A light colored wood floor spread out in front of me, raised from where I stood by a step. The walls were plain white, untextured and awaiting its tenant’s personal touch. After a second, which felt like an eternity, I swallowed and blinked back to reality.

“It’s…bigger,” I said, my weighted voice coming out in a mere whisper.

“C’mon, man!” said Durham, coming to stand next to me in the doorway. “Compared to what it was? This is amazing!” He gestured an arm toward the empty apartment.

“I guess,” I responded, my arm coming to rest on my hip. 

“You don’t like it?” he asked.

Jack poked his nose through my arm. “Aw, he’s just having big feelings, right, Legoshi?”

I gasped at his sudden presence. “I-I mean-”

“What’s it look like?” asked Kolo.

“An empty apartment,” Durham snarked. 

Kolo jumped up behind me to look over us. I wasn’t expecting his weight on top of me and I lost my balance, taking everyone else to the floor with me in a dogpile.

We groaned for a moment until the sound of squeaky wheels coming to rest perked my ears up. Craning my neck as far as I could, I saw Boss on a luggage cart loaded with cardboard boxes. He gave us all a dirty look, brow creased, then vaulted onto the top of our dogpile. “Thanks for leaving me in the lobby, guys,” he grumbled.

+++

My name’s Legoshi. I’m a gray wolf. Well, gray wolf/Komodo dragon hybrid, but you’d never know that unless you know me. But I’ve come to know a lot of beasts in such a short time. I used to resign myself to the shadows, scared of myself and my place in the world around me, but so much has happened to me and because of me in so little time that I can’t think like that anymore. I have friends, family, love, and my own personal sanctuary, so it’s time to embrace life for all it’s worth and leave my world better than I found it.

+++

Move-in day was well underway, and I knew I’d want no other beasts to help me than my family from Cherryton Academy, the Room 701 Canines.

Jack set a box on the white stone countertop in my new expanded kitchenette. “How’s grandpa Gosha, by the way?”

“He’s doing good,” I said, knocking a loose fist against the wall, my intact ear pressed against it. “He wished I could stay longer once he heard renovations finished.” I removed my ear and it twitched. “Thicker walls.”

“You can tell?” asked Durham, heaving a box of his own.

“No, the landlord told me,” I said matter-of-factly.

Durham nodded. “Right.”

“You gonna cook a lot with your new kitchen?” asked Jack. 

“I suppose,” I said. What was formerly a mini fridge and portable one-burner stove in the corner was now a three-burner stovetop and full-sized fridge, with a proper cabinet unit to boot, terms I learned from Grandpa. “It would be cheaper than getting convenience store meals every day.”

“You work at an udon shop, though,” said Durham, giving me a playful punch. “Dinner’s taken care of right there, and it’s free!” Being an earth-colored coyote, he liked playing a little rough with us but we all knew him as a jovial, easygoing beast.

Kolo emerged from my new private bathroom and shook out his bushy English sheepdog ears. “That’s like going to the cafeteria every day and all they have is fried rice.”

“You kidding? That’s awesome!” said Durham.

“We’ll see how you feel after day three.” Kolo might’ve winked, but if he pushed his long bangs back and showed us his eyes, we and everyone within a five meter line of sight would be smitten with him.

“You just miss having infinite food that you don’t have to cook for yourself,” Durham smirked.

Kolo raised a finger as if to protest. After a pause, he let it dangle. “Got me there.”

Durham crossed his arms. “Spoken like a true gamer.”

“I love to cook,” said Jack, opening another box while seated on the floor. “It’s a great way to decompress from the day. And making something makes me feel good.” Jack could light up the darkest room just by talking to you and smiling. It was a labrador retriever trademark, and a big reason why we’ve been close friends since grade school.

“Maybe you can teach me some things,” I said, crouching down to help him unpack my small manga collection. “I can make egg salad and Bebebe’s number two, but that’s about it.” 

“You’ve never made Haru dinner?!” Boss exclaimed. 

I looked up toward his vantage point on the counter. He didn’t talk much, being a fennec fox in a world of bigger beasts. But when he did speak up, we listened.

“She…she never asked,” I said meekly.

Boss brought his palm to his face. “You’re fumbling all the important parts of dating.”

“Well, I’ve met her family,” I pointed out, standing up, “and we’ve had dinner at her house. That’s gotta count, right?” 

The silence was telling. 

I scratched the back of my bushy head. “I-is there a checklist I’m supposed to go through before we marry?”

“Legoshi,” said Durham, placing a hand on my shoulder. “There’s a method to this. We’re not reckless high school students anymore. We’re grown beasts now.”

“We’re all 19,” Kolo pointed out.

“That’s basically 30,” said Durham with a smirk. “I’m pretty sure brain development stops at 18.”

“Maybe yours has,” Jack giggled.

“Well, we can’t all be ‘special class’ Jack, now can we?” Durham retorted, pushing off me getly to go give Jack a noogie, to the labrador’s immediate protesting.

I set my rolled-up futon against a wall and smiled. It really felt like I was back in school again and I grasped for all of that wistful honey I could hold for the fleeting moments it was there. 

“I want to make sure I don’t mess this up,” I declared. “Haru deserves nothing but the best. I’ll have her over for dinner tonight and I’ll cook her something delicious.” I took out my phone and typed out a quick message: I’ve moved back into my apartment today. I would love to have you over for dinner tonight. I tapped the “Send” button on screen and my heart skipped a beat. “Okay,” I said, with an exhale, “It’s sent.”

“Way to go, Legoshi!” Jack cheered. The rest followed, congratulating me and patting me on my broad back.

“Heck, you could throw a party here if you wanted,” said Durham, spreading his arms to emphasize the added space in my room.

“I just can’t believe all this is mine,” I breathed. “I’ve never had something like this before. I don’t know how I’m going to fill it up.”

“Maybe Louis can help,” said Kolo.

“Louis…” I drifted off and leaned against the wall, looking out the nearby window at a missing presence not only in the room, but in my life.

Kolo lowered slightly, taken aback. “Did I pee on his flowers or something?”

“Legoshi hasn’t heard from him since the incident,” said Jack quietly. “Neither have we.”

“Sometimes friends drift apart,” Durham shrugged. “It happens.”

“Not to them,” said Jack, pointing his nose to me. 

Suddenly, my hand vibrated. “That was quick,” I noted.

“What’d she say?” asked Durham. The other dogs gathered around my phone, tails stiff with eagerness.

I pulled up her message. “Oh,” I murmured. “She has to study for a test tonight.”

All of our tails drooped, and my stomach burned with embarrassment. I should’ve foreseen something like this happening. “Maybe I asked her too soon.”

Kolo put his hands on his hips. “Certified 19-year-old moment.”

Durham dropped his ears and stared daggers at Kolo. “Shut up, man.”

+++

That sounds very nice, but I have a test coming up that I need to study for tonight. But I’m free tomorrow night, let’s do it then.

I pressed the “Send” button and set my phone down next to my mug. The door to the campus café opened with a ring and in stepped a pretty miniature rex rabbit in a fuzzy coat. The scar running in between her eyes and up head didn’t detract from the attractive black half-mask on her face. I waved at her and she nodded before walking to where I was seated and taking the other chair.

I slung an arm over the seat-back and asked, “So should I call you Ms. Campus now, Ako?”

She beamed, smiling stretching from tall ear to tall ear. “Haru, isn’t it fantastic? Eado was onstage for my acceptance speech too.”

I returned her sunny smile. “It’s good that you two have found true love.” Taking a sip of my tea, I said, “So when did the crowd stop throwing tomatoes at him?”

“Haru!” she slammed the table, grin not leaving all the while.

“Sorry,” I laughed, “I couldn’t help it.”

“Oh, we had them eating out of our palms!” Ako barked, her intensity on full display. “A rabbit getting back together with the handsome lion that literally scarred her for life?” She leaned back in her chair. “It’s a wonder we’re not trending on Beastbook.”

“Of course, you’re not dating him for that anymore, right?”

Ako cleared her throat. “Of course not. It’s just…hard to let bad habits go sometimes.”

“Yeah, I understand,” I said. “The Black Market incident gave us all time to think.” For a white dwarf rabbit like myself living in a world of bigger, more ferocious beasts, I realized that to truly live life on my own terms like I wanted, I had to accept what I truly valued the most, and it all pointed back to that strong, awkward, sweet-hearted gray wolf I called my boyfriend.

“So how are you and Legoshi?” asked Ako. “I still can’t believe he went from almost devouring you two years ago to you asking him to marry you and then divorce right after. Who does that?”

I shrugged. “I thought it was the only way we could remain on equal footing as a carnivore and herbivore. I wanted him to chase me forever, but he threw it right in my face. So here we are, facing the world together head-on.”

“I hope me and Eado can have what you two have,” she said, glancing at her phone.

“What we have wouldn’t trend on Beastbook.” Ako stuck her tongue out at me. “Legoshi moved back into his apartment today.”

“That dump?” Ako scoffed.

“Beast Apartments was never that bad,” I retorted. “But it’s much nicer now. I wonder how different his cardboard box table would feel in a bigger space.”

Ako snorted. “That’s like eating a five-star meal in a McHenald’s.”

“He invited me over to see it tonight, but I really need to study for my test on Friday.”

“Really?” Ako asked. “How hard could it be to memorize a bunch of flowers?”

“As hard as it is to memorize every kind of shoe for a fashion degree.”

Ako thought for a moment and said, “Touché. Well, maybe take your stuff with you and have a study session, if you get my drift.”

She gestured her ear at me and heat rose to my cheeks. “They didn’t always end like that, you know, even at Cherryton.” I rolled my eyes, being reminded of my promiscuous past. Instead of dwelling on it, I retrieved my phone from my bag and pulled up Louis’s contact. “But speaking of, I should let Louis know. He’ll be glad to know Legoshi’s back on his feet again.”

“I can’t imagine being friends with the one and only Horns Conglomerate president,” said Ako, twirling an ear in her fingertips. “What does a person with that much power do with himself?”

“I ask but he doesn’t say much,” I said. “Legoshi says he hasn’t talked to him since the incident. I wonder why…”

+++

What does the president of a multi-billion yen corporation with more social influence than our mayor do all day? I thought, opening the ornate mahogany door. He sits pretty at meetings watching his underlings debate, then he returns to his office to contemplate his next public address. All in all, it doesn’t amount to much.

As I stood in front of what used to be my father’s office, I couldn’t help but say to myself, “Is it going from one cage to another if it has its own private toilet?” I chuckled at my morbid joke, a sense of humor I admit developed more and more since I took up his old mantle.

I set my briefcase down beside my expensive hand-carved mahogany desk and fell into my faux-leather chair, filled mahogany bookshelves flanking me to my rear and to either side. In as noisy and chaotic a life as I had lived to this point, I had not yet gotten used to the silence of my office in the Horns Conglomerate, the corporation led by only red deer. I had at least gotten used to the same mahogany stain #45 used in every piece of furniture.

My phone vibrated against my chest, and I pulled it from my suit jacket.

Did you hear that Legoshi moved back into his renovated apartment? wrote Haru. He invited me over but I’ll have to come tomorrow night. Maybe you should go over tonight and make sure he’s doing okay.

I sighed. “Of all the things to break me out of the beauty of corporate board monotony, it could only be that wolf.”

I’ll admit, I’ve let my responsibilities get in the way of our friendship, but life isn’t like a movie. I don’t get what I want when there’s work to be done. It’s always been this way.

“He misses you. And I do too.”

I’d heard that phrase a time or few from Haru since the incident, but it felt different this time. It was as if the universe itself was compelling me to check up on him. I decided to give him a call. The dial tone rang once, then twice, then…

“Louis! Thank goodness!” came his frantic voice. 

A flood of memories came back to me, each one flying by faster than the last. My bad leg began to ache at the nub. He was only this wired before he did something dangerous. I wasn’t sure I could handle that again. Perhaps that’s why we hadn’t spoken.

“Wh-what’s going on?” I asked, a shake already in my voice.

“I-I need some advice-should I buy a couch or some barstools?”

I paused, my eyelid twitching. “E-excuse me?”

“I only have enough money for a couch or a barstool set, but I don’t know what I need more!”

I felt a migraine coming on. “You, the wolf who brought the Black Market to its knees, are calling a very busy president for furniture advice?!”

“Sorry,” he said, “I just thought since you’re older and have your own place, you’d know more about these things than me. A-and you called me, right?! I haven’t heard your voice in so long!”

I shook my head. “As much as I too delight in hearing from you again, you’re hopeless.”

“S-sorry.”

“And stop apologizing!” I sounded like a father scolding his son. I am two weeks his senior.

“This isn’t a good time for you, is it?” I could hear his ears drooping.

I leaned back in my seat. “No, it’s fine,” I assured him. “It’s just nice to hear you’re not about to run headfirst into a fight to the death.” 

“I’ll admit, it’s nice getting to live a normal life now. I moved back into Beast Apartments. I’m having Haru for dinner tomorrow- er, over! Having her over for dinner!”

“I know what you meant,” I said, using all I had to keep from laughing out loud.

“I want it to look like a proper home for her, not just the shabby room it used to be.”

I smiled. “At this point, Legoshi, I doubt you have to earn her love anymore.”

“I feel so lucky to get to be her beast. Until I feel worthy of it, I want to earn it any way I can.”

It was truly admirable. The kind of love they had, I knew it would last a lifetime. “You’re stealing my lines, you know.”

“I…I am?”

“From ‘Adler.’ You said I would know more than you, wouldn’t I?”

“Yeah, you’re right. You wore his mask.”

Ah, my acting days. “Meet me at Don Quixote in 15 minutes.” Hanging up, I pulled up my messages with Haru and wrote, You sure you won’t visit him tonight? He’s asking me to help him buy furniture.

She responded after a moment, What’s he wanting to buy?

I tapped on my latest-generation phone, an advantage of being suddenly wealthy, Either a couch or barstools. I’ll help him buy a whole living room if it gives you enough time to come see him tonight.

The response, You always know how to put yourself aside and get things done.

Suddenly it felt like the world was looking in on me with piercing eyes. What’s that supposed to mean? I texted.

See you both tonight. ^_^, she said.

I locked my phone and rubbed my temples. Constant thorns in my side, the pair of them, and I couldn��t imagine a life without them.

+++

Louis opened my apartment door and entered, tossing the key on the kitchen counter. I lumbered in after, the three boxes of furniture we bought cradled in my arms. My arms burned as I inched down toward the floor in the middle of the room. 

Louis looked from one corner of the ceiling to the other. “It’s…bigger,” he said.

My breath cascaded out as I finally set the boxes down. “Talk about stealing lines,” I panted, leaning on the boxes. “I said the same thing earlier. That’s why I’m glad you’re here. I don’t want it to be just a shabby room anymore.”

I wiped my brow and turned to Louis, expecting him to respond. But he continued to look around my room, taking slow steps around the perimeter. The boxes from earlier were in a pile next to my futon which we laid out in the corner. On top of it was my modest collection of belongings. Other than that, the space was empty.

“What are you looking at, Louis?” I asked, leaning to the side.

He abruptly turned back to me then looked down. He straightened his black tie and shoved his hands into his tailored trouser pockets. “Somehow…” he said, “I find myself feeling nostalgic of the peril I’ve endured with you over the past year. It seems so far away and feels so much more meaningful when all I do is meet with the same eight pairs of horns all day.”

“We haven’t talked to each other in a while,” I said, rubbing my arm where I once drew my blood into a bag with his. “I…wasn’t sure if we were still friends.”

Louis smirked, lifting his trouser leg to show me his prosthetic. “Silly wolf. I’m a part of you whether you like it or not. If any normal beast knew my path would set them up for life, maybe they’d have their leg eaten sooner.”

I choked on my voice and stumbled back. “Hey! Y-you know I don’t like you joking like that!”

“And I dislike you apologizing when you don’t need to,” Louis responded.

“Sorry,” I said. I groaned and sputtered for a moment. “Wh-where’s this coming from?”

“We are where we are thanks to each other. You’ve changed our world because of your strength and conviction.”

One of our old back and forth discussions. My mind made the switch in an instant. “And you gave me the conviction I needed every time. When I saved Haru from the Shishi-Gumi, when I fought Riz, and when I took on Melon and the Black Market. You were always there for me.”

“I played my bit part,” Louis retorted. “Even now, I’m not sure how impactful my work with the Horns Conglomerate really is.” He crossed his arms. “We’re making record profits and yet, my work of overseeing useless meetings and writing speeches is never done.”

“It sounds like you’re not happy,” I said.

Louis shut his eyes, deep in thought. When he opened them, his face was hard. “I don’t need to be happy,” he said. “I need to fulfill my responsibilities.”

I walked up to Louis so that our muzzles were a breath apart. “Fulfilling your responsibilities shouldn’t mean throwing away your own happiness. Your life doesn’t have to be like it was before.”

Louis gasped and stepped back, wide-eyed and so vulnerable. “Are…are you okay?” I asked him.

He laughed wetly and turned away from me. He never liked to show his emotions in front of people. Perhaps I had said what he needed to hear, which amazed me. I gave him all the time he needed to compose himself. He spoke again with his back to me. “You’re right.  I’ve missed you…so much, Legoshi. I’m sorry I never reached out sooner.”

“It’s okay,” I said, putting a hand delicately on his shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re here now. I didn’t want to start my new life without you.”

Louis nodded, the light reflecting in his damp eyes. He wiped them and stared right into my soul. “Just make me a promise.”

How did he get more beautiful with every meeting? “Yeah?”

I listened closely to his every word. “Your life is as valuable as the herbivores you care about. Promise me you’ll look after yourself.”

I nodded, recalling the pain I put him through to help me accomplish my goals. “I don’t need any more scars. But they’re worth seeing you and Haru smile every day.”

Louis’s shaken exterior gave way to genuine contentment and we embraced, reforging the bond we built over two years of destiny. My most valuable friend had returned to my life and I never wanted him to let go, for both his sake and mine.

A throat clearing brought us back to reality. My ear flicked and I turned toward the sound to find the other herbivore I would lay down my life for. My girlfriend.

“Pretty emotional for a furniture-building party,” said Haru, standing in the doorway.

I ran over and crouched down to her. “Y-you made it!”

“Of course! I didn’t need to study as much as I thought. It’s a special day.”

I kissed her, and ushered her inside.

“Thanks, Louis,” she said, hugging him.

Louis nodded. “Anything for you both, and I mean that.”

“With you two here, it really feels like home now,” I declared, and I meant it too. I pulled them both into another hug and our tails wagged furiously.

+++

We were all seated on the floor, building my new entertainment center. Louis decided I needed a TV so he obliged by buying it along with the furniture for it. I insisted on buying the barstools.

“You really could throw a party here with all this space,” said Haru, handing me an Allen wrench.

“I’m not the best at parties,” I said, taking the wrench and screwing in a shelf. “The last party I went to, the music was too loud, I couldn’t recognize anyone in their beast masks, and a lady came onto me and grabbed my crotch.”

Louis stopped his unpacking and looked toward me with shock. “Isn’t that also when Melon shot you?!” he exclaimed.

I thought for a moment, then nodded. “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.”

Haru’s gentle features grew concerned. “And you’re more concerned that you were groped by a stranger?”

I shrugged. “Certified 18-year-old moment.”

[dailybeastarsthings]

Chapter 56 – Reunited

The end of one student’s year is the beginning of another one. The boys of Room 701 were heading back to their room from breakfast, discussing how the weather was gradually getting warmer again as spring approached. Some of them were also chuckling about how Jack kept wearing Legoshi’s shirts after he dropped out.

‘I think it’s a habit of him now’ Jack overheard Collot saying.

‘Well, Labradors get lonely quite easily’ Durham said.

‘Well, it would still fit me better though. We wear the same size of clothing after all’

Jack lowered his head, trying to appear a bit more small-profiled.

‘I’m not lonely!’ he thought. ‘It’s just that him leaving was so sudden. But I know we’ll be friends forever.’

Suddenly, his phone started buzzing in his pocket. As he looked on its screen, he soon remembered who the number belonged to. It was Legoshi’s grandfather. Jack picked it up.

‘Um… Hello?’ an older voice asked nervously in the open line.

‘Oh, it’s you, sir! Hello!’ Jack replied in a friendly tone when he realized it was Legoshi’s grandfather on the other side of the line.

‘Oh, it’s been such a long time, Jack. How are you?’

‘I’m been doing fine, what about you?’

The others watched in awe how social Jack turned in a minute because of a phone call. They all agreed that Jack was possibly the most sociable Labrador they have ever seen.

‘I know this will sound strange’ the elderly friend continued ‘but Cherryton refunded the annual tuition of Legoshi. They’re telling me he dropped out? What is that all about?’

‘Oh, I thought you already knew since the signature of a family member is mandatory if you want to drop out’ Jack said in surprise, drooping his ear. He felt sorry for Legoshi’s grandpa not knowing anything about his grandson.

‘I see…’ he sighed. ‘I guess even when he is dropping out, he doesn’t need my signature… I suppose it’s the sad fate of a Komodo dragon… Society will never recognize me as Legoshi’s grandfather…’

‘Oh, don’t be like that, Gosha… I mean sir!’ Jack turned red. ‘Just because your marriage was illegal and you’re not listed as a relative by blood, it doesn’t mean you mean any less for Legoshi. I’m sure he loves you a lot. I’m sorry, I should have thought before I spoke…’

‘Don’t worry, Jack. As far as the school is concerned, I’m just a scaly purse walking around on two legs, paying good money for a young wolf’s education. But there’s no doubt we’re related by blood… Legoshi’s my grandson. And I worry about him.’

‘He isn’t the kind of animal who acts without thinking. I’m sure he had a reason to drop out. I believe this would be the perfect time for you two to reconnect. I can tell you his address’ Jack offered.

‘Thank you, Jack, it would mean a lot to me’ he could hear Gosha smile on the other end of the line.

***

It was a busy night in the Bebebe udon noodle shop. This was a place where Legoshi got his first job as a cook. His new boss, Sunaga the barn owl, almost gave him a job as a waiter due to Legoshi’s vast knowledge about all the different species of animals, but his scar left Sunaga with no choice but to put him into the kitchen to help out. Legoshi was surely not the fastest cook in the history of udon shops, yet he tried his hardest. Some of his waiter colleagues and the patrons, however, would have liked him to be a bit more effective…

‘Good grief, is order 76 finally ready?’ a gazelle waitress asked.

Legoshi handed over a bowl of steaming udon.

‘Okay, I’ll be taking this’ the gazelle said. As he reached for the bowl, he slightly touched Legoshi’s hand, who in return, pulled it away rapidly… with the soup glued to it.

‘I’ll take this one. Could you please take the next one? I’m really sorry about this’ Legoshi said, a bit flustered. He was still a bit tense in the company of herbivores after eating Louis’ foot.

‘You’re so innocent!’ the waitress laughed. Getting so nervous after you touched my hand a little. You sure know how to make an old lady happy’ she smiled.

As time passed, Legoshi was slowly getting used to working with other animals of different shapes, sizes and ages. Working in such an environment made him more confident about living in the fringes of society. He also learnt a lot about the workings of the restaurant and its patrons.

When the last guest walked out full and satisfied, Sunaga closed the doors while the others started cleaning. They took off the tablecloths, cleaned the tables and the chairs, mopped the floors and cleaned the restrooms.

‘Why did you want to work here, Legoshi?’ Miika, a female African lion cook asked Legoshi in the locker room as they changed back to their regular clothes.

‘Well, I just found this job on a job-offer website and it just happens to be close to my apartment, so…’

‘There’s also probably the fact that most restaurants pay good money’ the gazelle said. ‘It really helps that you can take so many shifts.’

‘Oh, it’s nothing’ Legoshi said humbly. ‘I’m just glad that both carnivores and herbivores get along so well here.’

‘That’s normal! We’re adults!’ Miika said.

‘Anyway, I’ll be going, see you tomorrow!’ the waitress said before leaving.

Sunaga and the others, Donson the stoat and Thomas the raccoon waved goodbye. There was a moment of silence after the door closed before Miika grabbed Legoshi by his shoulders while the others gathered around him.

‘Now, it’s time for your welcome party at the Black Market’ she said with a wide grin on her face.

‘Wait a minute, hold on!’ Legoshi protested. ‘I can’t go there!’

‘Oh, right… You’re only 17’ Miika said in disappointment.

‘You haven’t been there before?’ Sunaga asked in surprise. ‘But you do at least know what kind of place it is, right?’

‘That’s not what I mean! We’ve been working alongside herbivores the whole day! How can you even think about going to the Black Market to eat meat?’

‘We were thinking about you, Legoshi. Really’ Miika said in an almost motherly tone. ‘We’re carnivores, we know what you’re dealing with. You had a violent experience eating meat, right?’ she asked as he placed her hand on Legoshi’s shoulder. ‘We can see how you’re trying to avoid touching the herbivore staff because you’re suffering from meat withdrawal. You need to eat meat from dead animals, which they sell in the Black Market.’

‘I’m really thankful that you care this much about me’ Legoshi smiled. ‘However, I’m meeting someone tonight, so I can’t go.’

The others let out a disappointed ‘Aww’ before hugging Legoshi. They all got changed and parted ways at the entrance of the restaurant. Legoshi decided to take the longer way home to appear as if he was really going to somewhere. As he was walking, he kept staring in front of him on the ground. He missed Louis and Haru a lot. He wanted Haru to be there so she could tell him how stupid he was, while he wanted Louis to be there so they could catch up. He yearned the red deer’s company, his heart ached for him not being there, but he knew it was an impossible situation for him. For now, he felt it was best for them to be apart, but he knew that when the time would be right, he would meet them in a heartbeat.

When he got to his apartment, Legoshi reached inside his pocket to take out his key to the main entrance. He couldn’t help but feel watched, however. As he looked around, he saw an elderly Komodo dragon staring at him. Legoshi’s heart skipped a beat when he realized it was Gosha, his grandfather.

‘Oh, grand-’ He couldn’t finish his sentence because the Komodo dragon walked up to him while he licked his index finger before placing it inside Legoshi’s mouth. Legoshi blinked a few times, tasting the bittersweet poison on his tongue, in surprise before the reptile took his finger out of his mouth. Suddenly, he felt the scale-wrapped arms of him hugging him.

‘How are you, Legoshi?’ he asked with a wide smile on his face.

‘Well, that’s a peculiar way to greet your grandson for your 5-year reunion’ Legoshi chuckled uncomfortably.

‘Well, it’s not like my poison would hurt you, right?’ Gosha said before hugging Legoshi tightly. ‘You’re my only grandson…’

Legoshi could feel tears on his grandpa’s face, dampening his fur. When they stopped hugging, Legoshi suggested going to a nearby bistro, just the two of them, like old times. When they walked in, Legoshi walked to one of the many free tables, which was tight next to the window, having a great view of the main street and its many colors in the night.

‘This table would be just fine’ he said, pulling out a chair.

‘But there are plenty of other seats around’ Gosha said hesitantly, trying to walk away. Legoshi grabbed him by the edge of his cardigan.

‘No reason to sit so far in the back.’

‘Yeah but…’ Gosha started, but Legoshi had already taken a seat. The Komodo dragon couldn’t help but notice the changes in his grandson’s behavior, thinking back to the old days when they would take the seat at the far end of restaurants to hide from society. It had almost been like as if they were running from a murderous gang, avoiding to be seen together by anyone. Eventually, he took a seat across Legoshi. Soon a mustelid waiter arrived, greeting them.

‘Good evening, sir. May we see the menu, please’ Legoshi said politely.

Gosha was amazed how well-behaved Legoshi was: keeping eye contact with smaller animals, hiding his claws as part of the carnivore etiquette and maintaining great posture at all times.

‘I take my eyes off him only for a short time and he has already grown up!’ he thought.

There was an awkward and uncomfortable silence lingering around them, almost acting as a wall. The two of them were looking quietly into the street, watching the animals walk by in the evening.

‘Is it my fault!?’ Gosha said awkwardly, almost yelling.

‘What!?’ Legoshi asked in surprise, not having any idea what his grandfather was talking about.

‘You dropping out of school and that large scar on your face! Is it my fault that you’ve turned delinquent!? I took care of you when your mother couldn’t so it must be my fault. I can’t imagine anyone else being responsible for this. I’m the one who exposed you to discrimination. It makes sense that you’d want to rebel from this society. But I-’ Legoshi touched Gosha’s hand.

‘Don’t be so hard on yourself, please. I’m sorry I never told you about what’s going on with me, like, dropping out and such. By the way… I know about pacifism. You were always teaching me about it. You were always smiling when I was with you. There was never a time when I felt sorry for our circumstances, grandpa.’

Soon, the waiter arrived with the menus, handing one to both of them. Gosha pulled out his reading glasses and started going through the possibilities.

‘Alright, I’ll be treating you just like old times’ he said, smiling widely.

‘Wait, are those reading glasses?’ Legoshi asked in surprise when he looked up from his menu.

‘They are. I’m turning 54 this year, I’m not young anymore so I need them…’ Gosha said. ‘Anyway, I’ll order some fries for you. You still like them, right?’

Legoshi nodded politely. Even though he was not that fond of fries anymore, he didn’t want to upset his grandfather. He only wanted to enjoy some time with him. Suddenly, a flock of roosters walked up to them.

‘Why is a toxic lizard sitting t one of the good tables?’ one of them asked, talking down to Gosha. ‘It’s a full house old-timer, you ought to leave before you turn this place into a gas chamber.’

Legoshi’s smile froze off immediately.

‘Excuse you, I don’t think I heard you right’ he said as he stood up. ‘Do you seriously think that Komodo dragons emit poisonous gases?’

‘Don’t get smart with me, pup! You wanna fight?’ the rooster tilted his head.

‘Sure, why not?’ Legoshi shrugged his shoulders.

‘Oh, excuse me’ a crocodile entered the scene. ‘We have other customers in this restaurant. You’ll have to wait in line if you want a table’ he said to the roosters.

‘Unbelievable. What a shitty restaurant, I’ll never come back. You’re lucky the owner is a reptile’ he looked stirnly at Legoshi from behind the crocodile. Legoshi sat back on his chair.

The two of them ate their meals in silence.

***

‘I’m really disappointed in you, grandson’ Gosha said when they were walking back to Legoshi’s apartment. ‘You have really turned fully delinquent. You acted like a thug back there. That’s not the way I raised you!’

‘You can’t expect me to not stand up for you when they talk to you like this. I’m 17. I refuse to act like a spectator when they hurt or insult you!’ Legoshi defended himself.

‘You’re still a little kid, don’t be presumptuous. I’ve been discriminated against my whole life, get used to it. Do you even remember the meaning of pacifism?’

Legoshi wanted to answer but he was interrupted by the sound of flapping wings. A lot of them, actually. It was the rooster and his friends from the restaurant, surrounding them in the alley, in which they were walking.

‘There you are’ the rooster said. ‘I hope you don’t mind if we return the favor of you making asses of us. You pair of freaks!’ he lashed out at Legoshi.

‘Don’t you dare even think about touching my grandson!’ Gosha jumped between them, clawing the rooster’s wing. Blood started to spill out of it. The rooster let out a mild scream. ‘That’s right. You’re lucky I won’t do worst with feathers as soft as yours.’ He looked back at Legoshi to check if he was alright. The other roosters sensed the danger and started flying towards Gosha to defend their friend.

‘So, as I was saying’ Gosha continued as he looked around to scale up his position ‘you’re still a little kid, but you have some maturity in you, so I’ll start teaching you in more detail. You see, pacifism is a fine thing. It only has meaning…’ he paused for a moment as he grabbed a rooster by the neck of his coat, lifting him up from the ground. ‘When the strong uphold it.’ Gosha seemed like a superhero to Legoshi all of a sudden. ‘I’ll tell you more when we’re done with these punks. I could use your help, you know…’

Legoshi watched in awe as his grandfather kept fighting with such nimble movements as a 20-year-old. He couldn’t believe Gosha would be hiding a secret identity from him. A punch here, a kick there and the avians had no choice to retreat momentarily.

‘Are you hurt anywhere?’ Gosha turned to Legoshi, panting.

‘I’m fine’ Legoshi answered timidly. ‘What about you? There’s a lot of blood on your face…’

‘Oh, this? Don’t worry, it’s not my blood’ Gosha laughed. ‘Still, they’re pretty tough.

From the corner of his eye, Legoshi could see one of the roosters approaching Gosha with a crowbar. He quickly pushed him aside and grabbed the bird by his neck, choking him slightly. The bird’s eyes became swollen and red as he was gasping for air.

‘Are you going to finish him?’ Gosha asked.

‘Finish him?’ Legoshi asked in surprise. He never would’ve thought of hearing anything like this from his grandpa. Who was he?

‘Please, just let me go!’ the bird begged.

Legoshi decided to have mercy on the bird. Not without teaching him a lesson first though. He raised his leg up and kicked the rooster in the chest, sending him flying for a good few meters. He quickly got up and ran away towards the main street, yelling something about how the other two were maniacs.

Legoshi looked around. There were bodies lying motionless in the alleyway everywhere around them.

‘Birds’ bodies are meant to fly. They’re not meant to fight on land…’ he sighed. ‘I hope they’ll be okay.’

‘How do you know that? Are you used to fighting?’ Gosha asked with an almost satisfied and knowing smile spread across his face.

‘What!? No! I… read it in a book!’ Legoshi tried to hide the obvious. ‘You, however, have a lot of explaining to do! What was that all about grandpa?’

‘Well, all I did was smack them around for a bit’ Gosha chuckled. ‘They’ll wake up in a few ours… Give or take.’ He reached for his cardigan and put it back on. ‘It sure is cold tonight.’

‘You should wipe your face, there’s a lot of blood on it.’

‘Really? Then we better find a place with water quickly.’

‘He’s gone back to “grandpa mode”’ Legoshi thought. ‘I don’t think that cardigan suits him anymore though…’

After washing up a little, Gosha insisted on buying celebratory drinks for their victory. They walked to the nearest grocery store, where Legoshi went for his classic carton of milk, while Gosha grabbed a can of dry beer. Since he forgot his wallet at work, Legoshi paid for the drinks with the emergency money he kept hidden in the sole of his shoe.

With their drinks in their hands, they walked to the Gazura Bridge where they sat down on a bench. It was getting a bit late and cold. Legoshi zipped up his jacket.

‘You know, I’ve never seen you drink alcohol before’ he said when Gosha cracked his can open.

‘Oh, right. I’ve stopped drinking when you started living with me. I didn’t want to set you a bad example’ Gosha said, his thoughts wandering away a bit. ‘What were we talking about on the way here?’ he tried to think back to their conversation. ‘Oh, right. Your “emergency money”. I didn’t know you still use this trick. It must have helped you out a lot, huh?’

‘Yeah, there were occasions it was useful to have it around…’ Legoshi said while he thought back on the night he used the money to pay for the hotel room where he spent the night with Haru. He swore never to tell that to his grandfather. They sat there silently, each with their own secrets. Legoshi had five-years-worth of it, but Gosha… Legoshi wasn’t even sure he knew him anymore. What could Gosha, the Komodo Dragon be hiding from him?

‘You know, I’ve never tried to know more about what kind of animal you are’ Legoshi started. ‘You must have had it real rough being discriminated against just because you’re a poisonous reptile… Did falling in love with a female wolf make you happy? I want you to tell me more about your past and circumstances. I don’t think I know anything about you… Not even why you’re always smiling at me.’

Gosha smiled at Legoshi before saying ‘A grandfather doesn’t need a reason to smile at his grandson.’ He reached for Legoshi’s scar and touched it. ‘Such a big scar…’ he said as he rose up from his seat. ‘You know, I’m content with being your nice old grandpa. That’s my happiness. It’s been my reason for living since you were born. But if you’ve already grown up to be such a kind male, then I’d say I’ve already achieved all I wanted in life!’ he cheered.

‘Are you drunk, grandpa?’ Legoshi asked, shaking his head. Gosha looked at him.

‘I really do mean it, Legoshi. I want you to meat Yafya. I want to know what would happen if he met you, even though it won’t make up for what I did to him…’

Smelling how drunk his grandfather had become from one can of beer, Legoshi decided to order a cab for him. He walked him to the corner where the taxi was waiting for them. He helped Gosha into the car.

‘You know, Legoshi… I really hope that one day, you’ll find your female wolf to fall in love with…’ Gosha said.

‘Well, you know…’ Legoshi began as he looked to the side. ‘I didn’t want to tell you about this yet but I’ve been in love with a male red deer for a while now…’ Gosha’s eyes widened when the words finally hit his understanding. Legoshi let out a laugh when he saw his grandpa’s expression. ‘I guess I gave you quite a bombshell just now. I’ll see you later’ he said before closing the door.

The taxi drove off, Legoshi waved after it then walked away, while Gosha was left alone with his own thoughts.

‘Is interspecial romance an inherited trait? Why did he drop this bombshell on me before we parted ways?! What else are you not telling me, Legoshi!?’

[mlmvoreconfessionals]

Oof, that Gosha prompt was good... any chance we could get a followup where he digests the two?

Absolutely. So read this one first if you want the context.

G.osha was in no rush to finish his tea. It might have drowned out the flavor of his double meal, but his occasional wet belches let their combined flavor come back up. L.egoshi and L.ouis wiggled around every time the old komodo dragon drank some tea and let it splash down over their bodies. G.osha licks his lips and rubs over his gut softly. "Oh, boys...you really made this old man feel young again."

The lizard’s green scales are stretched fairly over his two meals, letting him see even the little details of the two delicious young men packed so tightly together inside. L.ouis seems rather angry, constantly moving around as much as he can to try and get free. L.egoshi, however, just seems frightened and occasional calls out for his grandpa to get them out over the thick gurgling of the hungry stomach. G.osha’s only response is a rather crass belch that makes even him blush.

They’d be stewing all night in there, G.osha knows. His stomach hasn’t had meat like this in a long time. Even one of them would take some time, but both? He wouldn’t be surprised if they’re still kicking come morning. Or, well…he looks down contemplatively at his stomach, licking his lips. L.egoshi might make it but L.ouis? That delectable red deer likely doesn’t have much resilience to a Komodo dragon’s bodily fluids. He won’t take nearly as long.

After finishing the tea over the course of a couple hours, G.osha got to his feet and stretched out. His meals complain when the stomach gets more cramped and the old man lets out a very deep belch into the air, brown and grey fur fluttering off his thick breath. His gut lets out a deep groan and he gives it a few pats. “I really appreciate you two coming over, but I think it’s time I turned in for the night. Don’t be strangers now.” He smiles and waddles off, his stomach sloshing as he walks.

He goes about his usual nightly routine, taking a bath and getting ready for bed with a few last chores. By the time he gets himself into bed, his stomach is groaning and churning wetly, started to settle in on working down so much meat. G.osha let’s put a mighty yawn and pulls the blanket over himself. He hears a muffled whine from L.egoshi, one last plea to be let out. The Komodo dragon smiles and puts a hand over the frightened face bulge the wolf made. “Sleep well, L.egoshi. You know I love you.” With a few gentle Pat, G.osha closes his eyes and falls right asleep. The two young men in his gut aren’t able to sleep, though, as the stomach continues to work ruthlessly over them. They squirm and yell well into the night but they never make the old predator stir.

G.osha wakes up in the morning with a deep yawn, which evolves itself into a very deep, wet belch that brings up the distinct flavor of deer and wolf meat. He licks his lips and rubs over his stomach. “Aaah…good morning, boys. Are you still with me?” He removes the blanket to inspect the damage.

L.egoshi is still clearly in one place, twitching a bit when G.osha begins to move around. L.ouis, however, didn’t survive the night. The bulges the deer had made are now distinctly bones, most of the meat stripped from him and reduced to a bubbling slop that L.egoshi is undoubted swimming in now. G.osha smiles gently and rubs along the bulge of the wolf’s face, coaxing a whimper from him. “I’m sorry your boyfriend couldn’t be with us this morning, L.egoshi. But at least that way it’ll just be the two of us today.” A thick wet groan echos from G.OSHA’s stomach. “…or at least into the afternoon.”

With that, G.osha gets out of bed and goes about his morning routine. He’s rather careless with his stomach, though, letting it slosh around harshly and bump into things as he gets ready. By the time he sits down ti have a morning coffee, his stomach is squashed into the table, making L.egoshi cry out a bit and squirm. By this point, though, the poor wolf has gone from ‘grandson’ to ‘food’ for G.osha and is being treated as such.

After a couple of hours, G.osha decided to check on the damages in the mirror. A lot of L.ouis has added to him—his thighs and ass are looking thicker, and the detailed bulges of his gut seemed a lot more muted…though there’s also the chance that’s simply digestion taking its toll. Either way, he’s pleased with the results, smiling and flickering out his tongue. L.egoshi doesn’t appreciate being sloshed around as G.osha looks himself over, but at this point, he can barely move his body.

The lizard starts to feel along his stomach, kneading and squishing it with his hands. “You’re getting rather soft on me, L.egoshi. I doubt you’ll be around much longer…but L.ouis is already filling me out so nicely. I know you’re going to look amazing on me, too. Just remember how much I love you.” G.osha pushes down on his stomach, shoving L.egoshi deep under the thick sludge. He groans happily as he feels the wolf begin to kick and thrash on instinct. But his energy is draining fast. G.osha’s guts bubble loudly and he lets out a titanic belch. Everything goes still in his stomach and it gets notably softer as it finally claims the young wolf. “There we go…settle in for grandpa…”

Y.ahyu wasn’t too surprised by an invitation to G.osha’s house. What he was surprised by was seeing that his old friend is sporting a rather plush pot belly when he opens the door, his shirt riding up on it. It doesn’t take long for Y.ahyu to put the pieces together, but it’s only when he’s rubbing over the Komodo dragon’s plump figure that he works up a rather deep belch and gets some further confirmation. A deer and wolf skull fly out of G.osha’s maw, dripping in slime as they hit the floor. “Ah…I had my grandson and his boyfriend over for dinner last night,” he explains with a soft huff.

Y.ahyu smiles and needs his fingers deeper into G.osha’s stomach. “I see…young men like them must have a fair few friends, right? I’m sure they’d love to be introduced to you.”

G.osha smiles softly, his tongue flickering out and his stomach growling. “They left their phones…we should find out.”