Authors notes: This fic was inspired by a post on tumblr, which I sadly can not provide a link to, as will not allow it. If anyone knows a way I could supply it, please inform me and I will do so immediately.

8:00 AM, April 5th

Hikaru Sato was excited for his first day in high school. He was glad to be rid of middle school, an experience about as pleasant as an extended stay in an asylum run by demons, and was well on his way to adulthood. He had taken the Raven line all the way to Firelink Plaza, and was ready to begin his adventures at Lordran High School.

He had a good feeling about this.

Fluorescent Souls

Chapter 1

8:30 AM, Homeroom

After Hikaru had found himself a nice seat by the window, a tired looking man, most likely somewhere in his thirties, came in. He wore tan pants and a faded orange sweater vest over a white shirt, and a pair of glasses that looked like they had seen better days. "Alright students, settle down. Welcome to class 1-A. My name is Mr. Soapstone; I'll be your homeroom teacher for the coming year." He stared off into space for what seemed like a solid minute unti a student cleared their throat. "Huh? Oh right, sorry. Got lost in my thoughts. Anyway, there will be an assembly shortly, where more school guidelines will be covered. I want to use this time to cover class rules…" His attention started to drift again, and I think I saw him absentmindedly sketch something on the board without looking. Finally, the same student as last time got his attention. "Oh right, yes. First off, I would like you all to meet Oswald Velkan, your Class Representative." A pale student with angular features stood up and bowed, before seating himself again. "He will be your liaison between the student body and the administration, so please feel free to talk to him if you have anything you need to ask about." Oswald let out a light chuckle, but remained silent. "Right, let's see. Oh right! No talking while I'm speaking, remain in your seats until dismissed or told to do otherwise, and please don't do anything illegal while I'm in a position to be labeled a witness." He adjusted his glasses. "There's probably more, but that should mostly be covered at the assembly." The rested of the period was uneventful, and was over quickly to make time for the assembly.

9:00 AM, Auditorium

Hikaru had heard a few students chuckling about the school having the "breast principal ever" a couple times that day, and had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.

The moment the principal took her place at the podium, he understood perfectly.

After managing to reel his mind back in and get your blood flowing to his head instead of… elsewhere… he was able to actually get a good look at her. Despite, or perhaps even because of, her… impressive figure… the woman carried herself with an undeniable elegance. Her long brown hair was swept neatly behind her back, and her smile seemed to light up the whole school. She filled him with an undeniable sense of meaning, and looking around, she seemed to have this effect on all the new students, and even a few of the veterans. "I welcome you, students of Lordran High School. Though your journey has been hard, I know that you will achieve greatness. Go forth, and achieve greatness." The audience burst into immediate applause. Truly, this woman was the embodiment of hope. The rest of the assembly seemed dull and colorless in comparison, and quickly faded from memory.

12:20 PM, Lunch

"I said; give me your money, you little shit!" Hikaru had been on his way to relax peacefully on the roof to enjoy his lunch, when some kid who was built like a bull cornered him in the stairwell. "It really isn't that complex, kid. Give me your cash, or I turn you into an ugly smear on the wall."

Hikaru raised his hands in defense. "Look, I don't want any trouble, okay? You just let me go, and I won't even mention this to anyone. C'mon, I'm not looking for a fight."

"Well, tough shit, you found one anyway. Last warning, cash or life, which one are you gonna hold onto?" The kid was already rolling up his sleeves, and Hikaru could see a tattoo of a bull on the guy's arm.

"C'mon, just let me be!"

The kid, who Hikaru had this point mentally labeled Bull, pulled back his fist. "I told you, punk, that just ain't an option!" Bull aimed for Hikaru's face and threw a punch with all his might…

And hit the wall.

Hikaru didn't really talk about it, but he had some practice at unarmed combat, and had dodged to the side the moment he saw Bull's fist start moving. Looking for any advantage he could get, he quickly darted up the stairs. Meanwhile, Bull had recovered from his surprise. "You little shit!" Bull roared, "I'll make you pay for that! There ain't gonna be enough of you left to bury!" Seeing Hikaru at the next landing up the stairs, Bull charged after him.

This was a huge mistake.

Grabbing onto the railing for stability, Hikaru kicked Bull right in the chest and sent him tumbling down the stairs. After he finally stopped falling, Hikaru went to check on him. It looked like Bull would be alright, though he wasn't gonna be fighting any time soon. Sure of Bull's safety, he propped him up against a corner where somebody could find him and went upstairs. Halfway to the roof, he found an orange sticky note. Written on it, as what he recognized as Mr. Soapstone's handwriting, were three words: Beware of Thug. All Hikaru could muster was a light chuckle, and he left it right where it was.

Hikaru, determined to eat his lunch in peace despite his fight with Bull, made his way to the roof. He figured the fresh air and quiet would do him good. He opened the door at the top of the stairs-

"Ah, hello there! I don't see to many people up here. Come, have a seat." Resting on the floor, completely shirtless, was a muscular student who appeared to be tanning. His shirt and jacket were on the floor nearby, and Hikaru saw a sun embroidered onto the jacket's back. The student himself wore a pair of sunglasses and a grey baseball cap. "My name is Solaire. I spend most of my lunches bathing in the glory of the sun. And you are?"

Hikaru took a moment to respond, still reeling from the shear surrealism of the situation. "Uh… Hikaru. Hikaru Sato. Nice to meet you Solaire." What the hell was with this guy?

Solaire got up to shake Hikaru's hand. "The pleasure is all mine. Say, are you alright? You seem out of breath."

"Huh? Oh, had a run in with this thug in the stairwell. You know the guy? Had a tattoo of a bull on his arm."

"Ah yes, I think I know who you're talking about. I've run into him a few times, though after the second he seems to have decided to avoid me. A fool like him was no match for a champion of sunlight!"

"Uh… huh." Hikaru figured this kid must be high as a kite. "Anyway, I fought him off. Guy really isn't that bright."

"No, no he is not. Say, you seem to be a capable guy. Perhaps you might be interested in working together?"

"What do you mean by that?"

He got a bit of a sour look. "As great as this place is, we seem to have way too many thugs. It could be worse, but it's still a problem. I just think we should watch each other's backs." His face went back to a light grin. "Jolly co-operation is a surefire route to success, after all."

Huh, Hikaru thought, is this place really that bad? "Alright, sure. Seems like a great idea."

"Excellent! Here's my number, you give me a call if you ever need backup, alright?"

"Sure thing Solaire." Maybe this guy's not so bad, thought Hikaru. The two spent the rest of lunch chatting, and a friendship began to bloom.

This was going to be an interesting year.

Authors Note: The bit after the fight with Bull was originally going to be part of chapter two, but it flowed well enough and chapter one was kind of short, so I decided I would add it on to this chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading this, I'm more than open to reviews. Also edited one of the times, officially deciding the bell schedule will be like the one at my school, but shifted ahead an hour.