An Oddity Among Beasts (BEASTARS)

Silent Eyes

    The day of the Meteor Festival drew nearer and nearer. With each day that passed, Alan could feel a pit growing more inside his gut. Despite his assertion to keep it away from his helping Haru, the human's mind kept drawing back to the issue of his father. It persisted in the background like an itch, constantly irritating without relent.

Even then, Alan bore through it with a smile, not wanting to worry anyone. Todd seemed concerned, but let it go with some reassurance. Nobody seemed to suspect anything was wrong with the human— besides his reputation as "Louis 2", but that seemed to have died down. He decided to enjoy the benefits of the event for now. He'd dealt with a lot in the time he spent at Cherryton, so maybe this would work as a break from it all.

Just this once, he'd smile through the tolls.

~~*~~

"So, did things go well with Todd?", Riz asked

"Yeah. Somehow, he didn't hold it against me. I guess he thought a lot of me, then."

The two stood amongst some of the other students at the plaza, lights hung up and illuminating the darkness. Everything was going well, the atmosphere being relaxed and happy. Riz had come to help with some of the preparations, meeting up with Alan along the way. The meteor was nearby as well, a large ball surrounded by rings with candles set up. The rumor was that a couple who lit a candle on the day of the festival would be destined to be together. Alan liked the idea, though he didn't have anyone on his mind.

Riz looked at him and smiled, "I told you he'd understand how you felt. Maybe he didn't want to lose you as a friend."

"Yeah...", he let out a small sigh. "I just wish it were the same for others."

"They're still talking about it?"

"Not as much, but I can hear snippets.", he stretched his arms. "At least the Drama Club seems okay, from what I can tell."

"Have you thought about coming back?"

That made the human fall silent for a moment. He hadn't thought about it since meeting Juno, and she was a driving force in him wanting to go back. She was nice and honestly made it feel easy to be there again. The wolf gave him a perspective he hadn't considered, that most students had never seen anything like him— both as a human and a hybrid. He didn't like addressing the other part of him, but maybe it would be worth a shot.

"You know, I just might come back.", he smiled slightly. "I was scared that everyone would hate me, but—"

The lights went out suddenly, and the atmosphere shifted instantly. Alan's vision was only partially affected, the human seeing vague figures running and trying to move somewhere else. It was a mix of confusion, fear, and panic. He had no idea what to do, standing frozen until a hand gripped his arm.

"Alan! Are you alright?!", Riz's voice was worried, maybe even panicked.

"Y-yeah.", he said shakily. "Why's everyone running? What happened?"

"It's a power outage. This is really bad, especially with the herbivore members!"

"Can they not see in the dark?", he asked as the bear led him through the chaos.

"No. A herbivore's vision turns pitch black in the dark, but carnivores can maintain their vision."

Of course, they would., he thought. And with predation incidents...