Legosi ended the call, and his expression turned to sadness, letting out a long breath.
"I know. Thank goodness he didn't hear you before," Louis huffed.
The wolf closed his eyes. "He's old, and a lizard. His hearing isn't the best."
"You know how worried he'd be?"
Legosi could only nod. "We need to work quickly...but as Pina said, we don't have a clear next step."
"Hmm...what to do..." He adjusted his eyepatch on the seat. "I guess we should find out what the suspects were doing when the death happened."
"Yeah, but that's easier said than done. Plus, we need to wait for them all to return."
"So what do we do?"
Legosi shrugged. "I guess we ask the animals we trust most. I want to ask Juno as soon as I see her. I know it's probably not her, but it'll be good to completely clear her. From her, we can get to Shiira."
"Wait, you think we should just...ask?"
The wolf blinked. "...Yeah?"
"That's a terrible idea, Legosi!"
He stood up straighter. "W-well, how should we do it, then?"
"If the killer finds out we're onto them, don't you think they'd come after us?"
"Yes."
"Then!"
"But how else?"
"Maybe classic detective skills. Ask them stuff and remember important information."
Suddenly, the bathroom door flung open, revealing a dall sheep. He pointed at the surprised pair, who jumped and yelped. "SOCIAL MEDIA! We find all the accounts these carnivores have and look at timestamps. We might need Kai's help finding them all, though. He seems to like to collect this sort of info."
"Alright. But he's not back yet," Louis responded, still recovering from the shock.
"Right, and talking about it in person would be the safest bet. We should all convene once classes start again. Louis, we may need to find a new meeting place so your house isn't compromised."
"Like where?"
"Neutral ground," was the sheep's reply.
Legosi flinched. What's this intense aura again?
"Again, where?" Louis asked.
Pina snapped his fingers. "To be decided!"
"That will be your job. We should all have jobs."
"Hm, hmm!" the sheep nodded.
The wolf raised his hand, needlessly. "I can listen in on animals if needed. I'm good at being unnoticed."
"I guess I can do direct interaction," the deer spoke.
Pina laughed. "You're not invincible just because you have a gun, you know!"
"I know that! I just think I'm better with words than you guys are, especially Legosi and Bill."
The canine thought back to when Louis tried to be inconspicuous at the sex shop and lowered his ears.
The sheep considered his words. "Well, you are a good actor, so that makes sense." He looked back over his shoulder to Bill, who was just lounging on the couch. "Bill's the muscle, I guess."
Bill looked up. "Hopefully I don't have to use 'em."
Legosi looked around at everyone. "I still want to let Gon-san know what we're doing. He may be able to protect us, somehow."
Louis sighed. "I don't know, Legosi. He might try and get us to stop. He might even let us stop living together..."
The wolf looked down at the ground, eyes wide as he thought. The idea of them going about this without a proper adult knowing about it scared him, but being away from Louis scared him more.
"I agree with Louis. Like I said, he's useful as a last resort, but only if we have no other choice. He's too much of a coin toss." Pina turned around and headed back to Bill, plopping down next to him.
The cat put his arm around him. "I can't just sit around waiting to fight someone, though."
Pina leaned into him. "Any ideas, then?"
"This is a tough one, 'cause I know I'm bad at socializing."
Pina blinked, surprised that Bill let such a vulnerable statement out. Maybe he didn't realize Legosi and Louis could hear him? Said animals returned to the main room.
"Maybe we should all meet outside of school whenever we...discuss this with Kai and Dom." Legosi suggested.
"Oh, I know! Once we get their social media accounts, you can search around them for info," Louis decided.
Pina turned to Bill with a wry grin. "Ever e-stalked before?"
The tiger shook his head. "What's that?"
"Like stalking, only on the internet."
"Creepy..."
"Usually, yes, but this is for a good cause. Besides, they're the ones putting it all out for the world to see." Pina flipped a lock of hair from his face.
Louis nodded. "Just make a new account and follow them but don't like any of their stuff."
"But what if I actually like their stuff?"
The deer frowned.
Pina shrugged. "Depends on if they want animals from the school following them or not. Kai can tell us which ones he had difficulty finding. That's how you know they don't want IRL animals to know about it."
"IRL?" Bill tilted his head.
"In real life. God, Bill, haven't you ever been on the internet?"
"I just can never keep up with that stuff, Pina!" The tiger pouted.
"Hope you're up for your task, then. This isn't a game." The sheep looked at the tiger's large form. "...Not that you'd be in much danger."
"I'm the one taking the biggest risk," Louis said. "Since I'll be directly interacting with carnivores and a killer."
Legosi's fur stood up. "I'll go with you."
The deer shook his head. "It could mess things up."
The sheep smooshed a hand against his own cheek. "Well, how are you going to explain your sudden reappearance? You've pretty much been a recluse since your classes got gutted, and now with the drama club suspended, you've got even less reason to leave."
"Shit. You got me there."
"Of course, we need to get this shit done before segregation is enacted. And it will be." Pina sat back, seemingly proud of his predictions.
Louis crossed his arms. "You're sure?"
The other herbivore crossed his arms back. "You aren't?"
"I don't know what's going to happen."
Legosi looked up at the ceiling, thoughtfully. "Well, maybe we can save face to face meetings as a last resort. Me and Bill can quietly get information, and we'll let Louis talk to anyone we find suspicious."
"Okay, that could be a plan," Louis stated.
Pina put his hands down on his knees with a slapping sound. "Alright, so we're in agreement that our first course of action would be to get Dom and Kai in, and at the very least use Kai to find out all the suspects' social media pages?"
"Do you know when they return?" Louis asked.
"Classes resume Monday, so probably tomorrow or Sunday. I've been trying to talk to Kai but I think he's ignoring me. Maybe one of you could try? Any of you get through to him?" The dall sheep waved his phone around for emphasis.
Legosi nodded. "I've spent the most time with him out of all of us. I'll text him with the plan."
"And if he ends up being the killer?" Bill raised his head.
Louis frowned. "Then we gave ourselves away. Might have to risk it...I mean, it's Kai, come on."
The tiger looked at him. "I mean, he has anger issues."
The canine groaned. "I told you guys, Dom was texting him at the time it happened. I don't think Kai could kill someone while doing that."
Pina nodded. "Not to mention the damage at the scene of Tem's death. A little guy like Kai couldn't have done that."
Louis looked at him. "That came to my mind as well. It's happened before."
"Yeah, but both of these two seem like pretty clear cut predation cases. I couldn't imagine any herbivores having the skill to make it look exactly like the body had been bitten into." The sheep shrugged, feeling a bit sick talking about it.
"Who knows?" Louis said.
Pina rolled his eyes. "This isn't some TV show. No need trying to think of plot twists."
"Oh, and when I got abducted by Alpha that was realistic? It felt like a horror movie."
Legosi laid on the bed, turning his back on the growing heat of the discussion, curling up.
"I'm just saying anything can happen," the young buck reflected.
Pina rubbed his temples. "I get it, but we should really just focus."
A quiet whine emanated from the wolf.
Louis looked over. "What is it, Legosi?"
The canine sighed. "We shouldn't be fighting."
"We aren't."
Legosi covered his ears. "But you're raising your voice..."
Pina slumped back into Bill. "Some animals just get like that, Legosi. It's not personal."
Bill rubbed his head. "I think they're just stressed."
Louis nodded.
"You think they're stressed?" Pina mumbled, only for Bill to hear.
"I was talking to Legosi..."
The wool-covered animal raised his hands in a 'fine!' gesture before staring at whatever Bill was doing on his phone.
Legosi rolled on his back and reached his hand out to Louis. He looked so sad.
Louis took it. "Talk to me." His fiance patted his chest with his free hand and the deer laid his head on it.
The wolf wrapped him up, holding him close. His large heart pounded steadily in the deer's ear. "I'm...scared."
"I know..."
"I..." Legosi traced his sharp claws across Louis' shoulder blades. "I'm scared for all my friends, and you. But I feel like I'm just as scared about our future, now. What if this screws everything up? What if we can't get married and live together? I keep thinking about that, but it feels so selfish to be scared because of that..."
"Then we'll run away and live alone in the woods under the stars."
That got a small smile out of Legosi. "I like bugs, but not that much, hun."
"You want to live in the city?"
Legosi blinked. "Oh, I thought you meant, out in the woods without a house..."
He facepalmed. "Yep, we'll go feral and live naked out in the woods."
The wolf grinned. "At least we'll see the stars. And each other naked. All the time."
Bill looked over. "Woah, you two."
Pina scoffed. "Right, Billy? No fair..."
"When we have our own place..."
His boyfriend turned to him, feeling his face flush slightly. "Our..own place?" It came out as nearly a whisper.
"Well, yeah? If it works out, why just give up? I dunno."
Pina paused, then snorted. "What are you, gay?"
"Ah...okay...Sorry."
"Oh, no I was just...joking." He cleared his throat. "Really, though. Do you think you like guys or am I, like, an exception?"
"I don't think it matters if I have you right now."
"Just...curious." The sheep laid his back across the cat's lap. "Let's try this again. If you could live somewhere with me, where would you like to live?"
"I like the city."
"Get a nice apartment high up so we get to see all the lights?"
"Is that expensive?"
"Probably."
"Ah...man..."
"But that's what fantasies are for, right?"
"It's not real, then!"
Pina rolled his eyes. "Stick. In. The. Mud."
"If we want something, we should get it," Bill huffed.
His partner looked up at him with his big, aqua eyes. "That's...inspiring."
"I can be kinda smart sometimes!"
"Dunno if I'd call it smart. What would you do to get what you want, then?" Pina smiled, enjoying this new game.
"I dunno, work or something."
"Right. Too early to think about that now. Think you might wanna continue your acting career, though?"
"It might be all I'm good for."
"Don't say that." Pina reached up to cup Bill's cheek. "Why do you get all self deprecating around me?"
"Because I don't think I'm good enough for you."
The sheep smile turned sad. "Who's the one that chased after you?"
"Oh. I thought that was because you were...Nevermind."
"...Should I 'nevermind'?"
"Yeah."
Pina turned and pressed himself into Bill's abdomen. "I'm not too good for you."
"You are!"
"Bullshit."
The two animals on the bed caught bits and pieces of the conversation.
"Looks like we're not the only ones that have that conversation," Legosi murmured.
Louis nodded. "I know."
"You're very hot and smart and great at sex, unlike me!" Bill argued.
"Sex is a team thing, really." Pina took in his other words, unsure of how to process them. "You're charming in your own way, and kind when you want to be. Gentle. I love all of your contradictions."
"I'll get better...for you."
"You're fine. I just like to tease you." Pina rolled back, staring up at the ceiling. "Thanks for seeing something in me."
"But I'm serious, Pina!"
The sheep just looked up and smiled at him. Those fierce eyes of his. So like a carnivore, yet totally unique to Bill.
"I can change! I don't know how, but...somehow I will!"
Pina sat up, kissing him softly. "Don't go changing too much."
"Mm," was all he responded with.