Chapter 34

"So you just want me to give some input on your play?" asked Arthur, who was sitting opposite the red deer in his office. He may not know what it looked like but from the sounds that echoed through the room and his rough clicks for estimation, he figured it's very spacious.

"Yes so I don't want to ask you in school in case others might get suspicious," Louis told him. "Even when you are blind, you are giving quite a reputation to yourself."

Now the bat was confused. "Reputation? What did I do?"

"There's only you on campus," Louis pointed out. "That's one and the fact that you walk funny along with your eyes."

Arthur blinked. No difference in anything at all. "What's wrong with that? We all have different ways of walking. Think of it as you changing roles in your play. The sounds of the steps you make, your voice; even if I may be bold, your eyes."

Now the red deer was caught off-guard by the bat's statement. "What about them? You can't see anything."

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "But you can. Maybe try a different way on how to express yourself? I'm sorry, I'm not the best to ask about acting. But if you want music, I can try. You must have different plots and narratives for your upcoming plays?"

"Sort of," sighed Louis. "Yet, I have a feeling the other students are going to feel bored if we do the same act again and again."

Arthur tapped the arm of the chair he's sitting in. "What about some inspiration from books or other movies? I bet they would love to see you in different roles. I only know some musicals and some Sharkspeare plays. I'm not a big fan of tragedies but their music is on another level."

Louis got up and walked to the bat. He pulled Arthur up to that he could face the bat at eye level.

"Sharkspeare, huh? Care to tell me some of the plays that he has made? And why do you like musicals?"

"The songs of course!" Arthur told him as he moved across the room for some space. "Always interesting and upbeat even if one of the musicals was about every animal dying from forming a revolution. Because they dreamt a dream and hear their friends sing. In a way, musicals are a utopia of what we all want: happiness and a world with friends."

Louis was surprised by Arthur's interpretation of some plays. For a blind bat, he could really understood the plays, especially musicals. He could see why Arthur likes musicals since he's a musician himself after demonstrating his abilities backstage. He can't comprehend how this Honduran white bat is taking everything lightly.

"What's your family like?"

Arthur smiled, explaining about his relationship with his father, his grandmother and even his old group of friends, especially Sameer. He remembered summer camps, weekend campings with his dad for some of his astronomy research and even get togethers with his friends' families for a meal.

Louis was intrigued that Arthur can get along so well with other animals despite their differences whether herbivore, carnivore or even aquatic animals. It's like his drama club except he brought the team together just like Juno.

Speaking of which, the red deer noted to schedule a meeting with the grey she-wolf outside of school on of these weekends.

"Alright, that's all I need from you," said Louis with a small smile. "So one of the lions will send you back to the train station and pretend we never talked. Or you knowing about me being the boss of the Shishigumi."

"I understand, Louis," Arthur nodded, the both of them shook hands. "But one of these days, I'll be in the audience to listen to your plays."

"I know you will."

...

Arthur was escorted back to the train station by Agata, who changed from his usual suit and tie attire to blend with the surroundings with a loose shirt and some khaki pants. Any animal who saw them walking together would think of them as just friends.

"Sorry about Free," Agata tried to assure the bat. "He's always looking for trouble but he's a good lion. To me, him, the boss and everyone are like a family. Sure, we do eat things we're not supposed to but we respect and care about how our meat has been sent. Our boss is doing his best to work on the market."

'Louis must be an influence if he could bring down a dangerous group of lions and be popular in school,' Arthur thought to himself as the walked together. So far out of all the lions that he had experienced, he thought that Agata was the easiest one to talk to.

"Well, it's nice knowing you, Arthur," Agata chuckled as they made it to the train station. Arthur heard the whooshing sound of the train speeding by. "But just remember that you can always talk to me if you ever are in town. I'll be at the bookshop."

Arthur smiled and thanked him for escorting him to the train station. Both lion and bat shook hands before Arthur boarded the train to go back to Cherryton.

...

"So you not only made friends there but got captured by the lion mafia, got yourself in a tangle with the drama club while you are a member of a gardening club and to top it all, you are going out with a fiery harlequin rabbit who used to bully your gardening club president?" Sameer asked over the phone, trying to process his old friend's adventure.

"Yeah, something like that," Arthur laughed. "I find that hard to believe if I ever tell you or my dad."

"Where were you when we need an adventure?" Sameer teased, a hissing sound was heard. "We could have found a lost idol or have the edge against the Selkie girls."

"Oh, but we did have adventures," Arthur tapped his phone lightly, his smile bright as always. "Remember crashing Tek's brother's wedding to prevent their unsuccessful marriage? Or we all went to the abandoned tunnels that was claimed to be haunted? Sail on a ship as a family vacation together? Even trying to raise sales as a project for our home economics class?"

"Hah, you got me there," Sameer laughed. "But I'm really happy that you found someone, Arthur. Now that's that, I hope you are still playing your tunes. You know, we should find time to catch up despite our distance. How about a video call and we can have a small horror movie marathon?"

Arthur shuddered, his white fur standing up like he was rubbed against a balloon. "With their eerie synthesisers and violins? That's more of your cup of tea, Sameer. But I can give that movie with the suspense theme of that hawk murdering the sparrow in the shower a pass because of the interesting dialogues."

"Of course, every of that director's films are a masterpiece," Sameer agreed. "Except for his treatment of the ladies off-set. A male's who cheats and harms others are not males at all, that's what Baba used to say when he had to break up the couples at court. It also applies to females as well."

Arthur fluffed up his fur. He knew Sameer's father was well-known back home both as judge and lawyer who is just on all animals. He was a strict yet supportive father to his children and even to the bat himself and his own father. He can be reserved but knows how to enjoy himself.

"I'm glad you and your family are okay," sighed Arthur, plopping on his back on the bed. "I hope we talk and meet again soon."

"Likewise, my friend," Sameer hissed. "Going to miss your little baked goods and music."

"And me with your take on falooda and historical artifacts of the ancient world."

With that, the line had disconnected and Arthur was thinking of reading one of the paragraphs he found interesting in his geography textbook. But before he could turn a page of the book, a knock was heard at the door.

As a routine, he listened to the other end with a glass pressed up against the thick, patterned wood. "It's me, Legosi," a deep, growled voice said on the other end.

Arthur answered the door and his ears wiggled excitedly at the grey wolf's shuffling footsteps entering his room.

"Please Legosi, come and have some tea with me. I brewed some chai with milk and it will be complimented with warm buns and honey. Also there's butter and some toast if you would like."

"Thank you," Legosi had a hint of light in his voice. Arthur guessed the wolf was happy to have tea with him. "I got the wood that you've been asking for. But that's not all."

"Oh?"

"Haru wanted me to give you this package," the grey wolf thrusted a crumpled yet aromatic package into the bat's wings. "I can't read it but it has a nice smell."

Arthur used his fingers to trace the wrapped package and found a note taped to it. It was in braille which made him smile. The note read:

'I hope it fits you, Arthur. You can wear it whenever you like or when it's cold'

Slowly, he unwrapped the package, loving the crinkly sound it made when he pressed it as well as the satisfying ripping sound of paper. His leaf-shaped nose was hit with a sweet fragrance of a sort of citrus fruit and felt up the content. It made him puffed his fluffy fur out of excitement.

He has received a well-tailored sweater!