>What do you say?
>I mean, really, WHAT DO YOU SAY to this guy?
>You don’t say anything for a few moments, your mind spinning at a thousand miles-per-hour, mulling over every possible dialog choice
>A few hours earlier this guy was kicking the shit out of you
>NOW he calls you?
>So, what do you say? Something to really hurt him
“Hi Mike.”
>Ah, that’s right. You’re still a pussy, so you settle for neutrality in your response and tone
>”Hey man… How are you doing?” Mike replies with a VERY awkward pause in the middle of his sentence
“I’m doing… Not great. I hurt all over. And I think I’m being targeted.”
>Mike laughs a little. “You and me both, dude.”
>There’s a long gap where none of you speak
>You only listen to him breathe over the phone
>”Listen, I called to tell you something, and I want you to know this time I really mean it.”
“What do you mean this time?”
>”Just… Shut up for a second. Wait, no, don’t shut up. Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
>There’s a long groan on the other end of the line, and then the sound of Mike taking a large, fortifying breath of air
>”I called to tell you I’m sorry for kicking your ass.”
>You shake your head in confusion
>That’s only barely scratching the surface of what a cunt Mike has been to you recently
“Annndddd…?” You trail off, hoping he takes the hint
>He does not take the hint
>”And what?” He replies with genuine confusion in his tone
>You scowl, and it feels good, even though Mike can’t see you
“What do you mean ‘and what?’, dude? You’ve been an absolute, self-centered dickhead this entire time. How do you NOT see that?”
>”I- I know. I was getting to that, fagtron. This isn’t easy for me.”
“I don’t care if it’s not easy for you. My nose STILL hurts,” you say with an audible sneer
>And Mike audibly winces
>”I got you good, huh?” he says in defeat
>Got you good? Bro, he FUCKED you up
“Yeah, you could say that. So… Where’s the rest of my apology, bitch?”
>Mike summons another deep breath, and then begins slowly
>He’s never been good with words, or articulate
>”This afternoon I thought my life was over. I didn’t give a fuck about anyone or anything. I was angry, and stupid, and I hurt people I cared about because of that. But you know what? I fucking need you guys. I need you, and Alex, and Jenna, and… Is Sam with you?”
>You shake your head
“He just went to class.”
>”Well tell your boyfriend that I need him too. I need you guys to be my friends.”
“He’s not my boyfriend god damnit, and I am not gay.” You grind your teeth
>Now isn’t the time!
His voice drops to a submissive whisper “We’re still friends though… right?”
>Surprisingly, despite the pain radiating all over your bruised and bloody body, you have an answer for him almost instantly
>That’s hardly even a question
“Of course, dude. You may be a fucking asshole, but we’re still friends.”
>”Thanks, you big faggot.”
>You missed this. A smile starts tugging at the corners of your lips
“And we’re going to put a stop to this shit, aren’t we?”
>”Shit yeah we are.”
>You break out in an even wider smile
“And we’re gonna get you to college, right?”
>”Right!”
>”And you’re gonna fuck some prime freshman poon?”
>”Fuck yes man, and you’re gonna tap that bunny’s sweet, sweet ass.”
>Your smile collapses like a star at the end of its life
>You have only thought about sex with Sam a FEW times
“Mike, when I see you next time? I’m going to punch you in the face. I want you to know that,” you say
>Mike laughs on the other end of the line
>”I think that’s only fair,” he says
>Mike ends the phone call by telling you he’s waiting at the old white oak door church
>You agree to meet him there after school
>You sigh heavily and take a moment to gather yourself
>No matter how vulnerable you are out here, the weight off your shoulders outweighs that vulnerability
>GOD you’re glad to have patched shit up with Mike
>And you have so much to tell him and Jenna and Alex
>So much has changed
>You push down those lingering feelings of guilt at having left Gloria with the goths
>Push it down into a little ball in your stomach that you’ll surface later
>You promise to yourself that in some way, shape or form, you will rescue her
>Alright, show time
>Just make sure Sam is okay
>You open the door to Mr. Bolm’s class and slip inside, posting up against the closed door
>Almost in unison, the class turns their heads to face you
>Mr. Bolm, stretching his arms to reach the top of the whiteboard, directs a questioning glare your way
>’Biological Diversity Week!!’ is written in huge bubble letters in the center of the board
>”Mr. Anonymous?” He looks like a shocked gopher
>You wave shyly to the class
“Hi Mr. Bolm… class. I had a free period (which is a lie), so I thought I’d just audit this class for a day,” you say, blushing from the sudden and direct attention
>The teacher, still bewildered, says “That’s… fine, I guess. Just so long as you don’t distract any students.”
>You nod and take an empty seat next to Sam, who sits in the back, near the window
>Just like an anime protagonist lmao
>He shyly waves at you before returning to his present task of scribbling on a loose sheet of paper
>It’s hypnotizing to watch him draw, but not hypnotizing enough to distract from the knots of anxiety tightening around your lungs
>You can feel every eye on you, sharp and piercing and judging
>Well, to hell with them, you say to yourself
>All that matters is protecting this bunny
>Mr. Bolm carries on
>”As I was saying earlier, humans don’t have heat cycles like most anthros have. Hence why we don’t need to use estrus blockers. And our noses aren’t as sensitive as a herbivore’s, so we don’t need scent masks either. So from everything, it may sound like humans have little in the way of natural talents, but that’s just not true. Remember how I said that humans are crafty and cooperative?”
>He turns around excitedly to face class
>Someone coughs and you swear you could hear crickets chirping in the distance
>All the exuberance drains from his face
>He coughs, tugs nervously at his collar, and carries on as admirably as he can after getting shot down
>”Anyway, humans are often said to be crafty. Researchers have noted our ability to be a cooperative group, even when circumstances should prevent it. That’s not to say other mammals don’t cooperate, but a human’s natural state is to… cooperate?”
>He weakly smiles at the rhyme. Guess he’s making his own fun at this point
>”Moving along then… relationships! Fun stuff, right? Now, let’s just make this quick and dirty: most species mate for life. No species eats their young. Interspecies relationships…”
>Sam drops his pencil
>His posture stiffens up, and he directs his attention towards the front of the class
>”… Are uncommon, but possible. They will rarely yield offspring. Hybrids are not possible — they’re one species or another. We don’t know how this is possible, but we’re working on uncovering the reasons behind this miracle. Science!”
>Mr. Bolm pauses, as if awaiting a response
>More crickets
>You’ve only ever given a passing thought to interspecies romance
>Like in the hall, when you saw that stacked sow
>It’s not something you’re OPPOSED to, necessarily
>after all, you’ve been battling mysterious gay urges for Sam this entire week
>Shouldn’t that count for something?
>What you end up doing is tailing Sam around school — sneaking into his classes or waiting outside like a lost puppy
>You don’t care how creepy it looks or how awkward the judgmental looks from the other students make you feel
>You have to keep him safe. Now more so than ever
>Vanessa and her merry bunch of morons want Sam to complete the ritual after he fucked it up the first time
>You need him — and the Book of Rite — to stop it
>(Also, you’d like to keep him safe, but that’s besides the point)
>Your head is on a swivel as you scan the hallways
>Hell, you even do quick sweeps of the classrooms
>The only thing you notice is the incredible hostility between each of the school’s various cliques
>Tension so thicc you could cut it with a knife
>Teachers and security staff rush around the halls like firefighters, extinguishing brawls and hauling mammals off
>You’ve seen humans and anthros alike pulled into the admin office, some even wearing bruises and bloody noses
>There’s always been a tension between the various groups here, but never like this
>The tension before was a kind of soft animosity, traded only in harsh looks and rumors — seldom in fists and claws
>You anxiously scratch as the back of your neck as you stare down the clock mounted in the hallway outside of Sam’s last class: history
>Hurry up
>Hurry up!
>When the doors click open, and the bell finally rings, the floodgates open
>The hallways become a fast-flowing river of multi-colored bodies, all of different shapes and sizes and species
>You imagine Sam getting lost in the hormonal tempest, his big goofy ears the standing up like a shark fin narrowly breaching the surface of the open ocean
>You’re thinking so hard about all of this that you don’t even notice when the little rabbit appears next to you
>”Hey Anon, you w-w-wanna see my draw-”
>Your heart jumps up in your chest, and, rather shamefully, you gasp
>Which causes Sam to gasp
>Very manly, Anon
>Guess a bit Sam is rubbing off on you
>You groan at the idea of becoming an anxious, stuttering mess
>You look down and see the tiny rabbit, swimming in his over-sized and crusty clothes, clutching a handful of paper, looking somewhat shocked
>”S-Sorry,” he says
>He sounds sad
>But you can see a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth from behind his bangs
>Oh, so he thought it was cute and funny that he scared you?
>You should do something back to him…
>… Or just let him enjoy his moment
>It’s really… kinda nice to see him smile…
>… And to see him confident enough to do stuff like that
>“I didn’t m-mean to scare you. I ju-just wanted to show y-you my drawings.”
>Damn, this kid is an artistic machine
>He probably just does the minimum amount of classwork to maintain his GPA and keep his job and spends the rest of his time drawing
>Wonder what he’s going to do after he graduates high school
>… And what about you?
>You shake your head, drawing a curious look from Thumper
>Not the time to have this conversation with yourself, Anonymous
“I do want to see your drawings,” you start. The little bunny’s expression lights up. “You can show me in a bit. We’re going out.”
>”W-We’re what?”
“Not like that. I meant we’re just leaving and going someplace else. Shit, you knew what I meant. Don’t do that to me.”
>”I-I don’t know what I d-did!” The bunny squeaks
>You put your hand on his shoulders and bend yourself down to his level
“Sam?”
>You bring your face uncomfortably close to his
>Your friend tries flinching away from you, but you easily hold on to his slender, malnourished shoulders
“Don’t not-not talk back to me.”
>”…W-What?”
“Now that we’ve got that settled, c’mon. We’re going to meet Mike and Alex and Jenna somewhere.”
>And you take him by the hand
>And dive in to the moving sea of bodies
>Not moving too fast
>Because you don’t want to lose him
>Your car is where you left it
>Or, more appropriately, where Mike left it
>Badly parked
>And you know it’s yours by how shitty it is
>Paint peeling
>Windows spider-webbed with cracks
>Visible rust
>One of the door panels is unfurnished
>Oh, and the massive indent on the front hood where Sam’s father stomped on your car yesterday during the rescue
>It sticks out like a moldy, rusted sore thumb
>The chilled air clings to your skin, and the heavy skies that hang overhead like slabs of wet concrete herald storms
>It’s surprising that thunder isn’t rolling like a freight train overhead
>Didn’t the forecast call for rain?
>You look about the parking lot as you climb into the driver’s seat
>Nearly empty
>Just like your soul lmao
>You don’t know whether to be grateful or furious that Mike left the car unlocked and the keys in the ignition
>You submerge those thoughts in a bath of stomach acid as you survey the lot, feeling hunger gnawing at you
>Cars drift in and out
>Anthros and humans pour down the sidewalk like lines of ants
>Sam, unrestrained by his seatbelt, presses his nose up against the dirty window glass
>”C-Colors…”
>His voice is a soft wisp
>Though you’re on a hill, the leaves of fall have managed to drift upwards on the iced wind
>They bluster on by like fish being pulled on invisible lures
“You could probably draw that,” you remark
>”I’m n-not very good a-at anything other than f-f-figures.”
“Bah, don’t be so hard on yourself. We’ll get you some crayons and a good piece of construction paper and you’ll be set.”
>The bunny wrinkles his nose at you as a smile tugs at the corners of his lips
>Guess your joke sailed right over his head
>Ah well
>Your car hums to life, sipping on a meager stock of gasoline
>The rustbucket is a thirsty girl, so you’ll have to hit a gas station at some point
>You’re about to take to the main road and head to the white oak door church when Sam gasps
>You turn your head to the passenger seat
>Sam is frozen, staring out the window, shivering
“You okay, dude? Forget something inside?”
>”T-That car.” Sam pokes the cold glass with his little finger. “I-It looks like my d-d-d-dad’s.”
>You unbuckle your seatbelt and lean over his shoulder
>All you can see is a few students wandering the lot, and a couple cars
>One of them being a shitty, rusted sedan (like yours) with dark windows
>Its headlights burn against the muted gray light of the afternoon, but it doesn’t look like there’s anyone inside
“You sure? This is a student lot. There’s about a million shitty looking cars around here.”
>Which was only partially true
>A lot of the suburban kids had nice, new cars that gleamed like polished coins
>And though you were suburban, your parents provided you with a real piece of shit that has nearly killed you twice
>… Not that you’re complaining
>A free car is a free car, right?
>The rabbit shakes his head
>”M-Maybe. I-I don’t know.” He swings his head to face you. “C-Can we leave?”
>Something about the car is making him nervous
>Well, it’s starting to make you nervous too
>Retard, what if Sam’s dad is checking the school for his son? He must know Sam works after classes
“Right. Off to the old white oak door church.”
>You quietly press on the gas and coast down the hill, out towards the main road
>Sam clutches his drawings close to his chest
The Leaves of Fall Act 2: Fear the Nobodies (Part 24)
You've never really 'fit in' with the heavily divided Ranchview High School crowd. Jock, Goth, Prep, Cheerleader, Nerd... you were never any of these. But as Halloween approaches, strange things start happening, and a dark ritual begins with the finding of a curious red book. It's a race against time for you and your friends to stop a group of students from ushering in an age of darkness, and to also figure out just what the hell is wrong with that rabbit.
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About this version: originally, The Leaves of Fall was split into two pastebins to compensate for the length of the story. Given that pastebin has chosen to censor this story for ambiguous reasons, it will forever be stored here and on AO3. This new version contains spelling, grammar and content fixes. Please understand that the content is all the same as the earlier versions minus some sentences being changed and fixed up. I cannot stress this enough: no new content has been added. It's my hope that this is a cleaner, easier-to-read version of the story.
Cover: https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q
Sam (drawn by Akella of /hmofa/) https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT
Fan art collection: https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv
Accompanying playlist (WIP): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410_nI-0J
Alternative link: https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078
Total word count: 147,552 words
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About this version: originally, The Leaves of Fall was split into two pastebins to compensate for the length of the story. Given that pastebin has chosen to censor this story for ambiguous reasons, it will forever be stored here and on AO3. This new version contains spelling, grammar and content fixes. Please understand that the content is all the same as the earlier versions minus some sentences being changed and fixed up. I cannot stress this enough: no new content has been added. It's my hope that this is a cleaner, easier-to-read version of the story.
Cover: https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q
Sam (drawn by Akella of /hmofa/) https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT
Fan art collection: https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv
Accompanying playlist (WIP): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410_nI-0J
Alternative link: https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078
Total word count: 147,552 words
4 years ago
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Estimated reading time
13 Minutes
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