HOWLS AT DUSK (BEASTARS AU)

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HOWLS AT DUSK: A Beastars AU Fanfiction

(Font by Mucrush)

Howls At Dusk is an alternate universe reimagining of Beastars set in a primitive post-apocalypse future within the barren western town of Cherry Valley.

Rating: Mature

Genre: Western/Noir

Relationships: Legoshi/Louis & Haru/Juno

Content warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Chapters release on AO3 when they are ready (typically every month or so). Each one is treated as an episode, with 5-8k words per release (not counting the first three chapters). As of now it is at nearly 40k words, and has reached what I'd consider the quarter mark. Story is currently on hiatus, and will return with a new batch in the fall.

(Plot Summary):

For years Cherry has been devastated by the elusive cannibalistic gang known as The Shishigumi, another in a long line of gangs before them. The ensuing manhunt left every lion in town with a noose around their neck, yet it's still reached a standstill. The devourings have shown no sign of stopping.

One day a soup salesman is found disemboweled in the local hotel's lobby. It's blamed on the Shishigumi, but far too sloppy to be believed.

Louis, the newly appointed deputy, is irked by this. Not just the recent devouring, but the lack of progress altogether, so he decides to take a closer look. Legoshi, a reclusive journalist, takes interest as well, but in his snooping, inadvertently makes a suspect of himself.

Louis seeks him out and extorts him into aiding with the investigation, leading them towards discoveries neither of them are ready to face.

Juno arrives by train, finding it hard to acclimate as the locals leave her feeling alienated. As every one of her plans fall through, she's left without a bed to sleep on. That is until meeting Haru, a dancer at the local saloon.

They weather the saloon and tolerate the locals, Haru opening a flower shop as Juno tries to get on her feet. But soon the reality of Cherry rears its ugly head as a bounty hunter makes his presence known.

LATEST CHAPTER: Chapter 8 - If We Never See The Moss

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HOWLS AT DUSK: The Officer (Drawn by @dhazzi)

Louis (21) Male, Herbivore Cervus Elaphus (Red Deer) Deputy of Cherry Valley (Recently Appointed) Son of the Sheriff Seldom seen without a Revolver (Colt Single Action Army "Peacemaker")

For Howls At Dusk (AU longfic)

(introductory post)

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Original render drawn by the @dhazzi (commissioned by me), show them some support!

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HOWLS AT DUSK: The Officer (Drawn by @dhazzi)

Louis (21) Male, Herbivore Cervus Elaphus (Red Deer) Deputy of Cherry Valley (Recently Appointed) Son of the Sheriff Seldom seen without a Revolver (Colt Single Action Army "Peacemaker")

For Howls At Dusk (AU longfic)

(introductory post)

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From Howls At Dusk (Beastars AU)

Chapter 6: The Thespians of Cherry

There were three knocks at the door. Then three more. All with a perfectly consistent rhythm and pressure, like a sound repeated.

Jack stood over the sink, hands occupied by a round plate and a soapy sponge. The first round of knocks didn't phase him, continuing to scrub as he expected Legoshi to let himself in. The second round caused him pause, his damp hands gently lowering the plate. He exited the kitchen with a rag in hand, trying hastily to dry them both.

When the door opened, the first thing he saw was a bright yellow badge.

He continued to scrub at his hands. “Morning, deputy! What can I do for you?”

“Morning to you as well.” Louis scanned the home, or at-least what he could see from the doorway. “Still no sign of him?”

“Oh, he never talked to you?”

The deer's wandering eyes landed on Jack, his beady yellow pupils as relaxed as they were accusatory.

“No. Why? Has he returned?”

“Yep. Showed up last night, right in time for supper. He's just been avoiding home lately. Guess he got tired of always being in that cramped room.”

“I see. Well, I must speak with him post-haste. Do you have any clue where he might be?”

“He said he was returning a book, so he's probably off in the library with his nose in a western.”

The deer nodded and turned his back.

“Deputy?”

He turned back around, humming in acknowledgment.

“Is he in trouble?” Jack questioned, his hands dry yet still being scrubbed. “Or in some sort of danger?”

The deputy sighed, his head shaking.

“I can't disclose that.”

“I understand...” He shrugged, doing his best to maintain eye contact. “Please, just... be gentle with him.”

“I'll be as gentle as is necessary”

Jack watched the deer walk away, steadying his breath as it threatened to escape him.

(Introductory post)

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From Howls At Dusk (Beastars AU)

Chapter 4: That Familiar Scent

I remember a few years ago when the first Shishigumi devouring happened. Jack and I were the first to find the body, our own freezing in unison at the metallic scent coming from the bathhouse. I was the first to investigate, and he followed for support. When he saw that goat, neck-deep in deep red water, he made a noise I haven't heard from anyone since. Something between a gasp and a scream, like he choked on his own tongue. His eyes raced from confusion to horror, and then he ran out. It was difficult to digest. He was barely recognizable as a goat, or an animal for that matter. The Shishigumi don't just devour, they harvest. Most of their victims can only be identified by whoever happens to go missing around the same time, or the house they're left in...

...A week later he told me he dreamed that he devoured that goat. Said he was scared that all carnivores are capable of something so horrible, including him. I couldn't bare to tell him I had the same dream. I dreamed I ate the skin off of his arms. I don't remember enjoying it, but I don't remember most of it anyways. It's just a memory of a memory. But I swore to never tell anyone about it, or even write it down. I don't think I can uphold that anymore. The further I bury it, the worse it'll be when it comes out. And I think it already has.

(Introductory post)

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HOWLS AT DUSK: The Writer (Drawn by @dhazzi)

(Commissioned by me, posted with permission.)

Legoshi (23) Male, Carnivore Canis Lupus (Gray Wolf) Journalist (Sole author of The Dusk Print) Coleoptera (Beetle) enthusiast Scholar on the works of Selena Carlson

For Howls At Dusk (AU longfic)

(introductory post)

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I meant to post this a long time ago, but here's his appearance without all the bells and whistles. Again all credit goes to @dhazzi for this wonderful render.

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Juno waited for her to go away, pretending to be fast asleep. But instead Haru sat beside her, placing the dress in her lap.

“I'm guessing you haven't had the best experience so far.” Juno kept her eyes closed, but their twitching showed Haru she was wide awake.

“Wanna know a secret?” she scooted closer to the wolf, voice falling to a whisper.

“Almost everyone here's a jerk,” she spoke into Juno's ear. “Don't waste your time trying to prove something. They ain't changing their minds.”

Juno finally opened her eyes, staring into the distance. “Then...” she faltered. “Then what am I supposed to do?” she asked, voice nearly breaking.

“Well, I said 'almost' everyone, didn't I? Find the people who aren't assholes and stick by them,” the rabbit responded, hand resting on Juno's. “You might not find them right away, but it's better than going at it alone, don't you think?”

An excerpt from AU longfic Howls At Dusk (Chapter 5: Goods And Services)

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HOWLS AT DUSK HAS REACHED 1K HITS! 🥳🥳🥳

Thank you to every one of my readers. When I began writing this, I could not have imagined such a concept being received so positively. I'm so excited to continue this story, and I'm so grateful for all of you reading it 🩷.

To anyone wondering, chapters 9-12 will be continuing with the vignette storytelling of 4-7. Chapter 8 was a one-off, essentially a bottle episode which served to resolve a thread I didn't want to drag out any further. From here it's regularly scheduled programming, at-least until the next crescendo. These chapters will be released over the summer, so sit tight everybody.

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oh WOW! I don't know how your fic hasn't popped up in my recommendations, but that latest commission has definitely put it on my radar! It's good to see a Beastars fic that's still being updated even if it's on hiatus so I can properly share everything I'll inevitbaly love about it once I do read it!

Thank you so much, I'd love to hear what you think. I promise the hiatus won't be for too long, I'm hoping this time will allow me to recallibrate and come back with a more consistent schedule.

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Pina heard her coming but never bothered to turn his head. She stopped right next to him.

“Hey there, wolf. What can I do for you?” He asked, cigarette between his fingers.

“Hi, I'm Juno,” she introduced herself.

Pina filled his lungs with smoke and continued staring forward.

“And I'm Pina.” He said plainly.

“...I think we got off on the wrong foot last night. I wanted to apologize.”

He breathed out, a puff of smoke escaping his lips. “Oh, you're here about the piano thing. Don't worry about it. Didn't need the job anyways, I was making way more on the side.”

She couldn't parse his tone. It sounded equal parts sincere and sarcastic.

“That's a relief. I was so worried I just ruined someone's life or something...” Pina chuckled, finally turning to face her.

“I'm gonna be fine. I was just keeping the stool warm until someone better at playing showed up.”

Juno chuckled back slightly, giving way to an uncomfortable silence as Pina returned to smoking.

An excerpt from AU longfic Howls At Dusk (Chapter 5: Goods And Services)

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"Why aren't you telling the truth?"

HOWLS AT DUSK: Belly Of The Beast (Drawn by @aleeexart)

(Commissioned by me, posted with permission.)

“You’re not telling the truth. Why aren’t you telling the truth?” Riz asked, confusion etched on his face. Pina's stomach dropped, and his legs began to shake once more. Pina saw it in the bear’s eyes, the same look one would give when apologizing. This apology seemed preemptive.

Based on Howls At Dusk Chapter 8: If We Never See The Moss

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“Hello,” a woman's voice greeted.

Legoshi turned to acknowledge her, a gray wolf with curly brown fur, almost as tall as him. She had her hand on a shelved book, like their meeting was by chance.

Despite the library being empty, he still checked his surroundings to confirm she was talking to him. “...Hi.”

Juno scanned for a conversation starter as he stared on with a dazed look. “Selena Carlson, huh?”

“Uh... Ya. 'The Bunny's Ears.' I'm about three quarters of the way through.”

“Oh, that's a good one.”

“You've read it?”

“Of course! Big Carlson fan.”

His eyes lit up, body turning fully as his tail began to sway subtly. “What do you think of the beetles?”

“Hm?”

He held his copy, pages separated by notes and marks.

“There's beetles littered throughout the story, usually off-hand mentions.”

He landed on an earlier page, one which Juno attempted to read, but only caught mentions of a bandit before he flipped to a new page.

“Near the mid-point, when he's stranded out in the canyons, he stumbles across one... First time the story draws attention to it actually. It guides him correctly, so I think it's a spirit of some kind. Maybe the same that appeared as a drifter a few chapters before. Or maybe it's the cloaked woman from the first. Like a guardian angel, doing its best to protect him in death's jurisdiction... What do you think?”

“That's...” She cloaked a conspicuous pause by clearing her throat. “...Explained later on. I wouldn't wanna ruin the ending for you."

An excerpt from AU longfic Howls At Dusk (Chapter 6: The Thespians of Cherry)

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HOWLS AT DUSK: The Writer (Drawn by @dhazzi)

(Commissioned by me, posted with permission.)

Legoshi (23) Male, Carnivore Canis Lupus (Gray Wolf) Journalist (Sole author of The Dusk Print) Coleoptera (Beetle) enthusiast Scholar on the works of Selena Carlson

For Howls At Dusk (AU longfic)

(introductory post)

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“So you knew him?” Riz inquired.

“Can't say I did,” the deputy responded.

“Then what are you here for?” he asked bluntly, prompting a glare over Louis' shoulder.

“This happens all too often. It's my job to make sure it doesn't. The least I can do in the face of failure is pay my respects.”

The deer's head turned back to the mural. Silence returned for a moment, but Riz's breath demonstrated he had more to say.

“But shouldn't you be finding who did it?”

“I can do both.”

“Do you have any leads?”

“Yes. A suspect as a matter of fact.”

“Why isn't he hanged?”

“Because I'm not the sheriff.”

“The sheriff would've gotten him by now.”

“He'd pin it on whoever the town believes would do it.”

“Well it's all the same.”

“No it isn't. His mirages of safety are just that. Smoke and mirrors.”

“But it keeps us content, don't it?”

“It keeps us from finding the Shishigumi. All these soothing rituals, hanging lions without trial...”

He stopped himself before he could go any further. This wasn't the time.

An excerpt from the AU longfic Howls At Dusk (Chapter 6: The Thespians of Cherry)