Unfamiliar Problems (Open)

[Samuel Weston]

First day of school and there wasn't really much to say. Classes were normal. The only thing that seemed weird about that was the talk from others that thought normal was weird. Samuel didn't really know what that meant, not understanding the references to that old school Paragon. He did his best not to eavesdrop, but that only meant he'd listen just enough to be rude, but not enough to hear anything overly exciting.

It was halfway through the day now though, and that meant lunch time. Sam had packed his own lunch, not having a pre-paid card for school lunches as it seemed was most popular now-a-days.

You're talking too much like Dad. Quite acting like the old man.
Samuel sat down at an empty round table, dropping his paper sack on the table top as he pulled the chair out. Just before he could sit down, the chair was pulled away from behind him. Sam assumed it was the old trick where he was supposed to have fallen on his ass, but he had better balance than that. The fact he didn't however, didn't look too pleasing to the pranksters.

"Looks like you're at our table." One of the trio said, about the same build as Sam himself, only with shorter and darker hair.

"Uh, isn't this the first day?" Samuel asked, not sure how they could have already called this table. He looked around, noticing that out of the thirty some tables, only three were currently in use as it is. "And aren't there other tables?"

"Goddamn dumb Hircine kid. We're Paragon, and we've called that table." The leader's left wing spoke up, taking a step forward as he did so before returning to his spot behind him.

"...What? We all attend Hircine..."

At this point Samuel was severely confused, and the Paragon students were severely aggravated and annoyed. Samuel hadn't dealt with bullies while living on a Military base, and honestly wasn't sure how he was supposed to react. He'd need to learn more about all the lingo they had out here in San Fran.

"That's it, your ass is going down."

The leader spoke up, placing his hand on on Sam's jacket's lapels. Sam did nothing at first, not feeling threatened until he raised his fist. Samuel brought his right hand up, palming the back of the guy's hand and planting it firmly against his chest. He brought his left arm up and around the wrist, pointing his elbow down as he turned his hips to the right. In a sudden burst of pain, the bully dropped his weight to the ground, any resistance resulting in a broken wrist.

As the other two came in to help, Samuel spun in a full circle. Placing his hand against the tricep of the bully he pushed him low, into the legs of the other two to trip all three of them up. He back up into the table, raising both hands up palms out as he spoke.

"Hey, hey! You want the table, fine. I'll sit somewhere else."

[Ari Karamzov]

OOC: Not very long, sorry, but I was a little strapped for ideas, and it looked a lot longer in the word doc.
IC:

Ari's first day in the "new" Hircine had been...strange. Everything was so different, just like the last time he'd moved back in. There was the same lack of problems, alien surroundings, but without that oppressed atmosphere the Watchers had provided. Instead, a lot more money had apparently been put into it, with almost everything seemingly done by laptop. Having missed the reopening and reorientation assembly, all of the changes in Hircine caught the behemoth completely off guard. None of the kids were raising hell, none of the teachers were kicking students around (yet), and he couldn't even find any of the "crew" he had set up to protect Hircine kids from Paragon back before he left.

Fuck, I hope they're all still alive, I haven't heard anything of them...

Perhaps that was the reason he had yet to go on a rampage, the sheer contrast between the new Hircine and what he was used to, coupled with his concern for the people he had left when he moved. Each class went by uneventfully, and the idea shook him. It was just strange, seeing Hircine become a "normal" school, all of the refurbishments and changes. He heard similar talk among the halls and the older students, those who knew what it was like before, and even when he didn't join the conversation he offered his own silent agreement. It just didn't seem right, to him.

Never thought I'd miss Paragon, but there's something wrong about a Hircine where someone, somewhere, isn't getting beaten up.

It was the middle of the day, and time for lunch, when something interesting finally started to happen. He was on his way to the counter when he saw what appeared to be a new person confronting three students he recognised as ex-Paragon kids. Intrigued as the argument went on, he started moving closer to the table, which was one of very few occupied at the moment.

As he got close enough to really hear what was going on, though, the argument went violent. The apparent leader of the three toughs grabbed the new guy by the lapel, raising a fist to strike him. Ari had been primed to jump in, when the new guy promptly incapacitated him with a grappling move, pushing him away to trip up all three. Instead of finishing things, though, the kid started trying to back off.

Heh, looks like he really doesn't know how the system runs.

"Kid, you can't show moves like that and just back down," he said, standing right behind the newcomer and confident he'd get the attention of all four beligerants. "Hircine just doesn't work that way. Or at least...it didn't. I dunno what's happened to it since the bombing, but the system just doesn't allow shit like that. You gotta stand up for yourself!"

"Stay out of this, Karamzov," the apparent leader said as he and the other two started rising to their feet, an annoyed look on his face. Neither of the three seemed to register the usual fear that people regarded Ari with when his massive figure decided to intervene, but Ari reminded himself to amend that soon. "You don't have any say here, you big lug. Not anymore."

"If I don't, then neither does Paragon. Kid," Ari nodded to the table that had apparently caused the fight, "sit at the table, it's Hircine's now. Unless you wanna smack some respect into these losers?"

As Ari said this, his fists clenching slightly, he kept his eye on the three punks. It was their move. Really, part of him hoped they'd step up, even if he half-expected them to be cowed into submission. After a day of this oddly peaceful school, his blood raced at the possibility of beating someone senseless.

Come on, punks, just try me.