{"sf1_id":1499494,"sf2_id":"pnGDr371","title":"The Leaves of Fall Act 2: Fear the Nobodies (Part 8)","author":"Oliver_Hart","words":1708,"posted_at":"2019-10-12T02:54:33.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Alternate Reality","Anon","Boy","Brother","Bunny","Classroom","Couple","Emo","Fight","Girl","Green text","Greentext","HMOFA","Halloween","Heterosexual","High School","Hmofa/","Human","Kissing","Plot Development","Rabbit","Siblings","Slow burn","Young Romance","anthro/human"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1499494-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-8","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/pnGDr371","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/5d/e7/5de76bbe-0b30-47f8-8860-2bdbdaa00a83","description":"You've never really 'fit in' with the heavily divided Ranchview High School crowd. Jock, Goth, Prep, Cheerleader, Nerd... you were never any of these. But as Halloween approaches, strange things start happening, and a dark ritual begins with the finding of a curious red book. It's a race against time for you and your friends to stop a group of students from ushering in an age of darkness, and to also figure out just what the hell is wrong with that rabbit.  \n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  \n  \nAbout this version: originally, The Leaves of Fall was split into two pastebins to compensate for the length of the story. Given that pastebin has chosen to censor this story for ambiguous reasons, it will forever be stored here and on AO3. This new version contains spelling, grammar and content fixes. Please understand that the content is all the same as the earlier versions minus some sentences being changed and fixed up. I cannot stress this enough: no new content has been added. It's my hope that this is a cleaner, easier-to-read version of the story.  \n  \nCover: [https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q](https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q)  \nSam (drawn by Akella of /hmofa/) [https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT](https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT)  \nFan art collection: [https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv](https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv)  \nAccompanying playlist (WIP): [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410\\_nI-0J](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410_nI-0J)  \nAlternative link: [https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078](https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078)  \nTotal word count: 147,552 words","content":"\\\u003eYou knock on the door to your room   \n“Sam? I couldn’t find anything in your size, so I figured you could just wear my pajamas for the night.”  \n\\\u003eYou wait for a response before knocking again  \n”Sam? You dressed?”  \n\\\u003eYou jiggle the knob a bit  \n\\\u003eJust let him know you’re not trying to get in, but you want to make sure he’s not naked  \n\\\u003eNo response  \n\\\u003eWith your old pajamas in one hand, you twist the knob and enter  \n\\\u003eGod this better not turn into one of those embarrassing cliche things where you see him naked  \n\\\u003eOh  \n\\\u003eHe’s not naked  \n\\\u003eIn fact he’s still dressed  \n\\\u003eAnd he’s still cruising through your comics  \n\\\u003eHe’s even taken the liberty of using an old English paper of yours to sketch in the margins  \n\\\u003eFor the first time in what feels like a long time, you see him smile   \n\\\u003eFeelsgoodman  \n\\\u003eAs quiet as you can, you whisper:  \n“Hey, you like my essay on Frankenstein?”  \n\\\u003eThe rabbit sits up, looking around as if forgetting where he was   \n\\\u003eHis eyes find you, and his smile folds into a nervous line  \n\\\u003e“S-Sorry. I-I’ve never… uhhh ... been in a r-r-room this big b-before. I g-got distra-distracted.”  \n\\\u003eYou tell him it’s okay, and throw your old dirty pajamas at him  \n\\\u003eHe squeaks as they drape off his head and cover his soft features  \n\\\u003eHnnng  \n“Just come out when you’re ready. I’m gonna heat up a pizza in the oven.”  \n\\\u003eYou shut the door, red in the face  \n\\\u003eFuck, you need to do something manly, like… fight Alex or Mike or something  \n\\\u003e…And find the promised sodas…  \n  \n\\\u003eYou crack a beer in the kitchen and get Alex to shotgun it with you  \n\\\u003eThat’s right  \n\\\u003eDrink down the confusion  \n\\\u003eHow can a boy be so feminine? It should be against the laws of the natural world  \n\\\u003eYou slurp down the can in record time   \n\\\u003ePushing down everything that happened today  \n\\\u003eAnd a little bit of something else  \n\\\u003eAlex isn’t competitive but even he tries to match your pace  \n\\\u003eBut you are a pace he cannot match  \n\\\u003eYou belch loudly and groan  \n\\\u003eFuck that felt good  \n\\\u003e”A-A-Anon?” A shy voice behind you draws your attention  \n\\\u003eSam is in the hallway that runs along the kitchen  \n\\\u003eWearing your pajamas  \n\\\u003eThe bottoms are too big for him, they nearly slip off of him  \n\\\u003eWere they not strapped in place by the tender bow of his hips, they’d be around his ankles  \n\\\u003eThe dirty white t-shirt is draped over his upper body like a tent, but it does the job  \n\\\u003e”Hey Sam, are those Anon’s clothes?” Alex looks at you wearing a sly grin  \n\\\u003eGod you just want to punch him sometimes  \n\\\u003eSam draws a deep breath, his trembling slowing as his chest expands  \n\\\u003e”Y-Yeah,” he still says weakly, avoiding eye-contact with Alex  \n\\\u003eYou crumple the beer cans on the counter, hoping Sam doesn’t notice what the cans say  \n\\\u003eAgain, you don’t think beers are a good thing right now, but you need to drink away the confusion  \n“So, you want something to drink? Pizza’s in the oven. I’m gonna go wash your clothes,” you say  \n\\\u003eHe looks somehow… at peace  \n\\\u003eThe tired glassy look in his eyes folds into a vague comfort, tinged by only a little anxiety at being left alone with Alex — Your friend who is not Sam’s friend but you pretend he is  \n\\\u003eYou retreat to your room, leaving a few root beers and Dr. Bepper’s out on the kitchen table for Sam  \n\\\u003eHe’ll be fine  \n  \n\\\u003eThe filthy clothes he wears day in and day out are too big for him, you think, as you shove them into the washer  \n\\\u003eThe hoodie  \n\\\u003eHis jeans  \n\\\u003eHis shirt  \n\\\u003e… His boxers…  \n\\\u003eAll of them are at least your size, if not bigger  \n\\\u003eYou add plenty of detergent, even some bleach for good measure  \n\\\u003eLord knows when the last time they were washed  \n\\\u003eYou drop the lid on the washer and pace back into the hall  \n\\\u003eYou’re gonna have to get this kid some new clothes eventually  \n\\\u003eBack in your room, you take a second to catch your breath  \n\\\u003eYou just need a few moments to collect yourself  \n\\\u003eThe shakes haven’t hit yet, but you think that might be the beer  \n\\\u003eOr that evil pact you made with Vanessa  \n\\\u003eFuck, you can’t believe you did that  \n\\\u003eYou grab the red book off your dresser, pushing aside a drawing Sam had left there  \n\\\u003eYou notice it’s left open to a random page  \n\\\u003eLooks like he was doing more than just dra-  \n\\\u003eYou flip the page  \n\\\u003eOne of Sam’s superheroes is in the margins, right next to hundred-year-old spidery scrawl  \n\\\u003eHe’s a human, standing tall, robed and garbed in what looks like priest vestments  \n\\\u003eCorded with muscle and sinew, the priest’s body bulges through his robes a little bit at the sleeves — but the rest of the costume remains loose and scholarly  \n\\\u003eIn his right hand is an open book  \n\\\u003eAnd atop his head is a short pointed hat  \n\\\u003eOh, he’s some kind of wizard, or wise man  \n\\\u003eYou read the name of what you assume is one of Sam’s characters  \n\\\u003eJesus Christ kid, you could have at least written your name in cursive—  \n\\\u003e—“Anon, The Brave and Wise.”  \n“Anon,” your mouth forms the words but your somewhat sobered mind keeps them from coming out of your mouth  \n\\\u003eOh  \n\\\u003eOh dear  \n\\\u003eYour heart does flips  \n\\\u003eBlood rushes to your face  \n\\\u003eOh god oh god  \n\\\u003eThis is cute as hell  \n\\\u003eYou’ve never seen yourself as a superhero, let alone “wise and brave”  \n\\\u003eThis feeling, right now?  \n\\\u003eThis is The Gay(tm)  \n\\\u003eIt’s — It’s not your problem if Sam has a crush on you  \n\\\u003eAfter all you just daringly rescued him from an abusive alcoholic  \n\\\u003eYou draw a few fortifying breaths, mind mulling over what’s happening  \n\\\u003eIt feels like a block there  \n\\\u003eYou flip the page idly  \n\\\u003eA softly written header catches your attention  \n\\\u003e”To cleanse the body and soul”  \n\\\u003eInitially you think it sounds like new age shit  \n\\\u003eBut you know this book is no joke…  \n\\\u003eYou mark the page with a scrap of paper and make a mental note to come back to it  \n\\\u003eIt’s only 8:30 and your thoughts are coming in at a sluggish pace  \n\\\u003eWhen you shut your eyes you don’t want to open them again  \n\\\u003eDid you have homework?  \n\\\u003eAw fuck it   \n\\\u003eBefore you turn the book shut, your mind wanders to another idea  \n\\\u003eSam might have wanted to know what was so special about this book  \n\\\u003eAfter all, it was there in the chasms above the school  \n\\\u003eAnd you… You want to know more about this thing that Vanessa has going  \n\\\u003eWell, you have time to do some light reading  \n\\\u003eThe pizza is in the oven and the washer is going  \n\\\u003eSam is just going to have to deal  \n  \n\\\u003eYou are Alex  \n\\\u003eAnd you’ve known that Sam was a bit odd  \n\\\u003eBut man, it’s not even your house  \n\\\u003eThis is just ridiculous   \n\\\u003e“C-C-C-Can I have t-this one?” the rabbit asks you timidly holding up a Dr. Bepper, pointing at the label  \n\\\u003e”U-Unless you w-wanted it…” he lets his sentence nervously die, the pleading tone in his voice plain and clear  \n\\\u003eYou level a concerned gaze at him  \n“Yes…?”  \n\\\u003eHe flashes a smile for a second as he pops the can open with his fuzzy little fingers  \n\\\u003eSam takes a few light sniffs, his nose wrinkling at the sharp smell of Dr. Bepper  \n\\\u003eYour concerned gaze continues to be more concerned  \n“You ever had a Dr. Bepper?”  \n\\\u003eThe rabbit shakes his head, throwing down strands of hair across his face  \n“Well it’s kind of… Hm… You know when you eat spicy food? It’s kind of spicy.”  \n\\\u003eHe takes a slow, savoring sip  \n\\\u003eHis eyes go wide as the first of the sacred nectar touches his tongue  \n“See? It’s spicy, like the indignation of a worker alienated from the fruit of his lab-”  \n\\\u003e”It’s g-g-good!” Sam squeaks happily  \n\\\u003eHe sets the can down and pulls his (Anon’s) pants up higher on his body  \n\\\u003eGod they’re so comically big on him, it’s a wonder how they even fit  \n\\\u003eProbably the fact that he looks kinda girly just based on skinny he is  \n\\\u003eYou draw a long sip on a root beer  \n\\\u003eSam continues staring at the can of Dr. Bepper, sneaking looks at you  \n\\\u003eYou stare at him, confused  \n“Are you done?”  \n\\\u003eHe deflates  \n\\\u003e”W-W-Well don’t you w-w-want any?”  \n“What? No. I’ll just get my own. That one is yours. Gross rabbit spi-”  \n\\\u003eThe rabbit then shakes his head a bit, shutting his eyes in the process  \n\\\u003e“T-T-That’s m-mine?” He asks, as if he can’t believe himself. “We d-don’t h-have to s-s-share?”  \n“Yes. That’s yours.”  \n\\\u003eWith trembling arms, he grabs the Dr. Bepper off the table and loudly begins to slurp  \n\\\u003eLol what the fuck  \n\\\u003eOrdinarily you’d insist that it was ‘OUR’ soda, but you don’t want to share his gross rabbit spit  \n\\\u003eYou’ll allow capitalism, just this once  \n\\\u003eSam’s eyes narrow and his nose wrinkles as he loudly slurps  \n\\\u003eWhen he’s done, he gingerly sets the can down and belches at glass-breaking volume  \n\\\u003eGood lord, you’re amazed he’s still standing  \n\\\u003eHis face glows red as he points his eyes to his feet  \n\\\u003eHis floppy ears drip down his forehead and across his face  \n\\\u003e”S-S-Sorry,” he whispers  \n\\\u003eThe gentle \\*beep\\* of the oven causes him to jump a few inches into the air  \n\\\u003eYou guess the pizza is done  \n  \n\\\u003eYou are Anon, and you are sitting uncomfortably close to Sam on the couch, eating pizza  \n\\\u003eAlex is rifling through your shelf of movies  \n\\\u003eThe TV is on but nothing is happening  \n\\\u003eSam eats in small bites, but none-the-less has already consumed two pieces of pizza and is halfway through his third  \n\\\u003e”Lord of the Rings?”  \n“Too long.”  \n\\\u003e”James Bond?”  \n“Too violent.”  \n\\\u003e”Batman: The Dark Knight?”  \n“Too sca-”  \n\\\u003eSam sits up, a slice of pizza still dripping from his face  \n\\\u003e”T-That one!” He exclaims  \n\\\u003eAnd then, as if suddenly embarrassed, he looks at you, the want plain across his face  \n\\\u003e“I-I-If that’s okay?”  \n“You ever seen The Dark Knight? It’s really good, but it’s pretty intense. I don’t think you’ll like it,” you say  \n\\\u003e”I-I can take it!” He asserts","series":{"name":"The Leaves of Fall","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1497975-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-7.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1500658-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-9.json"}}