Room 102

[Deleted]

Natalia had been generally unimpressed when she entered her dorm room, room 102. She’d been pleased that it had its own kitchen and living room(not caring at all for the technology in the room), but when she entered the bedding area, she’d been put off.

Four beds in a single room… she didn’t really like the thought of it, especially if the room was co-ed. Not to mention the fact that it was so small, and she knew that it would only feel smaller and tighter when the other inhabitants arrived. The idea was enough to make her feel claustrophobic. Her lip curled into a frown of disapproval for an instant, but it smoothed back into its former stoic expression as she closed the door with her suitcase in hand.

She surveyed the four beds, glad she’d gotten there first. She easily placed her suitcase on the bed that seemed the most isolated, in the corner near the window. This way, she could just face the wall or the world outside if her (certain-to-be) idiot roommates were being loud or something of that nature(she despised obnoxiousness, really, she did.).

She sighed, wishing she was with her family (most notably, her brother) instead, and began unpacking her things. She worked quickly, efficiently, hoping she could be done with it before any roommates were to start showing up.

[theoxymoron]

Oh dear, the shaky figure though to himself as he neared his new dorm, this is it.

Cracking the door open ever-so-slightly, Raivis almost thought that he was the first one to get there. Wait, he was wrong. There was someone in another room who somehow was even less pleased to be there than him. He could almost taste the annoyance that seemed to be coming from the direction of an open door.

"H-Hello?" he called out, finally bringing up the nerve to step inside the front room, quietly closing the door behind his baggage. At least it was quiet so far. He liked that part, at least.

Shakily, Raivis made his way over to the door behind which his roommate was. Peeking inside before he came fully in to the room, he noticed that she was actually a very pretty young woman. She was much taller than him, but that was really no big feat. He also noticed that she already picked a bed. Well, at least that was one less choice in the decision he would have to make. In the end, he decided on a bed in the opposite corner of the room. He had a feeling that he would be getting some... Strong vibes from her, so it was probably best to keep his distance.

"M-M-M-My n-name is R-Raivis." He said, trying to at least be friendly. They were going to room together after all, so he might as well do his best to get on her good side.

And with that, he began unpacking and gently placing his clothing inside the dresser provided for his use. He just wanted to get it done and over with so he could go run off somewhere to be alone.

[Deleted]

Natalia had heard the door opening in the other room, and sighed, trying to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Great. One of the roommates had arrived, and she wasn’t done unpacking.

Her displeasure rose up all the more, and she decided she would just ignore them when they entered, instead focusing on refolding some of her clothes that had, much to her irritation, somehow managed to mess themselves up.

The boy was tiny, she couldn’t help but notice, and he shook like a leaf, making her scoff inwardly. Weak. She could already tell. He chose his bed, the one farthest from her own, and she couldn’t help but smirk just a little bit. At least he is smart and knows to keep away.

Her (even if somewhat little) faith in his intelligence wavered when he spoke, preferring he’d kept his mouth shut instead.

“M-M-M-My n-name is R-Raivis,” he said, his stutter oh-so-very noticeable, and she could already tell that he probably was going to irritate her to no end.

She supposed she should answer him, lest he insisted upon prompting her to speak if she didn’t, so she responded coolly, in a clipped voice, “Hello, Raivis. My name is Natalia.”

She strode purposefully to her own set of drawers, stack of folded clothes in her arms, and began to do the same, trying to let the task distract her from her irritation.

[theoxymoron]

Raivis couldn't help but flinch when Natalia's irritation rose. She really must not like him... Oh well, there was nothing he could really do about it, especially when he noticed that his speaking just made everything worse.

He just wouldn't speak much, then. His stutter did annoy himself to no end. In fact, he could tell that his unpacking was turning into angry shoving. Oops. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. It's not you, it's her. Calm down, they aren't yours... soon became his personal mantra as he fixed the clothing that had been messed up in his small lapse of irrational anger.

Finally finished with his clothing, Raivis began removing the few books he had brought with him so they could have a much nicer home on top of his dresser. It would have to suffice for now, until he got a bookshelf or found somewhere else to place them.

"Hello, Raivis. My name is Natalia."

He flinched at her tone, feeling just how displeased she was to have him as a roommate. He didn't know if he'd be able to stand being in the same room with her much longer, so he quickly took his toiletries and headed to the bathroom to place his things in their proper places.

He closed the door behind him, the wall separating him from Natalia helping a little bit. "How am I g-going to s-s-survive this..." He mumbled, dragging a shaking hand down his face. "Okay, t-time to d-do this." Taking another breath, he opened the door once more to the bedroom, scurrying across it and to the main room.

He would be fine. Really. He just needed to avoid being alone with her for too long. He really, really didn't want all of that annoyance and negativity rubbing off on him.

[Deleted]

The small boy had suddenly become very… irate. Much like herself. She decided to ignore it. If he was so upset at her because she wouldn’t indulge him in useless chatter, it was not her fault.

After she spoke, he’d run into the bathroom, and her eyebrow lifted just a smidge. What the hell was that all about? Well, it did not matter if the small one was frightened of her or anything.

He is right to avoid me, she thought as she sat on the bed, looking out the window and hands idly trailing over the knives she had strapped to her thigh under her dress, feeling the familiarity.

She turned her gaze to a small, simply-decorated box she’d unpacked, uncertain with what she should do with it. She had more cutlery freshly-polished and lovingly packed in with care, and she did not want anybody to be able to get to them. She let out a sigh, deciding she may as well put them in her drawer, just until she could find somewhere better, somewhere safer.

She heard her roommate run for the living room, and felt slight amusement. At least if he kept acting like this around her, she wouldn’t have to put up with his presence. That was definitely a good thing.

She leaned up against the wall, glancing out the window. She hated it here. She wanted to be home. With her family. With her brother. She sighed, feeling both irritated and homesick(or, brothersick) at the same time.

[russia]

Ivan halts in front of the dorm door labeled, "Room 102." There's suddenly a sinking sensation in his chest, one which made him feel as if he was doomed. It came out of nowhere and almost surprised him. There was only one reason that he might feel this way.

... But, it couldn't be possible, could it? The dorms aren't co-ed, or at least he doesn't think so. He hopes the dorms are gender-specific, because if they weren't...

Oh, dear. She couldn't possibly in that room, could she? That would make things a bit... difficult.

Ivan really wished he had X-ray vision right now, so that he can try to consult the principal and try to switch roommates with someone. Then again, no one would want to change their room assignments if they knew about Natalia. He sighed. It might just be him getting anxious.

Taking a deep breath, he opens the door very slightly, enough to see...

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. He was right.

Because right there, looking through the window, was Natalia.

He wonders once more if it wasn't too late to switch roommates

[Deleted]

She felt another presence enter the room, and could just feel the irritation starting to grow again. She was not in the mood for another encounter, another roommate, another idiot to occupy one of the beds in the same room as herself. She lazily turned her gaze to the doorway to view one of her future offend--

Wait. No. It could not be. She could not be that lucky. It wasn’t possible.

Standing in the doorway was the one person she had just been wishing she could see the most - her precious, perfect, beloved older brother. All thoughts of irritation, homesickness, annoyance, and everything else just flew out of her mind as she threw herself from the bed, brimming with joy and disbelief as she turned toward him.

“V-Vanya!” She cried out, her feet feeling light as she scrambled to hug him, throwing her arms around him to hug him tightly when she approached him. Yes, it was him. She was this lucky. She pressed against him, smelling the scent she had always loved and had missed the most. “Vanya! I did not think you would be here! And we are even in the same room! I missed you!”

[theoxymoron]

Raivis sat himself down on the couch, taking the time to try his best to relax. Just avoid Natalia and everything would be fine.

Well, that's what he thought. Until the door opened again to reveal another roommate of his. Looking up curiously, he couldn't help but think about how big the... Adolescent? Man? Well whatever he was, he was big. Then again, that was an understatement. The pale man seemed huge to the miniscule empath.

He simply watched in silence as the stranger made his way to the bedroom. The stranger was already nervous enough as it was, but the waves of fear that rolled off him were... Shocking, to say the least. Unfortunately, the sight of someone so large being so frightened really freaked Raivis out.

Natalia's joy at seeing the tall man seemed odd to Raivis. They must know each other, seeing how frightened one was and how ecstatic the other responded. The conflicting emotions were giving him a headache. The only thing he could think of to do right now was curl up in his spot on the couch and hold his head while he waits for things to roll on over.

That's how it always was.

That's how it would always be, it seemed.

"I j-just wanna g-go home..."

[russia]

"Ah, Natashka, good to see you here." he lied. Well, things could have been worse, at least Natalia wasn't demanding them to get married. Ivan tries to stay (mostly) still, his hand pats Natalia's back hesitantly.

He eyes around the room. There were electronics, but nothing that Ivan would have (too much) difficulty with. There was a boy on the couch. He was small, scrawny, and looked as if he had a headache. But most of all, he looked weak, very vulnerable, both physically and mentally. Ivan decides that he'll have some fun with the short boy, to make him see sounds and hear colors. Especially red. Red would be a fun color to work with, da? Thinking about this soothes his anxiety a bit.

Ivan thinks he hears the boy mutter to himself, but wasn't able to tell what he said. Ivan couldn't help but to ask, "Who's this boy over here, is he our roommate?"

Maybe he shouldn't have said that, since Natalia would probably revert to her normal grumpy mood. He hopes he's not endangering the poor boy by mentioning him.

[Deleted]

She was nuzzling into his coat when he responded, “ah, Natashka, good to see you here.” He patted her back, but the tenseness wasn’t lost to her. She could sense his hesitation, but quickly threw it out of her mind. Surely she was only imagining it; he must have just been nervous about being at the school. Yes. That was it.

Because he loves me, so there is no reason for him to be nervous around me~

Yes, Natalia was so very happy now, her arms around the one person she loved more than anything. she hadn’t expected to see him at all, so she figured this must have been fate telling her that they really were meant to be together, just like she had always dreamed, ever since she could remember. A small smile showed itself as she hummed happily, still nuzzling. What a perfect moment!

A moment that was, unfortunately, just a moment.

“Who is this boy over here? Is he our roommate?”

She tensed slightly at the question, feeling irritated again. She’d forgotten about the boy. “Oh,” she replied, not hiding the annoyance in her voice. “Da, he is. I had forgotten. You are so much more important than some child, so it only makes sense that I would have.” Her expression softened as she looked up at her brother, adoration in her eyes. “My Vanya, I am so happy that you are here! Surely this must mean we are destined to wed!” She squeezed him tighter, feeling flickers of happiness push away her annoyance. What did it matter that this boy was here? Vanya was here now, too, and that was all that mattered.

For the first time since she’d been told she was coming here, she felt a hope that she would enjoy it here after all.

[russia]

“Oh,” Natalia's tenderness seemed to disappear almost immediately,“Da, he is. I had forgotten. You are so much more important than some child, so it only makes sense that I would have.” she squeezes Ivan harder, and he just feels worse, “My Vanya, I am so happy that you are here! Surely this must mean we are destined to wed!”

"We're not old enough to wed yet, Natashka." he reminds her, because if he tried to say no then... Well, he doesn't even want to know. Ivan glanced over at the small boy. The kid's probably not going to do anything, is he? Usually, a person would meekly try to intervene and Ivan would have a chance to disappear from Natalia's sight.

He could try to do an illusion to distract her... But she would probably be able to tell. No, no, he would need an excuse to move around and think of a plan to get out of this school. An excuse like...

"May I unpack now? I have a lot of luggage with me." Da, an excuse like that should work. Ivan drops one of the heavy suitcases and lets it make a thunking sound. It almost breaks at the impact. It's an old suitcase, worn out and looked as if it was about to break. Ivan feels sympathy for the suitcase, mostly because he might end up like it or worse if he survives this school.

[theoxymoron]

Upon Natalia's hostile response to Ivan's innocent question, Raivis could help but sink lower in to the couch he was currently sitting on. She was really protective of her older brother, wasn't she? Yes. Yes she was. Raivis also had to admit he didn't like the vibes coming from his new, large roommate. Something along the lines of playful maliciousness were directed straight at him. Note to self: Stay away from the tall, pale, and terrifying.

The boy also noted that as long as the taller man was around, he didn't have to worry about Natalia. She was too lost in her own adoration of him to really notice anyone else. Ugh, that adoration. Raivis was rubbing his temples, trying his best to block it out. It was so strong, almost overpowering. Maybe he should just avoid those two in general. He didn't want to mistake that adoration for his own. Should that happen the results would be... Disastrous.

Standing up, Raivis quietly made his way past the two-- Wait, marriage? Did Natalia just mention marriage? Her brother didn't seem up for it, but it appeared that his fear made him do his best to simply placate her. Oh dear...

He slipped back in to the bedroom, quickly grabbing a book off of his dresser. Okay, so he could stay in here and maybe say hi to his new roommate, or he could go back to the living room and read in there. He really didn't know what to do.

In the end, he just sat down on his bed to read. If the larger adolescent said hi, then that would be that.

[Deleted]

“We’re not old enough to wed yet, Natashka,” he’d reminded her, and she felt a falter in her happiness.

N-no matter; we will still be married in the end! Yes, that was true.

“May I unpack now? I have a lot of luggage with me.” He dropped the suitcase, and it hit the floor with a loud thump.

“Ah, Vanya, that will not be necessary!” She released her hold on him and swooped down to grab his suitcases. “I will help as a good wife should, Vanya. Surely that would please you?” She placed them both on the bed next to hers with ease, flicking them open quickly and with a small smile.

She barely noticed the small boy on the bed. He was reading a gook. Good. He did not seem to have too much interest in her brother. It did not mean she would not keep an eye on him, but she was able to relax a little bit. She turned her attention back to Ivan, heart swelling with adoration just looking at him.

“If you would like, my dearest big brother, I will give you some of the space in my drawers. I do not have a lot, so it only makes sense.” She quickly rearranged her things in swift movements, emptying drawers for her brother’s use.

She really could not be happier. Her one and only love was here, and he was sharing a room with her, and life was perfect and perhaps now, now, he will finally see that they are meant to be together. Perhaps they would finally be together, he would finally realize that she could make him happier than anybody ever could. She would stop the bullies and she would make certain everybody was nice to him and she would be at his side forever and always as his loyal, adoring wife.

It took her a moment to snap out of her thought, flushing slightly as she finished, cramping her belongings into the two bottom drawers, including her precious box of knives. She looked up at him, a smile on her face and a flutter in her heart. “Vanya, I really am so very happy that you are here,” she said softly.

[russia]

“Ah, Vanya, that will not be necessary!” She finally released her hold on him and swooped down to grab his suitcases. “I will help as a good wife should, Vanya. Surely that would please you?”

"Why thank you, Natashka." said Ivan, smiling, mostly because she had finally stopped hugging him, but at least there wasn't anyone to anger her. The boy off to the side was reading a book and was pretending to ignore the two. Ivan wonders who the last bed is for; hopefully not someone who would make things more chaotic.

“If you would like, my dearest big brother, I will give you some of the space in my drawers. I do not have a lot, so it only makes sense.” she said. Ivan didn't protest, and Natashka starts to unpack his stuff while putting her stuff aside. ah, if only she could be half as nice to other people...

Ivan glances at the boy again. Maybe he could get a small illusion to play around with him. Something simple. He imagines the letters that the boy is reading is turning red and starts to seep down the page, and the page rapidly aging to make it look like an ancient document. He imagines the red liquid going down onto the boy's small hand and the thick smell of fresh blood. Da, have him unable to get rid of the scent from his nose when he breathes, make it strong enough that he can taste it in his mouth. Da, da, that will do fine...

"Vanya, I am really so very happy that you are here." He hears Natashka say, it almost breaks his concentration and the illusion falters, but soon returns to its vivid condition.

"I'm happy too, Natashka." He half lies. It is partially true, though. Natashka could have ended up with a Lithuanian or... well, pretty much anybody and there could have been major injuries on the first day of school.

He'll stay here then, for the sake of others.

[theoxymoron]

Things seemed to be cooling down as Raivis read his book. That was good. Very good. In fact, Natalia seemed almost satisfied that he wasn't getting in her way. Another good thing. His book was also helping distract him from her affection.

Well, that is until the book started doing strange things. Frightening things, really. It started with the letters turning red. He could feel Ivan's playful maliciousness from across the room. When the letters started running, all he could do was stare at the pages in horror.

When he felt blood would be when he screamed hysterically, dropping the book like a hot coal.

"B-B-B-Blood..." He mumbled after the initial scream, stumbling to the bathroom. "N-N-N-Need to g-get it off..."

He most definitely wouldn't be bothering the two for a while, judging from the locked bathroom door and the fact that he was scrubbing at his handing furiously.