An Oddity Among Beasts (BEASTARS)

Shadow of The Night

"Territory Day?"

"Yeah.", Todd nodded. "Animals usually use up their territory time every few days, so the school made it so that we could use up our time in the basement. It's usually to help relieve stress."

    The two were making their way into the lower levels of the school. It was a bit darker, but not by too much. It seemed to consist of a few walls with a circular center with a lot of rooms scattered about. A few students were already there, either making their way to their respective doors or coming out. Alan was familiar with the concept of territory time but never experienced it himself.

"So, what's the goat room like?", he asked curiously.

"Good sun, lots of grass, and room to lounge about.", Todd grinned. "What're you gonna do? Since humans don't have a specific room, I mean."

"Eh, I could go in one and see if I like it.", he shrugged. "Maybe one focused on nighttime."

"That'd probably be the wolf room, but..."

"But..?"

"I heard there's a really tall wolf in the drama club who doesn't talk much. I'd watch out for him."

"No worries. I'll be alright!", Alan winked.

"I'm serious!"

"I am too!", he patted the goat's back. "Second day here and we're already inseparable, huh?"

Todd chuckled, "I guess we are. You sure you'll be fine?"

"Totally."

With that, the two went their separate ways. Alan looked around a bit, trying to find out where the wolf room was. It wasn't a coincidence that he wanted to go somewhere centered around the night, but they didn't need to know that. He got a few glances as he found his way to a door indented with a canine head shape with sharp ears.

"Yup, definitely wolf.", he said to himself before opening the door and slipping inside. He was immediately greeted with a light chill all over his body, making him shiver slightly. What caught his attention next was the large, circular tube that held a gentle glow. Besides the pipes around the back, it almost felt supernatural. Them there were numerous chairs placed around the light...

Along with the wolves that were now focused on the human in the room.

"Eheheh...", he chuckled nervously before moving to the least occupied side.

Once he sat down, Alan realized there wasn't much he could do. A quick glance made him notice most of the wolves were looking at the light. He decided to wing it and take a look himself. It felt...nice, strangely enough. It was comforting, the cool temperature almost like a blanket with the light above easing his worries. It made him want to smile wide, but he settled on closing his eyes with a small sigh.

"Do you enjoy the moonlight, Alan?"

"To you, it can be a saving grace. Whenever you're alone, just focus on it. We will always be with you."

He opened his eyes, frowning. If things were different, he would've welcomed the memory.

"I bet he would love to be in this room."

"Who?", a deep voice asked, making the human jump slightly. It didn't take him long to find the culprit.

    Across from him, at the other side of the room, sat a grey wolf. From what he could tell, the guy looked big, part of the fur on his face was cream. He seemed to be wearing a uniform shirt and suspenders, along with the tie. A strange combination to be sure, but Alan looked past it. For some reason, he couldn't stop looking at the wolf's eyes.

They were...different. He didn't know why, nor could he decipher the exact reason. Part of him felt intimidated, yet another part was intrigued. He wanted to know more about him, find out what makes him tick.

"Oh! Uh...", he said when he realized he was staring for a while without answering the question. "No one special. Just someone who likes the moonlight."

"Do you...like the moonlight?", he asked almost shyly.

"Yeah.", Alan smiled. "When I was little, I used to stay up late just to look out the window and see the moon in the sky."

He gazed at the light again, "It made me feel like I belonged, almost. I'd feel at peace, safe and secure. Like no one could get to me, like I was untouchable. It's probably weird coming from a human."

...

"No."

He returned his gaze to the wolf, "I think it means the moon gives you strength."

    He blinked, that was unexpected. The last thing he wanted was to strike up a conversation with a wolf. Now he's getting analyzed by him! He still let it happen, though, so he couldn't just blame him for it. The human sighed and slouched forward.

"Strength, huh...", he said quietly. "Probably would explain why I'm here now."

"So what about you?", he asked, watching one of the wolf's ears twitch. "Why do you like the moonlight? I mean, besides basic wolf things."

He glanced for a moment, "I guess...it makes me feel like I'll be alright."

"Reassurance?", Alan asked, getting a nod.

"I guess you could say we're in the same boat.", he looked at the light. "When I see it, I feel like I can take on the world. No matter what I do, it'll be worthwhile in the end as long as it's shining."

    They both stayed silent after that, just focusing on the light. Alan felt strange, like he let out a part of himself while in the room. Whether it be his or the wolf's doing, he felt more comfortable in the room. It may have just been the atmosphere, but he felt like he could breathe easier.

"Doesn't really change what I am, though, does it?", he muttered. "Even if the light shines down on me, it won't change my feelings towards this world."

"What do you mean?", he jumped as he looked to the wolf again.

"You must listen in on a lot of things, huh?"

"Wha? N-no...", his ear twitched again.

Alan chuckled, "I'm kidding. I guess I just forgot about canine hearing. I usually don't worry much about people listening in on me, they just take it as strange ramblings."

He got up and stretched his arms, "I'm not sure if I can spend an hour in here. As comfortable as it is, I feel like I could let some serious beans spill."

"Wait!", he saw the wolf get up as well. "Do you think...we could talk again?"

Alan smiled, "Yeah. Hopefully, I won't spill any more life stuff on you, Legwolf."

The wolf's head tilted, "L-Legwolf?"

"Yeah, since you're really tall—at least compared to me. See ya."

Alan left before he could get another word in, leaving the wolf confused. The name was weird to him, but it wasn't embarrassing. The human was someone to look out for, that's for sure. If his mumble was anything to go by, he had things to keep secret.

Unbeknownst to both of them, things were about to take a tragic turn.