Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The peeling wood door closes with a loud ‘bang’, the poorly lit interior of the lobby hollowly echoing the sound off of its cold concrete walls. The slender okapi with her hand still on the handle takes a moment to wait for her eyes to adjust to the dark, unsure of how there is such a distinct lack of light despite it being the middle of the day. The stone interior of the lobby is only barely visible thanks to a series of overworked luminescent bulbs stuck to the ceiling, the stained plastic housing casting the room in a dim and dingy yellow light. The lobby is unwelcoming, the wall immediately to the okapi’s left lined with rows of mailboxes, each one labelled and numbered for their corresponding room and occupant. Other than that the room is fairly bare, save for a few old, tattered posters slapped haphazardly on to the far side wall and a payphone missing the receiver beside the front door.

‘I somehow managed to find the one place more grimy than the Black Market. Great.’ she thinks, letting out a disappointed sigh.

Cosmo steps tentatively forward, slowly making her way to the stairwell at the end of the room as she adjusts the strap of the tote bag under her arm. Her footsteps reverberate with each stair she climbs, her palm gliding along the wooden handrail as steps into the first floor hallway. She eyes the plaque loosely hanging on the wall beside her, the brass letters contrasted against the oak board.

‘First Floor: 101 - 105’

A stifled groan escapes her throat as she begrudgingly scales the next set of steps, then the next and the next for the next few minutes. Four floors later she eventually stumbles into the fifth floor hallway, quietly cursing her decision to not wear the running shoes she had packed away the night before as her soles and slender legs ache.

Rummaging around in her jacket pocket, she pulls out a small set of silver keys and turns them over between her delicate fingers, holding the worn fabric tag with her room number printed onto the front.

“501…..501….” she mumbles to herself, walking past the doors and playfully swinging the keys around one of her digits.

Eventually she finds her room, firmly clutching her keys in her hands as the door stands ominously in front of her. She continues to stand there motionlessly, the herbivore now resembling a statue as a small twinge of doubt quickly takes hold of her mind. It slowly starts to intensify, her heartbeat drowning out the ambient noise of the building around her. The doubt causes her to spiral, her surroundings distorting and warping as adrenaline speeds through her veins. She holds her free hand to her chest, the pounding of her heart even reaching through her skin.

With everything that had gone on in the past week, was this place really all that safe? Only ten minutes from the Black Market? Anyone that’s looking for her could find her in a heartbeat, half of the animals she talks to know about this shithole so anyone with half a brain would check here first. On top of that, the closeness to the Market means this place is a hotspot for meat addicts and offenders, so who’s to say some carnivore doesn’t just break in and devour her?

‘You already knew you were being devoured at some point, the Black Market will find you eventually and all you’ll be remembered as is some carnivore’s meal.’

A chill runs down her spine, the image of the tiger that had attacked her a few months prior flashing in her mind. His teeth inches from her face and his claws digging harshly into the soft flesh of her head, it was only for a brief moment but it was seared into her subconscious.

She instinctively takes a step away from the room door, her heart hammering in her chest as the walls around her seem to close in.

‘If that psychopath that runs the Shishigumi doesn’t find me first then some feral carnivore will probably just eat me instead.’ she silently admits, the keys in her hand crashing to the ground as her grip loosens. ‘I shouldn’t have come here, what the hell was I thinking?’
‘
Her eyes fixate on the keys at her feet, she knows that finding anywhere else to stay at this point is borderline impossible, the inherent danger she is faced with is something she’s going to have to face sooner or later. Still, the pounding in her ears refused to subside, her mind flipping between her memory of the tiger and the memory of a lion holding a knife to her neck and throwing her life into turmoil.

‘I’m never going to be free of that place, I’ll live and die there.’

“Everything ok over there?” a soft voice cuts across, the okapi snapping out of her panicked state as her head swivels towards the source.

A small Merino sheep stares at her from behind one of the doors, her wooly head peeking past the door frame with a look of concern on her face. She clutches at the collar of her blue pyjama top and fidgets with the cloth, slowly leaving the comfort of her apartment and standing a slight distance away from Cosmo. The okapi takes a moment to compose herself, dusting herself off and clearing her throat before crouching down and picking up her keys from the cold floor.

‘Calm down, you don’t want your neighbours thinking you’re a nutcase before you’ve even sat down. You definitely don’t need that kind of attention right now…..’

“I’m fine.” she eventually answers, offering a feigned smile of reassurance to the smaller herbivore. “I was just a little clumsy and dropped my keys.”

Unfortunately, the sheep doesn’t seem to buy her excuse, in fact it seems to make her concern worse if anything else. The smaller herbivore furrows her brow and leans against the wall beside her door, mulling over her thoughts before she continues.

“It’s just that I heard you breathing kind of hard from my room, you sounded like you’d just run a mile or something.” the sheep admits, scratching her neck through the dense layer of wool. “With everything that goes on around here I got worried that you might have needed help, but you were just kind of……standing there, staring….”

Cosmo feels a lump form in her throat, that insistent pounding in her ears slowly returning in force as the skin beneath her fur starts to heat up. She feels entirely too vulnerable under the sheep’s gaze.

“I’m just nervous about the new place, that’s all.” Cosmo sighs, trying her best to deflect from the topic. Strangely enough, it seems to work as the sheep perks up, the prospect of a new neighbour seemingly causing a warm, welcoming smile to spread across her muzzle.

“Oh you’re the new girl!” she exclaims, eyes wide. “Sagwan told me someone was moving in but I didn’t think it would be this soon!”

Cosmo tilts her head to the side and raises an eyebrow.

“Sagwan?”

“He’s another resident here, a spotted seal on the third floor.” the sheep explains, a twinge of embarrassment creeping into her expression as she recalls the admittedly strange animal. “He’s….. definitely unique .”

‘I’ve never met a sea mammal before, I wonder how he’s dealing with this place….’ Cosmo wonders.

“I’m Sebun, by the way!” the sheep adds, extending an arm forward for a handshake. “I’ve only been here for a little while myself so we’re both kind of new here.”

An amused snort escapes Cosmo’s nose. A formal gesture like this isn’t something she expected from the smaller herbivore, but it’s charming in its own way, even somewhat cute. She returns the smile and takes her hand in her own, gently shaking it up and down.

“Cosmo.” she greets, a light hearted giggle leaving her mouth. Sebun’s warm presence seems to grow and grow as their hands move in unison, her warm hand firmly gripping Cosmo’s before they both pull away.

“That’s a lovely name!” she compliments. “So, is this your first day here?”

Cosmo nods.

“I haven’t seen my room just yet, only got the keys about an hour ago.” she admits, glancing back at the door labelled ‘501’. “I’m hoping the moving company hasn’t screwed me over and delivered my stuff to the wrong address…or stolen anything.”

Sebun lets out a small laugh, the sheep no doubt understanding the reputation of moving businesses that operate in and around this area.

“I think I remember seeing some crocodiles bringing some boxes upstairs when I left for work the other day, I’m sure all your stuff is fine.” she assures her, Cosmo breathing a sigh of relief at her words.

‘At least I know I haven’t been robbed.’

A brief but comfortable silence fills the cold hallway, the two herbivores momentarily lost in their own thoughts as the lights above drone out a low hum.

Cosmo studies the sheep before her, her thoughts swirling as she considers her next words carefully. Even though they had only talked for a few minutes, she feels an odd sense of comfort from their conversation, the anxiety that had wracked her body moments ago not even a consideration to her anymore.

‘Sebun certainly seems like someone I can count on right now…..’

“Say are you uh….. Busy?” she timidly asks, the corners of her mouth drawing up into a nervous but endearing smile. Sebun’s eyes meet hers, curiosity painted on her face as she tilts her body ever so slightly forward.

“Not really, no.” she admits. “You’ve managed to catch me on one of my free days. Is there something you need help with?”

Cosmo scratches the back of her head as she averts her gaze to the floor beneath her, squirming in place.

“Would you mind keeping me company?” she eventually blurts out, gesturing back to her room’s door. “I’d rather unpack while I talk than sit in silence on my own.”

Sebun nods and that familiar warm presence fills the hallway once again.

“Sure! It’s been a while since I’ve been able to have an actual conversation with another female herbivore.” she laughs.

“Same here.” Cosmo snorts, turning to her door and inserting the key into the rusted lock. “Don’t feel like you need to stick around for my sake, though. There’s not much excitement in watching someone opening boxes.”

“I’m not just going to sit by and watch you unpack.” she blurts out, quickly realising the bluntness of her response as she starts to fidget with the sleeve of her top. “I-I mean, if you want help. I’m not trying to go through your stuff or anything like that!”

Cosmo fumbles with the keys, almost dropping them again as she recalls the box of her work related items and what kind of reaction that might get out of her new neighbour.

‘She might have a heart attack if she saw half of the stuff in there.’

“I’m sure I can find a box or two you could help me out with.” she assures her, the door’s lock clicking loudly as the mechanism turns.

The space immediately in front of her is dotted with several cardboard boxes, all of various sizes and piled on top of each other in seemingly random positions along the walls. Her bulky double bed and mattress are set carefully in the far corner right beside a window, its blinds blocking out a significant amount of light from the outside although just enough for the inside of the room itself to be visible. She sighs as she sees that her full body mirror and vanity made it in one piece.

“Maybe I should invest in some wallpaper….” Cosmo groans, glaring at the gray walls..

She saunters over to the window and draws the blinds, the room brightening up immediately as the sunlight bathes everything around her. Sebun politely steps inside and gently closes the door behind her, the herbivore letting out a whistle of surprise at the sight of the numerous boxes strewn around.

“You’re definitely going to need my help if you want this all done today.” she points out, jumping up and landing clumsily on the large bed.

Cosmo follows suit, hopping back on the thick mattress and landing next to her, the small sheep bouncing slightly from the impact. Her previous apartment was decorated from floor to ceiling in every room, she isn’t someone who takes a lot of pride in her possessions but her home was something she had spent five years making her own, and having to leave it all behind still weighed heavy on her heart.

“I had a lot more before I moved, maybe around double all of this.” she confesses, leaning forward and resting her head in her palms. “My job paid pretty well so I tried my best to find some good furniture, I just wish this room was bigger so I could have brought it all with me.”

Sebun glances between a few of the boxes as she sinks into deeper thought.

“My old place was pretty nice, too. I work in sales at Metal Mouse so I can afford a nice apartment like that.” she comments, swinging her legs back and forth absentmindedly. “I gave it up to move here though, as weird as that seems.”

A few moments pass as neither speaks up, the two animals blanketed in silence as the barely audible sound of the populace outside fills the space. Sebun cranes her neck to look up at Cosmo, her legs still swinging.

“What do you do for work then?”

A bead of sweat quickly forms on the okapi’s brow and slides down the side of her face, the idea of explaining that not only did she used to work at a strip club but one in the Black Market of all places causes her heart to race. Living herbivores aren’t entirely uncommon to see in the Black Market, hell, Cosmo had been in the Black Market for eight years doing her work, but almost every single one that she met had looked at her with a disgusting amount of pity. They viewed her as a victim to the carnivores around her when it was the complete opposite, it was one of the only positions for herbivores like her to be in control of carnivores in some way, she has to walk around every day with the knowledge that when she dies it will most likely be at the hands of a carnivore so she revelled in her role while it lasted. It was the smallest amount of control she had in her life.

Control that she no longer has.

“I was…..an amateur model for a local firm.” she lies, avoiding the intrigued look of the animal beside her. “It went under not too long ago, so now I’m looking for more work and living here for the cheap rent.”

The sheep hums understandingly, leaning forward and hopping off of the bed with a slight smile on her muzzle.

“I guess it makes sense that you’d be a model.” she laughs, turning to stand in front of her with her hands at her hips. “I’ll keep an eye out for any positions that might open up at my office but I can’t promise anything.”

Cosmo’s face flushes as she stands and offers a small nod in agreement.

‘..it makes sense that I’m a model? Was that a compliment….?’

“Thanks, you’ve been a huge help, Sebun.” she sighs in relief, standing and stretching her arms above her head. “How about we make a start on these boxes, then?”

Sebun beams and rolls up her sleeves.

“Sure!”




A few hours pass as the two rummage through the okapi’s belongings, setting up various decorations on the walls, the small coffee table and the white vanity she had set up against one of the walls. The room had been completely transformed since they started, the dull gray now contrasted by the collage of various colours dotted around the room as well as various compact appliances like a small fridge and box tv. Cosmo feels a sense of pride in the fact that her choice in furnishings still holds up in this new environment, the familiar sense of home starting to form the more they unpacked. Sebun cracks open the window to allow the stale air to circulate out of the room, the bustling street outside providing background noise for the conversation between the two women. Cosmo sits with her back to the bed, fanning her top as sweat flows down her head.

“I’m already missing the AC from my old apartment.” she groans, wiping her forehead with the back of her arm.

Sebun turned to her with an exhausted expression, the sheep practically sticking her head through the opening in the window to try and cool herself down.

“Would you kill me if I sat in your fridge?” she asks jokingly, lazily pointing in the direction of the appliance.

“I’d rather not have strands of wool in my salad.” Cosmo jokes, the sheep laughing with her.

Their laughter continues for a few moments until Sebun’s eyes suddenly widen as realization seems to hit her, the smaller animal quickly standing up and waltzing over to the door as Cosmo watches in confusion.

“I’ve got something for the occasion!” she shouts, flinging the door open and scarpering down the hallway, leaving the okapi alone as her footsteps get quieter.

Within the span of a few seconds Sebun returns, pushing the door open with her back and turning to face Cosmo as she stands in the doorway carrying a medium sized cardboard box. She sighs in relief as she drops it at her feet, ripping open the top and pulling out two silver cans, a sly grin painted on her face as she holds them up.

“Fancy a drink?”

Cosmo sits there bewildered, glancing between the cans and Sebun’s face skeptically.

“Isn’t it a little early to be drinking?”

“It’s ice coooold~” Sebun coos, shaking the can tauntingly.

Cosmo groans in defeat and gestures with an open hand, Sebun deftly tossing one of the cans into her palm. The two crack their can open and take a drawn out sip, sighs of relief escaping their mouths as the cold liquid cools down their tired bodies. Sebun takes her place next to Cosmo, sitting down on the stone floor as she takes large gulps of the beverage. The okapi beside her watches her with a warm smile.

She was fully prepared for this place to be a complete mess with neighbours that could kill her or living conditions so poor that she wouldn’t be able to cope. But this feeling of….welcoming and familiarity has her completely enthralled with her neighbour and forced most of the worries she had out of her head. Despite being surrounded by other female animals at her work Cosmo didn’t get to spend many occasions with them just talking and enjoying each other’s company, the few times she did either being cut short by work or someone starting a fight with another animal. She enjoyed being around animals, especially ones as sweet and caring as the sheep beside her, she just hopes that this happens again, and sometime soon at that.

“Say, Sebun.” she starts, holding the can to the side of her face in an attempt to cool down her fur. “I know of some pretty nice bars near here, if you wanna grab a drink sometime. Somewhere a bit higher class than here, at least.”

Sebun beams and leans against the taller herbivore’s arm, adjusting her legs for her new position.

“I’d like that. You better keep up with me, though, I’m no lightweight.” she giggles, raising her can to the okapi.

Cosmo smiles and brings her can to Sebun’s, the two clanking together as they both finish what little drink remains.

“Right, let’s get the last of these boxes done.”

Chapter Text

Cosmo opens her jaw wide and lets out a strained yawn, her eyes refusing to open as her head aches. She scratches at her left hip, the waistband of her pyjamas stuck precariously halfway down her thigh and exposing a large portion of her curvaceous hip and leg to the cold morning air. She tries to shift around to readjust herself but stiffens at the pain in her back and neck, quickly realising that she had fallen asleep sitting back against her bed, her head awkwardly craned back on top of the mattress. She still refuses to open her eyes, the sun trying its best to burn through her eyelids via the open window above her while her head continues to pound and throb. She attempts to bring her right arm above her head to stretch out the discomfort but finds a significant amount of weight holding it down. Begrudgingly, she peels open her sleep crusted eyes as light invades her vision. After taking some time to adjust she turns her gaze down towards her arm, the culprit snoring loudly as she clutches onto her forearm.

Sebun had sidled up to her side and fallen asleep with Cosmo’s arm firmly clutched between her arms, hugging it closely to her chest as the okapi’s hand rested awkwardly on her exposed midsection. She looks like a far cry from the put together, polite and welcoming sheep she was yesterday, the well kept wool all over her body now uneven and matted in places where she had lied on in her sleep. Her blue shirt‘s top and bottom buttons had come undone, the shirt itself held up thanks to her slouching posture against her taller friend, the parted cloth showing off her pudgy belly.

‘She’s really…… cute .’ Cosmo thinks to herself, tentatively opening her hand and gently running a finger through the wool on her belly. ‘And so soft, too….’

She stirs in silence for a brief moment, the okapi taking in the sight of her neighbour clutching her arm as well as the frigid silence of the room around her, Sebun’s warmth radiating up her side and providing a sense of comfort. She can’t recall the last time she had fallen asleep next to another animal, the hazy memories of one night stands and short term partners fluttering through her mind like embers dying in the wind.

They were all just temporary company, some way for her to forget the total isolation she lived in or, more regretfully, ways for her to make some quick cash when she needed it, the latter landing her in hot water with carnivores more than once. All the furniture she lined her apartment with, all the luxuries she had managed to accrue over the years, all the money she had managed to earn by putting her life on the line each and every day in that festering hell hole, none of it had managed to make her home feel any less empty. Those cold walls may have been painted a different colour but they still only kept the okapi safe from the outside world, not keeping in anyone other than her. She spent hours upon hours buying, building and arranging furniture all over her home, but every room felt equally empty to her, they were just nicer to look at. The people she brought home felt the exact same, something that she brought in to make her feel like she had accomplished something, that she was wanted, that what she was doing was worth it in some conceivable way. Of course, when she inevitably woke up to find herself alone, reality would soon come crashing down on the herbivore, that familiar coldness and isolation seeping through the covers and burrowing itself in her bones. The animals that stayed with her didn’t see her as someone to become close with, at best they were coworkers trying to be polite and at worst they were men that only saw her both figuratively and literally as a slab of meat, someone to give them a quick rush for the night. She was someone to cast aside, someone they would spend the night with and leave before she woke up in the morning. She was an object for pleasure and pleasantries, not worth the fur on her hide.

But here was Sebun, her new neighbour that she had known less than a full day, clutching her arm and sleeping by her side.

She was still here.

She had spent the entire night drinking, laughing and unpacking with her and had even stayed the night by her side, she cares for Cosmo, in some way. Whether it’s a friendly neighbour way or in a more genuine liking, Cosmo feels like whatever it is, she needs to cling to it for dear life.

‘I really did luck out, huh?’ she thinks to herself, an honest smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Craning her neck down to her friend, she carefully rests her head on top of the mass of wool and savours the sensation of the fibers gently brushing her face, the sheep lightly fidgeting in her sleep at the additional weight. The mixed scent of cheap alcohol and what Cosmo can only describe as office stationery wafting up and hitting her nostrils, her eyes drifting and locking onto the small collection of cans and bottles that sits ominously to their side. The okapi grimaces as she realises just how much they had actually drank the night previous.

‘Let’s not pull this again any time soon…At least not here.’

The two almost jump out of their skins as a loud slam echoes through the building and vibrates through the floor, the two herbivores sitting up with their hackles raised and hearts pounding, Sebun seemingly dazed at the rude awakening. A flurry of footsteps quickly follows, the hallway just outside now filled with the sound of shoes against concrete and what sounds like laboured breathing. Sebun clutches tighter to Cosmo’s arm, shock painting her face as the okapi tries her best to reassure her friend as another loud slam rumbles through the complex.

“W-What’s going on?” the sheep shakily asks, still disoriented from her sudden waking and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “What was that sound?”

Cosmo shrugs and stands up nervously, tentatively creeping over to the door as if the next sound she makes could be her last. Pressing her ear to the door, the incoherent ramblings of a male slowly picking up volume came to her attention as the scarpering steps slowly drew closer and closer, the animal trying to mutter out something between his heaving breaths. Her herbivore neighbour had sat up from her position next to the bed and was now crawling over to her spot, the sheep now resembling a small cub approaching her on all floors before pressing her cushioned head to the door, trying to listen in to what was unfolding.

“I already told you that bitch had it coming!” the male shouts, his voice wracked with exhaustion. “She made me look like a fucking joke!”

Cosmo and Sebun exchange a confused look, neither knowing what he was shouting about or who it was directed towards before the distinct sound of slow, methodical footsteps starts to cut across the noise.Cosmo recognises the distinct clacking as that of heels, similar to those she and the other dancers would have worn back at the old club she worked at, although these ones carried a distinct sense of dread to them.

“Is this some kind of lovers’ spat?” Sebun whispers, brow furrowed in deep thought. Cosmo pauses before she shakes her head, trying to focus on the situation at hand.

“Probably something a little more serious than that.” she disagrees. “It sounds like he’s being chased by someone if I had to guess.”

With her curiosity piqued, the small herbivore reaches up and slowly turns the worn handle on the door, opening a small crack in the door for both her and Cosmo to look through. With Cosmo hunched precariously over Sebun, the two focus on the far end of the hall where the figure of a casually dressed male tiger stood hunched over, clutching his chest and breathing heavily as beads of sweat dripped onto the floor below.

Another flash of the tiger that had attacked her hit Cosmo’s mind, her stomach tightening as she instinctively squeezes her hands tighter at the memory of those massive jaws almost closing around her face. Sebun reaches over and rests one of her smaller hands on the okapi’s, reassuringly rubbing her palm against the brown fur in an attempt to calm down her obviously nervous friend.

‘This tiger might be on a meat binge right now for all we know, I don’t blame her for being scared like this.’ the sheep reasons, steeling herself as the situation continues to unfold.

The slow yet constant clacking of heels against concrete had steadily been getting closer and closer to their floor, the echoes of the rhythmic steps now hauntingly close as a tall, daunting shadow creeps up the wall of the stairwell. A low growl rumbles in the maw of the tiger, his disheveled form hunching lower with his claws and teeth bared at the approaching animal. The two herbivores gulp nervously in unison, the air around them now heavy with tension as all other noise seems to die in the face of those haunting steps.

Clicking her tongue, the figure decides to speak, her red ears poking forward from the stairwell as she fully comes into view.

“You males and your pride .” she sneers, perching a hand on one of her shapely hips. “I should pull those teeth from your maw and add a few more stripes to your grubby hide.”

She’s a fox.

A tall fox.

Her voice is sultry but firm, an air of confidence surrounding every single word she speaks. Her form is tall, slender and admittedly curvy, it reminds Cosmo of some of the animals she would work alongside at the club, although her arms and legs pack much more muscle than expected. A black qipao clung to her curves fairly tightly, her long legs visible through the parted sides as she saunters closer to the trembling tiger. Cosmo’s gaze wanders upwards, coasting over the fox’s graceful features until she locks one thing in particular:

Her eyepatch.

As if her mind had just connected a series of invisible dots, her heart rate skyrockets as the realization hits her. The vixen before her perfectly matches the description of Ten, the leader of the Inarigumi of the Black Market. The group is notorious for being the only all female group to hold their own amidst the violent turf wars that took place all year round, constantly fighting and beating other groups like the Madaragumi and Dokugumi for domination over the market. They essentially had turned from a ragtag group of female criminals to a genuine force to be reckoned with, and something akin to a source of pride for other female carnivores in the Market, a shining beacon of how powerful they really are.

But at the end of the day, they were still Yakuza. They still had a hand in the trading of meat, the trafficking of herbivores and the killing of who knows how many people.

And they definitely know what happened at the costume party that was held by the Shishigumi.

Her heart pounding out of her chest, Cosmo desperately clings to Sebun’s arm, the sheep looking up at her with concern as her friend’s eyes stare blankly at the ground.

“Cosmo?” Sebun timidly asks. “Do you know her?”

The okapi clears her throat to answer but is swiftly cut off by the sound of a large body crashing to the floor and a groan of pain not soon after, the two herbivores’ attention now drawn back to the slender Vixen. The tiger lets out a few muffled groans, the feline now hunched over clutching his stomach as Ten stands over his crumpling form with her hand still closed into a fist. Her expression oozes pure disgust, as if the animal beneath her is not even worth the dirt on her shoes, as if his existence in itself is an insult to her. Deftly raising her left leg, she violently brings her foot down on his back, the long, black heel of her shoe shallowly piercing his thick skin and forcing a yelp from his throat.

“I don’t expect much from a meat guzzling flea like you, but I at least expect some basic manners!” the vixen snarls, grinding her foot further and further into the back of the carnivore. “You waltz into my territory and attack one of my subordinates?!”

The feline writhes beneath her, his claws digging into the stone of the floor and defacing the surface with long gouges. A small patch of red starts forming on the back of his shirt, small droplets of blood sliding down his body and forming a small pool of crimson under him.

“S-She made me look like an ass!” he tries to shout, his voice strained and weak. Before he can continue, Ten exerts more force on the back and silences him, nothing but a strained whine leaving the tiger’s maw.

“What I heard was that you attempted to solicit my right hand woman in broad daylight, and when she rejected you you made a scene and attacked her.” the vixen answers coldly. “Are you so shameless that you won’t even take responsibility for your pathetic actions?”

Admittedly, the situation Ten was describing was something Cosmo had dealt with a handful of times, although thankfully someone had always managed to step in before anyone got genuinely hurt. It didn’t even happen because of her line of work, she had experienced things like that in the streets, on the train, it drove home just how little people thought of her.

“So even Carnivores experience that, huh…” Sebun whispers, defeatedly. Cosmo stares at her somber expression, an expression that spoke a thousand words, words of understanding, pain and reflection.

‘Even someone as great as Sebun has to deal with that…..’ Cosmo realises, turning her hand over and embracing the smaller herbivore’s.

“Sebun, you-”

In a flash, the tiger reaches up and shoves Ten’s leg away and in the same motion attempts to slash at her face with his extended claws. The two onlooking herbivores feel their breath catch in their throat, Cosmo’s words entirely lost as the speed of the animals before them drives home just how physically outmatched they both are and how dangerous the situation at hand really is. As if predicting the move, Ten deftly sways out of the way of the strike and wraps an arm around the back of his neck, cradling his head under her shoulder. As if practised to perfection, the vixen sharply drives an elbow into his spine while bringing up her legs and using her weight to drop the large male onto the concrete, his own face brunting the impact. A sickening crunch sound rings out from the fall, the tiger’s limbs going limp as scarlet begins to pool around his planted face.

Sebun and Cosmo sit there entirely stunned, Eyes wide and mouths hanging open in astonishment.

“Wha…..What just happened?!” Sebun exclaims, raising her voice loud enough for it to hurt Cosmo’s ears. The okapi scrambles to cover the sheep’s muzzle, but the sound of Ten quickly jumping to her feet freezes them both in place. Realising her mistake, Sebun’s face manages to turn an even paler shade of white, those same clacking footsteps now approaching their room.

Cosmo’s mind immediately begins to race, the implications of who was in that hallway and what they had both just witnessed spiking her anxiety as the adrenaline kicked in.

‘Does she know about me? Is she here to sell us to the market? Does she think I’m working with the Shishigumi or something? Are we going to be killed for witnessing that? Sebun doesn’t deserve to be dragged into any of this, maybe I should tell her to hide!”

She puts an arm in front of Sebun and walks back to the center of the room, trying her best to put herself between her neighbour and the approaching threat while Sebun fearfully clutches to the fabric of her friend’s shirt. The vixen’s shadow creeps under the door and stops dead, a dainty knock rattling the wood and nudging the door open. There, standing in the doorway is Ten, her singular tired eye staring down at the two of them while her face remains entirely unreadable. The okapi’s anxiety worsens by the second, is she curious, angry, indifferent? She doesn’t know.

And then the vixen speaks.

“I assume you two……” she pauses, eyeing the two of them, clothes almost falling off of their bodies from their odd sleeping positions. The fox snorts in amusement before she continues. “Lovers, I presume. Are you both tenants here?”

Blush creeps up the cheeks of the herbivores, both glancing at each other before realising the state they are both in, the two rushing to fix their straps and buttons to make themselves more presentable. Sebun clears her throat before piping up, stepping forward past the trembling okapi.

“W-We’re tenants, yes. But we’re not lovers, I just spent the night here.”

“Of course, apologies for the misunderstanding.” Ten laughs, rubbing her bloodied heel against the floor in an attempt to wipe off the blood. “I’m sure you both saw what just happened between myself and the….. gentleman back there.”

Cosmo gulps in anticipation, neither of the herbivores answering her question directly and instead waiting for her to continue.

“I will explain that in due time, but I would like to introduce myself first.”

Inching forward, the vixen gently closes the door behind her as she stands a few feet from Cosmo and Sebun, the fox a good inch or two taller than even the okapi. Extending a hand forward, she lowers her stance so that she is now eye level with Cosmo.

“My name is Ten, I’m the owner of Beast Apartments.”