Chapter Text
The sun over Hometown always felt a little softer, a little more forgiving, than anywhere else. It filtered through the leaves of the whispering trees on Main Street and gleamed off the freshly painted picket fences. It was the kind of town where the bakery smelled of cinnamon and the librarian knew your name and your favorite book.
This particular Tuesday morning was no different. Susie was loitering by the garbage cans behind the school, a time-honored tradition of avoiding first period. Kris Dreemurr and Noelle Holiday were walking to school together, latter of whom was nervously arranging her pencils in her backpack for the fourth time. Berdly was, of course, was trailing behind them, talking about maths to anyone who would listen.
The peace was shattered by the guttural roar of an engine that had no business being on these quiet streets.
A motorcycle, all sleek, black, and angry-looking chrome, rolled to a stop right outside the school steps. The rider killed the engine, and in the sudden silence, the entire scene seemed to pivot.
Every monster student, every teacher, of whom there were two only, glancing out a window, every bird on a power line, turned to look.
The rider, a man with sharp features and sandy blond hair tied back, removed his helmet. His eyes, a glacial blue that matched the bike's finish, scanned the crowd with an unnerving, analytical calm.
He didn't smile. He simply assessed, filed everyone and everything away into some internal catalog, and gave a curt nod to his passenger.
The passenger swung a leg off the bike. He was much shorter, slimmer, dressed in a black t-shirt, a cyan hawaiian shirt and jeans that looked freshly bought. He ran a hand through his perfectly parted, straight blond hair, and then reached into his jacket pocket.
He produced a pair of sleek, mirrored sunglasses and slid them on, hiding his eyes completely. A slow, practiced grin spread across his face.
"Whoa, mama," the kid said, his voice a theatrical drawl. "Check out the scenery. I didn't know they made 'em with fur and scales. And they're all top-shelf. Hubba-hubba."
The silence deepened. A few jaws dropped.
Susie's voice was a low growl as she whispered to herself, "What the hell is even that?"
The strange new kid turned to the rider with a confident grin, "Thank you dearest brother Lin. This is the best birthday gift ever."
"It is not your birthday, this is not a gift. Stay out of trouble and don't do anything to embarrass yourself. Or me. Just...don't do anything, Daniel." The man, Lin, told his younger brother with a monotone. However it was tinged with defeat. He was just saying his due diligence as a guardian with witnesses around.
The short blond kid gave him a two fingered salute as the man sped off on his bike. He's the problem of the school system now.
The roar of Lin's motorcycle faded into the distance, leaving a vacuum of sound that was quickly filled by the stunned whispers of the student body. All eyes remained fixed on the new kid, Daniel, who stood at the base of the school steps as if he were on a stage, soaking in the attention he had so effortlessly commanded.
He adjusted his sunglasses with a practiced flick of his wrist.
"Alright, baby, don't crowd," he announced to no one in particular, though no one was crowding him. They were giving him a wide, cautious berth. "There's plenty of Daniel Strider to go around. But I do take appointments."
He took the steps two at a time, his stride a ridiculous, confident swagger. He moved directly toward the closest cluster of students: Kris, Noelle, and a now scowling Berdly.
"Noelle, perhaps we should-" Berdly began, puffing his chest out, but Daniel cut him off with a wave.
"Ah, the welcoming committee! And what a committee it is," Daniel said, his drawl dripping with theatrical charm. He completely ignored Berdly and Kris, his shaded gaze zeroing in on Noelle, who instinctively took a half-step behind Kris. "And hel-lo, Christmas came early! A blonde angel with legs for days and a face that could melt the snow off a roof. Yeah, baby, you. What's a gorgeous reindeer like you doing in a place like this?"
The silence that followed Daniel’s opening line was profound enough to swallow the entire school. Her fawn-like face flushed a violent, mortified scarlet, and she gripped her backpack straps until her knuckles were white. Those reindeer ears twitching nervously, pinned back against her head. "I-I-I-um...school? We're at...school? This is my school?" she squeaked.
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. That voice was the single most beautiful sound he ever heard...and those eyes...
"Aha! A sense of humor to match the beauty! I like it," Daniel declared, pointing a finger-gun at her. "Don't you worry your pretty little antlers, sugar. I'm here to show you the fun side of being alive~!"
A low growl rumbled from the side of the building. Susie had emerged from her spot by the garbage cans, her expression a thundercloud of contempt and confusion. She stomped over, her heavy boots thudding on the concrete. "You wanna say that again, shades? I dare ya."
This was it. This was the moment a lesser being would have crumbled, apologized, or simply fled in terror. The three kids certainly did take a step back.
Daniel Strider, however, simply tilted his head up, his grin not faltering but rather shifting, becoming more appreciative.
"Whoa. A predator," he said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I like it. All that raw, untamed energy. You know, they say the dangerous ones are the best kissers. It's the thrill of possibly getting your face bitten off. Very kinky."
Susie's jaw dropped. She was used to fear, to annoyance, to people running away. She was not used to...this. It was so brazen, so stupid, so utterly foreign that it flashbanged her usual response of immediate anger and violence. She just stared, utterly baffled.
"Are you for real?" she finally managed, her voice a disbelieving whisper.
Kris, who had been observing the entire exchange with their typical, unnerving stillness, reacted. A faint, almost imperceptible smile touching their lips for a single moment before vanishing.
"As real as the heartache I'm gonna cause when I have to choose which of you lovely ladies gets the first dance," he said, swinging his gaze back to a petrified Noelle and then to a seething Susie.
Berdly finally found his voice, stepping forward with a huff. "Now see here, you...you reprobate! Your uncouth and frankly primitive behavior is a disruption to the scholastic environment! We are here to learn, not to be subjected to your...your...lecherous commentary!"
"Relax, birdie. A little competition is good for the soul. Builds character. And ladies love a compliment." He clapped Berdly on the shoulder, a move so patronizing it left Berdly speechless once more.
Kris didn't step in front of Noelle or Susie. Instead, they took a single, quiet step closer to Daniel, their single red eye staring blankly at his mirrored lenses, their own reflection staring back. Studying him.
An curious newcomer.
The movement was subtle, but it broke the tension. Noelle finally found her voice, a high, squeaky thing. "I-I have to go! To class! Right now!" She clutched her backpack to her chest and practically fled into the school building.
Berdly, seeing his chance to be the hero, pointed a dramatic finger at Daniel. "See! You've disturbed the Holiday peace! A transgression most grave!" He scurried after her, leaving Kris, Susie, and the new problem alone in the courtyard.
Susie was still trying to recover, glaring at Daniel who simply waggled his eyebrows at her behind his shades. She growled, a sound of ultimate frustration, and stomped off after the others, muttering about "stupid shiny-haired perverts."
This left Kris and Daniel standing alone. Daniel adjusted the collar of his cyan hawaiian shirt. "Tough crowd. But I win them over in the end. It's a gift." He turned his head towards Kris. "So, you're the strong, silent type, huh? I can dig it. Makes a man mysterious."
Kris didn't respond. They simply stared for a moment longer, then turned and walked toward the school doors, their footsteps silent on the steps. He's interesting, they thought to themselves, not voicing it, least someone hears.
Daniel Strider was left alone on the sidewalk. He shoved his hands in his pockets, his wide grin finally settling into a smaller, more contemplative smirk.
“Tough crowd for sure. Baby, this town is a challenge.” A really fun challenge. “And I am loving it.” He strutted into the school, ready to be everyones problem.