Predation. Chapter One.
A sheep tries to escape his family life and finds comfort in the arms of a coyote.
Predation Chapter One By Roofles "You're all sheep!" Shaun yelled at his family as he slammed the front door. He was fuming mad as he stomped his hooves across the pavement of the double-story, white picket fenced house that matched every other single house in the suburban hell that was Merry Plaza living, also known as Pleasant Pastures. This was only because the two places had merged into one after all the years of spreading across the outer city limits like a plague. Rows and rows, streets and streets filled with identical houses. Every last one with the entirely same design, layout, and price. It was suburban hell and Shaun shouted after curfew hours. No one was else out. They would be inside like... "Sheep. They're all sheep!" Shaun hated this place. He hated his family for watching non-stop news. For complaining and talking about politics in the most speciest way possible. And Shaun hated his name. "Who calls a sheep, Shaun?" He cursed, stomping his foot impatiently at the bus stop. Shaun wasn't even the black sheep of the family, that was his half-sister Marie. He was a simple white cotton wooled Hampshire sheep with black furred arms, legs, and face. The white wool rose up between his large ears giving him a curly hairstyle that he tried his best to keep trimmed and neat. And Shaun hated that also. He looked identical to half the other people here and that did something to ones sense of self-worth. It was just another reason why he had to get out of here. The bus arrived at the same time, with the same driver and took the exact same change every time Shaun did this trip. Nothing ever changed. The elderly sheep made sure of that. Every stayed the exact same with HOA breathing down anyone's neck who tried to do something different or unique. This place was his personal hell as Shaun plugged in his ear buds and ignored the incessant "baa-ing" of a nearby elderly sheep who was either having a seizure or was snoring. Shaun kind of hoped it was the former as he thudded his forehead against the glass window. It was reinforced for heading butting. That was how common such a trait around here was. They literally made sheep proof windows. Shaun focused on the music, glaring at his reflection in the glass as the streets drifted by all looking identical like a horrible maze. The death metal blared loudly. "Lambs to the Slaughter!" Was his favorite band. He understood the subtle screaming and the real difference "peel my flesh and trim my wool over my lambchops dead body" more than others. "Season and dress my bones for your fat cat meals." Shaun muttered the words aloud as he waited. There was no point keeping an eye out. The bus ran to the same places at approximately the same times despite the busy traffic. It was like clockwork. Another thing he hated. Shaun did this every Friday night. He wasn't heading to the clubs where all the predators went to. He wasn't into sports - finding the task of running a ball back and forth pointless. He wasn't a dog. Dogs did that. They enjoyed that. The library was closed but who used the library these days? No, Shaun had a very specific location in mind as he got off at the downtown station. Being a sheep, he was relatively average size and kept a brisk step as he moved down through the brightly lit city. Shaun kept his head low, hood up over his head as he passed by several people of varying sizes and species. Several parts of the city had larger lights, creating what was known as safe zones that worried prey species could cower under until a police dog could come by to help them home. This was usually reserved for elderly and lost children. Both needing constant supervision. That's why those were installed. Those safety lights. Not for him. Shaun was nineteen. He didn't need that. Just because he was a sheep, all alone, in the big city didn't mean he needed that. Shaun kept telling himself, as the sheep's heart began to race. Beating quickly in his chest as he saw a black furred feline snarl at what looked like a badger or a wolverine near a dumpster with several raccoons rifling through it. Several people heckled the group to keep it down. Squawks, barks, hisses, and other strange foreign animal sounds filled the streets around him. "I'm a ram. Not a sheep. I'm a ram, not a sheep..." Shaun glanced down every alleyway he walked past. The sheep reached up to feel the top of his head where two horns were beginning to form. "I'm a ram..." Several rats were smoking, the next had a group of opossums and a raccoon. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Shaun kept move, quickening his step now. "I'm a big strong tough ram." A car backfired and the sheep jumped, running the rest of the way to the neon lit building at the end of the street. The sign read with bright colorful letters "Twenty-Four Hour Gaming." Heart racing, he came inside the doors and instantly felt better as the doors sealed to keep the air comfortably cool inside. It stopped the noise outside and it eased his growing concerns. The floor had an old retro confetti carpet that colors lit up softly underneath the dark lights hanging from above. It was easier to look down at the floor to navigate than from the lights. Arrows and lines had been added to the confetti. Helping lead people in the right directions. Shaun liked that. Like being led. There was a stale air to the room as the old AC worked above the door. Then there was the counter. Curved halfway in front of the entryway with a greasy popcorn machine, a large glass door fridge to display various sodas and energy drinks and finally a large rack of chips. "Hey, Shaun." The coyote behind the counter didn't even look up as the sheep quickly skipped over, placing his card down on the desk. "Same spot?" "Please. Yes. Thanks, Travis." Shaun tried to smile but he felt himself shivering as the coyote's hand brushed his hoofed fingertips. Shaun tried to make it look natural as he pulled his hand back quickly. Rubbing over his fingers. "At this point it's just easier to reserve it for you." Travis muttered, sucking on some kind of blood flavored sucker as the coyote rolled the white stick of it around his muzzle. From one side. Back to the other. Shaun watched a string of drool run down the end, dripping onto the desk where his hand had been. The coyote typed into the computer. An older model, ironic, for where it was set up at. Travis waited for the machine to process the charge, updating the card Shaun used. "Thanks. Travis." Shaun took the card only after the coyote turned back towards his phone. He grabbed it, moving around the counter and towards the back room. Shaun scanned himself in and headed for the same spot trying to calm his racing heart. He had been so comfortable inside the building with it's familiar smells, sounds and lines drawn on the ground. Then he saw Travis again behind the counter. Sucking on that flavored candy. Blood flavored candies were extremely popular among predators. It helped sate their cravings, or so they claimed. Shaun saw it more like a cigarette. It took the edge off but was a band aide to a bigger problem. For a guy like Travis, working in a mixed part of the city, he had to cope being around people like Shaun all day. Shaun didn't blame him. His body still reacted without his permission. An instinctual thing that made the sheep's heart quicken and his mind go blank. "Try not to think about it," Shaun muttered to himself feeling conflicting thoughts. He opened the door to the last cubicle shaped room and shut it behind him. It sealed nicely and he let out the breath he'd been holding in down the entire hallway. Shaun slumped in front of it, holding his head. He touched the growing horns, finding comfort in them. "I'm a big strong ram; I'm a big strong ram..." The floor to the room was padded and soft. There was a desk taking up half the wall and a quarter of the space. There was room underneath it for him to put his legs at least. The walls were a bit cramped, but Shaun couldn't complain paying such a cheap price for the room. It had a nice computer set up and Shaun quickly plugged his personal mouse and keyboard into the machine as he set it up. Pulling everything out of his back pack. It was just another Friday night. Shaun had made it. That was all that mattered. The Manga Kissa, internet caf or manga caf was a very nice place to get away from his parents and family. It was cheap, had food and drinks and provided standard basic needs. There was even a shower and laundry unit if he were desperate. It was a perfect spot to just hold up at while he let the steam out playing video games all night long with his friends online. "It's me, I'm getting on." Shaun opened up the communication platform and signed in. He was thankful this place always erased the logs after each session. He knew some people came in here for other reasons. He just wanted to play some violent games with friends. "Folks kick you out again?" A female laughed on the other. Shaun had never met her. The two only knew each other from online. She was some sort of feline; Shaun wasn't sure what kind. Possibly a bobcat or a lynx. Not that was an issue when they lived on different continents from each other. Shaun knew her as Alice but that most likely wasn't her real name. Shaun couldn't even confirm her actual location, either. "Go fuck yourself," Shaun laughed as he expertly typed away on the keyboard. The keys were slightly larger, and each square caved in slightly allowing his hoofed fingers to type away perfectly into each. Molding into the indentation to allow his fingers to type without damaging the device. "Who got kicked out?" That would be Bruno asking. The bear was online, most likely watching three different social media videos. The bear lived online as far as Shaun was aware. Bruno did something with stocks or business. Shaun didn't know how that worked and was too afraid at this point to ask as the bear ate noisily on the other line. "Your mom." A rat squeaked loudly. They all could hear Quinn's mechanical keyboard as he typed away on it. Logging in to join them. Everyone having been waiting for Shaun to show up. "Shut up, Quintessence!" Alice snarled at the rat, using Quinn's gamer tag name. "You're just jelly, puddy tat." The rat mocked and the two would spend the next five minutes arguing about it. Bruno and Shaun both lowered their volumes as the two bickered like an old married couple that hated each other. "Just had to get away from family..." Shaun didn't go into specifics. They tried to keep things informal here. That was the joy about being online. You could pretend to be someone different. And his little strange gang of friends accepted him despite clearly knowing he was a prey species of some sort. "That rough?" Bruno chomped another chip. Shaun had to get used to hearing the bear eat. It had something to do with eating his weight in food a day for hibernation. Bruno would be signed off for three to four months. A great time for his investments to take or so the bear claimed. Shaun had listened to Bruno talk about stocks and RIA's or was it IRA's? Shaun couldn't even remember. The bear talked endlessly about the subject. Shaun was sure the older man was trying to help Shaun out. Help the sheep become independent. Something Shaun feared might never happen at the rate he was going. Let alone the economy. Let alone the possible civil war between predators and prey, again, trying to start up. It was just one thing after another. Shaun wanted to get online and shoot fake people in an FPS game. "It's only gotten worse..." Shaun tapped a finger on the desk, unsure how much he wanted to divulge. "My dad's basically addicted to television. He watches it endlessly like a mindless... zombie." "Just fuck 'em!" Alice said. Shaun turned her voice chat back up as she came back into the conversation from yelling at Quinn. "Yeah! You can move in with me. My other roommates fucked off to who knows where." Quinn chuckled. While Shaun appreciated the thought, he couldn't imagine trying to squeeze into an apartment made for someone of Quinn's size. The rat assured him it wasn't that bad but that was the fifth roommate within the past two months. A clear red flag if Shaun had ever seen one before. "They probably gotten eaten by a cat," Alice purred and Quinn was the one to laugh. "I wouldn't be surprised! Can't trust you felines," Quinn and Alice got back into it and Shaun turned their volume down. "This is why I told you to invest." Bruno said, trying to be helpful as he slurped down a big gulp. "At least that way it could build up into something when you eventually leave." "I appreciate the thought, thanks." Shaun wasn't sure how to tell them that he lived off an allowance his parents gave him. It was another means for them to control him and his siblings. His parents refused to let them work or be independent. It made it easier to keep them in check. "I just need to get my mind off it all." "That's the spirit!" Alice said and Shaun turned her back up. "Let's go shoot some red bowtie scum!" Alice was the first to log into the PvP war game. Quinn quickly followed, cursing that Alice beat him to it. Shaun was next and joined the group as they waited for Bruno. "Just checking my... okay... And sell. Buy... I'll wait for that. Should be a good one. Unless it gets bought out again," Bruno munched away before wiping a greasy hand off on his chest and double clicked the game icon from his house. "Which map?" "I hate the new one. I get it's like a classic brought back, but there was a reason why no one played this in season one!" Alice complained about, loudly. "Not the parody map, either. Like, I liked the show as a kid and all, but like come on. To do the entire map like that? No thanks." Quinn waved it off. "Let's just do quick match." "What? Afraid of ranked?" Alice was happy to pounce on the rats cowardice. "No!" Quinn quickly said, getting worked up. "Just kiss already," Shaun laughed as the sheep tapped away on the order menu next to the computer. It was a convenient way to order items and then go out and get them. It meant he didn't have to see the coyote. "Ew!" Quinn gagged at what Shaun had said, shaking from the thought. "Wouldn't she like, eat him?" Bruno asked, scratching his gut now. "That's the point. I think...?" Shaun laughed, trying not to let out any distinct sounds that could give his species away. The other three had a bet going to what he was. None of them had gotten it, yet. "Disgusting. I don't put trash in my mouth," Alice gagged. "I have taste." "That's rude." Bruno said in the same droll voice as ever making it difficult to tell if he was playing along or not. "Come on. I'm sure you'd love his taste." Shaun chuckled. "That's the problem." Alice grumbled. "Huh? What do you mean?" Shaun innocently asked, not following. "It's because she's a pussy licker." Quinn laughed. "Go fuck yourself!" Alice snarled back. "She only dates other cats?" Shaun asked and the other three went quiet. "...What?" "Shaun." Alice spoke up. "Yeah. Hey, Shaun?" Quinn jumped in. "Be nice." Bruno rolled his eyes, wanting to at least get a few ranked matches in to keep their place in the rankings. "What did I do? I'm not following." Shaun felt warm in the face as his ears folded back. He had far less worldly experience than the others did. "Shaun." Alice teased, repeating his name with a sly smirk on her face. She looked down at her sharp nails. "Question." "Are you...?" Quinn played off what Alice had started. "Am I what...?" Shaun wasn't sure what they were trying to insinuate. "A. Gin?" Alice mouthed it out. "What?" Shaun felt even more confused. "Virgin. Are you a virgin, Shaun. Our perverted teammates want to know." Bruno cut in before the other two could make the sheep's face turn any redder than it already was. "What!" Shaun's voice raised up. "Of course I've been with a guy! I mean, girl. With a... woman." He poorly corrected which only seemed to make the other two squee with delight. "OH, Oh, oh!" Alice bounced in her seat. "I knew it! I called it!" Quinn smacked a hand on his desk. "No one is that soft and innocent without being a fancy boy." The rat squeaked several times. "What is that supposed to mean!" Shaun felt the warmth creep up his neck and fill his face, turning his powder snow white wool red underneath as he covered his face with both hands. "It means-," Quinn started but Alice finished. "We're just happy for you. Is all. I mean, I'm bisexual!" Alice proudly proclaimed. "And you never stop talking about it." Quinn groaned, rolling his eyes. "Asexual." Bruno added in, unable to stop the two now that it had gotten going. "Don't you have a wife?" "Had a wife." Alice corrected. "Oh, sorry." Quinn winced at that. "I'm not." Bruno shrugged and the others laughed as Shaun tried to figure out if getting outed even matter with his online friends. In a way, it was freeing not to have to hide that information. On the other hand, he wasn't ready to talk about that and was glad when the search came up with a game for them. Even Shaun knew being teased about who he was in a friend group was a means of acceptance. He just wasn't ready, yet, for that level of acceptance from them. Shaun appreciated these games. The more violent, the better. It allowed a soft sheep like him to play on equal footing to someone like Bruno or Alice. Shaun always went for whatever did the most damage. Bruno favorite roll was to be the heavy or support depending on the game. Alice jumped around to whatever mood she was in, and Quinn was a try hard playing the role that was needed. "I just can't handle support today." Alice said and the other three worked around it. Shaun was always glad that the group let him play what he was comfortable with, even if it wasn't optimized for their team. "How long you going to be on Shaun?" Quinn asked as he picked last. The rat was the loudest of the group, the quickest to anger and yet was their team captain making sure to do what was needed. "All night. Or at least I'm going to stay here all night. I might not game the entire time. They also got movies here." Shaun said and Alice was happy to put her two cents in hearing that. "Gore Me is a great series! You should watch it! It's basically a deer that loses his family and goes crazy, hunting down the predators and goring them to death on his antlers!" Alice loved her gorefest and would send the others pictures of conventions and festivals she attended wherever she was from. "I might pass..." Shaun didn't want to admit they made him feel squeamish. Using an assault rifle to blow the head off another soldier in a video game? Perfectly fine. Seeing the movie make ups that Alice was into made him want to hurl. "I'm not in the mood for that..." "You never are." Alice pouted as she chose random making everyone else on the call groan. "What! I might get lucky this time." "First of all, no one is into that disgusting shit other than you Alice." Quinn said. "Second... stop choosing random!" "I could strike it big this time!" The feline laughed. "It's not gambling!" Quinn cried through the microphone. "What if we all picked random?" Shaun teased, playing along with Alice. "Oh, great idea! Let's do that. All in favor?" Alice asked and her and Shaun said "aye." "Whatever." Bruno knew this was going to be another nothing night. It happened every now and then. The group just doing whatever they wanted. Quinn would lose his cool and leave, before coming back only to have Alice instigate him further until the rat snapped. Bruno called it flirting. Shaun didn't know how "rage baiting" was considered flirting. Shaun wanted to fit in and would play along with Quinn or Alice depending on who he thought was fun that night. Leaving Bruno to pull out his phone and check his stocks as the other three fucked around for half the night. There was a notification on the side screen as the menu popped up showing Shaun that his food was ready. "Oh! My grasscakes are ready! I'll B.R.B." Shaun clapped excitedly as he got up and headed out of the room. Shaun set his headphones down, forgetting to mute it. "Told you he was a herbivore." Quinn said. "Yes, but what kind?" Alice wasn't about to let the rat win the bet without getting the specifics down. "I'm guessing... mule." Quinn laughed. "He isn't a mule! He's too cute to be a mule. He has to be... a donkey." "What's the difference?" Alice asked and Bruno lectured the two that it wasn't okay to make fun of hybrids. Shaun shut the door, locking it up. The keycard he was given was programmed for the room for the night. Just in case. The prices here were extremely reasonable and the sheep had more than enough saved up to stay a couple days if needed. His phone buzzed and he looked down to see his mother texting. "Dinner will be ready at eight. I'll save you leftovers if your busy with your friends." She was an idiot. While Shaun appreciated the thought, there was so much wrong with that text the he wasn't even sure how to start to get into it. After listening to his father yelling at the television, forcing his political opinion and views on his family as he blindly followed whatever the questionable news channel was showing that day, Shaun's mother cooked. She stayed in the kitchen humming to herself like some kind of drone. If his father was too much, Shaun's mother was the other side. She was ignorant, na ve, and ignored everything that was happening outside the house she had willingly trapped herself within. The place could burn down, and Shaun's mother would still be trying to perfect the perfect apple pie saying that everything was fine. Still, it was his mother and the sheep begrudgingly replied. "Thanks." Shaun forced his fingers to move. Replying to his mother. Knowing it was better to at least put up an act. She would never change. His father would never change. Things only seemed to be getting worse for the two of them. More delusional. Unable to accept any kind of fact or data. They would blame predators for natural disasters. It was becoming too much, and Shaun felt his heart racing as he closed his eyes. Trying to calm down as his father's voice still rung in his ears about the recent "scandal" that had happened. "How dare they elect a predator mayor!" The older ram was yelling, spittle flying in the air as his face turned a dark shade of maroon. He would tell anyone that passed by what was happening and how they were going to "invade our country." Shaun's mother would just get his father another beer. Another sandwich. Pretending everything was fine and that there was no need to voice any kind of thought or opinion of her own. She would just follow whatever his father said and, the older he got, the more Shaun began to resent her for the silence. "Just another couple years..." Shaun tapped away on the machine, finding the right open panel and pulled the numbered lid open. The wall had a series of numbers and letters locked doors indicating which one had the food you ordered in it. On the other side of the wall was the kitchen. Shaun had never met anyone inside the room. He'd only caught glimpses when the two panel doors were open at the same time, giving him a view of the industrial sized kitchen on the other side. The smells were a mixture of fried vegetable tempuras, oils, and greasy meats that Shaun tried not to focus on. There were very strict rule when it came to serving food. Even the oils used had to be carefully monitored. The far-right cubbies were used for vegetarians like Shaun. They were color coded letting people know what they were just by a glance. The sheep could've gotten sick, or worse, if he accidentally ate something a predator ordered. Even if it was synthetic meats, these days. There was a certain taboo about it. On the left side were several black cubbies reserved for carnivores and omnivores. In the middle were several rows of lighter gray cubbies with a mixture of drinks and snacks premade ready to be bought on the spot. Some were even refrigerated. The white cubbies on Shaun's side had the vegetable tempura snack he always got when he came here. The food was neatly bundled and wrapped. The smell made Shaun's stomach rumble having forgotten to eat dinner before coming here. It happened far more often than he would've liked to admit. Shaun stepped to the left, searching through the premade snacks and drinks. Trying to find something appetizing to pair with the fried vegetables. There was an extensive selection. Each of the gray boxes were marked with what they could contain using colorful stickers. Shaun spied the boba style tea up above and reached for it, getting on his tip toes as his hoofed fingers brushed against the pad. Being small had a lot of setbacks. Shaun was average height, which wasn't saying much. Depending on the area of the city you were, there were several disparities when it came to the heights of things. The rodent quarters at his old dorm forced the sheep to stoop. While here he felt he needed a step stool to reach the correct slot. "3. 6. B... Come on." Shaun stretched, wincing as he reached past his limits. Standing on one leg, he wobbled dangerously as the hoofed fingertip brushed the handle. He barely snagged it, trying to open it with a grunt. He must've been standing there longer than he thought as the previously empty room had people drifting in and out of it. Some glanced at him. Others ignored him completely. The small sheep that couldn't reach his drink. Shaun didn't feel small often. His entire neighborhood was made for sheep. The building, the roads, the cars. Everything had been taken into account for someone of his size and shape. Even the windows were reinforced against ramming into them. Here was a different story. Shaun was in the city now, and it was a good slap in the face, a harsh reminder, of where he was in the food chain. In the larger world, outside the sanctuary of their gated community, he was just another sheep. "Do you need help?" A voice spoke up, and Shaun felt the shudder as he recognized who it was. "I'm a bit short," Shaun laughed, trying to play it off as he relaxed. He turned around to see the coyote standing there watching him. Shaun wasn't sure how long Travis had been there and hoped the coyote had just been passing by. Travis worked here. He was an employee. That was why the coyote had stopped by to help him. That's what Shaun kept telling himself. Predators had a nasty reputation for taking an unhealthy interest in what prey species did. While some woman reported men being stalkerish, there had been similar reports of predators doing the same to prey species. "Yeah. Been telling management to add the steps in." Travis was hunched over, shoulders hanging forward as he walked forward with both hands tucked into his black leather jacket. He wore ripped jeans, and his shirt was of a band Shaun didn't recognize. Shaun stepped aside as the coyote fiddled with the cubby for him. Reaching up easily to turn the handle, opening it up and reach inside for the drink and snack combo. It was natural for Shaun to move. It was an unspoken rule that a prey species steps aside for a predator when they came by. Maybe it was out of fear or instinct, but Shaun found himself moving away from Travis whenever the coyote walked by. "Is this stuff any good?" Travis looked at the drink, sniffing at the sealed cover before turning to look at Shaun. A pair of headphones hung around the coyotes neck, but the cord didn't seem to be connected to anything. It was wrapped around the coyote's neck. "I like it." Shaun said truthfully, unable to keep eye contact with the bored worker. Travis and Shaun had run into each other enough times by this point to at least be using each other's names. In a strange way, outside his online friends, Travis was the only predator friend Shaun had. It might've been presumptuous to call Travis a friend. More of a friendly acquaintance. It was still nice to know anyone outside the sheep community. It was the coyote's job after all to at least put up the act of being friendly as he handed Shaun the drink and looked over the bag of chips. "Potato chips?" Travis seemed surprised. At least enough to lift an eyebrow. The coyote rarely reacted to things. "It's one of the few things here that I can have. And that's worth buying." Shaun answered in return, glancing over the coyote. Travis was larger than he was with lean arms and legs. Travis was wearing a pair of high-quality sport shoes that Shaun only realized how long he'd been staring at when he glanced up to see the coyote watching him. "Uh, I can't really wear shoes." Shaun showed off one of his hoofed feet. "It's a nice pair of shoes..." He awkwardly said, trying to explain both his silence and why he'd been staring. To his surprise, Travis didn't seem to mind. The coyote shoulders relaxed, appearing less stiff as he lifted his head a little. "These? I just got them. They arrived this morning." Travis glanced down at his shoes. The green marking on the sides really stood out under the dark lights. "I saved up for over a couple months to get them. I'm glad they were still on sale, heh." Travis chuckled, his lips pulling up slightly to reveal the predator's fangs as his tail wagged. Shaun quickly looked back down at the shoes. Shaun rather look at the colorful footwear than something that made his blood run cold. "They look really good on you." Shaun mentioned before feeling his face warm up. "I mean, they're nice shoes." "Heh, thanks." Travis said and his tail swayed slowly behind him. "You gaming with your friends again?" The coyote asked and Shaun wasn't sure if he should go into details. "Yeah. We're playing War Hounds 5. I stepped out to get something to eat." Shaun nodded, hoping at least the knowledge that someone was waiting for him would do... what? Shaun wasn't sure why he'd mentioned that. It was casual. It was something you'd tell anyone when asked. Nothing to hide. Shaun felt as if he had to in order to make sure the coyote, this predator, knew someone was waiting for him to return. Shaun blamed his father and his side of the family for that biased view. Travis had been nothing but friendly to him. "Cool." Travis gave a single nod with his muzzle, focusing slightly to the side of the sheep instead of looking directly at him. A polite gesture when talking to a smaller prey species that the predator had learned over the years. "What about you?" Shaun asked, if only to be polite. "Me? I'm working." Travis let out another gruff laugh, his lips lifted again to reveal his teeth as the coyote gave an amused smile. "Ah, I meant..." Shaun trailed off and the coyote watched the sheep shift his weight uncomfortably. "I'm more of a console gamer. Than PC." Travis came to Shaun's rescue, not letting that uncomfortable moment linger for too long. "Yet, you work in a PC caf ?" Shaun asked, his ears perking up as he looked back up at the coyote. "They're expanding." Travis said a little defensively, laughing it off with a roll of a shoulder. The coyote rested his weight to his left leg, leaning that way as his head tilted in the same direction. His hands had returned to his pockets, and he stuck them out as if stretching. "The owner wants to add a console room. A sort of place for people to gather and play games together." "Oh, I didn't even know." Shaun couldn't recall hearing or seeing anything about that. "It's on the other side of the building. It was empty after an... incident took place," Travis evasively said. "The owner decided to buy it. Or rent it, rather. He plans to break down the back wall. Kind of next to the bathrooms. Then add a sort of gamer bar back there. For adults." Shaun nodded at that. He had to show his ID anyways to use this place. It wasn't that strange if they added alcohol into the mix. "That's smart. I like it here. Its..." Shaun tried to find the word. "Chill." Travis finished for him and the sheep nodded at that as the silence began to grow between them. Shaun wasn't as uncomfortable this time as he thought he'd be. "Chill. Yeah. That's a good way of putting it." Shaun gave a single nod, mumbling the words a bit as he thought that over. Maybe that was why he liked coming here. It was slightly cooler than the other buildings were. His wool kept him plenty warm. The lighting was a little hard on the eyes with the bright neon colors and dark lights, but it did capture the mood perfectly. People came and went without troubling the others. There was a mixture of species that all came here just to enjoy some peace and quiet. Shaun hadn't had troubles, yet, and that was a good enough reason to come. Travis pulled out his phone, looking something over on the brightly lit screen. He swiped the message and typed out a reply with a paw padded thumb. He made it look... cool. Maybe it was the jacket Travis was wearing or the way he stood. The coyote seemed not to care about anything going on around him and had calm energy that Shaun could vibe with. It helped the sheep out with what an anxious mess Shaun could be. "What games?" Shaun asked, continuing the conversation for reasons he wasn't fully sure about. He had planned to head back to the others, but Travis hadn't left yet, and the sheep was curious what the coyote had said previously. "Huh?" Travis glanced up, looking at the sheep with half-closed eyes as if the coyote had just woken up, smoked something heavy or was tired. It could've been all three. "Games. For the console. I mean..." Shaun fidgeted, wondering if he should've just gone. "Oh... Oh!" Travis said as if recalling what Shaun was talking about. "I play some pretty lame stuff, honestly." The coyote chuckled, rubbed behind one ear as he averted his eyes. He had a playful smile on his face looking... sheepish. Shaun found it to be extremely charming to see on a predator. A rare sight. A bashful predator. "Now I have to know." Shaun laughed, feeling a bit more confident that he wasn't the only one feeling awkward. "You can't tell a guy that and not share." Travis's eyes widened slightly before he laughed. Nodding along. "True. That'd be a rather dick move to do. Leaving you guessing. Hounding me all night wondering." The coyote pulled out his phone. For a second Shaun thought that was the end of it until he heard a familiar tune play from his childhood. The sheep's ears bounced back up, and the motion caught the coyote's eye, focusing in on them as Shaun looked at his phone. "Hey! I know that." Shaun said, turning his head to look at the phone screen. A Furtube channel was playing the intro to the show. "Everyone knows the show." Travis shrugged but didn't stop the video as Shaun watched it play out. "It's the number one money making game in the world." "I can't believe the series is still going. I lost interest years ago. I still play the classic games every year or so." "Yeah. I know the newer games are rather meh," Travis turned the phone so Shaun could watch it better. "It's still relaxing to play. I can also play it on my handheld. I miss that." "Same! I stopped playing on consoles after I got my PC, but I'd still play the handheld games." Shaun's stubby tail wagged as he bounced with the catchy tune. "The first couple seasons are by far the best. Cheesy fun." "I never got too much into the show." Travis stopped the video with his thumb, putting the phone away. He glanced down at the sheep who was humming the tune still. "When I was a young lamb I was super into the show. Now it's more a nostalgic guilty pleasure." Shaun nodded. "I had a few stickers on my laptop case." "Yeah. I remember." Travis said. His words lingered for a moment before Shaun gave him a look. "What?" "Dude. We go to the same class. Uh, went to the same class. Same school?" Travis thought that over with the different parts of how their high school was segregated. "I saw your bag. You used to wear glasses." "Contacts." Shaun instantly replied. He blinked a couple of times, blushing as he twirled a strand of wool with a finger. "I got contacts after graduating. I don't even remember you. We went to the same school?" Shaun thought that over. Shaun had to twist his parents arms to get him to go to the high school in the city, instead of the Harvest School his religious parents wanted him to go to. His father had only agreed to allow Shaun to go in hopes of his son seeing what predators were really like. His father was convinced that if Shaun went to a public school he would instantly join his father's crusade against predators. "I don't even remember half the people there..." Shaun muttered, thinking it over. He was glad he'd gone but that was a difficult time in his life. "You were usually surrounded," Travis noted and the sheep looked at him. "You guys, uh, had this large herd that you walked to every class in. Us predators had to move out of the way whenever you guys were going through the school. You ate together, went to the library together and then you'd all gather up during breaks." "Right. Herd mentality. Force of habit," Shaun nodded, recalling how it had been. "It's kind of like flock mentality but with more grazing animals combined together." A lot of bodies crammed together, walking in the same direction as each other. People would join or split off as needed. It was natural for them all to move around like a school of fish. "No wonder why I don't remember anyone! We all kind of blended together... how'd you remember me?" Shaun ears folded back at the thought that there was something rememberable about the sheep. That someone could possibly notice Shaun in the large group of herbivores. "Your bookbag. It had the starters on it." Travis said. "You used to bring it with you when you first visited the PC caf . I recognized it. Wasn't sure how to bring it up without sound, you know, lame." The coyote gave a weak shrug. "Social stigmas? Now you are speaking my language," the sheep laughed and a soft "baa" came out. He cleared his throat quickly, blushing more. "My parents are a huge issue why I went to the public school... and why I'm here today." "Parents, huh?" Travis nodded at that. The coyote's ears perked up, and he looked down at his phone again as a soft ding went off. "I got to get this." The coyote turned before Shaun could reply. The sheep wasn't sure if he should just stand there, leave or what. He watched Travis walk over to the cubbies in the wall and, looking at his phone, picked out one of the black covered ones. He popped it open and steam wafted out as he grabbed his lunch from inside. "These take forever for them to do but it's worth the wait," the coyote salivate as he sniffed over the food package. He carried the tray back over. "Finally, can eat something." "Lunch?" Shaun asked as Travis came back over. The coyote looked up at him, eyes slightly large before relaxing. "Yeah. Been starving. I swear the orders for predators take longer than others." The coyote held the tray with one hand. He motioned with his snout. "Come on," Travis said and Shaun followed after, unsure why. Was it his sheep mentality kicking in? Someone led you and you just followed? Did he want to have lunch with Travis? Shaun thoughts were bouncing around in his head as the two ducked to the side, walking up a small flight of steps and entered an area to relax in. Soft music played above. A mix of techno and songs from video games. Shaun wondered how much that cost the place to get the licensing for. It was a stray thought as they took a seat on a padded spot to the side. It was a darker corner, and Shaun was thankful that Travis flipped the lights on before sitting down. The light revealed the coyote's stuff stashed in the corner. "You're lucky. Leaving stuff out in the open." Shaun said to break the silence as they took a seat. "Nah, I do it all the time. All you got to do is rub your scent on it and most people won't bother." Travis shrugged as he searched through his things. He pulled out cutlery and began to unwrap the package. Steam filled the air as he opened it, and the scent of meat and gravy filled the air. "What did you get?" "Hamburger steak. I think it's mostly tofu, but the gravy is rather good. Cheap too." The coyote grinned as he cut a slice off, gravy dripping from the piece as he lifted it up and devoured it. Travis barely chewed before swallowing and going for another bite. "Been starving all day." "Why didn't you eat beforehand? I think I heard about protein shakes, uh, you guys can use." Shaun said, trying to think of it before realizing it might sound offensive to bring up. "Sorry... I didn't mean..." "Yeah. I drink those sometimes. Those things cost a small fortune. You get a whole bunch of them, but when you got to drink the stuff a couple times a day they go fast. Adds up. I forgot to restock and ended up getting called in today to cover." Travis was far more talkative now that he had something in his stomach. The coyote searched through his bag, flipped through a few sketch books before grabbed a device. He pulled the handheld console out. With one hand, he turned it on and began flipped through the screen while he ate. Shaun only realized then he hadn't even taken a bite of his own meal. He opened up the package and frowned, seeing that the steam had made the tempura a bit soggy. He'd normally rushed back to continue gaming with the others and eat while doing so. "The others," Shaun nearly jumped out of his seat. "What about who?" Travis asked before turning the handheld console around to show him. "I know it's the newest game and it's rather cheaply made, despite being full price... But here's my team. I'm already on the second playthrough." The coyote shared and Shaun found himself sitting back down in the seat to look at it. Shaun scooted a bit closer, looking at Travis's team. They were all various types with no clear direction for any of them. Travis seemed to have selected his team based on what he liked, instead of what would've been a good comp. There were no meta builds. Just a lot of herb types with cute faces and were soft looking. "Interesting team." Shaun said, trying to be polite. The highest-level Travis had was a ram with flowers growing out of its wool. "Yeah. I already beat the game. I'm not much of a competitive player. I just enjoy it." Travis shrugged, his ears splaying out. Shaun thought the coyote might've been blushing. "I thought you might like to see..." "I do! I did." Shaun smiled back as he reached for the screen. He stopped himself. "Go ahead. Sorry..." The sheep said and the coyote gave him a look. "My fingers can crack screens that aren't made for them." Shaun wiggled his hoofed tipped fingers. "It might've been one reason why I stopped playing the newer consoles. They're not made for hoofs." "All of them are touch screen. Or at least, have touch screen features." Travis nodded pulling the console back. "I need to play with these guys." The coyote said and to anyone else, that might've sounded odd. "You keep up with the dailies?" Shaun asked and the coyote nodded, tapping on the machine with a finger. "It's easier to do with these types. They just want attention and interactions instead of something challenge. Its... nice." One of Travis's ears flicked. "I like more relaxing games," he mentioned again. "Owning an island, inviting who I want to live on it with my character. Build houses and such..." "Heh," Shaun laughed and both of Travis's ears folded back. "Ah, sorry! I meant that I'm the opposite. I like guns and violence and explosions! It's funny... just how the sheep likes the carnage, while the 'yote likes the more relaxing aspect of gaming." "'Yote?" Travis smirked at the nickname his kind were often called. "Sorry! I didn't mean..." Shaun quickly tried to apologize. "Hah, I'm just messing with you." Travis said, gently pushing Shaun with a closed fist. "If I knew you were this into gaming. I would've tried to talk to you at school." "Probably best we waited." Shaun said, before clarifying. "I was going through a lot back then. Ended up just going along with the herd. I don't remember much of high school. I'm just glad I graduated." Travis nodded at that. "I smoked." The coyote said and Shaun tilted his head. "It took the edge off. I didn't have a herd or pack or flock like a lot of the other students did. Coyote's tend to be solidary creatures... Let alone being nocturnal. Well, that might just be because I like staying up late and gaming. My roommates are nocturnal as well. Only one of them is a gamer, though." "I understand that." Shaun laughed along, smiling. "I tended to game a lot more at night because my parents..." Shaun didn't want to get into that and shook his head. Travis gave a polite nod to show he was listening but didn't press the issue further. "Do you have to get back to work?" Shaun asked. "Do you have to get back to your friends?" Travis asked at the same time. The two stopped, looking at the other before chuckling. "I should." Shaun sighed, rubbed his neck. "It's been nice getting away. Even from them I mean. See the rest of this place. I usually come in and do the exact same routine. I don't mean to. It's just easier when I do. For me..." "Herd mentality again?" Travis asked, curious as he scooped up a pile of the white rice covered in gravy and shoveled it into his mouth. Shaun looked away at that, laughing at the sight. "Something like that. We don't like to go with others we aren't comfortable with. It's like an instinct wired into us." Shaun shrugged, not thinking too much about it. He couldn't really do anything to change that. "Oh. Cool." Travis licked his lips clean, looking to the side. A moment passed. Then another before the coyote spoke up. "It's cool you're comfortable with me, then." Shaun's ears perked up at that before folding back as he blushed. The sheep wasn't sure what to say to that and just gave a nod. "You're staying all night. Right?" Travis asked as the two had finished their meals and carried the trays and trash back. They dropped it off in the slot. Travis shifted his weight, not looking at Shaun as he waited for an answer. "I think I will. I don't want to go home right now. As long as the news is playing, it's just unbearable." Shaun sighed, shaking his head. "When's that?" Travis was wondering if that'd give him a rough estimate until Shaun headed back. "Never." Shaun let out a humorless laugh. "It's always on. Twenty-four seven. My dad found a new channel that runs his kind of news nonstop. My parents sleep with the damn thing on! It's rotted my dad's mind, and my mom is in denial..." Shaun shook his head again, trying not to think about it. "It's nice. Coming here. Getting away. Even if it's a bit strange." "Strange?" Travis stepped to the side, and he noted how Shaun followed his movements. The coyote walked to the side and the sheep followed along beside him without seeming to notice what he was doing. Travis walked in a full circle and was amused to see Shaun following behind hi steps without saying a word. "I come from a big family. A big community. It's strange coming here and ending up alone in a room. Sure, I got my friends online but it's not the same as another body in the room." Shaun twirled a strand of wool with a finger, frowning at the realization. Maybe that was why Shaun always returned home. A familiar comfort, despite the toxic environment. It was better than being alone. "Oh. That's it?" Travis said and Shaun felt a little angry at his feelings being brushed aside. The coyote pulled out his phone, looking it over. "I'm off in a couple hours." "Okay...?" Shaun wasn't following. "You're in the same room?" Travis asked already knowing. "I'll drop by after work ends." The coyote seemed pleased at the thought, his tail wagging as he stepped past Shaun. "Come on. I'll lead you back to your room." Travis was already walking ahead, and Shaun was trailing behind. "I don't need to be led." Shaun grumbled. "You aren't my shepherd." The coyote stopped at that, looking back at the sheep. "I-It's something the church always talks about. That's all." Shaun felt that creeping warmth again and lowered his head, embarrassed. Shaun wasn't even sure where to begin explaining a sheep's religion to a predator. "Religion? Fun..." Travis rolled his eyes. Most predators were atheists. Something with making it easier to eat people back in the dark ages. "I hate it. They always talk about the harvest and how we need to be good farmers, tilling the fields. It's a cult, I swear." Shaun shook his head. "My parents and family are super into it. I kind of... am not." Shaun admitted as Travis led him back to his room. Shaun unlocked the door and stepped inside. He was surprised to see Travis poke his head into the room, looking around. "A little cramped for me but that's cool. I'll bring some blankets. You haven't gotten the night set yet, have you? I know you paid for it." Travis asked and didn't need Shaun to answer. "I'll grab it for you. See I'll be back after work. See ya', Shaun," and with that the coyote shut the door before Shaun could say anything. The sheep wasn't sure what to make of any of it as he went back to the PC. "Where the fuck were you!" Alice shouted from the other line. "You okay?" Bruno asked as the team lost another round without Shaun. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm doing rather good." Shaun smiled as he got back into it wondering what to make of any of this. "Told you he was taking a dump." Clem laughed and the other three yelled at the rat to shut up. "Everything good?" Alice asked and Shaun found that smile returning to his face. "Yeah. Everything's great."