Chapter Text
I.
A void, to put it in its simplest terms is what it felt like. An abyss that opened up and consumed all. Any attempt to fill it with jettisoned items was pointless as they tumbled hopelessly into the vast emptiness. It felt akin to a house with no foundations, hollow without support. Only a matter of time before the weight and pressures of the outside brought it to the point of collapse. For some reason, her internal monologue always seemed to use such flowery language. She never really had given it much thought as to the reason why. Was it an exercise of personal ability? A solipsistic bragging of the many books she read and words she had collected. Perhaps it wasn’t nearly that impressive, maybe it was a defense from a point blank harsh reality. The mind using a niche selection of words to blanket the sad, but nonetheless blunt and simple truths. Truths that could not be negotiated or semantically argued against. The blunt answers seemed to hover just within her peripheral vision. Making her desperately focus in front of her to avoid seeing them. Her eyes hung heavy and the exhausting effort she was performing was taking its toll. Around her she could see the prying eyes of onlookers. So many faces of varying sizes and shapes focused on her. Juno was in a moment of complete stagnation.
Time froze and milliseconds became millennia. The magnitude of the situation was finally starting to come into full view. At this very moment she stood in the warm radiant glow of the enormous meteor lantern. In her hand she held a small candle. Looking down to it, she saw the miniscule flame dancing around the wick. From the tip, small dribbles of wax became liquid and travelled down the length of the candle. Her hands felt frozen in place. The underside of her hand felt cold and exposed as she stood in bright orange aura. Not less than a minute ago, she was not holding the candle alone. A minute ago,a pair of large powerful hands had clasped her own. Now suddenly they were gone. Through the crowd, her eyes darted behind him as she saw him moving. The weight in her eyes was getting heavier as she took slow deep breaths. She felt so dumb.
“Legoshi..” she said under her breath, feeling the welling up of tears. She watched from a distance as he made his way to stone steps that led from the plaza. She knew where he was going and that made her even sadder. She knew the eyes of the crowd were now exclusively on her. She felt time speeding back up and she knew she could no longer stand still. She took another deep breath and knelt down onto her knees. She delicately set the candle on the ground and put her hands together. She leaned forward and closed her eyes. Perhaps the “prayer” she performed would give her a moment to gather her thoughts.
Within her mind, she knew that all the eyes were still looking at her. The appeal of the situation would have been impossible to look away from. Someone bringing the one they loved in front of the world and then them walking away. This would be the most uncomfortable thing to see happen to anyone. Yet being at the center of such an event was gut wrenching. Though only being mere moments ago, she replayed everything in her head. He had been standing before her. She feeling the soft caress of his strong hands. She thought this moment was perfect, so perfect that she could be truthful to the utmost degree.
“I love you Legoshi.” Juno thought to herself. He was everything she admired in the world. He was handsome and strong, but beyond that he represented the future. A carnivore without malicious intent, that truly sought to make the world more equitable and free. A carnivore who didn’t have to carry their predatory nature as an anchor and embraced their strength as a badge of virtue.
“Let’s be in the light together.” Juno said staring up at the tall wolf. Her purple eyes sparkled with joy as her heart and stomach fluttered. She waited for him to speak, his mouth opened slightly before he closed it along with his eyes. Without a sound, he leaned forward and touched his head to hers. Her heart sank, she felt his hold of her hands lessen. He sighed and turned away from her. He seemed to float through the crowd as everything aside from him became a blur. Maybe the nuances of canine interaction would go over the heads of the onlookers but Juno understood perfectly well what it meant. The gentle touch was a mere courtesy to help her save face but nothing more. With a gentle grip and touch, he told her that at this moment he didn’t feel the same.
She opened her eyes and looked around at all those that surrounded her. The glow of the lantern illuminated their faces and many also held candles.
“Hold your composure… just a little longer.” Juno thought as looked at the staring masses. From their perspective, Juno looked like a faint silhouette. The surrounding brightness, casting a dark shadow in front of her. The only brightness coming from the array of faux gems on her face, made to resemble scales. As well as her bright eyes, which grew closer to tears. She took a deep breath and then gracefully bowed to the crowd. A light applause came from the crowd as she did so. This caused a weak smile to come to her face. A single tear welled in her closed eye and travelled down her face and across her nose. The weight of the droplet eventually carried it off her snout where it fell and collided with the ground.
The audience began to move closer and past her to set down their own candles. She leaned back up and looked at the crowd. Seeing all the couples was rather upsetting in light of the prior events. Slowly she started walking away from the lantern. Standing in its presence of the meteor, a cruel irony passed through her head. Looking down at her outfit, she thought about what the feathers and colors she wore represented. The majesty of the dinosaurs embodied a very different time on the planet. The world that everyone knew was the result of a catastrophic paradigm shift. In an extremely random act of unparalleled violence and death, the dinosaurs were supplanted as the dominant species, making room for the age of mammals and eventual rise of consciousness.
“I am the dinosaur and my meteor has arrived. Is this the cosmos telling me to stand aside?” She said with a small pained giggle. Another tear rolled down her face. She wiped the tears and felt the smudge of makeup on her face as she did.
“Damn, all this time in front of a mirror and this is what I have to show for it.” Juno took one more look at the giant lantern and then made her way to the art department’s area. She passed through a small gate pushed through a small cloth divider of a tent. As she looked inside, she saw several crates of art supplies and production equipment. She didn’t see anyone inside the tent as she entered.
“I guess everyone’s gone.” She said aloud as she wandered to the back. In the far corner of the tent was a trunk used for moving costumes and make up mirror. Juno could see herself with greater levels of details as she got closer. The thing she noticed was the vibrant colored feathers and gems of her costume. Before the performance, she had seen herself but her mind was heavily focused on the dance, her speech and talking to the wolf she admired. For the first time, she actually got a good look at herself. She looked beautiful and everyone who had helped her reach this point had done a phenomenal job. She looked at her eyes and saw that the once well placed eyeliner was smudged and running as a result of her tears. She tried to smile but the all consuming emptiness that she had felt was now returning to her. Her stomach felt hollow but the thought of eating anything made her want to vomit.
She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She leaned over the makeup counter and supported herself with her hands. More tears started flowing from her eyes and she felt the fur of her snout growing ever so damp as she continued to cry. Tears falling, some landing on her hands and others landing on the counter with a “plop”.
“Why did I do that? Why was I so public.” She languished. She was beginning to berate herself more vocally. “Why do I even like him?” She said to her reflection. That was a rhetorical question because she knew the answer.
“How can I not, no one else stood up to anyone for me. And it wasn’t just for me either. I didn’t even know him at that point. He saw me simply as someone who needed help and was right there. He made me feel safe and confident in my identity as a wolf. Legoshi’s presence in my life makes me feel like I am protected from the outside world. But also from myself. He proves that it’s possible that everyone can rise above the preconceived notions that society places on them.” She stopped herself and huffed. Just putting her feelings into words didn’t do anything to alleviate the pain. She thought about the handsome wolf and where he was at this very moment. She knew that he went after the rabbit as soon as he left the plaza. That very wolf had risked his life a few nights before for her and he was the only reason that she was alive at this moment. Maybe he really did love her beyond his heroic and helpful nature.
“Does she really love him?” She said quietly. Despite the size of their campus, rumors still spread quickly. Even as a freshman, she had heard the salacious things that the student said about the rabbit girl from the gardening club. She tried to be better than a simple mean girl, taking part in bullying a slut. “It’s fine to enjoy sex, but with Haru its kinda different.” She thought. From the extent of rumors, Haru had definitely been hyper promiscuous. That could mean a lot of things but she really doubted that seeking out simple hedonistic pleasure was the sole motivation for the way she acted.
“Did he ever think about that?” She thought. “He had to be aware about everything that had been said about her. Did he not even consider that she was not interested or capable of loving him back?” She felt gross as she thought that. She wasn’t a fan of Haru but perhaps this lack of charitability was more of her projecting her own thoughts onto him.
She wiped away some of the tears and picked up a makeup wipe. She leaned into the mirror and squinted as she carefully wiped away the makeup from her eye’s surrounding. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that the smudged makeup was removed more or less. She got another wipe and began cleaning her other eye.
She had started to calm down as she removed her costume. Removing the jewels and taking off the feathers that had been wound into her fur. As they were removed she began to place the items into the chest near the mirror. Looking at herself one more time in the mirror, the only thing left to do was change out of the red silky costume. She looked behind her into the rest of the still empty tent. She blushed and nervously ducked behind the trunk. Quickly she gripped the waist and then slipped out of the silky pants. Juno was left in a pair of thin red underwear that wouldn’t stand out through the rather opaque fabric. She looked around the tent once again before proceeding to remove the silky top.
Under any other circumstance, she would have just stayed in costume and stayed at the festival. At this point however, the thought of spending another moment dressed as a beautiful dinosaur was going to send her into another crying spell. She fought to cease her tears when she did. Their residual remains laid on the makeup counter.
She huffed one more time and then reached behind herself and began to pull on the fabric knot that secured her shimmering top. She pulled the knot loose and then the weight of the silk caused it to fall to the ground. The top made a series of little clacks as the plastic bits contacted the ground. She blushed and looked in the mirror.
Juno saw her reddish brown fur shining in the light of the makeup mirror. She looked at her small but round breasts. They were held in a lace red bra that slightly squeezed them. Then to her slender but slightly muscular midsection above red panties. She put a hand on her hip and inspected herself further. She looked at the curves of her hips leading down to her soft butt and her thighs and legs, toned firm from dancing. She sighed, while the underwear had served a double function, Juno had made the conscious decision to wear the red lingerie. Maybe it was wishful thinking but she thought, by some twist of fate, the object of her desire would have gone home with her after the festival. Juno cringed at her past line of thinking. Remembering that caused her to wince. “Stupid stupid.” She thought to herself and slammed one hand onto the counter.
She waited a second, took another deep breath, and felt her heartbeat slowing. Looking down at the festival outfit, she slowly bent over to pick it up.
“Hello?!” A female voice called out from the opposite side of the art tent.
“Agh.” Juno screamed out as she heard the voice behind her. She was so startled that she lost her footing and tumbled over lightly. Laying on the ground she tried to grip the fabric. She heard footsteps from
inside the tent that got louder. A figure approached her from the dark side of the tent. Juno looked up and met the spotted face of Sheila.
“Oh my gosh, Juno are you okay?” The cheetah said as she quickly rushed to her side and extended a paw.
Juno breathed hard but began to relax when the figure turned out to be a fellow dancer. “Oh hi Sheila.” Juno said as she caught her breath. She reached out and grabbed the paw as she was hoisted up.
“Thanks.” She said standing back on two feet. “What are you doing here anyway.” The wolf asked.
“Haha, I could ask you the same question but I’m more interested in why you’re standing in your panties.” The feline giggled and snidely pointed her finger at the red thong Juno wore.
“Agh!” Juno exclaimed and quickly used her hands to cover her crotch. The hair on her back stood on end as a new wave of embarrassment came over her.
The feline brought her hand to her face to stifle a bit of laughter. “Uh I’m not interrupting anything here am?” Sheila said as she moved her head around to look for anyone else.
“Oh no, it’s just me…” Juno said as she rubbed her hand behind the back of her head.
“Haha aww what a shame.” Sheila giggled loudly at the wolf. “In any case, what’s with the lingerie hon, not that I’m complaining or anything.”
The wolves cheeks blushed bright red and then huffed to find her clothes. Sheila stopped giggling and her smile faded. “Juno I’m sorry, I was only teasing. Plus we dance together, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before” She said sincerely. The wolf looked back at her with pink, irritated eyes and slight smudges leftover. “Oh god, are you okay?” Sheila asked
Juno looked down and sighed. “Not really no, I just feel so stupid and ridiculous.” She said, fighting back another round of tears. Juno found a small backpack and opened it up.
“Why, because of the performance? You killed it and you looked so beautiful while you were on that stage. Plus your speech was very moving.” Sheila said as the wolf opened up the bag with a frown. Sheila knelt down to the wolf. “Look, this year has been…pretty awful, ever since Tem was killed, the drama club and school have both felt so...rotten. Half the time it feels like everyone is in fight or flight mode because they are terrified they are going to be devoured. That sucks so much, I used to come to this club to get away from all that nonsense but now I sometimes don’t even wanna show up. Cause everyone has their own theory on who killed Tem. And you’d be surprised how high I make it on some peoples list.” Sheila said, getting a little tearful herself. Juno stopped and looked back to the cheetah.
“When you spoke today and talked about what makes carnivores valuable, it was not just vague platitudes about how strong carnivores are. You basically said carnivores could use their strength, not as a means of power but as a duty to help others.”
The wolf weakly smiled. “I know it sounds utopian but I really do dream of a world in which our biology has as little to do with who we are as possible. That the strength of carnivores is viewed the same as the protective nature of powerful herbivores. It makes me really happy that despite all the shit that carnivores deal with, there are still a few of us who are not so jaded and still want the world to be a better place.” Sheila said, placing her arms on the she wolf’s shoulders.
“I don’t think that’s utopian at all, I think we can move beyond the past and guarantee a better life to everyone.” Juno said back looking up at the slightly taller big cat.
“That’s what I’m talking about, and it’s really liberating to know that while there are carnivores who commit atrocities, there are ones who stand in the way of injustice.” She giggled. “I mean if I told my grandma that a wolf would risk his life to save a rabbit he hardly knew. From a bunch of lions nonetheless, she would think that I made it up.”
The words caused Juno’s smile to fracture. “Yeah”, she said weakly. “He’s… really incredible.” She was now feeling the emptiness return. The cheetah looked at the somber wolf and suddenly things were starting to make sense.
“Juno, I didn’t mean to upset you. Did something happen… between you and Legoshi I mean?” Sheila asked.
The question was being worked over in her head. Juno sighed. “In a way, yes.” She closed her eyes. Sheila looked slightly concerned and led her over to a chair.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked, holding the wolf’s hand.
Juno opened her eyes and yawned. “Well… there’s not that much to talk about. And…I really wish that there was.”
Sheila frowned slightly. She looked at the beautiful wolf in her red, revealing undergarments. She caught a small whiff of Juno's perfume she had applied on her neck and breast. “Was this supposed to be the night?” She asked.
Juno rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead. “For some stupid reason, I guess I was delusional in thinking that might somehow happen.”
“You really admire him, I mean that’s something that was pretty obvious to everyone in the drama club.” She held her hand and smiled. “I guess everyone assumed that you two were a thing.”
“Really?” Juno asked, one tear welling up in the corner of her eye.
Sheila giggled and smiled lightly. “Basically, pretty much every guy in the club has said that you’re beautiful and they love to… “date” you.” The cheetah used her fingers to make air quotes.
Juno laughed a little. “How romantic.” The cheetah giggled too.
“I don’t know, he’s just very handsome and makes me feel secure.” Juno said. The cheetah cocked her head curiously. “When we first met, news had just broken that a grey wolf was suspected of devouring an herbivore in the city.” Juno stood up and returned to the bag at her feet. “The next thing I know, I’m being harassed by some students I don’t even know. About how all wolves hunt in packs, that I knew the perpetrator or that even I had committed the murder.”
“So dumb.” Sheila huffed. Juno picked up a black tennis skirt and slid it up her legs. She maneuvered her tail through a small opening in the back and then over her round bum.
“Anyway some of the bullies got physical and attacked me in a stairwell. And just like that… he was there. He didn’t even know me and he stood up for me.” Juno said, smoothing out her skirt. “I guess, that’s the thing that really makes me like him. If I can feel secure in this base way, I feel like I have the freedom to be brave and outgoing.” She blushed and pulled out a black long sleeve several small white stripes. Juno started to pull it over her head.
“Hehe can I tell you something secret because honestly, I can relate.” Sheila giggled. Juno’s head popped out of the top of the shirt and wiggled her fluffy ears.
“I’ll keep it secret.” Juno said.
“Okay, so I completely understand. I think the feeling of gaining security from the presence of another person is really powerful. There have been times in my life that I’ve needed that kind security. So this one time… I slept with Bill.” Sheila blushed.
Juno’s eyes went wide and looked bewildered. “Wait what, how did that accomplish anything? He’s so loud and crude. Aside from some performing ability, I can’t see him having a positive impact on much of anything.” Juno stopped herself to try and remain civil and courteous
“...and you’re not wrong, he’s not really that enjoyable. But you should know I meant that literally slept with him, we didn’t really fuck per say.” Sheila blushed.
Juno sat back in the chair. “I’m really confused.” She said.
“Allow me to explain.” The cheetah looked inside her own bag. “This was like right after Tem was killed and I know you weren’t attending Cherryton at the time. After the murder, the school was closed for like 3 days and it got really scary. Like all the carnivores were put on a stay in place order. Within the drama club, all the carnivores had to undergo a small interrogation from the staff and law enforcement authorities.” Sheila’s body started to shake. “Like I know I seem pretty collected but to be honest, I don’t handle pressure like that well. That was the worst week of my life and I had panic attacks almost everyday.”
Juno still seemed confused. “And how did this result in you sleeping with Bill? And how do you think this relates to me.” She stopped. “Sorry if that was rude.”
“It’s okay, what I’m saying is I understand the need to, and the sense of security that comes from taking comfort in someone. I’ve known Bill since our freshman year and yeah he’s always been a brash asshole. But he is confident and strong. So one night I asked him if I could come to his room so I didn’t have to sleep alone.”
Juno stopped and thought about everything her friend was telling her. “Did you get what you wanted?”
“Well yes, as I was making my way to his room, I was super unsure and couldn’t believe I was going where I was going. But I continued to walk towards him and when I got there, he was surprisingly quiet. He didn’t really say anything about the situation. I guess he wasn’t very comfortable with the events of the last few days either. Anyway he just led me to his bed, climbed inside and made room for me to join him. And it was wonderful. I felt more warmth than I had since everything happened. I had been shaking when I laid down for bed, but when I was there next to him, I stopped. He held me close to him and draped one of his big arms over me.” Sheila closed her eyes and smiled. “It was just a moment of silence and comfort that I desperately needed. It was super easy to fall asleep and stay asleep.”
“But you two didn’t have sex?” Juno asked.
“Well no, I think the most that happened was he kissed my neck and he kinda groped my boob. But I was fine with it, I really just needed to be held and that wasn’t off putting.” Sheila said with a smirk. “After that night, things really got better for me. I was more confident in functioning and handling myself.”
“Wow I never heard about anything between you and him. The blabbermouth he is, I’m surprised this wasn’t public information.” Juno slightly smiled.
“Well maybe he just decided to be decent and keep it our secret.” Sheila smirked. “Or perhaps he’s afraid that I’d tell everyone how much he told me that he was scared.”
“What?” Juno smirked as well.
“Oh Sheila, I just need to feel safe.” Sheila closed her eyes and imitated Bill’s lower voice. She stuck her tongue out and fondled a pair of imaginary boobs.”
Juno laughed loudly at the ridiculous display.
“Are you saying I should cuddle with Bill to feel better?” The wolf asked, raising a brow.
“Not at all, but what I’m saying is maybe you admire Legoshi, not as a true romantic object of desire. Instead you view him as an object of security. “ Sheila replied.
Juno’s eyes went wide. “Is that possible.” She thought to herself. “Do I just view him as protection from my insecurities? Could that really be the case?”
“Ehhh.” Juno muttered aloud while she was thinking. “God shut up, you’re looking like an idiot. It’s a stupid notion, to think that my love for Legoshi could be so materialistic and single sided. Off the top of my head I could think of so many reasons why we would be good together.
Juno gathered her thoughts. “Well we look so good together.” She stopped. “Wait, that's incredibly vain and basing a relationship off the thoughts of others doesn’t say much for it.” She thought a little longer about her wolf crush. “Maybe Legoshi is in love with that rabbit, what would that get him in life? She's already put him at risk and for what, to be a societal misfit.” She winced and dropped the thought.
“Am I really deferring to society’s standards? That goes against everything I believe in. Doing away with the unfairness and rigid expectations are my life’s mission. I can’t just abandon that because they possibly benefit me in this one specific way.
Juno took a deep breath and entered her thoughts once more. “I just wish that Legoshi could see how much easier things would be with me.” She wanted to cry. “...is this really, where I am right now? The case I’m making for why I’m in love is because it is easy to be with me. So I’m just the path of least resistance. The familiar to the unknown, the tried to the untried, fact to mystery, the actual to the possible, the limited to the unbounded, the near to the distant, the sufficient to the superabundant, the convenient to the perfect. A tear was materializing in her actual eye.
“Is that how I view myself? Is that how I view him? Not as free souls but as two pieces of a machine. Absent of meaning unless they are joined for one specific purpose.” A shiver ran down her back. She wasn’t quite sure how she ended up spiraling down this path. She tried to clear her mind.
“Juno! You okay?” Sheila raised her voice. Juno came back to attention.
“Oh sorry I was just...thinking about things.” She said
“Any breakthroughs?” The cheetah asked.
“Well, I really admire Legoshi, that much is obvious to me. I really like the way he makes me feel safe. He’s so sweet and brave. Although I guess I really haven’t talked to him. Definitely not as much as I would have liked to.” Juno frowned. “So while I definitely have feelings for him, The things that make me feel the most for him stem from the fact that he is such a comforting figure.” Juno said.
Sheila nodded. “Hmm… so one of the big reasons I figured I could sleep with Bill was because I knew quite more about him than just the fact I got a strange comfort from him. It was because I knew him prior, that I knew I didn’t really have feelings for him. So I figured I could be platonic and just get the relief from a friend without romance. I just think sometimes getting a little creature comfort with no strings attached can do wonders for your self esteem.” She blushed a little.
“Are...are you telling me that I should fuck someone so I’ll feel better?” Juno said as a little glare of anger emanated from the wolf.
“Well...have you had a boyfriend before?” Sheila asked. The wolf's upset face loosened.
“Well I did before I transferred, it wasn’t very serious and I broke it off before I left.” Juno said looking away. “I’ve had sex with only that one person before. I was a little curious but it was mostly him that wanted it.” She sighed. “I guess looking back, it was a pretty piddling relationship.”
“Have you ever considered dating again?” The cheetah asked.
Juno cocked her head and thought. “I guess ever since I met Legoshi, I’ve been so head over heels for him that I never had any interest in anyone else.”
“Well I’m not gonna tell you that being with him is an impossibility. I think if you really want to be with someone, sometimes you have to work at it. But in the meantime, while you’re not with him, there’s nothing wrong with playing the field a little.” Sheila said with a smile and holding the dower wolf’s hand.
“You really think there’s something to gain from doing that?” Juno asked, holding the upperclassman’s hand.
“I think it can provide you with a lot of introspection. Maybe taking comfort in someone else will let you not view Legoshi as the sole provider of that feeling. And maybe trying to date someone else causes you to fall head over heels for them. “ Sheila said to reassure her club mate.
Juno looked down and sighed a little. The cheetah gently put a finger under her chin to regain her eye contact. “Listen this kinda shit always sucks. Emotions are so messy and it seems like nothing happens in life that doesn’t hurt someone. You’re so young and you have such a good soul and a bright future. I hate to see you so broken up.” Sheila said.
Juno smiled. “Thank you so much.” She leaned forward and hugged the cheetah. “It’s nice to be able to unload these thoughts on someone who understands.”
“And unlike a therapist, I’m not gonna charge you up the ass for help.” The cheetah giggled causing Juno to giggle as well. “Haha, speaking of up the ass, let’s talk about rebounding.”
The smile suddenly faded from Juno’s face and was replaced by a sudden rush of blood to her cheeks. “Ugh… can you not phrase it like that? Leave my butt outta it.” She huffed.
“Haha, anyway in my experience getting a little lovin’ can help clear your mind and break down some of the pent up emotions.” Sheila giggled.
“I mean you didn’t have sex with Bill.” Juno still continued to blush. The cheetah laughed and walked over to the mirror. She grabbed a makeup wipe and started to remove her own makeup.
“Honestly if it wasn’t Bill that I was in bed with, and it was someone else, I probably would have. All animals are unfortunately rooted in their instincts and that makes us very emotional. A good way to combat those instinctual emotions is to use that instinctual drive to mate. Give yourself that chemical reaction that makes the rest of the world melt away for a second. I’m telling you, once the dust has settled and the pieces come back together, you have a whole new head on your shoulders.” Sheila flashed a big toothy grin.
“So I should fuck the pain away.” Juno said unimpressed and folded her arms.
“Haha you’re such a downer.” Sheila turned to face her again. “I’m not saying that it’s the answer to all your problems. There is also a point where doing this can be unhealthy. However, there is a healthy way to reap the benefits and just stewing in hurt isn’t the healthiest thing either.”
Juno thought for a moment. Legoshi had been the only guy she had thought about in months. However in the back of her mind, she was slightly jealous of the cheetah before her. There was something tantalizing about the basic idea of lust and pleasure that made her feel a warmth in her belly. Stepping away from a narrow focused crush did offer a glimpse of possibilities that had been previously undiscussed. She exhaled and blushed. Her heart beat increasing slightly.
“It doesn’t seem so bad when you think about it for awhile.” Juno smiled lightly and avoided eye contact.
Sheila smiled and sat next to her. “I’m not trying to pressure you but I hate to see you upset. I think you’re at a point in your life where you have the unique opportunity to explore the experience of being alive. Right now you're doing that and you’re experiencing the bad side. But there’s so much more to feel and taking a hit shouldn't knock you out.”
Juno smiled. “You think others would want me like that?”
“Uh duh, from what I’ve overheard from the club, they already do.” Sheila smirked.
Juno closed her eyes and gave herself a tight squeeze. She exhaled and let out a deep breath. “I guess that’s nice.”
“You shouldn’t give up on your crush because relationships are sometimes messy, they rarely just happen to click together. But in the meantime, you shouldn’t wall off the possibilities and pleasures that the world can provide.” She wrapped her arm around the young wolf’s waist. “But if you do wanna try messing around, try and keep it a number you count on one hand.” The cheetah let out a loud laugh and the wolf giggled as well.
Juno smiled but her internal thoughts didn’t reflect that. “I’m really thankful for Sheila, I don’t know where I would be emotionally if she wasn’t here. Maybe she is right, maybe I should move on if only as a temporary measure. Yeah, that will make everything better.” She thought. Behind her outward smile, nervous thoughts raced through her head. “Am I just trying to convince myself that I want to try this. It has an odd appeal, but I can’t make this hollow feeling go away. The urge to be touched sounds wonderful, but it also makes me want to throw up.” Juno grabbed her stomach which started to feel like a knot.
“Juno, you okay?” Sheila asked once again.
“All these thoughts are making my stomach hurt.” Juno said, still clutching her belly. Sheila helped her to her feet.
“Here let me buy you something to eat and we can talk some more.” The wolf smiled.
“Okay, that sounds nice.” She said as the cheetah led her out of the tent.
The festival had died slightly after the lighting of the lantern, however a large number of people still made their way around the plaza. The numerous flickering lights of candles shined even more brightly against the nearly pitch black sky. As the wolf and cheetah walked, they were surrounded by a strange and mesmerizing series of sounds. The soft clattering of various animals walking, the quiet conversations had by candlelight. From further away was the hum of electricity from the larger city and the rhythmic chirping of crickets. As the two walked, they felt the heat of the warm night combining with the radiance of the glowing lanterns. After a moment, a new sound came into the girls’ ears. A sharp sizzle of foods roasting on a grill.
As they approached the vendor’s stand, the alluring aroma of spices and seasonings began to wander into their noses. Juno took in a deep inhale with her powerful nose. The heat of spicy peppers crackled in her nostrils. She felt a heat and warmness carried into her sinuses. A growing wetness in her mouth told her of her hunger and grew more intense as they got closer.
“Ah here we go.” Sheila smiled as she moved closer to the stand. Sheila left Juno a few steps behind and proceeded to the merchant
“Two bowls please.” The cheetah said. A moment later she exchanged a bill for two small styrofoam bowls. The cheetah walked back to the hungry wolf. She extended a bowl to Juno. “Ask and you shall receive.” Sheila smirked. Juno took the bowl from her and looked down. The bowl was hot to the touch. Filled with fried rice and topped with egg, onion and a spicy sauce. Juno raised it to her nose and took another strong inhale. The sharp presence of the spices caused a small burst of heat to race through her nose. It was carried through her through where it left a residual taste on her tongue. She salivated more and looked up from the bowl. Sheila handed her a pair of sticks which she then took.
“Thanks a ton.” Juno said as she used the sticks to pick up a particularly saucy piece of egg.
“Haha don’t mention it, consider it a reward for nailing your dance.” The cheetah said. The wolf placed the egg in her mouth and let the sauce-soaked fluff glide across her tongue. An explosion of savory salty goodness courses through her taste buds. The hot steam quickly rose to the roof of her mouth as she ate.
“Mmmm.” The wolf cooed as she swallowed and took another bite. Juno continued to eat, feeling the hunger slowly start to recede.
Sheila looked at her as she ate. “So what are you thinking about?” Juno swallowed and spoke.
“Well I did need to be fed, so I do feel a lot better.” Juno said.
“Haha well a little bit of greasy street food tends to do that.” The two smiled and giggled. “What about the other thing?” Sheila asked as she started to eat her own rice bowl.
Juno sighed and spoke. “Well I have to admit, the empty feeling is kinda overwhelming. I think it might be beneficial to maybe try and see someone else. The feeling of rejection feels like it’ll eat at me regardless.” Juno sighed and took another sad bite of the rice.
“Well it’s hard to think beyond fresh wounds but that doesn’t mean they won’t heal. Besides it’s not like he’s married or dating anyone else so there’s always a chance.” Sheila said encouragingly.
Juno frowned and thought about the tall wolf. Where was he now? Was he with her? The last time they spent the night together nothing happened, was that still the case? Was he fucking her at this very moment?! Had that Haru gotten her hooks into the sweet wolf’s heart?” Juno gritted her teeth, behind a blank expression. She hated that she was getting this worked up. This was misery and the complete opposite of moving on.
“Maybe…” she spoke. “I just need a distraction, a break from these emotions.” She closed her eyes and lowered her head. She opened them again slightly and looked at the styrofoam bowl, now empty in her hands. She was surprised that she had eaten all of it almost unthinkingly. She put her hand to her mouth and let out a small delicate belch. Juno blushed and Sheila chuckled. “Excuse me.” She said slightly embarrassed.
“Hahaha you’re adorable.” Sheila said. “I swear, boys would drop dead the second you looked in their direction. I think that’s a good way to think about it. Nothing serious, just trying to move beyond this point, have fun and maybe clear your head in the process.”
Juno’s mind returned to Legoshi and Haru.
“What if they got a hotel room in the city. Perhaps they made it back to Cherryton and she invited him to the gardening club shed. She heard the rumors about lonely males making their way to see the white dwarf rabbit. How she kept a cot in the shed for such occasions as seducing males in need of relief.”
Juno was spiraling again. “How would that even work? Was she capable... of taking all of it.” She blushed and scratched her head. “Why the fuck am I thinking about this? He may not even need teeth and claws to tear her open!” She screamed in her head. “Why am I such a dumb bitch, why is this driving me up the wall?! I can’t stop thinking of him holding her down with his massive arms. Pressing his big red member to her little rabbit pussy and shoving it inside?!”
“Juno calm down!” Sheila yelled as she took her hand again.
“Oh god Sheila, I just wanna be beyond this! I wanna be distracted, I wanna be desired! I just wanna stop thinking about him! Juno held her friends hand with tears streaming down her face.
“Juno I think I can help but…” Sheila started before being cut off.
“I’ll do whatever, so long as we can do it right away.” Juno said, wiping away the tears. The cheetah thought for a moment and then smirked. “Alright I got an idea that can get you some pretty quick results.”
Juno nodded. “Okay, let’s do it.”
The wolf and cheetah made their way back toward the drama tent. As they passed through the plaza, the crowd had started to trickle out to celebrate elsewhere in the city. The large lantern resembling a Triceratops had been powered down. The ensuing darkness became more oppressive as it did so.
“Well they’re probably going to be closing down the plaza so we should make this quick.” Sheila said. With one push her strong legs, she leapt over a divider that concealed the tent. Juno watched in slight awe and then climbed over the divider.
“Alright so you wanna meet someone, possibly tonight.” Sheila smirked as she pushed her way into the tent.
“Yeah…yes…” Juno said with a slight embarrassment. She followed her inside the tent and they made their way to the back.
“Haha alright then, let me borrow your phone for a little bit.” Sheila said as she extended her paw out to her. Juno slowly reached into the pocket of the skirt and pulled out a lavender phone. She handed it to the cheetah. Sheila began tapping the screen just outside of Juno’s line of sight.
“So Juno… let me ask you?” The cat smirked. “Have you ever tried using a dating app.” Juno’s heart skipped a beat.
“What! Wait is that what you’re doing with my phone?!” Juno reached out her hands to get it back but the cheetah giggled and held her back with one extended arm.
“Haha, relax drama queen.” She giggled and held the phone for another moment before handing it back to her. Juno yanked the phone away from her and looked at the screen. A luminous glow came from the screen as a baby blue background covered it. Soon a white cursive writing began to materialize.
“Menagerie?” Juno said curiously. On the scene, the white font animated into the silhouette of a big cat's head. A moment later, it reshaped into that of an equine and then to that of a bear. It continued cycling through several more forms before the bottom of the screen changed. A phrase began to fade in before returning to a low opacity. “Press to continue”.
“What is this?” Juno asked, still entranced by the blue glow.
The cheetah got closer. “This is Menagerie, it’s a dating app that is super popular and might be super helpful for what you want.”
Juno’s ears lowered, “So this is like a hookup app?” She held the phone closer, blue glowed against the cream fur on her muzzle.
“I mean…isn’t that what you said you wanted to try?” Sheila asked.
Juno put on a weak smile. “I guess I just envisioned… well not this. It just feels so streamlined.”
The cheetah chucked. “I guess that’s just the way of the world. We pay bills online, do our work, we might as fuck online as well. Isn’t the dystopian world an amazing thing?” Sheila said with a sarcastic gleam. Juno tossed her a quick smile, which faded as she looked down at the screen.
“Oh boy…” Juno clicked the screen and the white cycling icon remateralied. It spread over the entire screen and then a light blue writing appeared. “Welcome to Menagerie!” It said. A moment later, black writing faded in below. Please take a picture of identification to continue. Juno looked up to her classmate.
“You sure this is okay?” She cocked her brow again.
“Yeah it’s fine. Like I said before, isn’t dystopia great?” Sheila replied. Juno was nervous but her curiosity was more than peaked. She reached back into her pocket and pulled out a plastic card. Her Cherryton ID contained her birthday and species information. She angled her camera at the card and the app changed again. A green bar was growing from the bottom of the screen, slowly overtaking the white as she held it over the ID. Once it reached the top, the screen returned to white. Juno went through, entering a few more pieces of preliminary information before entering a final questionnaire.
She read aloud, “what are you using Menagerie for?” Below were several options: To make friends, to date, to mess around, to meet that special someone. Juno hovered over the options. “I mean…is it better to be straight forward?” Sheila came over and looked at the screen.
“Hmm, well it might be smart just to say date. Leave a little bit to the imagination. I’ve tried the mess around function and basically my inbox was just full of guys asking me if I wanted to see their c…” Sheila stopped herself as she saw a blush spreading on the wolf’s face.
Juno pressed the “to date” option of and a new screen popped up. “Select a photo of your beautiful face.” Juno read out. From outside the tent, the two heard the sound of lanterns being powered down and service vehicles moving some equipment out for the night.
“Hmm we probs don’t have a lot of time.” Sheila said leading Juno back to the makeup mirror. Sheila took the phone and opened the camera. “Okay, I’ll take a picture of you putting on some mascara.”
“This completely necessary? Juno asked as she located the black plastic tube of mascara.
“This should do wonders. You’re so pretty and with this very over the top mirror, you’ll look like some idol getting all done up.” Sheila smiled and pointed the camera at her. “Just put it on and try and hold a face that says I can’t be bothered.” She smirked and Juno shrugged, realizing that Sheila was taking charge of this production. Juno pulled out the applicator and gently began to bat her eyelashes against it.
“Can you look more disaffected.” Sheila asked, looking at the wolf through the lens. Juno looked at herself in reflection. The last few minutes had seemed to rush by and this moment gave her a chance to think. Her purple eyes stared back into her. “You’re beautiful.” She said in her mind. “You deserve to be happy.” Juno felt the ever pursuing emptiness drifting back from behind her. “Why have I spent all night calling you stupid, dumb, a bitch?!” She winced at the pain. “I wouldn’t talk to anyone else like this. Not the way I talk to myself.”
She exhaled and blinked more, her long lashes being beautifully curved. “Am I vicious, just directing my vitriol and hatred at myself. I live my life wanting to please and help those around me. I do this just so when I close my eyes, I wage bloody wars on my mind. Does everyone do this? Maybe it’s so common that no one even tries to make it better or notices when they do it.”
Juno thought back to the sweet, quiet wolf. Something she had seen in him. His eyes were also windows into his secret world. A world that sheltered so much pain and insecurity. Something all too familiar to Juno. “Was that why I loved him? Not only because he made me feel safe, but because I wanted to ease the weight of his concealed strife.” Juno went to her other eyebrow. “Legoshi should be happy but I should be happy too. Just don’t let it be one or the other. The world couldn’t be that cruel.” Juno exhaled, looked deeply into herself and slightly smiled in hope. “Please.” she thought.
“Oh my god you’re so beautiful!” Sheila smiled as she lowered the phone. Juno snapped back to the outside world and looked at her friend. Sheila tapped a few more features and turned the phone to the wolf. Juno saw a light black and white photo of herself deep in thought as she looked deeply in the mirror. She was taken aback upon seeing herself. Sheila had captured the moment of recollection that she just experienced. The hope of happiness made her face radiantly shine and extenuated her lovely fur and facial features.
“You’re goddamn gorgeous.” Sheila giggled as Juno was pleasantly surprised by the photo.
“Thanks for taking that.” Juno said. She looked at the time nearly 11. “Oh it is getting late.” She said.
“We’re almost done, plus on the night of the festival, the city isn’t nearly ready to sleep.” She smiled. “Neither is everyone on here.” She shook the phone. “Just need a little tagline bio for yourself.” Sheila smiled. Juno thought again and spoke.
“My name’s Juno, Dancer, Lover, Idealist. Make me laugh, make me feel, make me smile.” She blushed. “I mean, what do you think?”
Sheila smiled and blushed a little. “I think it’s very you, it’s perfect.” Juno smiled back at the cheetah. The screen turned blue one again and more white words appeared. “Congratulations, your profile will be visible in 5 minutes.”
“Sweet, finally got it done.” Sheila said.
“Awesome, I guess we oughta get out of here.” Juno smiled.
Sheila laughed, “actually while we’re still here we might do one more thing.” She smirked at the brown wolf. Juno’s fluffy ears dropped.
“Oh, what is it…” she was nervous once again.
“Well while you got me here, I should help you with some more pictures.” She laughed. “They really might help you seal the deal if you’re trying to find some company for the night.” Juno raised an eyebrow. “You should really take advantage of that hot red lingerie you have on right now.” Sheila smirked, opening the camera.
Juno wanted to argue but thought about it. “If I really am planning on hooking up with someone, I guess they're gonna see more than just my lingerie.” She breathed slowly. “Okay what do you have in mind?” Juno asked back.
The cheetah led her over to a large piece of white faux fur fabric laying a few feet away. “I think the art department might have used this material for the dinosaur lantern but it should serve our needs just as well.” Sheila said, stepping to its edge. “Can I have you down right here?” She asked. Juno sat down on the fabric, feeling a soft but artificial feeling against her fur. She looked around the room before smiling. “Okay what about this?” The cat returned to the makeup mirror and angled its lights towards Juno. Sheila looked in the costume chest and removed Juno’s red dress. She draped it over the mirror and suddenly the bright fluorescent lights were muddled by an obstructing darkness. The light escaping through the fabric projected a crimson glow over everything the light touched. Juno looked at her own body and saw the light shining against her.
“That’s aesthetic as shit.” Sheila stood above Juno. Juno laid her back and looked at the camera. She hesitated as she gripped the lower part of her shirt.
“By the way I forgot to mention, one nice thing about this app is that the pics you send can only be viewed within the app and can’t be saved off of it. So these pics shouldn’t be too public.” Juno blushed and lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it to the side.
“Ooh la la.” Sheila teased. Juno heard more movement from outside the tent. The plaza was likely about to be cleared for cleaning and maintenance.
“I guess it’s now or never.” She thought to herself. She wiggled her hips and inched her way out of the tight skirt. With one kick of her leg the skirt landed elsewhere. Juno was left in the almost sanguine light, wearing nothing but the lacy red bra and panties. She looked at the camera as it looked back at her. “Make me laugh.” She thought as she laid in various poses. Opening her mouth suggestively, showing the tips of her fangs. The red of the light dancing on the flash of her teeth.
“Oh my god, these are incredible.” Sheila cooed as she took pictures. Juno rolled over onto her side and lightly caressed the soft fur on her butt. “Hot!” The cheetah took more pictures. Juno smiled and laid onto her back.
She thought to herself. “Make me feel.” She exhaled and removed the red lacy bra. As the compression was removed, she felt a rush of relief. The pressure on her chest was receding and she exhaled as the skin of the round breasts expanded slightly. “Uuuhh.” She moaned in a whisper. Her hands slowly set the bra to her side before bringing them up to her breast. She slid her hands up the soft lumps on her chest. The short fur stood up and was gently brushed up by the undersides of her fingers.
She exhaled harder as her thumbs and forefingers slid past her slightly stiffening pink nipples. As the fingers moved further, they cradled the soft sensitive skin. Eventually they collided against the gap between her fingers. This caused a tantalizing friction as the nipples were dragged under her hand.
“Hhaaa” Juno exhaled and looked at the camera. She bit her lip and felt a quiver near her hips. She reflexively rubbed her thighs together so stop her shivering.
Sheila playful bit her tongue as she took the picture. The cheetah got lower to ground. Juno stood up and turned her back to the phone. Sheila looked up as Juno arched her back. From her vantage point, the cat was able to see the curves of the wolf's soft round bum. Juno smirked and looked over her shoulder. She let her tongue droop and she slowly ran it over the tip of her top fangs.
“Haha damn you look deadly.” She giggled, continuing to snap photos. Juno blushed and hid a little composed gleam. She arched her back back and put her hands on her hips. An idea appeared in her mind. She looked back at the camera with a small visible blush on her face. She brought her hands back to her bouncy cheeks. She gently gripped the softness of her butt. She put her hands flat under the curves and began to jiggle her ass.
Sheila gasped at the display. Juno looked away smirking and blushing. “Make me smile.” She thought to herself. She put her fingers through the panties and lowered them slightly. Sheila took more pictures and stood back up. Juno laid back down and squeaked. Her heart was beating faster as she posed, this was a somewhat new experience but she was able to approach it similar to acting and dancing. It was a performance and the longer it went on, the more the outside world disappeared.
She continued to squeeze her thighs together and raised one leg over to cover her crotch. She reached down and slid her panties down. With another kick, she sent them flying off. She looked back to the camera and smirked. Juno ran her other hand down her cream colored fur that went down her belly. Her hand slipped between her thighs, then spreading her legs. She laid her other arm across her breasts to cover her nipples. She opened her legs more and showed that her hand was covering her bits. Sheila bit her tongue and snapped another picture. “Fuck!” She giggled.
A new sound was heard from outside the tent. A mechanical whirling that was coming a few feet from the tent. Juno stood up still covering her body and Sheila snapped her head. “Uh… I think that a street cleaner.” Sheila giggled. “I guess that means we should leave soon.” The cat looked at the phone and then the wolf. “Any last minute ideas?”
Juno’s mind slowed as she thought. As nervous as she was in the beginning, taking these lewd pictures was incredibly fun. It offered her a break from the immediacy of her emotional distress. She blushed hard as a crazy idea popped into her head. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.” The wolf said, peaking the interest of the cheetah.
Juno exhaled and kicked up her leg. Using her extreme flexibility she raised it higher and higher. Juno was soon holding her leg completely vertical. She held her strong thigh in her hand and her tongue dipped slightly out of her mouth. She batted her eyes and used her other hand to feel her soft breast.
“Holy shit!” Sheila giggled, completely shocked by the wolf’s display. Balancing on her leg, Juno fully bared her naked body for the camera. Years of dancing had made her incredibly limber. She figured if she could handle seemingly endless hours of ballet choreography, then showcasing just how flexible she could be would be no issue.
Sheila took another photo and then lowered the phone. “I don’t think it’s gonna get any greater than that.” Sheila said with a smile. Juno inhaled and gently let her leg return to the ground. She retrieved her panties and quickly pulled them back up her legs. Sheila walked over and removed the dress from the mirror lights. The room became instantly brighter and the two girls blinked hard as their eyes adjusted to the new brightness. “Yeesh.” Sheila groaned and rubbed her eyes.
Juno found her bra and threw it over her breast. Sheila returned the dress to the chest and looked on the ground. She picked up the black skirt and long sleeve, approaching the wolf. Juno blushed as she returned to reality. Turning and seeing the cheetah, Juno accepted the items of clothing and began to step into the skirt.
“How are you feeling?” Sheila asked as she passed the shirt next.
Juno pulled the shirt over her head. “I guess I don’t really know what to feel. I feel so many things. Excited, scared, proud, ashamed, plus a million other things.” Juno patted her skirt and cast away a few pieces of white fuzz. “It sounds crazy, but that was so much fun… I never expected that.” Juno giggled.
Sheila laughed. “No duh, the whole thing is kinda ridiculous so best not to take it too seriously. I saw how giddy you looked, Like you were just able to let go of all your worries.” Sheila gleamed.
“I guess I did, it felt nice.” Juno smiled and leaned forward. She wrapped her arms around the cheetah. Sheila was shocked and then hugged the wolf back. Sheila handed the phone back to Juno.
“Well you have a healthy amount of highly quality wolf smut on your phone.” Sheila said. Juno blushed and looked down at the screen. She scrolled through a catalog of crimson photos. Each one capturing the beautiful, scantily clad wolf. While there was a hint of embarrassment in her face, it wasn’t enough to stifle the smile she wore. As she looked at the pictures she noticed her beautiful purple eyes lighting up in every shot. “I look so happy.” She thought to herself. Another tear welled in her eyes, but this one was from joy.
“I should have asked before then taking them off.” Juno said, scratching her head.
“No need to say anything, you were in the moment, I’m just glad you felt that comfortable.” Sheila said as she picked up her own bag. “I’m gonna shut off the mirror light.” She reached behind the mirror and unplugged it from the power. The room was suddenly shrouded in darkness. The cheetah and wolf allowed their eyes to adjust once again. Both possessed a natural night vision and soon the darkness was no issue.
“Let’s get out of here.” Juno said as she walked towards the outside.
As they peered out, they saw several service workings moving through the plaza. All of the dinosaur lanterns were deactivated. Only the central meteor lantern was still projecting its glow into the night. Juno and Sheila moved quietly but quickly to the stairs. Without trying to attract attention, they began their assent out of the plaza.
As they walked Juno looked at her phone to see the time. “11:24, we’re in luck there's still a train that can get us close to the academy.”
Sheila frowned. “Actually I should have mentioned it earlier. I’m planning on meeting some friends in the city. No sense in turning in just yet.”
“Oh, okay.” Juno said, disappointed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with you until you’re on the train.” Sheila replied.
“I still can’t believe you helped me do all that.” Juno giggled.
“Naw it’s no problem I love that kinda shit. But if we’re in dance practice and I ask you to take a picture of my ass. You better help me out.” Sheila laughed. “
“Hahaha, don’t worry I’ll be there to help.” Juno laughed and skipped up the stairs.
“I guess I try to be really forward thinking when it comes to being sex positive. I mean as much as anyone knows, this might be the only chance at consciousness that we’ll ever receive. With the limitations of existence there shouldn’t be limitations on what you can experience. Sex has its material functions but beyond that, it doesn’t have any inherent natural value. That’s why sex is special I think. It’s one of the rare things in life that is biologically wired in us, but we can decide it’s value. The value of confidence and trust from giving it sparingly or the value of pleasure and experience from being more open sexually. It kinda makes me think of the rabbit girl.” Sheila spoke.
Juno was unprepared to hear that and she didn’t raise her leg high enough as she stepped. Her foot hit the concrete and she tripped, falling forward against the steps.
“Juno!” Sheila exclaimed, rushing to help her up. “You okay hon?”
Juno got up, feeling the fresh sting on her knee. “Ehh yeah, just a little tired I guess...you were saying?” Juno looked at her hand where she had a small abrasion as well.
“I guess I think about the rabbit because of the reputation she has.” Sheila walked. Juno looked over her shoulder.
“For being promiscuous?” Juno asked to clarify, she knew what she meant.
“Yeah, like it’s shitty if you purposefully go around sleeping with guys that are taken. Personally I’m not sure I believe all that stuff but regardless. It’s kinda mean how much people talk about her sex life. Like who the fuck are you?” Sheila huffed. Juno blushed but stayed quiet. “I think people are kinda mean because they have their own insecurities about sex. I mean I’ve never really talked to her, she could be a total bitch for all I know, but to base a value judgement on her having sex and lifestyle is kinda unfair in my opinion.” Juno looked ahead of her. She could see an ascending series of lights along the stairway, eventually leveling out. They were almost out of the plaza, the train stop wouldn’t be much further.
“I don’t know, what do you think Juno?” Sheila called ahead of her. The wolf stopped for the cheetah and spoke. “There’s nothing wrong with sex, so long as you do it in a healthy way. I guess the societal taboos and stigmas aren’t that different from the stigmas that so heavily divide carnivores and herbivores as well as different species of animals. All stem from preconceived notions of others.” Juno spoke her thoughts but wasn’t entirely sure she believed the words as they came out of her mouth.
Sheila blushed. “I guess I share a similar approach to sex as the rabbit girl does. Although I guess I’m not so callous that I would just sleep around at school where everyone is in my business.” Juno looked back at her, blushing as well.
“Oh does this have something to do with those friends of yours?”
“I may have given the wrong impression, I’m going to be seeing one friend and I may or may not be staying with him all weekend.” Sheila said with a mild braggadocious tone.
The two girls giggled as they reached the top. They spotted a rail system stop next to a bench. “I guess this is it, the train should be here any moment.” Juno said as they approached.
“Yeah but I’ll wait with you till it does.” Sheila replied sitting on the bench. Juno sat as well and thought.
“Thanks for raising my spirits.” Juno smiled.
“Well, I’d hate to see this wolf’s aspirations crushed before she has the chance to change the world.” Juno hugged her side again. “You got a good head on your shoulders. If Legoshi can’t see that, then that’s his loss.” Sheila smiled.
Juno smiled weakly. In the distance they could see the lights of an oncoming train. Sheila got her attention again. “So any word from Menagerie?”
Juno had forgotten about the app. “Oh yeah, I felt my phone vibrate a few times but I haven’t looked yet.”
“Haha well whatever you end up doing, just remember you’re beautiful, you should do what makes you happy, and never lose hope in your dreams.” Sheila said. Juno smiled and sarcastically laughed.
“Wow I’m so inspired I don’t know what to do.” She retorted.
“Oh shut it.” The cheetah giggled. The train was pulling closer.
Juno looked at her friend. “Well I hope you have a…” she stopped and smiled. “Very, very eventful weekend.”
Sheila smirked back. “Planning on it.” The train slowed to a stop. With a whoosh, the door opened. Sheila patted the wolf on the head and ruffled her fluffy ears. “Happy hunting.” She said.
Juno smiled and looked to train. Juno pulled out a plastic boarding pass and scanned it at a little reader device near the platform. She walked across the gap. “Oh and Juno.” She heard the cheetah call out. She looked back and saw her still there. “The moment you send one of those pictures, you’ll have whoever sees it begging to meet up with you.” She smirked and lightly waved. Juno snickered and waved back. The door shut and slowly pulled away.
Juno felt the sudden rush of momentum and decided to find a seat. She didn’t see anyone else on the train she sat on the closest bench. She closed her eyes and felt the weight of being awake this late. She yawned and looked at the clock display of her phone. “11:50, is it even a possibility to hook up this late.” She said to one in particular.
The potential of actually meeting up with someone for sex was starting to seem real. “Is this what you really want?” A vision of two white wolves running together popped into her mind. “Maybe I shouldn’t be considering what I want and more of what I need.” She exhaled and looked down. “I need… to be happy.” Juno felt the phone vibrate again. It felt like a bomb. On the app, people were definitely seeing her profile and engaging with it.
“I need… to not hurt.” She thought about Sheila. Underneath her confident bad bitch exterior, she apparently struggled with stress and crippling anxiety.
She thought about Bill, the annoying brash guy with his head up his ass. He felt fear too, and sought to be comfortable and secure. She thought about Haru, beyond how much pain she was causing her. Maybe she really just does like sex and gets a lot of shit for it. She also now carried the trauma of nearly being devoured. She must have been so scared. Juno didn’t want her to die.
“I need to feel... love.” Lastly she thought about Legoshi. The brave and quiet wolf. Who seemed so unsuspecting but wasn’t afraid to confront injustice. She thought about him coming to her aid. Him saving Haru from those lions. He surely didn’t do that just with his kindness. Underneath his droopy sweetness was a beast powered by burden. She smiled and whispered. “You have so much pain that you try and keep inside.” Juno sighed. “Everyone is so hurt, everyone is carrying so much pain. Everyone deserves to be happy but can everyone be happy?”
Juno cradled the phone in her hands. “If happiness is a limited resource. Is it wrong for me to take mine.” The train moved along the track. Juno looked out at the rolling landscape. The bright lights of the city behind her. “I guess for tonight, I choose to live for myself.” Juno opened the Menagerie app. “I don’t know what will happen after tonight. I don’t know how this story will end. I love you Legoshi and I can’t deny that. I can’t deny it even though it hurts me so fucking much. So I have to try something else. Tonight I reject the pain of this love and I will find pleasure and happiness.”