An Oddity Among Beasts (BEASTARS)

Shattered Glass

    Todd got up slowly, mostly because of the lingering pain in his arm but also because of the empty feeling in the dorm. After Alan ran out of the Drama Club room, he didn't come back to the dorm. Even after he got his arm bandaged up, the goat couldn't find his friend anywhere! Given what happened, though, he wouldn't be surprised if he avoided contact with him altogether.

    His eyes were full of hatred when he first scratched him, flooded with what could only be seen as the predatory instinct of a carnivore. It went as fast as it came, but that image was ingrained into his memory. Todd didn't want to believe it, even after what happened, but he knew he'd only be lying to himself. The mark on his arm was proof enough—if not that, then the clearly empty bed on the other side of him.

    He took his time going to the cafeteria, mulling over the situation. Will had disappeared just after Alan ran out, and it was probably for the best. If he stayed, things could've ended a lot worse had the human not snap out of it. He wasn't sure why he got in the way, though. He knew what the look in his eyes meant, he should've been afraid!

But...he couldn't be.

    Alan isn't aggressive, he isn't ferocious or dangerous. He's happy, creative and passionate. He has high hopes for himself and the world, willing to put himself on the line for it! Todd remembered the play, the way he stood up to the tiger and his speech about bearing Adler's name. He talked about discarding your old life and casting to the shadows...

Would he have done that?

"Todd!", he perked up, seeing Lisa running up beside him.

"Lisa-chan..."

"Hey, I heard people saying things about Alan. They think he might be part-wolf or something."

    The goat froze at that, stomach dropping hard. How could they find out so fast?! He knew it wouldn't take long for someone to break wind of the human's secret, but he didn't expect it to be so quick. It had to be Will, the goat realized. That had to be why the fox disappeared so quickly, in order to have the advantage against Alan if they ran into each other again. If—no, when he finds out, there's no telling what he could do.

"Todd?", Lisa looked at him worriedly. "They're not true, right? You're his roommate and all, so I thought you'd know something about it."

Todd looked at her for a moment, "I...I don't know. He never really seemed like a wolf to me, so I can't say for sure."

    It was a lie, a partial one. He saw the wolf in him the other day, and experienced it first-hand. He could've run away, he could've stayed frozen on his legs, but he didn't! He couldn't—not with his friend hurting in such a way. The pain in his eyes when he realized what he'd done, his frantic steps echoing out into the hall. He couldn't help but feel worried for the human, and yet he couldn't bring himself to face him again.

~~*~~

"So it's really true?!", Jack asked astonished.

Legosi gave a small nod, "Apparently. I haven't seen him since he ran out. I heard some people saying he was avoiding everyone, but it isn't like him."

The wolf was conflicted inside, despite his usual tired expression. On one hand, he wanted to find Alan, try and make him feel better about everything. Another part of him wanted to leave him be, though, just because of how volatile things got when his secret was revealed. The human became a direct reflection of himself when he confronted Bill onstage because of his doping. No, it wasn't really because of that, but because of what he was doping with.

It brought him right back to a foggy night. The fountain's water numb to his ears, noting nothing but the heartbeats of himself and the small body he embraced. The voice in his head begging for him to let loose upon her, carve away his sanity and take her life. Bill was so prideful of being a carnivore, acting so self-righteous like a hero. He clenched his fists tightly.

"Do you think Alan's doing okay?", Jack suddenly asked.

The wolf was silent for a moment, "I'm not sure. Maybe he just wants to be alone for now."

But I don't think that'll help, he thought glumly.

~~*~~

"Is he really part-wolf?"

"I heard he nearly mauled a guy to death."

"Dude, he's psychotic!"

    The human sped walked through the halls, gritting his teeth tighter as he went on. He could hear the whispers so clearly, the fear and suspicion behind them. He knew what it meant, but he didn't want to confront it right now. He wanted to be alone, try and find a way to solve this! The moment he got into the garden, he slumped against the door.

"Dammit!", he growled out.

"Did something happen?", Haru peeked out from around the clubhouse.

"Just everyone whispering about my wolf half.", Alan said in a nonchalant tone. "And it totally isn't making me angry right now!"

She gave him a look, "Sarcasm isn't really your strong suit."

"Well, it's better than ripping into whatever I get my hands on that isn't living.", he said as he set his bag to the side of the cabin, taking off his jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

"There's a patch of flowers on the side I didn't water yet. You can start there."

"Right.", he said as he grabbed a watering can and went over to the arrangement.

    He felt tired as he began to shower the plants in the sun, already exhausted from the morning's events. He didn't speak to anyone, doing his best to avoid any type of conversation. It was especially hard avoiding Todd, the goat coming close to spotting him a few times. He didn't see Legosi or anyone from Drama Club, though. It's probably for the best, though.

He went on to the next area as his thoughts droned on, drifting to Louis. He wasn't there when he broke down, probably still healing his leg up. Alan considered it a blessing, as he couldn't imagine the deer's fury if he bare witness to his fight with Will. It was pure luck he got out of the play fiasco without any problems, but it wouldn't be on his side this time.

"Hey! You're gonna overwater them!", Haru called out.

"S-sorry!", he muttered as he shook his head. It wasn't good to drone on about everything, not here. The rabbit let him stay here to clear his head, so he should try to focus on other things.

"It must be hard having to care for all these flowers by yourself.", he said.

"Well, it's not that hard.", Haru said. "In a way, we kind of compliment each other. We're both alone most of the time, and seen as weak."

    He glanced at her for a moment, seeing her ears fold ever so slightly. He let a small smile cross his face, seeing the meaning behind her statement. She is a small rabbit, so it'd be expected for other people to see her that way. He saw her that way as well, albeit less now than before. If she could handle so many flowers alone for years, she could certainly take care of herself.

"I guess you could say they're your friends.", he said as he looked down to a rose. "They help you feel like you can take on anything, and you help them grow in turn."

He heard her chuckle after a bit, "Well, that's one way of seeing it."