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uncaaj · 1 year ago

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Fanfic: Beast of a World - Pilot (Beastars)

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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.”