[she knew it. she knew it. crazy things were happening all over the city these past few months, and now everything has seemed to finally reach its breaking point. her meeting with Legosi had helped to alleviate a lot of worries that had been plaguing her for months about their relationship and his silence. but even with the kiss and their time together that night, she couldn't help but feel alone the moment they parted ways; her going home and him back to his place, readying himself for whatever scary thing he was getting himself involved with for the next day.
and she...spending the New Years break with her family. like an ordinary girl. as though nothing bad was happening to someone she loves.
the television had only been on for background noise, something barely noticeable through the quiet din of a rabbit family going through their daily lives in a safe and sound home. she hadn't even noticed the television was turned to the Horns Conglomerate conference, not until her father suddenly turned the volume up and she heard Louis' voice, growing frantic, manic almost.
"Hey, didn't that guy go to Cherryton with you, Haru?" "What a shame, a coworker of mine has stocks in that company--"
the general conversation between her family seemed to buzz around her like little more than white noise as Haru remained transfixed to the television screen. the telltale signs of a herbivore's flight or fight instinct were welling up inside her, only to be doubled down with feelings of anger and frustration and fear for another. when the newsfeed cuts, and a familiar jingle for the local shopping mall begins to play by way of distraction, Haru has already taken her coat and stomped on her boots to make her way to...
well, where a rabbit shouldn't be going with tensions between carnivores and herbivores this high in the city.
she takes the familiar routes towards the Hidden Condo, dangerously too-close to the growing crowd bustling towards the Back Alley Market. but Haru knows how to make herself "go big" in crowds, maneuver through the various large bodies of animals even when things get jammed with pedestrians.
So what if someone tries to scoop me up and eat me. He's out there getting in trouble to!
she knows Legosi isn't going to be at his place, but...there's really nowhere else to turn to, is there? the Back Alley (where he all too likely is) would be a death sentence, and angry as she might be, she still has some sense through her self-destructing tendencies. so she stomps up the stairs to his apartment, knowing nobody will be there to see her and let her in.
she doesn't even bother knocking on the door. she knows where he is. all too frustratingly well. so she sits down, back against the door to his apartment, hugging her legs close to her chest.
and waits.
If he's not back before dawn, he's dead. He's dead and I'm done.
but she knows she'll wait long after sunrise. she's just...tired of waiting. and by the time things are done, she's half-asleep, still hunched up in front of Legosi's door, forehead resting against her knees.]
( legosi's mind had been lagging behind, left in the dust by the automatic nature of his instincts and his actions, but now it was starting to catch up. he feels like he'd been hit by a truck. his ear (or, rather, the torn place he'd one had an ear) and the many lacerations on his arms and chest sting against open air. the blood that had streamed down one side of his face had dried and crusted over; he couldn't even open that eye anymore. as his adrenaline had ebbed and exhaustion slowly filtered into its place, his posture had degraded; now, he drags his feet as he takes limping steps forward. how he'd even gotten away from everyone else was a question he would have to delve deep into his memories to try to discern, but there had been so much happening, he supposes he had just slipped away. he wants to be with them, of course. to smile at louis, happy that they had accomplished what they had set out to do. to try to reassure his grandfather that he was fine (or that he would at the very least be fine, very soon). to speak with yahya again, to try to figure out if he could ever get through to melon.
so why is it that he found himself shambling back home? there wasn't much for him here. in all honesty, when he had closed the behind them on that mess of drying blood, legosi had thought it would be the last he'd ever see of it. he had been very aware he was marching toward his potential death. so what does he march towards now? his — future? one where he can be with haru? that's what he had been promised, and yahya did not seem a man to not be true to his word...
it was all too common for legosi to become so focused on what was directly in front of him that he was startled when that was suddenly cleared away, leaving him with the aftermath. he feels excited — exhilarated, even — but also a little afraid. in the moment he had felt the need to take the problems of animal society into his own hands and wrangle them himself, but that fleeting bravado was leaving him, and he has to wonder who or what he is now. if not some delinquent wolf, if not a beastar... does he have to be someone who helped change the world? would anyone regard him as such if they'd known the whole story — the full scope of his reasons?
it's too much to think about now. he's so tired. each step in the condo feels like a hill that he's had to sprint up. when he arrives at his hall, he sees the familiar, huddled shape in front of his door and he stops dead. a thrill of fear worms its way through the veins and arteries of his body, spiking him with enough endorphins to force his body down the hall with more speed than was probably recommended for him at this point. he calms down as he gets closer, ascertaining that she's uninjured; she's just resting with her head resting against her knees.
he knows immediately upon seeing her here that he's fucked up. even knowing that, he's also aware he wouldn't have done it any other way — even if she would yell at him for it, he wouldn't have wanted her anywhere near the back alley market, where her safety would have been in question or leveraged against him. he huffs a breath, and then every bone in his body seems to creak as he lowers himself down to her level, resting back on his haunches. he's silent for a moment, a bit of that fear flaring up once more, afraid that once he wakes her up, it would prompt her to finally come to her senses and leave behind a no-good wolf like him. but, no. he had to.
he reaches out and strokes her head with one large, clawed hand; her fur is so soft, and after everything that had happened today, he feels like he's never felt anything softer. for a moment he is silent, his gaze averted; his one remaining ear flaps helplessly, uncertain of what to say, wondering if there was anything he could say that would make any of this better.
in the end, he doesn't think there necessarily is. but, characteristically, he tries anyway: )
...Haru-chan... I'm sorry.
(for all of this, for everything. and for how much of a mess he looks right now. )
[a half-asleep herbivore is one that can wake fully at any given moment, at any sudden noise or a shift in atmosphere of an animal's quiet approach. there's always been something to Legosi with the way her world seems to bend towards him, like a small space rock caught in a much larger planet's pull. she's awake before he approaches her, head still resting at her knees but black eyes wide open and staring down at the ground. there's that familiar flash of instinct, of fear and unease of a large animal approaching, a rise in her heartrate, but she pushes down against it, refusing to stir until he within reach.
Let him come. try as she might to stay still, her ear twitches at the thought, feeling a warm bitterness welling up inside her. I'm not chasing after him.
a rabbit's sense of smell is much weaker than that of a wolf's, but she can still smell him, just as large and as encompassing as his form. it's not just him though, it's other scents. blood being the strongest; blood which sets hers to ice. and when the atmosphere shifts again as he reaches towards her, body tensed even more, both ears twitching as his hand comes in contact with her head, gentle and warm and heavy, she remains in her curled up position.
she feels angry, she feels sad. she's feeling a lot of things, but most agitating of all she feels relief in being touched by him.
Haru lets the silence following his apology hang in the air, hoping his hand stays against her but also wanting nothing to do with him.]
I'm mad at you. [her voice is small even though she wants to make herself big and angry. tears are welling up in her eyes beyond her control.] I'm so angry I-- [she looks up and whatever she was going to say gets caught in her throat.]
You-- [she falls forward onto her knees, hands coming up to hold his face, the white fur on her hands no doubt getting stained red from his blood.] You look awful! [her hands tense against his face, squeezing him out of anger which probably doesn't feel like much coming from a small and weak rabbit like her.]
Your apology doesn't mean anything with you looking like this!
[ He's always getting mixed up in something. Even when he doesn't want to be. Maybe especially when he doesn't want to be - but that's just his lot in life, isn't it? Part of the problem of being a PI. You get pulled into other peoples' problems. You get to see the ugly side - cheating husbands, stolen money. Sometimes he does bodyguard work, too, but he prefers the more normal, mundane stuff. Sure, someone finding out their spouse is cheating is heartbreaking, but it also usually ends with lawyers. Not murder.
He's seen too much of that.
Still seems like his luck to keep getting involved in it, though. He can't say why. This time around, things are getting more complex. Murder. Jealousy. Someone asking him to look out for someone else - and that 'someone else' is the woman in the apartment with him. This is supposed to be a case where he keeps an eye on her, but he has a feeling that he's getting too close for it to really be that anymore. Something he should've looked out for and avoided, but the heart's a strange beast and John can't really deny it. Another one of his failings.
It's late now, the rush of the city outside still going on and on and on, the buzz of cars, the muted chatter of a city at night. Yellow streetlamps throwing shadows as he perches on the fire escape and peers out into the darkness, the glow of a cigarette lighting up his face as he thinks. Can't sleep. Can't think. There's something about this that he can't put his finger on. Why do they - whoever "they" is - care so much about Haru? Did she witness something? Does she know something? Or is it all just some sort of irrational urge, some sicko out to get his jollies off? Hard to say right now. Not enough information and he's not sure he can go to the police, even he has friends there.
He takes another drag on his cigarette and glances over his shoulder at the sound of movenet. Is she awake, too? It's the wee hours of the morning. No one should be awake.
[She's never really seen herself as someone particularly important. Just one female rabbit out of thousands of others, no mark or family name that strikes anyone who doesn't know her as someone worthwhile in this world. To Haru, this is less about her actual importance, but that she fell in with someone who sees her at risk.
The name and reason may be kept secret from this PI; unsigned letters and cash in unlabeled envelopes slipped under the door, but Haru's not stupid, she knows there's only one person in her life who could even afford to set this up. For an ex-lover now off running with rougher crowds, he sure is controlling. To the rest of the world he's missing. To Haru he's...
Well, frustrating to deal with, even if his lack of communication is concerning for a herbivore.
She's a restless sleeper, regardless if she's in a room alone or occupied by another, and the cool breeze from an open window smelling gently of cigarette smoke is more than enough to stir her awake. She's been with this PI, Blacksad, was it?, long enough where she doesn't really care how she presents herself, and sitting up in bed she wraps herself up in a nightgown only to keep the chill at bay and not for modesty's sake.]
You don't have to play lookout. [She crosses the room from her bed towards the open window, running her hands up along one ear to fix up any potential bedhead.] If that's what you're doing.
[ He flicks and ear and glances down at her as she approaches. He takes one more drag on the cigarette, burning it down almost to nothing and then stops it out on the railing. The scent lingers. ]
It's what I'm being paid to do. [ He shoots her a lopsided smile and then it fades into something a little more serious, face only partially lit by the light reflecting up from the flickering streetlamps. ]
Mostly just thinking. Didn't mean to bother you.
[ Not that there's much to look out for out here. If someone wanted to come for them, they'd come through the front door. Probably. Someone coming up the fire escape would make more noise. He eyes Haru in the dim light of the apartment, tries to think of what he could say to her. Tries to think of what the whole point of this is. Someone wants her safe from... something. He doesn't know what. Just that they pay and pay well. ]
Trying to figure all of this out in my own head. [ He's being rather frank about the whole thing. No reason not to be considering how close they've gotten and how quickly. ]
[Haru flicks her ear the moment she finishes assessing it with her hands. Right, he's being paid to do all this...while her nameless (to him) benefactor is doing this out of what he assumes is out of the goodness of his cold heart, this man is just a paid bodyguard of sorts.]
I'm not the one paying you. [She knows he already knows this, knows that it won't change anything to point out how little say she has in the manner of this guy's hiring. If she had her choice she'd have continued to live freely, even if that put her at risk.
There's something in the way he looks that is simultaneously a comfort and unnerving. It's from their close proximity for the last...however many months they've been together, and each time it's a pull against her fur, felt most keen at the back of her neck, that grows stronger and stronger. She rubs at it, allowing herself a slight shiver that can easily be attributed to the open window and thin nightgown she has one.]
Well, you think loudly. Especially when this isn't something you need to figure out... [She's looking away as she says this, still rubbing the back of her neck, then after another moment or two she looks back at him, avoiding his gaze in a way that's typical of a prey animal, focused instead on the expanse of the city behind him.] The least you could do is offer a lady a smoke.
[She's making herself difficult, which is typical.]
Unless you're too busy figuring this out to do so.
True. I'm not getting paid to figure this out. But I've always been bad at following instructions.
[ His smile is wry, a touch sardonic. It's what he does - gets in over his head, even though he knows he ought not to. Even when he knows there's something going on underneath the surface that he'd be better off closing his eyes to. It's the tragedy of it all. His own damn curiosity.
Her statement on cigarettes makes him pauses and then he taps one out of a crumpled pack for her (and another for himself for good measure) and he bends down to offer her a light, the little flare of the lighter illuminating their faces. ]
Where are my manners? [ He murmurs around the cigarette dangling from his lips. ]
See, this is why I'm glad I'm sticking around you. You remind me of what I'm supposed to be doing.
[she mulls over her choices for a moment, looking down at her options as one long white ear flaps idly, before finally opting for the honey one. it's a good balance, she thinks, and satisfied with the chosen bar, flops back against Legosi's chest.
it's because of his Big Damn Hero proclivities that she's doing all that she can within her power to stay as close to him as possible. part of it is subconscious, but the rest is very intentional. because she knows if she doesn't take the opportunities to see him when she can, there can be weeks where she doesn't hear from him and--
ah. she's unwrapped her granola bar and went to take a small bite, and then just...forces that bite down, frowning a bit at herself and where her thoughts are going. she should just focus on the future with him, and a beach trip does sound promising.]
If we go to the beach, we'll have to make it a full day trip. [and since she hasn't rejected the bit of granola she's bitten, she takes another bite, chewing it thoughtfully. it's characteristically rabbit-like the way she's eating now, as opposed to the usual large bites she often takes.] Maybe we could pick out matching swimsuits too.
[look being matchy-matchy is a very coupley, normal thing, okay.]
...or maybe that's too weird.
[punctuated with another crunch of her granola bar.]
[The thoughtful pause briefly makes him wonder what Haru is thinking about, although it ends up being short lived. He's so glad to see her eating something, enough that he seems to almost physically relax the rest of the way once the bar is unwrapped. He hadn't even realized his shoulders were still a bit hunched.
His ears perk at the suggestion. Matching swimsuits? He's not sure...would there even be something available out there that would match for both a small breed herbivore and a large breed carnivore that wasn't custom made? He doubts it, unless they find something that's almost matching, just not exact.
He realizes he's probably overthinking it the moment he finally notices that he let the silence stretch on a second longer than appropriate, mainly because...he was thinking about Haru in a swimsuit.]
Mm? Oh, no...I don't think so.
[If it would make you happy, I'd do anything]
Though...I think my old roommates won't be happy to hear I went to the beach without them.
[It's said with a softly joking tone, a rarity for Legosi. He promised himself he'd invite his canine friends out to the beach one day...Haru takes precedence, though.]
[Haru is too busy working on eating to notice the longer-than-necessary stretch of silence from Legosi. it's actually something she's come to expect from him. and while she may not know everything that goes on in his head, and his over thoughtfulness and ruminating can get annoying and in the way of simply living, it's just another part of him she does, at the end of the day, love.
besides, she's thinking about him in swimming shorts too, so they can both keep their perverted thoughts to themselves. she's got a mouthful of granola when he does finally respond, and doesn't stop to finish it when she speaks, one ear flapping a bit at the mention of his canine friend group.
even if it's said as a joke--]
I wouldn't mind spending time with you and your friends, y'know. [she swallows, continuing:] Not on our beach date, and especially not today, but in the near future it would be nice.
[It's true, Legosi is well known for spacing out. Whether he's thinking about his own mortality or what he wants for lunch, it's not surprising for him to just go silent for minutes at a time. Of course it's not always...innocent...but he's only recently turned 18, sue him.
He's realizing as Haru says that that the others have never officially been introduced, at least not to Haru as his actual girlfriend. He doesn't doubt they ran into each other at school at one point or another, especially in the case of Jack. It would be nice to have everyone he loves all get together like that...]
It's something we can plan for, then. It won't be long until it's warm enough.
[He tilts his head down again as she eats, only just now realizing she's almost halfway through the bar already.]
[all he has to do now is put those 18-year-old not-so-innocent thoughts into action...
she's met Jack tangentially through Legosi, just in passing and never with any actual meaningful contact, but otherwise Legosi's friend group still feel so separate from how she knows him that it just feels right to want to meet them. it's important for her to feel just as involved in Legosi's life as she wants him in hers, and his response satisfies her.
gone are the days, hopefully, where he keeps secrets from her.
the wrapper crinkles a bit as she folds it down for the remaining half of what is essentially her breakfast, chancing the room spinning as she glances up at him. it doesn't spin, Legosi's face is a steady focal point.]
I'm keeping everything down so far... [said a bit ominously, and she remains looking up at him as she takes a larger bite, in a playfully challenging way that says "yes, I'm a bit better."] But I still want to lay with you in bed.
[she really has no clue how some of her classmates can manage sitting in on a class following a night of heavy drinking.]
[so the beach they decided on was a bit of a ways away from the city. too far for a simple day trip, and far enough where an overnight stay in a beach town would feel a bit...underwhelming.,
and since they hadn't really done anything for Legosi's birthday, she figures a trip to the beach (her treat) is a way to make things special. it's something that couples do, right? plan weekend getaways to a beach town during the long summer days. something that the two of them have never actually done.
it's a bit of an old-fashioned town, so finding a cross-species inn in general had been a bit of a pain, but Haru had managed to find a place that didn't seem to ask any questions and came cheap if you rented a single room as a couple. and though the elderly snapping turtle husband and wife that owned the minshuku seemed surprised by the appearance of their guests, they at least didn't hesitate in showing them to their room and let the two of them be.
again, no questions asked. as long as two animals came in, and two animals checked out, they were fine with it.
it's been a long bus ride, so the moment Haru folds out the futon in their room, she flops facedown. their room is a bit dark despite it being mid-afternoon, and it's musty in the way that gives tell elderly reptiles own and care for this place. but hey, it's what Haru could afford on a college student's dime, and the fact that this is a "couple's trip" is actually what makes it all worth it. though that hasn't really sunk in yet.]
Think you'd be up for a soak at the onsen? [said after she flops onto her side to look at him, resting her cheek in her hand.] That bus was cramped, even for me.
[For a while, the possibility of their beach outing seemed like a far-off prospect. It had been decided upon during a time where that was the furthest from either of their minds, while Haru was busy trying to sober up and Legosi was occupied making sure she stayed hydrated. It was fun to talk about and plan though, and Legosi found himself daydreaming about it often during his shifts at work since that day. To that end, when it finally did arrive time for them to go together, it almost seemed too good to be true. A lot of things did these days, if he were honest. It seemed too...simple. Too easy. Maybe he'd just gotten too accustomed to even the simple things in his life being monumentally hard challenges. His only objective this week was to enjoy his time with his girlfriend, and damn it if he wasn't going to do exactly that.
As ever, Legosi makes every attempt to seem as friendly and personable to everyone he sees as they travel on the bus, make their way to the hotel, everything. He doesn't quite realize the especially fond smile he offers the turtle couple as they check them in, mainly because they remind him so much of his grandfather, being reptiles and all. Whether that was encouraging to them or even more confusing is anyone's guess, but then again a wolf checking in with a rabbit is as unusual as it gets. Though...perhaps slightly less so in this day and age, especially recently.
Legosi hadn't minded the long ride, finding enjoyment in the monotany of it. Just being with Haru at all is good enough for him. He would have probably been fine just sitting around doing nothing with her, so long as they were together. Eventually they make it though and Legosi is left scanning the room with a quietly curious eye as he sets his backpack down on the floor near the head of the futon. Both his tail and ears perk at what Haru suggests, and if the room were any smaller he would have stood straight up and hit his head on the ceiling. Fortunately, it seems that this hotel was built with relatively larger animals in mind (species such as giraffe notwithstanding), so he's spared that embarrassment. He still needs to mind the doorways, though.]
T-that sounds like a great idea, Haru-chan.
[Immensely stressful in a number of ways, but...good. Very good. You will not find Legosi complaining about that even slightly, no sir.
While Haru is laying down, he'll sink down into a crouch next to the futon with his arms folded over his knees.]
[she's thinking more about how nice a long soak in a hot spring would feel after a half a day's worth of travel, and less about the nakedness of it. besides, he's seen her naked, and she's seen...a good amount of him.
but Haru is a young woman with experience, so to her it's absolutely not stressful. though she does pick up on Legosi's stutter.
she sits up fully, hugging her knees to her chest.]
Yeah, we should go before it gets dark. [and with that decided, she stands up, taking advantage of Legosi's lowered height to pat him on the head. unlike his backpack, she has a more standard travel suitcase, and crouching down she unzips it, pulling out her own personal yukata and--
pulling out a much larger one right after.] This place says to bring your own yukata, and since I wasn't sure if you had your own. [this feels??? weirdly embarrassing for some reason?? standing up straight, she's careful not to trip over it as she goes to hand it to Legosi.] So...here! It should fit, I think.
[It's not something he thinks or worries about too often since he knows Haru is better than that, but sometimes he can't help but hope that his inexperience isn't a turn-off...namely because even when it's easy to let his less conscious brain take over in intimate situations, it's also understandably dangerous to do that. So. You know! Things to think about, everything is a delicate balance, etc etc.
The way she pats his head causes his ears to flick a little, the speed of his wagging tail picking up considerably because there is nothing a canine likes more than being pet. He's not sure he could even describe why other than "just let someone pet your hair sometime and you'll understand".
Haru pulling out a Yukata fit for him is as surprising as it is expected. He appreciates Haru thinking of things like this, because Legosi sure didn't...honestly it's only been recently that he's had to think about buying clothes for himself, more used to just wearing the same handful of outfits forever. He takes the yukata carefully in his hands, holding it up as he stands so he can get a full view of it unfolded.]
Thank you. It looks like it should fit fine.
[He's a big boy, but also a thin, lanky one too. If anything it will probably fit him more loosely.]
[Haru had been living with Legosi for six months. While Legosi continued to do his best impression of a high-school dropout, Haru had continued her education with college, something Legosi hadn't been able to consider much due to his record. He didn't mind it though, having grown accustomed to his routine of keeping a roof over their heads with his restaurant job. He'd really been considering finding a second, not for the purposes of moving, but instead so he could provide...more for them.
It had both come as a shock and not much of a surprise to Haru's family when she announced to them one day that she would be moving in with Legosi. It was something they'd been talking about for a while, but ultimately was decided firmly on Haru's own with Legosi being willing to let her join him at basically any point in time. It had made her commute to school a bit weird since the trains going in that direction were different and maybe even a bit longer, but they made it work. Legosi tried to take shifts that would allow him to be home with her as much as possible, but even then their paths didn't always perfectly cross. More often than not, the only time they'd see each other would be when Legosi finally crawled into bed at night. The time they did get to spend together was precious, and basically spent with Legosi devoting his time and attention to Haru as much as was possible. Talking to her, loving her, living life as normally as a wolf and a rabbit could.
They were happy.
Lately, though...Haru hadn't been acting like herself. Rabbits, he'd come to learn, tended to feel things very strongly, as if their bodies were too small to compartmentalize at times. So he could catch the cues of when she was clearly under the weather in some way, even if she wouldn't actually say she felt bad at all. It's something he can smell too, which is different from how Haru experiences things as well. He can't easily explain that to her, though, but it's so...different that he can't exactly pinpoint what it could be. It leaves him worrying that it could be something more serious, but that isn't easily brought up in normal conversation, is it?
"Hey honey, you're smelling kinda weird lately, you feeling alright?"
He trusts Haru to know herself, and to tell him if she thinks something is wrong. The best he can do is support her while overlooking the signs of the more obvious, because...well, wouldn't you when the odds are slim to none?
Either way, he's left her a box of veggies in the fridge to bring to campus that friday, methodically cut into different shapes. She'd actually been physically ill a few nights prior, so he hoped that something fresh and light would help her feel better. Whether or not Haru makes it to class is all up to how she's feeling though, because Legosi would be at work until around 6 that evening.]
[Like much of Haru's life, her decision to move in with Legosi had been on a whim, even if the process of finally moving herself from a small dormitory apartment near her university to his place on the outskirts of what was once the Back Alley Market had taken a few months following her decision and discussion with Legosi.
It was, even on impulse, the logical next step. Even if moving in, unmarried and in a relationship with a large carnivore would seem salacious on paper, her family was more than happy to support her decision. They liked Legosi, and Haru liked the idea of being able to spend more time with him, even if her staying with him had inadvertently inspired him to take more shifts at his restaurant job. But it's not like she was mooching off him and his working, highschool dropout life. She was a full-time university student, sure, with a few more semesters needed before graduating, but she also worked for the on-campus greenhouse to help earn her keep. Plus, it's not like small herbivores take up much utility use, food or space.
So it stinks that for the past six weeks she's been feeling like crap, missing morning classes and leaving early for random bouts of sick she's gotten throughout the day. She's tried hiding it from Legosi, in part because she doesn't want to worry, but also on instinct as a prey animal trying to hide its weakness. But when you live with a canine you have to make your bed with the fact that for as intensely a rabbit can feel things, a canine can and will sense it even more. Luckily, he knows her well enough to keep his nose out of it, even if he does do small and helpful things like leave fresh cut veggies in the fridge following a few nights spent huddled near a bucket or in the bathroom.
Today, she's feeling better. Might be because she's overslept and missed a good three hours of her morning class, so she's just opted to stay home and get notes from a classmate. She's sitting cross-legged at the table, contentedly munching on the lunch Legosi packed for her as she goes through her agenda for next week, thinking about study groups and studying on her own terms when she notices--
Mmmmmmmm.
She flips back a page to the month prior, then forward to the current day. A slow cold panic setting in when the numbers start adding up, flipping back and forth a few more times and-- ah. That good feeling she had throughout this morning, alone and relaxed in her shared apartment had completely disappeared. A cold muddled feeling of both dread and just plain doubt (because...no. Yes? Maybe???) setting in.
By the time Legosi does come home for the evening, he'll find Haru sitting on the floor at her usual (elevated with some pillows) spot at their dining table. There's an upturned bag from a drug store at her side, full of random stuff she had grabbed in an attempt to make the most of her impromptu trip out (candy, crunchy snack foods, toothpaste), and when Legosi makes his return known, she seems to snap out of being very lost in thought, scrambling to cover up a small pink box she's been fiddling with between her hands.]
Oh! Legosi-kun! Welcome back!
[Her ears are puffed up and her voice sounds high and strained.]
Work was work; it's either a stressful day or about as average as it can be, and this time seemed to be the former. Mostly dealing with a handful more difficult customers than usually pass through the doors, but it's something Legosi has just learned how to deal with over time. It didn't matter if you were a carnivore or a herbivore, there were people of all stripes who were just going to be assholes no matter what. Though it probably didn't help that Legosi was more than a little spacey today, even more than usual since all he could think about was Haru. Not that...that is unusual either, but it was really bad today. Thoughts consumed more with concern than twitterpated daydreaming.
It's a relief to finally make it home, a place that's started to feel more like an actual home with each passing day. Thanks to Haru being here- and having a much better eye for interior decorating than Legosi could ever have- the space is much less sparse and actually feels properly lived in. It helps that there's always houseplants around with new ones joining their siblings every other week or so. He has maybe enough time to hang up his coat somewhere near the door, his usual greeting starting to leave his lips, before it's cut off with Haru squeaking out one of her own with a little more alarm and force than usual.
He'd only just managed to catch that she'd been holding something, but not what it is before it's been hidden from view. He recognizes the bag from the nearby drug store, which on its own isn't unusual...Haru often would pick up groceries for them after her classes. But even from here he can tell that's not what it was; more of a snack run than anything. Again, not unusual for Haru.
It's the way she's acting that has Legosi moving slowly but with purpose as he quickly closes the door behind him, temporarily setting his bag down by the door.]
Haru-chan...how are you feeling?
[Instead of "is everything alright" because he doesn't want to immediately alarm her by letting her know that he's noticed something's got her on ede.]
[Her hands remain folded over the small, rectangular box, and as Legosi makes his way towards her and their all-purpose table, she draws it closer to try and subtly keep it from his view. Besides her attitude and the way she's clammed up, so much so that her ears are giving their usual tell that something's bothering her because she's been sitting on something all day, nothing else should seem amiss. Their makeshift indoor garden has been tended to, and there's even an additional plant added to the mix (a small, down-on-its-luck 'money tree' she picked up from the same drug store). She's cleaned and tidied up; futon rolled up and set aside to make the most of their small home.
So on the surface, everything seems all right.]
I'm feeling okay! Better than the last few days, but I overslept this morning so I didn't bother going to campus today. [and, quickly before Legosi can express concern] My class today was mostly review anyway. [She absentmindedly drums her fingers against whatever it is she's holding close, clearly mulling over something as she looks away from Legosi.] How was work? I know Fridays get busy.
[Look, she's not about to spring 'Also, I realized I missed my period last month' on a guy who just got back from work, ok? Assuming a guy like Legosi even knows what that insinuates.
Swiftly nudging the box down from the table onto her lap, she leans to the side, rummaging through the shopping bag and pulling out a much bigger box of...honestly, what are essentially large-canine protein biscuits.]
I had to go to the drug store to pick something up, and I found these! It's the extra-crunchy kind of cookie you like.
[The following few weeks, following doctor's appointments and slowly letting people closest to them in on the news, things have reached some point of normalcy. When you're not that visibly knocked up, besides the bouts of morning sickness which could last longer than the mornings (sometimes all day...in fact...) university life was pretty much the same as it's always been. If anything, Haru's been trying to speed things up, knowing full well she's probably going to have to go on break eventually but--
Nah, right now she's not going to worry about it. She's lived her whole life knowing a rabbit's existence is on pure borrowed time in a world like this, so pregnancy and having a kid while pursuing a botany degree? That's just how it's going to be. Just like how life's not going to ever be absolutely perfect. Because after telling her parents the news, their reactions, following the shock and happy congratulations (and the awkwardness from a dad still convinced his youngest daughter would 'wait until marriage') their concerns immediately went to financial support.
So with a worrywart of a dad and an overly protective mom like hers...it was really an impossible task to turn down their offers to help foot the bill, try as either her and Legosi might. Especially with the lack of government rewards that are given to purebred couples and the fact she had to travel further in order to meet with doctors who knew about the nuances of hybrid pregnancies (thanks to Gosha's help and resourcefulness).
Hence why Haru has to get as much of her studies done as possible before the baby arrives, so graduating afterwards can be easier. She's going to want to pay them back, incredibly stubborn about her independence. And if she works, that also means Legosi can work less hours at his restaurant job, meaning they can spend more evenings together, the two of them...plus one more...
Even with the warmer weather, it's still somewhat easy to hide things from the rest of the world. Loose skirts, flowing tops. Not that a pregnant rabbit is a particularly uncommon sight (it's, well, stereotypically common) she still doesn't want to call too much attention to herself because she's quickly growing more obvious in certain kinds of clothes. But even though it's warmer, the noodle shop Legosi works at remains as busy as ever, so while she took the longer train ride back from school, getting off closest to his job to meet him after his shift, she's still probably going to have to wait around outside for a bit, passing the minutes by watching animals of all shapes, sizes, and groups come in and out.
At least she's at a point now where she feels like she has much more energy. Much better than how she felt at the start of all this. There's that urge to rest her hand against her stomach but, reconsidering it, she opts instead to hold her bookbag against her chest as she waits.]
[It's funny how things have somehow simultaneously been the busiest of Legosi's life and also...not that much different, considering how it could have been. Legosi is still going to work and Haru is still attending university...all in all, the only real change is the atmosphere, buzzing with a constant stream of nervous excitement. He's pretty sure Gosha nearly passed out when he heard the news. His grandson, giving him a great grandchild...Legosi imagines that he hadn't dared to hope for something like that. Never mind the fact that this child was going to be a hybrid of quite a few stripes...dwarf rabbit, grey wolf, komodo dragon...
And then there was the physical change. Haru's, in particular. Legosi had begun to notice it even when it was relatively minor, barely much more than a fraction of growth. Loose clothing hid it completely, but Legosi took a weird sort of pride in still knowing. He can't say he blames Haru for wanting to continue living as discreetly as possible for as long as she's able, though. Once she really starts showing...actually dodging the questions about how far along she is or what the gender/name will be will be impossible to do.
All of this excitement going on makes Legosi wish he didn't have to work, but it's gotta be done. He's working as hard and as long as the shop will allow him while he's still able, because once the baby arrives...? He's going to be taking all of his time off in one go, period. So he's working to save up as much as he can for them in the time being, as well as searching around for jobs with better hours that pay more...not an easy thing to do when you don't have a high school diploma, but that's not going to stop him.
Haru's only left waiting for about fifteen minutes or so before Legosi finally comes out, turning back halfway in the doorway to wave goodbye to his coworkers. He's still wearing his apron and everything as he steps out onto the sidewalk, lifting his backpack a bit higher onto his shoulders. But then he catches Haru's scent past the overwhelming noodly aroma, his ears perking and his tail wagging. He jogs over to her, and these days?
Haru gets affection without Legosi even stopping long enough to realize he's done it, leaning in to kiss her face in the same motion he takes to crouch down to meet her at her level.]
Haru-chan.
[His tail sweeps the concrete, dusting a few stray leaves off and into the culvert.]
[She's been watching the restaurant entrance, and even with animals of all shapes, sizes and heights meandering around this part of the city, Haru notices Legosi immediately as he steps out. Her ears, out of habit, perk higher up, as though trying to make herself more noticeable despite knowing full well he'll be able to sniff her out of any crowd. When his eyes catch hers, there is always going to be that initial electric bolt of excitement a prey animal gets when catching the gaze of a predator, but for her it's a good feeling.
Though not nearly as good a feeling as the easy affection he now gives her, one that triggers a nice, fluttery feeling deep down, and she leans into his kiss. She's waited and worked on with this relationship for so long that she still holds every kiss and openly affectionate gesture he offers with the same importance as the last.]
It wasn't too bad. Soil science is still as interesting as ever. [Said with a sarcastic edge, shouldering her backpack to free her hands and fuss with him a bit more while he's still stooped down.] But I did find some isopods in my compost bin, which is a good sign.
[Plucking his uniform hat off his head by the brim, she playfully and lightly bops him on the nose with it.]
What about your day? Any troublesome customers you need me to chew out on your behalf?
Isopods? [She said the magic word.] Ah...I wish I could have seen them. How many were there? How big?
[His tail had already started to wag even faster in earnest, at least until Haru takes his hat off and bops his nose. He sneezes reflexively, his nose twitching as he brings his palm up to rub at it.]
Today was slow, actually. I think because of that new cafe that opened up a few blocks down.
[It's taken away a few of their regulars, at least for today. Worse for business, but better for Legosi's nerves, that's for sure. Honestly though, he's been so...distracted lately that he could have probably been directly screamed at by a customer and the cushion of baby would have been too strong to bring him down.
He'll stand back up after a moment though, offering her one of his large hands to take.]
Did you want to head straight home? Or do you have something you would like to do in town first?
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for canids;
and she...spending the New Years break with her family. like an ordinary girl. as though nothing bad was happening to someone she loves.
the television had only been on for background noise, something barely noticeable through the quiet din of a rabbit family going through their daily lives in a safe and sound home. she hadn't even noticed the television was turned to the Horns Conglomerate conference, not until her father suddenly turned the volume up and she heard Louis' voice, growing frantic, manic almost.
"Hey, didn't that guy go to Cherryton with you, Haru?"
"What a shame, a coworker of mine has stocks in that company--"
the general conversation between her family seemed to buzz around her like little more than white noise as Haru remained transfixed to the television screen. the telltale signs of a herbivore's flight or fight instinct were welling up inside her, only to be doubled down with feelings of anger and frustration and fear for another. when the newsfeed cuts, and a familiar jingle for the local shopping mall begins to play by way of distraction, Haru has already taken her coat and stomped on her boots to make her way to...
well, where a rabbit shouldn't be going with tensions between carnivores and herbivores this high in the city.
she takes the familiar routes towards the Hidden Condo, dangerously too-close to the growing crowd bustling towards the Back Alley Market. but Haru knows how to make herself "go big" in crowds, maneuver through the various large bodies of animals even when things get jammed with pedestrians.
So what if someone tries to scoop me up and eat me. He's out there getting in trouble to!
she knows Legosi isn't going to be at his place, but...there's really nowhere else to turn to, is there? the Back Alley (where he all too likely is) would be a death sentence, and angry as she might be, she still has some sense through her self-destructing tendencies. so she stomps up the stairs to his apartment, knowing nobody will be there to see her and let her in.
she doesn't even bother knocking on the door. she knows where he is. all too frustratingly well. so she sits down, back against the door to his apartment, hugging her legs close to her chest.
and waits.
If he's not back before dawn, he's dead. He's dead and I'm done.
but she knows she'll wait long after sunrise. she's just...tired of waiting. and by the time things are done, she's half-asleep, still hunched up in front of Legosi's door, forehead resting against her knees.]
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so why is it that he found himself shambling back home? there wasn't much for him here. in all honesty, when he had closed the behind them on that mess of drying blood, legosi had thought it would be the last he'd ever see of it. he had been very aware he was marching toward his potential death. so what does he march towards now? his — future? one where he can be with haru? that's what he had been promised, and yahya did not seem a man to not be true to his word...
it was all too common for legosi to become so focused on what was directly in front of him that he was startled when that was suddenly cleared away, leaving him with the aftermath. he feels excited — exhilarated, even — but also a little afraid. in the moment he had felt the need to take the problems of animal society into his own hands and wrangle them himself, but that fleeting bravado was leaving him, and he has to wonder who or what he is now. if not some delinquent wolf, if not a beastar... does he have to be someone who helped change the world? would anyone regard him as such if they'd known the whole story — the full scope of his reasons?
it's too much to think about now. he's so tired. each step in the condo feels like a hill that he's had to sprint up. when he arrives at his hall, he sees the familiar, huddled shape in front of his door and he stops dead. a thrill of fear worms its way through the veins and arteries of his body, spiking him with enough endorphins to force his body down the hall with more speed than was probably recommended for him at this point. he calms down as he gets closer, ascertaining that she's uninjured; she's just resting with her head resting against her knees.
he knows immediately upon seeing her here that he's fucked up. even knowing that, he's also aware he wouldn't have done it any other way — even if she would yell at him for it, he wouldn't have wanted her anywhere near the back alley market, where her safety would have been in question or leveraged against him. he huffs a breath, and then every bone in his body seems to creak as he lowers himself down to her level, resting back on his haunches. he's silent for a moment, a bit of that fear flaring up once more, afraid that once he wakes her up, it would prompt her to finally come to her senses and leave behind a no-good wolf like him. but, no. he had to.
he reaches out and strokes her head with one large, clawed hand; her fur is so soft, and after everything that had happened today, he feels like he's never felt anything softer. for a moment he is silent, his gaze averted; his one remaining ear flaps helplessly, uncertain of what to say, wondering if there was anything he could say that would make any of this better.
in the end, he doesn't think there necessarily is. but, characteristically, he tries anyway: )
...Haru-chan... I'm sorry.
( for all of this, for everything. and for how much of a mess he looks right now. )
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Let him come. try as she might to stay still, her ear twitches at the thought, feeling a warm bitterness welling up inside her. I'm not chasing after him.
a rabbit's sense of smell is much weaker than that of a wolf's, but she can still smell him, just as large and as encompassing as his form. it's not just him though, it's other scents. blood being the strongest; blood which sets hers to ice. and when the atmosphere shifts again as he reaches towards her, body tensed even more, both ears twitching as his hand comes in contact with her head, gentle and warm and heavy, she remains in her curled up position.
she feels angry, she feels sad. she's feeling a lot of things, but most agitating of all she feels relief in being touched by him.
Haru lets the silence following his apology hang in the air, hoping his hand stays against her but also wanting nothing to do with him.]
I'm mad at you. [her voice is small even though she wants to make herself big and angry. tears are welling up in her eyes beyond her control.] I'm so angry I-- [she looks up and whatever she was going to say gets caught in her throat.]
You-- [she falls forward onto her knees, hands coming up to hold his face, the white fur on her hands no doubt getting stained red from his blood.] You look awful! [her hands tense against his face, squeezing him out of anger which probably doesn't feel like much coming from a small and weak rabbit like her.]
Your apology doesn't mean anything with you looking like this!
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He's seen too much of that.
Still seems like his luck to keep getting involved in it, though. He can't say why. This time around, things are getting more complex. Murder. Jealousy. Someone asking him to look out for someone else - and that 'someone else' is the woman in the apartment with him. This is supposed to be a case where he keeps an eye on her, but he has a feeling that he's getting too close for it to really be that anymore. Something he should've looked out for and avoided, but the heart's a strange beast and John can't really deny it. Another one of his failings.
It's late now, the rush of the city outside still going on and on and on, the buzz of cars, the muted chatter of a city at night. Yellow streetlamps throwing shadows as he perches on the fire escape and peers out into the darkness, the glow of a cigarette lighting up his face as he thinks. Can't sleep. Can't think. There's something about this that he can't put his finger on. Why do they - whoever "they" is - care so much about Haru? Did she witness something? Does she know something? Or is it all just some sort of irrational urge, some sicko out to get his jollies off? Hard to say right now. Not enough information and he's not sure he can go to the police, even he has friends there.
He takes another drag on his cigarette and glances over his shoulder at the sound of movenet. Is she awake, too? It's the wee hours of the morning. No one should be awake.
But here he is. ]
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The name and reason may be kept secret from this PI; unsigned letters and cash in unlabeled envelopes slipped under the door, but Haru's not stupid, she knows there's only one person in her life who could even afford to set this up. For an ex-lover now off running with rougher crowds, he sure is controlling. To the rest of the world he's missing. To Haru he's...
Well, frustrating to deal with, even if his lack of communication is concerning for a herbivore.
She's a restless sleeper, regardless if she's in a room alone or occupied by another, and the cool breeze from an open window smelling gently of cigarette smoke is more than enough to stir her awake. She's been with this PI, Blacksad, was it?, long enough where she doesn't really care how she presents herself, and sitting up in bed she wraps herself up in a nightgown only to keep the chill at bay and not for modesty's sake.]
You don't have to play lookout. [She crosses the room from her bed towards the open window, running her hands up along one ear to fix up any potential bedhead.] If that's what you're doing.
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It's what I'm being paid to do. [ He shoots her a lopsided smile and then it fades into something a little more serious, face only partially lit by the light reflecting up from the flickering streetlamps. ]
Mostly just thinking. Didn't mean to bother you.
[ Not that there's much to look out for out here. If someone wanted to come for them, they'd come through the front door. Probably. Someone coming up the fire escape would make more noise. He eyes Haru in the dim light of the apartment, tries to think of what he could say to her. Tries to think of what the whole point of this is. Someone wants her safe from... something. He doesn't know what. Just that they pay and pay well. ]
Trying to figure all of this out in my own head. [ He's being rather frank about the whole thing. No reason not to be considering how close they've gotten and how quickly. ]
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I'm not the one paying you. [She knows he already knows this, knows that it won't change anything to point out how little say she has in the manner of this guy's hiring. If she had her choice she'd have continued to live freely, even if that put her at risk.
There's something in the way he looks that is simultaneously a comfort and unnerving. It's from their close proximity for the last...however many months they've been together, and each time it's a pull against her fur, felt most keen at the back of her neck, that grows stronger and stronger. She rubs at it, allowing herself a slight shiver that can easily be attributed to the open window and thin nightgown she has one.]
Well, you think loudly. Especially when this isn't something you need to figure out... [She's looking away as she says this, still rubbing the back of her neck, then after another moment or two she looks back at him, avoiding his gaze in a way that's typical of a prey animal, focused instead on the expanse of the city behind him.] The least you could do is offer a lady a smoke.
[She's making herself difficult, which is typical.]
Unless you're too busy figuring this out to do so.
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[ His smile is wry, a touch sardonic. It's what he does - gets in over his head, even though he knows he ought not to. Even when he knows there's something going on underneath the surface that he'd be better off closing his eyes to. It's the tragedy of it all. His own damn curiosity.
Her statement on cigarettes makes him pauses and then he taps one out of a crumpled pack for her (and another for himself for good measure) and he bends down to offer her a light, the little flare of the lighter illuminating their faces. ]
Where are my manners? [ He murmurs around the cigarette dangling from his lips. ]
See, this is why I'm glad I'm sticking around you. You remind me of what I'm supposed to be doing.
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tfln ▶ bigsadwolf
[she mulls over her choices for a moment, looking down at her options as one long white ear flaps idly, before finally opting for the honey one. it's a good balance, she thinks, and satisfied with the chosen bar, flops back against Legosi's chest.
it's because of his Big Damn Hero proclivities that she's doing all that she can within her power to stay as close to him as possible. part of it is subconscious, but the rest is very intentional. because she knows if she doesn't take the opportunities to see him when she can, there can be weeks where she doesn't hear from him and--
ah. she's unwrapped her granola bar and went to take a small bite, and then just...forces that bite down, frowning a bit at herself and where her thoughts are going. she should just focus on the future with him, and a beach trip does sound promising.]
If we go to the beach, we'll have to make it a full day trip. [and since she hasn't rejected the bit of granola she's bitten, she takes another bite, chewing it thoughtfully. it's characteristically rabbit-like the way she's eating now, as opposed to the usual large bites she often takes.] Maybe we could pick out matching swimsuits too.
[look being matchy-matchy is a very coupley, normal thing, okay.]
...or maybe that's too weird.
[punctuated with another crunch of her granola bar.]
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His ears perk at the suggestion. Matching swimsuits? He's not sure...would there even be something available out there that would match for both a small breed herbivore and a large breed carnivore that wasn't custom made? He doubts it, unless they find something that's almost matching, just not exact.
He realizes he's probably overthinking it the moment he finally notices that he let the silence stretch on a second longer than appropriate, mainly because...he was thinking about Haru in a swimsuit.]
Mm? Oh, no...I don't think so.
[If it would make you happy, I'd do anything]
Though...I think my old roommates won't be happy to hear I went to the beach without them.
[It's said with a softly joking tone, a rarity for Legosi. He promised himself he'd invite his canine friends out to the beach one day...Haru takes precedence, though.]
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besides, she's thinking about him in swimming shorts too, so they can both keep their perverted thoughts to themselves. she's got a mouthful of granola when he does finally respond, and doesn't stop to finish it when she speaks, one ear flapping a bit at the mention of his canine friend group.
even if it's said as a joke--]
I wouldn't mind spending time with you and your friends, y'know. [she swallows, continuing:] Not on our beach date, and especially not today, but in the near future it would be nice.
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He's realizing as Haru says that that the others have never officially been introduced, at least not to Haru as his actual girlfriend. He doesn't doubt they ran into each other at school at one point or another, especially in the case of Jack. It would be nice to have everyone he loves all get together like that...]
It's something we can plan for, then. It won't be long until it's warm enough.
[He tilts his head down again as she eats, only just now realizing she's almost halfway through the bar already.]
Are you feeling better?
[Some better, anyway.]
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she's met Jack tangentially through Legosi, just in passing and never with any actual meaningful contact, but otherwise Legosi's friend group still feel so separate from how she knows him that it just feels right to want to meet them. it's important for her to feel just as involved in Legosi's life as she wants him in hers, and his response satisfies her.
gone are the days, hopefully, where he keeps secrets from her.
the wrapper crinkles a bit as she folds it down for the remaining half of what is essentially her breakfast, chancing the room spinning as she glances up at him. it doesn't spin, Legosi's face is a steady focal point.]
I'm keeping everything down so far... [said a bit ominously, and she remains looking up at him as she takes a larger bite, in a playfully challenging way that says "yes, I'm a bit better."] But I still want to lay with you in bed.
[she really has no clue how some of her classmates can manage sitting in on a class following a night of heavy drinking.]
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dating meme shenanigans ▶ bigsadwolf
and since they hadn't really done anything for Legosi's birthday, she figures a trip to the beach (her treat) is a way to make things special. it's something that couples do, right? plan weekend getaways to a beach town during the long summer days. something that the two of them have never actually done.
it's a bit of an old-fashioned town, so finding a cross-species inn in general had been a bit of a pain, but Haru had managed to find a place that didn't seem to ask any questions and came cheap if you rented a single room as a couple. and though the elderly snapping turtle husband and wife that owned the minshuku seemed surprised by the appearance of their guests, they at least didn't hesitate in showing them to their room and let the two of them be.
again, no questions asked. as long as two animals came in, and two animals checked out, they were fine with it.
it's been a long bus ride, so the moment Haru folds out the futon in their room, she flops facedown. their room is a bit dark despite it being mid-afternoon, and it's musty in the way that gives tell elderly reptiles own and care for this place. but hey, it's what Haru could afford on a college student's dime, and the fact that this is a "couple's trip" is actually what makes it all worth it. though that hasn't really sunk in yet.]
Think you'd be up for a soak at the onsen? [said after she flops onto her side to look at him, resting her cheek in her hand.] That bus was cramped, even for me.
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As ever, Legosi makes every attempt to seem as friendly and personable to everyone he sees as they travel on the bus, make their way to the hotel, everything. He doesn't quite realize the especially fond smile he offers the turtle couple as they check them in, mainly because they remind him so much of his grandfather, being reptiles and all. Whether that was encouraging to them or even more confusing is anyone's guess, but then again a wolf checking in with a rabbit is as unusual as it gets. Though...perhaps slightly less so in this day and age, especially recently.
Legosi hadn't minded the long ride, finding enjoyment in the monotany of it. Just being with Haru at all is good enough for him. He would have probably been fine just sitting around doing nothing with her, so long as they were together. Eventually they make it though and Legosi is left scanning the room with a quietly curious eye as he sets his backpack down on the floor near the head of the futon. Both his tail and ears perk at what Haru suggests, and if the room were any smaller he would have stood straight up and hit his head on the ceiling. Fortunately, it seems that this hotel was built with relatively larger animals in mind (species such as giraffe notwithstanding), so he's spared that embarrassment. He still needs to mind the doorways, though.]
T-that sounds like a great idea, Haru-chan.
[Immensely stressful in a number of ways, but...good. Very good. You will not find Legosi complaining about that even slightly, no sir.
While Haru is laying down, he'll sink down into a crouch next to the futon with his arms folded over his knees.]
Do you want to go right now?
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but Haru is a young woman with experience, so to her it's absolutely not stressful. though she does pick up on Legosi's stutter.
she sits up fully, hugging her knees to her chest.]
Yeah, we should go before it gets dark. [and with that decided, she stands up, taking advantage of Legosi's lowered height to pat him on the head. unlike his backpack, she has a more standard travel suitcase, and crouching down she unzips it, pulling out her own personal yukata and--
pulling out a much larger one right after.] This place says to bring your own yukata, and since I wasn't sure if you had your own. [this feels??? weirdly embarrassing for some reason?? standing up straight, she's careful not to trip over it as she goes to hand it to Legosi.] So...here! It should fit, I think.
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The way she pats his head causes his ears to flick a little, the speed of his wagging tail picking up considerably because there is nothing a canine likes more than being pet. He's not sure he could even describe why other than "just let someone pet your hair sometime and you'll understand".
Haru pulling out a Yukata fit for him is as surprising as it is expected. He appreciates Haru thinking of things like this, because Legosi sure didn't...honestly it's only been recently that he's had to think about buying clothes for himself, more used to just wearing the same handful of outfits forever. He takes the yukata carefully in his hands, holding it up as he stands so he can get a full view of it unfolded.]
Thank you. It looks like it should fit fine.
[He's a big boy, but also a thin, lanky one too. If anything it will probably fit him more loosely.]
You're really well prepared for this trip.
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LMAO I HAVE THE PERFECT NEW ICON FOR THIS
SOGGY BOY
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time for BABY
It had both come as a shock and not much of a surprise to Haru's family when she announced to them one day that she would be moving in with Legosi. It was something they'd been talking about for a while, but ultimately was decided firmly on Haru's own with Legosi being willing to let her join him at basically any point in time. It had made her commute to school a bit weird since the trains going in that direction were different and maybe even a bit longer, but they made it work. Legosi tried to take shifts that would allow him to be home with her as much as possible, but even then their paths didn't always perfectly cross. More often than not, the only time they'd see each other would be when Legosi finally crawled into bed at night. The time they did get to spend together was precious, and basically spent with Legosi devoting his time and attention to Haru as much as was possible. Talking to her, loving her, living life as normally as a wolf and a rabbit could.
They were happy.
Lately, though...Haru hadn't been acting like herself. Rabbits, he'd come to learn, tended to feel things very strongly, as if their bodies were too small to compartmentalize at times. So he could catch the cues of when she was clearly under the weather in some way, even if she wouldn't actually say she felt bad at all. It's something he can smell too, which is different from how Haru experiences things as well. He can't easily explain that to her, though, but it's so...different that he can't exactly pinpoint what it could be. It leaves him worrying that it could be something more serious, but that isn't easily brought up in normal conversation, is it?
"Hey honey, you're smelling kinda weird lately, you feeling alright?"
He trusts Haru to know herself, and to tell him if she thinks something is wrong. The best he can do is support her while overlooking the signs of the more obvious, because...well, wouldn't you when the odds are slim to none?
Either way, he's left her a box of veggies in the fridge to bring to campus that friday, methodically cut into different shapes. She'd actually been physically ill a few nights prior, so he hoped that something fresh and light would help her feel better. Whether or not Haru makes it to class is all up to how she's feeling though, because Legosi would be at work until around 6 that evening.]
BABY watch me go overboard with tl;dr /sweats
It was, even on impulse, the logical next step. Even if moving in, unmarried and in a relationship with a large carnivore would seem salacious on paper, her family was more than happy to support her decision. They liked Legosi, and Haru liked the idea of being able to spend more time with him, even if her staying with him had inadvertently inspired him to take more shifts at his restaurant job. But it's not like she was mooching off him and his working, highschool dropout life. She was a full-time university student, sure, with a few more semesters needed before graduating, but she also worked for the on-campus greenhouse to help earn her keep. Plus, it's not like small herbivores take up much utility use, food or space.
So it stinks that for the past six weeks she's been feeling like crap, missing morning classes and leaving early for random bouts of sick she's gotten throughout the day. She's tried hiding it from Legosi, in part because she doesn't want to worry, but also on instinct as a prey animal trying to hide its weakness. But when you live with a canine you have to make your bed with the fact that for as intensely a rabbit can feel things, a canine can and will sense it even more. Luckily, he knows her well enough to keep his nose out of it, even if he does do small and helpful things like leave fresh cut veggies in the fridge following a few nights spent huddled near a bucket or in the bathroom.
Today, she's feeling better. Might be because she's overslept and missed a good three hours of her morning class, so she's just opted to stay home and get notes from a classmate. She's sitting cross-legged at the table, contentedly munching on the lunch Legosi packed for her as she goes through her agenda for next week, thinking about study groups and studying on her own terms when she notices--
Mmmmmmmm.
She flips back a page to the month prior, then forward to the current day. A slow cold panic setting in when the numbers start adding up, flipping back and forth a few more times and-- ah. That good feeling she had throughout this morning, alone and relaxed in her shared apartment had completely disappeared. A cold muddled feeling of both dread and just plain doubt (because...no. Yes? Maybe???) setting in.
By the time Legosi does come home for the evening, he'll find Haru sitting on the floor at her usual (elevated with some pillows) spot at their dining table. There's an upturned bag from a drug store at her side, full of random stuff she had grabbed in an attempt to make the most of her impromptu trip out (candy, crunchy snack foods, toothpaste), and when Legosi makes his return known, she seems to snap out of being very lost in thought, scrambling to cover up a small pink box she's been fiddling with between her hands.]
Oh! Legosi-kun! Welcome back!
[Her ears are puffed up and her voice sounds high and strained.]
huehuehue
Work was work; it's either a stressful day or about as average as it can be, and this time seemed to be the former. Mostly dealing with a handful more difficult customers than usually pass through the doors, but it's something Legosi has just learned how to deal with over time. It didn't matter if you were a carnivore or a herbivore, there were people of all stripes who were just going to be assholes no matter what. Though it probably didn't help that Legosi was more than a little spacey today, even more than usual since all he could think about was Haru. Not that...that is unusual either, but it was really bad today. Thoughts consumed more with concern than twitterpated daydreaming.
It's a relief to finally make it home, a place that's started to feel more like an actual home with each passing day. Thanks to Haru being here- and having a much better eye for interior decorating than Legosi could ever have- the space is much less sparse and actually feels properly lived in. It helps that there's always houseplants around with new ones joining their siblings every other week or so. He has maybe enough time to hang up his coat somewhere near the door, his usual greeting starting to leave his lips, before it's cut off with Haru squeaking out one of her own with a little more alarm and force than usual.
He'd only just managed to catch that she'd been holding something, but not what it is before it's been hidden from view. He recognizes the bag from the nearby drug store, which on its own isn't unusual...Haru often would pick up groceries for them after her classes. But even from here he can tell that's not what it was; more of a snack run than anything. Again, not unusual for Haru.
It's the way she's acting that has Legosi moving slowly but with purpose as he quickly closes the door behind him, temporarily setting his bag down by the door.]
Haru-chan...how are you feeling?
[Instead of "is everything alright" because he doesn't want to immediately alarm her by letting her know that he's noticed something's got her on ede.]
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So on the surface, everything seems all right.]
I'm feeling okay! Better than the last few days, but I overslept this morning so I didn't bother going to campus today. [and, quickly before Legosi can express concern] My class today was mostly review anyway. [She absentmindedly drums her fingers against whatever it is she's holding close, clearly mulling over something as she looks away from Legosi.] How was work? I know Fridays get busy.
[Look, she's not about to spring 'Also, I realized I missed my period last month' on a guy who just got back from work, ok? Assuming a guy like Legosi even knows what that insinuates.
Swiftly nudging the box down from the table onto her lap, she leans to the side, rummaging through the shopping bag and pulling out a much bigger box of...honestly, what are essentially large-canine protein biscuits.]
I had to go to the drug store to pick something up, and I found these! It's the extra-crunchy kind of cookie you like.
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please know how hard it was for me to not gagtag you that zootopia comic.
I would have screamed and accepted my fate
i can still take this thread in that direction.
THIS READS LIKE A THREAT
THERE WAS NOTHING BESIDES THIS TAG RIGHT HERE
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ZOOBER EATS
it was between that and PawDash
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we can probably timeskip to a new scenario if you want!
w @bigsadwolf
Nah, right now she's not going to worry about it. She's lived her whole life knowing a rabbit's existence is on pure borrowed time in a world like this, so pregnancy and having a kid while pursuing a botany degree? That's just how it's going to be. Just like how life's not going to ever be absolutely perfect. Because after telling her parents the news, their reactions, following the shock and happy congratulations (and the awkwardness from a dad still convinced his youngest daughter would 'wait until marriage') their concerns immediately went to financial support.
So with a worrywart of a dad and an overly protective mom like hers...it was really an impossible task to turn down their offers to help foot the bill, try as either her and Legosi might. Especially with the lack of government rewards that are given to purebred couples and the fact she had to travel further in order to meet with doctors who knew about the nuances of hybrid pregnancies (thanks to Gosha's help and resourcefulness).
Hence why Haru has to get as much of her studies done as possible before the baby arrives, so graduating afterwards can be easier. She's going to want to pay them back, incredibly stubborn about her independence. And if she works, that also means Legosi can work less hours at his restaurant job, meaning they can spend more evenings together, the two of them...plus one more...
Even with the warmer weather, it's still somewhat easy to hide things from the rest of the world. Loose skirts, flowing tops. Not that a pregnant rabbit is a particularly uncommon sight (it's, well, stereotypically common) she still doesn't want to call too much attention to herself because she's quickly growing more obvious in certain kinds of clothes. But even though it's warmer, the noodle shop Legosi works at remains as busy as ever, so while she took the longer train ride back from school, getting off closest to his job to meet him after his shift, she's still probably going to have to wait around outside for a bit, passing the minutes by watching animals of all shapes, sizes, and groups come in and out.
At least she's at a point now where she feels like she has much more energy. Much better than how she felt at the start of all this. There's that urge to rest her hand against her stomach but, reconsidering it, she opts instead to hold her bookbag against her chest as she waits.]
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And then there was the physical change. Haru's, in particular. Legosi had begun to notice it even when it was relatively minor, barely much more than a fraction of growth. Loose clothing hid it completely, but Legosi took a weird sort of pride in still knowing. He can't say he blames Haru for wanting to continue living as discreetly as possible for as long as she's able, though. Once she really starts showing...actually dodging the questions about how far along she is or what the gender/name will be will be impossible to do.
All of this excitement going on makes Legosi wish he didn't have to work, but it's gotta be done. He's working as hard and as long as the shop will allow him while he's still able, because once the baby arrives...? He's going to be taking all of his time off in one go, period. So he's working to save up as much as he can for them in the time being, as well as searching around for jobs with better hours that pay more...not an easy thing to do when you don't have a high school diploma, but that's not going to stop him.
Haru's only left waiting for about fifteen minutes or so before Legosi finally comes out, turning back halfway in the doorway to wave goodbye to his coworkers. He's still wearing his apron and everything as he steps out onto the sidewalk, lifting his backpack a bit higher onto his shoulders. But then he catches Haru's scent past the overwhelming noodly aroma, his ears perking and his tail wagging. He jogs over to her, and these days?
Haru gets affection without Legosi even stopping long enough to realize he's done it, leaning in to kiss her face in the same motion he takes to crouch down to meet her at her level.]
Haru-chan.
[His tail sweeps the concrete, dusting a few stray leaves off and into the culvert.]
How was your day?
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Though not nearly as good a feeling as the easy affection he now gives her, one that triggers a nice, fluttery feeling deep down, and she leans into his kiss. She's waited and worked on with this relationship for so long that she still holds every kiss and openly affectionate gesture he offers with the same importance as the last.]
It wasn't too bad. Soil science is still as interesting as ever. [Said with a sarcastic edge, shouldering her backpack to free her hands and fuss with him a bit more while he's still stooped down.] But I did find some isopods in my compost bin, which is a good sign.
[Plucking his uniform hat off his head by the brim, she playfully and lightly bops him on the nose with it.]
What about your day? Any troublesome customers you need me to chew out on your behalf?
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[His tail had already started to wag even faster in earnest, at least until Haru takes his hat off and bops his nose. He sneezes reflexively, his nose twitching as he brings his palm up to rub at it.]
Today was slow, actually. I think because of that new cafe that opened up a few blocks down.
[It's taken away a few of their regulars, at least for today. Worse for business, but better for Legosi's nerves, that's for sure. Honestly though, he's been so...distracted lately that he could have probably been directly screamed at by a customer and the cushion of baby would have been too strong to bring him down.
He'll stand back up after a moment though, offering her one of his large hands to take.]
Did you want to head straight home? Or do you have something you would like to do in town first?
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you are about to hate me.
HARU NO COME BACK
it's payback for all the times he's ghosted her.
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