CLAMP, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a school for the magically inclined where Headmistress Yuuko Ichihara hand-picked every student that attended, every teacher that taught and where the students would soon all be sorted into four different Houses. All the students had to ride the train over to the school where they would spend eight months of each year attending classes to perfect their skills.
Kurogane had been seated in one of the available and otherwise empty compartments. His belongings were stored above head with his flyer, a type of small pet-sized dragon, beside his feet in his cage, and admiring his wand. It was made of hornbeam with only the very tip blood red. Kurogane had been looking at it for some time, making a feral grin imagining all the different spells he could learn to become stronger at CLAMP. Although wands held limited use in Japan, wands were more symbolic as they had a lot more talisman and non wand magic, but with the rise of popularity of them from their European neighbors, many carried a wand but used them more as an accessory than a tool. Eventually, his thoughts were interrupted as a blond escorted a young brunette, with jade green eyes.
The female seemed slightly befuddled, as the blond assisted her into the compartment, and seated her next to the door before putting her things up in the overhead space, her owl resting in her lap.
"Will you be alright then, Sakura-chan?" the blond said in a soothing voice.
She nodded, "Yes. Thank you, Fai-san."
Kurogane barely turned his gaze to them, scowling at them, as he slid his wand back where it came from. Who said they could use this compartment? He was there first. Go find your own compartment, he wanted to tell them, but somehow couldn't say that to the brunette. He wasn't a complete brute to women, and she didn't seem to be feeling all too well, but that didn't excuse the blond. Besides, he could have just put her in his own compartment as he didn't have his things with him. There was no need to drag the girl into his.
Fai smiled, and kissed the girl's cheek. "Well then…I do hope you enjoy your ride over to CLAMP, Sakura-chan."
"You won't be staying, Fai-san?"
"Sorry; I promised to help the trolley man deliver snacks at least once on the way over. I promise I come back and see you when I am able to have a break."
"Oh, alright then, Fai-san. Do take care of yourself."
Fai waved back, before turning to the other, who they had both neglected in the small exchange. "Ah, hello there. Hope you don't mind the intrusion."
Like hell he doesn't mind. Can the blond be any more slow-witted? A small growl echoed, "Like you care." Honestly, what is wrong with the blond? Just assumes it's fine to put a girl in his compartment. Shouldn't she be oh with some other girls so they could talk about witchy stuff?
The blond just smiled charmingly, staring at the other for a moment or two before grinning with an amused smirk, "Whoo, I bet I know where you're going." And with that, the blond disappeared. No magic, just walked off.
"Um… sorry to bother you, um…"
"It's Kurogane."
"Kurogane-san. If you want, I can move to another…compartment."
"You're fine; your friend isn't."
"Fai-san? Why … What is wrong with Fai-san? Don't you like him?"
"No, something about him annoys me."
Sakura made a tiny eep, startled by the other's abrasiveness, before looking down to her lap where her owl was fluttering her wings in the cage. "Fai-san seems like a really nice guy; I don't understand how you could dislike him."
"Blonds are all annoying."
"That's… can't you at least give him a chance?" the girl pleaded. "I'm sure you could be good friends if you just gave him a chance."
Kurogane snorted, leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Look. I'm just here to become the best I can be. I don't have time for making friends. Especially ones like that blond." Sakura made a tiny gasp and Ginryuu made a noise in his cage, and Kurogane ignored both of them. He knew what Ginryuu wanted, and he didn't have any food for him on him. And he could just guess what the witch was thinking.
"But… We all need friends, Kurogane-san," Sakura said before growing quiet.
Kurogane didn't say anything, just made a low grunt. There was a reason he already didn't like the blond; something that bothered him about the other, not that he was going to tell the girl because she was clearly clueless about it. What he wasn't going to just tell her was he could see the aura, the presence, of every living and non-living thing which allowed him to know just how the other was feeling and an immediate glimpse into their personality. Those with magical powers or enchanted had a very unique bit to their aura that non-magicals didn't, thus how he could easily tell them apart. He could see that she was one of those good-hearted try-hards, probably believes that good always overcame evil too. Naïve little witch. Blondie didn't. He couldn't even see a spec of any sort of aura around the other. He knew the Headmistress wasn't that careless as to allow non-magicals so he had to have something to him…but Kurogane could not see it. He couldn't sense the other at all. The blond didn't have any sort of presence whatsoever. For fuck's sake, even the ghosts and the chirping spiders back home had something to them. But the blond didn't. It was this fact that made Kurogane feel annoyed about the other.
It wasn't even ten minutes later, ten mostly quiet minutes, when another brunette stumbled into the compartment, this one a boy, who was being chased down by some other boys, trying to take his things, while his dragon screeched at the ruckus, and the other boy's owl nipping its beak at the protruders. And god, could he catch a break from the students bursting in on him? The new kid was desperately holding onto his things as the others tried to take it from him.
"Didn't your mommy teach you to share and share alike?" the one trying to take the book said.
"You should have gotten the books you need the right way; I worked hard to earn money for books," the brunette insisted, not letting go, and one of the bullies gave him a kick and about to knock some sense into him when Kurogane got up and out of his chair, and punched the other in the jawline.
"Fuck off; … and get out of my compartment!" Kurogane roared at them waving his tightly made fist at them, which sufficiently startled the other three off, leaving the brunette brat clinging to his things, and Kurogane let out a snort before going back to his seat. "Cowardly peasants," Kurogane muttered under his breath.
Well, wouldn't you know it, but that girl had to go and see if the boy was okay, setting down her bird on the seat beside her, before getting off and going to examine the boy. "Ohmygosh, are you alright?" she asked.
"I'm … fine."
Kurogane glanced back at the two, Sakura smiling at the other before offering if she can help him somehow. The boy was alright, he supposed, his aura reminding him of the girl's. What'd that blond call her again? Sakuro or something? Shit, he wasn't really paying all that much attention to their names. Eh, not that he cared. He didn't need to worry about those kinds of things. He wasn't here for friends, friends got in the way of learning. He was there to be the strongest wizard he could be. Although reason didn't say he couldn't use them. Yeah, he didn't necessarily need 'friends', but lackeys would be alright, he guessed. And these two looked just gullible to be useful. He let out a small snicker.
The girl seemed to notice first. "Did you see something funny, Kurogane-san?"
Kurogane instantly corrected himself, "Oh, nothing. Just noticed how much of a couple you two look like."
The two looked at each other before they began blushing furiously, quickly separating from each other. Kurogane resisted rolling his eyes. These two would be easier to mess with than his family's one eyed servant. He calculated how long before he could have them properly trained. Tche, probably wouldn't even take half the year if he played his cards right.
"I am terribly sorry to intrude upon you two like this," the boy apologized bowing, the book the bullies had been trying to take from him pressed tightly to his chest as he did so. "If you want, I'll leave you two alone."
"Um… I don't mind, but uh-" Sakura said turning to the taller boy in the corner.
"Don't worry about it; you were being chased down so it's not your fault," Kurogane said, looking out the window at the passing countryside. His gaze then set back on the other, judging him some more. "Besides, the kitten over there said I should make some friends." Kurogane gestured lightly at Sakura who looked a bit surprised but then surprise turned to happy.
"The name's Kurogane."
"And I'm Sakura."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Syaoran."
"—And who wants something off the trolley?"
Kurogane jerked a bit at the sudden noise of the blond. Geez … guy knew how to sneak up on someone. Sakura seemed the least surprised, as Syaoran was a bit startled by Fai's intrusion. Fai was grinning as a trolley full of snacks seemed to suddenly appear out of nowhere. And Kurogane says nowhere, because he hadn't sensed the movements even of the trolley approaching. But he could see the non-living presence of the trolley. Still, Fai had not one trace of living presence about him. There was something really weird about that, but Kurogane had to take his mind off of that because he realized the blond was talking to him.
"—ello, yoohoo, mister dark cloud …"
"What is it?"
Fai made a casual shrug, "Want something? Your little friend looks hungry too."
"What're they getting?"
"Mm…said just a chocolate animal to split; according, Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun don't have much to spare."
Kurogane looked at the two for a moment before he quietly responded, "Everything."
Fai looked a bit taken aback, "I'm … sorry? Can you please repeat that?"
"Give us everything on the trolley; I'm buying."
The shocked looks of all three was priceless and worth the expense it would be. He then pulled out a satchel of money, and pulled out some hefty coinage. Fai walked in to accept the payment, yet as he did, the hand that was not holding the gold for Fai, grabbed his wrist, where Fai was wearing a dark blue glove, and Fai looked back at him with some confusion. It lasted for a few seconds as Kurogane studied the other, staring into Fai's blue eyes and Sakura began fretting for a moment that Kurogane was going to start a fight with Fai, since he had already said he disliked the other boy. Kurogane pulled him a little closer, and quietly asked him, "Why can't I sense you here?"
Fai's eyes lit up a little in what Kurogane could only guess was shock that came with a small tense recoil, a different shock than earlier, before Fai smiled that smile of his, closing his eyes with an innocent look, "I'm afraid this is a bit too much… I'll bring you back your change."
"Keep it," Kurogane grumbled, letting Fai go.
Sakura let out a small breath of relief, missing the small exchange between the boys, before Fai returned to the cart, ringing up the purchase, pocketing the difference, then unloading all of the snacks and drinks off of the trolley and into the compartment. The brunettes watched as Fai brought item after item into the compartment, a bit wide-eyed. Syaoran had had barely enough money left for the one chocolate animal by himself, and Sakura wasn't that much better off. Yet Kurogane just bought all the food on the cart.
Once all the items were unloaded, Fai was gone, as he had to go return the trolley and register since all the items had been purchased. Kurogane turned his gaze to the two brunettes, "I'm new to this whole 'friends' thing… but… I… you're both broke, so this is something I can do for two of you. Help yourselves."