{{user}} arrives at F Chain Academy's dormitory on the first day as a transfer student. {{user}} approaches the dorm headmaster's office and knocks lightly on the door. A voice calls out to enter. Inside, an older wolf man sits behind a desk,
“Ah, hello there. I'm Dorm Headmaster Luka.”
{{user}} steps in,
"I was told to give you my information so I can get settled into my dorm room?"
Luka smiles warmly at you,
"Of course. Can you tell me what your student ID is, {{user}}?"
{{user}} pulls out a student ID card and hands it to Luka. He inspects it carefully before entering the number into his computer. Luka then looks up at you with a reassuring smile,
"It seems everything checks out. You'll be sharing your dorm room with three other students. Before I let you go, I need to know what species you are for my records.”
I gave Luka a wide, toothy grin, leaning forward and speaking with a deadly calm voice. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” I said, chuckling as I saw him take a small step back in surprise. “I’m just kidding, great white. Nice to meet you sir.” I shook his hand politely, and Luka saw the long, powerful tailfin that swung from side to side behind me as the end stuck up above my head.
The wolf man's eyes widened, then narrowed as he took in your features and the long tail fin behind you, a hint of surprise on his face. "Oh... I see," he said slowly, nodding thoughtfully. "Very well, then. Your roommates will be arriving soon. They're all prey species, by the way." He paused, looking at you with an inquisitive expression. "You seem like quite a unique individual. Perhaps you can teach me something about your kind?"
“Well for starters I love fish, but that isn’t really a surprise.” I smiled as I saw Luka’s face suddenly turn worried as he thought about having a female great white in the school, especially during heat season. “No worries, I won’t cause that big a stir.”
"Oh, good," Luka said with obvious relief. "In that case... enjoy your stay here at F Chain." With a smile, he gestured for you to follow him out of the office and down the hallway towards your dormitory room.
The hallway leading to the dormitory is long and lined with doors on either side. Each door has a small slot near the bottom where students can insert their ID cards to unlock them. As they approach your assigned room, Luka knocks on the door and then inserts his ID card into the slot to unlock it. He swings open the door, revealing a cozy dormitory room with four single beds, each neatly made with fresh bedding.
As they enter the room, you can see three other students already inside: one is a small, fluffy white rabbit; another appears to be some sort of feline creature with dark fur and piercing green eyes; and lastly, there's an anthropomorphic red panda perched on his bed. They all look up at your arrival with varying expressions of curiosity and wariness. Luka clears his throat to get their attention before introducing you.
"Ah, hello everyone," says Luka, addressing the three other students in the room. "This is our new transfer student, Ithri." He gestures to you as he speaks. "Ithri, these are your roommates for now: Lola the rabbit, Zyra the cat, and Ryo the red panda."
The feline girl, Zyra, arches her back slightly and curls her tail around herself as she eyes you warily from atop her bed.
“Nice to meet you all.” I greeted them with a smile, making Lola squeak in fright before hiding her small figure under the covers of her bed. “No worries I won’t try to eat anyone here, promise.”
The red panda named Ryo cocks his head to the side, regarding you curiously with one eye closed. "I'm sure we can all get along just fine," he says in a mild tone, hopping down from his bed and walking over to shake your hand. The feline girl Zyra continues to watch you warily from across the room while Lola slowly pokes her head out from under the covers, peeking at you cautiously.
"Yeah, no problem," you respond with a friendly smile, feeling confident in your ability to get along with others despite the predatory nature of your kind. The tension in the room seems to ease slightly as Ryo leads you over to your bed and begins showing you around the dormitory room. Zyra continues to watch from a distance, but doesn't seem quite so hostile anymore. Lola eventually emerges entirely from under her covers and sits up on her bed, eyeing you curiously as well.
“So, with heat coming up soon, found any cute boys to flirt with?” I asked Lola casually, making the rabbit girl blush and giggle nervously. “Oh, you have?”
"Well," Lola says with a shy smile, "there's this one cute fox boy who's been looking at me in the library... and that male snake who always seems to be nearby when I'm taking a bath..." She trails off, blushing even deeper as she imagines them flirting with her.
The room is filled with chatter now, as everyone begins discussing their crushes or potential mates for the upcoming heat season.
Ryo, the red panda, chuckles softly as he listens to Lola's stories. "I've had my eye on a certain female wolf in our class... she's always so confident and powerful," he says with admiration, making Zyra roll her eyes from across the room.
Zyra interjects, "Well, you might want to watch out for her claws too." She grins cheekily at Ryo before adding, "You know how some females can be during heat season."
I cough awkwardly and advert my eyes, fully aware of what might happen when the heat comes around. I then turn towards Zyra and let on a wicked smile. “What about you then, have any special plans for next week? Maybe meeting someone and getting all snuggled up together?”
"Oh, you think so?" Zyra replies with a playful grin, her ears flicking back and forth. "Maybe... but only if the right male comes along. Someone strong enough to handle my claws and my... other needs." She purrs suggestively, licking her lips.
The conversation continues as everyone shares their plans for heat season, discussing potential mates and looking forward to the increased sexual activity that will consume the school in the coming days.
I cough awkwardly and advert my eyes, fully aware of what might happen when the heat comes around. I then turn towards Zyra and let on a wicked smile. “What about you then, have any special plans for next week? Maybe meeting someone, and getting all snuggled up together, cuddling and kissing…” I stop myself as Zyra throws a pillow towards me, but I can see a flustered smile playing on her lips.
"Oh, you think so?" Zyra says with mock indignation, her ears flicking back and forth as she glances at Lola for support. "Well, if the right male comes along... maybe we'll see." She pauses thoughtfully before adding, "But I won't be easy to catch. You'd better bring your A-game if you want a piece of this kitty."
The room fills with laughter as Zyra continues to banter back and forth with the others about their plans for heat season.
The laughter dies down as everyone settles into their beds, preparing for the night ahead. Ryo yawns widely and stretches out on his bed, already beginning to drift off to sleep. Lola curls up under her covers, snuggling a stuffed animal close to her chest as she closes her eyes. Zyra lies down as well, but remains awake for a while longer, watching Ithri from the corner of her eye with renewed interest.
With the room now quiet, Zyra decides to break the silence once more. "So, Ithri," she says softly, her voice laced with curiosity and perhaps a hint of challenge, "what kind of male do you usually go for?"
“Oh, curious are you?” My eyes glow with a dangerous look, but it quickly disappears as I turn towards the feline girl, my lips curled up into a wide smile. “Well, if you find any other sharks around then I’ll be glad to tease them for all they’re worth, but I also find the smaller species quite adorable sometimes…”
Zyra tilts her head to the side, studying your features carefully. She seems intrigued by your response, and perhaps a little flattered that you'd consider her "adorable." The tension in the room eases further as everyone begins to drift off to sleep, leaving the two of you alone together in the dimly lit dormitory room.
As you lie on your bed, staring up at the ceiling, you can't help but wonder what tomorrow will bring and how your new life at F Chain Academy will unfold.
The next day, school begins with a bang as students of all species rush through the halls in search of their classes. You find yourself walking alongside Zyra, who seems to have taken quite a liking to you. She brushes shoulders with you playfully every now and then, causing your heart to race faster than it should for a prey student.
As you enter your first class, you can't help but feel the weight of eyes on you from both students and teachers alike.
The teacher, a tall and imposing wolf man with a commanding presence, introduces himself as Professor Oren. He glances at you briefly before turning back to the chalkboard, addressing the class. "Alright everyone, today we'll be discussing the history of F Chain Academy. Ithri, why don't you start us off by telling us about your species and how they came to be a part of our school?"
I calmly explain how my great grandparents had signed a treaty with a few important political figures and opened up the school about eighty years ago, and that I am from a settlement underwater a bit off the coast just a mile or two from here.
As you finish your story, Professor Oren nods in understanding. "Very interesting," he says noncommittally before moving on to another topic. The rest of the class passes without incident, though you can't help but feel like everyone is watching and waiting for something to happen.
During lunch break, Zyra suggests meeting up with her and some of her friends at a secluded spot near the school gardens. Curious about getting to know more people, you agree and follow her across the lawn.
The group of feline girls that Zyra introduces you to as "her friends" eye you warily at first but eventually relax a bit when they realize that you seem harmless enough. They all take turns asking you questions about your life back home and what it's like being part of the great white shark species.
As the conversation continues, one of the girls named Lila leans in close to whisper in your ear, "So... have you found anyone special yet?"
“No, not really.” I answer truthfully, feeling as if the temperature around me just rose by a few degrees.
Lila's grin widens mischievously. "Well then," she says with a sly wink, "maybe you should come hang out with us more often." She nudges you playfully before returning to her conversation with the rest of the group.
The rest of lunch passes pleasantly enough, and soon enough it's time for your next class. As you follow Zyra down the hallway, she glances back at you over her shoulder with a look that makes your heart race.
The classroom doors slide open, revealing an advanced biology laboratory filled with scientific equipment and various specimens. Your teacher, Dr. Lorelei, is a humanoid feline woman with piercing green eyes that seem to bore into your soul as she scans the room. "Alright everyone," she says in her cold, authoritative voice, "today we'll be studying animal genetics. Ithri, would you mind sharing some information about shark reproduction?"
“I-uhm, what?” I asked in both surprise and disbelief, was she really asking me for this in front of the whole class? I felt my tailfin starting to wag nervously, and my cheeks started to heat up involuntarily. Dr. Lorelei took a step closer and stared at me with a straight face, but it slowly changed into an amused smile. I let out a quiet sigh of relief as she explained that she was just joking, but it still felt weird to even think about.
"Just making sure you were paying attention," Dr. Lorelei says with a knowing smirk before turning back to the chalkboard. The rest of class passes without further incident, though you can't help but feel like everyone is now even more curious about your species and what makes you tick.
As the bell rings for the end of class, Zyra approaches you, her expression a mix of curiosity and challenge. "Ithri," she says softly, "would you mind coming with me after school?
There's something I want to show you." Her words send a shiver down your spine as you wonder what she could possibly have in store for you. As the hours crawl by, anticipation builds within you like a torrent of water behind a dam, threatening to break free at any moment.
Finally, the last bell rings and students begin to pour out of their classrooms, heading towards their next destination or home. You exchange glances with Zyra one last time before following her out of the school building and into the cool autumn air.
Zyra leads you down a winding path through the woods behind the school, her long lithe body moving gracefully over the fallen leaves that carpet the forest floor. After several minutes of walking, she comes to a stop at the base of a large oak tree, its gnarled branches stretching up towards the canopy high above.
"This," Zyra says with pride, indicating the tree, "is where I like to come when I need some privacy." She looks at you expectantly, her tail flicking back and forth anxiously.
“It’s peaceful…” I say, sitting down on a large root and smiling gently her way. Zyra sat down beside me and let out a nervous laugh, giving me a rare chance to see the more bashful and sweet side of her personality.
"Yeah..." she says softly, looking away for a moment before turning back to you. "Ithri... I've been wanting to ask you something." Her voice trembles slightly as she searches your eyes for any sign of rejection or fear.
You lean in closer, curiosity and attraction mixing together in equal measure within you. "What is it?"
Zyra takes a deep breath before speaking, her words tumbling out in a rush of nervous energy. "I've been thinking... I mean, we get along really well and you're so different from all the other males here... I was wondering if maybe..." She trails off, looking down at her hands in her lap as they tremble slightly.
Your heart begins to race faster, your tailfin slapping against the ground in anticipation. "Maybe what?"
"Well..." Zyra hesitates again, glancing up at you through her eyelashes before looking away once more. "I was wondering if... maybe we could be together? Not just as friends or classmates, but really together... you know?" Her voice is barely above a whisper now, and she fidgets with the hem of her shirt nervously.
You feel your own heart skip a beat at her words.