And so we meet again (Galadan)

[Anonymous]

The library was one of his favorite places in the ATC. There were enough that it wasn't hard to find a quite space in one of them, away from all the people. Books were nice, Nika could understand books, they provided nice justifications of what exactly it was they were doing and why.

But Nika knew he had to stop hiding in the back corners of the shelves. He could put the pieces together. If he stayed liked he was, he would end up in TRIM, something he didn't want. So he was making small steps, still in the library but out at the tables where most of the other candidates were gathered.

His book was opened in front of him, though he wasn't paying much attention to it. Instead his one eye was focused on the people around him, watching them talk quietly to each other.

[Anonymous]

Sascha had a book to return--sort of. It wasn't due yet, but it hadn't been particularly interesting to him. Since academics were his sore point, he did his best to actually read the material, sometimes even trying to research more into it if he felt he still didn't have a grasp, but most of it went straight over his head. It was so frustrating. He opened the door with trepidation, peeking around the corner and trying to be as silent as he could. Libraries still had that effect on him. That weird feeling that he was on consecrated ground or something. He was about to tiptoe over to the help desk and ask if maybe he could find an easier book on this particular subject when a familiar face caught his eye. Tilting his head, he weighed his options. He could go over and greet him. Or he could do actual work.

Aw, there's no harm in at least saying hi! He abandoned his trek to the help desk and instead went over to where Nika seemed to have a book in front of him, but his attention elsewhere. For a moment, Sascha very nearly sat down beside him, but then he remembered he had that problem with his eye and he instead went around the table and sat directly across him instead. Setting his dull book down, he didn't bother pretending he'd come over to read. Instead, he swept the book slightly to the side, at his elbow.

"Hi, Nika!" He heard somebody go "SHUSH" and peered over his shoulder to see some girl glowering at him. Sliding down into his seat, he nervously tugged on a strand of hair. Oops. "Hi Nika," he said in a lower tone. "What're you reading?" He flicked his gaze to the neglected book. "It's boring, huh? I was trying to read, too, but it's just words on a page to me. I don't even really know what half the words mean. It's like spells or something. Well, not really spells. Just so complicated, it might as well be." He set his face in one palm, gaze moving to the side.

"I know they say they're watching us, but do you think it's all the time? How do they do it? Cameras, maybe? Is everything we do a test? Is me not really reading this a point against me? You ever wonder how it all works? Or did they explain it and I missed the lecture?" He turned slightly red at the thought. It was so like him, he wouldn't be surprised to learn it was the gospel truth.

[Anonymous]

Nika had focused on Sascha the moment he had entered, blue eye following the other boy. He had met him the other day, with Vaughan. Nika waited for the possessive urge to rise in him again, but it didn't. Vaughan wasn't there and Nika didn't really dislike the other boy.

Smiling at Sascha, Nika glanced down at his book, "It's called To Win a Prince or something. I like books." Nika couldn't understand not liking them. Things made much more sense in books, rules were always spelled out. A few things confused him, but the characters in books made so much more sense than real people.

He blinked rapidly as Sascha spoke, trying to keep up with the stream of chatter spewing from the boys mouth. But he was getting rusty in dealing with people, losing his touch and that needed to change, "Well, I'm pretty sure it's cameras. You can see them around." He pointed to where one was, just off to the side of the check out desk, "I don't think things are a test though. Not everything. They don't care if you read the book as long as you understand the class. I think." He gave a shrug. Being watched didn't bother him at all.

[Anonymous]

Sascha seized on that simple little sentence. I like books. He leaned forward, eyes growing round. "Really? What kinds of books? Do you read these ones?" He picked his boring non-fiction book up. "Or do you mean story books? I guess I wouldn't mind stories. But every time I try to sit down with one, I don't know." He shrugged. "I have trouble concentrating on it. The stories have a hard time coming to life for me. I know some people say they transport them somewhere else, but not me. I'm kinda envious. It must be nice to have a place to escape to."

He indicated the book Nika was reading. "What's it about? To Win a Prince?"

He was so into the book idea, he no longer cared about being watched. Well, not entirely. He did glance around, realizing he was probably being watched that very second. How embarrassing. Did they watch them on the toilets, too? How did Nika not mind? Maybe it was because he was always in the limelight, with his famous mother and all.

[Anonymous]

Nika leaned back as Sascha leaned forward, not sure how to handle so much aggressively friendly attention. It was rather puzzling and Nika couldn't fully understand why he was the object of it all. But it was probably a good lesson and Nika gave a small smile, "I like them all. They teach me things."

Frowning, Nika gave Sascha a puzzled look, "Books don't transport me anywhere. I read them to understand things." He touched the pages of the book in front of him, "They talk about people and why they do they things they do. Because then maybe I can understand them, be more like them."

It was hard keeping track of all the questions being thrown his way so rapidly, but he tried, "It's about some lesser noble woman trying to seduce a prince and they fall in love or something." Romance novels were his current obsession, trying to untangle to complex emotions he felt about Vaughan.

[Anonymous]

"Ahh..." Sascha nodded. Okay. So then, Nika read to understand. Not just technical stuff, but people and interaction. He liked that. It was cool. It was an interesting quirk. He smiled at Nika. "You're so cool. I never thought of it that way. I mean, I just thought it was all about a good story and escaping. Nobody ever said you could learn stuff even out of fiction. Well, I mean, they do, but it's always boring stuff like allegories and that word for hidden stuff that I can't remember--or was that allegories? And metaphors. I know the words, but I don't remember what they do. And romance novels are genius! Never thought about it. I guess that's a good place to learn some moves. Or what to say. I tried going with my guts before, but it never works. I always do something wrong. Talk too much, I think."

Realizing how he sounded he put up his hands. "But I'm not trying my guts on you or anything. I talk a lot regardless."

[Anonymous]

"I don't really recommend it." Nika smiled, "I find that following the advice can sometimes have very bad results. It is better than nothing." Nika reached over, pressing a finger against Sascha's chest, right about where his heart was located, "You don't need to worry about it. You seem to have people skills."

Nika reached out a little farther, pressing his palm against Sascha's chest, feeling his heart beat. He could feel it, all that blood, calling out to him. But he pulled his hand away, fingers curling into a loose fist.

It took him a moment to understand what Sascha meant, then it clicked and Nika gave a small, quite laugh, "If you ever put your guts on me, I would take it as a come on. But I didn't think you were hitting on me, don't worry." He rather liked the mental image of Sascha, pulled open and that beautiful blood everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Sascha had people skills? Well, that was somewhat flattering, though he kind of felt like it was a lie to make him feel better for not really being all that good with people. He liked people, true. But he wasn't really that great at being with them. Or was he? He'd never before thought about it from somebody's point of view that wasn't, well, his own. But maybe Nika had a harder time assimilating with others because he was a bit of a loner. Or maybe nobody taught him. What a weird thought, though. Wasn't his mother a talented actress? Shouldn't he be, by default, just as great an actor? As in, concealing true thoughts and what not? Maybe he was, Sascha realized. He'd never know. He could be duped by a terrible actor. Let alone a great one.

One of Sascha's eyebrows lowered, the other going up in a questioning expression as Nika put a hand on him. He watched him, wondering what was going through his mind at that moment. He was definitely not the usual, but that was all right. Sascha liked him regardless. Maybe moreso, for not being usual.

"Heh..." Sascha lowered his head in embarrassment. "Uh, that was a stupid way to put it. Guts. Whatever." He looked back up and smiled, self-deprecating, but seeing the humor in the situation. "I think you'd know if I was hitting on you. I'm kinda obvious. Maybe too obvious." He frowned. But playing hard to get with anybody seemed counter productive, and well, a little dishonest. Pfft. He was never getting anywhere, not any time soon.

[Anonymous]

Nika found himself staring at Sascha's chest, where his heart was located. It was a good heart, pumping all that blood. It was rather distracting for Nika. His eyes flicked up to Sascha's face and then smiled, "Ah. Well, that's good to know. I doubt many people will hit on me anymore." Reaching up, he touched the eyepatch, "I'm not pretty anymore."

The other boy seemed rather dumb and eager to please. Things Nika liked. Now just to get him alone and see if he would let Nika play with some of that pretty, pretty blood. Closing his book, Nika leaned closer, "I think I like you Sascha. Let's be friends."

[Anonymous]

Completely oblivious to the fact that Nika was thinking more about real guts than the metaphorical, he was only slightly curious as to why he stared at his chest. He glanced down at it, as if expected to find remnants of lunch there. Nope. Clean. He shrugged it off. His own gaze turned up to Nika's eyepatch. Being the heartfelt person he was, he felt a wave of compassion pass over him. He didn't know what he was talking about. He wasn't ugly. He sat up straighter, indignant, about to argue against that verdict when Nika leaned closer with an invitation to be friends. Sascha blinked. That wasn't at all what he'd expected, but he was glad he was liked.

"Okay!" he said brightly. See, this was how friendships started in primary school. He missed those days. Now it seemed like there were private mental tests to pass and judgments to make before anybody wanted to be friends. And they never said it aloud. It just sort of happened. You talked to somebody everyday in your shared room, you ended up being friends. You sat with the same people with lunch, you were friends. But nobody just said it outright. He wondered why that was. It was like the older a person got, the more closed off they became. Sascha must have missed that memo. "I like you, too. And I think you're wrong. About people hitting on you. You should give yourself more credit. I mean, unless you don't want people hitting on you. But I don't know. I don't think you're ugly. You shouldn't even worry about it. If all somebody sees when they look at you is an eyepatch, they're not worth your time anyway."

[Anonymous]

"Good." Nika smiled brightly again, quite pleased at Sascha's reaction. This would be such fun! Nika missed having someone to play with, "And thank you. I'm glad you think I'm pretty. Things are much easier when you're pretty."

Nika glanced around them, at the other kids in the library that were shooting them dirty looks for talking before turning his attention back to Sascha, "Why don't we go somewhere else? So we don't bother people with our noise."

[Anonymous]

H-had he said pretty? That hadn't been his intention, but he'd just said that he wasn't ugly. The opposite of ugly was pretty. So by default, yes. He'd just called Nika pretty! Well, it wasn't embarrassing, see? Nika was pleased, not annoyed. So it all worked out. (And why would anybody be angry about being complimented, anyway?) Startled, Sascha looked around at the glaring people in the library with them and a sheepish smile formed on his face. He slid out of his seat.

"Uh, yeah," he said, letting out a nervous laugh. His face conveyed his apologies to the others around them. Some seem placated, but others clearly wanted them to make haste. "Sure. Where do you wanna go?"

[Anonymous]

"Let's go somewhere private." Nika smiled, standing up and closing the book he had been reading. He would come back and read it another time. Or find another one like it to read, "So we wont disturb people."

Nika wanted that blood. It was calling to him, inside of Sascha. It wanted to come out and play with him. He didn't have to talk a lot. Just a bit. Sascha was his friend now and friends shared. He didn't even have to hurt the other boy.

[Anonymous]

Private. Why private? Oh right. So they didn't disturb other people. That seemed like as good a reason to him. He happily left the library behind them, somewhat relieved to know that they wouldn't be bothering anybody. He knew talking in the library was frowned on, but why? It should have been a common enough practice. Didn't people study together? The ones who needed silence could try studying in their rooms. But what if they had a loud roommate? Ooh... He was going round in circles and standing there like an idiot. Turning to Nika, he eyed the hallways.

"Where do you want to go? One of our rooms? I doubt my roommate is around. Is yours?"

[Anonymous]

Nika didn't really mind as Sascha stood there. He just watched the other boy with his one good eye, face expressionless as he waited. He wanted to just jump him now, but that would be rude. He should ask first. And then if that didn't work, shove him down and take it.

But, he supposed that would be rude. And he was supposed to be working on his people skills, "I don't have a room mate yet." Nika quickly smiled, doing his best to look friendly and harmless, which was easy with his short stature and thin build, "We can be as loud as we want."

Reaching out, Nika took Sascha's wrist in his hand, starting to lead him toward his room. He could feel the boy's pulse under his fingers and he savored the feeling.

[Anonymous]

Puzzling over that one, Sascha sent Nika a bewildered look. He wanted to go somewhere quiet so they could be as loud as they wanted...? "Well, okay, but..." But what? He didn't have a retort to add to that. He shrugged. Well, it should be fun, then. That meant he didn't have to worry about the people studying in the library... "Oh!" He laughed. That's what he'd meant! How stupid of him! Duh. They didn't have to worry about disturbing anybody studying because Nika had no roommates.

He allowed himself to be led to the room, since he had absolutely zero clue as to where it was located. The hallways weren't much too look at, so he turned his gaze to Nika instead. He seemed pretty happy now.

[Anonymous]

It didn't take long for Nika to lead Sascha back to his room. Even for a candidate's room, Nika's felt rather impersonal. There were no personal touches in the room, no pictures, no posters, nothing. It was hard to tell someone even lived there.

The door slid closed behind them and Nika smiled brightly, "I've never had a friend over to my room before." Sascha's pulse was pounding through him and he wanted to get deep into it. Release all that sweet blood. His thumb stroked over Sascha's pulse in his wrist, "You have beautiful blood you know."