The Curse of Beasts (BEASTARS)

A Monster in Disguise

   For most, if confronted with a sin they committed, they'd have no way of calming down. They'd rack their brain for a solution to the problem— one that would keep suspicion away from them. The panic would only grow, intensifying by the day until they could no longer hold it in. Sometime, somewhere, they would lose control completely and risk destroying themselves in the process.

For Riz, however, this was not the case.

    At Cherryton, each dorm has a small kitchen that could be reserved by students and their roommates. They could be used whenever a special occasion happened or if they wanted to cook for themselves. More often than not, Riz found himself using it to cook for his fellow bears. It was a way of calming his heart, making sure every ingredient was prepared just right and combined perfectly.

Not only that, but it helped him remember that night clearly.

    In their final moments together, he could see Tem's face. The alpaca was smiling before his death, still accepting the bear. He could vaguely remember his face, moments before he entered his mouth. Was he smiling then, too? Was he just as accepting as he was moments before? In that sense, the act of eating Tem wasn't a murder, but a celebration of his life. It was a testament to their bond as carnivore and herbivore.

However, there was a catch: Ever since he ate Tem, Riz began to lose his sense of taste.

    When he ate food, it had no flavor. There was no spice, no tang, no distinct sensation at all. Even the honey he used to tide the strength restrainer's headaches was tasteless. Even so, he acted normal, though there were some mishaps when it came to his cooking. At one point, he put too much spice in his curry and made it stronger than normal. He played it off well, but it still reminded him of the strange affliction. No one had any idea what was going through his head, and it could've stayed that way.

    Of course, it didn't— because something worse happened instead. It started the day Pina entered the Drama Club, before the sheep entered the dressing room with Alan. Legosi brought up Tem and how he talked to a lot of the carnivores in the club, which naturally got Bill riled up. The wolf had a reason for saying that, though. Back then, Riz wondered why he would suddenly say something like that. Was he trying to find out the truth? Did he already suspect him?

But then they locked eyes for a moment, then Riz looked down at his hands...

They were dripping with blood.

    There was no doubt about it— Legosi was digging for answers. He wanted to find out the truth about Tem's death. The threat of the wolf's search only intensified later that day, when the carnivores of the club met up with the addition of Alan. Besides Legosi's trying (and failing) to talk about treating the herbivore members better, Alan revealed his research into human history and his feeling like an outsider in the city. It was bad enough to know he felt isolated, but worse than that...

"...what if Tem wasn't the one the killer wanted? What if it was supposed to be me?"

    As quick as they were to argue, it didn't seem to matter to the human. In some way, that thought was still present in his mind. Even with everyone vouching for the opposite, it stayed. That brought the bear back to Legosi, who posed the biggest threat. Sure, he couldn't kill him, but he could at least keep him from digging too deep. It only did the opposite, though, and made him more determined to find the truth. It didn't matter if he lost his life or not.

"I'll stop your murders if it's the last thing I do.", his voice rang in his mind with stubborn conviction.

    It wasn't long until it finally came to a head, and the catalyst was Kibi losing his arm. In the moment, Riz could only stare, partially reminded of what he'd done not long ago. When he snapped out of it, he helped Leogsi hurry the anteater to the infirmary. Once they were alone, though, the wolf confronted him. He wanted to play dumb, but Legosi made clear it wouldn't work on him. Before it could escalate more, Pina cut in and used Alan as leverage against him.

Now New Year's is coming, and a duel between him and Legosi to settle everything.

Legosi, who dared to expose it all, to threaten his bond with Alan— to defile his friendship with Tem.

Riz's thoughts slowed for a bit before he put his finger in his mouth.

...It's salty?!, he pondered as he looked down at the other items in front of him.

"The sugar tastes sweet...and the vinegar tastes sour. I'm regaining my sense of taste."

He looked at his hands for a moment, "I'm already preparing my body for my duel with you."

My soul is throbbing., he thought as he filled a pot with boxes of strength restrainers and drenched them in oil.

I'll confront you as my new self, he lit a match and threw it on. After all...

The bear watched the small fire rage as a grin crossed his face, We'll have the fiercest friendship this world has ever seen.

I wonder what a friendship with you would taste like...Legosi-kun.

~~*~~

A.N: Okay, I feel like something needs to be said about Riz as a character. This guy is...kinda weird. Most of it comes from when the fight happens, but the way he switches from happy-cuddly-bear-friend to malicious-hungry-murderbear is insane! Seriously, the way the fight "starts" on his end (you know what I'm talking about), his face just completely morphs!

From beady little eyes to psychopathic fury! Part of me almost wanted to believe he had a split-personality situation going, but it didn't fit with how he usually presents himself. I'm just saying: man is something else entirely.