Post by Ethan McCordy on Apr 5, 2009 8:04:47 GMT -6
Ethan had finished reading all of the material that he'd been given in just over an hour. Afterward he'd unpacked, then dressed in the uniform he'd been given as the manual suggested. And then, suddenly bored and more than a little curious as to his surroundings, he'd finally left his dorm room and ventured out to wander the grounds.
Most other students passed him by without a second glance, busy with their day-to-day schedules as Ethan would no doubt be in a day or so when he officially joined the student body. For the most part it looked like any other private school he'd ever seen, yet here or there, there were evidences otherwise. Kids with elven-pointed ears, too-pale deathlike skin, and many other oddities. Not to mention all the smells. It was nearly too much for his over-sensitive nose to process all at once.
And more than once he'd passed by a student who seemed completely normal, but for some reason he felt himself growing immeasurably uncomfortable around them. It was hard to describe, the sensation that roiled in his gut. Not overwhelming, but nagging all the same. And then he would notice the gold, silver and obsidian necklace around their necks. Occasionally smiling somewhat in embarrassment or apology, occasionally glaring, occasionally ignoring him completely, most of the other Weres he encountered were quick to go the other direction.
Ethan eventually made his way into the Coed Lounge, though why he felt compelled to go there was a mystery. He had worse luck talking to girls than he did beings of his own gender. His dark eyes glanced around the room after he'd entered, picking out various things of interest, mostly memorizing the layout and doing his best to blend into the background. Which usually wasn't all that hard.
And then he smelled something that made his whole body stiffen with awareness. Ethan's eyes flickered over to where his nose had already gone, and felt his eyebrows raise a little in curious wonder.
A girl his age stood in a small ring of boys, the same age and slightly older, obviously flirting. And succeeding, as it looked--and smelled-- like every one of them were eagerly eating out of her hands with desire to please or impress her. She was very tall, and lean, sleek. Almost . . . feline, in appearance. Dark skin, long inky black hair done in dozens of dreds that fell down her back, she was dressed in the same uniform that all the other kids were wearing but somehow she made it look stylish rather than monotonous. The wolf in him was rearing up and growling, though for the moment Ethan couldn't say precisely why. He spotted the same amulet around her neck that all the other Weres had, but his reaction to this girl seemed altogether . . . different.
The girl laughed at something stupid one of the other guys said, then suddenly turned in his direction and looked right at him. As if she had felt his stare or, like he had with her, suddenly caught his scent. Startled, Ethan met her brown-eyed stare for a moment before coloring somewhat uncomfortably. He shoved his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose before turning around and heading for the opposite side of the room. Last thing he needed was for a girl like that to think he was staring or, God forbid, crushing on her. It had been his experience that girls like that didn't take too kindly to the idea of the nerdy kid having a crush on them.
Ethan had made the mistake of getting a crush on the pretty, popular girl at school. Once. After she and her friends had laughed at and teased him miserably for weeks--and her boyfriend had beaten the living daylights out of him several afternoons in a row--he had learned his lesson.
Most other students passed him by without a second glance, busy with their day-to-day schedules as Ethan would no doubt be in a day or so when he officially joined the student body. For the most part it looked like any other private school he'd ever seen, yet here or there, there were evidences otherwise. Kids with elven-pointed ears, too-pale deathlike skin, and many other oddities. Not to mention all the smells. It was nearly too much for his over-sensitive nose to process all at once.
And more than once he'd passed by a student who seemed completely normal, but for some reason he felt himself growing immeasurably uncomfortable around them. It was hard to describe, the sensation that roiled in his gut. Not overwhelming, but nagging all the same. And then he would notice the gold, silver and obsidian necklace around their necks. Occasionally smiling somewhat in embarrassment or apology, occasionally glaring, occasionally ignoring him completely, most of the other Weres he encountered were quick to go the other direction.
Ethan eventually made his way into the Coed Lounge, though why he felt compelled to go there was a mystery. He had worse luck talking to girls than he did beings of his own gender. His dark eyes glanced around the room after he'd entered, picking out various things of interest, mostly memorizing the layout and doing his best to blend into the background. Which usually wasn't all that hard.
And then he smelled something that made his whole body stiffen with awareness. Ethan's eyes flickered over to where his nose had already gone, and felt his eyebrows raise a little in curious wonder.
A girl his age stood in a small ring of boys, the same age and slightly older, obviously flirting. And succeeding, as it looked--and smelled-- like every one of them were eagerly eating out of her hands with desire to please or impress her. She was very tall, and lean, sleek. Almost . . . feline, in appearance. Dark skin, long inky black hair done in dozens of dreds that fell down her back, she was dressed in the same uniform that all the other kids were wearing but somehow she made it look stylish rather than monotonous. The wolf in him was rearing up and growling, though for the moment Ethan couldn't say precisely why. He spotted the same amulet around her neck that all the other Weres had, but his reaction to this girl seemed altogether . . . different.
The girl laughed at something stupid one of the other guys said, then suddenly turned in his direction and looked right at him. As if she had felt his stare or, like he had with her, suddenly caught his scent. Startled, Ethan met her brown-eyed stare for a moment before coloring somewhat uncomfortably. He shoved his glasses higher up the bridge of his nose before turning around and heading for the opposite side of the room. Last thing he needed was for a girl like that to think he was staring or, God forbid, crushing on her. It had been his experience that girls like that didn't take too kindly to the idea of the nerdy kid having a crush on them.
Ethan had made the mistake of getting a crush on the pretty, popular girl at school. Once. After she and her friends had laughed at and teased him miserably for weeks--and her boyfriend had beaten the living daylights out of him several afternoons in a row--he had learned his lesson.
