An Oddity Among Beasts (BEASTARS)

A Proper Introduction

Alan opened his eyes slowly, not feeling very rested at all. Looking over, he could see Todd sound asleep in his own bed. It was still a bit early, so he got up and silently entered the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, he wiped his eyes before staring at his reflection. His eyes seemed to grow crazed, almost sharp as a shadow loomed over his body.

He shook his head, looking back up and seeing his reflection back to normal.

~~*~~

"So this is where you were..."

The lecture hall was sealed off, the cracked doors bordered by police tape. Just in front of it was a memorial for Tem, flowers and letters surrounding the picture of him. Alan knelt down in front of it, smiling slightly. The alpaca looked so happy as if he were enjoying his life here.

"I probably shouldn't be here, since we barely knew each other.", the human said quietly. "But I wanted to visit, at least. Y'know, I feel like we could've been good friends."

Do you think so too?, he thought before he heard footsteps beside him. Looking up, he saw the wolf from Territory Day beside him. He glanced down at him for a second before getting on his knees, bowing his head slightly.

Right, he's in the Drama Club, too., Alan thought as he looked the wolf over.

    Now that they were closer together, he could see more of his features. His hands looked creepy, mainly because of how long his fingers seemed to be and his sharp claws. He didn't look very buff, just large. Glancing back slightly, his tail was in full view, the fur curled in some places as it lay limp. Looking to his eyes, they looked sad, like he had lost a good friend.

"You knew him pretty well, didn't you?", Alan asked before he could think, making the wolf tense up and look at him.

"Uh, yeah..."

"I only met him a few days ago, but I can't help wondering if we would've been good friends.", he mused.

"I think he would've gotten along with you.", the wolf said quietly. "You're both happy and outgoing. I think he would've liked having you as a friend."

"You seem pretty timid for a wolf.", he said with a smirk. "Alan, first-year."

"Legosi, I'm a second-year."

The human chuckled, "Now the whole 'Legwolf' thing sounds even more perfect!"

Before the wolf could respond, a few screams could be heard down the hall. They weren't terror-filled, but rather childish-sounding. Alan felt the air grow warm suddenly, a new set of footsteps approaching from behind. A brown-furred hand set a bouquet of flowers on the memorial, a familiar deer kneeling on the side of him and bowing his head.

Alan didn't want to risk looking, though the temptation was there. Unlike Legosi, the deer seemed like he could sense his every move. The way his body held itself with an unstoppable aura, how girls would scream at his very presence. It felt like he was beholding a king within his fortress.

"You're staring.", his voice broke his thoughts. And he actually was staring!

"Are all humans this ill-mannered?"

He tore his gaze away and looked down, "Sorry."

"So you're the one everyone's been raving about. I'm Louis."

He stole a glance and pulled a smile, "Nice to meet you."

The deer smiled back before looking ahead of him, "You're the pup from the art department, right? Perfect timing, I have a task for you."

Judging by the sound Legosi made when Louis suddenly turned his attention to him, he didn't want the task. Nevertheless, he got up and followed the deer down the hall, leaving Alan alone at the memorial. He stayed for a moment, collecting himself before getting up. It was almost lunchtime, anyway.

~~*~~

"I can see why everyone likes Louis so much."

"Heh, and you said you couldn't be charmed by him."

"I wasn't!", Alan glanced away. "He just caught me off-guard, is all."

"Sure...so what was he like?"

"We only talked for—like, two seconds!"

"Still, you gotta remember something about him, right?"

He thought for a moment, "He was focused, right down to the way he spoke. It seemed like he put thought into everything he does."

"That is how most people see him.", Todd nodded. "I think that's why he's so popular. He's the star actor, so it's expected for him to be that way no matter where he goes."

Sounds kind of lonely, Alan thought silently.