The door swung open, and in stumbled a figure that sent Xia's heart racing even more. It was a red panda Anthro, slightly disheveled with a bruise forming on one cheek, and the same piercing eyes she had seen in the schoolyard scuffle. The newcomer looked around the room, searching for a place to sit, and their gaze locked onto Xia. She felt her cheeks flush and ducked her head, hoping to go unnoticed.
But the universe had other plans. The red panda, with surprising grace despite their apparent injuries, approached her table and set their bag down with a thud. "Is this seat taken?" they asked, their voice gruff but not unkind. Xia looked up, her heart in her throat, and managed a shaky nod. "Thanks," they said, sliding into the seat next to her. The scent of earth and a hint of something metallic - probably blood - wafted from them.
The classroom grew silent, all eyes on the new student. The teacher cleared their throat, a stern look on their face, but the red panda didn't seem to care. They leaned back in their chair, a cocky smirk playing at the corners of their mouth. Xia felt the heat of their gaze and couldn't help but glance over. Their eyes met for a moment, and she saw something flicker in them, a spark of recognition maybe.
[4:45 PM]
The teacher began to take attendance, and Xia's heart skipped a beat when they called out her name. "Xia, right?" the red panda whispered, turning their head slightly towards her. She nodded, trying to keep her voice steady as she replied, "Yes." The red panda offered a hand, "I'm Inaba."
Inaba's grip was firm and reassuring, the pads of their fingers slightly rough. Xia felt a strange sense of comfort she hadn't experienced in a long time. As the class droned on, she found herself stealing glances at Inaba, their fur ruffled and their tail twitching with every word the teacher said. It was clear that they had seen their fair share of trouble, yet here they were, unbothered by the stares and whispers that followed them.
The second bell rang, and the students began to shuffle out of the room. Inaba remained seated, a challenge in their posture that dared anyone to approach. Xia gathered her books, her eyes lingering on the bruised cheek. "Are you okay?" she finally asked, her voice barely a murmur. Inaba shrugged, their smirk never wavering. "I've had worse."
They stood up together, and Xia felt a strange kinship with this bruised stranger. "Thanks for not making a scene," Inaba said as they fell into step beside her. "You know how it is, right?" Xia nodded, understanding all too well the weight of being different.
"So, what brings you to this zoo?" Inaba asked, a glint of amusement in their eye. Xia couldn't help but smile at the bluntness. "My parents had to move again," she replied, keeping it simple. "They're bioengineers." Inaba came to an abrupt stop, for it was a well known fact that there were only two known red panda bioengineers.
"You don't say," Inaba said, their voice dropping to a whisper. "I might know your folks. They're pretty famous... or infamous, depending on who you ask." Xia felt a chill run down her spine. This was the last thing she wanted - to be known by her parent's mistakes.
"Let's just say we're all trying to move on," she replied, trying to keep her tone light. Inaba nodded, and for a moment, it seemed like the tension had lifted. But then they leaned in closer. "You know, there's a rumor that their research is still going on, right? That they're working on something big."