Chapter Text
"September 1st, 2010."
Scar stood infront of the large doors of the building. It was 3 floors, tall and clean...ish.
Much fancier than their one-story school that was definitely built 40 years ago. I mean, at least he hasn't died from inhaling asbestos!
..
That really shouldn't be a positive thing-
"Dear Diary,"
His pathwork family, the Clockers, have varying levels of nerves. They're all in matching uniforms, which their apparent guide does not wear as he steps infront of them.
"I believe I'm a good person, but.."
Someone shoves past Scar, sending him tumbling into the arms of Cleo.
"Here we are, first day of senior year!"
It was loud. Insufferably loud, harsh and grating against the various hybrid's ears. Scar pinned his grey, fluffy cat ears flat against his head in an attempt to stop the noise from rupturing his ear-drums.
The parrot infront of them snickers.
"I look around at these kids I've known all my life & ask myself, what happened?"
..That was an unexpected comment. He's walking away with a calm stride again. The exchange students scramble after bright red feathers. He's got a mysterious allure, a strange drawing Scar can't help but feel.
The people Scar passes by are intriguing. Bright purple hair and a flower for an eye; a literal fish-man, a frog-person. Someone with blonde hair in pigtails but a build like Doc's.
Interesting.
Various insults are flying. Two students appear to be fighting.
Was this a terrible, horrible idea?
Possibly!
"We were so tiny, happy & shiny.."
Grian spins around to look at them as he speaks waving his hands and walking backwards, blue eyes sparking with bright joy from the reminiscing.
Someone elbows Grian. He shoves them, waving in a polite and demeaning manner when they glared.
Scar studied the person as they walked off.
"Playing tag & getting chased.."
The fight is still occurring. They're walking towards the cafeteria, and someone throws a nasty punch. Everyone there flinched, as though they'd been struck in his place.
The sharp glint of steel ends the fight.
A knife? Scar has to blink to make sure he saw it correctly.
"Singing & clapping, laughing & napping.."
The avian throws someone a middle-finger. They do it right back. He laughs, an enchanting noise that drowns out all of the other horrid sound pounding on his eardrums.
"Baking cookies, eating paste.."
Grian allows himself to reminisce for a minute while they reach the cafeteria, walking down the long and shitty halls of Okami Academy. Although he's often afforded a slight bubble (Sam had threatened to stab someone who tried to fuck up his wing, once) the group he's leading isn't. A cat hybrid is studying him intently, a glint of.... something in his piercing green eyes.
Interesting.
Oh, wait, they're here!
"Then we got bigger,"
Grian points at Sam over his shoulder via thumb, his grin turning sour. It's still plastered on his face, though.
"That was the trigger,"
Grian tilts his hand and turns the thumb into a finger gun, placing it at his temple and making a mock motion of it firing.
The group is horrified.
Grian turns around again. The expression stir something in his stomach- pity, maybe?
"Like the Huns invading Rome,"
Someone yelps as Cleo manages to push them by accident, leaving the person sprawling on the ground with an oof.
"oh- sorry!"
The group steps into the wide, open roof of the cafeteria. Grian spins again and looks over them all, spreading his wings & arms.
Helpfully, a knife flies over him.
Yuki must be trying something stupid.
"Welcome to my school, this is ain't no highschool,"
A guy with black hair and bright headphones comes and leans on Grian, muttering something about 'idiotic yanderes'
In unison, they look at the group- 'clockers' or something?
"This is the Thunderdome."
Taurtis whispers something else before walking off, an aura of childish glee floating off of him. Grian snaps his wings closed, studying the group's reaction.
Mostly negative.
Nice.
Grian starts walking off, watching the 'Clockers' scurry to follow him. He's walking to the kitchen, where he can actually grab food.
"Hold your breath & count the days, we're graduating soon,"
Insults are hurled. Grian is pretty sure someone's taken off with a phone or such. It's really not uncommon.
"College will be paradise, if I'm not dead by June!"
Why was she here? This was a major risk. Cleo wasn't one for change. Randomly exchanging to Japan was quite the change.
With every word their guide says, the world seems to darken. Cleo feels like they're missing pieces of an important puzzle that spelled out this strange school's history.
She shares a glance with Scar- or, at least, tries to. The cat hybrid hasn't dared take his eyes off of their guide.
Someone's got a crush, then.
Some gal with brilliant purple hair & a flower for an eye appears, leaning heavily on Grian.
"but ya know, ya know, ya know... life can be beautiful.."
Her voice is smooth. Grian's smile softens while looking at her- a familial kind of fondness. Two people brought together by unfortunate circumstances.
What unfortunate circumstances, though?
"I pray for a better way."
Grian's tone is sarcastic, a sharp contrast to.. Cleo overhears the name Ellen. Ellen narrows her working eye at Grian, standing up straight and adjusting her hair.
"if they changed back then, they can change again! We could be beautiful,"
Ellen's tone is defensive, as though she's trying to convince herself too.
It doesn't work.
Grian scoffs.
"Just not today."
Someone shoves past Scar, aiming to walk through the kitchen. Scar, however, is 6'3 buff man, which results in the person slamming into the ground.
"oh- are you okay?"
The anthropomorphic crab practically bites his hand off, aggressively hissing in Scar's face. There's a muttered threat about 'giving you new scars' that leaves Scar confused & slightly offended, before the person pushes themselves up and stalks off.
"Things will get better,"
Grian says it in a wistful manner, grabbing a tray. His group follows his behavior.
The food here is visibly disgusting. Grian flinches at the sight of packaged chips.
"Soon as my letter comes from Harvard, Duke, or Brown..."
Back into the white-tiled area of the large cafeteria; Grian pauses infront of the group, wistfully dreaming.
His wings droop slightly, allowing Cleo to see white bandages wrapped around the roots. That's...
Not normal. Or healthy, for that matter.
"Wake from this coma, take my diploma, then I can blow this town!"
As he spins around, a necklace flys out from under his white collar. It's a tiny pendant etched with the moon, sun and stars. Like a keepsake. Something is etched under each tiny image; though it's unreadable.
Cleo swears she's seen something like that on Pearl, or Jimmy before.
Weird.
"Dream of ivy-covered walls and smoky french cafés..."
The large person with blonde pigtails shoves past Grian. He drops his food, sighing heavily. Blue eyes light up with some spark of pure malice as they study the person who made him drop his food.
"Fight the urge to strike a match & set this dump ablaze..."
"who was that..?"
It was Scar who asked, forest green eyes trailing the person's exit. A bitter laugh escapes the blonde avian infront of them.
"Invader. 3rd year as Linebacker, & 8th year of smacking lunch-trays and being a huge dick."
"What the hell! That's so rude-"
Invader tries (and fails) to loom over Scar. It's like he heard Grian's remark, but chose to ignore it in favor of bullying the taller man instead.
"What did you say to me, skank?"
Scar waves Invader away.
In the seconds between these encounters, Grian had walked off. Cleo searched the room, praying he'd find it.....
There! Etho!
See, due to some..
Complications. (The bus was NOT Scar-safe).
Etho ended up at the school earlier; since he'd gotten his parents to drive him. It'd only been a week since their delay, so much couldn't have changed.
The world seemed a little brighter, now that all the Clockers are reunited. However, Cleo couldn't help but think of home- namely, her closer friends, who'd almost joined her. Almost.
But, Pearl was still at home- she'd elected not to go, as her family was in the middle of a rather vile custody battle for a little cousin she said they'd love. Once the Moons won, of course. They were a rather unconventional family- two mothers, a moon-spirit daughter, and a different 14 year-old cousin adopted when his parents died.
"Hey, Etho!"
"Hey."
He waves them over, silver fox ears flicking in excitement. Everyone sits down, settling into their natural little groups. Eventually, everyone is drawn into the conversation by Scar's excited offer of a sleepover.
"We're all back together, now!"
"Cleo should bring the popcorn."
"I have a movie I bring with me!"
"What movie?"
Grian smirks.
"It's actually Bdubs' copy. The-"
"Don't finish that."
Scar smirks. Bdubs gestures wildly at Etho- Cleo's EX & his oldest crush. Although Bbuds' glare threatens violence, Scar keeps talking anyway.
"The Princess Bride."
"Asshole."
"You've memorized the movie."
Scar cowers as Bdubs starts aggressively border-line screaming at Scar.
The group erupted in laughs and chatter, when a loud bang attracts their attention. A guy wearing purple with malicious eyes is staring down Grian, who was holding a soda. Was.
"Look, the big chicken! Wide load!"
Etho frowns.
"Dom-rao, quarterback. He's the smartest guy on the football team, which is kinda like being the tallest dwarf."
The pure distaste in Etho's voice evaporated when he motions towards Bdubs; subtly mocking his height.
Obviously, Bdubs is not pleased. His yelling is cut off by Grian's harsh, cutting tone.
"Pick that up, right now."
"Are you actually talking to me?"
Grian steps closer to Dom, flaring his wings in a familiarly aggressive manner.
"yes, I am. I want to know what gives you the right to pick on me."
Dom isn't budging, cocking a hip and looking down at the shorter kid infront of him.
"You're a highschool has-been waiting to happen. A future gas station attendant."
The aggressive words don't affect him- Dom leans down into Grian's face, unbothered frown contorting into a grin.
"Fuck off, Taurtis."
Grian's eyes go wide as saucers for a split second. The purple-haired gal from earlier, Ellen, punches Dom in the gut, who doubles over.
People laugh at the sight of Dom suffering as Grian walks away in a confident and slightly huffy manner.
...
Mentally, Scar takes note.
"Dear Diary.."
As his (elf) magic runs off of emotions, it can get fidgety when the world gets intense. Which is how Scar ends up in his weird limbo place; along with everyone's deepest emotions.
"Why?"
The question reverberates in this weird space.
"Why do they hate me..?"
The world flickers out, revealing the person answering to have bright red hair and black eyes.
"Why don't I fight back?"
It's... Grian? What? Is he okay?
"Why do I act like such a creep?"
A... police officer? What? What? He's sitting alone, in a corner. (INCOMPETENT POLICEMENN)
"Why won't he date me?"
Long black hair and a standard girl's uniform. She's looking at that guy who had muttered something to Grian earlier. There's adoration in her eyes.
"Why did I hit him?"
Bright pink hair, reminiscent of Lizzie's. She doesn't seem remorseful in the slightest.
"Why do I cry myself to sleep?"
...
Too many people to count.
That's concerning. Scar tries to focus on the emotions of the people, but he can't make out faces.
He blinks, feeling the moment fade away.
(Somebody save me,)
The darkness fades away, giving way to colorful surroundings somehow duller than the void-black.
It almost doesn't feel real.
As the voices finally fade from his mind, magic dispersing into the corners of his mental area, Etho grabs their attention- he's pointing to a trio.
The ravenette from earlier, Grian, and a rabbit-hybrid.
They're all talking in an enthusiastic manner. Despite most of the peoples nonchalance when walking around, especially considering the intimidating manner of some (not Bdubs) of the Clockers, they avoided the trio like the plague.
Grian sits on the corner of the actual table. He's acquired more food, obviously. Knock-off Mumbo and the rabbit sit down at the actual bench, and the pink haired gal Scar saw in his limbo realm-thing earlier seats herself against the rabbit.
"who are they...?"
Everyone else who was at that table has vacated it. Interesting. Frightening.
Why was this place so weird?
"Those are the 'wolves'. They float above it all."
Ellen's here, Cleo recognizes. They introduce themselves formally, and Cleo comes to the horrifying realization that she's been using the wrong pronouns for them.They gesture around the cafeteria, clearly meaning the chaos.
Hey wait, they don't 'float above it all', Grian almost got into a fight a minute ago!
"Grian Charles. Sensible one. His family is loaded- all druggies, though."
Rich, drug-addicted parents.
That's never been a spell for disaster. Scar winces, studying his crush.
"Taurtis. No last name. He's idiot #1. Optimistic personality, but he constantly gets injured."
Ellen is recalling something. Scar can't tell what, but it clearly isn't good. At least they've named Knock-off Mumbo.
Taurtis.
Weird!
"and Sam Gladiator, the almighty. He is a mythic bitch."
Ellen's usually level voice turns dark for a moment; malice glinting in their eye.
Scar studies her with a thrill, eyes raking over the three they're naming.
"They're solid teflon, never bothered, never harassed..."
People are crowding around their table, attracted by the talk of the so-called 'wolves'. God, that was a stupid name.
(well sORRY)
The policeman from earlier that Scar saw in his messed up elf limbo thing. They guy's staring at Grian in a manner that makes Scar uncomfortable, somehow.
"I'd like to be their boyfriend.."
(INCOMPETENT POLICEMEN MOTHER FUCKERS-)
...
Scar decides that he's probably not an adult then. Hopefully.
Right?
"If I sat at their table, gals would notice me!"
A pretty girl with long red hair said that, in a wistful tone. X gets the impression she wouldn't actually sit with them.
But why?
"I'd like Sam to be nicer."
Just Sam, specifically?
This place was such a strange mystery. Why did Scar see steel, earlier? How did Ellen loose their eye?
What was with Sam?
...
Exchanging might have been a bad idea, someone sensible may say. Scar isn't sensible.
"I'd like to kidnap Grian and photograph him naked in an abandoned warehouse and leave him tied up for the rats."
A girl with pitch-black hair and darker eyes was glaring the parrot down.
She's violent, then. Good to know!
!!-!!
"Grow up, Grian. Anxiety disorder is so 1990's."
Grian shoots a glare at Sam, who's texting on his phone absent-mindedly. He triggered the panic attack; it's really not Grian's fault Sam can't keep his fucking knives to himself.
"maybe you should see a professional, gri-"
"Yeah, Taurtis, why didn't I think of that?"
His tone is unintentionally biting as he schools his breathing to a more average, normal rate.
Taurtis doesn't look too offended, though.
"Ah, Gladiator & Taurtis."
Grian folds his wings. It catches Dr. Nurse MD's attention.
"And Grian."
Grian glares, sneering at the teacher. That man did not have a teaching degree, much less one in the medical field.
Grian couldn't care less if MD hung himself like Garrett.
"Perhaps you didn't hear the bell over all that.. panicking, but you're late for class."
--
Everyone said Scar maybe shouldn't go near the people who maybe-possibly are violent.
But who is Scar Clocker if not someone who is going to go near those people? They're all strange mysterious, puzzles he needs to solve.
Also, maybe he has a crush on the parrot. He totally doesn't, though, if Bdubs is reading this.
..
Anyway, the best way to figure out these people (and pick up Grian-) is to befriend them! Right now, the health (?) teacher is chewing them out for missing class. Theoretically, he could swoop in, save them like the heroic (hot)guy he is.
With a sticky-note and a pencil, Scar hastily forges a note and slips out of his hiding spot.
"Mr. Dr. Nurse MD? All four of us are out on a hall-pass. Yearbook committee."
Md inspects the sticky note with aggressive distaste, glancing down at Grian with malice in his eyes. Scar keeps his winning smile on- fake it till you make it, afterall!
After a tense few moments, the fake hall pass is approved!
"Hurry up and get where you're going."
He grumbles out, exiting. Sam snatches the note in a quick manner, inspecting Scar's wonderful art skills.
"This is an excellent forgery... Who are you?"
"Scar Clocker! I'm a new exchange student. I crave a boon,"
Scar keeps up his smile, even under Sam's intense scrutiny. But Scar can feel it. He's considering it.
Scar is nothing if not a good salesman.
"What boon?"
"Let me sit at your table at lunch- just once. If people think you tolerate me, then they'll leave me alone."
A self-serving offer. They'll agree, and Scar will use it as his shot to worm his way into the little friend-group.
Curiosity killed the cat, but shenanigans brought it back!
He thinks thats the saying, at-least.
"Before you answer, I also do report cards, permission slips and absence notes."
Sam pauses at that, studying Scar. He stands up a little straighter, widening his picture-perfect grin.
"How about prescriptions?"
"Shut up, Grian."
Grian rolled his eyes, resuming leaning against the pillar holding up the halls and marking the boundaries of the cafeteria.
"For a greasy little no-body, you do have good bone structure.."
Sam takes Scar's face in his pale hands, observing it intensely. Scar locks eyes with Grian, whose ocean-deep eyes are filled with suspicion.
He's so pretty.
"And a symmetrical face.. If I took a meat cleaver down the center of your skull, I'd have two matching halves. That's very important."
.. Kinda disturbing. Grian is look away, now, chatting quietly with Taurtis. Scar can feel his phone buzz- surely, his family asking where the fuck he ran off too.
"Of course, that outfit is ugly.."
Sam summons the attention of the other two, who come to look over Scar. Scar notices just how short Grian is, and it's slightly adorable. From this angle, he can see the guy's wing-roots far better. There are tightly wrapped bandages around both roots.
Didn't Cleo mention something about this earlier?
"This could be beautiful.. Better outfit, maybe some lip gloss, and we're on our way."
Grian rummages through his bag, eyes sparking with something akin to excitement.
"Get this guy some blush, and Taurtis, I need your brush... Let's make him beautiful! Okay?"
"Okay!"
"okay!"
!!--!!
"Out of our way, geek."
Sam hissed. Scar had adjusted to the fact he seemed to openly wave a knife around at times. Feels kinda illegal, but isn't that what Highschool's for?
"You're gonna die at 3 pm."
The way Sam's hazel eyes light up red is concerning, especially the joy that graces his grin momentarily.
On the other side of him, Grian is similarly struggling.
"Don't you dare touch me, get away pervert-"
Now that he knows these halls slightly better, it's interesting to see how everyone behaves when he's not focused on racing after a quick-footed guide or distracted by Mumbo's ramblings.
Mumbo.....
Scar did this to himself. He'll see everyone at night, too. They take the bus home after school, afterall.
They enter the wide-roofed gym. It's nice and open. There's a stage on one end and a few wide-open doors on the other. Rowan is pacing in a somehow aggressive manner.
Can you aggressively pace?
Hm.
The trio turned quadruplet catches everyone's attention.
"Who's that with Gladiator?"
(! Sam, Taurtis, Grian.. and someone?)
Scar catches the eye of Bdubs, who is incredibly unimpressed. He timidly waves at the short guy, getting an eyeroll that possibly promises not to tell anyone about his new-found friends.
(and a babe)
Of course, it's at this moment that the rest of his family had to walk out and see Scar totally scoring with his crush, who currently is sitting on the stage and chatting with Rowan.
Scoring.
Yeah.
"Scar Clocker- what in the name of hell have you-?"
Cleo's angry speech is quieted by her peers.
The gym is immediately whispering loudly about Scar, now. He flashes a few people a sharp grin with excited eyes. Although some seem to be focusing on his looks, quite a few seem to be searching his general build.
As though he posed a threat.
Interesting.
Cleo is going to chew him out- fuck. Scar tries to smile & brush it off, but she borderline storms over just as Sam grabs his hand, along with Grian, who grabbed Taurtis' hand.
Off they go, shamelessly ditching infront of Rowan, who doesn't even notice the group darting off.
They bolted into the outside world. Scar managed to wave to his family/friends as he was dragged away, grinning widely. It's sunny outside, and there's a light breeze.
"You're with us, now, Scar! We're gonna go on an adventure!"
"yah!"
Grian was grinning, leaning heavily on Taurtis. Scar blinked, excitement filling him.
This was a great choice.
"Our newest mission....find you a house!"
"wait, what-?"
"Yeah!"
Then he's being pulled forward again, without fulling processing Sam's idea.
Off he goes, onto this 'adventure!'
Sorry, Cleo!
--