Realistic or Modern Turning the Pages of History

[Pokeking]

Think of history as a book. Whether it be global history, or national history, or personal history, history is a book consisting of short chapters and long chapters.

Consider Joshua Ryota Nakayama. The first chapter comprised of his life from birth to his first day of school. The second chronicled the time from his first day of school to the age of seven years and three months when he entered a new state of existence. The next was the longest and recounted his adventures from that young age to graduation from high school. A brief interlude was coming to an end. These past several weeks had been important to him. Josh had come out of the closet, he had met his father’s family for the first time when they stayed with them for five days after concluding a 13-day guided tour through Japan, and he got his first job which was at the local multiplex working at the refreshment kiosk.

The previous night, he had gone to bed early because he planned to get up early. Wake, bathe, dress, eat breakfast and get going so he can be at Tauber U in Sutter. He wanted to increase the odds that he would be the first in his assigned room.

Buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz. The watch beeps and then less than a second later, the phone vibrates as it plays “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito. He maneuvered through the maze of boxes and heads to the bathroom. It was considered Josh’s and this fact was undeniable. First, it was the closest to his bedroom, Second, he was the primary user. There were rare times when it was necessary to use the master bath or the half bath downstairs next to the laundry room. Third, the walls were painted green, and the room was full of frog imagery. Toilet paper dispenser/storage? A frog standing up on a lily pad with its arms up and hands holding a roll while the reserves are stacked behind it. Nightlight? A frog’s face. Liquid soap dispenser? A squatting frog with the nozzle poking out of its head. Shower on and then he stepped inside to bathe.

Several minutes later, Josh finished his shower only at the behest of his mother, <Ryota? You done yet? Still need to get dressed, breakfast, and then go.> He replied in Japanese, <Yes, Mom>. He quickly dried off and packed the frog hand soap dispenser and other toiletries such as his tube of face mask paste into the small plastic crate.

He returned to his room to get dressed. His chosen attire consisted of jeans and a tee with a green camo pattern. Regular white socks and sneakers of orange, black, and white on his feet. Around his neck, he places a chain necklace with dog tags which bear the name of Kentaro Ishida, his maternal grandfather, a veteran of World War 2.

A hearty homemade traditional breakfast awaited him downstairs. After eating his fill, he packed up his belongings and put most of his stuff into his truck which he called Red Tundra. The rest was put into the white Sienna that his father drove. They then began the three-hour trek to Sutter. It was the type of small Texas town where there were no strong city lights to prevent the multitude of stars from shining, the type of small town where everyone seemed to know each other, the type of small town befitting a Norman Rockwell painting. However, it was just large enough to have amenities such as a hospital and a couple of nightlife scenes.

Sutter was a familiar place to visit, but this would be the first time that he’d spend more than a night here because he enrolled at Tauber University, home of the Tapirs. The University participated in Division 3 of the NCAA, but the only sport that they competed in was basketball. He was skilled enough to play football at the college level, and there had been plenty of recruiting scouts around. However, he chose not to play college ball. All his buddies on the team chose to play though.

It was around 10am when they arrived and shortly afterwards, he parked in the lot reserved for Galvan Hall, the dorm hall for Freshmen and Sophomores, which was two stories tall. The other dorm, Bertolli Hall, was for those classified as Juniors and Seniors. His parents waited for him while he entered. In the lobby, there were four tables with lines. Each was designated for a certain group of letters. He got in the line for the third table which was for those with last names in the M-R range. Shuffle, shuffle. Shuffle, shuffle.

Finally, it was his time. “Nakayama, Joshua”. The attendants studied the chart before them. One crossed out his name and gave him his room and mailbox keys. The other gave him a student packet which contained paperwork such as for emergency contacts, a calendar of hall events which included tonight's orientation/meet and greet, as well as a resident sticker for his vehicle. He was told, “Room 121”. He was given a map and followed it to the room which was situated on the first floor towards the back of the dorm building which, if viewed from above, the complex looked like a T-shaped tetromino.

Josh found the room easy enough which was located in the back of the dorm on the first floor. He stepped inside and saw that it was empty. The room was as advertised. Every room had a full bathroom, two closets side by side opposite the bathroom, a four-foot tall minifridge to share, a corkboard on each side of the room, two twin beds on either side with dressers and two desks with chairs, a sliding door which opened out into the courtyard. There was no hesitation. He chose the left side of the room, the one with the minifridge. He threw the packet onto the bed on that side. He headed back to his waiting parents. They helped him bring his stuff in, but that was it because that was the agreement. Josh wanted to set up his belongings on his own.

The first thing Josh did was plug in his electric toothbrush and set down his toiletries meticulously including his frog themed soap dispenser. After that, he made up the bed. He had three sets of bed sheets with him. He put the mint green sheets and the sky-blue ones in the left closet with his clothes and dressed the bed in the Pac-Man themed sheets he had kept from his childhood. A pillowcase of the same theme slid over the memory foam pillow he brought from home. Over this, he draped the starfield themed quilt his Aunt Carmen made.

On the dresser, he sets out his cologne and deodorant. Next to it is a framed picture of him and his parents taken this summer when he and his parents traveled through Japan. Next to that was a framed photo of him and his closest friends: Brett McPherson, Trevor Bishop, and David Dewberry. Next to that, a framed photo of just him and best buddy Brett. This was taken last fall when the Ravens won the state championship. Here they are in their gear, Josh of #29 and Brett of #8. Hands hold the face masks of their helmets. There they stand, side by side. Happy smiles.

Josh set his phone on the desk and after a couple of button presses, music started to play. His favorite genre was soundtrack music from shows, movies, and games. He also enjoyed J-Rock and J-Pop which included his favorite boy band Nova Dream.

As the music played, he began to set up his computer. His best buddy had given his computer a thorough checkup and had made an addition to it before heading to LSU to quarterback for them. “There, brah. Webcam and video software installed. Now we can property chat face to face without having to look at phones.” Top of the line webcam for a top-of-the-line desktop computer. He looked at his watch. I wonder when I'll meet my new roommate. Will we get along?

Josh continued to set up his computer and printer.

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine had to admit by the time his plane landed and he had his four suitcases on a trolley he was already beat for the day. The day which had just barely started. Sure the plane ride from Venice to Houston was only four hours but he’d gotten up at 2 in the morning to make it through security and get on the plane that left at 4 o’clock a.m on time. Even with that much time he’d been cutting it close. He was a lucky type though, and always somehow skirted by no matter the situation. He helped his sister with her two bags. She wasn’t attending Tauber University. The thought of her going to an actual college at all was enough to make him laugh. It was just that she was the only one that could get away with bringing him all the way to Texas without some big debacle happening. His mother Blair was a daytime TV famous animal psychic. So no matter where they went someone seemed to recognize her and either wanted an autograph or for her to read their pet. Which was one of the reasons Blaine had decided to come all the way to Texas for school. Not only did Tauber have a great arts program; it was far away from his family. He didn’t mind his family in most cases. He just knew college was the time he needed to figure things out for himself. He wanted to make it on his own without relying on his grandparent’s money or his mother’s fame.

Alice took out her phone no doubt to take an Instagram photo or make a quick Vlog. He tried to stay a couple paces ahead. He wanted to be on a stage but he didn’t exactly like the idea of internet fame. It seemed fleeting and hard to keep up with. So appearing in her videos had been few and far between when it came to Blaine.
By the time they reached the car their mother had arranged to drive them she had finished with whatever she’d been doing and tucked her phone back into her back pocket. Blaine helped the driver load their bags into the trunk as his sister avoided work as she always did and slid into the back seat. It was likely she didn’t want to bust a nail.
Blaine ran an anxious hand through his sun soaked hair. It was medium in length, dark blonde, and sometimes would fall into his eyes. It’d gotten a little lengthier than usual during his summer as a camp counselor. He’d liked it though and kept it instead of getting his usual ‘start of school’ cut.

The drive to the university itself took another three hours. Blaine found he was too anxious to listen to music like he usually would on such a long drive. He instead opted to look out the window and absorb as much of the scenery and local life as he could. Neither he or Alice had ever been to Texas before. They’d both been all over Europe a couple times but rarely had they been out of California in their own country. He’d been to New York City a few times for Broadway shows and shopping purposes. But it’d been a couple years since he’d even done that.

After what felt like an eternity of bouncing his leg anxiously they finally pulled up to the doors where students and their parents were unloading bags and boxes. He felt a slight pang of jealousy at how proud some of the parent’s looked. He’d never known his own father and it was during milestone’s like these that he was made painfully aware of it. Alice had a different father than he did. But even her dad had never been involved. No one was good enough for his mother in the eyes of his grandparents. If they weren’t so nice otherwise; Blaine might have resented them.

The driver that had brought them all this way helped with all his personal bags. Alice’s bags stayed put. She was here to sight-see after-all. Her trip had little to do with saying goodbye to her big brother. As they lead very different social lives they’d never exactly been close. They got along and would help one another when needed but that was the extent of it. She at least got out to hug him and kiss his cheek before leaving to go to some five star hotel back in Houston. He’d been surprised she’d even taken the ride with him at all. Maybe their Mother had made her.

Blaine had been saying goodbye to Alice as the Driver brought up most of his bags. He held the last and smallest of them in his hands now. He checked the email once more to make sure he was headed in the right direction. He’d missed the initial entry ceremony. But they emailed the papers to everyone anyway so he didn’t feel left out. There was to be a meet and greet later that day anyway. He’d try to make friends then.

As he reached the dorm room’s doorway it dawned on him. He’d have a Room-Mate. He hadn’t really thought about this in great detail before the trip. Though of course all the Email’s had stated as much. If he’d asked he was sure his mother would have paid to get him a private room or an apartment nearby, but he wanted to do all this the right way. He straightened himself a bit running his hands over his form fitting white button up. He had the sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms. On his left wrist he wore a various display of bracelets. One of tiger’s eye beads given to him by his mother. A couple intricately woven and beaded bracelets made for him by some of the older campers. The last was one of those survival bracelets that had a bunch of rope wound around a compass which could also double as a whistle and small LED flashlight. On his right wrist he wore a teal and gold bracelet. It was his grandmother’s. But she’d been too nervous about Alice losing it to give it to her. So it’d been given to him last Christmas as a family heirloom instead. He wore it when he wanted to feel close to her. He also was sure it was lucky somehow. With one last breath he entered the room, wheeling his fourth deep green and somewhat frayed suitcase into the room behind him. He’d used this same one for Camp most years and it was the most worn out of the set he’d been given 3 Christmases ago. His heart constricted as he noticed his room mate was definitely already there. All the preparation at the door felt useless as anxiety flooded his body. He didn’t quite understand why. He was extroverted enough back home. People liked him. Maybe it was because the other boy was so attractive, even from behind. “Hey, Uh.” he painted on a friendly smile, raising one of his hands in a sort of half wave. “I’m Blaine.” he introduced himself before flipping open one of the suitcases on his bed. It was the clothes he had all ready to go on hangers for one of the closets. “You kind of got a jump on unpacking I see.” he took a quick glance around the room with a smirk. “It’s nice.” he commented, trying to be nice. He couldn’t help but instantly notice the photos on his room-mate’s side of the room though. A jock, or so it seemed. He hoped that this guy wasn’t a bully like some of the Jocks back home had been. He’d formed a thick armor over the years but wasn’t sure how he’d fare if he had to room with someone that would hate everything about him.

 

[Pokeking]

Josh had looked at the desk and the file cabinet he brought from home. There had to be a certain synchrony to meet his satisfaction. He would set up his computer stuff and yet something would seem off. Unplug, try again, and replug. The desk for monitor, hard drive, keyboard, and mouse. Printer sitting atop of the file cabinet he brought from home with a ream of paper in the box under the bed. In its previous life, it was a box of copy paper from his mom's office. Now it housed the single ream of paper and his drawing supplies. He had a tablet with stylus, but that was digital. There was nothing like holding a sketch pad and using pencils. He had brough a few of his pads including one that he just started. I figure my work could be conversation pieces. I haven't done commissions before, but I'm open to the idea. His work had been featured in Dimensions, St. Isidore's semesterly literary and art magazine.

Josh was on his hands and knees setting up the cables. His ears snapped to attention as they captured the sound of a key being inserted and the knob turning. He was nearly done, just a couple more cables. The sound of footsteps followed. His nostrils flared as it took in the scent of his roommate. Time to match scent with face. Josh slowly extracted himself from beneath the desk. Despite his care, he almost hit his head.

Josh stood up and paused his music. Sorry Yutaro. He submitted his own wave. The fingers of his left hand splayed wide as he waved. He smiled widely. Then, "Name's Josh." He saw Blaine open a suit case and begin sorting out his clothes, "Yup. I woke up super early to be here because I wanted to maximize the day." As soon as he said it, he regretted it. Ears reddened with embarrassment. It wasn't the words he spoke. Rather, it was the sound of his voice. The touch of Texas twang was noticeable. He recalled when he and his parents stayed in Ibaraki at the home of Ayumi Kojima, his father's sister, with her husband Hikaru and their son Daisuke. Here, they were not Tom, Mary, and Josh as in America. They were Tomokazu, Mariko, and Ryota here. Cousin Daisuke was athletic like Josh. His chosen sport was Greco-Roman style wrestling. One day, Daisuke hung out with his fellow wrestling buddies and took Josh along. Here was a guy who looked like them and spoke flawless Japanese like them, but in no way sounded like them. They gave him weird looks at first, but accepted him as one of the guys.

Josh looked around as well, "Yes. It is nice. Nice town also." He sighed in fond recollection, "I've always liked visiting Sutter, but it was always spending the night or as a stop on the way to or from home or just a day trip. I'm looking forward to going to school here, creating new memories, making friends. Stuff like that. Earning my degree, too."

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine busied himself with putting a couple articles of clothing on hangers and he listened. Josh’s accent surprised him a little. It didn’t seem to fit with what he’d thought the boy would talk like at all but it was nice and he didn’t mind it at all. “I can’t wait to see more of it.” he smiled kindly, offering Josh another look. He was very attractive. He couldn’t help but wonder how distracting he would find it for the next two years until they switched to the Junior Senior dorms. He wasn’t sure if they’d even end up switching room partners then or if this would be the face he’d be ‘coming home’ to for the duration of his stay at University. “What’re you in for?” Blaine slung the clothing he’d hung onto his arm and transferred it to the closet that would obviously be his. “As in, what’s your Major?” It was always awkward at first with people. He hadn’t really met too many new people since high-school. He tended to stick to his clique of friends. Sometimes he’d go to parties but he usually knew everyone there. “I’m here for the Arts, mostly theater though.” he shrugged. A soft metallic clang sound could be heard each time he hung up an article of clothing on the rack. It dawned on him that he’d have to keep a similar sleeping schedule to Josh so he wouldn’t keep him up at night or possibly wake him up in the morning. It wouldn’t be an easy task for Blaine. He was a mild insomniac and tended not to sleep until later. He’d already invested in multiple sets of earphones and a noise canceling sleep headband that went over his ears in case he needed it. He really hoped above all Josh wouldn’t be bringing a bunch of girls into the room on the weekends.

When he was done with the he went back to his suitcase and moved it closer to the dresser. He knelt down and began to unload the already neatly folded clothes into it. He thought about his wall decorations and hoped that none of them would get him into hot water with his room-mate. Particularly a small rainbow flag that was signed by everyone in his high-school theater troupe. It was a neon sign outing him to this new guy. Blaine was never the type of person to hide who he was. But he also didn’t want Josh to go to the office and ask to have him moved somewhere else. He’d heard of that happening to a couple of his older friends when they’d gone to college. It seemed so embarrassing. His brow furrowed just the smallest bit as he thought of the difficulties he might end up having once Josh found out he was gay. Guys that looked like Josh generally didn’t have the best track record of treating guys that looked like Blaine very well. Not even in Northern California. So how could it be much better here in Texas?

He looked over at the time, realizing the meet and greet would likely start before he finished unpacking everything. His stomach lurched a bit he also realized he hadn't eaten that morning. Come to think of it he hadn't had lunch yet either. Not having food in his stomach couldn't be helping his anxiety about meeting someone new. His hand moved to his lower abdomen as it grumbled softly. He blushed a bit, pink covering his cheeks and the bridge of his nose ever so softly. He didn't want the new guy to hear him making all sorts of noises. It'd been quiet but he felt silly for forgetting to do something as simple as eat.

 

[Pokeking]

Josh laid out the Astronomy-themed calendar he brought from home on the desk and begun copying the list of dorm events onto it. He looked back at Blaine, "I don't proclaim that I'm an expert on Sutter, but I've gone to a few places here and there with my folks. Walked around town, walked along the trails of Fletcher State Park."

Blaine had asked, "What are you in for?" If Punchline was here, he'd probably slip into an Edward G. Robinson/Little Caesar voice to provide his answer. I am not David though. "Biology with a Minor in Chemistry. I was thinking of a career in Forensic Science. CSI type stuff." He held out his left hand, palm up "Merge the science of Tosan, Dad that is," then presenting right hand with palm up "with the law and order of Mom and Uncle Kunio."

Josh raised an eyebrow, "Theater, eh? I'm sure if the Archmage were here, that'd be my best buddy Brett, you'd have his complete attention because he enjoys the theater and performing arts, but he considers the gridiron to be his stage. He's over at LSU studying Computer Science and minoring in Cybersecurity. He's quarterbacking for them too." He looked back at the picture of the blond young man briefly. While the girdiron was his stage, he had sung for our school on stage. Just twice though. The first was at last year's annual talent show, the last that he could participate in. He sung the title song from Phantom of the Opera with his girlfriend Jocelyn Zhang. The second time was at graduation before the conclusion of the ceremony when he sung Climb Ev'ry Mountain from The Sound of Music. Both times, he brought the house down. Both performances were uploaded online. People started to call him the Singing Quarterback as a tease, but he took it well. It takes a lot to get under his skin.

Josh looked at the updated calendar, "Meet and greet tonight at 1900 hours." He looked up at Blaine, "I'll be there for the mandartory portion with the director..." He paused to look at the pamphlet "Zebulon Wicker, but I probably won't stay long once the mingling begins because I don't do well in crowds. I'll stay there to eat. I've been promised pizza and soda. Cookies from Leitner's Bakery too." He remembered the last time he was here in Sutter. It was the weekend after school let of for Winter Break. The eldest of Leitner's sons was staffing the counter. A young man not much older than me. Maybe four or five years? What was his name again? Ah, yes. Lance. Lance Leitner. Nice sold body befitting a fellow footballer, mullet of light brown.

Blaine's posting of the rainbow flag did not miss Josh's eye. His brain rewound to a few months ago. The first to learn he was gay was his parents, but they were not surprised. Pretty obvious when I have a poster of Nova Dream hanging besides my bed with one of Yutaro Takeda above the headboard. Both were signed. Yutaro was always my favorite because I felt a certain connection. He also had a tee which read like a recipe, but the ingredients were attributes of the five young men which comprised the band. Next were his closest friends. Brett just wrapped his arm around my shoulder, "So what if you're into dudes. You're my bro, now and forever." Trevor nodded and gave me a fist bump, "If you ever want to talk, just ring me up." David chuckled, "Ah! I see. Well congratulations are in order. Now you just need a boy to be cuddlebuds with." Josh chose to keep silent because he knew he was taller and more muscular than Blaine. He did not want to give the appearance of forceful intimidation. I only prey on bunnies, fawns, and other small animals, and that's only when I get the chance to be my true self as nature intended.

Josh's ears picked up a familiar sound. He looked in Blaine's direction, "Hungry? I could use a bite to eat. Something small but satisfying enough to tide one over until this evening. Plenty of time." His mind scrolled through possible options which might be suitable. "Sandwiches? You like sandwiches? Clubs, ruebens, muffulettas, Offerings such as these. Salads too if you'd like."

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

“You know, I considered something in CSI or Forensic Psychology but.” Blaine trailed off as he tacked up a couple photos from this summer and last as a camp counselor. He stood to the side of a couple of kids 12-14 years of age. They all help up peace signs in one photo. In the second they were now 13-15 aged kids group hugging him, various flowers and letters they’d ended up giving him in their hands. He didn’t think he’d end up being able to go for a couple summers. So they’d thrown him a goodbye party of sorts. “I think I just like watching crime shows instead.” he chuckled.

At the mention of food his features perked up a bit and he smiled wide. “Yeah, sure. I don’t mind eating meat. I’m not a bunny rabbit.” he scrunched up his nose a little, almost imitating the animal itself. “Probably best to figure out some good places together anyway.” He didn't have the best sense of direction and would absolutely feel better with someone that looked like Josh leading the way. Maybe people would almost mistake Blaine himself as cool by proxy. He wasn’t exactly treated poorly in high-school. All of the popular girls liked him as their ‘token gay’ friend. Which meant the popular guys left him alone since they didn’t want to upset their girlfriends. He generally had an upbeat and optimistic attitude which helped him make friends with a lot of different groups too.

He hoped that he and Josh would be able to get along long term. It would make school life much easier if they could at least casually go out to eat once in a while or do some homework at the same time. He’d never had to live in such close proximity to someone else. Sure camp cabins seemed cramped, but counselor’s got their own rooms in the back of each Cabin. Sometimes sharing with one other person. He’d gotten lucky every summer though and ended up the only person staying overnight with the kids. “Sandwiches are fine with me.” he came down off the bed and gestured toward their bedroom door. “You can lead the way.” mostly he offered that since it seemed at least to Blaine like Josh might know vaguely where he might be going. Instinctively he went to grab a sweater. He’d spent the summer in the mountains which had meant too many cold nights despite being in California. “Oh right, Texas.” he chuckled under his breath, tossing it back down into his suitcase to take care of later. He felt bad about leaving his side of the room in such disarray. He’d have plenty of time to get it up to snuff like Josh’s side already was soon enough. His stomach just wouldn’t wait much longer before it made him grumpy. He’d always been grumpiest when he was hungry. His friends had joked before he’d make a perfect candidate for a snickers commercial.

“You mentioned your friend Brett is at LSU, but do you have any friends that followed you here?” he asked curiously. “I have two people from my high-school coming. Victoria and Daisuke.” He smiled, hoping they’d contact him once they arrived. He was just glad he wouldn’t be completely alone in a sea of strangers. Even if neither of them were exactly in theater it would be good to have people to hang out with outside of lessons. “You might see ‘em from time to time.”

 

[Pokeking]

Josh shrugged his shoulders, "My parents and I don't watch much TV besides the news. Certainly not crime shows since they hit a little too close to home. We watch mostly movies instead. I guess this is why I like watching them a lot. I'm really looking forward to movie night on Saturdays. Nothing tonight because of the meet and greet."

Josh mentioned, "I like eating meat, but we don't have it too often. We Nakayamas eat mostly fish, then chicken." With pride, "I decide the menu though. Been that way for the past three years about." He stood up to gather wallet, keys, and phone. A grin, "I'm no bunny either unless you mean gym bunny. I can definitely do three days, but I try for four. I mostly do cardio, but I do weight training too."

Josh gave Blaine an odd look when he picked up a sweater, "Huh? Texas? Native Texan here. Houston to be exact. My mom and uncle were also born in Houston. Dad's from Ibaraki in Japan. Ibaraki's between Osaka and Kyoto."

As they walked, Josh would check to make sure that Blaine was still with him. Down the hallway and through a set of double doors into the main rec room that would serve as the meeting place tonight. A large 80 inch TV rested on a platform. Black leather sofas were positioned in front. Two facing each other and one in the middle to form a blocky U shape. Out another set of double doors into the lobby. To his confusion, he found that there were some new residents still coming in.

They entered the parking garage and Josh's voice became wistful, "No friends from home here, but I did meet a local guy. Mild acquaintance really whose family owns the local bakery. I think I'll stop by on the way back from lunch. I'd like to pick something up for breakfast tomorrow morning." A smile invaded his mouth which became a guffaw, "You have a Daisuke too. So do I. He's my cousin. Lives in Japan with the rest of Dad's family. He's similar in build to me, but he wrestles. Ah. Here we are."

In front of them was Red Tundra. It gave off the vibe that this was a jock's vehicle. On the bottom right side of the rear window, there were two stickers next to each other. One sticker was that of a raven's head, slightly turned, inset in a circle which said St. Isidore Athletic Dept. To the left it this was a sticker of a football with the number 29 inside. On the bottom left side of the rear window, there were three stickers, all flags forming an L formation. The flag of the United States was above Japan's flag. To the right of the Stars and Stripes was the flag of Texas. There was a single sticker on the bottom middle of the rear window. This was a square sticker which the outline of an apple with the letters AP inside. Originally, the red Toyota Tundra belonged to his Uncle Kunio's. At the age of two years, the truck was given to Josh last year on his 18th birthday. Originally, only the red bumper sticker with the words Semper Fi, United States Marines in yellow font was on the truck. That was on the left side of the bumper which explained why Josh put the flag stickers on the left side of the rear window.

Josh pressed the button on the gob and there was a click. He sat inside and set his phone in the holster. He turned on the engine and his music came back on. Not too loudly though if the roommates wanted to continue to talk. Suave young male voices singing in Japanese emanated from the speakers. This was Nova Dream, the pop group that he adored.

Red Tundra pulls out and soon is in the street. The roommates head out into the town.

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine enjoyed listening to Josh talk about his family. It seemed to him they might be a little old school. Or maybe it was just that too many modern families spend too much time in front of screens and less time with each other.
He thought vaguely that it must have been odd for someone like Josh to be Japanese. He must have visited Japan a couple times, or maybe his family had come to America to visit. Either way, he was certain Josh’s accent must make any other language besides English seem odd on his tongue. He’d have to ask him to teach him a couple Japanese words just so he could hear what it might sound like.

Blaine hadn’t needed to wonder if Josh spent much time in the gym. It was plainly evident by his physical form that he did. He couldn’t help but smirk at the mention of how many days he went though. He kept quiet about that. He didn’t want to seem lazy to the other boy. Swimming was a workout but he wasn’t sure how respected a workout in gym circles it might be. Though if Josh found a gym he would certainly ask if it had a pool at least. He figured there was likely enough room to do some yoga on and off in the room should he desire as well.

When they reached the car, Blaine thought it was sort of cute in a Jock way. He didn’t have a car, or even a license yet. Which was probably embarrassing for other people his age but he didn’t really mind. He’d learn when the time came. It was only when he got inside and the music started playing he couldn’t contain a wider smile. “I like this.” he noted, gesturing vaguely to the radio. “I’ve never heard much music that isn’t theater related since middle school but it’s really cool.” it must have been that the other boy was already listening to it before he’d left the car the last time. So it wasn’t by chance something so opposite to how Josh looked was playing from the speakers. He thought he’d listen to Rock or Country but it had been a pleasant surprise. There were a few moments of silence as they drove. Blaine didn’t want to be too irritating by asking nonstop questions. Though Lord knew he had many. He figured before Josh met a lot of other people would likely be his best chance to establish a good relationship. Sometimes other people’s opinions got in the way of a good friendship and he didn’t want that to happen with Josh. Being roommates would be unpleasant if they didn’t at least get along. “You seem pretty cool about everything.” Blaine noted with a little chuckle. “I’m pretty nervous myself. I mean sure, I’ve been away from home a lot of times. I’m a camp counselor. I used to go to theater camp myself in middle school. Sometimes my mom is away for long periods. But something about this just feels so grown up you know? I almost didn’t want to apply to college at all but. I want to be in the spotlight too much.” he shrugged, adjusting his seat-belt a bit. “Not that I’m into drama outside of the stage, don’t worry about that.” he tried to instantly reassure his roomie. He knew people wanting attention in any form usually didn’t sound too good. “Were you excited to come out here?” he wondered if Josh felt the same amount of unease that he felt.

 

[Pokeking]

At the stoplight, Josh turned to Blaine. "I like this one a lot. It's called Sea Breeze Reason. It's about two sweethearts walking barefoot along the beach. Their time together is short as they must part to go to their separate hometowns, but promise to return to that beach one day." He sighs because it was one of his favorites, "Just don't ask me to sing. I'm not good at it. In either language." Turn the corner with fondness in his voice, "There are five guys: Yutaro, Shaun, Hayato, Jay, and Tetsuya. Ages are between 23 to 27." Another corner and another light, "A couple years back, Dad took me to Dallas when Nova Dream went on their world tour. Kinda funny if you think about it. Look at me. I look like the last guy you'd expect to see in a place like that unless he was dragged there. I look like I'm more comfortable going to a ball game. I enjoy watching football, and especially if I go to a game, but I'm more than what I look like." He made a mental note to get out those two posters the size of a standard sheet of paper, the one of the band and the other of Yutaro, and affix them to the corkboard. That store clerk sure gave me a funny look when I eagerly bought that fan activity magazine.

Josh chuckled, "Theater music? Brett's phone is loaded with musicals, but also songs from the 60s and the 70s. When it's not CCR, it's Andrew Lloyd Webber. If it's not Steppenwolf, it's Gilbert and Sullivan. You get the idea." His smile cratered, "Camp? That was the only childhood experience I never got to have. Summer camp that is. The type of place where you live in cabins and make crafts and sing songs. My summers were spent at my grandparents' house." His parents felt that it was too much of a risk that people would find out the truth about their boy. "The only camp I ever attended was training camp for high school football players. The only outdoorsy camping I did was with Dad. Just the two of us. When he was young, he and his family would go camping on Shikoku plenty of times." As a boy, Josh would scamper into the trees free of his human form, but always within earshot of his dad. Even then, not for too long.

Blaine had posed a question and Josh replied, "Sure I am. I've enjoyed coming to Sutter for years. I had considered staying in Houston for college, but then I remembered Sutter. I remember how all my stays here were brief. I knew that there was a college here and everything fell into place.

They had arrived at The Sunflower Bistro and Red Tundra maneuvered into the parking lot and slowed to a stop. Josh got out and waited for Blaine to get out before he locked the truck and they stepped inside.

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine smiled and listened intently as Josh talked about himself. The boy was surely not at all what he’d seemed. Blaine always tried to not judge a book by its cover but sometimes with Jock types because of his past that could be difficult. He was very happy that he wouldn’t have to worry too much about Josh or at least not right off the bat.

When they arrived he got out of the car. It’d been a pleasant drive. The blonde found himself wishing the destination had been just a little further away. He’d always enjoyed riding in the passenger seat - going on adventures. Plus, being near Josh wasn’t a hard task either. He was enjoying learning about him. The more he learned the happier he got that they’d ended up room-mates.

The Sunflower Bistro looked exactly how Blaine imagined it might. It was cozy. Not as industrial as some of the places he’d gotten used to back in California. He took out his card and handed it to Josh. “Maybe you can order for us? I like to be surprised. I’m not exactly fussy either.” Despite his looks, Blaine really wasn’t the fussy type when it came to food. He loved to try new things. “Just put your order on my card too, you were nice enough to bring me so the least I can do is buy.” he smiled, looking around the room. “I’ll pick a table.” His eyes bee-lined to a booth snuggled by a window across the room. It would allow them to watch people walk by, and see the view of the town. It was very picturesque. More trees than he was used to, too. Sometimes the Palms back home just phased into the background anyway. These were what his mom would call ‘real trees’ and she was right.
Before Josh could refuse him paying he made his way over to the table, sliding into the booth on the left. With is now claimed as theirs Blaine was able to relax. He allowed himself a peek in Josh’s direction. Even from behind he was attractive. He rolled his eyes at himself. ‘Stop it.’ he muttered under his breath. He didn’t want to gain some school boy crush on day one of college now did he?

His eyes lingered where Josh stood ordering. Well. . .maybe just one wouldn’t hurt. As long as he got over it quickly enough. He fiddled idly with his bracelets, wondering if he was even in the same league as Josh. People back home had said he was attractive. Both of his parents weren't bad looking apparently. But then again he hadn't caught Josh looking at him too intently since they'd met. Then again maybe he just hadn't had the chance to really check him out? Would he even want to check him out? He shook his head gently, taking out his phone to pretend to be looking at it for awhile instead of being weird about his new roomie.

 

[Pokeking]

The Sunflower Bistro was a quaint place to eat. It was only open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. The decor was suggestive of a garden. The four foot tall partition walls around the restaurant were designed like picket fences.

Josh masked his surprise as best as he could, but it came out as confusion, "Okay then." He got in line which moved as a reliable pace. He says that he likes to be surprised? How would he like that one impossibly real surprise. "No. I'm not on anything." I'd then shift to phase four which is my anthro form on digitigrade legs. That one's my fav because I can run on all fours but I can use thumbs. I would wiggle my thumbs for emphasis. "See? No, Blaine. You aren't on something." I'd hold out my paws. They're shaped like human hands, but they are furry and padded with claws like a wolf's. I can go further and look like a wolf you'd see in a nature preserve, but one as big as me. No. That is to not be. Only my parents will ever see the real me and they had no choice. The memory of the boy I was, he who shifted for the first time at the age of seven years and three months, has remained fresh in my thoughts. Terror lead to puzzlement lead to curiosity lead to acceptance. No, you will only ever see the me you have see today.

As he moved forward, Josh was aware of eyes on him. Again with the ogles? Those eyes follow you no matter where you go. He had learned to accept these looks. His tee hugged his torso and his Wrangler jeans were equally defining especially if seen from the back. I know I got a bubble butt. Sorry folk, can't help it. His face was just as captivating thanks to regular uses of face mask paste. He once drew the slight and brief ire of his school's K-Pop fans when they asked if he had taken beauty tips from those artists and he had replied that he had taken tips instead from his countrymen, meaning J-Pop stars.

Josh reached the counter after about eight minutes, "Two pesto chicken salad sandwiches and two strawberry lemonades." The sandwiches were very nice because the chicken wasn't pulverized. Shredded chicken coated in pesto served on sourdough bread with lettuce and tomato. Accompanying the sandwich was a dill pickle spear and a bag of plain kettle chips. The strawberry lemonade was tangy and refreshing. He paid and was given a card holder on a stick with a card bearing the number 29, his number. He decided that he would return the favor when they stopped by Leitner's Bakery on the way back. Two blueberry muffins for breakfast. These aren't wimpy. They're baseball sized. Pint of milk or juice to go along.

Josh's eyes scanned the eatery and located his new roommate. He returned to Blaine with a smile. He waved the stick, "Number 29. Must be a sign." He sat down and passed Blaine's card back to him. Unsure what to say next while they waited, "I'm glad you're not a picky eater. I'm not either. I have no food allergies either." This led to another revelation, "I've never shared a room with another on a long-term basis because I'm an only. I have some habits that might seem...strange. I'm a big eater. That's why my bros called me Jaws." There was a reason why he ate a lot. Being a werewolf might seem awesome, and it is, but I burn more calories the more wolfish I become. People would always wonder where the food went. I don't think I'll be eating as much because I'll need to maintain a total human form. Thankfully the moon is just a moon. It has no power over me.

Josh looked Blaine in the eyes with interest, "So, how about you?"

Soon, the chicken salad sandwiches and the strawberry lemonades arrived and were placed before them while the number on the stick was taken away with the server announcing with a smile, "Two chicken salad sandies, two strawberry lemonades. Enjoy."

Two actions from Josh before he began to eat. First, he took out his phone to take a picture of his meal to post to his blog titled Foodballs by JR. Second, he crossed himself.

Josh took a swig of lemonade and waited for Blaine to respond.

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine smirked as Josh disclosed he was an only child. He put his card back into his wallet as the plates were set down. “I have a sister, myself.” he sort of half shrugged at the mention of her. “Her name is Alice. But, we aren’t super close. Always had my own room. So this’ll be the first time I’m sharing as well. So if I’m ever too loud or crossing a boundary let me know and I’ll do what I can to fix it.” He took a bite of the sandwich. It was better than he expected. He’d be glad to settle his rumbling stomach as it had almost turned painful as he had waited for the food.

“It’s alright if you’re a little weird here and there. I can probably be a little strange at times myself. I have bouts of insomnia but I promise I’ll be careful not to keep you awake. Also come October I’ll watch horror movies almost obsessively and probably have to sleep with a nightlight. Though, maybe with you around I won’t really worry about it so much. I think you could probably take any movie monster that tried to get at us.” he tried not to say it in a flirtatious tone but sometimes his voice decided on its own how it wanted to sound. He looked down, swallowing another bite and trying to hide his blush by taking a drink. “Do you like horror, or?” he wondered vaguely if Josh would be joining him for any of his horror movie nights during spooky season. He liked to show people films they’d never seen before. He was sure someone like Josh would be ultra popular and likely not have time for the theater kid by then but the invitation would always be open if his roomie wanted to. He found he was eating a little too quickly and made himself slow down. Time at camp had been hectic and he’d learned to eat fast. But there was no need or reason here to be fast. They could take a large chunk of the morning if they needed to. It wasn’t like they had classes to worry about yet. “I find a lot of people can either take or leave Halloween and horror as a whole. Either people love it or don’t care about it at all. I'm probably annoying about most holidays, but especially that one." he chuckled quietly.

 

[Pokeking]

Josh nodded as he absorbed that knowledge tidbit, "Sister huh?" He had always wondered what it'd be like to have a sibling because it seemed that everyone in his family had a sibling except for his cousin Daisuke. "I'll keep that in mind if things get too much. Same with me. Well then. To the journey." He took his glass and gave Blaine's a gentle tap. "That's my motto. Get it? Journey? Think of my initials JRN as if it was a pronounced as a word." He picked up the sandwich and took a bite out of it. He sighed in euphoria, "I've been waiting for months for this."

Josh chuckled, "I'll try not to let it get to me. I do regular meditations to help me relax and sleep. Brett introduced me to meditating years ago when he started to see how restless I would get as we started to grow up." A werewolf child is one thing, but a teenage lycan is something else altogether. His eyes became wistful. I could never my bro why I felt that way; I felt like a caged animal. My parents noticed too and helped as best as they could. I already had a nook in my bed room which they gussied up to make it look like a cave. How many times would I go to phase five, my full wolf form, and sleep the night away in there? How many times would I go into our backyard and shift to all wolf? Thankfully, we had wooden fencing all the way around.

Blaine had mentioned movies which prompted Josh to reply, "I like movies a lot. My parents wanted me to get a job this summer and I decided that my first would be at the movie theater. I was assigned to concessions. No need to worry about me literally eating into the profits. First, I don't care for popcorn. I'll eat it though if you get full. Second, I don't each much candy because I prefer baked goods. Third, it's for the customers. Besides, I prefer other perks like paying half price when I want to see something."

Josh found it odd that his new roommate would watch horror movies to the point of using a nightlight. What does he mean with me around? Does he mean like sitting next to him, holding his hand, have my arm around his shoulder, or complete embrace? He blushed and talked about what he liked to occupy himself, "I'll watch mostly anything which is why I can't wait for Saturday movie night. Horror? It depends. I prefer the classic flicks such as those put out by Universal or Hammer. Nothing too realistic like Saw or The Purge. My favorite genres are sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero." He had kept his answer general enough to avoid sharing his opinion about werewolf movies. He knew that they were products of fiction, but he felt embarrassed every time he found himself watching one.

Halloween? "My parents decorate the front yard with pumpkins and put up scarecrows. Pass out candy. Me? I put up my drawings of yokai like kasa-obake or rokurokubi by taping them inside the window. That's the extent of displaying monsters; they are all Japanese themed. I dress up, but not as much as I used to. Last year though, I was Tadashi Hamada while Brett was Kristoff. See?" He took out his phone and browsed through his album to last October to show Blaine a couple of photos. The two teammates looked very convincing as the Disney characters; it'd be difficult to find guys who could pull off the look better.

Josh took the phone back and placed it back in his pocket, "My favorite holidays are Thanksgiving and July 4th." Just then, his phone starts playing the theme to the People's Court. Has it been three hours already? What must Blaine be thinking of right now?

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine watched Josh as he spoke, the way his facial movements changed depending on what he would talk about. Slight smiles and far off looks as if seeing the memories he spoke about play out before him. His family and friends all sounded nice when he spoke about them.
Blaine didn’t know too much about Japanese culture or legends but he figured when Halloween rolled around he would have something to ask Josh about, then.
When told the movies the other boy liked best he tried to mentally catalog them so in the future he could choose movies of that theme to play should Josh ever want to join him.

He felt like he could probably sit in that booth all night and talk to Josh about his own life, while learning more about his roomie. But, they had all year for that. “Oh damn.” he looked down at his own phone. “We ought to get back huh?” he smirked and got up, gathering their dishes and returning them to a small alcove designated for returning used lunchware. “I’m kinda . . .” he trailed off, his hand rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous sort of gesture. “Nervous about this meet-up thing. Isn’t that silly? I mean, I know it’s orientation and then just sort of mingling but I haven’t been outside of my bubble of school and camp friends for well. Ever.” he shrugged, letting Josh lead the way back to the vehicle. He’d never been very good with directions. Not outside of the woods anyway.

He looked down at a ping notification on his own phone. It was his mother wishing him luck. “My mom, wishing me good luck. I mean - I guess she didn’t tell me that I’m gonna mess up so that’s good.” he looked up and raised one of his hands as if to defend her. “Oh god, she’d not like - that. I’m meaning she’s a psychic. Mostly for animals though. So I guess since I’m not like a dog or something. Maybe she wouldn’t be able to see into my future as clearly.” he chuckled but quickly answered before shoving his phone back into his pocket.

 

[Pokeking]

Josh was caught between a rock and a hard place. Do I let it go to voicemail or answer? I try not to talk or text while at the table if I can help it. He decided to answer. He held the phone to his head and answered in Japanese out of habit, <Hi Mom.> Mary Nakayama responded, <Your father and I just got back home. What are you doing?> Her son replied, <Me and my new roommate are having lunch.> Then a voice from his dad Tom, <Oh? What's his name? He didn't pay for you did he?> Josh looked and offered Blaine a smile before, <His name is Blaine and he offered before I could say anything, but I plan for us to go to Leitner's Bakery after here to pick up some goodies. Definitely muffins but maybe a loaf of Apple Cinnamon Golden Raisin Bread too.> She told him, <You be sure to share.> Josh looked again at Blaine with a grin, <Yes I will.> She ended, <We'll talk later. You just enjoy the rest of your day. Love you.> Dad added his own well wishes. Josh ended, <Love you Mom. Love you Dad.> The call ended and he put the phone back in his pocket.

Josh explained, "Mom and Dad just checking up. They can be protective of me. Very." Should I tell him about me signing up to play football? There's time for that later. He looked at his watch which was set according to a 24 hour clock, "Indeed. Time enough to make a stop at Leitner's, head back to the dorm to fill out the paperwork and shower or shower then paperwork, then head to the main lounge for the kickoff."

Josh stood up and was about to pick up his used tray, but Blaine beat him to it. As they walked into the parking lot back to Red Tundra, "Not silly. Besides, you already know someone outside your group, me." He unlocked the doors and climbed in. He looked over at Blaine in response to the text message, "Psychic eh?" Another thought of his best friend entered his mind, "Brett's interested in stuff like that."

Down the road and they happened upon a two story building of white brick, "Not so surprise stop." The truck parked next to the older, but well-kept structure. On the side, there were a couple of park benches where patrons could take their bakery goods and coffee to enjoy. Josh opens the door. Display cases of streusel and cookies and other treats to the left. Shelves of various types of bread to the right. Next to the display cases was a kiosk with clerks serving regular coffee, hot tea, and hot chocolate. Catacorner to the kiosk was a refrigerated case of cold drinks such as juice, milk, and water. Along the wall, were recent photos and backwards through the years.

Josh collected a loaf of the apple cinnamon bread and headed to the counter. One of the clerks behind the display cases, "Can I help you sir?" A male voice, "I got this Joyce." A man of mid-20s appears from the back and approaches, "Long time no see...Josh?" He replied, "Same here Lance."

Lance Leitner of light brown mullet and athletic body smiles, "So? Here for a daytrip?" Josh replied, "Naw. Going to school here." The owner's son smiled, "Great. Then I'm sure we'll see each other again." Eyes of curiosity looked at Blaine from feet on up, "Who's this?" Josh introduced, "This is Blaine. My new roommate." Lance nodded, "Welcome Blaine. So what would you like?" Josh held up, "This loaf and two blueberry muffins, Oh, and a milk from the case."

Josh turned to Blaine, "Anything appealing to you? Maybe something to take back to drink with tomorrow's breakfast? This is on me."

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine noticed that Josh mentioned his friend Brett a lot. He wondered if there was more to their friendship than just bromance. He let the thought shake itself from his head. It wasn’t like it was his business even if that were the case. He’d just met Josh so why should he even be paying attention to something like this?

He admired the older looking building as they pulled up. Many places in California said they were old but had been repaired so often due to tourism that many of them no longer held the ‘old time’ charm that this one did.
He followed into the bakery, the various smells assaulting his nose.

One thing about Blaine was that he had an impeccable sense of smell. It impressed and annoyed all of his friends and even his family. He could smell something rotting from a room over. He could smell someone’s perfume from down the hall - or what they’d eaten that morning. Sometimes he enjoyed the heightened sense. Like now. The Bakery smelled fantastic.
He seemed in a sort of dazed state when Josh introduced him. Blaine hadn’t expected for Josh to know anyone enough to have them remember his name. Though he had talked about visiting a couple times before. With how friendly he seemed it made sense to Blaine that perhaps he’d made a couple friends.
“Oh Hi!” he smiled, waving a little bit. When Josh offered him something more than what he already was he shook his head.
“Oh, no thank you. I’d like an excuse to come back here.” he looked around. He would be buying a bicycle soon enough. Or maybe even a motorcycle if his mother would allow him to learn how to drive one. He thought a small motorbike or Vespa might be more his speed than a car, if he had to drive at all. He’d driven ATV’s all summer through the woods at camp but that really was the extent of his current vehicle driving know how.
“I’m sure I can convince you to bring me again. If I’m good, that is.” he joked with a boyish grin. “Are we taking this back to the dorms?” He knew he could get ready and shower quickly thanks to his timed showers at camp. But wasn’t sure how long it took someone like Josh to get ready. Earlier he might have assumed only a couple of minutes. But it was turning out the muscular boy was a mixed bag of surprises. Which Blaine found he was enjoying.

When the transaction was finished, he turned to look up at Josh.
“So, you must come here often on your visits huh? Or did you meet him somewhere else?” He was curious about the guy behind the counter and wanted to know more about how Josh made friends. "You might end up more extroverted than me after all. I mean, I try but sometimes it's hard to spark up conversation at random. Maybe that's why I liked working with kids. They are very easy to keep entertained and converse with." he sort of half shrugged.

 

[Pokeking]

Josh loved smells and coming to Leitner's Bakery was always the highlight of visiting Sutter. Back home, he was familiar with Plaza de Conchas, a panaderia, located in the neighborhood where his Uncle Kunio and Aunt Carmen lived. The smells there were equally heavenly.

Josh grinned, "I'm sure we'll be back. Body permitting. Can't eat too many sweets. I do burn calories easy enough though because I've got a great metabolism." He passed his own debit card and soon got it back. Lance passed the box in a paper sack, "Same here. We Leitners are all like that." Looking at Josh most of all, "The trick is to not overdo it. Just normal activity." Josh collected it and placed the loaf of bread and pint of milk inside, "Normal. Got ya." Josh opened the door and a little bell chimed.

Heading back to the truck, "Yea. Taking this back to the dorm. I may be a big eater, but I'm not about to chow down here and now." Arriving at the truck, Josh opened the door and put the box in the back. "We come to town twice a year at least. Sometimes we stop here on the way to or from San Antonio. Perfect day trip option since it's about 35 minutes away. Three hours from here to home if you want to go on a longer trip. Would have to spend the night though." He blushed because he hadn't meant to make an offer like that to someone he just met, but it was too late to take the words back. He mumbled, "No need to think about trips outside of Sutter though right now. We just got here."

Blaine had asked about Lance, "Nowhere but here. I met him last year." Truck starts and they being their journey back to the dorm, "It was last winter when I was on holiday. The temperature was just right for zipped up letterman jacket. Too chilly for nothing and too warm for coat." As a werewolf, he could be selected as to which of his features he could convert. Growing fur, in selective areas, greatly helped in keeping warm. He didn't have to wear as many layers as his human peers. However, he had to take great care to withdraw his fur whenever he got into a warmer area. As a result, he chose to deal with the cold in the same way as a human would. "Last year, Lance was a Senior in college. He chose to start taking a more active role. Family run business after all. Anyhow, his eyes lit up when he saw my jacket. Said he had a feeling I was like him." He sighed in fond remembrance, "He went on break and we chatted a bit while my parents were across the street browsing the antique store."

Closer and closer to the dorm, "We talked about football. He quarterbacked for the Sutter High Sentinels during his era and I just concluded my own with the St. Isidore Ravens with our team winning State." The truck rumbled to a stop in the same spot. "Me? Extroverted? I didn't have many friends growing up. Just one really. Kids can be so cruel to those who are different. Most of the time, I would be by myself so I started to draw. I honed my art over years and it's become really good. Comic book good." Getting closer to the room, "Opinion of me changed once I started high school and joined the football team."

Key in the door and open the door, "We'll we're back." He looked at his watch. They had a good two hours before the meeting at 7pm factoring in the time it would take to head to the main lounge.

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine chuckled, moving aside the still full suitcases from earlier. “I can’t see you being picked on but then, people can change so much from middle to high-school.” he shrugged a bit and moved over to the closet to search for something fresh to wear after his shower. He settled on a T-Shirt with a mountain scene on it his mother had brought back from Yellowstone earlier that year and plain boot cut jeans. He’d been forced to switch from skinny jeans after high-school since his friend Victoria told him it made him look too much like a baby, the ones he currently wore were almost pushing it. Though he’d considered that maybe she was just jealous because she had a flat ass and couldn’t pull them off herself.

As Blaine sat on his bed with his clothes next to him he found his eyes scanning Josh’s side of the room more carefully now. “You should put up some of your work on the corkboard then, give me something nice to look at.” Blaine turned a bit, eyeing the door to the shower. “Not that you’re not good to look at too, I mean - .” he paused running his hand through his hair. His hand went forward and was joined by the other one to rub his face a couple times. “Uh, do you mind if I go first? I’m really fast I promise.” he tried to change the subject so Josh wouldn’t think he was being weird. Being openly gay meant that he had to be careful not to appear predatory towards other men. “It’ll be weird to have warm water for a change.” he commented, sliding off some of the bracelets he wore in preparation. Most of them were fine getting wet but it would make some of the others fray faster over time if he didn’t take them off. He resolved that if he got ready quick enough he could unpack some more and put up some of his own things on the wall and maybe even put actual sheets on the bed before the meeting. He got up, assuming it would be alright to just take 10 minutes or so. It would be a new experience to share a bathroom. Especially with another guy.

He took in a deep breath - already a little tired from his day travels but determined to finish the day with enough energy to keep a smile on his face throughout the meet and greet. Then grabbing his clothes he made for the bathroom. Upon opening the door he took one look around noticing the various frogs and laughed. “Did you. . put these here?” he turned back to Josh with a wide smile. “They’re, Kinda cute!” he laughed again, plopping his clothing on the edge of the sink. “My stuff is so basic. You’re kind of an enigma Josh.” he commented, moving back to look at him while leaning on the door-frame of the bathroom. “Thanks for being so nice to me so far. It’s really helped me feel at ease about all this.” he waved a hand over the room vaguely.

 

[Pokeking]

Josh dismissed the chuckle and said with a sigh, "It's true. In public, I'm Josh or Joshua. At home, I'm Ryo or Ryota. Wind the clock back to first day of school. Our teacher asked each student what name they were to be known as. When it came to be my turn, I said my name was Ryota. How the others laughed and laughed. What kind of a name is that? I just stood my ground and told them that I was Japanese-American and it was a normal name to have. I told them that I was to be called Josh here. It helped some. Brett already knew of my name because we've been neighbors since forever. He just glowered at them." A small smile, "A fifth grade boy once roughed me up when I was in the second grade. It was worth it though. We watch each others back."

There was once a child known as Ryota Nakayama who had discovered earlier that year that he was not like other kids; he learned that he was a werewolf. He recognized that this great secret was to be known only by him and his parents. He realized that there were benefits such as enhanced senses and endurance. The older boy had cornered the younger Brett trying to get money out of him. He was a McPherson after all and this kid's bound to be loaded. The younger Josh stood in front of his trembling friend and defiantly declared, "You like picking on little kids? Well, I'm little. Pick on me." The bully granted the wish and was soon expelled.

Josh had stooped down by his bed and his head looked back at Blaine, "Already on it." He took out the poster of Yutaro Takeda which was of 8.5x11 size on card stock. The telltale sign of a perforated edge lined the side. He showed the image of the smiling pop star to Blaine, "Mm! Mm! Good!" Red pants with white long-sleeved shirt slightly unbuttoned. He took out the equally-sized poster of Nova Dream. He affixed them side by side with poster tack to the wall above his bed.

He then took out a spiral binder which served as his portfolio and thumbed through his drawings, each one secured in a plastic sleeve. More use of tack. Three images were chosen. First, an anthropomorphic gorilla dressed like Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name accompanied by a humanoid robot which was about two feet tall. Second, was a minotaur of tan fur in simple tunic and sash playing the lyre. There was a minotaur with black fur in leather armor sitting next to him. The fondness the two males shared for each other was clear in their eyes. Third, was of Brett dressed in blue sleeveless hoodie jacket with a embroidered circle of runes on the back and over the left breast with teal tunic and beige pants. This was a depiction of him as if he was a sorcerer out of a medieval fantasy story because magical energies surround his hands. A raven was perched on his shoulder. Next to him was a shapeshifter companion who was half human and half feline. Think Felicia from Darkstalkers but male with black fur and honey beige skin. This companion wears a plain white tunic and knee length shorts. No shoes, never shoes if he could help it. "There we go. That's it for now, but I'll probably rotate my drawings."

Josh blushed when Blaine mentioned about looking good. I'll need to be careful around him I don't want his eyes to pop out if I go shirtless. For now, I'll probably change clothes in the bathroom. "Yea, yea. I don't mind if you go first. I'll finish my paperwork while I wait." He sat at his desk and began to finish the rest of the paperwork. He had finished the personal section such as listing emergency contacts. Now, he filling out the vehicle registration. The information would be used to differentiate between authorized vehicles and the unauthorized.

Blaine had asked a question and Josh's head perked up, "The frog stuff? Yes. I've liked frogs for years. My favorite was a plush named Kaeru-san. After I made up my bed this morning, I put him on it." He giggled, "Enigma? Don't expect me to wear a green suit with question marks though. I'm more of a Marvel fan."

Josh finished with the paperwork. He was careful with his writing because it was important that his writing be legible. People made comments every now and then that they couldn't understand what he wrote. He put the forms back in the large envelope to deliver when they headed to the lounge.

He headed to his closet and began to select his outfit for this evening. Nothing he had on currently would stay on except for the socks. He made his selections and placed them on his bed: army green Henley shirt with short sleeves, khaki cargo pants, and plain tan shoes.

As he waited for his turn, he picked up the binder to go through his drawings. Many of them were inspired by dreams he had over the years. Many had their own stories to tell.

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine smiled, closing the door. He turned on the water and let it run to a warm temperature before getting in and doing his usual routine, Hair then body. It wasn’t long - maybe 15 minutes before he was out and drying himself off pulling on his clothes. He’d left his brush in his suitcase as well as deodorant so he’d have to do the second part of getting ready in the bedroom itself. He’d tried to keep his mind blank as he bathed but couldn’t help but let it wander to more things he wondered about his new roomie.
He realized it’d been awhile since he’d really tried to get to know someone new or even been interested in doing so. But he would make sure to space out his inquiries so as to not seem like a complete stalker freak. He walked back into the room, Gesturing back toward the bathroom. “It isn’t too badly steamed up in there. Go ahead.” he sat down and dug through his bag for the items he’d forgotten. He quickly brushed his hair and put on the deodorant. Next came his bracelets going back on. He’d kept on his shell necklace but now took it off to replace it with a little coin that had a small picture of the Cryptid Mothman on the front and back of it. It was held on by a black leather cord and sat delicately just at the base of his throat. One of the kids had given it to him at the beginning of camp and he felt very strongly that it might be a lucky charm as he had a week of excellent camp experiences while wearing it, as soon as he’d taken it off some of the kids had begun to misbehave.

Noticing Josh had put up some things while he’d been in the shower he moved to take a better look, kneeling on the edge of Josh’s Pac-Man themed bed to do so. He smirked. He really was a decent artist. He wondered if maybe in the future he’d try to perhaps make a comic or something.
After he’d satisfied himself with looking at the drawings, he moved to grab his own decor suitcase and pulled out some of the things he wanted to put on his own corkboard. The little rainbow flag he’d thought about earlier was on top. He’d been hesitant in his mind earlier about putting something like this up - but Josh since had reassured him. The drawings he’d put up at least in Blaine’s mind had some undertones that made him think perhaps Josh was at least bi-sexual if not gay as well. So without reservation he pinned it up. Next came a couple photos from camp. One of him in a canoe with a couple of his female co counselors. Another of him with his cabin of campers. All young boys of course. The last one was of him standing next to what looked like a Native American totem pole flashing a peace sign with a wide smile.
He tacked up a few playbills from Broadway shows he’d been to that were signed by the casts. Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton and The Wizard of Oz.
The last item was a compass given to him by his grandfather before he left for camp the first time when he was a teen. He’d had it most of his life so it looked worn, but still worked really well and Blaine always thought it looked really cool. He did love antiques, even if he didn’t yet own many of them himself. He left enough room for things he might find or collect over the next couple of months. He was sure Victoria would put a photo of herself up there soon enough, too. He didn’t have any photos of his mother or family. If he missed her he could just watch her on television and he didn’t really want her to be recognized by any dorm room visitors. After he was done with that he pulled out green sheets with little black pine trees all over them and matching pillowcases. He put those on the bed before spreading out the matching green comforter. He brought a little pillow shaped like a Log, a joke gift given to him by Victoria while shopping for the comforter itself. He placed that at the end of the bed before busying himself with setting up his laptop at the desk.

 

[Pokeking]

Josh stood up, "I don't mind steam because I like warm baths." He had a blast when he visited a onsen for the first time when he and his family visited Japan. He soaked for the longest time and then chilled in the steam room nearby. That was in Nagano. The one in Kotohira on Shikoku was more traditional, way traditional. He took off his socks and shoes and wiggles his toes. "That feels good. So. good. Shoes are okay, but there's nothing like going barefoot." He collected his shirt and pants on coat hangers. He then opened the dresser and took out a pair of trunk briefs of grey and blue band. He took them with him into the bathroom, closed the door, and locked it.

Josh set the clothing on the hooks on the back of door and began to undress. With a poof, clothes fell on the floor. He draped his necklace with tags around the handle. He emptied himself and after a flush, he looked at his face in the mirror. Gotta get used to looking like this 24/7 until Thanksgiving break at least when I go home. I'll miss you wolf face until then. Shower water on and he stepped inside. Sliding shower door moved over. He thought about taking his time because he averaged about 25 minutes. The cascading waters brough a certain serenity. Maybe one day I'll use of the tub part. His mouth curled into a smile and bloomed into exuberant laughter.

Josh's phone, plugged in as it rested on the desk, started to vibrate as it began playing the Sunrise fanfare from Also sprach Zarathustra signaled that someone was trying to call him. As it was, the call would not be answered right now. His laughter and the image he had formed inside his head was so profound, he had not noticed his phone's intonation What he envisioned was him in full wolf form while in a sudsy tub.

Josh knew though that time was short. It was preferable to be early than to be just in time and certainly be late. He turned off the water and stepped out. He dried off and resumed his full human appearance, Phase 0 or Phase Null. He applied cologne and spray deodorant. He reached for the coat hanger. He put his selected clothes on and draped the necklace over his head. He unlocked the door and opened it since he was finished with his shower. He applied a bit of hair gel to his hair and then reached for his comb and began to move it through his hair to restore his quiff.

He enters the bedroom again said, "Here I am. What do you think?" Josh looked at his watch and suggested to Blaine, "Might as well head down to the main lounge. There's still a solid thirty minutes left before the meeting time, but it helps if we get there early." He winked, "Choice seating."

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

“Do you think it’ll be super boring the first half?” Blaine joked. He rose from where he’d been finishing up with his laptop and gestured towards the door for Josh to lead the way. He tucked his phone on silent into his pants pocket. “Oh, so we are sitting together?” he teased further, but also insinuated that choice seating would indeed be next to Josh.

Making their way down to the main hall where the meeting would begin gave Blaine the opportunity to observe the school and more of the people there. It was a nice place, most likely the type of place middle class or richer people might send their kids. It was sort of difficult to tell though if that was fact or just good architecture. Everyone was dressed similarly and more than half seemed to be repping the school itself with shirts donning the school's name, or sports team.

When they were entering the meeting area Victoria seemed to pop up from nowhere. Which she was prone to doing sometimes. Which was only made easier by the fact she was only 5’3. She grabbed Blaine into a tight squeeze around the waist. “I’ve been texting you all day!” she pulled away grimacing. Her Italian accent by now wasn’t difficult for him or most other people to understand, but despite being in America since middle school it had never gone away. “I’m sorry! I was getting to know my roomie.” Blaine paused, looking over to Josh. “Josh, this is Victoria, my bestie. Victoria, Josh - the Roomie.” he waved vaguely between them. “You’ll probably see her in our room once in a while bothering me, but I’ll try to keep it brief.” he promised. Not wanting to distract Josh from his own studies too much.

Victoria flicked back her light blonde dyed curls. “Oh wow! You’re kind of gorgeous aren’t you?” she smirked, looking between him and Blaine for a second. “How lucky you are!” she playfully nudged Blaine’s shoulder. “Well, I’m sitting with you both.” she invited herself as if Blaine would have suggested otherwise. Though he had been enjoying getting to know Josh all by himself. The spell of their one on one time was broken and reality set in. He was at college and this was the first day. He wasn’t 100 percent about his major still, and he only knew two people. Which reminded him. “Where is Daisuke?” he looked around, trying to notice the dark haired Japanese male. “He’s probably sitting with his culinary friends. Or in the back by himself trying to avoid everyone.” she chuckled. “Let’s not bother him, wherever he is.”
“Alright, I just don’t want him to feel like we are abandoning him.”
“Oh please! That would require him to give a shit.” she laughed, waving off the silly notion. She led them to a place in the second row where she’d already put her coat. “Sit down boys.” she waved them past, letting Blaine sit in between them. “So, did you make up your mind about your major?” Victoria questioned, gathering hair up into a messy ponytail. “I settled with Fashion over Theatre.” she half shrugged as if it would be obvious what she’d choose. However Blaine never would have guessed this in highschool. Only last year she’d been so into Theater she could have swore she’d be on Broadway after college. But, people could surprise you. “I don’t know, I mean - I chose Theater but something about it doesn’t feel right sometimes. My mom’s in the spotlight constantly and I just don’t know. Maybe I felt pressured to follow the fame path.” he sort of half shrugged, looking over to Josh. “I thought about becoming a Park Ranger, too. I’m not sure I don’t want to still.”

 

[Pokeking]

Since Blaine signaled he was ready, Josh made sure that he was ready besides being dressed. Food had been properly stored away and he picked up the large envelop containing the signed paperwork. He knew that he had until tomorrow, but he felt it was best to get it in before then. He can hand it over in person. He picked up the phone and saw that he had a new message and text. It was from Brett who wanted to know if they were still on to chat by webcam. He sent a text message, [Sure, but don't know when. Don't know how long this meeting will be. 9pm? Certainly by 10pm.] Thus Brett replied, [No prob. I'm in for the rest of the night. You like your roommate so far? Malcolm seems nice, but he's cautious around me though. Must be my jocky aura. I'm sure we'll find something that we have something in common. Catch you later.] He wondered why Brett would mention his roommate by text, but perhaps the subject might have come up when they spoke. Josh muted the phone and told Blaine, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Josh said, "I noticed the playbills you had. I've just seen the movie versions of Phantom and the Wizard of Oz. Only play I've been seen has been A Christmas Carol at the Homfeld Theater back home." He didn't know where this was going, "There is a Theater department here and I would like to see plays here."

They continued back the way he had traversed to get to the room. Down the hall past the doorway that led into the main kitchenette and into the main lounge. There were several already here. Looks like I wasn't the only who thought about being an early bird. He felt some were watching him intently. More and more residents were coming in. Some came from the double doors on the left and others came in through the double doors on the right which led into to lobby where the front desk was. Still others came in through the sliding doors. There were four and they led into the courtyard.

Josh's eyes looked around when a young woman suddenly appeared and hugged Blaine. His new roommate made introductions and the cogs inside his brain started to turn. Right, he said that a couple of his pals from his school were also attending Tauber. He wondered what the odds were of something like that happening since Tauber U was a small school in a small Texas town. I've been thinking too long. Need to respond before I'm thought of as a typical dumb jock or worse. He tilted his head in salutation, "Nice to meet you."

Victoria had made a comment on his looks and Josh answered, "I suppose. I try to eat right, steady exercise, regular use of face mask." He blushed at both question and answer. His attention was caught when he heard "Daisuke" and "culinary". He hoped he would make a good impression on Blaine and his friends.

Josh had hoped to sit on the black leather couch that was calling out to him, but the arrangement had been made and followed Victoria to the designated spot. On the right sight of the rectangular room, there was a table with boxes of pizza. Next to the pizza boxes were Leitner boxes which had the cookies. On the floor, there were a couple of large coolers which he surmised had drinks.

There were six individuals at the front which Josh guessed were the Residential Assistants, upperclassmen who resided here at Galvan Hall to help the Director, because they stood at the front of the room and wore name badges. Where was he? It was close to 7pm?

The double doors and a man wearing a name badge came through. His black hair was in an Ivy League haircut, and he has a Van Dyke beard. Physically, he had a bit of belly. His wore a red polo, white pants, and black shoes. He had a limp and walked with a cane, but seemed full of vibrant energy. Josh studied the man and thought if he had a red tailcoat and bowtie and black top hat, he'd look like a ringmaster. The man spoke with a boisterous voice. Yes, definitely ringmaster vibe. "Good evening and welcome residents both new and returning. My name is Zebulon Wicker, but you may refer me to as Mr. Wicker. Before I open the floor to the food and the chitchat, I'd like to go over the resident handbook. I know some of you may have signed, but hold off giving the signed pages to Patsy DeMarco until after I have completed the briefing." He indicated a young woman with red hair tied in a bun.

Mr. Wicker proclaimed, "Before we do go over the handbook, I'd like to introduce you to the RAs." One by one, Patricia or Patsy and the others introduced themselves von Trapp family style by stepping forward and saying their names including nicknames. Wicker smiled, "Thank you." His face then became one of gentle firmness and for the next thirty minutes, he went over the handbook. The residents were informed that in addition to the main lounge, in each of the six wings, there were other lounges. These were smaller and had a microwave and sink as well as a table and four chairs. These lounges had an ice machine, snack vending machine, and a drink vending machine. Every wing also has a laundry room containing three washers and three dryers.

Soon the briefing was completed and the crowd began to disperse. Patsy and another RA sat behind the table to take signed paperwork. He was one of the first. He offered up his signed paperwork. His vehicle paperwork was reviewed and Patsy completed it. She wrote a number on the parking sticker in permanent marker and copied that number on the form, "Thank you." He put the sticker in one of his pockets to affix to his truck tomorrow. He got in line and got a plate to put pizza. He did not go overboard as he might have. He got one supreme, one veggie, one pepperoni, and one cheese. He collected a bottle of ice tea from the cooler. Might get a cookie later before I head back to the room. Maybe two, but not more. Soon, he returned to the spot he had shared with Blaine and Victoria.

 

[Botticelli Vampire]

Blaine and Victoria had followed suit in getting food, but as they managed to get in line first they returned to their seats faster. They were idly chatting about the presentation and a few of the rules when Josh returned. "Well, I'm kind of excited about the little lounges anyway." Blaine smiled, taking a bite of pizza. He wasn't exactly the most hungry as his nerves were still sky high but the food actually looked better than he'd thought it would. Plus how could one resist Pizza?

He listened to Victoria talk a little about her classes but his ears didn't really perk up until she mentioned she'd been invited to a party. "Yeah! Some guys sneak into the far end of Fletcher State Park through like, a drain or something? I don't know - but anyway it's a party in the woods. Quintessential college experience. You'll come with me right?"
Blaine looked over briefly at Josh. "Hmm, I'll go if you go." at this Victoria smirked. "of course you should come too Josh, I'm sure you'd fit right in." she picked on his Jock status a little, but it was all good natured. "I wouldn't mind getting outside, either." Blaine half shrugged, taking another bite from his folded pizza. "Blaineeee." Victoria leaned her forehead on his shoulder playfully. "This isn't a camping trip, it's a PARTY." she peeked past him at Josh once more. "Please come, show him how this is supposed to work."

Blaine playfully rolled his eyes. "I. . I've been to parties." he scoffed, looking down at his plate. He had been to parties, that much was true. But he was the type to find the family dog or cat or aquarium and hang out in the corner with the animals, or in the backyard. Not actually take part in the activities or drinking. "Uh huh." she pushed off him and stood up with her goodies from the food table. "Text me about it later you two - I have to jet." she looked down at her phone as if she was missing an appointment.

Left alone once again Blaine let out a long breath. "She's alot, sorry." he chuckled, turning his body to face Josh alone. "So, random forest party. I hope you like the woods?" he smirked, hoping Josh would decide to come with them and save him from having to watch Victoria hook up with some random hot dude and leave him on his own like always. She was a great friend, but sometimes her priorities seemed a little skewed.

 

[Pokeking]

How best to eat the pizza and drink the bottle of root beer without acting like a shark...I mean a pig...I mean a wolf?

Sometimes, Josh got into a food mood. Put food in front of him and he becomes mindlessly ravenous. At least, that is what he thought. Was it all in his head? It could not have been because he had remembered a comment Brett had made several months back when he found himself dining with the more upscale McPhersons because he was staying the week with his friend while his parents were away. A discreet advisory, "Your my brah Ryo, and I love you lots, but the way you eat sometimes. Watch it around my great aunt. Please?"

There was no need to ask who his teammate was referring to. His teammate was referring to Gladys McPherson who was the family matriarch. At 76 years old, she was the older sister of Donald McPherson who was the father of Chester "Chet" McPherson who was the father of Brett Philippe McPherson.

Josh was in a bought tuxedo, not rental, because Chet McPherson insisted on it. The young man was uncomfortable because he thought he would have to pay for the outfit. Brett's father shook his head and responded in his usual affable way, "Think nothing of it. It's on me."

Josh was reminded of Downton Abbey by the way everyone was dressed and sitting around the table. The McPherson clan, specifically those not named Chet or Brigitte or Brett, typified high society. McPherson Enterprises began life as a textiles company because it was a producer of sewing machines. That was still a notable component, but its predominant presence was being a technology company. All were here to celebrate the birthday of Gladys McPherson.

Josh survived their looks and whispered commentary. Although he was the son of the Assistant District Attorney, and thus familiar with formality, he was small potatoes compared to them. Being of a different ethnicity only highlighted his dissimilarity.

Eating like a beast was not the case here because he ate normally and no one gave him ugh looks. It was just bad timing when Blaine turned to Josh to say that he would go if Josh went because his cheeks were brimming with pizza. A muffled response followed by a hastened swallow. He had to be honest. A party in the forest has more appeal than a party inside a building. Yet, it is still a party. His response was a vague, "We'll see."

Blaine's friend had left and Josh shrugged his shoulders, "No need to apologize. I have my own friend who would be considered alot." He decided to not mention David Dewberry by name unless prompted. "I do like fresh air." It was true. He liked being outside, but especially cherished being in an environment like the one provided by the State Park. "Did she have to say sneak though? It sounds wrong. Besides, she didn't say when." The question was half directed to Blaine, half self-reflection. He loathed the idea since it would more than likely be done as an unauthorized visit after hours. "Don't feel that you must go. We can stay on campus or go see a movie at the Muller Street Theater or go to Wishes if you like clubbing. Together."

Josh became quiet as he finished the pizza and root beer in silence. He tossed empty plate and can. "I am going to go get a couple of cookies before they're all gone. Then I'll be heading back to the room." He stood up and gathered one chocolate chip and one peanut butter inside a napkin to port. He returned with a gentle smile, "Come with?"