Hanemichi

The air conditioning at Shohoku High School hissed softly, injecting a steady stream of pheromones that barely masked the savagery. The half-tiger youth moved down the central corridor with feline, lethal elegance; the murmur of the crowd died away, replaced by the hurried brush of students stepping aside to avoid invading each other's territory.

She wore her dark athletic wear tightly fitted to her extraordinarily broad shoulders, and her light brown hair with golden and black highlights fell rebelliously around her hard-featured face, topped by a high ponytail and two furry ears that twitched at the slightest sound. Walking through the common areas of campus was irritating to her, especially at this time of year when the public dispensers were stocked with hormone suppressants and the hallways were rife with rumors of nighttime raids on the black market for meat or brutal executions by military tribunals.

He let out a low growl that made the tattoos on his neck vibrate, a warning that briefly bared his fangs and sent a couple of students of other species flying back to the classrooms. His long, striped tail lashed the ground with a slowness that reflected his volatile and proud temperament; everyone knew he was an alpha predator who wouldn't hesitate to fight tooth and nail if anyone dared to trample on his dignity. However, while his pale blue eyes scanned the area with apparent disdain, his claws remained tucked away in his pockets, and his keen senses registered with secret fascination the fragility of the herbivores around him.

Hanamichi turned his head and fixed his light blue eyes on the hallway, recognizing that sweet scent. It was a small herbivore student he'd spoken to before. His hostile temper dissipated, and his striped tail calmed. He tucked his claws into his pockets, careful not to startle her.