Chapter Text
As I slowly open my eyes, the first rays of sunlight gently pierce through the curtains, illuminating my room. I rise from my comfortable bed, my feet landing softly on the cool wooden floor, and make my way to the bathroom where I indulge in my morning routine, relishing in the sensation of brushing my long, sharp, and pointed teeth. Once refreshed, I slip into my favorite grey hoodie, my black paws effortlessly slipping into the cozy pockets, before embarking on my journey to the prestigious University of Aster City.
Arriving early to my Psychology class, as usual, I lean against the rough texture of the brick wall, the warmth of the sun caressing my face as I stand there, my black paws comfortably nestled in the pockets of my trusty grey hoodie.
As a creature of habit, I find myself arriving to class early most days, and the gentle rays of the sun seem to have a calming effect on my nerves, allowing me to straighten up with anticipation as my professor arrives and unlocks the door. I'm the first student to arrive and take my seat.
Deliberately, I choose a seat in the back of the classroom, strategically positioning myself to have a clear view of the professor, ensuring that I can absorb every word and gesture with unwavering focus.
As I settle into my strategically chosen seat at the back of the classroom, determined to absorb every word and gesture with unwavering focus, my attention is momentarily diverted as three classmates make their entrance. Ashley Bradway, a cheetah with flowing blonde hair and piercing amber eyes, her boyfriend Aaron Anderson, a muscular grey wolf adorned in a red letterman's jacket, who happens to be the university's star quarterback, and Corey Forrest, a lanky coyote and Aaron's best friend, who proudly holds the title of the university's starting linebacker.
While most students walk to class alone or in small groups, chatting and enjoying each other's company, I observe as Ashley, Aaron, and Corey walk together to the front of the class, seemingly enjoying each other's company.
As I watch them, I begin to wonder what they are talking about. Ashley takes the lead in the conversation, using hand gestures and facial expressions, while Corey and Aaron appear to provide support through nods and approving comments. While I'm usually friendly, if introverted, towards my classmates, I actively dislike Ashley and Aaron for their bullying, while Corey seems to be more of a supportive presence.
As I observe them, I remember that they were classmates of mine in my freshman year, and I didn't have many positive interactions with them. Ashley and Aaron were known for bullying others and Corey was their supportive presence. I don't have much respect for them and try to avoid them. I take out my notebook and pencils and start preparing for my Psychology class. It's best to ignore them and focus on my studies.
As the professor's voice fills the classroom, I diligently jot down notes in my neat handwriting, capturing the key points and diagrams with precision and focus.
I feel like Ashley, Aaron, and Corey are watching me as I take notes, making me slightly uncomfortable. I don't pay them any attention and continue to focus on my notes. It's important to pay attention to the details because that's how you learn the material. I've noticed that the professor is giving a lot of examples to explain the concepts and I make sure to include those in my notebook. That will help me to memorize the material.
As the lecture comes to an end, I neatly close my notebook and gather my belongings, preparing to stand up and leave the classroom.
Walking deliberately, I resist the urge to appear unnerved as Ashley, Aaron, and Corey follow closely behind me, their eyes locked onto my every move, recalling their relentless bullying towards Erica Harris, a trans student, a raccoon with pink hair, blue eyes, and fangs. Their torment towards her, including the notorious incident of dumping tomato juice on her, which was strangely followed by an inexplicable lunar eclipse that left scientists perplexed, as it was unexpected at that time, resulted in her friend Ye dropping out due to the unbearable witnessing of her suffering. However, after that incident, nobody dared to bully Erica, leaving me with an unsettling realization that I must now be the new target.
I turn around, my pulse quickening, once I'm certain they are following me, and ask, "Hey, are you following me?"
Ashley smiles at me and says, "Oh, we're just going in the same direction. You're so funny, why are you so nervous?"
Corey adds, "We just wanted to get to know you better."
Dreading this familiar encounter of fake nice bullying, I keep my calm demeanor and ask, "Well, what do you want to know about me?"
Ashley answers in her fake-nice voice, "We just want to learn about you. What classes are you taking this semester? What are you studying?"
"I'm getting my bachelors in psychology," I respond, although feeling like they could have guessed that by them following me from my psychology class.
"Psychology is such an interesting discipline." - Ashley says as she bats her eyelashes at me and smiles in that fake-nice way.
Aaron adds, "So do you plan on becoming a psychologist or therapist?"
Corey speaks up, "I wonder if you can analyze us and tell us what our future holds." He laughs as he says it.
"I'm actually planning on being an investigator," I reply, maintaining my composure amidst their attempts to belittle me with their fake-nice demeanor.
"An investigator, wow, that's so cool!" - Ashley says with that annoying fake smile.
"Why do you want to be an investigator? Are you interested in catching criminals?" - Corey asks with that mocking tone in his voice that sets my nerves on edge.
Aaron remains silent for a moment and then asks, "So do you have a boyfriend?"
"I'm actually more interested in investigating missing people. And I don't," I respond, feeling a sudden realization that Aaron must know I'm gay, if he's asking if I have a boyfriend. I hadn't told anyone, hadn't shown any interest in any classmates.
"Investigating missing people is so important." - Ashley says with an annoying fake smile.
"Oh, you don't have a boyfriend?" - Aaron asks with a look on his face.
Corey adds, "Why not? You're good-looking and smart." - As he says this, he gives me a once-over and looks me up and down.
At the comment from Aaron, I begin to wonder if these three have somehow found out that I am gay. That would explain their taunting.
"No, I'm not particularly smart, not particularly athletic, and not particularly funny," I mutter, my mind racing as I try to figure out how they found out about my sexual orientation and why they're targeting me.
"Those are odd things to admit about yourself." - Corey says, looking at me with those beady eyes of his.
"You think too much." - Aaron adds with a mocking smile.
Ashley remains smiling, but I can see that she's getting irritated. As she looks me up and down, she speaks with a tone of annoyance, "Is that all you wear? Just a plain, grey hoodie with the sleeves rolled up?"
Corey laughs and adds, "Don't you have any style?"
"It's... comfortable," I mutter, feeling a mix of truth and defensiveness in my response. The plain, grey hoodie not only provided comfort but also a sense of security, masking my self-consciousness about my body. However, I certainly wouldn't reveal that to them.
"So boring." - Corey says with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
Ashley adds, "What else do you have in your wardrobe? All plain hoodies so that no one can bother you and you can continue to fade into the background?" Her tone is snarky.
Aaron, who has been silent so far, speaks up, "So you don't have a boyfriend. Why not get one of us as a boyfriend?" He gives me a wink.
Feeling slightly hurt by the truth that I did prefer to fade into the background, evident by my choice of a seat in the back and my plain wardrobe, I don't mind being bullied for my clothes, but it's the fake niceness at first that I dislike. However, Aaron's comment about having a boyfriend refocuses my attention, and I can't help but ask, "Boyfriend?... How did you..." I trail off, my curiosity piqued.
"Oh, you know, we just make assumptions sometimes." - Corey says with that cocky smirk on their face.
Aaron laughs and adds, "It's not difficult to tell, you know."
Ashley then adds with that annoying fake smile, "You're definitely gay. Not a straight person who is confident in their heterosexuality wears a plain grey hoodie and hides their body."
Mentally cursing myself for inadvertently confirming their assumption, did they have a body dysmorphia radar?! Gathering my thoughts, I respond, "I wouldn't say I'm gay, but I'm not straight..." hoping to end the conversation there.
"Oh?" - Corey says with a mocking tone.
Ashley adds, "What do you mean? Are you bi? Pan? There's so many different words these days." She has this annoying look on her face like she wants to be helpful, but she's really just being condescending.
Corey starts laughing and adds, "Or are you one of those people who don't label their sexuality because they want to seem woke?"
Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, I muster the courage to respond, "I wouldn't mind dating a guy or a girl, but I don't want... sex," my voice trailing off as I dread how I got myself into this conversation.
"I knew it!" - Corey says with a mocking tone.
Ashley adds, "You're so obvious. It was just a matter of time before you admitted it."
"You're asexual?" - Aaron says with a raised eyebrow and I sense that he's slightly confused by my revelation.
I feel incredibly uncomfortable, wishing that this conversation never started as I dread what the trio's response will be.
"Yeahhh," I mutter, my discomfort evident in my voice as I reluctantly confirm their assumptions about my asexuality.
"Oh my, an asexual investigating missing people." - Ashley says with a mocking tone, glancing over at her boyfriend and best friend.
Aaron adds, "Yeah, maybe he'll investigate the mysterious case of his nonexistent sex life."
Corey laughs at him and adds, "Don't you think that's too personal of a topic to ask about?"
"Nah, we just want him to know what a joke he is." - Aaron responds with a smug smile on his face.
Ashley nods in agreement with Aaron.
Nodding meekly and turning away, I hope to slyly escape their hurtful remarks, but as I do, my tail pokes out the top of my jeans, revealing a unique defect - its tip split in a way that gives it the appearance of having nine tails.
"Hey!" - Aaron points at my tail.
"Why does his tail look like that?" - Ashley says with a tone of surprise and confusion in her voice.
"Weird." - Corey says with a mocking tone.
I feel increasingly uncomfortable as the three of them stare at my tail. I want to escape their hurtful remarks, but their curiosity is piqued by my tail.
"Oh, it's just born like that," I say, my voice tinged with a hint of defensiveness, as I quickly tuck my tail back into my jeans, hoping that my simple explanation will satisfy their curiosity and put an end to their hurtful remarks.
"You were born like that?" - Ashley asks me with a curious tone in her voice, looking at the unique tip of my tail.
Aaron adds, "So you got some kind of genetic defect or something? Why would your parents let you wear jeans and not cover up that tail?"
"Weird." - Corey says with a sarcastic smirk as he snickers.
Ashley continues to look at me with that irritating fake-nice smile on her face. She's enjoying this conversation.
"Y-yeah, it's a defect. I guess my pants have become looser," I stammer, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration as I realize that my pants no longer fit as they used to.
"Oh!" - Aaron laughs as he suddenly has this mischievous look in his eyes. Corey also starts laughing.
Aaron grabs a hold of my jeans just below the hips and gives them a quick tug. My jeans fall down to my ankles and my underwear is revealed. Aaron laughs louder as Corey giggles.
Ashley and Aaron laugh at my embarrassment, Ashley's face showing no concern for my embarrassment, but her eyes seem to be interested in witnessing my humiliating predicament.
My heart drops as my pants drop to the floor, leaving me exposed in my tighty-whities, while I desperately try to cover up with my black paws, the laughter of all the students in the hallway fills the air, and a deep blush spreads across my orange fur, intensifying my embarrassment. Suddenly, Erica emerges from the crowd of students and delivers a swift punch to Aaron's side, causing him to jolt as if struck by an electric shock. Meanwhile, I struggle to pull my pants back up, made more difficult as Erica grabs hold of my arm and swiftly pulls me away from the mocking laughter, rescuing me from the humiliating situation.
Erica and I quickly walk away while Aaron clutches his side in pain. There are still a few students laughing as they turn away.
Ashley and Corey walk after me mockingly, while Ashley asks, "Is that your girlfriend defending you? Well, you don't have to worry about me taking a stab at you. I'm not interested in dating an asexual."
As me and Erica walk away, she looks at my exposed lower body and asks with concern in her voice, "It really wasn't that bad, was it?"
I quickly pull my pants up and reply with uncertainty, "It could have been worse?"
A thought seems to cross my mind and I ask her, "How did you know what was happening or that I needed your help?"
Erica laughs and says, "I know everything that happens in and around this school. Especially when it comes to Ashley and her boyfriend Aaron."
She sighs and adds, "I don't know why people like them. They're just a couple of mean-spirited bullies."
As I walk alongside Erica, her concerned expression mirrored in my own.
Erica turns her head to look at me as I walk alongside her. She speaks with a soft tone of encouragement in her voice as I think about it.
"That type of humiliation is something that most people can relate to. It's okay to acknowledge how you feel. You don't have to pretend like it didn't affect you."
She gives me a comforting pat on the back with her paw.
I nod slowly, a small smile forming on my face, as Erica's words sink in, bringing a sense of validation and comfort to the turmoil of emotions swirling within me.
Before Erica walks away, she whispers to me with a sly smile on her face, "I liked your tighty-whities." She leans in closely and kisses my cheek before walking away to resume her studies.
At that moment, a jolt of excitement and a mix of confused emotions run through my body. I feel a rush of blood going to my face as I experience a combination of feelings.
Her kiss lands on my cheek like an electric jolt, causing a rush of blood that seems to flow in the opposite direction, leaving me with a mix of excitement, confusion, and a newfound sense of anticipation, but I quickly compose myself, focusing on my other classes before heading home for the day.
I gather myself, compose my emotions, and head off to my next class. I focus on my classes for the day and manage to avoid running into Aaron, Ashley, or Corey.
After school, I take the bus home and then head inside, taking a seat at my desktop computer to relax. I have a few hours to myself to think. I feel my emotions settle and a mix of excitement and intrigue runs through my body. I feel my ears and paw pads tingling at the thought of Erica's attention and touch.
During my free time, I find myself immersed in browsing the captivating pages of the Mystery Unsolved Inc website, my mind filled with thoughts of unsolved mysteries. Afterwards, I diligently complete my homework, feeling a sense of focus and determination. When the moon graces the sky with its gentle glow, I find myself entering a realm of vivid dreams, where Erica and a shadowy woman with solid white eyes, who lacks a midsection, and with rainbow legs appears before me. A small, floating prism hovers where her midsection should be.
Erica whispers, "It seems like you already know the mystery."
The shadow woman does not speak. She just stands there, watching me with those ethereal eyes and that hauntingly serene expression on her face.
"Mystery? What mystery?" I mumble as I wake up, unsure of what my dream meant by suggesting that I already know the mystery.
I find myself wondering why Erica and the shadow woman with the rainbow legs visited me in my dream. I'm certain that those strange beings know something about the mystery that I am investigating. I'll have to try and find out what, somehow.
I slowly wake up, feeling the effects of the vivid dream still lingering on my mind. As I shake off the remnants of sleep, I make my way to the bathroom, splashing cool water on my face, the droplets cascading down my orange fur, awakening my senses. I reach for my toothbrush, the bristles gently brushing against my teeth, leaving behind a refreshing minty sensation. Afterward, I slip into a comfortable grey hoodie, its soft fabric embracing me like a familiar hug. With my preparations complete, I grab my bag and head off to the University of Aster City, ready to face the day's challenges.
I enter my first class, ready to try and make sense of the strange and vivid dream I had.
As class progresses, a mixture of ideas and thoughts run through my mind. I think back to the dream and wonder about what Erica and the shadow woman with the rainbow legs could be doing, whether they can help me with my investigation, and what's next. I jot down notes about 'the shadow' in my Psychology class, I diligently jot down phrases like 'an unconscious aspect of the personality', 'The shadow is conceptually the blind spot of the Psyche', 'the repression', and 'The shadow may appear in dreams and visions', my mind for some reason connecting my lesson to the strange and vivid dream that I had.
I wonder if my dream was trying to tell me something about my investigation of missing persons, particularly the enigmatic statement that I 'already know the mystery', and as I enter my English class with professor Anna Graham, my eyes scan the room, spotting familiar faces like Erica, Alec 'Pinky' Pinkman, a pink poodle guy wearing a pink dress shirt and burgundy pants, along with Ashley, Aaron, Corey, and a group of other students.
I'm not sure what to make of the colorful character, but I do feel a bit of a tinge of envy at his ability to express himself with such bright and bold clothing. The clothing I wear is typically plain and boring. My clothing is more designed to blend in and be forgettable rather than stand out.
As I work on my assignment, I can't help but notice Anna Graham, the professor, a tall female borzoi dog with white fur, observing Pinky intently as he writes in a small notebook. Pinky nervously glances at the faces of his classmates as the professor picks up the notebook, and a few of the classmates start chuckling, making his anxiety rise. Pinky looks up at the professor with a hard-to-read expression while Anna reads the poem aloud, which happens to be a heartfelt poem for his girlfriend Wendy. Feeling a wave of embarrassment, Pinky looks down at his desk, his facial expression unreadable.
A tinge of sympathy runs through my veins as I watch Pinky blush in embarrassment as Anna picks up his notebook and reads the poem aloud. I get the feeling that Pinky doesn't like having the attention on himself and I wonder if that contributes to his anxiety. His inability to show and express emotion through his facial expressions doesn't help matters either.
I feel my eyes locked on Pinky as he looks down at his desk, trying to drown out everyone else in the room and the feelings of embarrassment. His poem was heartfelt, but it was made more difficult as the classmates laughed at him.
All eyes were on Pinky, his embarrassment palpable in the room, when suddenly my gaze shifted to Ashley Bradway, who was seated next to Pinky. She had a flesh-colored face devoid of any features - no ears, noses, and a hole where the eyes and mouth should be. Aaron's anguished wail pierced the air as he and Corey instinctively stepped back, followed by the entire class screaming. But I couldn't scream. Amidst the chaos, my attention remained fixed on the sight of a dark green, slim but muscular humanoid robot with a head shaped like the letter 'v' and vibrant pink hair, standing beside Pinky who remained seated. A yellow smiley face sticker adorned one of the robot's pecs, while its lower half resembled a dark green speedo. Nobody seemed to notice the presence of the robot, a realization that left me weirdly calm. Anna Graham swiftly dashed into the brightly lit hallway, calling for help.
My attention snaps back to the classroom, my heart pounding as I realize it's not just Ashley Bradway who was faceless, but other students near the green robot. As Aaron and Corey continue to step back, their faces instantly return to normal, leaving Pinky as the only one seemingly unaffected by this eerie phenomenon, remaining seated beside the robot.
I notice that the robot and Pinky share the same unaffected expression, while everyone else around them remains either shocked or terrified by the sight of Ashley Bradway and other students with a flesh-colored face devoid of any features. My mind races as I observe everyone's reactions and the presence of the robot with the head shaped like the letter 'V' and vibrant pink hair.
I continue to focus on Pinky as he remains calm, seemingly unaffected by the chaos around him while he remains seated beside the robot. My pulse quickens as the entire scene begins to sink in.
"Did you do this?" I leaned closer to Pinky, my voice filled with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
Pinky slowly turns his head to face me as I lean closer to him. I hear him mutter something under his breath, but I couldn't quite make it out.
"Did you do this?" - I asked, my voice filled with curiosity and suspicion.
Pinky tilts his head and repeats what he said under his breath, his voice raised just a bit over the hum of the air conditioner in the classroom.
"Maybe I did?" - he asked in a tone that gave the suggestion that he didn't feel comfortable talking about it.
I find myself wondering about the true nature of Pinky's involvement as his perplexing response of 'Maybe I did?' makes me realize. As I consider his uncertainty in possibly removing people's faces, I point to the robot and whisper, "Did he do this?"
Pinky leans over to look closely at the robot and his eyes widen as he realizes that I was pointing to it.
He turns his head back towards me in surprise and whispers, "Oh, you can see him?"
He then leans back and calls the robot by a name that I recognize, "Pink Floyd."
"Wait, is he invisible?" I whisper, a realization dawning upon me as I connect the dots and understand that his robot must be invisible to others and named [Pink Floyd]
Pinky nods his head slowly in response to my question. He looks down at the robot which appears invisible to everyone else except for me. With him speaking its name, I realize that it has been named [Pink Floyd]. He looks back at me and replies with a question of his own, "How... how can you see him?"
Pinky asks the question in genuine confusion and curiosity, the gears in his head spinning as he tries to make sense of the strange situation in front of him.
"I must have an ability to see things that are invisible," I whisper, contemplating the situation further, "an ability to see beyond what is invisible to sight. I'll call it [Beyond Sight]."
Pinky tilts his head and slowly nods as he processes my explanation.
"Beyond Sight..." - he nods to himself and says the words out loud as he tries to understand the concept. "You can see things beyond the invisible..."
"There's more to this world than we can see..." - he whispers to himself as his thoughts wander towards the implications of my ability.
"Tell me everything about your ability," I say, pulling out a notebook with a pencil, ready to learn more about Pinky's insights and explore the depths of this extraordinary phenomenon.
Pinky stares at me for a moment and then he looks down at the robot with a thoughtful expression on his face.
Finally, he looks back up at me and says, "The robot is named [Pink Floyd]. He has the ability to remove facial features which removes a person's ability to differentiate between faces within a certain range, about six feet."
Pinky's tone is filled with a bit of disbelief as he tries to make sense of the whole thing.
I quickly write down Pinky's explanation in my notebook. Looking up at the other students, I notice shocked and terrified facial expressions, despite the absence of facial features, spread through the room as everyone settles back into their seats. As I observe their nearly identical faces, I realize the nearly impossible challenge of differentiating between them, prompting me to rely on other distinguishing features like Erica's vibrant pink hair and Aaron's striking red letterman's jacket. As I notice the shocked and terrified expressions on the faces of my classmates, I can't help but wonder when they'll regain their facial features and return to normal. At least I have Erica's pink hair and Aaron's red letterman jacket to help me distinguish between my classmates. Those features will be crucial in helping to differentiate those around me until they regain their facial features.
I then turn my attention back to Pinky as he continues to watch the chaos unfolding around me with a look of disbelief and bewilderment.
"Maybe you can undo this? Can you control [Pink Floyd]?" I say, wanting to test it.
Pinky stares back at me and his eyes fill with a spark of hope.
"Maybe I can?" - he replies, turning to look back at [Pink Floyd], who still stands motionless.
He reaches out a hand towards [Pink Floyd] and says the name of the robot in a commanding tone.
"[Pink Floyd], turn everyone's facial features back!" - his tone is filled with a sense of urgency.
As this happens, I notice everyone in the class regain their unique facial features and their terrified expressions fade away. The order has been restored.
I write down in my notebook that [Pink Floyd] obediently responds to Pinky's commands, just as the order is restored. Anna Graham returns with police officers, who, upon discovering the change, dismiss it as mass hysteria triggered by the stress of the upcoming exams. The other students reluctantly accept this explanation, and we all make our way home.
I look over towards Pinky and see his expression of relief as he turns towards me and whispers, "Thank you."
"No problem," I say, before heading home.
As I make my way home, my mind is filled with thoughts of this strange, yet extraordinary encounter. I don't know how it happened or why it happened, but I do know that I've gained a new friend in Pinky.
Perhaps there's more to this mystery than meets the eye.
As I step through the front door and enter my home, my curiosity piqued by the recent unexplainable events, I make my way to my computer and open the Mystery Unsolved Inc website, where I am immediately captivated by a new case titled "Fifteen Dead in Fifteen Nights," a chilling mystery of seemingly healthy individuals mysteriously ceasing to breathe in their sleep, a local phenomenon occurring right here in Aster City, intrigued by the eerie nature of this enigma, I decide to delve into it further, but not before completing my homework, freshening up, and finally surrendering to sleep, my mind swirling with anticipation for the unraveling of this new mystery.
I find it difficult to fall asleep, wondering what I'll uncover tomorrow.
I fall asleep, and once again, in the realm of dreams, the familiar faces of Erica and the enigmatic shadow woman appear, leaving me with more questions than answers.
My mind races with questions to which I don't have answers, adding to the intrigue and excitement of what I'll uncover in the morning.