The sudden sound of the driver-side car door opening was what woke Avery, who had been more or less curled up in her booster seat, which she unfortunately needed due to her diminutive stature. After a taking a moment to wake up a little more, she released the seat belt, opened the door, and hopped to the ground. “Enjoy the ride, kiddo?” her dad said from the back of the vehicle, a navy blue Honda Civic, as she stretched her body. She merely nodded in response, unable to speak as a yawn took over. Her dad just chuckled to himself and finished pulling her luggage from the trunk of the vehicle.

Most people would probably not assume that Mr. Richard Thompson was Avery’s dad on first glance. With his curly, dark blonde hair and rugged, angular facial features, there was virtually no resemblance between them, the only exception being that they shared the same sky blue eyes. But, it was clear that they were related in some way to anyone that observed them for more than a few seconds, as Mr. Thompson obviously cared for Avery like a father would a daughter.

The cool end-of-summer breeze rustling the trees, whose leaves had just begun to change color, made Avery wish briefly that she hadn't packed away her purple jacket already as they took their time walking to the girls' dormitory. Classes weren't going to start until the next day, and there were relatively few people about at that moment, so there was no reason to rush. Despite the fact that the two of them were taking their time walking towards the girls' dormitory, they arrived in what seemed like no time, stepping through the elegant doors and into the lobby.

It was clear from the pale pink walls that the lobby of the dormitory wasn't meant to feel like the lobby of a business. Most of the furnishings in the room were potted plants, usually sporting purple or yellow flowers, and a couple of paintings on the walls. In fact, most of the chairs in the room were foldable, and had probably been set out just for check-in day. Considering that no one was currently there except for them, a lady on the phone behind a medium-sized wooden desk at the back of the room, and a couple of girls who were setting up signs to welcome the new students, Avery and her dad didn't have to worry about the chairs at all, simply walking up to the desk and waiting to catch the woman's attention so that Avery could get checked in.

After a few moments, the woman was able to get off the phone, turning to greet Mr. Thompson with a smile, unable to see Avery over the desk. “How can I help you, sir?” she asked, brushing a strand of dark brown hair over her ear.

“Actually, I'm here to check-in my daughter, Avery Thompson,” he replied, lifting one of Avery's bags over the counter so that the receptionist could see. Predicting the woman to ask for an id, Avery had already pulled out her student card, which she had received on orientation day the previous month, and laid it on the counter.

“Oh, okay then,” the woman said, sounding a bit thrown-off. “Let me just run the number through, and... here it is. Room Two-oh-three.” With that, she opened a drawer and withdrew the key for the dorm room, which was similar in appearance to a credit card, handing them to Mr. Thompson and pointing towards the stairs that would lead them to the dorms.

“Thanks,” he said, though the woman was unable to respond verbally because the phone was ringing again. Though she knew that she probably should have, Avery refrained from saying thank you to the receptionist as they left in the direction she had indicated. It wasn't as if the woman had actually dealt with her, however, so she didn't bother over-thinking it too much.

Rather than take the stairs up to the second floor carrying most of the luggage, Mr. Thompson stopped at the elevator and pressed the button to call it down, grateful that no one was occupying the thing at the moment. That was one of the nice things about being early to a place, he supposed. The elevator dropped them off on the second floor right across from room 214, with 213 on the left and 215 on the right. So, following the order, the two turned left, keeping an eye out for 203 as they walked.

It didn't take them long to find it, and, after a couple of attempts to get the mechanism to read the card key, they were inside. The room itself seemed rather spacious, though that was a common feeling for Avery, with one door on the left, leading to the bedroom, and one door, leading to the bathroom, on the right about halfway into the room. The very front of the room appeared to be set up like a little foyer, with a coat rack and shoe rack. Immediately beyond that was a living room type area judging from the forty-two inch television on a stand close to the bedroom door and a sofa opposite that. At the very back of the room was a kitchenette, with a sink, microwave oven, and refrigerator.
The floor of the dorm room was carpeted with soft black carpeting, probably chosen to help conceal any stains, which matched the lilac-colored walls just fine. The interior of the bedroom was pretty much the same, and it contained two twin-sized beds with space underneath them for storage. There were also two dressers on opposite ends of the room and a nightstand beside each bed. A small desk for working on schoolwork also sat next to each nightstand.

Once they had dropped off her luggage, with Avery promising that she would have everything unpacked by the end of the night, Avery went to go investigate the bathroom, which, not suprisingly, failed to keep the same interior design as the bedroom or the main area of the dorm itself, replacing the black carpet with dark blue tiles and the lilac walls with white walls. Inside, there was one toilet next to a sink with a mirror above it and a cabinet beneath, and a tub/shower with a floral-print shower curtain.

Her investigation complete, Avery returned to the main area, a smile of excitement on her face. Though she had been apprehensive about attending college, the luxury of the facilities helped soothe that anxiety, if only because it made the dorms seem like a great place to live. “Don't you think that you should get your stuff packed away now so you don't have to do it later?” her dad asked, stopping her before she could plop down onto the couch. “I'll let you know if your roommate arrives, so don't worry about it.” Before she could offer a protest to that suggestion, he had ushered her into her room to pack her stuff away, which she did, if not happily.

Avery grabbed her changing supplies and went about changing into a fresh Pull-up before she actually went about putting her stuff away, starting with her changing supplies, the smell of baby powder clinging to her as she worked. Her mind wasn't really on unpacking her stuff, though. Instead, it was focused on what her roommate would be like and how hard it would be to keep her abilities a secret from her. It had been hard enough keeping it a secret from her dad. How would she manage keeping it a secret from someone her age living with her?

The trip had been annoying. The arrival had been annoying. Being checked in had been annoying. All of it was simply irritation mounting on top of further irritation, and Kaitlin was having trouble dealing with it anymore. She was really rather glad that no-one was in her room when she arrived, not only because of the likelihood of their being annoying too, but also because her head was already sparking at this point and she certainly didn't want anyone to see that. It was a secret, and she would be keeping it a secret forever. Taking a deep breath, the short brunette tried to focus on what she was doing. That, at least, caused the familiar crackling and warmth near her ears to settle down.

On the other hand, she was still annoyed. She had to unpack. By herself. Everything she would need for her time at university. Kaitlin was, needless to say, not exactly predisposed to doing anything that was not something she actually wanted to do. And while she needed to unpack, it wasn't on her list of things she enjoyed. As such, the small girl sighed, her expression rather dismayed, as she began haphazardly placing clothing on her bed.

"I just want to relax after that stupid car ride..." Kaitlin grumbled, under her breath. But no, she had to get this done, as much as she really didn't want to. It would be even more annoying digging through her bag when she actually needed these things. Getting them all out and in their appropriate places was a good idea. As such, her clothing ended up strewn on her bed, ready to be shoved into drawers. Her volumes of Lucky Star were stacked on a shelf, and she was in the process of pulling out her video games.

Em ran. She was built for running with her long legs. Thankfully right now she wasn't running from something but if she needed to she could. It was her last few hours in the Stratford House and as run down as the place was and for all its problems Em still thought of it as home. She'd awoken at five thirty this morning which was unusual even for an early riser like her.

Unable to fall back asleep Em had gotten up and changed from the jeans that she'd fallen asleep in into a pair of sweats and a T-Shirt. Every morning Em would go for a half hour run but today she didn't follow her normal route or a time limit. Em ran past all of her old haunts that she wouldn't see for a long time. She ran through the park and the forest that edged it, then she went down 1st street past a couple of name brand stores that she "frequented" only the ones that were to oblivious to catch her though. She wouldn't be seeing them for a while either.

When Em finally slowed down for air it was nearing seven O'Clock. She should get back to the house soon and start to pack. The place didn't have running water so Em had taken to grabbing showers at the local pool or gym when she could. Em started to run again taking a U-Turn through one of the suburbs on her way back. Em started down a street thinking about how it would be a long time till she saw any of this ever again. She stopped dead. She must have come her unconsciously, not really thinking about where she was going cause if she'd been thinking about it Em would have given this place a wide berth. This was where her old home was, her last foster home before she'd taken to the streets.

Em started running again fast, picking up speed as she ran no longer thinking about conserving her energy. She crossed the street as the house approached and she pushed herself harder feeling like any second one of them would come out of the house. About how it might turn out like the old days. If the cops would send her back there. Finally she was past the house but Em kept running and this time she was running from something, a memory.

When Em got insight of the Stratford House she collapsed in the grass of the park across the street tears streaking down her face. Even all these years later she didn't even know if they lived there anymore but the sight of the house still filled her with dread. Like the days when she was return home so late and he'd be waiting for her. No, she was done with that. She wasn't going to be that weak, scared little girl anymore.

Em used the water from one of the park's water fountains to wash the dirt off her hands and the tears from her face before she returned to the Stratford House. She was glad that it was shrouded in trees and unmanaged hedges because it provided her cover for how she entered. Even from the inside Em had never been able to get the doors of the house open therefore she turned to her gift.

As Em approached the door she let the cool wonderful feeling wash over it. It was like having cool clear water wash down her body, it felt so liberating. She made sure to maintain the density of her feet above the rest to stop from sinking into the porch though it was more feeling than thought really. Em walked to the door but didn't stop. She just kept walking and her body passed right through the door. It almost hurt. It was never quite like that with anything else but whatever lined the walls of the house was incredibly dense. The first time that Em had done it she'd been sore and covered in bruises for the next week. She'd gotten some practice since then.

The lights above flicked. Well at least the emergency generator was working. Most days it was a fifty fifty shot at whether she'd have electricity or not and it wasn't like she could call someone to have a look at it.

Em walked up the rickety stairs to her bedroom. It was the only room in the house where everything hadn't degraded and Em had made an effort to fix it up nicly. It had an ancient four poster bed that through some miracle had not started to rot. She'd had to get a new mattress and curtains for it which hadn't been easy but she'd pulled it off. The wall paper was peeling but Em thought it gave the room character.

She pulled a very old suitcase that had been in the house when she'd arrived out from under her bed and put all the things in the world that she owned into it. Two changed of cloths, a handful of on the go snacks just in case, her toiletries, a very precious sketchbook, a single book that she'd read numerous times and the supplies that she'd need for university (books, paper, pencils etc).

Em was ready to go but the bus didn't leave for another hour and that was getting her there early as it was. Em spent the time at the local pool washing the sweat and dirt from her run off of her body. Then she retrieved her suitcase from the House and went to the bus stop. Her shower had run long and Em only just made the bus. Good, it wouldn't do to be late on her first day.

When the bus finally arrived Em thanked the driver and walked up to Stalwart University. It was a beautiful place with lush lawns and old styled buildings, like Hogwarts she thought. She asked a passerby the way to the girl's dorm and he pointed it out. She presented her student card to receptionist. The woman smiled and handed Em her card. Em took the elevator to the second floor, her room was 205. Em plugged her card into the slot and it beeped and flashed a red light. Em tried it again with the same reaction. She glanced down the halls, both empty, good. She looked for camera's just in case, nothing. Then she turned to the door concentrating Em stepped through it. The inside was comfortable but like with every building Em entered she scanned for the exits first. There was a balcony with a couple of tall trees near that she could scale if necessary but it looked like the door she'd just walked through was the only way in. It didn't matter particularly with her gift but it was an old habbit Em had picked up and besides at some point she might need to make an escape without tipping her hand.

Em collapsed on one of the beds. "Welcome home Em, you're going to be here for a very long time. " She siad to herself dejectedly somehow not feeling as excited as she felt she should.

Sean was packing things into an average sized suit-case getting ready for the big day, he'd been putting it off for a while but it was finally time to take that big step forward.
He paced around his tiny, dirty apartment that he and a friend had been splitting the rent on picking up shirts and pants and whatever else he would need, a handful of some sentimental objects, a few books, some records and he was set. The door from his room to the living room opened and Sean Davis walked into his room and handed himself his keys, to the outside viewer it would've blown their mind, but Sean had become used to using his doubles as he called them, to help out around the house.

Sean's double stepped into him, he picked up his suit case, grabbed his wallet and headed outside. Sean hopped into his trusty old Jeep and drove off, The university wasn't far, just under and hour drive, but it felt like a whole days worth from the anticipation, he knew he could handle whatever it had to throw at him, but it was a big step-up from high school, and some shitty, minimum wage job. The scholarship from being valedictorian gave him a full ride through this, so he wouldn't have to worry about paying for anything but food and whatnot, which he had saved up enough from the job to last him a good while if he was smart with it.

Sean finally pulled up to the university it was a big place, huge even, and he'd be spending the next few years of his life here, somehow keeping his secret a real secret, that was the most daunting thing about all of this, not the classes, not the people, the teachers, it came down to that, he'd just have to be careful, it made him wonder if there was anyone else like him, there had to be, right? Sean walked into the main room, talked to a few people and got directed to someone who could give him his dorm key, the lady at the desk was nice enough, he wasn't much for conversation at the moment but thanked her when she handed him a key and directions on how to get to his room.

A few minutes and a flight of stairs or two later he was walking down a long hallway, doors on either side till he reached room 307, he popped in the key and entered slowly, it was empty, but it was apparent it was meant for two people, he had no idea who his roommate was, but he had nearly forgotten that he would be having one, making that little secret of his just that much more of a hinderance, he began unpacking, putting shirts and pants and various articles of clothing into drawers, put some records on a shelf and sat down on the modest sized bed, he didn't having anything to decorate his little room with, it was a little depressing he liked having his own stuff to look at but he didn't have much to set up at the moment, for now he'd just have to adjust.

Lucius was on his back again, not because he was tired after having packed everything the night before but because of his morning training. “Get up, D. You plan to sleep there till you have to leave~?” With a bit of playfulness to her voice, his mom chirped as she looked at him, just after flipping him onto the mat. It was pretty early for training like this, but his mom insisted that it’ll be the last time so she had to “put him into his place” as she called it.

“At least she’s fine now.” Lucius thought, after all she was greatly displeased with him going to that university. She thought he should go to a more military oriented school or just join the army. She was and always will be a military woman at heart. Still this was a vast improvement than a few years ago when she would be happiest to just have him in hands reach all the time.

“Yeah, I could just sleep like this.” He told her but before she could retort, he jumped back to his feet and tried flipping his mom…. Which ended with him on his back. “You get an A for effort. Again.” She smiled and this their training continued for the next hour or so.

After training and a shower, Lu packed some stuff into his duffle bag, mostly things he needed on a day by day basis. His clothes and some gadgets were already packed in two boxes he brought downstairs the day before. As he looked over his room for things he missed while packing his gaze fell on a box on his desk. “This wasn’t here before training.” He muttered. Maybe it’s something his dad put there. As he picked it up he noticed a small note next to it.

“Hope you have a swell time at the Uni. Best of luck. – Eddie”
Lucius looked at the box and as he suspected, inside was a knife, but it was something Eddie undoubtedly put a lot of work in, it was plain looking, however it was balanced, not to mention sharp. It came with a sheath which made it look more like a long thin box, than a knife. However this was what was best, he didn’t need to start explaining why he had knives with him. However instead of putting it into his bag, he slid it into his pocket, thereby storing it, like some of the other stuff like that, in his “inventory” as he called the storage he could use thanks to his ability.

He didn’t have a hard time concealing this ability, after all he rarely used it as is, and never in front of other people. Still his mom sometimes questioned him on the unusual packing ability he had, but at the time, he usually said it was thanks to her drills so she left it at that. He sighed, somehow he was glad to leave, but at the same time he already missed the daily routine. He picked up his bag and violin case then headed downstairs.

“Catch.” His mom threw something at him, good thing his bag was hanging from his shoulder or he’d drop it. “Aren’t these…” He looked dumbfounded at what he just caught. “Keys to the piglet? Yes, I’m giving it to you.” His mom finished and smiled. “But you love that car.” He protested, but she shushed him. “Just take it D. After all you’ll need it more than me.” She winked. “Thanks, I guess.” He was still shocked. The Piglet as they called the car was something his mom had for a very long time. Now it was his.

“I never understood why you call it that, it’s more of a boar than a piglet. Anyway, time to go son, I know you don’t have class but still, no tardiness.” His dad interjected, smiling. “Yeah, I’m going.” Lucius put on his hoodie, same color as always, black with red stitchings, matching his cargo pants and boots. It made him look a bit wider than he was, also masking his shapes, but that is what he wanted. “The boxes are already in the car.” His dad mentioned.

Outside, the Piglet stood in all of its dark glory, it was a black Volvo TP21 Sugga. It looked more like a boar than a piglet. “I’ll be going then” he said as he packed his bag and the violin into the car. “Stay safe Lucius, both of us love you.” It was his mom, she smiled and held her husbands’ hand. “I love both of you too.” Lu answered and got into the car. He was slightly shaken, in a good way. His mom hasn’t called him by his mane for a long time.

The piglet roared as he turned the key, and he started his journey. It took a couple of hours for him to get the the Uni, still he arrived at about noon. Parking his car got him a few curious stares from the people around, but he ignored it, better they stare at the car than at him. He made his way to the lobby and went straight to get his key. “Lucius D’issan.” He handed his ID to the woman. “I’m here for my key.” He smiled trying to look as friendly as possible. “…” The woman looked up at him without word and stared at him for a while. “My key?” He coughed to get her attention. “Ah, yes, sorry.” The woman handed him his key and he turned around to leave. “I need to get some glasses.” He thought, again once people notice his eyes they either try ignoring it or stare. “Well I never asked for this eye color.” His eyes were a mix between yellow and orange, a rare color, but he had to live with it, even though it was a bit more trouble than it was worth.

Lucius got his bag and violin case from the car and made his way to the dorms, he figured he could get the boxes later. The day was still ahead of him. He made his way to room 307, his room, it made him wonder who he’d be crashing with. He hoped it would be someone who wouldn’t pry too much. He opened the door and noticed someone was already there so he’d meet his roomie earlier than he anticipated. He took of his shoes and pushed the bedroom door open. “Hello, I’m Lucius D’issan, seems we’ll be rooming together, nice to meet you.” Lu smiled and outstretched his hand in a friendly manner, hoping this wouldn’t end like usual.

Alice's arrival was announced by the door--obviously less stiff than the would-be detective was expecting--slammed all the way back with a resounding thud, guaranteed to annoy Kaitlin beyond even packing. Though maybe she'd be a bit less annoyed that she had a familiar face as a room-mate rather than some complete and utter stranger...

Then again, this promised that she would be getting a lot of sleepless nights. Alice wasn't terribly discreet about what she spent her evenings doing.

"Kaitlin!" she exclaimed, presently surprised. The suitcase--one of no less than three--that she had brought with her stayed in the doorway. as the tall girl rushed in to see how her friend was faring in unpacking, "We're together?"

Heaving a sigh of relief once everything was packed away into her dresser, Avery kicked the bags under the bed where they would be out of the way before heading back into the main area of the dorm. Having heard what sounded like a ball game of some sort about halfway through packing, it didn't surprise Avery to see her father sitting on the couch watching the television. Upon her entrance, he turned it off and stood. “All done, kiddo?” he asked, stretching a bit, anticipating Avery's nod. “Well, I still have time to spare, and I can't leave without meeting your roommate, so I guess you'll just have to show me around campus and hope that she shows up before we get back.”

“We could do that,” Avery responded, smiling a little. It was a beautiful campus, and she would enjoy having her father around for a little longer, even if she wouldn't readily admit it. Leading her father to the door and outside of the dormitory building itself, though making certain to lock the door behind her, Avery began the tour, pointing out the various buildings as they walked, like Cramer Hall, the science building behind the girls' dorm, and Lyle Hall, the music and arts building behind the boys' dorm. The architecture of every building was Gothic in style, with large windows and tall facades. Several other locations on campus were the gymnasium/natatorium, located near Lyle Hall, Roren Hall, the math/business building behind Cramer Hall, the admissions building in the center of campus, the cafeteria near the admissions building, and Torell Hall, the Language that was more or less between Roren and the gymnasium.

That was all only one half of the campus, however, with the two taking a break in the cafeteria to get a something to eat before continuing onto the other half, which contained the stadium and some other features. Considering that it was still early, the line for the cafeteria wasn't very long, and the two of them were through it pretty quickly, Avery getting a serving of chicken tenders with a can of cream soda and her dad getting a classic cheeseburger with a Coke.

Lena's mother pulled her small child into a hug, at least Lena was still small to her. In the eyes of Lena's mother Lena was still the little girl she used to know running around the back yard with her. "And you promise to visit every two weeks "Lena's mother asked. lena pulled out of the hug and gave her mother a small head nod. "It's ready" Lean's father said popping in through the front door. Supposedly there was a surprise present waiting for Lena outside. Lena's mother covered Lena's eyes while her father helped her down the front steps. "Okay open" her father said excitedly. "You got me a convertible. Dad you're crazy" lena said happily, but with a slight calmness to her. across the yard there was a brand new car in all its shining glory.Earlier Lena and her parents had taken all of her things to the campus, so what small amount that was left over Lena was taking now by herself. Inside the car there was two boxes. One filled with the last bit of clothes, the other filled with Lena's undergarments that had been accidentally left behind the day before. along with the two boxes there was a large folder filled with posters and other various wall decorations. Lena's looked to the front seat where there was a box that looked more like a present. "Whats with that box" Lena asked. "Oh thats a little something extra for you. "you guys you know you didn't have to do all this for me" Lena said laughing a bit. "We know but we wanted to honey" Lena's mother replied.

"come on I'll show you the features" her father said walking with Lena to let her sit in the drivers seat. Once Lena had sat down and closed the door Her father Leaned over the side. "So its a black volkswagen beetle convertible with red leather seats, thats flame retardant leather by the way, a touch screen navigation system so our little girl will never get lost, oh and look at this." Mr.Hemsworth pushed a little button and the lights in the car changed form whit to blue. Another press and they changed to red. "Cool" Lena said with a smirk. "Oh and in the back theres some water,and other tools you may need in case you get stuck somewhere or bad weather or you know what ever may happen out there…….on your own…..with out us..all alone" Lena's mother said trying to keep her cool. "Okay you better get going kiddo"Mr.Hemsworth assured with a nod. He walked over to his wife, and held her hand tight. Lena started up the engine waving to her parents as she drove away. "We love you"Mrs.Hemsworth called out. "I love you too" Lena replied before she turned her head to focus on the road.

Lena quickly got onto the interstate by her home on her way to her future. She wouldn't be going far, but she would be looking after herself. Lena would have to keep herself in check. There was a strange happiness that started to consume Lena. For some reason tears started to well in her eyes. She wasn't going to be in her room anymore. She wasn't going to be in her back yard all alone. People could come over to her house. She could hang out as late as she wanted. She was driving away from all the lonely memories her home held. Yes she would miss it and get home sick, but at the same time part of her was relived that she didn't have to look at the same four walls crying at her own alienation. Lena quickly wiped her tears. She let out a relaxing breath. 'No more of that. Wouldn't want to push myself over the edge and start breathing fire' Lena thought letting out a small giggle. Suddenly she heard the car say "Connected". Lena raised an eyebrow in confusion looking from the display to the road. Upon the screen all her music from her iTunes appeared. "Oh sweet" Lena stated deciding to focus on the road. Lena ulled of the interstate, and was stopped at a red-light before entering regular traffic. She took this time to choose a song. She decided the only thing fitting for the drive was twenty one pilots (it being her favorite band). She decided to simply leave it on shuffle.

familiar lyrics and tunes played through the speaker as Lena took the man streets and roads to the campus. She sang to it as she pulled into parking lot outside the girls dormitory. "i am not as fine as I seem. Pardon." Lena sang then turned off the car very quickly. "Okay thats enough of that" lena spook to herself. She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. next she grabbed the two boxes. She putt the decorations on top and the gift onto if that. All of it onto of each other blocked her view of where she was going. Lena walked along the sidewalk hoping everyone would be considerate enough to move out of the way. She made it into the build all right, then walked right past the check in desk. She stepping into the medium sized elevator. She poked the floor button with her foot almost losing her balance, but thankfully saving herself. Ding…..Ding….ding The elevator went stopping at a shaky hilt. Lena stepped out getting to her room quickly. She leaned against the door expecting it to just open like most doors she's ever encountered. Unfortunately it was locked. Lena pushed again hopping maybe she just didn't push hard enough. "c'mon seriously Ughhuuuuhhhhh" Lena complained making a strange noise. She set down her boxes and pulled the key from her bag. She unlocked it quickly,and pushed it open. Lena again picked up the boxes and brought then into the small apartment.

She set them down nest to her bed. looking across the room she realized that her roommate had unpacked already. "Huh" Lena said looking from side to side. She walked around the apartment, to make sure no one was around. It seemed to be empty. walking back into the room Lena stared at her roommates side of the room. "So lets see who this room mate of mine is" Lena giggled mischievously. Lena walked over to her roommates drawers which where lower then she would expect. She slid the top one open to find rather small clothing. They didn't look as colorful as regular children's clothes, but they were defiantly smaller. She clothes that drawer and slid down to the bottom one. she pulled it open to find many large stuffed animals. she pulled out one that was a large purple narwhal. She giggled a little bit. 'You'll be a perfect friend for Mr. Snuffalufagus the poka-doted elephant' Lena thought thinking about the one stuffed animal she brought with her. The soft thing really was adorable. lena put back the narwal and closed the door. "Huh so it looks like I'm rooming with a super genius. I bet she like skipped a bunch of grades and stuff. Awwwww I bet she's so cute and adorable. Then again I bet she's really lonely being alienated like that" lena said to herself while sitting on Her room mates bed. She turned to get up when she saw a picture on the bed side table. She picked it up to find a older man probably the other persons father. The other person being her roommate. "ohhhhhhhhhhhh. Now all of that makes sense. She's a dwarf" Lena understood nodding her head. "Oh wait" Lena told herself turning slightly "Do I call her that .Wait no I shouldn't call her anything, but at the same time what if it comes up. Serious Hell what do I say. How do I act ahhhhhh" Lena thought out loud falling back on the bed. "Okay I just need to act normal. Cause she's a normal person. I just to act how I would act around anyone. Besides I mean I'm a fire erupting pryo child demon thing she should be the one asking how to treat me." Lena told herself with a shrug.

Kaitlin flinched at the sound of the door slamming open. Her head immediately snapped around, hand hands clenched into fists as her eyes stared daggers into the person who had dared to make their entrance so completely lou-oh... was... was that Alice? For a few moments, the small girl was more surprised then anything, her irritation fading away in the revelation that her roommate would be her friend. It wasn't exactly what she had expected, given that there were a lot of people in this school and all. But it was also much better then having some idiot she didn't know showing up.

"... I suppose so," was her only response after a few moments of silence. It was a bit hard for her to say anything else. Alice was her friend, but it was still surprising to see her show up. Though... after a few moments, she got over her shock. "Did you have to slam the door like that? It was way too loud!"

At this point, Kaitlin's bed was covered in clothes and video games.

Sean looked up as the door to the dorm opened and in walked a tall man who had to be no other than his roommate. Sean immediately noticed two things about him, one; weird eye color, it happens sometimes though, genetics and whatnot. And two; he took his shoes off, who does that? He felt tempted to say something but he'd have plenty of time to get on this guys nerves and vice verse. So instead he met his hand with his own and gave a few firm shakes. And with that a third thing, His name, Lucius. Were his parents vampires or something? Sean raised an eyebrow and leaned back slightly and introduced himself shortly. "Sean Davis."

He paused for a second and then realized he was hungry. "He look man, I'm real anxious to get to know you and all, but my stomach has other plans so I'm gonna head to the cafeteria." And with that Sean got up and left without bothering to question his new roommate or even ask if he wanted to tag along, he thought that once again he'd have plenty of time to get to know him, but he didn't feel like doing it all at once. Once Sean made his way to the cafeteria he absentmindedly tapped his thumbs against his pants to some made up drum beat and surveyed his dining options, when out of the corner of his eye he saw what appeared to be a child eating some chicken fingers with what also appeared to be her father, he looked for a few seconds too long and disregarded it, must be one of those child prodigies.

Sean ordered a roast beef sandwich and a Coke, he didn't care much for Soda but all the other options didn't sound any more appealing. He sat down in a quiet area and ate, occasionally glancing up at his phone, but otherwise keeping to himself.

Lucius returned the firm handshake and nodded as Sean just upped and left. “Well, that went better than usual.” He grimaced. Indeed usually he got questioned about either his appearance or the name he was given. Shrugging it off he unpacked, making a quick trip for what he left in his car and unpacking everything. It wasn’t much though.
He put away his clothes and stashed them in the drawers, as he did with the electronic stuff he didn’t need daily. Of course he set up his laptop on the desk that was supposed to be his, making sure everything was properly connected. One thing made him frown though. It was a steel box with an image of a foxhead engraved onto it. “This isn’t something anyone should find….” Lucius said grimly and put it into his “stash” using the backpack opening as a medium.

“There now what sho…” his stomach interrupted his thoughts. “Yeah maybe I should go get something to eat.” Lu remembered that Sean should still be in the cafeteria, the unpacking shouldn’t have taken that long, after all only 10 minutes passed, so he decided to join in. “Might as well get this over with… I can also find a place to practice on the way back.” He smiled taking his violin and the other usual stuff with him.

After making his way to the cafeteria and making his order: a roast beef sandwich, chicken salad and a coke, he looked around for a place to sit. Making note of the small girl with who he thought was her father amongst other people. “Must be visiting or a very knowledgeable.” He thought, then he noticed Sean and made his way to his table. “I hope you don’t mind me sitting here. “ Lu mentioned while taking a seat opposite his roommate. “I didn’t get to say it before, but nice to meet you.” After that Lucius proceeded to eat his food in a neat fashion.

As Avery and her father ate their lunches, Avery noticed a man with very little hair walk in, primarily because very few people were walking into the cafeteria at all. Of course, her father noticed him as well, momentarily pausing as if analyzing him before he continued. This wasn't limited to that individual, however, and Avery had grown quite used to it over the years. It was really just her dad being overprotective of her. As if to prove the point, he did the same thing when another boy entered the room, this one with sharp features and black hair. Avery just rolled her eyes as she slipped off the end of the seat and began heading to the trash can to throw away her garbage and drop off her tray.

Almost immediately afterwards, Mr. Thompson finished his own food and did the same before they left the spacious, mostly empty building. “It's been about fifteen minutes, Avery,” her dad said, glancing at his watch as they stepped into the early afternoon sunlight. “Do you want to go see if your roommate is there yet?”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” she replied, yawning slightly. For some reason, food usually had that effect on her, though she had no idea why that was. Regardless, she turned towards the girls' dormitory and began leading the way, the two of them lapsing into silence in order to enjoy the moment. They were going to be separated for quite some time after all, so it made sense to enjoy it while it lasted. It was especially hard for Mr. Thompson, as he was a tad overprotective of his daughter. Still, he had some confidence that she would be fine, so long as nothing too crazy happened.

Before too long, certainly much less time than it had taken them to get to the cafeteria, they returned to the dormitory and headed up to her room, passing by the lady at the desk with a little wave. Once again, the door proved a little stubborn, taking several swipes with the card to get it to read correctly and open for them. “Hello?” Avery called out when there were no obvious signs that someone else was in the dorm as well. “Is anyone there? I'm Avery, one of the students in this dorm.”

"Now Marc, I know that you're a grown man now, and that you're ready to leave, but promise me this. You won't do anything rash, don't get get in any fights outside of clubs or teams! You be safe and keep up with your grades!" Marc's mother spewed out this last minute advice to her son as he brought his boxes down from his room and loaded them onto his 1967 Chevy impala with a refitted fuel efficient engine. Marc chuckled at his mother's concern for his well being. She had always been like this and it made him feel better to know that she always would. Marc placed the last three boxes from his room in his trunk and turned to face his parents. They looked back at him beaming proudly, tears in his mothers eyes, and a proud smile on his father's face.
"I promise to visit you guys when I get the chance, I'll call every other night that way we'll have something to talk about each time. I love you both, and thank you, for everything." He stepped forward and hugged both I his parents. Before he got in his car his father stopped him.
"Son, I have something to give you." He went inside their house and came back with a thin bag with something in it. Marc had never seen it before. His father took off the bag and revealed a katana, clearly hand crafted with care. It was old too.
"This was your great- great-great grandfather's katana, it is my prized possession, and now it will be yours."
Marc looked at his father with tears in his eyes now, and he hugged him. He would never wield this sword for fear of breaking, or wearin it out. But it meant more to him that anything in the world, it was all the pride his father had for him, all in one simple gift.
Wiping away tears, Marc got I to his car, plugged in his phone, and turned on his ritual song for the start of a school year. Highway to Hell by ACDC. The engine roared and the car pulled out of the driveway. The two hour drive to Stalwart university gave him time to think. Should he keep his fighting prowess a secret? Or just go straight for the martial arts clubs the school offered. It most certainly would boost the team's fame and success considering Marc had never lost a fight, though there were a few close calls. He wondered how good the other fighters there were. It would certainly prove to be interesting.

Paris let out a long sigh as he set down his bags in front of the boys dorms. "Time for an enjoyable year at college." He mumbled sarcastically. He looked around the place. It was a pretty nice building, the ground were well kept. There were a few students walking outside, probably headed to the dining hall/cafeteria thing. He took in a deep breath and picked up his bags again. He walked up the long steps to his floor. He'd already checked in that morning but his parents had wanted to eat lunch with him so getting moved in would have to wait. In fact, his parents were probably already in his rooms with everything all prepped for him. He closed his eyes, preparing for the aggravation. His parents had always run his life for him. Maybe now he'd get a chance to make his own choices, create himself as he wanted. That is, if his parents didn't meddle. As he approached the top floor, he searched for his room number. 655... He had to walk a ways but he finally found it. Well, going to a from the room is going to give me a work out I hadn't expected. Couldn't my parents at least have gotten me a room on the first floor? He rolled his eyes and opened the door. As he entered, he was struck by the smell of flowers. Shit... Mom's been at it again.

"Honey!" She belted, running from the opposite side of the room to hug him, his dad only steps behind. He could feel the texture of her blonde hair sprayed hair. His dad was always a bit more calm and relax, his own black hair brushed back slightly. He looked rather disheveled as a piece of his hair was falling out of place and his breast pocket napkin wasn't quite straight. He must be more nervous about this than he seemed.

"Mom, I saw you like... 25 minutes ago." He told her, pulling back and looking her in the eyes with a small smile on his lips.

"I know, but you took so long getting over here. You're father and I, and the workers, have already finished touching up your room." She explained, motioning for him to look around. He did, chuckling. What he assumed used to be a rather common living area now looked rather... posh. They'd even gone so far as to have the walls painted black. There was a nice white sofa in the living room and a giant flat screen opposite it. There were several pictures hanging, most of them of high class art. He'd have to change that later. He walked over to the door that he assumed led to his bedroom and walked inside. Same thing as the living area. Black and white room, well half of it anyway. The other half was mostly bare and still the same shades as it was supposed to be. Even the queen sized bed was the best quality they could afford. It dwarfed the size of the twin bed his roommate would have. He sighed. They certainly spared no expense. When he walked into the bathroom, the same black and white colors hit him in the face. Even the damned shower curtain. At least they couldn't make the shower any bigger than it already was. He'd dread to have friends over. They'd all think he tries too hard. He walked out of the bathroom with a small on his face.

"Looks great Mom, thanks. But, I really have to go now. I've got to go see what classes I have and things like that. I promise, I call you on the weekends, okay?" He told her giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He walked over his dad and pulled at his Dad's hand shaking it before pushing them out the door. "Bye guys! Call you soon!"

"Wait, honey!" He heard her yell as he closed the door. When he'd finally heard them walk away he slid down to the floor. He glared at the room. "You and I have our work cut out for us, Room." He told it mockingly. He let out another long sigh and walked over to his bag. He pulled out whatever paperwork he needed, his ID, and his room key before walking back out the door. He didn't worry about locking the door behind him because it locked on his own. No one other than his roommate or himself could get in unless he let them in. He chuckled again. Maybe that was for the best. He decided to take the elevator this time, not wanting to take the long trek down the stairs again. No, he didn't imagine he'd be doing that again. Not unless he was just feeling oddly athletic that day.

He exited the boys dorm and headed straight for the main office, ready to hand in the last of his paperwork. He handed it into the woman, she did a few things behind the counter and then returned to him with a small smile.

"All set, Mr. Evans." She told him, the smile unfading. He smiled and nodded back before turning tail and leaving. He made way for the cafeteria. Even if he'd already eaten, the cafeteria always was the best place to meet people, right? He closed his eyes and stood dead in his tracks for a moment. Just... put yourself out there Paris. What's the worst they can do? Ignore you? With that in mind, he opened his eyes and entered the cafeteria. He grabbed an apple and walked over to the nearest table. Two guys were sitting near each other talking. He put a smile on his face and motioned for the seat next to the guy with the dark... purple hair? "Hey. Mind if I sit here with you guys? Name's Paris. It's nice to meet you." He began, feeling more than foolish already, as if it weren't evident on his face already.

Sean blinked a few times then looked up from his sandwich at Lucius, he was kind of baffled. He tried to give the impression that he wasn't ready to talk in the dorm but clearly it wasn't enough, oh well Sean thought. He wasn't going to make this uncomfortable so he'd just have to grin and bear it for now, unless he felt like making enemies with his roommate, which he didn't. "Yeah man, same to you." Sean took a bite of his sandwich "And uh, I'm not a big talker so y'know just let me get comfortable and I'll pipe up eventually." Sean swallowed "I only act like an asshole, man." Sean finished his sandwich and took a big sip of his coke, while doing so another student walked up and inquired about a seat. Sean already semi-opened up to one person today he wasn't going to wait around to do it to another "Yeah man, sure." Sean said passively to Paris as he stood up and grabbed his stuff " Peace."

Sean took off back to the dorm, fortunately it wasn't a far walk from the cafeteria, that was good news no matter how you looked at it, much to his surprise as Sean reached his door he realized his key-card wasn't on him, and then he remembered placing it on the small bedside table. He left in such a hurry he forgot to grab the damn key. Somewhat reluctantly Sean turned around and went straight back to the cafeteria. Upon arriving he sat back down across from the vampire and his new friend Paris. "So yeah I locked my key-card in the room." Sean said while only just slightly looking towards Lucius while leaning back in his seat, subconsciously crossing his arms with his hands in such a manner to hide his tattoos, he instinctively did this when anxious, embarrassed or caught in the act of something.

The Impala pulled into the parking lot and shut of, music along with it. Marc stepped out and took a look around. It wasn't very busy, but the college had a homely and welcoming manner, or the campus did at least , he wasn't sure about the classes. Marc took a deep breath, breathing in the air of his new home for the next four years before medical school. After all, he was following his parent's footsteps. It wasn't against his will, no, he loved neuroscience and everything that came with it. So, when he was a first year in highschool he chose medical studies as his pre-requisit.
Marc walked into the boy's dorm, looking at the simple decorations which added to the homely manner, which generally was what a dorm should do. He walked up to the receptionist and got his key for room, 655, and headed up to check it out. He arrived to a flood of black, white, and expensive decour. Well , it's a it much, but it's home. I should go grab my stuff. Marc ran down to his car and began taking boxes up to his room, and when the last box had been brought up. First things first, my blades. Marc picked up the box labeled 'ceramonial' and flicked out his karambit, cutting the tape down the middle in one quick slash. He the. Pulled out several blades for eskrima and kendo that were used in ceremonies. He took out a cloth rag made for cleaning blades and wiped them down after applying some oil. Once they gleamed even more he proceeded to mount them on the wall above the twin bed that the room had been providing. He then proceeded to place the rest of his home warming items around the apartment. When he was done the room seemed a little less overwhelming. He sat down on his bed and pulled out a box of caramels and popped one in his mouth, waiting for his seemingly extra agent roommate.

Lucius ate in silence, after all his roommate made him realize that pushing any further into any conversation would be unadvised, still he decided to make one comment. “I didn’t get that impression from you, no worries.” He smiled slightly and proceeded to finish his food. Another student came up to them and introduced himself, since Sean already answered, Lucius just nodded in agreement. “See you later then.” Lu said after Sean decided to leave.

“Nice to meet you. I'm Lucius” He said using a neutral tone, after all this was already as much as he interacted with people as he did. Not much to say, even though he tried, Lucius just wasn’t a people person. “No use forcing myself to be what I’m not.” He thought to himself as he finished his drink. He pondered if he should do the things he wanted to before, though leaving right off the bat would be unfriendly towards Paris. After all he had experience in getting the cold shoulder.

This pondering didn’t last long as Sean returned looking visibly uncomfortable, even bothered he had to come back. Well this gave a little insight into his roommates character, he made note of it. “Well I see two ways out of this situation. I can either go with you and unlock the door or lend you my keycard for now.” He shrugged. “I don’t mind either, though the latter one would leave you a bit grounded as I planned to do some stuff so no idea when I’ll be back.” He rubbed his chin and thinking he had some idea what Sean would prefer took out the card. “You decide, I’m fine with either one.” He smiled slightly.

Paris blinked watching one of the guys get up at go as if put off by the fact Paris had decided to join them. Then again, he'd dealt with people like that before. Maybe he was insecure and maybe he just didn't like talking with new people, or people in general. He'd had a partner back in high school that just didn't like new people. He was fine once you got to know him but he always without fail gave new people the cold shoulder. The other boy, Lucius, seemed a bit more adept at interacting with strangers though... Like the other boy, he seemed more happy on his own than with new people.

When the other boy returned, his face awkward and uncomfortable, Lucius seemed to perk up, talking a bit more. Paris chuckled. Welp, that's my cue to get out of their hair. "Actually, I have a few things I need to finalize. It was nice meeting you both, Lucius and friend." He told them, smiling and nodded his head. He stood up from the table, apple still in head and made his way back to his room. He needed to put his clothes in the dresser and closet anyway. No doubt his mother had put in a few designer outfits in his closet for him. He didn't hate her, she meant well... but he was glad to be at least somewhat free of her grasps. He pulled the apple up to his lips and took a bit as he entered the boys dorm and then the elevator. He leaned against the wall of the elevator, waiting patiently. The doors open with a small whoosh noise and Paris let out a small sigh. He walked down the long hallway to his room and pulled his key up to the lock on the door. A light turned green and he pushed the door open. He stopped in his tracks the moment he entered the room. Something was off... He peeked into his room and sure enough a boy stood there. He appeared slightly taller than Paris with equally dark brown hair.

"'Sup?" Paris greeted the boy with a wave and a smile. Damnit, what was his name again? Ugh, I'm going to feel like a complete asshat. It started with an 'M' right? Mario? Hah, no... Mark? No... Suddenly, he remembered. Pool boy! Marco Polo! He chuckled a bit. He probably shouldn't tell the boy his thoughts or tease him about it. He'd probably have enough of it. "You probably already know, but I'm Paris. I look forward to rooming with you." He continued, the small smile still evident.

Marc looked up from the magazine he had pulled out of his bag and smiled in return.
"Yo, I'm Marc Culdaré, it's good to meet you. It seems like we'll be living here for the next four years together, so hopefully we can be friends! By the way I hope you mind that I added to the decour a bit," Marc said as he gestured to the several swords and other various trophies and awards for martial arts, along with some other personal items that had been spread around the room. A small insense swirl burned slowly in the corner releasing a calming smell that was created to assist the thoughts of relaxation. Marc had always thought that a house should be a place of relaxation, to unwind.
"Not going to lie, I think your choice of decorations is a bit... eccentric, but I won't judge ya on that. So, what do you like to do for fun? We've got the rest of the day, and I'm lookin to hang with someone or the rest of the day, so I'm game for whatever you feel like."

Paris looked around the room as Marc told him about what he'd added. Martial arts? Neat... He also smelt the incense. It would take some getting used to but he could live with it. Maybe he could even try meditation. He chuckled at himself a bit. No, that was pretty much out of the question. It was true that Paris liked to zone out a bit but he wasn't one for sitting still when prompted to. He looked back at Marc with a smile before it faded at his next question.

"Uhm... Yeah. I didn't do any of this. You'll have to thank my mother for that. I was planning on changing it later. We can talk about that later if you'd like. I'm more of a... pastel colors man myself, but that's up to you." He began, an awkward yet apologetic smile appearing on his face. "What do I like to do for fun?" He repeated the question, looking around the room. What did Paris like to do for fun? He thought for moment before turning to look at Marc again.

"I like... video games and... reading. I'm okay with most sports, basketball being my favorite to play. Uhm... I'm not so good at Martial Arts but, I'd love to have a teacher." He explained, his smile now more genuine. Maybe that would be a good way for them to connect. Then again, it might just piss the poor guy off when Paris didn't get it the first time. Well, they'd see. He might not even want to teach Paris in the first place.