Futuristic [CLOSED] Ours and Ours Alone

[ShenYu]

Ayre thoughtfully looked at Jeremiah's expression. He considered his own saving for a while. Although he's pretty sure he's low in money right now, in two days, he would get his paycheck from his part-time gig in the bar not too far from the univ. It should be fine to buy an extra portion of meal for Jeremiah today.

Thus, he said, "The pasta here is especially good. I personally like the noodles here. Although it's simple, the nutrients in it were complete and the price is pretty cheap too. Order whatever you want. It'll be my treat today. Consider it as a welcoming gift from your new roommate."

Ayre smiled before tapping the table twice. A holographic display appeared in front of him and he ordered the noodle through it.

As he waited for Jeremiah to order, he saw a black-haired man approach their table with a shocked and surprised expression as his eyes stared at Jeremiah. Then, he watched as the man greeted Jeremih loudly and interacted with him. When the man finally noticed Ayre's presence and nodded respectfully at him, Ayre just smiled, saying it's ok. Then, he glanced at Jeremiah and the man curiously. "A friend of yours, Jeremiah?" He asked.

 

[Corvus_crow]

"Oh. Uh—" Jeremiah went to speak, but Shiro would speak first.

"Shiro. First year in advanced coding." Shiro introduced himself quickly. "Ah, I believe I've seen you before." He would admit quietly, but he couldn't name it off the top of his tongue.

"Yes. He's a friend." Jeremiah then finished with a gentle look.
"Ah— I'm glad your here. I'll visit sometime." Jeremiah spoke quietly then, thanking Ayre then for pitching in for a part of his breakfast.

"Of course. I'll leave you two then. Come by sometime. My room is 497." Shiro would finish off, and he would disappear back into the surging crowds of people.

"Bye. Gosh", Jeremiah would sigh.
"Ah, I'm glad to see a few friends are here. Heh. I was worried about being entirely alone." Jeremiah would admit softly.

 

[ShenYu]

"Shiro, huh? Nice to meet you. I'm Ayre Nox, Jeremiah's new roommate." Ayre politely introduced himself to the black-haired man.

Ayre planned to invite the other to have breakfast along with them, wanting to give the two friends a little more time to catch up with each other. But before he could do that, Shiro just exchanges a few more words with Jeremiah before walking away. Thus, Ayre just shrugged a little and shifted his attention back at Jeremiah. "Is he a friend from your hometown?" He casually asked. Considering how today was Jeremiah's first day in the city, it's reasonable for Ayre to come up with that conclusion.

"And no worries. It's your first time here. I should at least treat you to a meal as a welcoming gesture. So, do you want noodles like me or something else?" Ayre smiled at Jeremiah, long and slender index finger hovering around the holographic screen in front of him to input Jeremiah's order.

 

[Corvus_crow]

"yes. He is." Jeremiah would nod. "We met in our last year of high-school. So we have known each other for a little bit." He continued, before drawing his attention back to the menu.

"Ah. I'm not picky. Surprise me." Jeremiah decided then, giving a determined nod, and smile. He decided the next time should they eat together, he had to pay back the favour. It was only fair, after all.

So while Ayre covered that, Jeremiah was left thinking...his mind was swirling with many thoughts. Who else was he going to see in the university? The city?

As to be gentle...there was some people Jeremiah hoped he'd never see again.

 

[ShenYu]

Ayre hummed and nodded to show that he understand. If Shiro came from the same place as Jeremiah, is it safe to assume that he might also know a thing or two about Ayre's hometown? Would it be rude to ask Shiro about it when they met again later? Ayre contemplated over this for a short while.

Ayre didn't know why but ever since he met Jeremiah and knew that he came from a town not far from his birthplace, Ayre couldn't stop thinking about his hometown and always unconsciously tried to find some kind of connection back to that place. Maybe he's homesick? Then again, is a place where he had moved out of and never visited for more than a decade could still be called home?

Deep down, Ayre knew he probably just want a sort of place to escape. Meeting Jeremiah reminded him of his peaceful and tranquil hometown. That place was completely different from the bustling and chaotic city that felt like time was constantly chasing after you rather than the opposite. After all the things he had gone through here to chase after his dream, Ayre realized that maybe, he just needed some time to rest, to escape from reality for a short while, and took some time to reflect on his own situation. Continuing this seemingly endless and utterly exhausting chase to achieve his dream without taking a proper break would only worsen his own condition. And his hometown had become a perfect place for him to escape...

As Ayre got deeper into his thought, he snapped back when he heard Jeremiah tell him to surprise him. Ayre still seemed a bit out of it though, staring blankly at the determined expression and the smile on Jeremiah's face, before finally processing what he had to do. He cleared out his throat as he shifted his attention back to the menu, quickly ordering another bowl of noodles for Jeremiah. "I'm sorry that I could only treat you to a cheap meal. When we go out to tour the city, later on, I promise I'll treat you to a better meal. I know a really good restaurant." Ayre smiled.

 

[Corvus_crow]

Jeremiah was a bit surprised at the other's apology. He was quick to assure Ayre, a hand on his shoulder. Though, he pulled it away quickly.

"It's quite alright. It's enough that you even offered to buy me breakfast in the first place. You don't need to 'make it up' if we ever eat together again. I promise." Jeremiah would hum then, and with a magic of a few buttons, their food would be ordered, and coming to their table shortly.

About then, Jeremiah let his hands casually tap away on the table before asking:

"Do you know anyone here at the University? Or is it just you? Like, friends you met before coming here."

 

[ShenYu]

Ayre didn't try to insist on treating Jeremiah again, only smiling at him as they waited for the food to arrive. He didn't even seem to mind how Jeremiah had put his hand on his shoulder for a short while there.

Before long, the food they ordered arrived. It might not look like much, just a bowl of noodles with soup, some vegetables, and some meats. But looking at it made Ayre's stomach growl loudly, reminding him of how hungry he actually is. Ayre embarrassedly glanced at Jeremiah, knowing that he might've heard of that embarrassing sound. After apologizing shortly, Ayre didn't wait again and started gulping down his food. His eating habit was rough, to say the least. He gulped down the food in large bites and swallowed it a little too quickly. It's like he was afraid the food would run away if he didn't finish it now.

But of course, it was not that severe. Since the time when he had first arrived in this place, Ayre was so filled with passion and motivation to achieve his dream. He was a little too ambitious, even, accepting any work he could get on top of selecting almost every elective course. Back then, he was so busy that his feet basically didn't touch the ground, always rushing about. So, when it was time for him to eat, he would eat his meal very quickly so he could rush to do the next activities in his schedule. Over time, it had become a habit that's hard to let go of. Even when he was not as busy and in rush as before, he would eat his food very quickly.

Ayre's mouth was stuffed full with the noodles, making his cheeks faintly bulge. His black hair was still very messy, drooping down whenever he lowered his head to fork the noddle to his mouth. It made him look all the more messy and rough. Even so, there was a healthy red tint around his otherwise pale skin, making him look more lively and vigorous than the tired and exhausted look he had before the meal. And, although it looked messy, there was actually not a single drop of water or oil dripping down to the table or smearing the side of his mouth. He was as clean as always.

When he heard Jeremiah's question, Ayre took some time to fully swallow down the food in his mouth. He looked as if he was in deep thought for a moment before finally answering with his now empty mouth. "Well, there are actually a couple of people I know who came from the south. Two of them also came from the same hometown as me. But because I left my hometown when I was still young, I didn't know them personally back in that place and only get to know them here. They are from different departments from me so I rarely ran across them."

 

[Corvus_crow]

Jeremiah had always been more leisurely. His life had always been that way, taking his time to get things done, even if it met he had to rush around later. A man of chaos, Jeremiah was often left to scramble last minute. Jeremiah would take the time to enjoy his meal, while Ayre would nearly be done by Jeremiah's second mouthful.

Jeremiah would nod, keeping note of the two others at the University who may know both of them. He would make sure to avoid them at all costs— he wanted to express the truth when he was ready, but how long could he keep up the act once those people knew Ayre didn't? Shiro he had only met recently, so he knew nothing of who he was before.

But Raven...ah. He was going to prove to be a problem. These swirling thoughts had Jeremiah silent as he ate, staring off to nowhere in particular.


'Oh gosh...maybe I should just tell him and get it over with. But is that even a good idea? Jeremiah you're overthinking it, just explain if he asks. Perhaps it'll never come up', Jeremiah thought to himself, tilting the bowl up to drink down some hot broth, a bit dribbling down his chin, which he quickly wiped with a napkin.

"Ah, I guess you don't know anyone here from where you lived outside the south, then?" Jeremiah continued finally, now wondering what kind of people Ayre befriended when he left all those years ago...if he befriended anyone at all, that is. Ayre was always a bit more on the popular side, but his ambitions always came first before anything else.

 

[ShenYu]

After answering, Ayre continued eating his noodles. But this time, he's not as rushed as before, paying attention not to stuffed up his mouth too much so that he would be able to talk with Jeremiah while he ate. While he was at it, he couldn't help thinking about the two who had come from the same hometown as him.

As people who came from the same hometown, Ayre couldn't say that they were strangers. But on the other hand, he's also not close enough to them to hang out every once in a while. At best, when they passed by each other, they would exchange simple greetings and have a not-too-long conversation. Other than that, they would mind their own business. Ayre didn't know why but when he met them, especially that Raven guy, Ayre didn't have a really good first impression of them. While it's not enough to make him think that they're bad people and avoid them, it did make him not particularly interested to be friends with them.

Ayre jolted out of his thought when Jeremiah asked him another question. This time, Ayre didn't take his time and answer it right away. "As you've experienced on the way here, I know a lot of people." Ayre chuckled, remembering how about 15 or so people has greeted him and stopped him on his way to the cafeteria before. "Although I'm very busy most of the time, it doesn't mean I never made any friends. I still like to interact with other people and help them whenever I could. Having a wide connection is important in a big city such as this, after all. You could never truly live alone."

Despite everything else, Ayre is quite the extrovert. He's friendly, easy to get close to, and would go out of his way to help others at times. But he would always put his ambition first, always busy running about to achieve his dream. So, although he's quite popular with other students, he rarely invested enough time to make a truly close friend. Only a few could be considered as best friends to him. They are from the same major as Ayre which made their interaction more frequent. But currently, one of them was interning in a company downtown while the other was doing research in another city. Unlike Ayre who was still stuck revising and finishing up his thesis as well as trying to get his proposal accepted, they were already successful, a genius among geniuses. Above all, they're really good people. When they are back, Ayre would make sure to introduce Jeremiah to them. This thought made a smile bloom on his face.

 

[Corvus_crow]

"Ah, alright." Jeremiah would nod, seeming content with Ayre's answer, content to finish his meal with the sound of outside banter about the cafeteria.

Upon biting down the final pieces, he finished off with a content sigh, giving a bit of a stretch.

"Ah, that was delicious. Thank you so much for the breakfast." Jeremiah thanked, standing then. The dishes were not a concern, as there were staff to deal with such.

"I better make sure to get familiar with the University grounds on my own. You said you had work, yes?" Jeremiah asked as he glanced over at the other then. "I'll see you later tonight in the dorms."

 

[ShenYu]

Ayre nodded. He had finished his breakfast long before Jeremiah did. But he chose to stay because it would be rude to just leave him there. While he wait, he fiddled with the 'bracelet' on his hand which's actually a mini quantum computer that also served as a phone. Only the owner could see the holographic screen projected from the bracelet. Thus, from an outsider's perspective, he just seems like he was fiddling with the bracelet.

As he checked his mailbox for any new message, Ayre frowned a bit. Another revision. On top of that, professor Jung told him to come for a sudden counseling. No matter how he thought about it, judging from what happened last night, it's definitely not something good. But Ayre got distracted when he heard Jeremiah comment about the breakfast as he voiced out his thanks. Ayre lifted his eyes to see the contend look on Jeremiah's freckled face. This made him feel a bit better. Ayre smiled at him and say, "No problem. I'm glad that it's to your liking."

"Be careful on your way out. If you get lost somehow, just dialed our dorm room number on your phone. It would connect you right to me. I'd love to give you my contact info right now but something urgent has come up. And yes, I'll see you tonight." After saying so, Ayre waved at Jeremiah and left. His footsteps were a bit rushed. Before long, he disappeared into the crowds.

 

[Corvus_crow]

[Later that night...]

Jeremiah had adjusted fairly well to the exciting, new, mysterious environment. He did a proper full tour, met his professors, and got back to his dorm by dinner.

Jeremiah then continued to cozily set up his side of the dorm. It was very well decorated, appearing almost too cluttered when next to Ayre's more minimalist side of the room. It left him almost considering taking down a few pieces of decor as took a few steps back to take it all in.

''Maybe this is a little too much", he thought to himself with a frown, moving close then to adjust the frame of a small photograph.

Jeremiah was excited for the Uni life, but maybe he was going in a tad naive. It was nothing close to the romanticization shown in movies and books...frankly, it would be quite the opposite for dear ol' Jeremiah.

 

[ShenYu]

That day, Ayre was once again buried in the piles of assignments and works. The meeting with professor Jung that he had expected wouldn't be anything good turned out to really be counseling. On top of that, he said that if he deducted any more points as a punishment for last night, it wouldn't be much different than forcing Ayre to repeat another year. That was how bad his situation is. Thus, professor Jung called him to discuss this problem with him. In the end, he agreed to let Ayre keep his current score. But he had to finish two essays and one project by the end of the month. If he did a good job, he would even be given extra points.

Although this was good news to Ayre, he couldn't help but get a headache when he thought about how many things he had to do in this month alone. Not to mention that the assignments given by professor Jung were anything but easy. With how difficult it was, even if his time was freed to focus only on those three assignments, he was sure he would barely be able to finish it before the deadline. Hence, after going out of professor Jung's office that time, Ayre was in a low spirit.

Throughout the day, Ayre resumed his busy routine. He was supposed to have a lot of free time today, hence why he purposely slept in this morning. But that was changed after this bout of assignments came from professor Jung. If he want to meet the deadline, he would have to work on this as soon as he could. Ayre did everything he needed to do while looking like a robot, tireless and expressionless. Before he knew it, lunch has long since passed and it was almost dusk. His stomach was growling painfully. Even so, Ayre chose to continue studying in the library instead of calling it a day and leaving to grab some food in the cafeteria.

The library would be closed in a few minutes. Before then, Ayre wanted to cram everything he could find here so that he could continue working on his assignments in the dorm. When the library was closed and the sun was fully set, Ayre make a trip to the cafeteria to eat a light and cheap meal while working on the revision of his thesis on his mini quantum computer. The loud chatters of fellow students that have come for dinner here didn't disturb him at all. Those who knew him and wanted to greet him as soon as they spotted him tactfully leave him alone when they saw his serious expression.

It was only after late at night did Ayre finally got up to head back to his dorm, bringing back two slices of bread as a late-night snack in case he got hungry while pulling an all-nighter to work on his other assignments. He messaged his throbbing head for a while, waiting for the dizziness to subside, before walking through the now somewhat empty and silent university complex. By then, Ayre was tired, as always. No, he might feel more tired than usual. His mind was filled with the thought of assignments. He didn't even realize when he had arrived at his dorm room.

With a familiar movement, he went inside his dorm without saying anything. His face was more haggard and tired than this morning. His black hair was dropping messily around his face. There was no trace of the gentle and welcoming smile on his face. It was expressionless to the point of being gloomy and a bit scary, completely in contrast to his attitude this morning. He was always like this whenever he arrived back at his room after a long and exhausting day. This dorm room has been his own private space for years. While he was quite friendly most of the time, when he was alone, especially in this room, he really couldn't help but let out all the depressing mood and negative emotions that has been pent up inside him. It made his overall atmosphere very dark and depressing. Even so, he didn't bother to hide it since he was the only one there anyway.

But when he lifted his head and saw Jeremiah and the fully decorated side of the usually empty side of his dorm room, his whole body froze. He forgot. This room was not a place for him alone anymore. His mind was fully occupied with assignments that he forgot about the whole roommate thingy. He instantly felt guilty and awkward. "Um, I'm back...." He softly spoke out his late greeting while brushing the back of his neck, lowering his head in guilt.

Would Jeremiah be scared of him? Well, even he was aware that his current appearance and attitude were worlds apart from the him from this morning. Depressing, dark, expressionless, without a trace of a smile, quiet, silent, gloomy, scary... Ayre brushed his face with both hands, trying to fix his expression. Then he forced out a small smile as he walked over. But that smile looked restained and a bit pained. "Have you eaten yet? I bought two slices of bread from the cafeteria. Do you want one?" He offered slowly, trying to find a topic. Then, he quietly stared at the decorations Jeremiah has set up. It's completely in contrast with his minimalist style of the room. But he didn't think it was bad. "You decorated this yourself? It looks really good. It suits you so much." He said with a brighther smile.

 

[Corvus_crow]

With Ayre gone for so long...and so little for Jeremiah to do, he had finished decorating ages before Ayre would return.

By the time Ayre actually came back, Jeremiah was cozied up in his bed, a book in his hands which he was contently reading by the lamp light. A gentle amber hue just filled that corner of the room— a warmth like no other...and it matched the decorated space well.

Upon the walls was a few photos in wooden frames. One was of Jeremiah and his two elder brothers, both of them around his smaller frame with bright smiles. The two boys looked quite different— both sporting darker, wavy hair while Jeremiah was blonde and freckled.

There was a calendar of warm places in the country side, a clock, and even a few little fairy lights to illuminate the other misc photos upon the walls. His desk was sitting with all of his new textbooks, and a slim laptop. Underneath the desk by the side was a mini fridge, and that would explain Jeremiah's answer.

"Oh— I ate. Thank you, though. I stocked by the small fridge." Jeremiah gestured as he placed down his book.

"you can take things from it if you like. Just replace what you take." He continued before blushing a tad at the other's compliment.

"Oh— thank you." He hummed, and only then did it hit how Ayre was looking. He just oozed negative energy... it left his eyes widening a little as he chuckled weakly.

"Gosh...bad day?" He asked awkwardly.

 

[ShenYu]

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Then, if I stored some foods there, you can also take some if you want. Just make sure to inform me beforehand." Ayre said as he look at the mini-fridge.

When asked about his day, Ayre just shrugged weakly as he answered. "Just the usual." He approached his table and put the bag containing the two slices of bread on top of the table.

Yes, just like the usual days. It has always been this bad, after all... Ayre tried to shake off that depressing thought out of his mind. When had he started having so many negative thoughts? He used to be full of positive emotions as he chased after his dream. Now...

Ayre let out a small sigh. Keep your emotion in check, Ayre. Keep it down... He told himself internally before flopping down on his bed as he gave Jeremiah a smile. "So, how was your day? Did you see anything interesting?" He asked casually. The depressing and dark mood that surrounded him just now completely disappeared as he turn back into the bright and warm Ayre, just like he has been this morning.

 

[Corvus_crow]

The usual, eh? Sadly, it made sense. Secondary Education was brutal in its own right. Not everyone was able to handle it, and some crumbled harder than others. Science was one of those more difficult studies to take on. It left a small part of him feeling anxious, but he knew what he had signed himself up for by registering to go to school here. Jeremiah was so lost in thought, he nearly missed Ayre's question.

"Oh! It was alright, just a lot of unpacking, then finding where the closest grocery store was." He would admit with a smile, as per usual. The blonde had a personality that could light up any room. He was simply that way by nature— bubbly and full of life.

"Thankfully it wasn't too far, so I walked to it. It's so different from the countryside stores...there was stuff in there I've never seen." He would admit further. But he wouldn't dare say he had discovered what miso paste was for the first time. It did make the grocer chuckle a bit with Jeremiah's fascination for what was unusual to him, but regular to the locals. "I grabbed just fruits, veggies, some stuff for quick easy snacks." He explained as he was counting items off his fingers. "Oh, and a few special treats for myself." he would laugh more. "Heh, I got a huge sweet tooth."

 

[ShenYu]

Ayre felt a little itch when he saw the bubbly smiles Jeremiah gave him as he answered his questions. Looking at those bright smiles made him have an impulsive urge to ruffle his blond hair, just like how he would do to a cute little puppy.

While he was surprised by this sudden thought and very quickly suppressed it, he couldn't deny that Jeremiah's smile really was infectious and warming. Before he knew it, most of his depressing moods were washed away.

Ayre silently listened with a smile on his face as he watched Jeremiah talk about his experience of going into the grocery store for the first time here. He was talking about it in an excited and lively manner that Ayre couldn't help feeling drawn into the story. His pair of silver eyes regained a bit of their usual glow and softly gazed at the blond young man cozying up on his bed.

When Jeremiah laugh, Ayre couldn't stop himself from chuckling along with him as he smiled. "It's great to know that you were enjoying yourself today. Must be such an interesting experience for you to be so excited like that." He commented lightly. "On the topic of a sweet tooth, I may not look like it but I actually enjoyed sweet foods a lot. You should try the fruit parfait at the cafe near the grocery store. The taste is absolutely amazing! It's a bowl full of happiness. Definitely one of the best desserts you could find around here." He laughed as he said so, remembering the delicious taste of his favorite strawberry parfait at that cafe.

Now that he thought about it, it's been a while since the last time he went to eat one. He has been so busy chasing after his dream that he barely had any time to truly let himself loose and take a few breathers. This made him feel a little regretful. "If you have the time, what about going to the cafe with me tomorrow? It's been a while since the last time I went there. We could have a parfait together." Ayre suggested casually.

At first, he was making that suggestion purely because Jeremiah said he had a huge sweet tooth. Since that was the case, Ayre was quite sure that he would like the parfait in that cafe because of how good it was. And since he knew the place and was also quite close with the cafe owner, he thought that it wouldn't be a bad idea to take Jeremiah there while also getting a taste of a parfait he hadn't been able to eat lately. But when he thought about it again, he felt like doing so would make him look like he was acting a bit too familiar with Jeremiah. It may make the other uncomfortable. And while he was asking out of pure intention, two people going into a cafe and eating a parfait together just sounded a bit... Uh....

Ayre awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "Well, this is just a suggestion. You're free to reject if you don't want to..."

 

[Corvus_crow]

Rather than uncertainty, Jeremiah lit right up at the offer for parfait together. He would nod in reply.
"I would love to do that sometime! It would be a great treat after a particularly hard essay." Jeremiah said with a chuckle, placing down his book upon the desk, swinging his legs over the side to look at Ayre properly.
"I'm glad we share a sweet tooth, what were the chances, huh?" He would admit with another chuckle, scratching the back of his head shyly. Ah, if only you knew, Ayre.
But their moment of peace was seemingly short lived. There was a car horn from outside the dorm window, a loud one. Along with a hoot and holler that had Jeremiah's stomach sinking with dread as he looked to the window.
"Oh god." He whispered to himself, moving over to the window to open it up and peer outside.
His fears were correct, and down below on the side of the road was a truck, one in the drivers, and the other in the passenger giving another holler as they waved up.
Well, seems the secret would be up. They were recognizable to a fault. Jeremiah, aka, 'daffodil's' brothers, Max, and Cassidy.
"We came with a lil somethin' for ya!" Cassidy would yell. "Get your damn ass down here boy!"

 

[ShenYu]

Ayre let out a sigh of relief when Jeremiah straightforwardly agreed to his invitations. He couldn't help but feel a bit stupid from thinking too much. "alright. Let's go there when we both have the time." He said with a warm smile.

At this time, a very loud car horn could be heard from outside of the dorm, disturbing the peaceful atmosphere of the room. Ayre saw the changes in Jeremiah's expression when he heard it. This made him rather curious. He approached the door and tried to see out of the window from behind Jeremiah's back. But while he tried to stretch his head out, he accidentally knocked over the wooden framed photo on Jeremiah's desk. He reached out to fix its position. That was when he finally noticed the people in the photo. His childhood memories were rather blurry. But until now, he still remembered the one friend he had back then.

Daffodil, the blonde-haired girl with cute freckles on her face. Back then, they shared many days together, playing around, talking about their dream, making trouble around the town, running around the fields, and having leisure yet fulfilling days together. It was such a short section out of his 23 years of life. Yet, he could never fully forget about the time he had spent with Daffodil and her two brothers. Those were the period of time in his life when he truly felt alive. And the blonde in the photo was definitely Daffodil.

Ayre's mind was running in full gear as he tried to digest this sudden realization. At first, he didn't directly connect Daffodil with Jeremiah, just thinking that maybe they knew each other, and somehow, Jeremiah had a photo of her and her brothers with him. But then, he wondered why Jeremiah would have these photos while having none of his own pictures. Ayre shifted his attention from the photo and look at Jeremiah questioningly. Then, he looked out of the window once again, finally able to fully see what was going on down there. As soon as he saw the two people down below, his eyes widened open in shock. "is that... Max and Cassidy??" He turned to look at Jeremiah again, eyes full of confusion and questions. There are a lot of things he wanted to say. But he didn't even know where to start.

 

[Corvus_crow]

Jeremiah looked first to his brothers, then to Ayre. His stomach twisted further as his heart raced, skin paling as he struggled to speak. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid, and he barely managed a single day. What the hell were these two doing here? His home town was a good few hours away from the city, but there the pair were, standing down below and waving to Jeremiah with dumb grins on their faces. Besides, what were the chances of his dorm mate having been Ayre, a boy he hadn't seen in years? Max and Cassidy hadn't been around the pair when they were friends to recognize Ayre, anyway.

“I'll explain, uh, later.” Jeremiah said quickly, rushing to pull on his coat to run outside to shush the two idiots before they woke everyone on campus. Whether Ayre followed, was the last of Jeremiah's problems as he ran up to the twins with quite the glare on his face as the pair would snicker, towering over Jeremiah.

“What's wrong, little brother? Ya embarrassed?” Cassidy would grin down at his youngest brother, with Maxwell still sitting in the driver's seat of the truck, which in comparison to Jeremiah's, came with all the bells and whistles.

“What the hell are you two doing here?” Jeremiah would snap at them both in a hushed tone before he was suddenly pulled into a brotherly choke hold.
“We came to with ya good luck, of course!” Cassidy would laugh, ruffling his hair as Jeremiah would whine, trying to pull himself free like a dog stuck in the hole of a fence. Then, the pair noticed Ayre who came out as well.

“Well, well, who's this?” Cassidy would hum.

 

[ShenYu]

Ayre looked at Jeremiah silently for a while. There are many questions he wants to ask and many doubts he wants to clarify. But he didn't know where to start. And before Ayre could say anything, Jeremiah had dashed off to meet the two men below, leaving him standing in the dorm room with a bit of a dumbfounded expression...

Ayre was not too sure of what to do now. He thought it would be impolite to follow his roommate, prying into the other's private life when he clearly seem like he didn't want to talk about it. But on the other hand, Ayre was curious. He really wanted to know if the two people who called out to Jeremiah were really Daffodil's brothers. And if they were... then what? Ask about Daffodil? Or what kind of relationship do they have with Jeremiah? About his hometown??

It's been years since the day he left his hometown. Although Daffodil and he could be considered childhood friends, after years apart, too many things must've changed. If they met again, they would be acquaintances at best. And he wasn't even sure if Daffodil remembered him. If she didn't, they would be no more than strangers. Wouldn't it be too inappropriate for him to ask about Daffodil to her two brothers? What right does he have? And Jeremiah, he had only met the other for less than a day. They were only roommates. It's normal to keep some secrets. If he tried to pry too much, he could make the other uncomfortable. They have to respect each other's privacy after all. But...

Ayre looked at the departing back of his roommate with a complicated expression. He tried to restrain himself. But in the end, curiosity won over logic and reasoning, and he ran out of the dorm room to follow Jeremiah. Even he himself didn't know why he couldn't restrain himself. Before he knew it, he was already close to the three figures huddled closely near the old truck.

When he was close enough, he could finally have a clear view of the two young men's looks. They were exactly the same as the two boys in the picture, posing with the young Daffodil. Although Ayre was not familiar with them when he was young, he had at least seen them a couple of times. They are definitely Daffodil's brothers.

When Cassidy's asked him a question, Ayre knew that they didn't recognize him, which was very reasonable. He didn't try to act too familiar and just politely smile at them. "Hello, I'm Ayre Nox, Jeremiah's new roommate. You guys are...?" He asked, despite knowing their names already. He was hoping to get another answer to this unspecific question.

 

[Corvus_crow]

Cassidy and Maxwell glanced at Ayre, while Jeremiah simply stood awkwardly at the side. Cassidy tilted his hat up, getting a good look at Ayre before squinting.

"You're familiar. You said, Ayre, right?" He asked, and Jeremiah would speak for him.

"He's my friend from when I was little, remember?" Jeremiah smiled awkwardly as he grabbed Ayre by the shoulders, giving him a little shake. He was quick to put on a face, better to pretend Ayre actually knew who he was this entire time. "Ayre, you remember my brothers? Cassidy and Maxwell?"

"Well, I'll be." Cassidy shook his head. "Now that's a face I haven't seen since you were tiny! " Cassidy would laugh loudly, making Jeremiah seem soft spoken in comparison as the man would lean back against the truck.