Honey coated rays of sunshine shone down on a chocolate-hued mass of hair, restrained only by one impressively strong ponytail. Attached to the fluffy strands was a girl who was rather average looking for the most part; simple peach skin, unmarred by any freckles or birthmarks, an average athletically-shaped body, and equally average height. Everything was so very average about the girl - until one would reach her eyes, that is. The mesmerizing orbs stood out, their strange azure hues popping against her slightly pale skin, and if one were to snag them, they would find it either difficult to look away or very disconcerting to meet her gaze.
The girl in question continued to brush the broom back and forth, the front steps of the entrance to the temples quickly improving in its cleanliness.Finally she paused, gave the steps another quick once-over, followed up with a satisfied nod and propped the broom inside the archway and against the large stone wall that lined the property. With a quick smile and a wave to the woman that she considered to be her mother, Sakura, Iphianassa bent over to retrieve her school bag. A quick pat to the head of her Tamaskan pooch Artemis with the promises of treats once she returned home from work that evening, she straightened and proceeded to traipse her way down the impressive steps that led up to the beautiful temple area that she had basically grown up in. The path was familiar and comforting, surrounded by beautiful forestry filled with the noises of animals. The forest had been quiet lately, however, as the air was growing chillier far more quickly than normal and many of the animals were busy seeking warmth and shelter.
At the thought of the cold that surrounded her, Iphignea tightened her sweater around her and gave a small shiver. The walk to the school campus wasnât far from the temples, but it was definitely cold enough outside that she would need to start wearing a coat soon. Generally she didnât get cold very easily, but it was chilly enough that she could almost see a bit of her breath on each exhale, definitely warranting the slight rub at her arms to stimulate the flow of blood.
As she walked, she paused when she passed by the veterinary clinic. Through the windows she could see a small orange bob with an equally-small face hidden behind glasses that were large in comparison to the small girlâs features. Reiya was hard at work, she could see, tending to an animal was hidden from view behind the receptionistâs desk, so despite wanting to say hello, she simply carried on her way. Despite their age difference and vastly contrasting personalities, they had become quick friends after the younger girl moved to town. Having recognized a lot of the similar pain buried beneath her surface, Iphignea had almost gravitated towards her, like a mother hen would gravitate towards an injured chick. She was like a little cinnamon roll that needed to be protected and Iphianassa would do whatever was necessary to support the younger girl. She knew what it was like to feel all alone in the world, and Reiya didnât deserve that type of life. She deserved the love and support of those around her.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts as she neared campus, Iphignea stifled a yawn. Of course she was exhausted; she barely slept at all now-a-days, between work, university, and her temple duties, she would maybe achieve about four hours of sleep on average every night. She at least was able to sleep in on Saturdays and could take a brief nap between temple duties and work on Sundays, but that was about it for her to play catch-up, and she was definitely beginning to feel the ill-effects of overworking herself.
Quickly crossing campus, Iphignea pushed through the large doors that lead to the university area of the campus. Thankfully, her first class was near the entrance so she didnât need to travel very far. As she walked into the lecture hall and made her way to her seat, she counted her blessings that she could attend such a small yet impressive university. The classes were small, with around fifteen-to-twenty students each, and allowed for a more direct learning process, with the organization being similar to that of the high school that was attached to the building in its own area. They were assigned a homeroom teacher who also was the main professor of their main courses, such as English, Maths, and others. The way that it differed was that depending on the course that the student is studying in, once their main course lessons were concluded, they would go their separate ways to the correct rooms according to their course majors and minors.
As she took her seat, Iphignea withdrew a cold water bottle from her bag and took a quick swig from it. Recapping it, she returned it to her bag and was in the process of removing a notebook and textbook and straightening once more when their homeroom professor made his way into the room. She leaned back in her seat, knees and arms crossed over one another, an unimpressed expression on her face. He stopped behind the desk, set a stack of papers, files, and books that he had with him on top of it, and cleared his throat before making his way around to the side of the desk.
âBefore we continue with our lessons from last week, I have an announcement to make.â The chatter of the students quickly died off, as a special announcement wasnât a common occurrence in their quiet school. Once the classroom was silent and Professor Sazumi was satisfied with the full attention of the class, he continued. âWe have a couple of new students joining us today.â Immediately he threw up his hand to stem the excited titter that quickly sprung up at this news. âNow, I know itâs odd to have new transfers at this time of the year, but letâs all attempt to give them a warm welcome. Please make sure to provide any help they may need as they make this adjustment to joining us here at our lovely university. I expect you all to be as accepting as possible,â he finished with a very pointed look in Iphianassaâs direction. This earned him an eyeroll in response, which he reciprocated before turning to the door to the room. âYou two can come in now,â he called out before turning back to the class once more. âPlease welcome Natsuo and Kazumi Orako. Mr.- and Ms. Orako, please introduce yourselves and let us know something interesting about you,â he said, motioning to the small classroom as he spoke.
As the two entered the room, the class fell silent. Despite the pairâs obvious relation due to their last name and them transferring in together, they looked nothing like one another. They both were, however, ethereally beautiful. An odd sensation crawled across Iphianassaâs skin as they made their way across the front of the room to the center to stand beside the teacher. It wasnât that her skin was crawling, per-say, but more like her hair was standing on end. She wasnât afraid, though, so why it was doing that was baffling to her; but what she did know, though, was that something was off about these two, and despite her piqued curiosity, she forced herself to remain nonchalant. It was none of her business, and why would she care anyway? They were just two random, strange kids that she didnât even know.
Her curiosity was unable to be fully contained, however, as she studied the pair. The girl was small and reminded Iphignea of cotton-candy with her bright coloring, and she had a warm yet fierce presence about her. She definitely struck her as someone that she could possibly become friends with, but who knew. Moving on, her eyes slid over to the boy who had come in with her, for the first time actually able to see his face.
Almost instantly her mouth went dry. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest and she felt her breath hitch. His dark features stood out in stark contrast to his pale skin, giving him an odd beauty that wasnât handsome nor sexy, yet somehow both at the same time. His dark eyes seemed to bore into her soul and she felt herself enraptured by them. She could feel her cheeks heating up as a soft flush entered them, brushing across the rest of her body as it did. Forcing herself to lick her lips, she somehow managed to tear her gaze from his, lowering it to her desk in a strangely-subdued manner that was odd for her normally-fiery personality. Something about that boy had struck her dumb, and she didnât like it.
Peaking a look back up to the front, she quickly looked back down at her desk and opened her textbook to a random page, eyes skimming over the words but not actually taking in any of them. Her mind was racing and she couldnât stop it, but she could at least keep herself from staring at the new kids like some sort of heathen.
