The Curse of Beasts (BEASTARS)

One Last Dive

"You know what this is like? Those old movies we both love.", the panther said as he walked towards the aged, suited horse. "Now I'm gonna tell you my whole plan and come up with some absurd and convoluted way to kill you— and you come up with an equally convoluted way to escape."

"Sounds good to me.", the horse said after a moment.

"Well, this isn't that kind of movie.", he smiled a bit before pulling out a gun and shooting it.

"Holy crap!", Todd yelled as he recoiled.

"Jeez!", Alan pressed the spacebar quickly. "I didn't think it'd play out that way."

"I mean, that fight scene before was crazy— but to go right off from there? That came out of nowhere!"

The movie night was going pretty well for the two. They had drinks, snacks, and a few DvDs to play on Alan's laptop. The human managed to get some recent releases as well as some old ones he'd seen before. The current movie was a spy flick involving a secret order working under another country's government. The spy element interested them, but it actually curved some things around the usual tropes.

"I know I saw the fight scene online before, but I never got the context.", Alan said as he bit into a sugar cookie. "I just liked how crazy it looked."

"I don't know if it's that crazy..."

"The camera followed the horse for like, half of it without any cuts! You can't say that's not impressive."

"Okay, you have a point.", Todd said with a laugh.

    Alan kept his happiness tempered, though it was hard to keep it that way. The New Year was closing in and time seemed to go more slowly the closer it got. He didn't mind, though, as it gave him some peace— relaxing with his roommate with movies and snacks. No fighting, no rage, and no danger. Part of him wished Legosi had skipped out on going to Gouhin's, but he understood the wolf's worry about more incidents happening.

The human closed his eyes, He'll be okay. Besides, we're gonna get yakisoba in the New Year.

He found himself tensing up when he heard the rattling. It didn't sound faint, but closer.

"Did you hear that?", Todd asked as he looked around.

"Huh?", he turned to the goat in shock.

"I thought I heard something, like a rattle."

Alan looked up and around the walls before getting up, "It might be someone in the hallway. I'll go check."

As he made his way to the door, he felt anxiety building up. Why would Rokume call him now— and why is it so loud that Todd could hear? Maybe she just wanted to make sure he was alright, given their conversation about his father. Is he really going to talk to him once the New Year comes? No, not now— not tonight.

He shook the thoughts away and cracked open the door, peeking around before slipping out.

"Rokume?", he whispered as something shifted above him.

The snake descended with a conflicted expression, "Sorry. I wasn't sure how to call you without the goat finding out, but this is important."

"What do you mean?"

Her tongue flicked out as she averted his gaze, "It's Legosi...he's fighting the school murderer."

Everything stopped for Alan, "W-what?"

"He didn't want you to know, but I felt that would be the worse option if something happened."

"Th-that can't be. He needed to get stronger to even fight the guy— whoever it is. How would he even know?"