Oh, Gods...(Candira and Razgriz)

Katsumi noticed Njord's lack of a lunch and the odd sort of dazed look on his face. Poor guy. It appeared that this sort of education was not agreeing with him. How did they do it differently in Sweden she wondered. Maybe they had a special kind of school for someone like Njord. One where he trained to be a professional fighter or something. But you couldn't be an academic dunce if you attended this school--there were high standards to prevent that kind of thing...unless you had really powerful connections.

It took her a moment, and her friend Yuki's waving hand to make her realize that she was staring at the hirsute giant. And with an odd look on her face as well. "Sorry, got lost in thought for a minute. Did you guys want to have lunch outside today? It looks like a good day for it," she said, pulling her lunchbox out of her desk. Her dad had packed it again, and a little full this time. Maybe he was worried about her energy levels...or maybe they had a lot of leftovers from last night?

Either way, she had more than usual, and she did feel like Njord was trying to be a little more adult about things. Maybe they should invite him, too. Just as Katsumi was about to suggest it, Ami did it for her. The quiet girl obviously had a thing for him. She blushed furiously as she blurted out, "Njord-san, did you want to come with us to eat lunch? I have extras so you don't have to just watch us..."

Katsumi smiled at her friend, immediately questioning the girl's taste. Oh, well. What will be will be. She put her hand on Ami's shoulder and looked up at the giant. "Sure. Come with us if you want."

Dazed he was, despite his current amiable demeanor; he knew how to control himself, even if his actions didn't give much credence to the fact. Even still, he had his limits, and being stuck in this box - in this restrictive monkey suit no less - was starting to get to him. Lord help him when the exams started rolling out for the subjects, for the teacher would see just how 'well' he was paying attention to the subject matter.

He had caught Katsumi staring at him at the edge of his peripheral, but didn't return eye contact on purpose. He had a feeling that they would clash again at some point. After all...Where he was from, he oozed chaos, however slight or grand-scale. And besides...Their last match was a draw.

And...He still felt it necessary to push her spiritual presence in an accelerated timeframe; the spy from last night forced their hand, and more than likely there was another sent to observe the interaction. Operating on the assumption that whoever was gunning for Katsumi knew just who he was, and that she was under his endless watch, she had a big fat target on her back and didn't even know it.

But he was yanked out of his thoughts when he heard a girl asking him about going to have lunch. His striking cobalt hues came to rest on her, unintentionally giving a rather unnerving stare before he grinned comically. He noticed the blush, but decided against mocking her for it; he was still trying to change Katsumi's perception of him for his mission, after all. "Sure! That sounds like fun! If it means getting out of this room, I'm all for it!" he declared happily, leaving the room moments later with the group.

Some of the male students leered at his back, noticing it was going to be just him and those three girls; Yuki was a very attractive woman in her own right, and even shy Ami had some admirers of her own, despite her demure persona. And though Katsumi was also an alluring woman...Her stoic nature and no-nonsense attitude was somewhat off-putting to the male crowd.

A particularly shy thin-bodied male, his hair black and mousy and his eyes covered by thick spectacles, watched as well; this foreigner had come in and already Katsumi had accepted his company despite his being an obnoxious loudmouth. He wanted her to notice him, to see he was a nice guy...But no, some Nordic brute had to steal the spotlight and throw him into the shadows.

It just wasn't fair...

Katsumi had a few admirers, but many of the boys in her class found her demeanor intimidating. Most were, indeed, put off by it. The one boy who really wanted her attention was failing to get it, and she was fairly unaware of him at all. She was civil in class--very polite--but she had no idea what his true feelings were. So she thought nothing of it as she left the classroom with her friends and the Swede.

"Smashing," she mumbled as she and the others headed for the court yard. Usually when they ate outside, it was under one of the larger trees, so that was the target. Yuki and Katsumi chatted about their families and Ami stuck close to Njord's, asking about his homeland.

"How do you like it here, Njord-San? Is it very different from Sweden?"

(Njord-san...So polite xD)

---

As they sat down to lunch, Njord just rested his massive back against the trunk as he breathed in deeply through his nose. "Ah, the outside...God, I love it out here. So free, unrestricted". His broad shoulders eclipsed the width entirely, his torso divested of the suit jacket to reveal the white undershirt and loosened tie. The shirt hugged snugly against his muscular frame, outlining the very well-developed physique he possessed to a nearly impossible extent.

Njord gave Ami a look of amusement as she asked about his homeland, his face still in an honest smile. "You're a curious one, aren't you? I like that" he then told her directly. "If I'm being honest...Some of your practices are common in my country. We take our shoes off before entering homes, we address others with respect. There's also a lot more...openness to Sweden, but then, I have yet to go anywhere else in Japan." He then grinned and showed his sport jacket, "Believe it or not, these are rarely worn in Sweden. Even business casual for us is just a shirt and jeans. My father only wears stuff like this whenever he has to meet with a foreign client."

((I know! She's so cute!))

Ami blushed deeply as he said he liked her curiosity. If he wasn't careful, he'd give her a heart attack. The girl found him fascinating and so handsome in a way only an older man could be. He was charmingly open and full of life, and he had given up his seat out of concern for her. She was just a little thing--shorter than most of the girls and svelte. Her black hair was short, but framed her face nicely. Her big brown eyes gazed into his as he told her about his home and customs. Imagining him in jeans and more comfortable clothes just made her blush even more. She could only imagine how handsome Njord's father must be.

Katsumi, on the other hand, listened with interest of a different nature, smiling as she started in on a rice ball. She offered one to Njord's casually, trying to picture a whole nation full of Njords. Somehow, she just couldn't do it. Still, he seemed more comfortable out here, and that was kind of contagious. Her smile got a little sympathetic for Ami. The girl was clearly smitten.

Yuki asked more questions about fashion, since she was in the fashion club. The girl was curious about the differences. She even offered to alter the big man's uniform so it fit a little better. She could tell it was a little tight for comfort.

(She totally is. I love it, haha)

---

Njord was certainly a talker; even if Sweden wasn't actually his home, he was putting on quite the performance to tell them about the country itself. He even explained their nearly addiction-like attachment to coffee...Oh, how the Swedes loved their coffee. He joked that people thought the French were coffee hounds, but they had nothing on a Swede.

On the topic of food, Njord accepted a rice ball from Katsumi with sincere thanks; he took a rather large bite and nearly inhaled the whole thing without realizing. "Hey, this stuff's pretty good. Haven't really got to try Japanese food yet." he complimented, tasting fish inside. "You know, there's a staple of fish in Sweden we enjoy called 'lutfisk'. In fact, we Swedes invented it...And don't let any Norweigan say they did, 'cause that's a lie, haha. My father taught me how to make it...Tomorrow, I'll bring some so you can try it."

Njord did admit to Yuki that he wasn't too much into the fashion scene: Like most of his countrymen, he just wore what was comfortable. And even for him, that often included shorts and a tank top...An image that would probably elicit quite the reaction from Ami. He did appreciate the opportunity to have his uniform altered; even with the largest size they had, he felt like it was constricting him at times.

Ami quite nearly got a nosebleed imagining Njord in his outfit of choice. She was about six shades of red. Her big brown eyes couldn't meet his for a full minute. Katsumi put her hand on the girl's shoulder, handing her a juice box. She offered Njord another rice ball and then started in on the cut fruit her father had prepared her. The brunette was eating strawberries when Njord mentioned the fish dish. It sounded interesting. Ami, on the other hand, was already planning elaborate Japanese lunches that she would bring for her Swedish prince.

Yuki wasn't really fazed by any of this. "We can get your measurements and fix your uniforms for you. Stop by after school with your spare and we'll get started right away. Fashion should always be functional, and you should be proud to wear our uniform," she said.

Katsumi nodded. "The more comfortable you are in class, the easier it is to pay concentrate on the lesson. And Yuki is excellent at alterations. She'll do a great job." At this point, she offered the others some of her fruit. "If you're planning on going, I'll let sense I know you'll be late. Assuming you still want to be in the club, that is."

(D'aww, Ami's adorable)

---

Njord just snickered silently as he noticed Ami's reaction; did he catch her interest? Probably...Like people say, there's an ass for every seat. Of course, he wouldn't bring it up to respect her privacy, even as he took another rice ball. This one had some kind of smoked fish, tasted like tuna almost. Whoever made these did an awesome job.

"That will be much appreciated. Guess not too many around here are built like me, haha" the Swede joked. Honestly though, he was glad someone knew how to work with fabric.

Njord gave her a playful pout, "Trying to get rid of me already, Katsumi?" adding on his silly grin at the end. "That will help a lot though, to be sure. Once I give Yuki my spare, I'll be right over for martial arts. I might want to look at the archery club too at some point. Firing a bow is quite fun, not to mention an effective means of hunting."

(She totally wants to jump his bones)

Katsumi continued to eat her fruit as Njord's accepted Yuki's proposal. The fashionista loved a good challenge, and she loved to help other people. She smiled and offered the Swede one of the rolled omelettes from her lunch. Ami quickly offered up one of the treats she'd made for dessert to get in on this action.

At the Swede's joke, Katsumi only rolled her eyes, but her interest was piqued as he mentioned archery. "You like archery too? I'm a member there as well. I could introduce you to sensei. Have you been in competitions before?" Here, she popped another piece of kiwi into her mouth and considered the sport a bit too concentrated for someone like Njord. Then again, there were people who used bows for hunting, and she could see him doing that quite well.

How odd that he should show such a variety of interests now. Maybe there was more to him than she gave him credit for....or maybe she was getting her hopes up.

Well now, he had to admit he felt like a king here; though he imagined they wouldn't be too thrilled if he mooched their lunch off them every day. Plus, it might draw suspicion about who he was, even if he had already given an explanation about his lack of bringing one. Being who he was, he didn't really NEED to eat...But it might supplement the seals of his power if he took the energy from this plane's food.

Still, that would mean having to call in a favor; he knew what lutfisk was...But he by no means had it done to any extent of completeness. And there was no way he would be able to get it done by tomorrow. As joking and laid-back as he appeared to be, he was always one to honor a commitment.

"I don't know about competitions...At least nothing formal. In Sweden, my friends and I would have contests to see who could hit the center of a target at the longest range. The main use we had for them was hunting. But I would certainly like to meet the Sensei of this club nonetheless" he replied to her question, not displaying the storm of thoughts in his mind.

But just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period. "Bah...Back in the box already?" the Swede groaned, standing and putting his jacket back on, letting Yuki see just how snugly it really fit him. "What subject do we have next?" he then asked as they started walking back to class.

Yuki made a mental note to pick up some fabric. It might be that they needed to just use Njord's spare as a pattern so they could just make everything over. He was a big guy, after all. She made mental notes and decided to have other members of the club help her with the measuring.

Ami was so disappointed when the bell rang. It meant she had to go back to day dreaming about him instead of being beside him. And it was fairly obvious that he had a thing for Katsumi anyway. She'd have to work hard to get his attention away from her friend. Katsumi was much prettier in the classic sense, but Ami was no slouch, and she would not be overlooked! "We have science next," she said with a smile. "It's my best subject."

Katsumi for her part nodded. Maybe the archery team could use someone like him. Maybe if he had something to focus on, he would mellow out a little and quiet down. She gathered what was left of her lunch together and sipped her juice as they all went back to class. "Mm, Ami's a little genius. Isn't Miss Yohana teaching for us today?"

(Oh boy, this should get interesting, haha)

---

"Science, huh? My brain still feels like a pretzel from math..." Njord muttered; what use did all of this have? Is this how they defined themselves? By 'knowing' all these things? Of all the people he'd had to watch over, it was a student who was forced to sit and be lectured. There was almost no opportunity for hands-on approach if this day was like all the others.

"Hopefully you don't mind if I ask you for help then, Ami...I have a feeling I'm going to need it." he admitted; though he would need far more help than just in science if he was going to make it through the first term without flunking out. And there were two more after this? This was torture. Part of him wondered if his brother was punishing him by making him be in this

Unbeknownst to the group, the same student had been watching them from above, seething a little; now she was offering him food? All three of them were! This was ridiculous; he just got here, and already some of the cutest girls in the class were treating him like royalty. "Katsumi is mine, you big oaf. I'm not losing to the likes of you." he fumed mentally, only to have the object of his ire walk through the door minutes later.

Katsumi was blissfully unaware of the painful power of her fellow-student's feelings for her. He had never said anything before, never approached in any way. It never occurred to her that someone in her class might like her that way. So she smiled at the boy without knowing any of his frustration and waved as she made her way back to her seat.

Ami wasn't sure how much help she could be to the giant, but she promised to do what she could. She smiled at him and patted his arm as if to tell him it would be alright. She took her seat in front of him and got ready for her best subject.

Just then, Miss Yohana entered the room and made several boys cross their legs. The science teacher in question was a femme fetale straight out of a pin up calendar. She was fairly tall, but her curves were what caught most people's attention. Katsumi was probably the only other girl in the room who came close, and she wasn't fully grown yet.

The teacher in question had blonde, shoulder length hair that was swept up in a clip. She wore rectangular glasses over green eyes and a very conventional green pencil shirt and black button-up blouse. Still, she looked like the hottest of hot librarians, and she wasn't even trying.

"Good afternoon class," she said, her voice tinted with a hint of Norwegian accent. "Please open your text books to page two hundred. We'll be looking at single-celled organisms, today."

Njord had just sat down and was already feeling fidgety; three days and he felt like he was in a prison cell. Except it wasn't a prison cell; he could handle prisons. But this...This was torture to him. "Maybe if I need to interrogate someone, I'll bring them to an environment like this." he said in his own mind, an amused grin crossing his face.

However, he soon looked up to see a woman come in; he suppressed the urge to laugh out loud as he noticed the boys' reaction to her entrance. And judging by how unfazed she was, even when she noticed it directly, she knew exactly how good she looked. She was quite attractive and had curves that went on for miles.

But what really threw him was the voice; it had similar qualities to his own accent. So, she was from where he 'was'. That caught his interest. He'd gladly show her an organism, scratch the 'ni'. Scratching his thick beard in contemplation, he pulled his text book and pretended not to notice her. Something that some of the other men of the class were having a very hard time doing.

Katsumi had noticed how alluring her teacher was before, and while she was impressed and everything, she was kind of over her initial reaction. While Miss Yohana pointed out good points of the book, Katsumi took notes in pencil in the margins, adding little thoughts and questions of her own here and there. She excelled in this type of environment. To break things up a bit, the teacher called on several students to read key points.

"Please read the section on osmosis, Njord." She raised an eyebrow at the sight of someone from her own home region. He certainly didn't look like a high school student. In fact, he looked like someone she'd very much like to get to know better. Much better. Still, she wasn't one to be unprofessional. No, she would call him to her office later. She was just checking in on someone from her homeland. It was natural to worry about one so...young...adjusting to life in a new country.

Njord had been just flipping through the book, looking only seconds at each page as he was turning it. In a way, it was almost like speed reading...Except he wasn't absorbing any of the information at all. He only looked up when she started calling names out, wondering what this was. His brother had told him some of the customs in the classrooms here, but he didn't really pay attention to it.

But, he figured out pretty quick that it was just the students reciting the words from the sections of the book right back to her. Still, he had been flipping through so many pages that when she asked him to read about 'osmosis', he was certainly not in the same place as the others. He was many chapters ahead, and actually had to spend a few minutes trying to find it.

"Whoops, found it" he chuckled, standing up and starting to read from the book. But good lord it was boring: Chemical potentials, concentrations, solutes. All a big ol' snore...So now it was time for his own creative spin. And inadvertently putting him in the hot seat for a reason to have the teacher want to speak with him after class.

"When an animal cell is placed in a hypotonic surrounding, the water molecules will move into the cell causing the cell to swell. If osmosis continues and becomes excessive the cell will eventually burst." He then chuckled and added, "Kind of sounds like how my brother says he feels after gorging on hjortstek."

(Hjortstek = deer meat in Swedish)

It was oh, so obvious that Njord hadn't really been paying attention. He was clearly not on board with learning anything regarding the workings of the world as scientists had been able to figure out so far. Katsumi couldn't really blame him. She wasn't really a big fan of science classes. She much preferred literature and history. Ami was the scientist in the group, and it pained her a little to hear her crush flounder quite so much.

On the upside, it gave her the perfect opportunity to spend time with him.

Miss Yohana, on the other hand, was less optimistic about Njord's scientific future. "Please pay attention. Also, the literal bursting of a single cell organism really can't compare to a human being overeating," she said, clearly unamused. "Hjortstek aside, Njord, you should stick to what's in the book when you're called on."

Really, the curvy teacher was very interested in him, but she kept having to remind herself that he was much too young. Then again, any casual observer wouldn't know the difference, and she doubted that any boy in here would complain if she took advantage. Not that she could take advantage of someone the size of Njord anyway. He was far too big...which made her wonder about the size of other things....

Still, science went on relatively unhindered, and Ami was the only one who perfectly understood and remembered any of it without having to look at her notes.

"Try telling that to my brother. Said he felt like he was going to pop." he replied mentally with a smirk, but saying aloud "Yes, ma'am." before sitting back down. If it wasn't obvious before, it was fairly clear now that Njord was going to have quite a hard time with the tests once they started. Then again, with how uninterested he was, he could very well just throw the test out. He certainly had the brass to do it.

And by the time science was over, the boys were trying to make themselves seem busy so as to avoid being caught staring so lecherously at the science professor. Not to mention give her no window to see the type of reaction she elicited from them. By that time, Njord had simply tuned out everything else...He just wanted this day to be over so he could get to the martial arts and archery clubs.

Which he got, in terms of having his wish granted. With science over, now it was time for clubs. The archery club sounded extremely entertaining; he just hoped there weren't too many rules to make it dull. But first...He needed to have his spare resized, which he fetched from the locker set in the back of the classroom. Only problem was...He had no idea where the hell the fashion club was, and Yuki was already gone. "Damn...Knew I was forgetting something." Njord muttered, then turned around to the few remaining students, "Oi, does anyone know where the fashion club is? I need to have this resized."

Ami was just getting her things together when she heard Njord's call for help. Immediately she puffed up and smiled, waving her hand. "I know where it is! I'll take you," she said. She was excited to be able to help him, but it also meant time alone so he could fully appreciate her without pretty Yuki or beautiful Katsumi around to distract him. She gave herself a pep talk in her head as she hurried toward the giant with her bag in one hand.

She took a deep breath and just went for it. She grabbed his hand and then lead him toward the door. She was already blushing furiously by the time they hit the hall, but she was happy to have gone for it. She wasn't going to let go unless he asked her to until they got there.

Well, that was unexpected, and if he thought about it he imagined it would be quite a sight for someone to see the young petite woman leading this giant by the hand like a dog on a leash. "Well, I certainly appreciate the help!" Njord laughed; if she wanted to help him like this, he certainly wouldn't complain. Wasn't like she was hurting him or anything.

"Haha, you're stronger than you look, little lady!" Njord chuckled when they finally arrived at the fashion club room; he could still see how hard she was blushing even when they arrived there. He then looked down and noticed she was still clutching his hand, her dainty digits barely closing around his thick wrist and the top of his palm radiating heat into her own.

"Oi, Yuki, I'm here!" Njord said out loud, boisterous as ever as he walked through the sliding door to the club room. "So, how exactly does this work?" he then asked the fashionista; he figured that he would have to let her measure his arms and such, but for the sake of not embarrassing her, he would just wait to see if he needed to divest any of his clothing.

Ami was still blushing when they arrived at the club, but she let go of his wrist as he called for Yuki. It had been a very nice experience. She would remember her time in his presence fondly. She was very pleased with his compliments, despite his drawing attention to her height. And it was true!

Yuki smiled as she came out, thrilled to have a challenge. "Fantastic. Everyone, he's here!" Others poured out around her to take in his form. A first year came forward with the measuring tape and handed it to Yuki. "Alright. Let's see what we have to work with. I could take your measurements as you are, but I'd like to see your range of movement as well. If you could at least take off your jacket, we can get started. If you feel like you can't move very well from there, you can take off your shirt and we'll start measuring right away. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes, so you shouldn't be too late to your clubs."

With that, she took the tape and waited for Njord to do as he was instructed.

Just as he figured he would need to shed the suit jacket at the very least. But at the offer for him to remove the undershirt as well and allow him freedom of movement, he just grinned slyly.

"To be honest, the undershirt's a little snug as well. I can work with it, it's just the suit jacket that needs work." he explained, and in a brilliant flourish, the jacket - already large enough to make a suitable winter coat for any other student in this school - and undershirt were gone, Njord soon taking his place in front of the mirrors that were used to let people see themselves in their new duds.

Little did he realize the show he was giving to his newest admirer, his bulging upper body fully on display along with the chain and flame tattoos down both his arms.

Ami thought she was going to have a nosebleed. Never before had she seen a body quite like Njord's. He was so fit and muscular, and his tattoos...it was a wonder the poor girl didn't faint. She was a much deeper shade of red and found that it was difficult to breathe around him. "Oh, my..." she murmured, practically drooling.

Several other new fans were born as Yuki asked Njord to move certain ways so she could see how much fabric she would need to give him a better range of movement. Ever the professional, once she had an idea, she started taking measurements of his chest, waist, shoulders, and arms. The pants didn't seem like a super tight fit, but since she was already measuring everything else, why not ask?

"How are your pants fitting? Too tight, just right? How do they feel?"

If he took off anything else, Ami was going to faint. There was no avoiding it. She hoped dearly that he wouldn't...but also that he would.

Njord gladly went along with Yuki's direction, moving his body however he was needed to do so; though for the fans in the audience, he was certain to do a little extra 'flex'. Certainly cementing a reputation as an insatiable showoff, but if that's what people thought of him, that was fine. It was part of his character.

He had half a mind to say the pants were too tight, let them get the 'full body experience'. But no, first rule of show business: Always leave them wanting more. "No, the pants are fine. Just the shirt and jacket." he replied to her question, stepping down and starting to redress himself once all the measurements had been taken. He knew he'd have to change into his gi once he got to the dojo, but he was trying to play nice...Plus, some of the reactions made it seem like they were on the verge of fainting.

"But hey, thanks again for doing this for me. I really appreciate it" Njord said to Yuki, flashing her a genuine smile. He then asked "So, when should I come back to pick the spare up?"

"Well, If we can make the fabric you already have work, you should be able to pick them up tomorrow. But if we have to use the shirt as a pattern, it might take another day. We'll just make you two pairs of the new stuff." She smiled. "Thanks for giving us a chance. We've been looking for a project like this. We'll get right on it." The fashionista headed off toward the sewing room with the measurements, and another club member brought the spares with them. The room cleared out once Njord was dressed again and Ami's blush went down a few pegs, too.

The little one spoke when she caught her breath. "It'll be nice when you're more comfortable, huh? I can't wait to see how it looks when they're finished with your clothes." She walked with him toward the martial arts clubs. "But I bet your gi is more comfortable, huh? I heard you joined the club yesterday. They were saying all kinds of stuff...is it true that you beat Katsumi?"

Damn it, now she was distracting her love interest with thoughts of her rival. But she was curious about how much of the rumors were true. Did he really seem to enjoy being pinned by her taller, curvier friend? Had he really been so destructive? Had he really been kicked...there?