Already not happy with how much pasta he had stuffed into his mouth, Xavier’s stomach clenched in an angry “I told you so” before letting go. The teen grimaced, but he didn’t make any movements to indicate there was anything wrong as Jin approached. When asked where they were going, he simply jerked a thumb towards the common room and began walking into the large area.

Jael was standing with his hands behind his back, a position that said he’d been waiting for everyone before the announcement had even been made. He held a small megaphone in one hand as he watched the students pour out of the cafeteria, which he lifted to his mouth.

“Everyone please return to your dorm rooms! A hall leader will be there shortly to check you in and give you your class schedules, then you are free to do as you wish. Please remember that once you are checked in, you cannot leave the premises under any circumstances! Only the dormitories and the common room are open after curfew. Thank you, everyone!”

Something brushed against Xavier’s arm and he frantically glanced up to see Oscar at his side, smirking. He immediately relaxed at the familiar face.

“Ready for hell on earth?” After letting out a snicker, Oscar’s expression screwed up in both alarm and discomfort. “Ow, hey!”

Draven had approached in time to hear Oscar’s insult and had pinched the back of his neck.

“If you actually paid attention in class, and didn’t drag me into your shenanigans, you would probably enjoy yourself.” Glancing over at Xavier and Jin, he nodded to the pair and offered them a slight wave as he began dragging Oscar away by the earlobe. “See you guys tomorrow.”

Xavier smiled after them, watching as Oscar made a show of pouting and complaining as Draven drug him towards their hall, scolding him the whole way. He turned back towards Jin, signaling to him once again to follow as he made his way across the commons, heading towards their hall.

When Jin gestured toward the area they were headed, Jin gave a nod and began in that direction, glancing back to give his roommate a small smile. "Looks like your vampire friend's here," he said, pointing up to Jael. He looked much more authoritative with that straight, firm posture, and it only make him dislike the man more.

He listened rather impatiently to his little speech, only to be interrupted by Xavier's brief flinch. His gaze settled on the source of the sudden movement, and it didn't surprise him that Oscar looked like a kid about to steal a cookie out of the cookie jar. He would probably do well in his line of work, though probably more so in a small gang than a full mob. He would have to lose that submissiveness to Draven, too, though it was probably hard to deny a mother figure like that.

Returning the elementalist's wave of goodbye, Jin turned back to Xavier with a chuckle. "They're lively," he mused, slipping his hands into his pockets once again. "So, should we be heading back to the dorm, then?"

He looked around, watching the crowd of students disperse down their selective halls. He really didn't feel like going back to their dull little room now that he could see for himself how large the school was, but he doubted his roommate wanted to participate in any of the 'fun' activities he had in mind. Especially when it was likely they could get the pair arrested.

As he lead the way back towards the dorm, Xavier couldn't help but glance up at Jin. He almost seemed restless, as if he had too much energy to simply go back to the dorm to prepare for tomorrow. What exactly did he have in mind? What could Jin possibly be thinking about? He thought about asking as they approached their door, but he changed his mind once he pushed it open.

Stepping through the doorway into their room, the teen let out a slight sigh as he realized he still didn't have everything out of his suitcase. Even though he was actually already feeling a bit groggy, he had to put everything away before he could sleep. He had to know everything was in its place.

He immediately stepped over towards the old red case, it's lid already open from earlier. Crouching, he barely had time to dig anything out by the time he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking up, he saw what appeared to be a bison standing on its back too legs in the doorway. His eyes widened in subtle awe, but he quickly realized that the minotaur didn't look pleased, so he relaxed his features. A gruff voice slid past the buffalo's frowning lips as he began to speak, although all Xavier could do was read them.

"Alright...Room 304, belonging to Xavier Riddle and Kim Jinseo." A pair of tired and unamused eyes slid over both of the teens before he clicked a pen and snorted. "You're obviously here." Checking something off on a clipboard he held, he took two notes that had been clipped to it and simply held them out as if expecting the teens to approach him. Xavier could tell that this was the last thing this creature was wanting to do. "Here are your schedules. Classes start at 9."

Cautiously, Xavier approached the beast and carefully took the sheet of paper out of the minotaur's hand. Looking down, he wasn't surprised by what he saw. World History, English II, Anatomy and Physiology. Typical junior level courses. Even though the school was for those that were special or had supernatural abilities, it still strived on having its students learn regular courses that any regular school would teach. Reading the sheet again, he realized also had Art and Medical Basics, probably electives Jael had picked out for him. He was content with this, he could make it work. Curious, he peeked over at Jin, wondering what kind of schedule he got.

When they reached the room, Jin immediately headed for his bed, flopping down on to it as if he had completely lost all control over his body, and was now just a boneless noodle. He wasn't, obviously, but he decided he might as well make use of his forced free time and relax a little.

He watched curiously, turning over on to his side for a better view, as Xavier moved around his side of the room. He appeared to be trying to organize his things and unpack, which intrigued him greatly. What kind of belongings would a kid, abused and essentially homeless, have to his name? Personally, he himself didn't have anything that was really his own, nor did he want anything. It would be bought with his father's money, so it wouldn't really be his own. That wasn't nearly as enjoyable as having something that was his and his alone.

As his roommate turned to face the door, Jin did the same, only to be shocked at the sight he was met with. A minotaur. He'd seen them in stories and the like, but fuck, weren't they supposed to be in Italy or Greece or something? You know, guarding mazes and killing famous heroes? Well, wherever he was meant to be, he didn't seem at all pleased to be here.

Jin stiffened at the mention of his full name, eyes flickering over in a brief glance toward Xavier. Okay, good. He didn't seem phased by it. He took his own schedule with a curt nod, looking it over and rolling his eyes. AP World History, Psychology, Accelerated Biology and Criminal Investigations. All accelerated clases that he really didn't want to take. And all classes that his family probably assumed would be beneficial to him when he took over the business.

He moved to fold up the schedule, not wanting to show Xavier, only to realize that the kid was right next to him and looking over the paper already. God, he was quiet. He could be an assassin or a spy, were he not so innocent and, well, inexperienced. "My dad made me take 'em," he explained. He was fine with looking like a genius in front of other people, but when it was Xavier he didn't enjoy being so over-the-top.

Xavier was intrigued by his roommates classes, even if he wasn't quite sure what AP meant. They looked like special ones, though, for someone who already had a future planned out; they seemed like they would all work together like the pieces of a puzzle. He thought this was an interesting detail, since Jim seemed to roll with everything that came his way.

Xavier missed the first two years of high school due to his running away. However, Jael helped him get on track when he arrived at the school, making him take summer courses to have him catch up with the others. He was a naturally fast learner, so playing the game of catch up wasn't difficult, however he didn't like the fact that he basically worked his summer away. He had made an agreement with himself not to let that happen again.

Looking up at Jin, he offered a smile as if saying thank you and turned away, taking his schedule over towards the desk and sitting it there. Another twinge of pain wrung the lining of his stomach and he held his breath, holding in the slight pain as it slowly dissipated. His brow twitched in annoyance; he shouldn't have eaten all that pasta.

Just as if the minotaur had never showed up, he returned to his suit case, retrieving the few belongings he carried with him. The biggest of all was the portfolio of pictures already laying out on the desk, patiently waiting to be hung up. Out of the old luggage came a couple of t-shirts and another pair of jeans, as well as a worn pair of sneakers. He had three bundles of socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, hotel sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner, a comb, and some deodorant at the bottom of the case. Other than that, there were only a few nick-nacks left. A fortune cookie fortune, a small picture frame, and what looked like a closed balloon with sand in it. Xavier grabbed all of these things and placed them in their "designated areas" as he liked to think of them.

Once finished, he sat down on the bed and reached up to rub the back of his neck. He was stiff from earlier, reacting the way he did in the hospital room. A shower would feel amazing.

As Xavier moved back, Jin folded his schedule back up, stuffing it in his pocket to later be forgotten when he changed. Most of those classes would end up skipped anyway, and he would remember them if and when he needed to.

He slid back to sit on his bed, crossing one leg over the other and watching his roommate move about and put his things together. He had a lot more than he was expecting, then again he was liked by plenty of people. Jael probably gave him clothes and the like; the vampire seemed like he enjoyed charity work. "You're pretty organized there, Xav," he said absentmindedly, plenty aware that he couldn't hear him and wasn't watching.

Surprisingly patient while his roommate put together everything, Jin paused when he straightened up, blinking. He seemed stressed, or tense at least. "You should get yourself a massage or something," he suggested. "Maybe a bath. Those always help."

Xavier slid his eyes upwards to look over at his roommate as he lowered his hand, noticing the teen's relaxed posture. Did he not have any belongings? Where were his things? How was he going to take notes tomorrow? His eyes flicked down towards JIn's mouth when he saw him speaking, mentioning that he should get a massage or even take a bath. A light smile tugged at his lips in agreement.

Steadily pushing himself off of the bed, he walked over towards the bathroom that he and Jin would be sharing. Opening up the door, he noted the apartment-style restroom, complete with a bath-shower combo, a toilet, and a single counter with a sink. It was pretty small, but it didn't exactly have to be very big. It was still big enough to house two people. Noticing that the towel rack above the toilet was stocked, he quietly went back into the bedroom to retrieve his hygiene products before retreating back into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

As he shut the door, his gaze lingered on the knob. Should he lock it? Would it seem foolish to feel like he had to? Jin wouldn't just barge in on him, right? Brow bending, his fingers quickly went to the lock, quietly pushing it into place.

Glancing at himself in the mirror, he noted how tired he looked. His eyes weren't their usual swimming cerulean, but more of a dull, stormy sky color. Even though it wasn't too late, it would probably be best to go ahead and sleep after his shower. Turning away from his reflection, he went to the shower and pulled back the curtain, fumbling with the shower handle to turn on the water. As it was warming up, Xavier carefully pulled off his shirt, letting it fall to the floor quietly. He didn't have to look in the mirror to know they were there, but it was this mirror's first time to reflect what it saw. Several scars raced down a smooth back, lashes and stripes of different sizes and lengths. The mirror couldn't see, however, the scars on the front of his torso. A scar from a stab wound under his left ribs. Burn marks from where cigarettes had been extinguished against his flesh.

He hated standing there, having his marks exposed and open. What if Jin walked in and saw what had been lying beneath his shirt this whole time? He fearfully glanced over his shoulder to make sure the door was locked, and relaxed a bit when he saw that it still was. Looking back towards the shower, he saw the steam rising above the curtain. With a soft sigh, he slipped out of the rest of his clothes. Pushing the sheet open he stepped into the waterfall, letting the curtain fall behind him.

Jin took pleasure in that adorably shy and innocent smile, watching as Xavier disappeared into the bathroom. He listened quietly, for no reason in particular, and after a moment's hesitation heard the faint click of a locked door. He chuckled softly; he hadn't expected Xavier to trust him that much yet, though it would be nice if he did, but witnessing that slight distrust was amusing nonetheless. From the few seconds of silence there were before the door was locked, he could assume his roommate had put thought into whether or not he should keep him out, which made him grin. At least he was getting somewhere.

Jin stretched his arms over his head, wondering faintly what he should do while he was stuck here alone. He couldn't exactly leave the dorm, not because it was against the school rules but because he didn't want Xavier to come out of the shower to an empty room. But there wasn't really anything interesting to be done while he was confined to the small area.

As if on cue, his eyes made there way toward the opposite side of the room, where Xavier had very cutely set everything in an organized, comfortable-looking fashion. He smiled, or smirked, it was hard to tell, and slid off of his bed, gliding across the room toward the other side.

There were drawings everywhere, most of which he had already seen when he'd looked over Xavier's shoulder hours before. Profiles, animals, and landscapes. Really everything anyone could ask for. He really was an excellent artist. As he moved over toward the desk, Jin saw a series of small trinkets. A fortune one would get from a Chinese restaurant, a photo frame, and what he assumed was a makeshift stressball of some kind. It wasn't much, but it was more than he himself had at the moment. Other than those few outliers, there wasn't much else out of the ordinary. Some changes of clothes, a comb and the remaining bath products that Xavier hadn't taken with him to his shower.

He smiled, stepping back and looking over his roommate's side almost like a proud mother. Despite his tragic past and his awkward personality, Xavier was actually pretty average, now that he thought about it. It was cute.

Standing under the rain of water reminded Xavier of the storm he had caused earlier in the day. He closed his eyes as the water showered down onto his body, droplets scaling down his skin like snowboarders down a mountainside. The image of the rolling clouds and the vibrations of the booming thunder was so real in his mind, he could practically feel the wind lashing at his hair.

After the memory gradually dissipated, he quickly lathered his hair and body so that he could leave the bathroom. The cramped space was starting to make his skin crawl. Tight spaces weren't a favorite of Xavier's, especially small places with no clear escape. Being backed into a corner was a strong fear of his that had developed from the few years of living on the streets. Now, finishing up his shower, it already felt like the curtain was closing in on him, coiling around him like a slithering constrictor.

Slapping off the water, he quickly pushed open the curtain, taking in a quick breath of air. He immediately coughed from the humidity sitting in the tiny room, but he caught his breath and grabbed his shirt, hurriedly slipping it back on. Using a towel to tightly wrap around his waist, he unlocked the door and pulled it open. He could almost see the steam tumble from the small room as he stepped out, raking his fingers through his damp hair. His eyes found Jin standing close to his side of the room and his brow creased. What was he doing? Curious, he padded over towards his roommate, looking at his side of the room as if he were trying to spot whatever it was that had drawn Jin's attention.

Now enjoying his own little thoughts, which went from perverse ideas to perfectly innocent dreams as they always did, Jin didn't notice that the gentle, humming pitter-patter of shower water had ceased until he heard Xavier wall out of the bathroom.

He turned, chuckling softly when he noticed the faint mist pouring out of the room and disappearing in the colder air. It was like one of those old sci-fi thrillers, where the alien opened his ship and fog pooled from the luminescent entrance to it's ship. Well, Xavier was unique enough to be an alien at least.

His eyes trailed over the body of his roommate, somewhat disappointed that he had thought ahead enough to wear a shirt to cover himself. He would be lying were he to say he hadn't been looking forward to seeing a bit of skin. Well, at least there was the towel. He could stay satisfied imagining that was all Xavier was wearing other than his shirt.

"Feeling better now?" he asked, brows raising in amused curiosity. It certainly looked like he was. He actually looked smaller, with his hair wet and sticking to his face like that. Almost pitiful, to be honest. Like a post puppy or a fawn without its mother.

Reading Jin's lips, the dark haired teen nodding, offering a small but genuine smile. His muscles didn't feel as tight anymore, and he felt as if he could actually stretch himself out. Walking over to the desk, he grabbed his hand-held pad and pen and walked back over towards Jin, standing a little bit in front of him as he looked down to write. A drop fell from his hair and he lifted his hand, raking his hair back once more to get it out of the way. Putting pencil to paper, he took a few moments to scribble onto the page. His gaze was calm and steady, following the trail that his pencil made on the paper. Once finished, he glanced up and turned the page towards Jin.

Were you looking for something? I noticed you were eyeing some of my things.

He tilted his head slightly as he watched his roommate's face, sincerely curious as to what he was going to say. It was a bit odd, having someone show interest in his belongings, let alone him himself. He was usually like a wallflower, present but not really there. The attention he had been receiving from Jin all day was tad unusual, and he was itching to know what he found so fascinating about him. Naturally, Xavier found himself to be boring and not really worthy of much attention. Of course he wanted a bit of attention and genuine friendship, and he was surprised that Oscar and Draven were still at his side over the course of a year.

Still, he wanted to know Jin's intentions. His brow twitched at the sudden thought. Actually, it was more like he just wanted to know Jin. Who was he, where did he come from, what was his childhood like. He wanted to make a connection, but his cautious nature caused so much trouble. For some reason though, Jin brought out what little bit of confidence he had in himself. He made him feel like a normal person, like something worth looking at, someone worth talking to. This confidence told him to take the first step, to reach out and start a conversation with his roommate, the person he'd be living with for the school year. It felt a bid odd, initiating the conversation, but it made his stomach flip with nervous excitement, which for once didn't feel like a bad thing.

Jin waited patiently for Xavier to write everything he wanted to say down, surprised with himself by how much his usual urgency and impatience seemed to disappear when his roommate was the one he was waiting for. It was as if he could give all the time in the world for Xavier to finish whatever he did, no matter how long it took.

He read over the brief message, then looked up so Xavier could read what he was saying. "Just seeing what all you brought," he explained simply, giving a small shrug. "I'm surprised you've got so much stuff. You don't really seem the type to have a lot of belongings." He paused, then continued with a coy grin. "But hey, from what I've seen you're full of interesting surprises."

Falling quiet when his roommate did the same, Jin decided to give the kid some space, moving back to his bed and sitting down with a small, content sigh. Xavier seemed to be thinking to himself, or at least concentrating on something, so he decided to make himself somewhat entertained by trying to guess what he was thinking about. Needless to say, it was rather amusing.

His eyes found Jin's lips and watched them as he responded, starting to recognize the little movements of his mouth. It was interesting at how quickly he began to notice them, for he had only been with Jin for a day. He caught himself staring after Jin had finished talking and his gaze quickly flicked away, a slight blush threatening to inch up his throat.

Taking in what Jin had said, Xavier's brow arched at the "full" comment. What had he meant by that? He really wasn't that interesting, or full of any surprises for that matter. The fact that Jin kept making comments like this intrigued him. He wished he could look into his roommate's mind and see exactly what it was that made him so alluring to the other. Blinking, he silently watched the teen step over to his bed, taking in the way he lowered himself. It was amazing seeing how much control Jin had. His movements were blunt but that didn't make them any less fluid. Even though he was sitting on his own bed, it was like Jin owned the whole room. It was powerful.

Putting his tiny reserve of confidence to work, he carefully stepped over to his own bed, sitting across from Jin. It was a bit intimidating, actually and he found himself unable to meet his gaze. Was Jin's presence always this strong? Distracting himself, he looked down at his pad as he began writing again. When he lifted the pad, he tried his best to keep his gaze on the lower half of Jin's face.

It really isn't that much. What about your things? I don't see anything of yours here.

Jin was reasonably surprised to find Xavier sitting next to him. He didn't think the kid had it in him to do something so forward, and apparently he didn't think so either. He could see how tense and awkward he felt at the moment, and the way he completely avoided his gaze was absolutely irresistible.

He had the urge to ask if he saw something he liked, but with how close he was, he didn't want to scare him off. He'd gotten this far, after all. He blinked at the question posed on the notepad, shrugging a little and looking from Xavier's comfortably crowded side to his own bland one.

"I don't have anything. Well, I do, it's just not, you know, mine," he tried to explain, having the feeling that probably didn't make much sense. "It all belongs to my dad, so I didn't bring it." It'll give me away, he added in his head, running a hand through his hair. He would probably get his own things as the year went on, so at least he had that to look forward to.

Xavier watched his roommate's mouth closely as he responded, taking in every word. His brow creased with his response. If everything he had belonged to his dad, then none of it was truly his in the first place. For some reason, this saddened him. How could he have nothing with him? No extra clothes, no material items of value. Nothing. Glancing over to his side of the room, he felt a twinge of guilt. His side looked like someone lived there, while Jin's seemed as if he was only visiting.

Hesitating for a moment, he abruptly stood and walked over to the desk. Sitting beside the mass of sketches was his notebook, the one he had drawn the thunderstorm in. Reaching for it, his eyes spotted something underneath it, and his cerulean gaze widened.

My sketchbook...

Lifting up the spiral notebook, he stared at the hardback that lay closed beneath it. The only way it could've gotten here is if someone had seen it in that hospital room. The only staff member that was aware he had been there was...Jael. The vampire must have brought it back when he had been at supper with Jin and the others. A sudden rush a relief flooded him. Carefully setting down the notebook, Xavier picked up the thickly bound sketchbook and thumbed through the pages. Flashes of sketches danced across his vision before his eyes caught sight of the one he was looking for. Opening up the book completely, he stared down at the drawing of the hawk.

His mind reeled for a moment, reliving the scene once again. He remembered the birth of the bird, it's crash landing into the window blinds, the clutch of its talons in his arm, the sudden warm touch of skin...

Blinking, he furrowed his brow as he pushed the thought away. Grasping the edge of the page, he carefully tore the page from the book, ripping it away from the others. Closing the book, he reached for a thumbtack before turning around, He quietly walked over to Jin's side of the room, sizing up his walls as if looking for something. Finally deciding on a spot, he placed the sketch against the wall and tacked it. His gaze took it in as he stepped back, examining the single sketch on a wall of white. To his surprise, it actually seemed fitting. Xavier glanced over his shoulder towards Jin, the corner of his mouth turning up into a gentle, crooked smile.