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Realistic or Modern Turning the Pages of History

Blaine barely noticed the way Josh ate, or acted. If it were ever out of sorts he couldn't tell. He'd spent all summer with kids and the way they'd acted and ate and generally did anything was like a pack of wild dogs themselves.
He was sure Victoria would text him all the details by tonight, then he could make a decision based on that. But surprisingly Josh didn't seem terribly keen on going to an unauthorized party. Josh as an individual constantly surprised Blaine. He found it most surprising though that Josh wanted to continue to hang out with him, especially in lieu of a party. He'd not expected him to come back after getting food, either. "Oh, uh." he stood up gesturing the way they'd come from earlier. "Lead the way." he'd been deep in thought, likely looking rather distractable. He shook his head a little to clear his mind. He couldn't like Josh after one day, that seemed a little silly. But, he was a very likable guy. He was nice, attractive and attentive. Three traits that seemed impossible for most guys to have at once. It was usually one or the other in Blaine's experience.
"I know you have movie nights over the computer on Saturday so maybe if it's on that day we can just use that as an excuse." he chuckled, fiddling with his phone a bit as they walked back toward the room.
"I mean, I'm all about seeing the State Park but maybe during the day when it's safe and legal." he knew how ominous the woods could be. Especially at night. He'd been a little wary taking the kids at camp to the bathroom past a certain time. So having a party where anything could happen didn't seem too wise. Though he knew he wouldn't be able to keep Victoria from it. She barely listened to her parents. She sure as hell had never taken Blaine's advice when it'd come to anything.
"Maybe you could show me, since you've been there before." he smiled and ran his hand through his blonde hair, pushing it out of his face. It didn't seem like Josh was opposed to being around him this far, so maybe asking for more wouldn't seem too out of place. He had offered to take him to the movies. Which was indicative of him wanting to be friends at least. Blaine found being around Josh a little magnetic. It wasn't just that he was attractive and nice, he just felt safe around him. Like nothing too bad could happen. He was almost glad they'd been put together as room mates now. Maybe he'd be able to sleep well after all. "But, if the party hadn't been under these weird-ass conditions would you have gone? Do you like parties or not really?" he wasn't sure if Josh just refused because it was illegal or because he preferred other ways to entertain himself. "Cause you said if I liked clubbing we could go to Wishes, but you didn't say you liked it."
 
Back through the double doors that led back the rooms. They had passed by a few other residents who also appeared to be in "wind down mode". Today had been a long day for many. The many would be looking forward to be going to bed earlier than they might under normal circumstances. Only those blessed with high grade endurance would continue. Josh was one such person. He could go up to about 36 hours and remain alert before drowsiness started to take him down. Regardless, he chose to adhere to a more mundane sleep routine.

They entered the room. Josh tilted his head and scrunched his face in confusion, "Movie night over the computer on Saturday? Huh?" Comprehension then hit him in the face, "Computer time's for chatting by cam with good friends. Movie night's downstairs starting next Saturday with the first Saturday of the month doubling as a birthday party for all those born in that month. I read that August's is next week even though it's not the first Saturday of the month. Mine's October. October 13th. I'm double special because I was born on a Friday."

Josh stooped down to put the cookies in the small fridge, "During the day's just fine and yes, I'd like to show you around. It's nice and peaceful. Lots of walking paths of different lengths. Plenty of birds to see. Other small animals and no predators like wolves." He smiled and thought to himself that it was best that way since there would be no competition. If I ever take leave of my senses and risk going there in the woods to get a bite to eat. He stood back up, "Yes, I would have gone if it was more favorable to go even if it was for a little while."

Josh gripped his shirt and pulled it over his head to reveal his firm defined torso, his tags slightly swaying from the jostle. He had momentarily forgot that he wasn't back home. He looked at Blaine and then as his bare hairless chest. The damage was already done. He just shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes in an oh well way. He opened his drawer to select a pair of bottoms a top to wear for the rest of the night and sleep, "Clubbing's enjoyable. I certainly liked it more than German chocolate cake. Ugh! Don't like anything with coconut. Bleh!" He made a yucky face. He selected a tank that bore a logo which depicted a flexed left arm and the wording Macho 29 in both English and Japanese on the front while the word beLegend was on the back. He slid this over and it hugged his chest. "Little souvenir, one of seven just like it, that I picked up when my parents and I wandered into Macho Cafe when we toured Japan. It was a special restaurant only open for six months. Think Hooters but all the servers are men. I certainly enjoyed myself." A chuckle, "Yes, the food was good too."

Josh sat on the bed to take off his socks and shoes, "Sorry for the digression. Anyhow, I've only been clubbing once and just once before. Wasn't too long after I came out." He wiggled his toes, "My teammate David Dewberry said that I was such a mensch, his wording, that I deserve a cuddlebud, again his wording. So he set me on a date with one of the Track guys by the name of Javier Hurtado. Same grade as us, but I didn't really know anything about him except he loves cats and wants to be a vet." His eyes turned to the drawing of the feline shapeshifter on his bulletin board. "We went out to eat and then went to a club near the Museum District named Neon Fields. Nice guy, but we didn't click. Just different interests. Maybe too similar to Dave in personality." He got up, "Be right back." He headed to the bathroom to exchange his pants for the grey gym shorts that he had taken out. Door closes.

The young man took longer because was doing other things to get ready to go to bed. After brushing his teeth and flushing, he washed his hands and face extremely well. He took the tube of face mask paste and squeezed some of the cream to his fingers before applying it to his face. Clean the hands and exit.

Josh, his face covered with grey clay salve, returned to the room and sat at his desk. He looked back at Blaine, "It'd be nice to give clubbing another go." He turned on his computer and it awoke.
 
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Blaine sat on the edge of the bed, and pulled his legs up to be criss-cross once he removed his shoes. He watched Josh move around the room, listening to him answering his questions. But, his voice seemed to muffle a bit and Blaine looked over to notice he was shirtless. They locked eyes for just a second and Blaine couldn't help but smirk and turn away with a little laugh catching at the back of his throat.
"I wouldn't mind giving it a more honest try. I mean, I think I just didn't get a chance to go to any clubs I might like. All my friends were straight and yeah they were supportive but. . . " he sort of half shrugged with one shoulder. "They didn't really think about what I might like to do as well, it was always about them. I guess I didn't realize that until the drive out here." he chuckled quietly, sadly. Realizing he might be killing the mood he looked up and gave Josh a smile. "It's fine, I'm sure I'll make more friends here. I'm not doing to shabby already. I found you the first day. Nevermind that we were shoved together by fate." he waved off the notion they were probably only friends because of their room mate status. He went to the closet and pulled out his own pajamas. The top was for the old RPG 'Vampire the Masquerade.' and was underlined with a red line that looked like dripping blood. He'd played the video game in middle school and liked it enough to buy this when he'd seen it in the mall but he'd never actually played the tabletop game. He chose a pair of dark gray soft looking pants. Not too warm they'd be uncomfortable, he'd subconsciously planned for the Texas weather even if the dorms didn't seem as warm as he thought they'd be. The air conditioning hadn't been mentioned online but it was obvious now they had it in some form or another or he'd be suffering.
He went into the bathroom and returned quickly, changed with his teeth brushed and ready for bed. He didn't plan on sleeping really yet but he wanted to wind down for sure. "Sorry I didn't think you'd want to see my muscles. Way intimidating." he joked, smacking his bicep lightly and playfully before sitting back down. Blaine wasn't scrawny. His planned workouts and time in the woods had given him some muscle mass. It just wasn't as obvious as Josh's. "I think I'd like to go hiking or camping over clubbing any day but yeah - I'll try it again sometime." he smiled, pulling out his phone and tinkering with it a bit. He answered some texts from his mom, checked his email and facebook. After a couple moments of silence he looked up. "Thanks for today." he stretched a little, flopping back onto his pillows. "You made it way easier than I thought it would be here. I was really nervous when I got here but around you it isn't so terrifying every second." he turned over, facing the wall. He looked at all his photos from the summer and smiled softly. "I hope we keep hanging out." he admitted, knowing that there was a slim possibility Josh was only being nice because it seemed in his nature to be.
 
Josh looked back, "The guys were awesome. Well, most of them were supportive. Brett was just his classic self. Said it didn't change anything between us. Bros now and forever. He doesn't let anything frazzle him. Dave was cheeky as usual. Said I get to check two boxes now. Trev? He was happy for me and was curious what type of guy I'd go out on a date with because I was the only one on the team to not have never gone out on a date date. He told me to be myself and that I shouldn't have to fit a mold. Be my own gay." A noticeable pause accompanied by a face of disappointment, "To be honest, I think a couple of the other guys appeared to be relieved. One less man to compete with, you know? A lotta girls liked the combination of my boy band face and this athletic physique. Being bilingual was a bonus to them."

His eyes became wistful as Josh continued to reminisce, "I came out a couple of months ago, but most weren't surprised when I told them. When you got a poster of nearly shirtless young men and another of a hottie like this..." he pointed at the small poster of Yutaro, "....hanging above the bed, and you regularly use face care products, it gets people thinking. Thankfully, there's no need for them to keep wondering." He reached for his phone and texted Brett, [Back in the room whenever you are ready.] While he was at it, he downloaded the RayWatch App. He motioned at Blaine with his phone, "Before I forgot about it, I downloaded the RayWatch App. It's the perfect resource for alerts, school news, event notices, weather, so on and so on. You can even access your school email from it. Just plug in your student ID and your email. Bingo."

Josh stared at the Vampire tee that Blaine wore. He didn't mean to but made no further reaction except his face having a deep shade of red from awkwardness. Thankfully, he was soon saved by his appointment.

A cheerful voice and blond haired face on the screen behind him, "Bonne soirée dude." Even though this chat had been planned, Josh was startled since he hadn't anticipated a response so soon. He turned around to meet the face of Brett McPherson so he could reply, "A Konbanwa to you." There was a surprise from him. Same curtained hair, but he now sported a moustache and soul patch. It was so surprising that Josh asked, "Huh? Moustache?" His best friend moved his face side to side, "You like it? An archmage needs facial hair and I thought I'd start with his. Maybe just this." This prompted Josh to say, "Looks good on you. You know, I've been thinking about changing my haircut. Maybe have a mullet or grow out my hair even longer so I can tie it like Toshiro Mifune in Sanjuro." He looked back at Blaine temporarily, "How about that look? Keep the quiff, have a mullet or something longer?"

Josh returned to Brett who asked, "Who are you talking to?" He replied, "Blaine." His former teammate exclaimed puzzeledly, "New roommate?" before leaning closer to his camera and eyes darted back and forth. "Where?" Josh moved the camera until the lens afforded a better view, "Ah! There you are. Bonjour. I'm Brett McPherson the Archmage. Nice to meet you. Don't mind me. I'll be dropping in like this from time to time." Returning to Josh, "How was your day?"

Josh relayed the day's events from waking up to arriving on campus to meeting Blaine to the meeting to now.. Brett replied, "Mine started early too. Practice. Studying and stuff like that. We got our first game soon. We go up against UCLA." Josh asked, "Like your teammates?" Brett nodded, "They're great, but I miss you and Cyclone and even Punchline. Well it's time for me to get to the astral plane. Bonne nuit Ryo." Josh replied, "Night night."

With the camera having gone dark, Josh turned off his computer which had a logo on the hard drive. It was a clockwise swirl surrounding the letters MCP. He stood up and stretched. He refrained from flexing his arms. He had done that many times in school. Well, when in Rome. No need to do it that here, "Me to. Hiking and camping over clubbing. Yup, let's give it another go." He headed to the bathroom to wash his face. Coming back, "You're welcome and thank you too. I enjoyed today. The unknown can seem frightening at times, but things always sunnier if you have someone by your side."

Josh climbed into bed, "You bet. We'll hang out some more. Some more." He took his phone and set his alarm, "Big day tomorrow. Wake up at 0700 to get ready for church. 0800 Church. Come back and have breakfast. Got that already taken care of; thank you bakery. Then to the grocery store. Go to the gym or go jogging later. Dinnertime some time after that. You're welcome to join me for all the above or some of the above." He snuggled against the pillow as he pulled the Pac-man sheet over his torso. The starfield blanket was draped over the footboard of the bed bed since its services were not required at this time, "Good night Blaine." More snuggling and eventually he was sound asleep.
 
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Blaine couldn’t help but cringe a little at the church mention. Of course there had been LGBT churches in California but they were in Texas now and he knew all too well how most church-goers felt about ‘his type’. But he nodded, not knowing if Josh could see or not. He'd make a more audible commitment in the morning if he decided to give it a try. Maybe he would, if it would win him points with Josh. He could sit through anything. Well, as long as Josh wasn’t Catholic that is. He looked over a bit quizzically. He didn’t seem overly religious so he was certain it would be fine. “Night.” he muttered, turning back to the wall and curling up.
It seemed to take awhile to fall asleep, the excitement of a new place and meeting someone he liked kept him awake for longer than he would have liked. But, he felt safe enough in the room to relax and close his eyes. He’d meant it when he said Josh’s presence had been soothing to him.

Before he knew it his eyes opened and there was a bit of light filtering through the window. He scanned his surroundings taking longer than usual to get his bearings. It was still a very new place after all. He sat up slowly, blinking to sleep from his eyes and waiting for the sleep inertia itself to leave him. He got up, went to his dresser for some clothes. No classes of course but instead a difficult decision to make. Would he go to church with Josh? Josh wasn’t the type to take him somewhere that wouldn’t accept him. So he resolved rather quickly to come along. He dressed nice, but overly stuffy. He wasn’t going to suffer that much for a bunch of people he didn’t know. He opted for dress pants and a light blue long sleeve button up.
He poked around the fridge a bit, hoping to scavenge something from that bakery they’d visited. He hadn’t had a chance to try anything the day before. He knew it was likely the baked goods would be better fresh but Josh seemed to praise them enough he was certain it would be fine even on the second day.
He sat at the edge of his bed, holding his breakfast items and nitpicking at them a bit.
 
The history of Josh's family and the Catholic Church went back to the parents of his mother's father, Kentaro Ishida.

One upon a time, the Ishida family lived in San Dimas. Hiroto Ishida had moved to the States as a young man with his friend Masaru Ogawa; they were both from Kanazawa. Masaru migrated because of opportunity and the glamor of life in America. Hiroto was reluctant about moving to a different country and would have remained. However, he cherished his friendship with Masaru and went so that his best friend would not be alone in a strange county all by himself.

Years later, Hiroto and his wife Kaori, formerly Yagami, began their family. First was Kentaro called Kent and 11 years later, Nobutaka who called Nate arrived. Life was simple for them and their Nisei boys, but happy. Hiroto's initial reluctance diminished over the years as he grew fond and adapted to life in America; it was a trait that he and his wife passed down to their sons. That was before the war. Before the nightmare.

The war ruined the Ishida family. Afterwards, it was decided to head east to Texas, land of the Alamo, as was the plan. It was the Church that got the family back on its feet. Eventually, Kent and his younger brother and their parents converted. For a time, they lived in San Antonio before settling in Houston. Meanwhile, Masaru moved back to Japan having become disillusioned. Friendship dies and no more words exchanged between them. For the rest of their lives, Masaru and Hiroto never spoke with each other again.

The years passed and eventually, Nate Ishida moved back to San Antonio to start his own family having married a woman of Irish descent.

Some years later, Tomokazu Nakayama converted when his relationship with Mariko Ishida started to get serious to the point where marriage was a strong possibility. Although they got married in the Catholic faith, they wore traditional Japanese wedding attire. Thus, they raised their son Josh as a Catholic.

For a brief time, Josh was shy about going to going to church. His wolf nature had recently awoken and, thanks to a steady diet of such stories as Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs and other stories where the wolf was the villain, he was afraid that some celestial voice would announce to the congregation that he was a wolf masquerading as a human and thus unworthy of being virtuous. Such was the reasoning of a small child.

Josh had gown up since then and had learned much. He had come to accept that he was man and wolf, both and neither. He certainly was no unholy beast. It was a maxim that carried over to when he came out. He was not about to let others judge if he was good or wicked because of what he was. It was up to him to define himself.

Josh was sound asleep when he somewhat woke up. What brought him out was howling in the night or so he thought. He looked at his phone and saw that it was 3:33am. He dismissed it as the imagination of a mostly asleep mind and headed back to bed. He was also dismissive because it seemed to come from Fletcher State Park and everyone knew that there were no wolves of the ordinary, meaning not his type, kind living there.

His alarm chimed exactly at 0700 as expected. Josh sat up in bed and turned to Blaine, "Ah! You're up before me and having breakfast too. I'm going to wait until I come back or I take it as when we come back." He observed Blaine had gotten nicer clothing out. He saw his roommate picking at the food, "Something on your mind?"

Josh got out black slacks and a burgundy button shirt and dress socks and his black shoes. "Be back in a bit." He went to go shower. About 30 minutes later, he came back and got dressed. Back to us truck and with ten minutes to spare, they arrived at St. Conrad of Constance Catholic Church. Josh got out. Some attendees were very familiar. There was Lance Leitner and his family. Also too were some faces from the kickoff meeting last night.

Josh stepped inside St. Conrad which was a hundred year old church; it was simple and humble. Josh dipped his fingers in holy water and crossed himself. He decided on a pew in the middle on the side.

This morning's celebrant was Father Gordon McTavish. He was a transplant from the Highlands of Scotland having been here in the States for 18 years and pastor here at this parish for the past 12 years. He was a middle-aged man with black hair and trimmed beard.
 
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When asked if something was on his mind, Blaine shook his head. “Nah.” he murmured with a light smile. He knew his fears were silly. His hesitation had less to do with how odd he felt about the church and more to do with his own past. He was projecting on people and a church he knew nothing about. So he decided to reserve judgment until after. Josh seemed comfortable the entire way there which made Blaine feel more at ease also.

Once there he copied Josh’s holy water bit as he’d decided throwing himself into the experience would probably be best. He noted the place was beautiful, as were most churches in some way or another which distracted him enough on the way to the pew.

Sitting down though, his nerves began to act up and his chest began to feel a little tight and his heart rate would certainly rise. He could feel eyes on him, but likely not for the reason he thought. He didn’t have some flashing neon sign on his forehead that read ‘gay, abomination.’ or anything like that. Blaine liked to think of himself as a good person. “Is this a singing church?” he leaned forward a bit, observing some of the books tucked in the back of the pew in front of him. “I know some songs, just not - many.” he paused, obviously needlessly nervous. “Sorry.” he apologized, blushing a little while looking down. “I know my….vibes are probably off or whatever.” he chuckled, stealing a glance over at Josh. “I just wanted to come along because I think you’re really cool and how many opportunities would I get to be friends with someone like you.” it seemed that being in church had him confessing. “I just like you or something, I don’t know.” his eyes lifted from the floor to meet Josh’s. “Not like that!” he made sure to continue whispering. “Or.” his face scrunched up a bit in confusion as he paused. It was then a group, most likely a family walked past to get to their seats - snapped him out of what he’d been thinking or about to say. He had to admit as he settled back into the pew he was grateful. He was acting like a spaz as Victoria would have said.
He wasn’t sure what possessed him to blurt out all that to someone he just met. But he also liked to be honest. Though being honest with your roommate for the next year about how you thought he was amazing and hot might not exactly be the move he wanted to make right away. So he was happy that the sermon or whatever it was would soon start.
 
Josh sensed Blaine's heart racing. Not just anyone could do that; only someone with enhanced sense of hearing could. He reached out and placed his hand on his roommate's hand in an attempt to soothe him. He turned to him and simply said calmingly, "I'm here."

After scanning the books in the back of the pew that was in front of them, Josh picked up one. It was a thick book which had both hymns and readings for the full three year cycle, "A singing church? I don't know. I've never been inside here even though I've seen the outside plenty of times. At the church my parents and I go to, St. Martín de Porres, you go to the 10:30am service if you want to listen to the choir. I'm not really good at singing. Rated M for mediocre here. I can do okay for church, but I'd be booted out in a jiffy at auditions in any singing competition you can name." He imagined Simon Cowell making one of his classic jibes. "If you want awesome, listen to Brett. There are a few videos of him online which were taken at school events. Anytime you want to listen, just ask. Umm...Anyhow...my thing is food. I can make both kinds of okonomiyaki blindfolded, not that I would, and my OOCC will knock your socks off."

Josh's dark brown eyes blinked and a smile when Blaine said that he liked him, "I like you too." The smile was genuine, but there was a sadness behind it. Would he still like me if he knew the truth about me? Would he freely accept me as being a wolf in man's skin?

A woman approached the podium on the right and a bell dinged which directed the congregation to stand. She told them to open the hymnal to a certain page. Soon, the crowd starts singing as Fr. Gordon and rest of the procession walks down the middle aisle.

About an hour later, mass was over. They would return to the dorm, but briefly, to change clothes. Then it was away to the grocery store to pick up a few things to supplement their school lunches and dinners.
 
There it was again, him mentioning his one friend. It was always the same one. He knew nothing was going on between them, or so it didn’t seem like it. He didn’t think Josh would lie about something like that. He pushed aside the slight irrational jealousy he felt and instead became determined to make memories with his room mate too.
He dissociated through the talking parts of church, trying to fight with his brain on how exactly he felt about Josh and how it was possible that his crush happened so quickly. In the past it had always taken him months to form any feelings toward anyone, and even then it always ended up likely to go nowhere.
Of course Josh was a nice guy on the surface, cute, funny, had good fashion and music taste. But there was something else, just an unexplainable feeling Blaine had when alone with him. It wasn’t some primal urge to tear his clothes off - but something safe. He felt comfortable with him. His anxieties were easily quieted where usually he was again, a spaz about certain things like new places, new people. With Josh though, things didn’t feel as difficult as he’d imagined they would be. It was the difference between feeling an awkward tension in a quiet room with someone, or like you could just exist and that was okay and enough.
He shook his head, snapping back to reality when the whole thing ended. He hadn’t exactly retained anything said. “That was nice.” he still said as he stood up. He didn’t want Josh to think he’d been miserable the whole time.

The car rides were mostly silent, Josh’s music the only sound between him. Which cemented Blaine’s earlier thoughts and feelings.
He was thankful to be at a grocery store. He’d need to do shopping every now and again and Josh always seemed to know the best places to go. He picked up a few healthy snacks he could take on runs or work-outs, but thought it might be nice to give the school meals a fair chance before buying too much. Though as they left the store he couldn’t help but comment they’d have to go back to the Bakery they’d been to soon. He was becoming addicted to the smell of the things they’d brought home. He commented they should sell candles too.
As they got back into the vehicle to head back home Blaine’s phone dinged with an email. “Oh right, I forgot to download the RayWatch App. There’s probably a ton on there by now. It’s like an information app for the school and area or something. You probably already know all about it huh?” he chuckled a bit as he went to the appstore to quickly download it and put in his student information. “You’re always really prepared and ahead of things.” he looked back at the groceries. “Do you have plans for tonight? I know we spent alot of time together already but.” he shrugged a little, sliding his phone back into his pocket. He’d put it on silent so he didn’t get the numerous notifications from the app that were sure to come in since he hadn’t been on it as long as probably others had been.
“Maybe we can go on a walk or something. I’m already kind of missing trees.” he smirked, resting his arm along the ledge of the closed window. His mind flashed briefly to the camp he’d spent the summer in. He began to wonder once again if he was making the right career choice after all.
 
Josh had several he called friend such has his teammates, then there were the ones who were close friends such as Trevor Bishop and David Dewberry, then there was the rarity called bestie which was Brett McPherson who had been his bestie for so long, memories became murky as they reached their kindergarten years and then nonexistent as they approached toddlerhood and beyond. He wouldn't lie to himself. He knew that he was attracted to Brett. He, in turn, was fully aware of this. Regardless, there was no awkwardness and no regrets about what could have been. They were content to being best friends.

During an evening hanging out, one of many, Brett was at his desk with his tarot deck and setting the cards out. He pondered the layout's meaning as he turned towards the bed. There, Josh sat with one of his tablets and was bring forth a concept from his imagination to paper. This newest one was of Josh wearing mystical samurai armor brandishing two swords. Standing next to him is his bash brother. Brett's in mage garb with his right hand aglow and crackling with blue energy preparing to throw one of his boltballs. They faced off against a maniacal sorceress, with Borg-like scarecrows serving as mooks, intent on conquering Texas.

Josh turned to Blaine as they left the church, "Different from what I'm used to. I found Father Gordon witty and he kept my attention."

While at the grocery store, a place that he loved, Josh browsed the aisles to pick out things like bottled water and bananas and walnuts and other small food items. "If you are ever in my room, I have several cookbooks even though I don't use them too much these days. I use a tablet or my phone. Last birthday, David gave me one called The Kosher Zone so I could know how to make his favs if I should happen to find myself having to make something for him since he's extremely mindful of keeping kosher. He's the only one who's ever given me a cookbook as a gift and he was the only one who gave me a coming out gift. Well several, but they were kinda the same thing." His cheeks blushed from embarrassment, "Dave meant well in his usual way." He hadn't expected such clothing because it didn't suit his personality, but accepted them graciously. At least I can wear them to bed or to the gym.

Josh looked at Blaine, "I've not looked at the app since I downloaded it. I'll probably use it more later in the week and we get deeper into the semester. Being prepared? When you live with parents like mine, preparation and anticipation are key ingredients to family life. Back home, we have a huge calendar that we use to keep track of stuff. I have a smaller calendar which I brought with me. We don't throw away them once the new year starts. We store them away and keep them for about seven years. It's a habit my mom picked up from Grandpa. He served in the MIS and he was commended for his record keeping."

As he made sure he had everything stored away, Josh turned to reply to Blaine, "I don't have any plans tonight beyond getting a good night's sleep since tomorrow is the start of classes. I could use some fresh air also. If you like walking among the trees, the park's not too far away. We could go walking along a trail." There was a nice breeze outside and wasn't too hot. He reached into a drawer and took out a pair of sunglasses. He placed this over his face and put a navy blue bucket hat with drawstring on his head. It was one of his favorites because it had the image of a tropical red-blue frog on it. "Whenever you're ready."
 
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Blaine thought that perhaps a cookbook was an odd gift to give a friend. But, if it meant Josh was an alright cook, he supposed maybe he should buy Victoria a cookbook too. She was hopeless in the kitchen to the point that if their other friend Daisuke ever saw her step foot in one he would quickly chase her out as if her very presence was some sort of bad omen. Maybe it was. The only times Daisuke seemed to ever mess anything up was when she was around. Though Blaine had to also admit to himself that Victoria could be an imposing spectator. Sometimes when she would share the stage in Theater with him back in highschool, he would also find himself messing up from time to time.

“Man, I should write literally anything down ever. I used to be really organized. But somehow I convinced myself that I can just remember all my appointments and things I need to do. Which never ends up being the case.” he chuckled a bit, turning toward his bedside table. He grabbed his sunglasses as well, since he’d forgotten to this morning. He was in more comfortable clothes now too, good enough for walking a bit. “I could easily download some sort of scheduling app but I think for that stuff I prefer to have a planner, paper.” he paused. “I don’t actually super love cell phones.” he shook his head a bit. “Just seems like it distracts people too much. That’s why I liked being at camp so much. It felt like people really looked at you when they talked. Whereas in school or literally anywhere else, they just sort of mumble over the top of their phone or tablet screen.” he would follow Josh down to his car, he slid a twenty into the middle compartment for gas, they had taken a lot of drives in the past couple days and he didn’t want Josh to think he was a passenger freeloader.
Usually he wouldn’t really care to take the car but he didn’t know how far the trails were but also if there was an emergency it was always good to have a vehicle to go back to.

The trip was quiet, Blaine was beginning to recognize patterns in the music Josh played. He could recognize by now a couple bands by how their lead singer sounded - or just the feel of the song.

“Victoria keeps trying to persuade me to go with her to that party.” he smirked, not answering the text she’d sent before sliding his phone back into his pocket. It was still silent from church. He kept it that way in case she decided to double text. “I wonder how many parties I’ll have to refuse this semester. I hope it isn’t that many. It’s never super been my scene.” He looked out the window a bit at the passing buildings. This area definitely felt outside of the rest of the state. It seemed to have its own style, which Blaine liked. “I mean, people pay so much so come here for degrees and then spend half the time hungover and hooking up.” it didn’t make much sense to him. He definitely didn’t want to have to take classes twice. "Though I guess I wouldn't mind finding someone to hang out with..." he turned, trying to keep himself from blushing. He hadn't exactly said 'I'm the type to hook up' but he definitely wouldn't mind a date or something at least.

His eyes wandered back over to Josh after he was able to get his bearings, he couldn’t help but smirk wide when he looked at him too long. The bucket hat was more than adorable. It hadn’t been something Blaine would have thought Josh would wear. But he was learning that this particular man was full of surprises and he shouldn’t expect anything stereotypical.

The trail wasn't as far as he thought it was, It could have probably been a walk but walking to the trails you wanted to walk on sometimes just made for extra walking that he wasn't sure he'd felt up to. Parking was easy enough, not really any other cars around. "Which trail is this?" he asked, opening the door and stepping out into the hot Texas air. "Doesn't look like a lot of people are here. Nice!" he didn't mind that fact, and his cheery disposition would surely give that away. "I mean that in the least creepy way possible."
 
Josh offered his own take, "A hard copy works best because what if your phone is in the shop or need to save battery power? Of course, one still need to be able to understand what is written." Sometimes, he wrote something down hastily and people had difficulty understanding what he had written including himself. "I write more legible in Japanese though. All those summers I'd spent with my grandparents, and Grandpa Kent's parents when they were still with us, paid off. When I wasn't helping with chores or errands, I was to sit the table and practice my writing. Late afternoon, Grandpa would come home from his job at the post office and he would review my writing. I usually didn't meet his approval. If I did well, I could relax and go play or watch TV. If not, he would look at me and sit with me and tell me I must do better because I was Japanese and needed to communicate effectively in it as I went again. Why did he say nothing about my handwriting in English? He let my own parents handle that." A blush of shame, "Oh boy."

Josh was aware that he was changing clothes in front of Blaine, but he was in a hurry to go for that walk. Gone were the more formal wear of church which carried over into their time at the store. He put on tan cargo shorts and a light blue tee with an octopus on it before he put on his hat and sunglasses.

Looking at Blaine's hand slip him the $20 which caused Josh to raise an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting any compensation, and certainly not from Blaine, but he knew that it was important to earn money when the opportunity presented itself because he would eventually deplete what he had earned from working at the movie theater during the summer. Working a part-time job on campus made the most sense, but he was open to taking commission requests. His sole comment to Blaine about his thoughts, "Part of me is thinking about finding a campus job. Maybe at the campus coffee shop since it's like working the concession stand at the movie theater? Maybe do commissions so I can have greater flexibility. I think there's a jobs tab on RayWatch. Not the biggies like being a professor, but jobs for students like you and me."

Fletcher State Park wasn't too far because it was just a few blocks away, so Josh took the scenic route to prolong the journey. Speaking of Journey, that's what was playing currently. That band and others from the 80s provided an interlude between his J-Pop boy bands and movie soundtracks. Turning around the corner, "Same here. I don't want to disappoint people. They look at me and my physique and expect somebody like me to be a party animal, but I'm just not that type of animal though. I'm not wild either. I do have my moments, but those are rare. I do best with small and quiet groups."

They reached the parking lot and got out. Josh was glad that the clothes he was wearing breathed well, "I might be a native American Texan and used to the heat, but I enjoy the cold and being all snuggly in my coat." Blaine had asked him what trail this was. Josh's head moved to the left and to the right as if surveying the area, "Right. Not too many people here." There was a signpost which had several arrows. One led to the ranger station, another led to the bungalow that served as a modest nature museum with a large room for meetings and classes, the outdoor amphitheater where outdoor activities were sometimes held, bathrooms, and a few other places of interest like the picnic areas. Near the signpost was a map of the entire park. There were streams and a few ponds which enhanced the picturesqueness of the park; people could go fishing at the streams or visit the ponds to watch ducks. There was also a large open field where people could stargaze. He took a deep breath and sighed in contentment, "A sense of belonging."
 
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Blaine seemed to perk up mildly as they began to walk. “I like when forests get so thick that when you go into them during the day, it seems like night time. Kind of spooky if you’re alone but, I like to think about how small it makes me feel - or something.” he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck before looking at the path before them. “A lot more to do here than I thought, I wouldn’t mind coming back for some events or something. Back home, there’s this science museum with an omnitheater. It’s like a 90 foot giant domed screen they can show documentaries or footage or space on. It’s really cool.” he chirped excitedly, hopping from topic to topic as he tended to do when he was excitable.

He was quiet for a moment, not wanting to annoy Josh with chatting his ear off so early in the walk. After some silence he would clear his throat. He’d been thinking of home. “I think it would be cool to see you work at that Bakery, or a nice coffee shop. Then I could come bother you when you get bored at work.” he shrugged a bit. “Gives me a reason to be somewhere.” he laughed a little under his breath. “I’ve never really had a real job. I mean I guess I got paid to be a camp counselor. But, I dunno - never felt like work to me.” he let out a small sigh. “I guess because of my mom being who she is, I just didn’t see a point in working some retail job or something. Especially around where I live, they’d recognize me and bother me about her.” He looked along the edge of the path, noticing some plants he didn’t recognize. Which reminded him he’d have to brush up on the local plants and such later on. “Pft, look at me.” he waved vaguely in front of him. “You probably think I’m a total dork. Talking about the Omnitheater, Camp.” he chuckled, looking over at Josh briefly. Though the amount of time he was able to look at him grew shorter by the day. He didn’t want him to catch him blushing at all. “But you kinda seem a little dorky yourself too, huh?” he nudged Josh’s arm playfully with his shoulder.
 
Josh mused on what Blaine had said. "How did scientists put it if you compressed time into the span of a year?" He then chastised himself in Japanese, <Come on Ryo. You should know this. Your dad is a scientist.> Back to English, "Humans don't appear until the last day of the year. Not until the last hour. Not until the last few minutes of the year. If the span of the universe's life was a book, we wouldn't show up until the last page."

Upon hearing about the museum that Blaine mentioned, "We have several museums back home. I love visiting the planetarium at the Natural Science museum the most. There's another State Park with an observatory. Being in the city, not too many stars appear. In a small town like Sutter, we get to see way more stars than..." Josh shrieked in panic. He spotted a bee nearby which was flying closer and closer to him. He stood rigidly still because he was afraid that if he moved even slightly, the bee would perceive him and directly head to him quickly to sting. It wasn't that he was allergic. It was just that when he was five, he was teasing bees because he didn't know any better. He got stung and cried out in pain. He had learned his lesson but it left him eternally afraid of bees and wasps and hornets. Eventually the insect moved on and he was breathe in relief.

Josh said, "Yea, I think I'd work in the campus coffee shop because I think they'd be more flexible with student schedules. I think I'd still post requests for commissions. I've drawn a variety of things. I think I would start small because I've never done that before. The closest I've gotten is for our journal called Visions. It's a quarterly publication in which students and staff submit short stories and poems and art. My submission was a pair of dancing cupcakes in our school colors: black and purple. I have a whole series of anthro food.

Josh shook his heads, "Maybe, but then we all have our unique special quirks." His phone then started to ring. The ring tone? Weird Science by Oingo Boingo. Josh knew who it was and answered accordingly in Japanese, <HI Dad>. He moved off to the side of path so he wouldn't be in the way as he took the call. Some people who passed by gave him weird looks. I can't help being me. I look Japanese and I'm speaking Japanese, but my voice has a Texas twang to it.

Mr. Tomokazu Nakayama asked, <Just checking in to see how you and your roommate are getting along.> Josh's upbeat voice, <Blaine and I are in the park going for a walk before dinnertime. Not sure what we'll have, but something. Then early bed and begin our first day and week tomorrow.> Even though he and his parents had talked about it and it was common sense by now, he was cautioned about shifting even in the slightest degree. It would be difficult to explain and very dangerous. This secret was only known to the three of them and was to be shared with no one else. On a brighter note, Josh's dad also supported the idea of him finding work at the campus coffee shop or at the least finding something on campus. He was told to play to his strengths which was food and drawing. <I'll let you two get going. Talk to you later Ryota.> Josh answered, <Talk to you later Dad.> The call then ended.

Josh explained, "Dad called to check in how I was doing. I'm an only child and I've never been away from home this long." His stomach soon started to gurgle from need, "Almost time to eat. Hungry? Got anything in mind? If not, I could make a couple of sandwiches with the stuff we got from the grocery store."
 
Blaine took a quick mental note of the fact that Josh hoped to see stars. He’d been to a lot of meteor showers over the summer. But to be truthful, most of his nights had been spent out under the stars when weather permitted him to be outside of the cabin. It was only in late summer when his legs and arms started getting eaten up by mosquitoes that he chose to once again grace the presence of his cabin’s quarters.
Maybe they would find a reason to go out at night and look at the constellations together or something. Blaine started to think about the romantic undertones of such a thing when Josh’s cell phone rang.
He didn’t speak Japanese, but he could tell by Josh’s tone that it was a pleasant conversation. He seemed close to his parents after all. He’d have to remember to give his own mother a call before long. He’d guessed she was probably too busy with her newest season of television to remember to call him. She wasn’t a bad mother per se, just sort of forgetful. It didn’t bother him. At least not if he didn’t think about it too long.

The conversation ended quickly enough, and Blaine thought that it might be time to turn tail and start walking back towards the car. Seemed to be just in time, he was beginning to get peckish too. “Sometimes when I’m having fun I forget that I’m a human that needs to eat food.” he chuckled under his breath. “I don’t mind eating in our room. Probably best to get ready for tomorrow anyway. I’m kinda nervous.” he admitted with a shy half smile. “It’s nice that your parents worry about you. Guess they are a little nervous too.” He wondered what they were like in person, and thought maybe someday he’d meet them. People like Josh’s parents were sure to attend any school even they could. Or at least Blaine thought so. “I still haven’t even set up my computer fully or made sure I know where I’m supposed to go. God I’ll probably embarrass myself by walking in late to a few classes.” he worried aloud, thinking about the week to follow.

Getting back to the car seemed easy enough, though near the entrance to the trail Blaine began to feel his stomach churn uneasily. “I don’t know, I just have an odd feeling about this week. Worried I guess. Though maybe that’s just because it’s new?” he stood by the passenger door, sneaking one last glance at the woods. He felt like he was being watched, but he just attributed it to his worry about school. “I figure we can help each other with homework once in a while? I mean….” he trailed off with a shrug. “I won’t be annoying or anything of course. But, you know. I’d still like to hang out sometimes.” another flip of his stomach. For some reason his subconscious wouldn’t allow him to believe someone like Josh actually might want to hang out with him.
He ducked down into his seat and fastened the belt a little hastily. “I think I’m mildly panicking.” he laughed, waving off the lump in his throat. The emotion had come on so sudden, and seemingly without reason. “Don’t pay attention to me.” he looked out the window, his hands absently moving over one another nervously. "Tell me about some of your other favorite art pieces you've done? Maybe it'll distract me or something." his eyes didn't turn from the window, but it was obvious he was straining himself to remain positive.
 
Josh rubbed his torso, "All beings need to eat, but it is the human that has turned food into an artform. Sometimes, things look too good to eat. Humans have also turned eating into a game. Think of the yearly hot dog contest in New York or anyone of those food contests." A momentary chuckle, "My school did those lists like Most Unique Personality which Javier from Track got. Me? I got Most Likely To Win an Eating Contest. I never have, but sometimes I think about it. Horizon Street Barbeque has the Uncle Joe Challenge and the Pumpkin Parade around Halloween has a pie eating contest. Maybe I could do well in something like that. I burn through a lot of calories working out and doing other things." He did not specify what other things or the one specific thing. Making his face slightly wolfish, but recognizably human, hardly cost calories. Going full wolf? Lots of them. All that shifting of flesh and bone had to come with a larger price tag. In the privacy of his own room in his own home, he was free to appear as he wanted to, but there was that drawback. He was thankful that, since he was going to school here in Sutter and would need to be in full human form, he could eat more normally.

Josh nodded, "I'm an only and that's why they get concerned. They were upset when I they found out that I joined the football team. I didn't intend to join. It was just a spur of the moment thing. I just stood in line so I could support my friends. Coach Vaughn saw me and thought I wanted to play so he asked what position I was trying out for and I blurted running back. The rest is history. My folks were more disappointed by the fact that I joined than that I tried to keep it a secret. That first season was almost over by the time that they decided to attend any of my games. You wouldn't be able to tell that if you came to my house. They have a hutch of all my football memorabilia including a framed photo of me in my gear. My helmet and jersey are in my room with the former in a case and the latter in a frame on the wall."

Returning back tot he subject of dinner, "We could eat in the small lounge near our room. Sit in one of the booths there. Then back to the room to get ready for tomorrow and the week ahead." Almost back to Red Tundra, "It is the newness. New surroundings. New people. New routines." Turning his head to Blaine, "Sure, I'd like to hang out some more like this."

As Josh sat in the driver's seat and started the engine, "Other art pieces. First, I use traditional paper pad and instruments, but last year I got a tablet and have started to go digital. However, most of my stuff is still physical medium. What if the power goes out? Anyhow, I made a version of Saint Michael vs. Satan by reenvisioning the Archangel as a samurai slaying an oni. Do you like the movie Tron? I got one of me in gear worn on the Grid as seen in Tron Legacy. Few years back, I had a centaur craze. Any fantasy book that had one on the cover, I wanted. Had a bunch of dreams about being a centaur and then there were my drawings of me as a centaur. Got a whole slew of them. Most stuff I dream get turned into pictures. People write down their dreams. I draw them."

Soon, they returned to their room at Galvan Hall. Josh asked, "Set up your computer or eat first?"
 
Josh was rather good at distracting him it seemed. By the time they once again stood in their freshly decorated dorm room - Blaine felt better. Though he had to admit he was way hungrier than he thought. “Food first, Or I might be a bit of a bitch and no one wants that.” he chuckled. He hadn’t gotten too hot and sweaty on their little adventure but he still peeled out of the shirt he was wearing for a new one. This time he didn’t bother going into the bathroom for privacy. He didn’t figure his body was worth much ogling anyhow. This particular top was for some local band in California he’d seen a few times with Victoria. She’d wanted to bone the bassist and so, he’d been dragged along and found he actually didn’t mind them. It had their name ‘Haunted Pines” on the front and their logo, a Pine tree with a couple ghosts coming out of it in long whisps. The decal on the back glowed in the dark, so it was always a camp hit.

He sat at the edge of the bed, figuring Josh would handle lunch from their groceries in the fridge. It seemed he liked putting things together like that anyway.

He pulled out his phone, noticing a call and a text from Victoria. He opened the message to a couple of images of different outfits she’d laid out on her bed. (went shopping, which one will make me look hottest?)

She always seemed to like getting Blaine’s help with her party or date night outfits. (The little red dress.) He chose after looking them all over, the dress was velvet and complimented his friends skin tone perfectly.

He smirked, shaking his head at her constant planning and antics when it came to dating. Which was exactly what going to the party would be about for her. Finding boys. She hadn’t always been so boy crazy, back in high school she’d been relatively normal until 11th grade. Then it was if she’d been possessed by some demon and sentenced to always needing some popular guy on her arm for all eternity. But, never the same guy twice. “Victoria seems to be having a fine time at this school so far.” he pulled his legs up to sit criss-cross. “She must already be meeting all sorts of dates and whatever.” he leaned forward, his elbow resting on his leg and his chin rusting in his palm as he watched Josh. “I’m pretty content though to hang out here with you. She’d be dragging me all over hell otherwise.”
 
Josh offhandedly replied, "Same here, except I turn into a beast." That wasn't quite exact because it was contradictory, but the usage of the word beast seemed to parallel Blaine's comment. The truth was that if he was as hungry the way Blaine descried, he would need to remain in the form he was in because shifting in a more significant degree naturally consumed a larger degree of calories. "Mom says I'm always hungry. Dave would joke that I would probably eat a stick of dynamite if I got hungry enough. I like spicy, but not that strong. Middle of the Scoville is as high as I'll go like Cayenne pepper level."

Josh had noticed Blaine without his shirt on. His sole comment, "I could change shirts, but I think I'll hold off until it's time to hit the sack. He didn't know of Haunted Pines, but the shirt seemed interesting.

After washing his hands meticulously like a doctor preparing for surgery, Josh approached the fridge. Opening the fridge, Josh got out the foodstuffs needed and put them in a sack. He turned his head to Blaine, "I'm going to make us a pair of turkey clubs. Be right back."

He headed to the nearby kitchenette and laid out his supplies. Sourdough bread, the turkey got at the deli counter, bacon, lettuce, tomato, others. He stacked them up and sliced them using a plastic knife because he didn't want there to be an issue with dorm management. It was slow and hard work, but he was able to get the instrument to cut. He put the foodstuffs back in the sack. Entering the room once more, "Dinner is served." Josh placed one paper plate of turkey club in front of Blaine and sat next to him with his own plate. "Oh! Drinks. He got up again to get a bottle of root beer and got Blaine what he asked for. He sat back down, "I like hanging out with you here like this."

Further discourse on his artwork, "A good portion of my drawings is fanart. Heard of Saint Seiya? I got about a lot of drawings based on that show and several are those of Cygnus Hyoga." Josh's eyes got glazy, "He was always my favorite." He snapped out of his fond haze and blushed, "Well a dude can fantasize about fake guys, can't he?" He bit into his crafted sandwich and smiled as he chewed. After swallowing, "I really want to take you home with me so that you can experience my cooking. Houston's three hours away. If we go, it'll have to be an overnight stay to make the most out of the visit."

Eventually, the sandwich dinner was over. Josh said, "I'll clean up. Just sit right there while I dispose of this. Don't want any 'friends' visiting." He didn't need to explain what he meant.

Josh next busied himself by getting his school stuff ready. He went over his texts, notebooks, and binders to sort them out along with pens and pencils. Each of his binders had one of his pictures inside of the plastic sleeves on the front and back. He opened his closet and took out a backpack. While his peers might have gotten their backpacks from a bigbox store, he got his at the military surplus store. A few years ago, his parents and grandparents had gone to Galveston for a day trip a few years back and his mother had mentioned that his backpack was fraying and needed a replacement soon. Grandpa Kent took the young man to the military surplus store. Josh came out with a brand new tactical backpack in army green.

That was done and it was time for the wardrobe game. Josh paused in front of his closet and sighed, "You want to know when was the last time I wore regular clothes to school?" He took his hand and tried to measure how tall he was at the time, "I was in the fourth grade. Starting fifth grade, it was uniforms all the way." After much deliberation, he settled on a purple Henley style sort and tan cargo pants. "Now I can get changed for bed since I don't plan on heading out the door until tomorrow.

He opened his dresser and took out a pair of grey gym shorts and now it was time for the embarrassing part, "Well, as I said, Dave meant well." He showed Blaine the half dozen crop tops that his teammate had given him as a coming out gift before putting all but one back in. "Said I needed to advertise myself. Take this one for example." It was black with white letting in the Varsity font used for letterman jackets. The lettering spelled out the word Jock. He put it on and said, "See? At least they fit me well. Not too loose and no too tight. Just right." He departed for the bathroom before he came back out to spend some time meditating. "Be back in a sec."
 
Blaine mock cheered as Josh got the food together. He was a bit ravenous by the time the food was put down in front of him. But he was still somewhat of a gentleman and would eat normally. “Honestly, I haven’t seen much of anything.” he shrugged with a smile. “You have a lot to show me, I’m a blank slate.” he laughed, opening the can he’d been handed. “My mom has her TV show but I filled my time with so many extracurriculars that I barely have had time to watch it.” he admitted. “But, fantasizing about fake guys I know all about! Even if it’s mostly characters from Shakespeare plays and stuff like that.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at the way that must sound to someone who’d never seen many play adaptations. “There weren’t exactly many real guys I cared to fantasize about. I mean always the stray one or two. Usually the artistic brooding type because I didn't want to get my ass beat for looking at any Jocks but….” he shrugged the notion off.

When Josh said he wanted to take Blaine to Houston he felt his heart skip a beat. He swallowed his half chewed food hard. “Oh.” and here he thought Josh was only being nice and friendly because they were roommates. Maybe he did actually want to be real friends, too. At this point Blaine knew his crush likely wasn’t going away. But he also didn’t exactly want to make it Josh’s problem just yet. “I’d love to go, whenever we can.” he finished his food and nodded thankfully to Josh when he got rid of the trash.

He sat tight as Josh rummaged through his closet. But when the crop top was busted out and slid over the muscular boy's fine head of hair Blaine felt himself stop breathing. “I’m gonna off myself.” he muttered under his breath too low for a human to hear. He could feel his entire body likely blushing, he drew his knees up against his chest and buried his face in them. “I’m gay not blind. Damn, dude!” he laughed, knowing he couldn’t hide the blood rushing to his face and Josh would definitely take notice. He couldn’t play this one cool like the other times he’d stared too long. He wasn’t sure if Josh was being flirty. It seemed like he would have done this in front of anyone. He was just friendly like that, and unashamed from what Blaine could tell. Though he thought perhaps the fact he was gay as well might make Josh even more comfortable than normal. “Hell of an advertisement.” he muttered to himself, finally getting up to go fix up his computer.
He was almost glad he left the room so he had time to compose himself before he returned.
 
Josh grinned, "That's another thing we have in common. We have mothers who appear on TV. Mine doesn't have a show though. She's interviewed every now and then. Assistant District Attorney stuff and" he became quiet, "that's all I'm able to say." It wasn't that he was embarrassed, it was just Mary Nakayama wouldn't and couldn't disclose anything about the cases she was working on until the work was done. "I've been on TV myself once which was when our team won state last year. First time the Ravens won state for the first time in nine years. Got close a couple years before though."

Josh smiled deeply, "It's a deal, but I'd want to go as soon as possible. It'll just nag and nag on me if we don't. This coming weekend, I suppose? I know there's that party but..." He just didn't know how to end that sentence. He simply shrugged his shoulders.

Josh was familiar with Blaine's reaction because he had seen it before. I can't help the way I look. Dave had once offered the type of sagely advice that only he could provide, "What are you going to do? Dress like a slob? I'd like to think I know you well by now. You wash your hands frequently and you do the night mask thing. You just keep doing that if you want and keep wearing what you like to wear. Within reason of course. Shouldn't go parading around in that speedo of yours through the grocery store. Yea, think it like that. You wear one while all of us wear trunks and you don't give it a second thought. Just be who you are and don't feel guilty about it." He took his teammate's advice and decided that he could embrace being a hunk without acting like he was full of himself.

In the privacy of the locked bathroom, Josh visited the toilet one last time today. After flushing, he stopped at the mirror. Brush teeth, floss teeth, use mouthwash, and spit it out. He opened the door and turned off the light.

Taking his phone and sitting down on the floor, Josh crossed his legs. He wasn't sure what Blaine would think so he said, "I'm going to do my meditating. I do this usually before I go to bed." He pressed a button on his phone to select the appropriate playlist, "My cousin Daisuke volunteers at a local shrine in Ibaraki and he was able to hook me up with a CD of suitable music and chanting." Serene sounds filled the dorm room for about 15 minutes. His eyes are closed as he's in the zone until his phone started to buzz and play Julius Fucik's Entrance of the Gladiators. Solemnity greatly clashed with the silliness. He sighed because he knew who was on the other end. Just like Beetlejuice. I say his name too many time's and he comes calling. He swiped the phone readying himself for whoever might be on the other end, "Hello?"

Kermit the Frog said, "Good evening. Is Josh Nakayama there?" Josh blushed as he looked at Blaine. What must be going through his mind. His eyes returned to the phone, "Hi Kermit. How are you today?" The esteemed muppet answered, "Oh. I can't complain. Everyone at the theater's doing just fine and I'm getting ready for my date with Miss Piggy. I think she will enjoy my new cologne. It's called Swamp Water Serenade. You?" Josh kept a straight face, "Doing my meditation thing. Before I hit the sack. I want to be optimal for my first day of school." Kermit said, "I'll let you go and now presenting: David Preston Dewberry. Yaaay!!!"

David Dewberry returned to his real voice, "Heard from the Archmage that you got an awesome roommate. He thinks you two make a wonderful match. So I asked him how he came to that conclusion and he told me tarot. That and he just has a hunch." There was a voice in the background which sounded suspiciously like Yoda's, "Used the Force, the Archmage did." Oh, God. Here I though one was enough for the world. Josh asked, "Roommate?" Dave is exuberant, "Yea. Isn't it wonderful. He's Carter Donner and he does voices too. Not into football like me, but knows comedy like the back of his hand. Just like me. We've been watching the Three Stooges all evening. The distant regular voice of Carter, "Those men were geniuses." A Curley impression follows, "Geniuses I tells, ya. Geniuses. Nyuk, nyck, nyck." Dave said, "Well, I'll let you go and glad you're doing superb. Night night Blaine." The call then ended.

Josh sighed, "Well, that's Dave for you."
 
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When Josh’s meditation began Blaine quietly and politely walked to the bathroom, gently closing the door behind him. He went about his own night routine which did involve a couple face exfoliators and cleansers before returning to the room, and rummaging through his closet for some pajama pants to change into. Like before he changed in the room. Josh was meditating anyway, so he didn’t feel embarrassed.

He’d only just settled into bed, scrolled a bit on social media when the phone across the room startled him a bit. It was a direct contrast from the calming music that had been filling the room. He smiled as Josh spoke to his friends, turning away a bit when he was mentioned to hide his bigger smile that had crept up on his face.

When the call ended he chuckled. “Well, I like them. I wouldn’t have minded having goofy friends like those over the ones I did have.” he sort of half shrugged, settling back down into his pillows. “Most of the friends I had were either catty popular girls or theater kids that saw me as competition. I mean, you see who my best friend is. Victoria is a nice girl….sort of. But, I’m not sure she’s a deep friend that I feel super comfortable with. We can talk about things like crushes and I’ve spent more nights with her than I have anyone else on planet earth but…” he trailed off a bit. “I thought maybe friendship is just like that, you know? Maybe it isn’t as deep as I want it to be. Maybe surface things are all you get.” he turned over to face the wall. A small sigh escaped. “I feel like I’m just walking on a different plane of existence than everyone else sometimes. I play the parts I’m supposed to but do I really feel them? I dunno.” he was silent for a second before chuckling. “Sorry, haha - I get a little existential when I’m sleepy I guess.” He looked over his shoulder just a bit, to see if Josh had that expression some people tended to have towards him that said only one thing ‘I think you’re nuts’.
 
Josh climbed onto his bed, "Forming friendships has been a hit or miss for me. Just a few other Asians in my grade and none who were also Japanese. My mom and my Uncle Kunio had the same problem. It's how he picked up Spanish; he always hung out with his Hispanic classmates. I've already mentioned Brett. Our friendship has been going on since our diaper days. By the way, I’m going to clue you in on certain things about him especially in light of Dave's call. I know we just met, but if we're going to be buddies and maybe more, I wanted you to know in case you meet him. First, his feathers aren’t so easily ruffled. He’s patient and understanding. Angry? You do not want to see him angry. Second, never talk about or show him clowns or jesters or mimes because he’s a clown phobe. Dave once offered to dress Brett as a clown to help get him over his fear. Yeah, that worked about as well as you would think. Lastly, although he and his family live a middle-class lifestyle, the extended McPherson family is one of affluence.”

Josh lay on his side as he intently listened to Blaine and was quiet util his roommate finished his discourse, “No need to apologize for being philosophical. Sometimes I feel that way. In life, we wear masks. Sometimes, we wear a public face that differs from the one we wear in our private lives. Look at me. If someone saw my picture wearing regular clothes, they would consider me one way. If they saw me in my gear, they would think something else. If they saw me making out with a guy, which I’ve not done just so you know, other thoughts. We keep our true selves hidden. Sometimes even from ourselves. Took me awhile to admit to myself that I was gay and wasn’t just looking at guys to compare myself with them. Then came the moment I decided to come out during this summer. I was afraid. ‘There’s the freak.’ I was lucky to have supportive family and friends. There are those who don’t, and my story could easily have been like theirs. There were those that had their suspicions, and I think this is why they were ready to accept. They had been preparing themselves.”

Josh sat up, “You know, I think you and Brett would get along. He likes talking about metaphysics and other philosophies. Just a few of his interests outside of football and computers.” He leaned over the side of his bed and took out a notepad and a pen. He asked looking at Blaine, “Before I go to bed, I’m going to jot down possible meals by thinking when we’d get into town and how long it’d take to make. We’d get to my place sometime after 6pm and definitely by 7pm. Got any food allergies or dietary restrictions I should know about? I can accommodate and modify.”

After Blaine tells Josh, he set pad and pen to the side, “Tomorrow, I’ll let my folks know that I’ll be dropping by and bringing you with me. I’ll have to so the food can be bought before we arrive.” He looked at his phone to make sure his alarm was set. "I got about eight hours of sleep before I wake up at 6am. The bulk of my classes are in the morning. Just a couple afternoon ones and finished by 2pm, more or less.” He took out a sleep mask from his dresser drawer and slid it over his face. “Time to hit the sack, Blaine. I will see you in the morning. Night night.” He snuggled against the sheets and pillow. Soon, he was adrift in the seas of slumber.
 
“But if we are going to be buddies, Maybe more….” Blaine felt lucky he was settled in for bed so he didn’t have to hide his wide eyes facial expression. Maybe he wasn’t actually crazy. Not about how they had been interacting lately anyhow. He hadn’t been explicitly flirtatious with Josh on purpose. But he couldn’t hide his attraction for him every time. He knew Josh wasn’t a fool and had caught onto his little crush by now. But what he hadn’t expected was to be filed away in his roommate's brain in the ‘maybe more’ file.
“I don’t particularly like clowns either. I appreciate them in a classical context but today’s circus clowns? No thank you.” he chuckled, burrowing deeper into his blankets. Brett sounded like a nice guy. Especially nice if he was best friends with Josh and had done nothing wrong to lose that title since Diapers. “I look forward to meeting him.” he muttered after the fact, his eyes dancing along the posters on his wall idly as he tried to relax a bit more from the excitement of the day. Maybe he should begin meditating like Josh.

After their little philosophical talk he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, at least temporarily. It seemed Josh, and those within his circle would be good friends to him. Whether they ended up as an actual item or not.

“Oh, no. I’m one of the lucky guys. Can eat anything and I’m not afraid to try new things either.” he shrugged, peeking over his shoulder one last time to catch a glance of the other boy settling in for the night as well. “Night.” he murmured back gently. He was certainly able to get to sleep quickly after that. The day had been full - had even managed to wear him out a little bit. So he slept without too much trouble. But despite that - it was still incredibly easy for him to wake up at the smallest sound or shift in the room. Though, being here in the dorm rooms didn’t really make a difference with that fact. He was the same at home too.

The morning seemed to come all too soon. He was groggily sitting up and stretching before his brain could even really process where he was. When it hit him he felt like groaning. Of course he was excited to hang out with Josh the past few days but now the reality was hitting him that hanging out with Josh and continuing to be his roommate meant actually going to classes and doing school work again. He couldn’t help but admit to himself he’d enjoyed the break since high school ended. Getting up he went over to his closet. It was unusual for him not to pick out an outfit meticulously the night before. He must have been so distracted talking to Josh that he’d forgotten. The thought made him smile a bit.
He grabbed what he wanted before hiding away in the bathroom for a few minutes. He wouldn’t take too long - the fact he was sharing the space with someone else was not lost on him. He was mindful about cleaning up after himself and putting his things back in his little bathroom bag. He didn’t want to be in the way in most cases.

He had chosen a pair of black dress pants and a sage green button up. He was in theater courses. So naturally they wanted you to dress up a little bit. He didn’t mind. Half his wardrobe was formal due to his Mother’s influence anyway.

After his bathroom needs were finished he came back out into the room, looping his belt through their loops as he walked. The light jingling of the metal end of the belt could be heard as he walked back to the bed to sit down. It took a little rummaging from under the bed but he managed to find his nicer dress shoes and put those on at a slower pace. He liked to have time to drink coffee and eat in the morning - which meant getting ready quickly was a must. Though he doubted he’d be getting the quality of coffee he was used to back home this morning.

He looked down, observing himself. His bracelets caught his notice and he started to remove them, they didn’t exactly go with his current outfit anyway. Reaching up he realized he’d slept in his shell necklace as well. A terrible habit he had yet to break. He tended to sleep in his jewelry more often than not. Probably something carried over from camp.
He took it all off, feeling a bit naked in the process.
He let out a little sigh. Not one of discontent really, but - one that said he’d probably still rather be asleep.
 
Josh clenched his fists and shook them eagerly with glee, “Excellent.” He jotted some ideas and said, “Tomorrow, I’ll present three dinner ideas, and you just select one. Regardless, we’ll have either a mixed berry tart or my OOCC. It depends on when we get in.” Possibilities and optimism about what the weekend would hold lulled him to sleep.

***Monday***
Josh's alarm bleeped at the predestined time. He did not want to get up, but as John Silver said in Treasure Island, "Duty is duty." He might have entertained the idea of heading to the gym for a bit, return to the room to shower, and then out to head to class. However, he was leery about the time. Although he had the time, today was the first day of class and he wanted to make sure he got the timing right to see if he could incorporate a workout in the morning. Besides, there was a reason why I put most of my classes in the morning. I get to have the afternoon to work out and do homework. However, if he got a little job on campus, that would require a reapportion of hours. I'm just one person even though I have extra endurance thanks to my wolf self. Still, he couldn’t just loaf and take his time before it was really time to get ready for class. He headed to the bathroom to make a brief stop before he started his day.

Josh put on a different pair of shorts and left a note for Blaine saying that he was going for a jog. He put his keys and ID in a pocket in the cargo shorts he had on and secured it with a zipper. He left the building and set his watch for twenty minutes. Twenty forward and twenty back. Deciding on going right, he put the pedal to the metal. He had inherited his mother's quickness which served him well on the gridiron; she did track in high school. There were only a few out at this hour. It was times like this he wished werewolves were known to humanity. If they were, I would shift to my full wolf form and run this path on all fours. He imagined himself wearing running clothes appropriate for that form.

After his run, he returned to the room. He ate one of the muffins that he got from Leitner and enjoyed it. Could use some protein. He resolved to get some sausage kolaches from there sometime this week. Their bakery had two full cases solely devoted to kolaches of various types. He got his canister of protein powder and mixed it with water. After a stir, he guzzled it down with audible gulps. The powder was serviceable at this time of the day, but there was nothing like protein from actual food. There was nothing like raw meat, which his stomach could process like the animals that people called wolves, but that was treated as a treat. Even rarer was prey in the wild. He cleaned up the food and properly disposed of the refuse; toss the wrapper and wash his bottle.

Josh put his selected clothes on the bed and headed to the bathroom to shower. He let the warm water cascade over his body and his nostrils took in the scent of the soap and shampoo. It was rich. It was intoxicating. Having heightened senses only added to the allure. He rinsed and dried and stepped out of the bathroom in just his underwear; they were trunk briefs. Boxers were unknown to his body.

If Blaine wondered where he was heading, Josh had his entire school schedule right by his calendar which had other dates and times of importance. He got dressed and headed out the door to the academic mall. It was shaped like a rectangle. On one side were four buildings containing classrooms and lecture halls. On the other side were four similar buildings. On one of the remaining sides was the library and on the remaining side was the community center which had the cafeteria, bookstore, and the coffee shop that he might find work at.

He approached the door where his first class was: the eternal nemesis known as mathematics. He wasn't that he was poor in that subject. He did well, the B range, but he disliked it. It felt so lifeless to him. As he entered the door, a Latino of honey beige complexion was trying to get inside the room at the same time. This other male was narrow-shouldered, and his musculature was minor as if only to provide locomotion. His hair was in a buzz cut and he wore glasses with thin rectangular frames. Their bodies nearly collided which left the other blushing. Entering the room, they sat down. The other male sat on his left and looked at Josh again for a long second before looking at his binder for even a longer second. It was a headshot of him as a Warcraft styled orc.

Math had mercifully ended quickly it seemed and he went to the next class and then the one after. It was time for lunch, and he headed to the cafeteria. There were several choices. There was a burger and sandwich station, a salad bar station, a pizza station, and an entree section. He studied each and decided on the entree section where got a portion of the chicken lasagna with green beans. He took his meal and a drink and headed to the dining room. It was an open area but had a couple of private areas. One was in the main open area, and one was in the sunroom in the back. He chose to sit in the corner facing the hallway.

"May I sit here?" Josh looked up and there was the guy that he nearly ran into. Josh found the request odd since there were plenty of other seats available. This guy deliberately chose to sit here with me. He didn't have the heart to deny. I'm just not that type of person. Josh held out his hand to indicate permission. The other male reached out with unsure hand, "Santiago Rios. Sorry about earlier." Josh shook his head and took the hand, “Josh Nakayama and no need to say sorry. I was eager to get it over with." Santiago asked, "You don't like math either?" Josh shook his head, "Not at all. I'd rather jump into a vat of centipedes than do math. I do well though." Santiago said, "That's an awesome orc drawing I saw on your binder." Josh replied, "Thanks." His meal companion said, "I'd like to find whoever did that if you know who they are. I write fantasy and sci-fi stories and was interested in an illustration or two to go with them. Know how I can reach them?" Josh said, "You've already found him. That's me."

Josh had a truncated portfolio contained in a half inch binder. He cleaned his hands well and opened the binder up. His drawings were all in plastic sleeves. Santiago’s eyes got wide, “¡Qué bien! They’re like comic book quality and these characters are very imaginative. An anthro gorilla dressed like the Man With No Name? Never seen anything like that.” Josh nodded, “Thanks again. I’ve been drawing for years and years.” Santiago said, “We should get together sometimes. I’m in Room 134. I need to get ready for my afternoon classes. I’m a PoliSci major with an International Studies minor. In high school, I was a member of the World Club. It's a club for those interested in foreign relations.”

Josh took the last couple of courses for the day and headed to the gym for the real workout which helped immensely. Yet another shower and then the inevitable winddown including dinner in the cafeteria with Blaine and homework.

Back in the room, he presented the three meal choices to Blaine as a form of menu that he wrote on an index card. Option one, okonomiyaki-Hiroshima style. Sorry Daisuke, I prefer that over Osaka style. Option two, chicken spaghetti with spicy marinara with a garden salad. Option three, grilled salmon with risotto and roasted Brussels sprouts.

Soon, it was time for bed and it was the end of the first school day.

***Tuesday***
A day devoted to the sciences which put Josh at ease. He was his father’s son after all, and the sciences had been his favorites for years. During lab, which was in the afternoon, he was paired with a friendly guy. His name was Declan Cosgrove. His voice had noticeably British, “I’ll answer to Declan, but I prefer to be known as Flynn which is my middle name. Been here in the States for six years with my parents and older brother Horatio. Before that, we lived in Reading in England.” Flynn was a Black male of medium dark brown skin and had a swimmer build, “I do water polo. I’m here studying to become a marine biologist. Awesome Rikuo art you got there on your binder, by the way. You did that?” Josh nodded, “Yup. You’re one of the few who recognize him. Jon Talbain for me.” Flynn said, “I play Rikuo. Darkstalkers doesn’t much press as other fighting games. I’m a fan of fish people like him and merfolk. Hey, you need a workout partner? I’m looking for one.” Josh said, “I’d be interested. What room are you in?” Flynn said as they parted at the end of class, “Room 134.” Josh was stupefied. Huh. Same room as Santiago?

Josh also discovered that Tauber U has an Asian Student Association. The group was small but dedicated. He signed up and committed himself to attending the weekly meeting at 7pm as much as possible

That evening, Josh had sent a message to his parents that he was planning to come by for a visit that Friday because he and Blaine had talked. Josh said that he was interested in making a meal for his new roommate. They said it was perfectly fine for them. He then texted a grocery a grocery list. Homework and then bed. The end of the day.

***Wednesday***
Santiago again and one of the first things he said when they met up again, “I thought your name was familiar. You played football for St. Isidore?” Josh nodded, “I did.” His new friend said, “I’m from Houston too. I went to St. Albertus Magnus.” Josh nearly let out a snort of derision because the Miners were the Ravens chief rivals. We called them Sammies. Rather, he raised an eyebrow. Santiago said, “I don’t mind because I never followed sports. Besides, we’re both Tapirs now.” The two young men smiled as Josh replied, “We sure are.” Santiago asked, “Can I ask a question?” Josh said, “You did, but you may ask another.” His new friend asked after a grin, “How come you didn’t go on to play college ball?” Josh said, “I wanted to concentrate more on my studies.” While this part was true, he was also worried that he would be tempted to rely more on his nature as a werewolf to level the playing field. I can do high school ball as a man, but college? Too risky, and I would have proven my parents right. Still, there must be werewolves out there who did and who went on play at the professional level. I wish I knew. The only wolf I know of is the one I see in the mirror each day.

During lunchtime they were joined by Flynn. Santiago said, “Flynn, this is Josh.” Flynn smiled, “We’ve met yesterday. We’re taking the same classes. You want to be one of those CSI people.” Josh said, “That’s right.” The three had a lively talk and they found that they had much in common. Specifically, they enjoyed classic movies. Even more so if they were monster movies.

A couple more classes, gym time, dinnertime with Blaine. Eventually, homework and then bed. The end of that day.

****Thursday***
Brett Philippe McPherson was having a mixed time at LSU. He arrived early because of football. He liked his new teammates, but he missed his Ravens. He especially missed Ryo with whom he was the closest. He spent his alone time by walking the streets of Baton Rouge and had even taken in a show at a local theater. He enjoyed it here and it helped him get more in touch with his French heritage. He had taken the language during all four years of high school and would continue to take it as part of the core curriculum. He counted the days from the time he arrived until the time that the campus would liven with others. Sometimes it was just too quiet. Sometimes he would talk to himself. He would even speak the bit of Japanese that he had picked up from associating with his best buddy just so he could retain what he had. He imagined himself being fully trilingual. It would be an asset to McPherson Enterprises.

Finally, the day arrived. It was the day that Brett was to meet his roommate. He wondered what kind of guy the roommate would be. He hoped that the roommate also enjoyed working out, but was of a temperament that he was confident that he could get along with anyone. Just as long as he doesn’t come in dressed like a clown. His hunky body shuddered. No. Just no. The door starts to unlock. He straightened up. This is it.

This is certainly going to be interesting. Coming in was a narrow-shouldered White guy with hair the color of rust. The other’s body seemed very flexible. Yoga perhaps? Although Brett presented a friendly face, the other became timid as soon as he saw him. That did not stop Brett from trying to extend an olive branch. With the most pleasant and nonthreatening smile he could muster, he presented his hand to say, “I’m Brett McPherson. Nice to meet you.” The other guy slowly reached out, “Mal…Mal…Malcolm Thibodeaux.”

Over the following days, the two hardly spoke with one another. Brett had tried to establish a dialogue with Malcolm, but his roommate had remained shy. All he got out of him was good morning and good night. Even then, Brett had initiated and always initiated. Malcom was merely responding. It was clear that he intimidated Malcolm with his physique. Whatever happened to him in school, it must have been traumatic enough to make him leery of guys like me. He thought that Malcolm would request a transfer, but he remained here. Brett decided that he would accommodate, be friendly, and wait his roommate was ready to open up. What assuaged the silence that they weren’t in the room together too much.

This evening, he was in their room by himself. He was already dressed for bed. He had a sleeveless tee with the logo of his favorite gym and plain teal gym shorts. He was working on his homework for Introduction to Programming and Computer Science. It was mind-numbing but it was a necessary course. Aw, come on. I’m the guy who created a text computer game based on Macbeth. Oops, I mean The Scottish Play. His eyes darted to and fro nervously as expected some great calamity. I’m zoned out and I need a break. I suppose I could go to bed, but I’m not tired.

It was getting late, and Malcolm was not here. He saw this as his roommate’s typical behavior so far. Just to minimize interaction with me. The door opened and Malcom came in and he seemed to be in a hurry. At this time? It’s 10pm. Brett’s quiet eyes followed and wondered what his roommate was up to. Malcolm rummaged through the dresser drawer and attempted to hide what he got out. He asked, “What do you got there?”

Malcolm was startled enough to drop what he had. Cards fell to the floor which caused Brett’s mouth to curve into a smile. Are those what I think they are? “You play the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game?” Malcolm stooped down to pick up. Defensively, “Yea. I do. I found a couple of guys who play and I’m going.”

This is the break I needed. Brett stood up, “I’ll go with you.” A scathing, “You play? You?” A chuckle, “Of course I do. Maybe a dozen times? I'm a busy guy so I don't get to play too much. Besides, I don't know anyone who plays and I couldn't get my bros into it. I participated in a tournament once though and I had a blast." Malcolm said, “If that’s true, answer these questions.” Brett was faced with five questions about the game ranging from the rules to the cards. Like the repudiation of Cliff Notes, these could only be answered by those who had more than passing knowledge, Brett passed the quiz. He took out a plastic case from his closet. Out from the case, his own deck. A decision was made by Malcolm, “Sure then. This is certainly going to be interesting.”

On the way to the common room where the late night game was going to be held, Malcolm apologized for how he had treated Brett so far. Brett being Brett, “It’s nothing. What’s in the past is in the past. What matters is where we go from here.”

They talked the entire time to catch up. Brett was glad that there were other things that they had in common besides having the same haircut and playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game. They spoke French; his roommate was a Cajun. Brett said, "My great-grandparents only spoke French. Those would be my mom's maternal grandparents. When I was much younger, we would go visit them every summer. Dad and I couldn't talk to them. We'd just nod, smile and hug. Mom did most of the talking but even then, just limited. I had a lightbulb moment when I got to high school and chose to do French. I'm able to speak with them now. They were delighted when I was finally able to speak with them directly and each year, they've remarked about my improvement. I'm continuing to take French here." Malcolm said, "I'm the first one in my family to go to college and to actually leave town." They discovered that they both enjoyed Theater. For Brett's part, "The only time I'm on stage is during the annual talent show, but I will help with set design and construction. I don't like to brag, but my singing is out of this world. They call me the Singing Quarterback. Last year, my girlfriend Jocelyn and I sang the title song from Phantom of the Opera. We even dressed the part." For Malcolm's part, "I do yoga, but that's more of a fitness thing, and ballet. Other guys would tease me about it and make crude jokes, but I'm really good at it. Super flexible too." Brett nodded with grim face, "That's awful and I'm sorry you were treated like that." Malcolm smiled at him for the first time, "First play of the season's the Tempest and I'm going to audition for Prospero. Help me rehearse?" Brett smiled, "You got it dude."

Within a couple of hours, Friday greeted the world.
 
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Blaine headed off to his first few classes. They were luckily English and Stage Management. So he’d not had too much trouble. He didn’t really make any new friends or put himself in the position to make them. He sat at the front of the class and took notes. Victoria had found another friend group she’d ditched him for. But he was used to these periods of time. It wasn’t the first time she’d found a passing fancy. It probably had to do with one of the straight boys in the course that she would deem ‘leading man material.’ Though she was there for fashion, it seemed she’d been able to sneak in a few theater courses to count as artistic credits.

By the time he got back to the room and he and Josh settled enough to speak about their impending dinner - he felt a sense of relief to be back in the room.
He wouldn’t confess to Josh he’d struggled to put himself out there.
It was odd anyhow, for him. He usually found himself so social and people tended to be drawn to him. But here, he felt a little out of his element. He decided on the Salmon. It seemed the easiest. Though he told Josh he’d have to bring him back to Houston before long to try the Japanese dish.

The rest of the week was much the same for him. He’d go to classes, then during lunch sit outside under some shady tree to eat. One of the days an art student by the name of Flora joined him. She was small, a petite frame and slightly tanned. Her dark brown hair - almost black, running in cascading curls down her back. Seemed she was having trouble fitting in too.
He was able to drag some information from her over the course of the week. She was originally from Italy, and moved during her freshman year of high school to Oregon. She seemed to miss Italy very much, which Blaine could understand. Her village sounded beautiful. She began to open up more near Friday, showing him her portfolio and teaching him a few Italian words.
His actual Acting class was the last class he had for Friday. That finished before lunch and he was free for the rest of the day. He and Flora decided to wander out into the town. She had a two person Vespa and resolved herself to take them to the bakery he’d told her Josh had brought him to before. She’d been missing any type of food that wasn’t cafeteria food. Though they both had to admit the food at school wasn’t actually bad.

They were a quiet duo. Only talking when they had something that mattered to say. Flora wasn’t the small talk type, it seemed. Blaine was just happy to have company. Even if that meant he did most of the talking when it so happened he had something to say. He had already confided in her about his crush on his room mate, how with each dinner they had together he felt closer to him. How he wasn’t sure the trip to his parents was a good idea. He might like him too much for something like that - and though Josh said they might end up more, he didn’t really know how to propel things to the next stage. Or even how to muster courage to ask him on an actual date. Flora seemed to think the trip to his family home was the date. But Blaine wasn’t so sure. She told him he should dress nice just in case it was.

Which led him to where he currently stood, in front of his dresser staring at clothes. He felt a prick of tiredness from his first week of classes, but it wouldn’t be enough to deter him from the weekend trip. He got his smaller suitcase from under the bed and opened it up, procrastinating his choice further. He would need his bathroom things packed, some pajamas. . . those things were easy. He doubted Josh even really cared what he wore but - meeting his parents seemed somewhat important and he wanted to make a good impression on them. He packed two pairs of dress pants, one black one dark brown. Then a basic light blue button up, as well as a white one. Then two belts and undergarments. That way he’d have choices when it came to it. He also packed a couple camp shirts and jeans in case he would need them for any reason. He would change into a pair of nice black jeans, a silk dark red shirt - almost the color of wine and a gold encrusted belt. He went into the bathroom to take his time doing his hair. He even put the tiniest bit of black liner on his eyes to make their sage green color pop almost supernaturally. He found the dress shoes he’d worn before and put them on. He knew it would be a few hours before they actually left but he was anxious. Talking with Flora during the week about his growing feelings for his room mate made him all the more nervous. Maybe he’d be more direct with Josh about possibly going on a date… if this wasn’t one, already. He paused, chuckling to himself in the empty room. He realized he was pacing like a teenage girl in a coming of age movie. Worried about whether or not her crush liked her back. He shook his head with a wide grin. He sat down at his desk, toying around with his email app and social media to pass time.
A chat bubble with Victoria popped up in the corner.

V: So you’re definitely not coming to the party?
B: No, I have plans with Josh.
V: I guess you get a pass for that, he’s pretty hot. I don’t blame you for wanting to hole up in your bedroom.
B: It’s not like that, we are going to visit his family. He said he would cook for me. I think it’s just a friend thing. I don’t know.
V: Ughhh, you’re so terrible with guys. Just be real and ask him how he’s feeling. If you like him, tell HIM how you feel. Now isn’t the time to be shy. If he doesn’t want more than fuck him he’s missing out.
B: Yeah. I’ll try my best. I just sort of clam up when it comes to how I’m feeling sometimes. I like how I feel around him, it’s just that…..I don’t wanna ruin being good room mates. This is only our first year here. I really don’t want to make it awkward right away.
V: You act like you just can’t ask to be moved. It’ll be okay Blainey. Just be yourself and the rest will fall into place.
V: Well, if you aren’t coming at least help me with outfit choices.

She would send a few options and he would dutifully help her decide the final fit.
When it was obvious she wasn’t going to respond again he closed out the applications and got up to stretch.
Idly he would go through his jewelry box, looking for some gold necklace to match his belt as he waited for Josh to be done with his own classes for the day.
 
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Fantasy The World Of Valor - With SugarBee And TryingToFindHope (Abandoned)
Replies
2
Views
68
TryingToFindHope
TryingToFindHope
Lucyfer
Realistic or Modern Wages of Sin [Closed]
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Replies
53
Views
319
cleopat
cleopat
Taikailex
Fandom ~Walls of Humanity~ AoT (Closed to -WistfulDreamer-)
fandom
Replies
9
Views
112
-WistfulDreamer-
-WistfulDreamer-
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