Shiori Kitogawa's Story

Shiori Kitogawa

(*I couldn't get to a computer and I cannot copy and paste my fontmeme link on this device, or a gif. Will add those later!*)

Shiori woke up rather early, considering she wasn't able to get a lot of sleep the night before. She was luky enough to not get bags under her eyes, but she definitely had seen better days. Shiori grabbed her uniform and slinked off to the bathroom, taking a shower and getting dressed almost robotically. She came out while drying her hair, only for the short girl's eyes to meet directly with a familiar chest. it was a black suit, so it was none other than her life-long friend, Kazuhiko. She went wide eyed for a moment, seeing as she nearly made a direct collision with him as she exited her private bathroom, but she just put a gloved hand on his arm and manuevered her way around him. Her breakfast was sitting out on a breakfast in bed tray, casuing the small girl to make a small smile, "Hn, I'm not that hungry, but I hate to waste food. Ask next time, got it?" She snapped at her retainer, but sat down, putting the tray over her lap and ate the entire meal without further complaintl

"I apologize, Kitogawa-hime. It won't happen again." he chuckled, though this same scenario happened daily, and he knew that Shiori appreciated his efforts, whether she admitted it or not. He took the dishes and disposed of them once Shiori finished and escorted her to the car, shutting the door behind the thin and frail girl. He proceeded to take the driver's seat, taking her to school. Though Shiori wanted to ask Kazuhiko a question, she wasn't sure how to go about asking it. She nervously twidled her thumbs, half anxious about her question, but also because they were growing closer to Airdalen Academy.

Finally, right before they pulled up close to the campus, Shiori finally worked up the nerve to ak, but the wrong words came out, "Can you drop me off here? I don't want to be seen with a retainer on my first day back. I can walk twenty feet by myself." Her eyes widened a bit, shocked that she once again let her words show opposite meaning than her thoughts. Kazuhiko stopped the car, letting Shiori out of the car as she asked, and she gave a small bow before making her way to the school. He waved to her politely before driving off, chuckling to himself once more.

Why does he say hime? I am not a princess... Shiori thought to herself with a sigh, a bit depressed that she was unable to ask him the same question that had been bugging her for several years. Finally she made it to the inside, but did not go inside of the buildings. She instead sat at a bench, pulling out a pen and notebook.



She would send the letter as soon as she returned home, seeing as she sent one a week to a boy she met when she used to travel with her parents, before her brother and sister were born. He was the only person she could speak honestly to, but perhaps it was because she never had to face him directly... Although, these letters kept her spirits up. She looked forward to each reply like a child waiting for Santa Claus. It was nice to share her secrets with someone, even if she couldn't form an actual face-to-face bond. It was this long distance friendship that made her decide she wanted to change. She wanted to be able to speak more freely to Kazuhiko, exactly as she did with her friend she wrote letters to. She wanted to make new friends, but the pressure was definitely on. This was her last year of high school, her last chance to make precious high school memories. Immediately she felt herself lightly trembling in anxiety, glad that the only people present so far seemed to be the school staff. Though, she wasn% certain... She didn't want to be seen scared stiff, others would use the chance to bully her. She couldn't show a sign of weakness, or she would get hurt in the end. That my friends, is the paradox of Shiori Kitogawa.

================================

================================

"Let me sleep
as I do, I will have dreams
in them, I could get to see you
smiling at me so serenely and happy
so, let me sleep like this
never wake me up."

================================█
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
█ ▌
███
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
▌█
██The morning alarm rang inside a very empty bedroom. It was large with a sporadic touch of furniture and a simple design to give it a flair of personality. The owner is currently up and about as he stayed with his little brother, Hikaru, helping the young one with some summer homework. Hikaru could have done it with their aunt and cousins, but the little one wanted to do it with him. What else was he going to do about that, but agree. So technically, he was the one who toiled around with the written assignment and the art project while Hikaru fell asleep in the middle of it.

Ryou released a big sigh and looked at the sleeping Hikaru who he placed on the bed. "You better had nice dreams." He softly said as he pat Hikaru's head gently before leaving the room. His eyes directly went to the wall clock hanging in the hall and saw that it was just a few hours before sunrise. "No use sleeping. What better to do but have a morning jog. He returned to his room hearing his alarm clock which he turned off and then changed into his running gear.

He then slipped out of the house not wanting to wake up everyone else. Everyone could still use the few minutes of sleep, unlike him. This was actually an everyday routine for him, working out to keep himself fit and also to pump up some blood to his body in a sense. But, he might not be able to do some weights when he returns home, since he is a bit short on time. He'll just compensate for it after classes. Speaking of which, he could already feel that there are others joining him for a run. It's not his business really, but when it's all girls around his age and even some housewives running with him. They all want one thing. It's rather annoying and so, he did what he always does.

Run faster.

He did that once he heard one of the females getting his attention with a morning greeting with that overly cheerful voice and a tone suggesting not-so-innocent intentions. He blasted himself away, making it look like he never heard them as they tried to run after him. It was like a scene out of a comic book or cartoon, but it does happen in real life, his life. Anyway, he managed to finish his run a bit faster and he did make good sweat. Once he entered the house, he took off his shirt in which he heard someone whistling which was actually his Aunt. "Nice body as always, Ryou-kun! No wonder the females in our neighborhood are starting their fitness training by running with you. They want to have a body like yours definitely!" He really doesn't know how to take those cheerful words of hers, but he did accept the towel that was handed to him to wipe his sweat.

"Mom, those girls are not interested in getting fit. Believe me." There was another voice popping out, this time, it was his female cousin, Reisha who has an all-knowing smirk on her face. "Ryou-kun, don't just remove your shirt. We're all girls here." She said with a pointed look but a polite smile before disappearing to her room. "I wonder if Reisha is jealous of your body too, Ryou-kun. Anyway, don't mind her. You should go clean up. You have an early day at school, right?" Ryou nodded at that and went to his room. Honestly, he would never understand the thinking of women. They're much scarier than those criminals being reported on the news.

But his Aunt is right; he has to come at Airdalen at an earlier schedule because of some program. He wasn't keen on it, but it's needed to be done. He just hopes that it won't be a freshman who would do nothing but ogle at him and ask matters which is nobody's business. Taking a deep breath, he entered his bathroom to do his morning rituals. A few minutes passed, he was done and was now wearing his Airdalen Uniform. It was still loose on him, but got a bit shorter. This only meant he was still getting tall. He wondered where he got this growth spurt from, since typical Japanese people are not that tall to begin with. This is also one of the problems why he's just too easy to be noticed.

Shaking his head, he left that thought at that and exited his room. He was welcomed by the smell of breakfast where everyone was already there to start their day. His uncle reminded him to behave and he simply ended that conversation with him being done eating. He stood up and patted Hikaru's head and his other cousin, Trixie's as well who both bid him a safe trip. Really, he respects the man and is grateful for taking him and his little brother in, but, they just don't see on some things eye-to-eye. It's stressful, but nothing he couldn't manage.

He was then out of the house and began to travel to his school. If it was him, he would have preferred a public school. He knew well how expensive Airdalen is. It's true they have the money that their parents left them, but he didn't want to spend it lavishly. He does need to think of Hikaru's future, not just only his. But, it was his Uncle's orders, so he can't do anything about it. Another sigh came out of his lips as he now found himself waiting for a bus. The other passengers looked at him and he could feel it. There was also a few sounds of his pictures being taken by their phones. He could also hear some murmurs about him being a student at Airdalen. The uniform was a giveaway. That was fine as long as they don't do anything that can be labeled as intrusive and he was used to it. He just wonders when would this people get tired gawking at him, he was just a normal human boy, a bit tall, well taller than them all, but that's it.

This country was really different from where he was born and raised in, but, he have to get used it. Yeah, just get used to it. The bus finally arrived and he got in. After a few minutes, he was at Airdalen Academy. There were not much students as it would only be the Seniors and the Freshmen present for the program as he remembered. It was nice. He could use the peace, unlike the scenario every first day of classes for him. It was like being attacked by a mob. Shaking those thoughts away, he entered the gates while presenting his ID at the guard. The elderly man motioned to button up his uniform. He gave a nod and walked away. He was never the prim and proper kind, he wore his uniform casually. Anyway, he noticed instantly a tall guy (Johnny) just a few meters ahead of him. That was new to his eyes. He had never had someone almost tall as him. This must be a good sign.

His eyes moved away and saw another pair of students (Rhys and Shiori) at the benches. He remembers the girl (Shiori) as she often comes by at the store. He left it at that and took his position at the opposite side where there are other empty benches. Right now, he wanted to be alone. He took his seat and leaned there for a while. There was still time. He could take this for a few minutes of much needed sleep. He needed it and just like that, he let the warm yet cold breeze of spring lull him to a sleep as his eyes closed, hiding his silver-gray eyes for now. His breathing evened out. No one should bother him here, at the very least.

---

STATS

Physical + 1 (Ryou)

Silence filled the cool air. It wasn't the kind of silence that was completely devoid of noise, but rather human noise. Birds were quietly singing to themselves. The wind rustled the leaves of the many trees that were scattered about the shrine's housing. A small figure shifted under the bed sheets, seemingly moving closer towards the edges of the raised futon. Eventually the small figure fell out of her bed with a soft thud. "Owie." Soft green eyes searched the room for the clock that was bound to go off any minute now and there it was, on the other side of the futon. Mai looked closer and saw that she only had a about a minute to turn it off. She quickly got back into the futon and crawled as quickly as she could to the clock. The clock was only able to make a small ring before her hand slammed down on the snooze button and it's ring died off. Releasing a sigh of relief, Mai officially got up for the day.

The sounds of doors sliding open and closed could be heard throughout the house as everyone got up. Mai wasn't the only one who rose early but she knew a few who chose to sleep in despite it not being their best interest. One such person being her cousin Ren. She had slipped out of her nightgown and now wore a plain t-shirt, shorts and socks all of which was under the apron she wore to cook. Unlike many in the house Mai was one of the few who could cook. The small girl entered their kitchen and was soon joined by a few others, both male and female, to begin preparing breakfast. They were done within the hour of which Mai left before they had finished, she had been kicked out so she could prepare for her first day of school.

Despite ordering the smallest size possible, her uniform was still a bit loose but nothing a little tailoring couldn't fix. Mai looked at herself in the full length mirror. Her body only filled half of the mirror's length and she was reminded once again of her unbelievably short stature. A small pout laid itself on her near porcelain skin but she patted her cheeks and forced a smile, albeit a small one. Finally heading back to the kitchen Mai was bombarded by various smells. The others were quick to notice her presence and once again she was ushered out of the kitchen. Not knowing what else to do Mai sat down at their table. It was a pretty long table, enough to fit almost twenty people, but only half of it was used at any given time.

After a while Asakura approached her, "Do you think you could wake Ren up? He'll be leaving around the same time you do." He smiled at Mai who nodded in response to his request. Mai walked briskly down the halls until she got to Ren's room. She was always cautious of going to his room due to his behavior around her but this time Mai would be prepared. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Mai slide the door open, "R-Ren-s-san?" She heard movement and quickly stepped behind the screen just as a large figure leaped at where she had just stood. Ren crashed into the wall, grumbling under his breathe at having missed his chance to hug his cute little cousin. Mai bit her lip, averting her eyes from the much larger boy. "B-Breakf-fast is do-one." Ren glanced at her with those deep red eyes and chuckled. "Alright I'll be right there." He stood up and patted her head lightly before entering his room again.

Grateful that she managed to get out of the way, Mai felt a sense of triumph at avoiding the usually inevitable bear hug. Entering the dining room, she was surprised to see that breakfast had already been brought out. "Oh." She quickly bowed in apology at having made everyone wait for her and sat down to eat. As usual breakfast was pretty raucous with everyone talking over the other and laughter filling the house. Mai was happy she was able to stay here but she still missed eating breakfast with her parents. After everyone had eaten their fill the dishes were washed and Mai grabbed her things to head for the school.

She made sure to stop by her garden. Checking on all the plants she had bought to see if any of them needed tending to before she left. None of them needed it so Mai headed towards the shrine gate atop the stairs. Her cousin joined her as he too was heading back to the university. They walked in silence for the majority of time. Only breaking their silence to greet their neighbors. Mai was glad that the shrine wasn't too far from Airdalen Academy. It only took them about thirty minutes to reach the gates. "Alright Mai. Here is where I leave you. Do you have your lunch?" She presented it to him, "Have all the necessary paper work?" Mai looked through her bag and then nodded. "Good. Good. Oh you have your phone correct?" For a moment Mai looked surprised but after looking through her bag again she presented to him her phone. He had gotten it for her since she was still relatively new to the area. "Well alright then. Email me when your heading home and get home. Oh and Ccll me if you need me, okay? Make some new friends Mai." He patted her head before leaving for the University.

Mai was left alone at the gate a bit unsure of what to do. She was sure she looked out of place since a few people commented that it was nice to see a father walk their daughter to her first day of school. Ren, of course, was quick to correct them and now that she was here, Mai seriously hoped she didn't get that problem. Even though she was only at the gate, butterflies tumbled about her stomach and she squeezed her phone. The idea of calling her cousin to take her back home was very tempting but she needed to get over this personal hurdle called shyness. Stuffing her phone at the bottom of the bag, Mai peeked around the gate to see who had arrived. She spotted four people. A girl a bit taller than she was with pretty black hair (Shiori). A relatively tall boy who sat a distance from the aforementioned girl on the same bench as her. The boy looked a bit mean and maybe a little bored (Rhys). Another young, and very lean, fellow (Johnny) was there as well, having just arrived she assumed. Finally her eyes settled on a surprising familiar face (Ryou) and Mai's spirits were lifted, if just a small bit. At least she knew there was someone here she might know but whether he remember her or not she wasn't sure of in the least. Biting her lip, Mai cautiously entered the school grounds. Unsure of where to go at first, but finally settled on sitting on a bench across from the two students (Rhys & Shiori). Placing the bag next to her, Mai's feet dangled a couple of inches from the ground and she began to swing them back and forth to give her something to do.

A blonde was sleeping in the back seat of her Grandmother's car when it came to a complete stop just outside of Airdalen Academy. The elderly, but uncharacteristically energetic woman reach back and shook her granddaughter, "Arietta, Dear, you've got to wake up. We're at the Academy. It's time to go to school. You can't expect to sleep all day, Ari-chan." Mrs. Hakushiro teased, running her fragile fingers through the blonde hair of the young Freshman. It was so different compared to her own. Her grey hair was once jet black, similar to Mr. Hakushiro's. The blonde came from that side of the family. A frown formed on her face, but her thoughts were interrupted when the blonde finally came to. Arietta's blue eyes fluttered open and she sat up slowly. After a moment of adjusting to consciousness, she rubbed her eyes with a cheerful laugh as well. She didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep. The second year of my new start..? I'm a nobody here.. She thought to herself in an unenthusiastic manner. Given the circumstances of her abrupt move, she understood that this was necessary, but there wasn't much of a silver lining. She had to move halfway through her high school career, and now a Senior, she had nothing to show for herself at this school. She wasn't a geek, but she wasn't exactly prom queen here either.

Well.. bright side no one here knows about my.. habit.. She let out a soft sigh as she ran a hand through her hair, eyes lowering as she felt the absence of her pendant, and presence of the bow in her hair. Losing her pendant was the worst thing that happened to her. It was the only physical possession her grandparents managed to salvage of her mother's. She felt horrible that she let it get stolen the two years before. Realizing she had to get out of the car before she made herself late, Arietta spoke up quickly, "Arigatou, Baachan!" She chimed, sliding out of the car and closed the door quietly behind her. After exiting, she spun around on her heel, shooting her grandmother a charming smile. She had to reassure the woman that she would be okay, or else she'd follow Arietta through the gates and embarrass the living daylights out of her. Please just go home..

"I can walk home.. I've got my cellphone." She reassured her, wishing to get fresh air. It had been two years since the incident, but moving to a new school didn't change the fact it happened.

"Well, alright.. If you're sure. If anything happens, make sure to call me." Her grandmother seemed a bit skeptical, but hesitantly nodded in approval. She knew that she'd have to learn to let Arietta return to a normal life eventually, and decided to give her some breathing space. She waved to the blonde girl before driving off.

Once she was out of view, Arietta sighed, closing her eyes and gripping her school bag nervously. I wonder if I will be able to become popular before graduation.. She couldn't help but worry about it, because never threw parties at her old school, and despite being high up on the popularity scale there, she had to move schools because they found out about her grandfather's business. She couldn't stay there for risk of being used against him and paparazzi was harassing her. She was forced to move to a more secure and private school, Airdalen Academy. Sure my grandfather owns a multi-million dollar company, but I can't tell anyone so that really makes things tough.. Besides, the money...we never see it. He only brings in a little over a million US dollars a year.. It was strange, but she decided to not worry on it too much. She wasn't an expert when it came to distributing pay checks to an entire company. Maybe 1.3 Million was the remainder once he paid off his employees? Though it didn't seem logical. The company earned well over 200 million annually. Every major business bought into her grandfather's company, including Airdalen Academy. Every school computer was monitored by her Grandfather's program.

She kept a slow pace as she made her way to the designated spot. She was in no rush to meet her fellow students. She only had one or two friends, and she wasn't even sure if they were here yet. Arietta planned to divide and conquer this school, but a lot happened last year, except her becoming super popular. Though her grades were doing VERY well because of it, she would gladly make bad grades to make more friends. What will make me stand out? I can't just fade into the background. I want to be somebody here!

She let her icy blue eyes wandering loosely over the school grounds, until she realized just how grand the school truly was. Sugoi.. it's beautiful.. She thought in amazement. As she approached the spot where the students were told to wait at. She knew that the school grounds would be full of people, but just Seniors and Juniors and the faculty.

She noticed an open seat next to a guy who she presumed was sleeping. She knew it wasn't proper etiquette to sit there, but she saw everyone else in equal boy to girl pairs (Akira/Mai and Shiori/Rhys) and didn't want to interrupt them. She recognized Shiori, whom she wasn't very fond of, but the chibi girl (Mai) , short boy (Akira) , and the tall guy (Rhys) were more than likely Junior students, because she didn't know them at all. She sat down quietly at the opposite side of the bench, checking her Facebook on her phone to pass the time. She sent a few messages to her friends at her old school, hoping that the extra weight on the bench didn't disturb Ryou too much. Please don't wake up.. I just didn't want to sit alone.. I don't want to look like a creeper.. She recognized him from class, and she knew he didn't like to be bothered by girls. Not that she blamed him, he seemed to constantly have a swarm after him. She could understand why, Ryou was an attractive guy, but she felt bad for him. She understood what it was like, the paparazzi tried to eat her alive when they found out she was the granddaughter of Mr. Hakushiro. She shivered at the thought. Though she had to admit that she loved to watch others, to get a general idea of their character.. but some were a bit harder to understand than others, notably Ryou and Aeon. She noticed another guy approaching, but she didn't recognize him either. He was a brunette, kind of tall. At least, he seemed tall from a distance (Johnny). Another Junior? They were definitely overrunning the place at the moment.

---

---

Popularity: +1 (@ Ryou)

---

---

Yuuki made it to school, but she was considerably far later than she had planned. She never realized just how much she relied on her parents up until now. She had to make her own breakfast, wash her own clothes, clean her own apartment top to bottom, study, and wash the dishes. She was a bit tired, but the coffee in her hands helped soothe that irritant. She approached and noticed several students, tilting her head a bit. There was a very tall brunette male (Johnny), an ebony haired sleeping male of similar size (Ryou), and a tall and long blondish-brownish haired male who seemed to be conversing with a girl slightly taller than herself who had long and beautiful ebony hair (Shiori). When she looked in the other direction she noticed a very small and cute ebony haired girl who was being addressed by a rather short and equally adorable ivory haired boy (boy).

At least I'm not the shortest.. She thought to herself, moving away from the crowd and located herself under a nice big tree, directly under the shade. She hated bright and sunny days, it always made reading difficult. The only thing worse than a sunny day was rainy days. Yuuki took careful note of her skirt before sitting down, smoothing it out against her legs with one hand and released it after taking a seat in the grass. She removed a bag from her shoulder, unzipping it afterwards only slip a math notebook out she'd received from cram school. She immediately began reading it's contents, doing the homework as she sat there. She wasn't here to make friends, she was here for the best education that her good grades could buy her. She couldn't afford to lose focus, because the only reason she was here was due to the scholarship her grades supplied her with. Friends were distractions, she learnt that the hard way a long time ago, and she wasn't looking to make any new ones.

She didn't want to go through losing them again, because she put her studies first and others couldn't seem to respect that. Everyone else always seemed to take school as a joke, but this was Japan, it was an eat or be eaten educational system, survival of the fittest. She was not going to be at the bottom of the food chain for the sake of maintaining a high school social life that would dissipate in about three more years.

Idiots.. They're wasting so much valuable time, and for what? She thought to herself, rolling her eyes as she moved on to the next math equation. She could hear a couple students that walked by mocking her, recognizing the booklet in her lap. She only overheard a few words; "Nerd", "Weirdo", etc. She was used to these labels, and merely shrugged them off. She couldn't let them hurt her, she had a promise to keep and the only opinions she had to honor was her mother's and father's. Sure, these words from random students did hurt, but she had to move on, or she'd never make her family's home life improve. Say what you want, when you're washing my car in ten years.. she added as a mental note, continuing to scribble down her answers. She flipped the first page, moving on to the next. Apparently she had more time than she thought. The spare time was at least letting her get ahead on her cram school assignments, which she was grateful for. She wanted to start on it last night, but she had too much to do at home. Perhaps this event taking so long to begin was a good thing after all.

At least no one has tried to come over here and 'vanquish the loner that is Yuuki Fujioka'. She thought to herself, golden eyes lifting for a split second to look at the crowd before returning to her work. At this rate, she'd be prepared for anything that Airdalen had in store for her as far as academics were concerned. Give it your best shot, Airdalen. I will even buy some weights if you try to fail me for gym class. She was very determined, and it was obvious by the look on her face. She was definitely consumed by the book she was working on and gave off a vibe of not wanting to be disturbed, though usually that's when people most often bothered her. Sure, she missed having friends, she was only human, but it was a luxury she couldn't afford right now, so she had to push people away, even if it meant being disinterested and mean to them. Besides, what were the chances that she would meet any of her classmates again after graduation? Friends always went different ways, so creating precious bonds would only cause emotional pain in the end for everyone involved. Making friends in school was a ludicrous idea when she came to think on the notion. She felt that pain first hand in middle school and she never wanted to experience it again if she didn't have to. Perhaps these students would be smart and respectful enough to read her body language and leave her the hell alone?

---

---

---

---

---

---

Physical/Sporting Ability | +1
Intellect | +1

Bishop was dead asleep in bed. His chest rose and fell calmly as he snoozed in his bed, which would be interrupted by a blaring alarm suddenly going off. He groaned and rolled over smacking the snooze button and laid there for a second. Time would stand still until he suddenly jumped up in bed with a huge smile. "It's time for school!!" Normally he wasn't this thrilled to be at school, but this was the first day in an all new experience for the young teenager. He hopped out of bed and rushed out of his room to go get a shower. "Bishop~? It's good that you're up honey, breakfast is almost ready. Everyone is going to eat together on skype so make sure you have your uniform on. Your father wants to see it." His mother, Kimiko called up to him from the kitchen having heard her excited son bounce around upstairs. "Ok mom!" "What did we say about your Japanese?" Bishop sighed leaning out of the bathroom door now shirtless to shout down the stairs. "I can't get better if I never try." Japanese was his second language, he's been learning it since he was young but still had to fine tune some things here and there. He had a dictionary incase he ran into some words that he's never heard of before. But his reading and writing skills were proficient for a boy his age, the translations however simply slowed his progress down. He hopped in the shower liking his water extra hot as he washed himself. The young freshmen closed his eyes imagining himself swimming in a pool this warm, with the current song playing on the stereo. If he wasn't talking, Bishop was almost always listening to music of some kind.

Clean and refreshed Bishop walked from the bathroom to his room and eyed up his new uniform. "I can't beleive I'm going to a school that requires uniforms. That's kinda rare in the states." He began to get dressed pushing the button on his iPhone to change to the next song and smiled as his favorite band Coldplay began to play. He looked in the mirror as he got dressed the uniform fitting perfectly. In reality his father insisted on getting it a size bigger since they planned on him growing, fortunately his mother was skilled with a needle and didn't want her son to go to school wearing a baggy uniform. So it would appear as if he had a minor tailor job to his suit complimenting his physique in every fashionable way possible. <This is it! My first time going to a school for longer than a year. High school too! I wonder if I'll be popular.> He couldn't help but thing that as he grabbed his backpack, a very American styled backpack and headed down stairs. "Hey mom! What's for breakfast?" [color=BF00BF]"Why don't you come down and see! I'm sure you can smell it."[/color] Bishop grinned from ear to ear thinking of his mom's amazing cooking. He dashed into the kitchen and dropped his backpack seeing the spread that was laid out. Without a word he moved to the dining table and sat down while his mother finished some last things. "Now don't worry about the dishes honey. You have more important things to worry about." She patted his head making the young blonde blush and nod.

"Hey there sport! Lookin snazzy! You excited for school?" Bishop had a piece of toast dangling from his mouth when he noticed the computer monitor set on the table. On it was his father, dressed in the blue, grey and black colored Navy fatigues. The man's chiseled features beamed back at his son, who took a sip of a coffee mug that read 'EOD, If I start running, try and keep up' and had a tray of food in front of him as well. Though it didn't look nearlt as appetizing as what was in front of Bishop. "Yeah! I'm stoked! But mostly hungry." He took a big bite of his eggs and reached for a few pieces of bacon then drank some orange juice. His father laughed and took a sip of his coffe and ate what looked like french toast.

"I see you're speaking in Japanese like you're suppose to as well. Good! You're never going to find a pretty, rich girlfriend if you can't woo her with your words." His father smirked happily, but Bishop couched nearly choking on his food. "D-Dad! Why do you keep saying that?" He blushed heavily feeling his ears get hot, as he lowered his fork for a moment looking at the computer screen. Ever since they got the news he was getting a scholarship to Airdalen they were talking about how they were so excited for him to meet a nice rich girl, to buy all their worries away. They were only half-joking of course. "Oh, don't you know sweetie? This is a private school you're going to. A lot of the elite apply for this academy and some even get denied. You're awful lucky." "Well I knew that! But... Why do you gotta make a big deal about it? Especially a rich girl?" "Or boy...." His mother added in quietly and sipped her milk as if nothing was said.. Alex grinned catching it, but their son was completely oblivious jsut chowing down. "We're you're parents son! we, just want what's best for you. Now go and eat your breakfast. Nobody wants you to be hungry again." Bishop nodded and continued to eat. His parents just watched in awe, with small smiles on their face seeing their young boy growing up to one day be a man.

When breakfast was over, Bishop and his mother said their goodbyes to Alex his father and went out to their small car to head to school. Coincidentally his houses wasn't very far away from Airdalen, it was a little over 7 blocks deffinitely within walking distance but biking would be preferred. "Music for the road? Bishop smiled and nodded. "Of course!" Kimiko turned on the radio and started to play some J-Pop music his mother dancing the drivers seat like a fool. <Oh no... What have I done.> This was part of the reason why he tended to study at his grandmother's house. His mom was a busy body, in the sense that she was always doing something whether it was work or something fun for herself. As they drove along, he listened to the music but tried to not make any eye contact with pedestrians and other drivers seeing the lovely purple haired woman dancing in the drivers seat and singing lyrics of songs unashamedly. It was finally time that they arrived at school, Kimiko pulling up directly in front of the gate having missed the impeccable prince's subtle entrance (Aeon)

"Alright, thanks mom!" his mother looked to him and smiled, reaching out to stroke his blonde hair. "I'm so proud of you honey! I'm so excited that you get to go to a wonderful school like this, and get to meet new friends. I'm sure you'll do great." Bishop blushed sheepishly and twiddled with his bag some. "T-Thanks mom. But I gotta go, don't want people to stare at me." She giggled to herself drawing her hand back. "Oh my, my young man is already too cool for her mother. I understand. Now go! And find a cute girl!" "MOM~!"

Bishop hopped out of his car and put both straps over his shoulders. He mentally prepared himself for the journey he was about to embark on and smiled confidently. There was a small fire in his eyes as he looked to the awaiting gate guard who had a knowing smirk of his own. He stepped forward only to freeze hearing his mom honk the car horn. "GOODBYE SWEETIE~! HAVE A GOOD FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL~ MOMMY LOVES YOU~!" His mother blew a kiss and giggled driving off seeing her son's reaction. She was very loud and was bound to grab at least someone's attention. Bishop froze in fear and turned a deep red. "S-She.... She did that on purpose!!" <Why!? Why me!? Why now!? That is NOT how you start being cool in high school! Ugh! I'm gonna kill her!> He turned around seeing the gate guard sling more and chuckling to himself. Bishop lowered his head and walked inside.

"Welcome to Airdalen. The guard politely commented and nodded knowingly. Bishop simply closed his eyes and waved politely somewhat forgetting his Japanese customs. He would turn to see the expanse of the campus and looked on int awe. "Sugoi...." He walked somewhat aimlessly around until he noticed that some people were already here. He had a wary eye seeing if people were staring at him. He looked very convincingly like a lost puppy, being a freshmen at his school and was all by himself now in the center of the courtyard. He looked around seeing a pretty blonde girl (Arietta). That struck a chord with Bishop, seeing blonde's in this country was rare and always something to talk about with his peers donning the vibrant gold locks. He would make a mental note of the girl and nodded to himself. He barely noticed a male who seemed less than conscious (Ryou) sitting next to the blonde girl which made him curious. There would be time to learn more about the people around him in the future. Turning around he noticed another boy-girl pair on a bench sitting together but not talking (Rhys and Shiori). He could get a decent idea of who was in what grade, but his ability to read people wasn't the best being somewhat socially inexperienced.

<Ok.... Don't linger too long. Don't want to look weird.> He spied the third group of people, which appeared to be a very short girl with blakc hair (Mai) talking to another boy (Akira). Not wanting to force himself into a conversation he decided to go off to the side and sat by himself in front of a tree on a bench. He never noticed that a dark haired girl (Yuuki) was behind him under the tree however. To pass the time Bishop pulled out a small speaker and synced it to his iPhone deciding to play a favorite song. He wasn't meaning to disturb anyone, he just wanted some nice relaxing music to start his day as he sat on the bench and minded his own business. As the soft harmonies of the string instruments, coupled with the sounds of a guitar played in everse and the piano Bishop bobbed his head with the music letting out a content sigh. <Music is always a good ice breaker! Maybe someone will like this band too.> He smiled to himself and leaned back against the bench looking up at the tree above him happily.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
-3 Coolness (JK lol ^^')
+1 Popularity- Arietta

Immediately, Shiori tensed up as a tall male with fairly pretty long brown-blond hair sat down beside her. She didn't recognize him, so he was obviously a Junior. Just because she didn't socialize often, didn't mean she wasn't aware of her classmates and their names. She cared about them and made a point to remember their names, she just couldn't express any of that to them in a healthy way. She was trembling just seconds before his arrival, and she was nervous that he might have noticed.

She took a moment to look at him when he turned his gaze the opposite way, blinking in curiosity. He sat here, only to ignore her? She tilted her head a bit at him, completely baffled by this boy's sense of logic. If he was shy, he would have had trouble approaching her. If he was hyperactive she would be looking for a way to plausibly escape this seating arrangement, and if he was creepy, wouldn't he have done something strange to her by now? Did he expect her to say something? Was he sitting here because she was quiet and just wanted to be left alone? She began to really overthink his actions and it was driving her a little crazy trying to decipher through all the possibilities on her own.

She turned her head away from the long haired junior (Rhys), completely confused by his choice to sit with her in silence. Suddenly the lack of noise was beginning to feel very awkward, so she did the best she could. Socializing was always her worst subject, but there were a few topics she could discuss without going on the rude defense, "Etto... the weather's really hot today.." She stated, looking up at the sky, shielding her eyes with one hand. The shade of blue was beautiful, and despite her home-body reputation, she did love warm days like this. Something about days like this one was nostalgic and brought her a small sense of peace. Perhaps it was because she met that boy on a day somewhat like this one?

"I'm Shiori Kitogawa." She added, not looking at Rhys directly, in fact, she was now staring at the ground, letting the toes of her shoes shuffle against the concrete to keep her mind off of the fact that she was talking to a complete stranger. So far she was doing alright, but she was definitely nervous. It wouldn't be long before something spurts out of her mouth to offend him. She was just postponing the inevitable. Sometimes she wasn't even sure why she even tried. Most people at this school hated her, the others simply tolerated or didn't care about her existence in the first place. Why did she try so hard to change? Then an image of that little blond boy she met as a child came back to her. The boy hugged her once when they first met, and she completely froze in panic. She knew there was probably still a picture of it somewhere, but she didn't personally have a copy of it. Ever since that day, she decided she wanted to be more like him, to be able to warmly embrace others and make friends so easily, to smile in that warm way, just like he did.

When she thought of him, she saw the colors one typically associated with summer, because that's exactly what his kindness felt like, the embrace of a warm summer's day. Her violet eyes shifted to the tall junior, and then back down to the ground, "You don't have to reply to me, I was just trying to be polite, that's all.." Her tone was a bit distant and definitely had a defensive edge to it. Her nerves finally got the best of her, and her body was going into protective mode. This was her own form of self preservation, of keeping her feelings protected from greater forms of pain at all times. Sure, loneliness hurt, but rejection from someone considered a cherished friend hurt way worse. She found that out at a very young age from her mother, but also because a friend betrayed her trust back in elementary school. She never wanted to feel that pain again.

Why did he sit here..? I want to ask, but I'm scared of the answer.. just like with Kazuhiko.. I'm always scared to ask people the more serious and intimate questions and end up making a fool out of myself instead. She was growing depressed with herself, so she busied herself. She put her pen and notebook in her bag, looking around at the students that came in since she began talking. T-That many!? She was immediately intimidated by the number of known and unknown faces surrounding. She knew that no one was watching her, but somehow she felt as though they were all spying on her, waiting for her to slip up.. She felt like everyone in the area was waiting to find a reason to judge her, even though common sense told her that no one here cared about her or what she was doing. Half of them didn't even know who she was, and the other half..well, we discussed the seniors earlier in this post. Why do I overreact to everything? Why can't I be like all of them and just act natural..? Why do I have to be so different..? I wish I could talk freely about anything, just like everyone else.. I hate being different.. Shiori thought to herself, nervous and angry fists tightening in her lap, sort of crinkling her skirt.

---

---

---

---

---

---

╔╗

---

---

---

---

Popularity +1 to Cassiopeia
(That's my understanding, if it isn't please free to add the stats and edit it GM's)

“Yeah…”

She didn't really expect an answer from the quiet male (Rhys), and she stole a glance at him out of the corner of her eye when she felt he wasn't looking. He didn't seem to want to socialize, but she knew better than anyone that a cold demeanor didn't mean that the person themselves were truly cold-hearted. She had a lot of trouble making friends, because she would always panic and say something cocky or rude. She didn't mean to, she was just afraid of getting hurt and the words came out of her mouth of their own accord. He seemed to be enjoying the weather, but she wasn't necessarily fond of it, especially since their uniforms consisted of dark colored jackets. The uniforms were gorgeous, but they definitely weren't comfortable on the hotter days of the year.

“Hm?”

She immediately tensed up a bit, realizing that she might have been barking up the wrong tree.. He didn't give his name back yet, so perhaps he truly didn't want to talk to her? Was she reading into the situation too much? Her mother always told her she expected too much out of people. Perhaps that was true? He was a very attractive guy, but in a delinquent sort of way. Usually long hair looked really bad on men and made them look like stoners, but she found it rather suited this boy rather well. He also had brown eyes, a common shade around Japan, yet his hair was not. The blond-brunet hair color was very strange, a rarity to be honest, and it was an instant give away that he was foreign, or at least had a foreign parent. She knew of a few others with light hair, but they were all transfers or had parents from western descent.

Though when his eyes landed on her, she immediately felt herself become very nervous. It was very unnerving to know he was looking at her, and she began to regret her direct choice of conversation. Do I have something on my face? Did my mascara run?

She began panicking, especially after she thought she heard a gasp, but she wasn't entirely sure. It could have just been her mind playing tricks on her, but she was totally a nervous train wreck inside of her head. She kind of wanted to run off, but that would only make the situation worse.. and the program would start soon. She didn't need to run off, it would only complicate things in the end, because she'd be too embarrassed to return here. Though after telling him that he didn't have to talk to her, she knew it came off as a bit indecisive, especially since she chose to speak to him first.. She couldn't help it though, every time she got too nervous about whether someone would like her or not, she'd always say the exact opposite of what she meant.

Out of the corner of her eye, Shiori noticed that the boy grasped his forehead, and it seemed as though he was in pain. Did he have a headache? Is that why he was so quiet? Immediately she rummaged through her bag, before extending out her hand. There was two small red pills still inside of their foil containers in a gloved palm, definitely some kind of brand like Tylenol. She didn't make eye contact, but it was the least she could do for being so much trouble. She doubted she was making this guy's life any easier. Though, she was most likely the only student who wore silk gloves on campus. The gloves were a sleek black, and definitely femininely designed. She wore these often, but there was no obvious sign as to why.

“Rhys… but in Japan you go by surnames right? So it’s—“

She was surprised that he started speaking again, and she got a name, albeit it was only his given name instead of his full name. Though to her relief, he mentioned that in Japan, individuals addressed each other by their last names. Thank god.. for a minute there I thought he was going to expect me to address him by his first name.. She had a light blush on her cheeks from the thought. She definitely would have said something harsh if he'd asked her to call him Rhys. That was too forward, way too soon. She was on a totally different planet, no where near addressing boys or girls by their first names. She didn't even notice the racket, but she did notice when Rhys quit speaking. Her eyes lifted just in time to see a dark haired male approaching them with the speed of an angry rhinoceros stampede. Her eyes widened, especially since she recognized this person. This person was none other than Kazuki Miyamoto. If there was anyone in this school that she was most terrified to speak to, it was definitely him. He was outgoing, loud, reckless, and definitely didn't understand personal space. She did not want him to get anywhere near her, because he was unpredictable and no one knew what was on that psycho's mind.



"S'cuse me! Up and over!"

Shiori let out a soft gasp and ducked down as fast as she could, still sitting on the bench, but lowered her form to where she wouldn't become a casualty of Kazuki's escape. He jumped over their bench, and Shiori stopped breathing for a moment, completely terrified. She did not want to be physically touched by anyone, and she couldn't continue to breathe until after he cleared their bench and moved towards another where a petite ivory haired boy (Akira) was talking to a small ebony haired girl (Mai). She remained hunkered down for a few minutes, her heart beating really fast. She didn't see that coming at all, and she was frozen from the fear that hadn't quite worn off yet. She was not trembling, for the fact that she couldn't move at all. Her eyes were glued to the ground and she was breathing very slowly to calm herself down. She didn't even pay attention to her surroundings, and only caught the end of what Rhys was saying. She immediately sat back up, but continued the pattern of avoiding eye contact.

“…Browning.”

"We do address each other by last name here, unless we feel emotionally connected and close to one another. So I would be Kitogawa-san, and you would be Browning-san. You would use -chan, or -kun at the end to address close friends.." She replied, her fingers now trembling, seeing as she just recently mustered up the courage to move. Though her eyes shifted to him once more, a little curious. Why was he cracking his knuckles? Was he trying to intimidate people? Was he going to get in a fight? She was completely baffled, "Welcome to Airdalen, be aware of the fact that this place is full of idiots.." her tone was much colder, and she was definitely referring to Kazuki, but also several others. Although she didn't hate Kazuki, she definitely didn't like him very much.

---

---

---

---

She didn't even think of how wrong this would look if someone decided to look in their direction, but that's just because she was on the formal side of medicine. Both of her parents were doctors and she often forgot that drugs were often taken recreationally.

"Ah, look.."

She wasn't sure what he was getting at, but she kept quiet as he searched for words. Was it because she had medicine on hand? Immediately she felt bad for just pulling out medication from her pocket, "M-my parents are doctors. Gomenasai! I wasn't trying to.." Her eyes were slightly wide from worrying about his reaction, wondering if he'd tell anyone that she'd tried to offer him medicine. That wouldn't get back to the teachers in tact and she would be rumored as some sort of drug dealer and that would hurt her father's reputation. She didn't even think about it, and she began mentally beating herself up about it almost immediately after the realization hit her..

"I don't mean to be a jerk but... no need."

"Suit yourself then." She replied in a nonchalant tone, as if she'd never cared in the first place. There was no way for her to know the reasoning behind his denial, so she more or less stubbed up in response. She was trying to be nice and was shot down, so she definitely didn't feel too confident at the moment. Perhaps another student told him about her and he figured it was an attempt to poison him? She wasn't exactly popular among her peers, especially since she had a tendency of being rude whenever she got nervous or felt she was being criticized or rejected. She couldn't mentally handle someone else rejecting or abandoning her.. So she developed a rough around the edges outer shell that made others think she didn't care about their opinion, so she couldn't get close to anyone. Seeing as that only made her lonelier, Shiori has spent her high school career attempting to correct her behavior, but has had no success this far. This was her last year, and she was determined to kick her habit of being rude, but here she was, doing the same old thing a whenever she got in a situation she didn't know how to properly process.

"Riiiight... thanks for the heads up."

"No problem." Shiori replied in a slightly arrogant tone of voice, not making eye contact with Rhys, she was also no longer staring at the ground, instead Shiori was staring directly ahead of them at one of the numerous cherry blossom trees in the vicinity. She was feeling a bit guilty as far as her closed off behavior was concerned. She knew it was rude to act the way she was right now, but it was the only way she knew how to handle her assistance being tossed aside without fleeing from the scene like a madwoman. She didn't want to come across as psychotic or hysterical.. Cold was a much better option, but she really wished she could be cute, like the bubbly and innocent girls she saw in romance movies and anime. She envied girls that could be so effortlessly adorable, because acting the way that they did, Shiori was certain that she could never do it, she'd die of embarrassment before that ever came to pass. She didn't feel she would ever reach that level of socialization and confidence. She severely lacked both, and doubted she would be progressing in either at a well enough pace.. I suck.. I can't even talk to a junior without making an ass out of myself... Shiori thought to herself in a downhearted manner. She didn't know how to mend her behavior, because she never properly made friends before.. Even Kazuhiko, she didn't fully consider him a friend, but he was the closest thing she had to one.

"Thanks but.. are you alright? Uh.. are you alright, Kitogawa-san?"

Shiori quickly brushed her depressed thoughts aside, seeing as this boy caught on that all was not well. She wasn't sure what he was referring to, but she immediately became nervous. She couldn't just come out and admit that she had problems speaking with others and had a bad habit of either insulting or being mean to other people if her feelings were hurt. That was too personal, she'd never told anyone that, ever. She definitely couldn't admit that to a stranger, and the same went for why she didn't want to be touched by Kazuki, or anyone else for that matter. That would involve speaking of her mother, and she couldn't do that. She was certain that her mother's actions qualified as child abuse and she couldn't bring that kind of heat into her home. She couldn't tell anyone, so she was stuck here in this endless cycle of self loathing, rude behavior, and written apologies.

“ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ALL SENIORS AND JUNIORS PLEASE HEAD OVER TO THE SCHOOL HALL FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS. SENIORS, PLEASE HELP GUIDE THE JUNIORS SHOULD THEY GET LOST. WE’RE RUNNING BEHIND ON SCHEDULE SO STAY SHARP.”[b]

She wasn't sure what was up with the announcement, but she didn't really care. She'd go on towards the indicated spot without hesitation. That's how she'd spent every other year at this school, invisible. She went through the motions of her day so well. The only exceptions were when others chose to talk to her, and as usual she would always end up running them off before the week was through. The longest record was five days of someone attempting to form a bond of friendship with Shiori, needless to say, the boy gave up.

[b]"Well, I guess we should get the show on the road as they say..."

"Of course. We don't want to get the seats with gum on them." She replied in a detached and somewhat formal manner, and she also hesitated to answer his question that was interrupted, but shook her head after she'd given the question some thought. She had to answer, or he'd probably only ask her again. She let out a quiet breath to secretly compose herself before she chose to vocally respond, "I'm fine by the way, why did you ask?" She responded in a sound tone of voice, no breaks in her tone indicating that she was upset; and it definitely didn't crack as she spoke. Though her eyes always seemed to tell another story. Her eyes were sad and lonely, as always, but that could easily be chalked up to simply be due to the fact that they were a dark and depressing shade of purple. Most of the time other people assumed it was due to her dark hair and eye color. Though she turned her gaze to her clothes just in case. She didn't want pity. She wanted to make friends, but she didn't want to accomplish that through a pity party. That would be pathetic and she'd never forgive herself for choosing the easy route. She stood and dusted off her skirt and the back of her uniform blazer, waiting to see what he would do from here on. She didn't want to be the first to walk away, especially since she'd made a lot of rude comments to him already..

"Let's go, yeah?"

Though she was pleasantly surprised when he spoke up. He wanted to walk with her? She blushed a bit, though she kept it hidden from him by turning towards the building, "Alright, don't slow me down though. It's this way, we just have to follow the crowd that's forming." She stated running to catch up so that they'd be walking at the same pace in the same area, but kept a comfortable distance between not only herself and Rhys, but also between herself and everyone else around them. She didn't even scan the crowd for anyone she knew, but that's because she really didn't know anyone here, aside from her classmates names. There was no one in her grade that she knew on a personal level, not one. Though that's because her only real friend was a boy she chose to write to for half of her life. If he were here, she doubted she'd be able to treat hm the same as she did when she wrote letters to him. Letters were easier than face to face interaction. She didn't have to deal with the confrontation immediately. She always could wait to respond if a letter upset her. People were far crueler and impatient in person. She sat down next to a cute purple haired female student who seemed to be patiently and quietly waiting for the program to start (Yuuki) and in front of a brunette male student (Johnny) who was sitting next to a gorgeous female blonde. The two behind her were in conversation, and the purple haired girl seemed to be actively avoiding one, at least to a certain degree. She understood that very well, but she couldn't help but look over her shoulder to see if Rhys chose to sit with her or slipped away in the crowd. She couldn't say she blamed him if he chose to give her the slip..

---

---

+1 Popularity (Arietta and Yuuki)

---

---

BISHOP TRANDER

Bishop was in the middle of a giant heard of students funneling into the large school hall. He didn't really notice a specific face or person go by him amongst the crowd too caught up in reading the signs over each classroom door. <Ahuh.. So this is the building that the staff mainly works out of.> He sighed trying to get a feel for his new school. It was definitely different that any school he had been to in America or on a military base. From the uniforms to the layouts, he would have to see how things were when it came to assignments as well. But that was for later. The blonde shook his head reminding himself not to think too far ahead, that how you get discouraged. He took a breath and finally broke through the threshold of the school hall finding that since he walked so slow in order to not get lost, that many students had beaten him to get a seat.

"Aahh.... Ummm." He contemplated where to sit slowly walking down the left isle to find a seat. He first noticed a tall brown haired kid, sitting next to that blonde he saw earlier (Johnny & Arietta). But he didn't make a move to sit next to them, honestly not seeing the open seat. He moved further down the aisle beginning to think ins a vicious circle. <If I don’t sit now, more seats will be taken up. If the seats are taken up I’ll look weird. But what if I sit next to someone weird or mean? So I have to find a good seat! But if I don’t sit now-> On and on it went as he walked down the aisle until he reached the end and looked to the side and saw the purple haired girl from before (Yuuki) who yelled at him. He froze for a moment with wide eyes; if she looked to make eye contact he would turn awkwardly away and shuffle off <Like hell I’ll sit with her!> He didn't even take the time to notice the two other students sitting next to her (Shiori & Rhys). The American was having a bit of a hard time trying to assimilate in Japanese school, being spooked by a purple haired girl.

Bishop walked back up the aisle noticing some of the looks he was getting and decided to just take a seat anywhere. He opted for the right sight of the hall where there was a large gap between the row of seat in front of him, leaving the students sitting there with leg room. He removed his back pack and set it in his lap, looking around. To his surprise Bishop’s phone would ring, and he brought it up seeing it was a text from his dad; ’Hey son! Have a great first day at school. Always remember that me and your mother are proud of you and we love you very much.’ Bishop smiled at the message and replied back thanking his dad, but was interrupted by another male student. ’Hey, do you mind if we sit here? We’re trying to stay together.’ Bishop looked up seeing several junior class students looking down at him, their gazes curious seeing his foreignness. Bishop looked to his side seeing that the seats beside him were filling up and they didn’t have enough room for them all unless he moved. ”Ah… Sure-” ”Thanks!” Bishop spoke hesitantly wanting to be nice, but as soon as he began to speak they took his offer for an inch and made it a mile.

Slowly he stood up, once again seatless and sighed looking around clutching his backpack in his hand. It wasn’t like the others, some girls had cute charms or anime chibi characters on there’s. The same was for male students, though their bags were typically more conservative. Bishop’s backpack was an olive green, a military bag actually. He took off the American demarcations and insignias not wanting to stand out too much. However on his backpack were several pin buttons he acquired through his travels. He had 13 in all. Some were cities he’d visited or lived in, a few were companies that made products that he used for hobbies and some were music bands. All however were western, which was enough of a giveaway if one were to pay attention. Bishop now stood in near the center of the hall, looking back and forth to find an open seat. He’d take anything now…. Except if it was in front of next to that girl who scolded him (Yuuki). He spotted a seat to the rear of the hall and didn’t think twice about it. Bishop hurriedly went to take that seat just noticing a tiny girl sitting next to that seat (Mai). He looked down towards her automatically assuming she was a freshmen like him. He looked up seeing a silver haired, yet effeminate looking boy (Akira) sitting next to a super tall guy (Ryou). He gave the briefest of glances to them and went back to his phone to look over his text, and then hit ‘send’.

Bishop sighed and put his phone on silent, not expecting a text back and put his phone away. He fidgeted in his seat placing his unique backpack in his lap, only to look down to fuss with a few of the buttons lost in thought. Bishop was rather oblivious to what had happened before, keeping his head low with a troubled expression. From this point on, he figured that keeping a low profile on the first day wasn’t such a bad idea. He didn’t even think that suddenly sitting next to these people and not introducing would be rude, he was very use to the somewhat anti-social American culture. Bishop raised his head causing his blonde hair to sway gently, looking up only to see a few girls staring at him. He blinked and looked back not sure of what to do. He looked down at his uniform to see if it was something on him, then touched his face thinking maybe there was dirt or worse- a booger! When he found nothing, the freshmen heard laughing and just went back to looking down. Whatever it was, he had missed it like always. <This first day is not going to plan... I wish I was swimming.> He just hoped that the announcements would start soon so he could move on.

Yuuki nearly fell asleep waiting for the program to begin. The loud and rowdy boy (Kazuki) from earlier seemed to be giving a teacher a lot of trouble, from what she could see. He was up front and somewhat appeared to be arguing with the adult. Perhaps that was why the program hadn't begun? Either way, she was a bit tired of seeing that guy around here. He seemed to cause trouble for everyone he met, and she wasn't looking forward to having a run-in with him, she'd surely tell him off way worse than she had the blond guy that had carelessly interrupted her studying with his wretched excuse for music. Suddenly she noticed that the seats around her began to fill in. There was a very cute and feminine blonde girl (Arietta) that chose to sit not too far off in the row behind her, along with a brunet male who chose to sit down a little while before the blond. He was sitting a bit closer to Yuuki, but was in the same row as the blonde female.

“Hajimemashite,”

The boy (Johnny) seemed to be attempting to converse with the girl (Arietta) and the male definitely seemed to be struggling with the language. He was doing rather well, but as a native of the language, Yuuki noticed the slight errors in his pronounciation. He was trying, so she couldn't fault him on that. Not to mention he wasn't very loud. That was something she definitely could applaud. The conversation wasn't very annoying, or perhaps it was because the entire room was buzzing with noise, either way, this wasn't a place she could study. She didn't mind the noise when it was suited for the situation, and this was a situation where others were expected to at least greet one another..

“My name is Johnny Farelli. My Japanese is not that good. It's nice to meet you.”

Even Yuuki almost laughed as she overheard that. Was he reading from a Japanese 101 handbook? She didn't turn around to look, or she probably would have laughed noticing the conversion book he held. She only caught glimpses of the two out of the corner of her eye. He was definitely foreign judging by his name, but was he American or Italian? She wasn't sure, but it was definitely food for thought.

Suddenly Yuuki froze. She got her own seat mate. She looked over and noticed a very 'classic' Japanese beauty (Shiori), well, aside from the girl's stunning gemstone eyes. Yuuki had never seen eyes that color, but she was fairly certain that not many were accustomed to purple hair. It was Yuuki's natural color, which even she found to be a bit odd, but she couldn't argue with the fact.

The girl didn't seem very social, but Yuuki decided to at least say hello and introduce herself if they were going to sit together, "Ohayo.. I am Fujioka, Yuuki." Her tone was formal, very serious and didn't seem to be very energetic like the blonde girl (Arietta) in the row behind them. The dark haired girl (Shiori) seemed to be waiting on someone to join them, because her head was turned away. Yuuki sighed a bit at this and adjusted her glasses. Perhaps she just wasn't suited for this kind of thing? It might have been a sign that she shouldn't try with others.. even when the timing permitted it. The two seats in front of her remained empty still, and Yuuki wondered when the program would begin. Perhaps the girl sitting beside her wouldn't notice her failed attempt to make idle chitchat? She noticed that blond guy from earlier and rolled her eyes as he fled the scene. Running away because he got scolded once? Wow. Pathetic.

---

"Ohayo.. I am Fujioka, Yuuki."

Shiori heard a female voice introduce herself, and she turned her head to find the source. It was none other than the girl with the odd hair color, and apparently her name was Yuuki. Snow? That was unusual. Perhaps because she was pale? Or was she born in the winter? Perhaps it's because she is so pretty? Although the ebony haired girl couldn't help but ponder on the other girl's given name, she was once again torn from her own thoughts when Yuuki rolled her eyes at someone behind Shiori. It was then that Shiori noticed that Rhys seemed to visually acknowledge the other girl, but he didn't introduce himself. Kind of like he'd done when she first met him. She also noticed the girl's eyes were rolling at someone else other than Rhys and herself, and she managed to turn her head in Rhys direction just in time noticed a blond male student scurrying off. (Bishop) She wasn't sure what went on between them, but so far the purple haired female hadn't done anything to her or Rhys that was grounds for treating her like the plague. Shiori kind of understood that, a lot of people treated her like the plague too, but that was because she often ran them off with harsh words whenever she got too embarrassed or nervous. Though before she could offer her own name to Yuuki, the program finally began. Shiori turned her eyes to the front and had a look of disbelief on her face. The principal dresses like a hobo.. seriously?

“For seniors, I encourage you to make the most of your final year before the college entrance exams and before leaving Airdalen in general. The time you spend partying compared to the time you spend studying makes all the difference to what career options are available to you in the future. Not one to brag, Airdalen’s reputation and connections that I have spent years building up to has led to this moment, your final year. I have done my part but it is up to you to seize this opportunity as a student here under this high school’s name, to put in the extra mile that will determine the rest of your life from this point onward.“

Shiori kind of let her mind go blank as the pricipal began speaking to the junior students. She was thinking a lot on what he'd said. Make the most of this year? He was referring to studying and excelling in class, which she'd done rather well in so far, but she wanted to make friends. She hadn't made a single once since attending this school, and it was definitely becoming quite lonely watching others have fun. Sure, it would be hard, but her goal was a lot different than what the principal was trying to get across to the older students. She let out a soft sigh, seeing as what most students found difficult came easy to her, but what came easy to her classmates was truly terrifying to Shiori. Just the small conversations she held with Rhys were enough to make her stomach churn in anxiety.

“Oh, that’s my cue to leave then… In short, everyone, I do wish you all wholeheartedly the very best with your studies. Keep in mind I do not mean to alert you, just prepare you for the future as I am confident the Airdalen staff members are trying to do for you as well so please respect them too in my absence. Enjoy your first day back!”

Enjoy our first day back..? Easier said than done for some of us.. Shiori thought to herself, keeping her eyes low. She kept quiet, not even looking to her seatmates as she began retreating into her own mind. She often did this, seeing as she typically had no one else to talk to about her problems and anxieties. Besides, even if she could talk openly to those around her, she wouldn't, because interrupting the program would not have been a good idea. She didn't want detention this early into the year.

“I will now be handing out folders to the seniors with your activities inside. Juniors please remain seated and await your assigned senior. Compared to previous years, we will also be assigning team names due to the feedback we received from our graduated seniors. You are free to discuss your team name with your partner and change it to another animal provided it isn’t taken already. We will be proceeding with activities once everything has settled, thank you.”

Ms. Araya announced. Shiori waited for a few others to stand before she did so herself, looking to Rhys, seeing as she had to pass by him to exit the row, "Excuse me." she stated before slipping past him. She managed to do it without brushing against him, likely due to her thin frame. She made her way to the front, retrieving her folder. There was a picture of Rhys clipped to it, and Shiori immediately tilted her head. What were the chances that the only junior that she'd met so far would wind up being her partner? She shook her head, quietly returning to her seat. This was just too strange. Immediately she showed Rhys the front of the folder as verification, "We're going to see a lot of each other I suppose." She responded. Then turned her head to look at the violet haired girl. They were interrupted by the program beginning, and she never was able to give the girl her name in return, "I'm Kitogawa, Shiori.. As you can see I am a Senior." She replied in a formal fashion to her. Though something interesting caught her eye. On the outside in black ink, more than likely marker considering how wide the letters were, was the word 'Panthers'.

"Panthers...?" She asked herself aloud, completely baffled. It took the ebony haired student a moment to remember, but after a second a look of recognition swept over her face, "Oh.. team names. Right." She added. There was also discussing the team name with Rhys, that was something that Ms. Araya mentioned as well. Immediately Shiori turned to Rhys with a questioning look on her face. She was completely fine with whatever their team name was, as long as it wasn't anything like 'fluffy kittens', but she wanted to make sure that he was comfortable with their animal name, "Is Panther's all right with you? I'm fine with almost whatever." She stated, still speaking formally, but now that their conversation was no longer on a personal level, she was a lot more confident and made eye contact far more easily than before. There was a reason to speak to Rhys other than personal interest, and that took a lot of the pressure off. Whether he liked her or not, they had to cooperate with each other, and that made her feel a bit more relaxed. Now he had an academic obligation to be civil, but she wasn't entirely aware that most boys held little regard for school rules, much like Kazuki, but how could she know? Shiori didn't spend a lot of time socializing with boys, or anyone her age for that matter.

---

---

Rhys stared at the screen towards the front of the hall with the most serious face he could muster even though he had the strong urge to laugh when the Principal introduced himself. He didn’t have anything against the principal. If anything, he was thankful to Dr. Endo and the rest of Airdalen’s administration for being generous enough to accept his scholarship form. It was the principal’s appearance and general attitude compared to what Rhys had expected beforehand, that made him want to laugh. Rhys had expected someone more suiting of the title of Airdalen Academy’s Principal… someone well-dressed, straight-faced and definitely not blonde. As the speech continued, he had Rhys’ respect nonetheless. The man was a friendly one and that was better than the stuck up he had imagined.

“For juniors, I encourage you with the school motto Keizoku wa chikara nari. High school while a time for fun and meeting new friends is not always easy or as bright as expected. It is a challenging time, debatably the most challenging phase of your life as you go through stages that test you as an individual in a society that thrives on conformity. At Airdalen, we are not all about conformity. We believe in exploring new possibilities, new experiences and that those tough times that can come with being different can serve to strengthen the being. Continuing after setback is strength in itself. Airdalen Academy is all about continuing, your decision to continue and seek higher studies. One day, you will also be in the same position of our seniors so don't feel as if you will never get there.”

Rhys nodded silently to himself. I hear ya… He was already aware that it was going to be hard for him to be on par with the rest of his peers when it came around to studies. He needed to commit to studying and take it seriously enough if he wanted to stay enrolled to Airdalen Academy. Getting expelled for poor performance in his studies would practically ruin him at a chance of going to any other school in Japan. He would also then be forced to leave Japan entirely to continue his studies elsewhere but most likely in his home country Britain, back to living with his mom. For what it’s worth, he was here to prove something. Rhys wanted to be independent and live a decent life far from the gang background both his mother and father had. A good education was one means to achieve that.

After the principal had finished, Rhys inhaled deeply before tuning into what the female teacher, Ms Araya had to say.
“I will now be handing out folders to the seniors with your activities inside. Juniors please remain seated and await your assigned senior. Compared to previous years, we will also be assigning team names due to the feedback we received from our graduated seniors. You are free to discuss your team name with your partner and change it to another animal provided it isn’t taken already. We will be proceeding with activities once everything has settled, thank you.”

Rhys’ eyebrows furrowed in confusion as this was the first he had heard of having ‘assigned seniors’. Had he missed something in the school brochure? Oh well, it might come in handy. He leaned back in his seat, folding his arms appearing far from complacent and coming across more as moody by the average passerby’s assumptions. I’ll just sit here… and… fucking wait or whatever.
"Excuse me." Rhys moved his legs back as far as he could (which wasn’t much) to make way for Shiori to go through as she sashayed by with ease. Her standing up to move to the front was enough to confirm to him that she was a senior, older than him and a few steps closer to graduation. He leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling absentmindedly, not even thinking about which senior he’d end up with until… his student ID was revealed to his face. "We're going to see a lot of each other I suppose." “Bullshit-” Before he could stop, he had already spoken. He sat upright, shaking his head as if to say, ‘don’t mind what I just said’. He meant no offense by it. He was just shocked at the coincidence they had been paired. Shiori turned away from him to continue talking to the violet-haired girl (Yuuki), a junior judging by the fact she hadn’t stood up. "Is Panther's all right with you? I'm fine with almost whatever." She brought up when she was done. Rhys shrugged, feeling the same way. It wasn’t anything that would shame him or affect him personally. “Yeah…” He closed his eyes as his hands came together behind his head as he stretched, feeling stiff from being up so early. When he was done, he let his hands return to his knees. “So, Kitogawa-san… uhn, what exactly are we paired for?” he let his confusion show. He figured as his senior, he was allowed to ask dumb questions.

“Bullshit-”

"It's not like I arranged for it to happen, I thought it was strange also." She replied in a distant tone, crossing her arms over her chest, her head held high in a pristine manner. Shiori wasn't really sure what he was referring to, considering she never participated in a lot of cussing, but she immediately felt threatened by it. The fact that Rhys was far from being 'just average' looking didn't make it any easier for Shiori to make harmless and polite conversation with him either. When she took a chance to peek at his reaction, Shiori noticed the shake of his head, and that Rhys apparently wished to retract his statement, so she did her best to move past it as well, but being Shiori, she read a little too far into everything. Jerk was pretty much the worst word she'd ever said aloud, other than imbecile. She mostly chose alternatives when insulting others, and she never used words like dammit and bullshit when responding to others, because it was seen as impolite and crude to cuss in her strict upbringing. She didn't mind thought, because Shiori never found a scenario where she needed to say such things, but she half wondered if that was because she rarely spoke to others out of social interest. Perhaps around friends cussing would become more useful or appropriate? Her parents wouldn't appreciate their daughter picking up the habit, so she shook the thought out of her mind. She didn't need to get into more trouble than usual.

When she brought up their team name, Rhys shrugged his shoulders. So he was alright with it as well? She wasn't really sure if the name suited them, but she was fine with it if he was. She didn't necessarily like or dislike cats, so she felt fairly neutral about the animal. Panthers were strong felines, and she knew that did not define her at all.

“Yeah…”

"Okay." She responded with a nod, still lost in her evaluation of how well the name suited the team. She couldn't judge Rhys, but as far as physical strength was concerned, she was definitely not a panther, maybe a worm? Though Panthers were also intelligent and stealthy, she definitely felt that she could be those things if she tried hard enough. She figured everyone else saw her as a wallflower, so how hard would it be to be a bit sneaky? Then she caught herself, she was doing it again. She was completely overthinking the assignment. S-shoot! I hope he didn't notice me going off into space like that!!

“So, Kitogawa-san… uhn, what exactly are we paired for?”

Immediately Shiori brought her finger up to her mouth like a 'shhh' motion, but her next actions contradicted that. She tilted her head, as if thinking very hard on the topic. She held that pose for a few seconds before opening the folder to search for answers. Immediately her face was consumed with curiosity. There was one black ink pen, a blue one, and a red one.. Lined papers, a school map, which she assumed could only be for Rhys, so she handed it to him as she rummaged through the contents, not looking up as she tried to put the mystery together. Then there were their class schedules, a pack of balloons? Why would we need these? Shiori asked herself, a sweat drop beading down her head in confusion. Then there was a packet of cherry gum. She handed him his schedule, looking over her own with a satisfied nod before folding it up in her skirt pocket. She'd worry about her classes later, because it was the least of her problems at the moment. Her junior was looking for answers, and she couldn't supply any, that was the worst feeling she'd felt in a while. Without any other clue of what to say, Shiori held out her hand with the gum packet in her palm, "I don't know if we're allowed to chew this now... but there is some Cherry flavored gum in here.." She responded, stalling for time as she tried to think about whatthe staff had in store for the teams.

"Well, we've got three pens, gum, balloons, and lined paper.." She trailed off, naming off the items slowly to buy a little more time. She didn't want to seem like a stupid senior that was uniformed, but at the moment that was exactly what she was. She had no idea what the school had in store for them, and she hated being left in the dark, especially when her Junior was looking to her for answers. She felt more useless than usual, so she decided to make a guess or two. What could they want us to do with three pens, gum, balloons, and lined paper? She couldn't help but wrack her brain. Maybe the gum was meant to be an ice breaker, and they would write their name, address, and phone number on the paper with the pens then give it to their partner? N-No way! Not going to happen! Immediately she tensed up at that thought. She definitely didn't want anyone to know where she lived, and the thought of giving a boy her phone number.. it was immobilizing. Even so, she had no idea what role the balloons would play in all of this... so she tried to relax. She was probably just psyching herself out for nothing. She had to stay calm, or she'd say something rude. Immediately she let out a slow sigh, trying to ease her mind.

Finally she answered his initial question with a gentle shrug of her small shoulders, averting her eyes in shame, "I have no idea.." She admitted, although she hated every second of it. She didn't like this feeling, being ignorant to something like this was the last thing she wanted to display to others. She wanted to be seen as a smart person, but she also wanted to grow out of her habit of retreating from others and become a warm and cute person as well. So far, she wasn't doing so well, even at her best quality, "I can't think of anything they have planned for us, at least nothing realistic when we've been given these unorthodox items.. Gomenasai." She apologized, going through the items in her hand again, almost obsessively. She was definitely a bit OCD about things. Then she finally got an idea, not that she would enjoy it. If she was right, she'd definitely be holding Rhys back a lot in the hours to come. She dreaded participating so much that she barely wanted to speak up about it. Returning her eyes back to Rhys, Shiori spoke in a sincere and genuine manner, until she got to the part about herself, "Perhaps they'll have us do team building exercises or sports contests? I'm not good at sports though, so don't expect much there." She tried to explain her inability to him a bit nicer than that, but talking about her weaknesses never really came out in a nice way. She always put on her abrasive protective shell whenever she was at risk of having her feelings hurt.