Chapter Text
Legosi was pressed up against the wall, Louis’ hand still between his jaws.
“Bite me, Legosi! Show me the power of a true carnivore!” Louis yelled, regardless of anyone who could be listening.
Legosi only squirmed in response. He didn’t want to be here. He really didn’t want to be right here, right now. He just wanted to go back to working on the lighting and be alone.
Louis and Legosi stared at each other for a few more moments, Louis’ sneer growing by the second, and Legosi’s eyes bugging out. Finally, Louis couldn’t wait anymore, and swung his hand to the side to knock Legosi to the side.
“Fucking mutt. Think you’re better than me? Hmph. Get out of my office.”
Legosi slumped down the bookshelves, panting, then slowly stood up and left. Once he gently and respectfully closed the office door behind him, he made a break for the exit to the drama club room, pushing Bill over in the process.
“Yo, Legosi! What happe-” The gray trail whipped around the door as it closed, leaving a very confused and worried Bill behind to ponder. Everyone else was silent.
“Er… maybe Louis just sent him on a quick errand?” Kibi suggested.
Legosi pounded down the halls, tears flying off his cheeks. His breaths came in short, sporadic bursts. His vision was tunneling. He needed to get fresh air so badly…
Legosi was a simple but empathic wolf. Leave him alone, and he’d leave you alone (usually). He couldn’t understand why Louis hated him so much. What did he ever do to him? If anything, Legosi admired Louis for his confidence despite being an herbivore. Either way, Louis’ words cut deep. He knew he was quite literally a textbook mutt, being part wolf and part komodo dragon, but to call him a mutt either way? That was a low blow, one of the most derogatory insults of society. To be a mutt was to be different, in a bad way. To be a mutt was to be a freak of nature, something not meant to exist. Legosi couldn’t think anymore, he was running off mental fumes at this point. He pushed through the final set of doors and stumbled into the outside campus. He collapsed onto the ground and rolled onto his back, heaving, while some concerned students stole a look or simply stared for a moment before confirming that the young man was not hurt after all.
Legosi spent a few minutes lying on the dirt before he screwed his eyes shut then pathetically rolled back onto his belly and got up. He brushed as much of the dirt off as he could, and then walked to his dorm, taking deep breaths.
I just want to be helpful… I just want to be seen as caring and nice, not as the big, bad wolf. Is it so wrong to just… want to be a good person? I hate him…. Rex, I hate him.
Legosi stopped in front of his dorm building, and veered off to the side alley in between buildings. He slumped down between the trash cans and bags, and cried with huge, body wracking sobs and fat, ugly tears. He didn’t care anymore if anyone heard him, and a certain golden Labrador heard crying indeed.
“Hey, Legosi… er.. is.. uhm...” Jack saw no point to ask if Legosi was OK; he clearly wasn’t.
He carefully approached Legosi and put his hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Legosi turned to face him, and… he was a mess. His cheek fur was matted down, his eyebags were swollen and visible even under his thick creamy fur , and his eyes were glittering and almost swollen shut from the crying. His nose was dripping snot like a faucet, and he was rocking slightly on the balls of his feet with his tail as far between his legs as it could go. His uniform was covered in dirt stains.
“Legosi… wh… what happened?” Jack wanted to comfort his childhood friend. He always knew Legosi was a sensitive harmless puppy at heart, despite his fearsome outside.
“I… nothing.”
“Legosi…”
“Really, Jack. I’m… I’m fine, I just… accidentally stepped on a ladybug on my way back to the dorms, and… you know how I feel about bugs.” Legosi choked out a weak chuckle, then returned his gaze to the ground.
He was lying. Jack knew him too well, and Legosi knew that Jack could see through his feeble fib. But thankfully, he chose to not press any further. He instead sighed deeply, wrapped his arm under Legosi’s shoulder and tugged, prompting him to stand up and be dragged along.
“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. And Legosi,” Jack turned to look him in the eyes, “you know you can tell me anything, right?”
Legosi avoided meeting his gaze. “I know.”
Jack let his arm slide down Legosi’s until it dropped downwards.He turned back forwards and, leading the poor wolf, walked into the building. The elevator ride was silent night for the elevator pulleys creaking and Legosi’s quiet sniffles. By the time they were standing outside their shared dorm room, the sniffles were replaced with heavy, stuttered breathing.
“Hey guys! I just kicked… Durham’s… hey, did something happen?” Collot’s face of glee slowly transformed into one of worry.
“Yeah, Legosi accidentally stepped on a bug and he’s upset about it.” Jack let out a weak chuckle and put on a fake smirk. Legosi didn’t even bother with that. He took off his uniform and slunk to his bed in his underwear, pointedly closing his privacy curtain. He hugged his rhino beetle plushie and stared at the wall. He didn’t have the energy to cry anymore; after being caught by Jack and holding in his feelings, he felt completely drained.
I wish I could talk to Jack about my problems, but he already worries about me enough. I don’t want him to focus on me. He has a future ahead of him. A bright one, in fact. He shouldn’t be bogged down by me. I’m just a… a…
He sighed heavily.
Maybe a nap will help.
Slowly but surely, Legosi fell asleep to the sounds of whispering and game menu music. Jack peeked through his privacy curtain to check on him, and when he saw that the wolf was asleep, told Collot and Durham to keep the noise down.
Legosi woke up and it was still dark out. This was surely the consequence for falling asleep so early yesterday. He rubbed his bleary eyes and reached for his night table to check the time on his phone. After some fumbling around, he leaned out of his cubby and tried to deduce where his phone was. He felt around the floor and his fingers ran over his soiled uniform from the day before. He felt a somewhat rectangular shape in the right pocket.
I was so exhausted... at least no one stepped on it.
He pulled his phone out from the pocket where he forgot it and checked the time. 4:51 am. Legosi groaned a bit too loud and Miguno stirred in his bunk. Legosi crawled back into his own bunk and checked his notifications. He had texts from quite a few of his fellow drama club mates.
Tem: Hey, Lego, you good? Something happen?
Bill: What the fuck is up with you, man?
Kibi: You ok, dude?
Legosi felt wretched for bailing on the club. He replied to all of the worried texts saying he was fine, and something had come up that had worried him. He hoped it would be a good enough excuse for his tears. He dropped his phone onto the floor and rolled over to try and get a few more hours of sleep.
He couldn’t. He tossed and turned trying to find the one position that would return him to the clutches of his dreams, but nothing worked. He resorted to watching bug documentaries on his phone until 7am. Those always cheered him up and distracted him.
“RISE AND SHINE, Y’ALL!” Legosi was so startled he managed to exit his bunk via flinching. He was invested in a video clip of an elephant hawk moth. He was enamored with its colorings and markings. Of course, Durham just had to break his immersion by yelling. Legosi groaned along with the rest of the 701 boys.
“Shut up!” Someone screamed behind the wall.
Durham rolled his eyes and snorted. “Come on, get dressed! The weekend lasts only so long!”
“The weekend is meant for SLEEPING, Durham,” Collot moaned.
“What happened to all that energy from yesterday? It was your idea to go to the arcade, you can’t complain!”
“Yes, I CAN!”
During this, Voss was just chuckling at the banter, and sounds of deep-fried memes and giggles could be heard from Miguno’s cubby. Jack was rustling around above Legosi, then dropped down to the floor. He turned around to check on Legosi.
“Hey. You feeling any better, Lego?” Jack whispered.
Legosi had to admit, “Kinda, yeah.”
“Feel ready for today?”
Legosi had a ghost of a smile. “Yep.”
“I’m gonna whoop your butt at racing again.” Jack tail started wagging, as well as Legosi’s.
“Oh yeah? Wanna bet on that?” Legosi was feeling more like his usual self with each tail wag.
“… 20 bucks?” Jack squinted playfully.
“You’re on.” Legosi’s smile was no longer a ghost.
Meanwhile, Durham was on top of Collot and blowing raspberries on his face. The infuriated sheepdog shoved him onto the floor and rolled on top of him, starting a dogfight.
“I! Don’t! Want! Your! Coyote! Cooties!”
“Too late, bitch! You’re infected with my essence!”
Voss and Miguno were cackling at the spectacle. Miguno’s phone was behind him still playing the occasional loud meme.
Eventually, the two fearless warriors untangled themselves from each other, and the group got ready to go to the local arcade.
The group exited the dorm building and headed towards the entrance of Cherryton. On the way, Legosi spotted a vague light brown shape out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to see none other than Louis, who was chatting with Tem, probably about Adler . Louis must have noticed the gray wolf, because he suddenly turned to look at Legosi, and his brows furrowed ever so much. The average animal would interpret it as Louis trying to see something, but Legosi could feel the venom in that gaze. He shuddered and hurried away with his roommates.
I wonder what was going through his head yesterday. He isn’t usually that way.
The group eventually arrived at the local arcade, the Phoenix Game Hall. The place used to be a rec room for Otherworld animals, like phoenixes, dragons, and griffins. Unfortunately, most of these intriguing creatures were wiped out during World War 1, and the remaining populations slowly picked off by poachers and infighting. By the time the Cold War ended, all Otherworld animal species were declared extinct. Regardless, the building itself prevailed now as a small, family-owned arcade.
Legosi and Jack made their way to the racing machines, while Miguno went to the Asteroids machine. Voss went straight to the bar and bought a shot with his fake ID. Collot and Durham argued near the entrance about what they were going to play, and settled on the fooseball table.
The group were heading home, talking excitedly among themselves. Voss was barely holding onto Collot’s shoulder.
“This is what happens when a small animal drinks” Jack tutted.
“It, it, it, was, it, one shot, maaaaaaaaaan!” Voss slurred.
“Yeah, but you got the strongest fucking alcohol they had,” Collot corrected.
Voss struggled to get his next words out without vomiting. “Fuck you..”
Jack rolled his eyes. Durham and Miguno were looking at Mig’s phone, clearly watching something. Legosi had a dopey grin on his face. He had finally managed to beat Jack in a racing game! Of course, it was all luck, but he wouldn’t admit that. After a few rounds, the two of them joined Collot and Durham at fooseball, making it a 2v2. Cussing and intense playing ensued, with Jack giving the swearer a dirty look every time. He didn’t even know how Voss managed to catch up to them at the door.
Somehow, the pack made it back to Cherryton and their shared dorm. Everyone collapsed into their respective beds and dozed off, eagerly awaiting what Sunday might bring.
Turns out, Sunday was spent studying and preparing for the upcoming school week. The boys lounged around in their dorm.
Monday arrived. Legosi wasn’t looking forward to today, as he had drama club after his classes and would have to work with Louis again. After all of his classes, he faced the door to the drama club room, trying to steady his breathing. He didn’t feel ready for this.
Phew… Here goes nothing.
Legosi opened the door, stepped through, and slunked to his position in th e lighting. Fortunately, no one noticed him enter, so he was able to observe in peace. Louis was consulting with Sheila about the dancing team, probably brainstorming for the Adler play. Bill was sparring with Tao, the two going at it with wooden training swords. Tem was talking with Kibi, Dom, and Kai about the costume design he wanted for his character in the play. So far, things seemed to be peaceful. Legosi rested his back on the light closest to him and observed the going-ons of the room, mostly focusing on Louis. He couldn’t look away. He wanted to see if any of that vicious behavior from Friday would manifest in front of everyone. Unfortunately for him, Louis was a master at hiding his true feelings, holding a stoic unreadable face during his conversation.
Sanu entered and called the room into order. “All right, time for roll call!”
Sanu listed off names with the owner of each name responding with “here”. Once Legosi’s name was reached, he raised his hand and replied with “here”. Louis wasn’t ignorant of this, as he turned to look at Legosi with… shame? Guilt? That was unexpected.
“Legosi, meet me in my office. We need to talk.”
Oh no.