Carnivorous

[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll took a look around the lunchroom skeptically, standing in the doorway as the many students thrummed and moved around him. It was interesting, to see this many people in one place. It was certainly a shock to him, who'd never seen more than a dozen wolves in the same place before.

You could go so far as to call him a country kind of animal. He'd known wilderness. He'd known the trees and the sky and the sun and the moon - with all the animals of the frigid north obeying the laws of a cruel, heartless nature. He chuckled to himself as he thought about being a character straight from a Jack London book - a White Fang or a Buck. Maybe he was. He wasn't in any position to accurately dismiss the possibility. He was in fact experiencing a bit of what he knew to be "culture shock" by the lavish castle and the hundreds upon hundreds of students in this one school alone.

So saying, he took a moment to compose himself, then he hesitantly stepped into the throng of people to go and eat lunch.

Once there, he found it was not difficult at all to experience. Food was lain out, and as far as he could tell, he was allowed to take whatever he wanted from the big trays piled high. That was only the first impression though. Upon further examination, he found something to be wrong with the food.

It was all human filth.

He looked over the rows and rows of hot dogs and cantaloupe and gourmet styled delicacies he'd heard about only in his many encounters with books, and he sighed. This might be a problem.

"Excuse me."

He had made his way over to the kitchen, and was leaning in the doorway as the chefs ran about to do their cooking and preparing foods.

"I believe I can't eat anything out there it's all-"

A young woman with an apron stopped him before he could finish, namely by stopping right in front of him with a huge tray of lobster.

"What species?" She asked, bored, and without the slightest hint that she seemed to care.

"Kludde. Northern." Le Cyll said politely, trying to not be infected with the woman's bad attitude. He wasn't quite prepared for what happened next.

"We got a Kludde here that doesn't have his food yet!" The woman yelled loudly, making him cringe. Damn loud noises... He was extremely sensitive to things like that. He could hear much better than humans, after all.

"Right table!" Another voice yelled back, and this time Le Cyll only sufficed with narrowing his eyes in annoyance at the loud sound.

The woman put down her tray of lobster, and picked up another, even bigger tray of food. Le Cyll watched with interest as she placed it outside, stepping quickly out of her way as she shoved past him.

"There." She droned, and went back to her lobster. Le Cyll looked curiously at the dish - which was covered with a silver top - and gently opened it. There was a plate of fresh caribou meat under the lid.

He tipped his head to the side, looking at it. That was... interesting. So they had food for all the species here, did they? To test this theory, he found a few more of the silver topped platters, and lifted them to find several more strange and exotic kinds of food. After his little exploratory mission, he returned, satisfied, to the caribou with a plate, and served himself some. He then found an open table where he sat down. The girls did not seem to be here yet, but he didn't mind much. He was mulling over this school, and the strange customs they participated in.


So far, he found them all very.... interesting.
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[areyna]

Areyna arrived at the cafeteria venturing away from Ara to receive her lunch. The lunch room is so crowded. So many people. So many eyes staring. She wished her cousin Areon was with her. She felt more confident and protected with him around. Instead she felt valnerable. She took in a deep breath to calm her uneccesary nerves grabbing the tray and a juice carton. Areyna journeyed to the center of the cafereria, the worst part of lunch. Finding a table. She stood there frozen. Where do I go? Suddenly her name was called startling her a bit.

"Areyna! O my goodness it can't be!" A girl with short light brown hair ran towards her arms stretched out and before Areyna could figure out who the girl is she was hostage to her hug. Areyna blushed. Someone is hugging me. The girl took a step back a huge happy grin on her face. Areyna gasped. She recognized her.

"N-Nami?"

"Aw! You remember! I'm so flattered!" She squealed. "Areyna! I can't believe it. I haven't seen you in like FOREVER!!! Since when have you attended this school?"

"I um...just started today-"

"Really!" Nami interruppted. Her mood brightened exploding with happiness as she asked the next question. "Does that mean Areon is here to?!" Aryena nodded with a small smile. Nami placed her hands over her mouth to control the uprising excited squeal and to compose herself from losing her skin with all the excitement. "So Areyna where are you sitting?"

"Umm...." She had no idea searching for an empty table she spotted Le Cyll sitting by himself. Her heart skipped a beat Nami following her gaze.
"Do you know him?" she asked. Before Areyna could mumble a simple "umm" Nami grabbed her arm pulling her to the table out of her own will. She took a seat across from the boy while Areyna stood there nervously.

"Hello! I'm Nami! And you are?"

[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll was terribly hungry. He had been since he'd left the northlands. There really was nothing that a full grown Kludde such as himself could eat. Sure, there was the occasional bird or cow or something to that degree, but it was nothing compared to the free ranged and wild caribou that he was used to hunting. He'd admit to being a little spoiled in that regard. He was used to only the best food, and he'd gotten it all his life. Ever since he could hunt, he'd been excellent at it, and he'd felled only the best of prey for himself.

Now though, there was little to no food he could eat here. To be fair, he could last a few weeks without food, but he'd rather not, considering he was used to food whenever he wanted it. Thinking more on it, he wondered if that was why he was so hasty with that other girl Ailyth. He'd been hungry at the time, and he did not think quite as clearly without his caribou. He'd made so many plans to eat the students here, and why not? He was a carnivore, and they were meat. As far as he was concerned, they abided by the laws of nature. If he could catch them, he could eat them. There was no complication to the matter.

But now... Now there was food, and very good food too. The school had earned its reputation well, as the caribou was just as good as it had been back home. Le Cyll had gladly devoured everything on his plate, and gone back for seconds before two girls showed up, one he knew as Areyna, and the other who had just introduced herself as Nami.

Feeling more relaxed now what he was fed, Le Cyll had no trouble at all with manufacturing a smile and being polite.

"Le Cyll. It's nice to meet you. I assume you and Areyna are acquainted?"
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[areyna]

"U huh! Me and Areyna have known each other for a while except I haven't seen her for almost two years. We got separeted by attending different schools. Why am I telling you this? Hahahaha!!!! Excuse me I seam to blab when I'm excited. So your name is Le Cyll? Hmmm.......
never heard a name like that before its pretty awsome!" She winked and giggled. "So are you new here too? I've never seen around before."

[ωΘĿƒ]

...and just like that his delicate and oh so wonderful good mood was gone, leaving behind it the normal, bleak reality that seemed to be his alone.

This new girl... Nami... She talked too much. He did despise happiness. Not that happiness was in any way bad. It just seemed so wasteful to use it all up with every smile and cheerful reply. Happiness he'd found rare in his life, and it was an obscenity to see it wasted so frivolously, like it wasn't rare or hard to come by at all. Still, he kept the cheerful smile plastered to his face, and made the utmost effort to look like he shared the girl's enthusiasm.

"Yes, I've been here since yesterday." Le Cyll forced the life into his voice, looking briefly back to his plate of caribou. At least he had food now... He could tolerate so much more of this if he only had a full stomach.

He then saw that Areyna had not yet seated herself, and motioned for her to do so. No point in dropping guise now, he reasoned. Vaguely, he wondered where the other one was - Arabella. He didn't dwell too much on it though. Areyna and Arabella seemed inseparable, one and the same because of their like minded views of school and the social system. He didn't doubt that if he managed to pull off the facade of befriending one, he'd most likely have the other brought along. Like a package deal, he thought to himself with a smile.

Then again, there was this new Nami girl, and that one boy he'd heard about during their conversation at the courts. Areon. He suddenly had the notion that he'd gathered not one or two "friends" but a whole group of them. This thought sufficed to cheer him up slightly. This wasn't a package deal. A whole sale, and he'd be stupid if he didn't take advantage of it now.

This would be much easier than he thought.
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[areyna]

"Oh that make sense."
Areyna stood silently listening to their conversation. She noticed Le Cyll motioning her to sit down. She did so quietly and catiously setting her tray on the table.
"Aw. Areyna your so cute when your shy. Which is most of the time." Nami pointed out with another smile taking a bite of her sandwhich which she snagged out of her lunch box.
Areynna forced a small giggle fidgeting with her fingers again.

[ωΘĿƒ]

Now that they both were seated, Le Cyll continued with his caribou. He thought he might go back for thirds, since he hadn't eaten well for a while. What was it now, a week or so? That was how long he'd been off the reservation, so to speak. A week of eating small rodents and livestock... what fun that had been.

He took a bite of the raw, dripping meat with satisfaction, wondering where they'd found the caribou. It did only live up north, after all, and the way it tasted seemed like he'd just killed it. He made a mental note to find out later, and continued eating, pausing only to spark up some conversation.

People liked conversation, right? And he was willing to supply it in the form of not so interesting small talk. Also, he could be slightly rude if he was not careful. He was raised by wolves, after all. Such mundane things as manners were never seen when fighting over the dead carcass of a recent kill, nor suffering through the winters in bleak silence. He'd picked up on most of the mannerisms of normal life though, and he thought it appropriate now to try them.

"Do we know yet where Arabella is?"

He made it sound slightly quizzical, and made sure to add a little sense of urgency as if he actually cared where the girl would be at this point. He didn't, but it might be good to act like he did.

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[areyna]

Areyna looked up her expression suddenly worried, embarrased and guilty all at once. O no. I left Ara behind without relizing it. How rude of me! Nami coked her head to to side a confused yet interested look on her face.
"Whose Arabella?" she asked.

Areyna pulled herself out of the distraught atmosphere that had surounded her.
"She a new friend I made."

"Really! So cool Areyna!" Nami comented. "You made two friend today!" referring to Le Cyll. "So proud of you! Your slowly stepping out of your shell. Can't wait to meet this Arabella!"

[yuki]

It was extremely awkward having someone follow her, but Arabella didn't care much. Her shoes squeaked as she briskly walked into the cafeteria and looked around desperately to find Le Cyll and Areyna.

There was an unusual smell in the air. Not exactly hamburger meat or chicken but...something else. Something familiar. Ara's curiosity got the best of her and she found herself following the smell.

"Ara? Where are we going?" the follower behind her said.

She ignored the voice and continued. The smell was getting stronger.

"Oh," Ara's green eyes opened wide as she looked down at the tray of food that she found. She peeked under the plater and found caribou meat.

Then she smelled another familiar smell. I'm guessing Le Cyll was here. Ara had an excellent sense of knowing who had been where. She was half tiger after all.

Her head cocked to one side and her eyes wandered, letting them drift down to a table in the center of the room. Le Cyll was sitting down and across from him was Areyna and another girl she didn't recognize.

"Come on," she whispered to her follower.

They went up to the table. Ara spoke to Le Cyll first.

"Hello, sorry I'm kinda late." she greeted. There was a annoyed tone that lingered in her throat. She glanced at Areyna and a girl with short, light brown hair. "Hi."

A boy with dirty blonde hair looked around Arabella and smiled at the group. "What's up?"

[ωΘĿƒ]

Le Cyll instantly looked up from his plate of caribou meat, a sort of relieved and curious confusion simmering up amidst the oh so interesting conversation. Arabella, and a newcomer had arrived. It seemed this group was slowly growing in number... For a moment, he contemplated what that would mean for him, and the thought made him suppress a shudder.

As socially gifted as he was, he did not particularly enjoy being surrounded by people. You could say somewhat of a pack mentality in him surfaced, and that to the Kudde was never a friendly thing. The pack mentality's first order of business was to assert himself as dominant over the rest of the competitors, usually through some show of greater power. Now, in the great and vicious wild, this would be an acceptable thought, but something told him here that kind of action would lead to more than just a fight for power.

He already knew he could beat all these cute little children. The real issue was not harming them in the process.

So, as much as it pained him to quiet his own unique nature, he did. He put on a big smile for the group and took another massive bite of his caribou, inching back the thought of scaring the children into submission with a few easy tricks of his.

"Well, it seems the whole school will be here, at the rate this little lunch party is growing. Please, have a seat and join us, Arabella and... friend."
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[areyna]

Areyna was delighted to see Ara had made it even though she remand silent. She spotted a dirty blonde standing next to her. Who is that? She made no intention on asking out loud because she figured Nami would get that covered. Nami took a look at them.

"So you must be Ara!" she said to the girl with a big grin. Of course. "Heard about you in the past five to ten minutes." Her eyes drifted to the boy. " And who may you be? Wow so many knew faces today. Anyway, I'm Nami Kurata!" She stuck out her hand expecting him to take it.

[yuki]

Arabella sighed inwardly. "Thank you, Le Cyll."

She took a spot next to him across from Areyna. But Areyna didn't say anything. She remained quiet while the girl next to her practically knocked Ara over with her greeting.

Wow, this girl is loud....but seems friendly. Ara made a mental note and put on her best first impression smile.

The boy that had been walking with her followed Ara again, taking a seat next to her and across from a girl named Nami. She stuck her hand out.

"Cody Ricci." he grinned at the light brunette and took her hand gently.

[ωΘĿƒ]

"You are very welcome" Le Cyll replied, automatically. He found that some notions of the social structure he could pick up on easily, and had already become accustomed to the simple "please" and "thank you". "You're welcome" was another recent addition to this string, and now he found he could respond almost instantly with each of them in turn, while makings sure they sounded pleasant enough to convince people of his sincerity.

Taking note that all invited were accounted for, plus the additional two that had joined them, he then decided to compile a list of the people he'd so far met. Let's see now. There was Shirayuki, Arabella, Areyna, Areon, Cody, Nami, and that Ailyth - who did not find him as charming as the other six. Well that was a good head count for two days, if he did say so himself. It seemed he was more popular than at first estimated.

Figured as much, considering he would have been happy with none knowing him. He was nearly done with his caribou now, and he slowed his pace as he ate so that he would not be the first done. That taken care of, he continued his thinking, nearly oblivious to the others around him. At one point, he had to stop himself so that he could contribute to the conversation.

Always forgetting... Speech was important to these people. Why didn't they use mindspeak instead? It was much simpler, and he didn't have to constantly open his mouth and talk.

Ah well. That is life, isn't it? Never short enough and always disappointing.

"Yes, you'll find Nami to be exceptionally cheerful." He said, faking another smile. "And it does look like we're all here now."

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[areyna]

"Yes I am! Thank you for noticing!" Nami agreed as she shoke Cody's hand than pointed out. "But! Not everyone is here. Does anyone by any chance know where Areon is?" She placed her hand over her eyes inspecting the lunch room premises. "I haven't seen him all day." she wined.

"Umm...actually," Areyna finally spoke up. "He's in the principle's office."

"What? Really? Why?" the confused tone in her voice quickly changed into curiosity.

"Ummm....." the convicted expression back. "Because of me....." her voice was soft barely audible. Nami folled her eyes.

"Yet that doesn't surprise me. He's always in a fightind mood. Do i need to straighten him out again?" She said playfully.

[yuki]

Cody wondered who Areon was. Apparently he was a bad kid who got in detention more times than anyone. He glanced quickly at the guy Arabella had spoken to first and narrowed his eyes.
How does Ara know him? And does he have...gray eyes? Gray eyes? That's weird.

Cody took a blueberry from his tray and popped it into his mouth. He grinned again at Nami and teased, "I'm sure you could straighten him out, with all the talking you do, this Areon won't get a single word in." He winked at her and saw Ara roll her eyes. Taking another blueberry, he threw it up in the air and caught it in his mouth.