"So, we are kinda older than most of the freshmen here, by 4 years yeah?" Seth asks, walking with hands in his pocket and loving the tight comfort of the turtleneck, even when it framed his body shape. "I kind of dropped from a community college and a private university from disinterest and funding issue, Claw Valley University was sort of my third attempt."
"Third times the charm yeah?" James said looking greeting excitedly with fistbumps to all the willing students around, some of them seniors with them fully changed and others only partially anthropomorphized. "I didn't have any desire to further my education, working at the gym was great! It was when I wanted to have my gym and be the best personal trainer on the market that I wanted a degree in Nutrition."
Walking by a wolf anthro freshman that was accompanied by a white tiger jock, James temporarily left Seth's side to greet them. "Hey bro! Good looking bod you got there. Name's James, 303."
Seth pauses from continuing to walk away. The wolf freshman looked like he was not yet used to being here, so timid.
"Sam, bro. Same floor. Damn, you're taller than me and I thought I was tall. Looking good with the gains! How'd you get here and what are you going for?" Sam's arm reaches out and pulls Todd closer to himself, "This is my roomy Todd, learning how to be a social butterfly like me!"
Taking that as his cue, Seth walks to James' side and puts his body weight on one leg. "Hi, I'm Seth. James' roommate here."
"I'm going for Nutrition, Health Sciences basically. I fund myself into CVU, thanks to the 4 years I had working at a gym. Going to build my own gym, bro." James grins and offers a fistbump to both Sam and Todd, which was enthusiastically bumped by Sam and weakly by Todd.
"Oh cool! Seems like we got some similarities here don't you think so Todd?" Sam pulls Todd to his body to give him support, encouraging the timid wolf to talk.
Said wolf anthro scrutinizes Seth for a second, "Aren't y-you a bit o-older?"
A smile stretches on Seth's face. "Nice catch, most people couldn't notice it with my shortness and baby face, yeah, I'm 22, same with James here."
"There's not much difference to discern an 18-year old and a 22-year old. I just look youthful, hopefully, this place changes that." Seth elbows James on his ribs, trying to joke. "You look like a senior, tall and imposing, and only the fact that you haven't fully changed that you're not mistaken as one."
"Haha, yeah bro. The personality questionnaire paired us up together because we're fitting for each other. Same age rapport and would be good for each other." James barks out a laugh sending a hand over Seth's shoulders and pulling him close. "There's a lot of similarities between us, just need to get him big like me and I'll have another bro here!"
"D-Do you want to join us at the Great Lawn? We're meeting up with our f-friends there." Todd implores, smiling shyly. "There are other f-freshmen that could b-be real good f-friends there."
"Good going bro, inviting people to be friends with!" Sam pats the smaller nerd's back, encouraging that behavior. The white tiger looks back up to Seth and James. "Come on over, classes don't start for a while. Say, what's your change, Seth?"
"Doberman Pinscher, ears and claws and a short stubby tail." Seth pulls up the wool cap off his head, showing ears that straighten up when the comfy weight was taken off. His claws were next when he pulls them out, showing sharp but clipped claws. "James here is a deer, regal and graceful."
"Can you imagine my antlers coming in? It'd be like a crown on top of my head." James prods and touches the antlers. "Not a moose though, these antlers are thin and branchy."
"I remember a m-moose anthro in our g-group." Todd nods his head.
"Come with us, we'll introduce you both," Sam asks, grinning and showing sharpening teeth. "Get you to know all of us better."
"Sure bro, Seth here needs it after all." James smiles and fistbumps Seth, sending the smaller male a bit more bro-love. "Get him out of his introvert shell and not have only me to be friends with."
"I like to keep my social circles small, fewer things to worry about," Seth stops to think, reconsidering. "But there's nothing better than to change that right? College, or university, changes people. This place is much more so than normal. If making me an extrovert would make me happy, then what really stops me?"
"That's more like it. You'll fit in! You're gonna meet Ollie, Milo, Dare, and Oscar to name a few." Sam starts walking towards the Great Lawn, where most of the people come to socialize.
Todd follows along occasionally leaning onto Sam. What an adorable pair.
"You know, I'm glad you're the same age as I am." James blurts out suddenly, and Seth could note the uncertainty in that voice. "I'm 4 years late."
Seth elbows James on his strong biceps, breaking him out of the musing, "It's serendipity. Things will work out between us, bro"
James cranks up a smile hearing it, "It definitely will. This place is gonna make us happier staying here."
"What's your next class anyway?" Seth asks as he opens his phone to check it, quite a bit of time before the next classes start.
James Hudson
Declared Major: Nutrition/Health Sciences
Classes: Anthro 101, Foundation of Nutrition and Health, Anthro Dietary Basics
"Anthro Dietary Basics. Seems like it's a class to learn what anthro species eat, like me going vegetarian and having to find other protein sources." James puts his phone back into his pockets.
Seth Ford
Declared Major: Animation and Game Design
Classes: Anthro 101, Foundation of Animation, Design Basics
"Design Basics, I think that would explore the theories and fundamental aspects of designing something. A game is a lot of work after all." Seth continues to look through his phone, seeing the inactive messenger app. He really needs to get more friends in University.
"Ooh, someone shared something about a Milo doing photoshoots for a calendar? We're gonna join them, bro?" James asks as he walks behind Sam.
"Oh, yeah. Milo does those to document our changes. Naked, of course." Sam says with a snicker and Todd seems to shrink into himself. "You gonna join us too?"
"Uh, sounds fun. I'll try it out if it doesn't get posted anywhere else." Seth answers with a grin.
Chatter keeps going without any interruption from them, freshmen and seniors talking and intermingling. This University is just going great.