New Boy

Rising Sun

The air is crisp, cool, and carries the scent of ice to come. But it's not yet winter, and the smells of dying leaves permeate the air far more heavily. It's only October, with a full month till Winter brings its pale face to show.

I'm just better equipped to feel it coming, Ishi thinks balefully. I guess that's good... he said my Master hates the cold as much as he does.

The white haired boy pulls his jacket tighter around himself, and straightens his tie in the window of a classroom. Studies his appearance more keenly.

His dark skin can't hide the circles around his eyes, and to himself, they seem to even amplify the tired look he bears. Golden eyes with slitted pupils peer steadily back at him from the glass, unhappy. Uncertain with things to come. He looks like a young groom who's been put into another arranged marriage.

And being what he was, Ishi may as well have been. As a Guardian Werewolf, he had no choice in the matter, since that is why he existed in the first place - to guide and protect his master, an Angel. He had trained from birth to prepare, and become four years late by his peers in schooling.

He blamed his father. But then, his father couldn't provide for the two of them alone, so Ishi had started to instead. Getting into the school system had been a hassle at first too, but that was long over with.

But he had to keep up his appearance as "Rock". His ears flicked as he acknowledged the fact. His own rule, as well as his modelling and other agents's. Donning a faint smirk, he combed his hair with practiced patience, fingering his pale tresses to frame his face and cast a shadow over his gaze so that he looked less tired and more alluring. Always more alluring.

The bell rang it's solemn tone, and some students nearby groaned. He made no complaint, but simply slung his bookbag over his shoulder and headed to classroom 666. Ishi Hajiura walked a little uncertainly, having in part forgotten his way in his two-year-long lapse from school... but he remembered easily enough, made a beeline to class. His first day back, he couldn't afford to slack -- he'd never hear the end of it from Papa-Wolf at home. Ishi was already sixteen, and the rest of his peers would be around twelve and thirteen... Ishi already was given constant reminder of that age gap by his father enough.

The rest of the class hadn't poured in yet, but there were a few early birds. For a brief moment, he was self conscious, and kept his attention on setting himself up for class... putting his bag down, getting a pencil out, checking the board casually. A murmur filled the room, and Ishi couldn't help but look up.

He smiled to himself, and reclined on his desk, leaning on it. The usual gambling had started up. Unexpectedly, he had missed this part of school. It was amusing then and just as much now. It always was funny to come back to this after his lapses...

Already a bet of ten dollars had been put up by one of the boys for when Mia would arrive. In the meantime, Ishi stayed back.  He had no interest in gambling but it was fun to watch. He was not alone in this, even as more of the class filed in and joined the commotion. Dren, a kid with blond hair and blue eyes around the age of fourteen or fifteen by now, hung back. He seemed annoyed as usual about by the gambling -- Ishi felt that within the next few years Dren would figure out his feelings for the perpetually late girl.

The werewolf cast a side glance at Dren and waved. A small nod was his greeting, and a growled out "Welcome back." The other male was a little startled by Ishi being back... but not nearly so much as he'd been before. Even if this had been his longest time away yet.

But there was no conversation past that. The teacher had strode inside. The bell had rung.

Mr. Pierce was a tall man of striking beauty that had always scared Ishi. He donned his hair in lengthy tresses to his shoulders, and had narrow, angular features that Ishi swore he could have seen in the face and body of his most recent teacher... pushing the thought away, the blond man found his gaze for a moment, bright red eyes peering carelessly from behind his glasses before looking away.