My New Leaf (Declyn.)

[Odion Martins]

Room 204. Odion gulped. He hadn’t seen his possible twin brother in over a month. In fact, between that day and all the drama that ensued, he had almost completely forgotten about his fellow Irishman, though Declyn actually had the accent to go with the heritage. And the parents. Odion tried not to think too much about that as he adjusted his clothing, standing in front of the dorm door. He was nervous, and he wanted to smack himself for feeling like this was a first date and not just him keeping his word. Still, so much had happened, it felt strange to be dressed nicely in hopes of possibly befriending Declyn.

Before he could change his mind, Odion knocked on Declyn’s door, and didn’t pace even though he really wanted to. What would they talk about? Anything was grounds for strange conversation. How much did Dec really want to know about him? And after that, how much could he handle knowing? Was Dec to be trusted with damning secrets? And furthermore, did Odi want to know all the wonderful things that would inevitably be in Dec’s life?

“I’m here, as promised,” he said, running a hand through his hair, unable to meet Declyn’s eyes just in case there was even a slight resemblance. “Unless you don’t want to go for drinks?” He asked, only a smidge of hope in his voice. Maybe Declyn had given up on him just as everyone else had.

[Declyn O'Callahan]

The past month had been an improvement from the first day he arrived at Hammel. At first, everything had been so overwhelmingly different and no one understood his sense of humor. It was so different from when he’d first gone to Kocher. Everyone had been drawn to his personality. Here, they all thought he was a crazy freakshow. That, or they believed he was just weird. Luckily for him, he’d managed to meet someone who also was a little quirky and who liked him for being different. Kota was real nice and she tolerated him taking her picture whenever they hung out. It was his first real friend and she seemed to be grateful that he hung around.

During that time, Declyn had occasionally thought about his twin. Not as much as he should have maybe, but after the time they saw each other, he wasn’t sure Odion really wanted to know him. They were both in denial of being brothers, but Dec had been willing to try and make it normal. Sitting on his bed, flipping through his most recent pictures, he had been completely absorbed in his work. Picture after picture, most of them consisted of Kota and her funky clothing style, others consisted of random people having fun. The knock on the door had his eyes snapping quickly up and he set the pictures on his side table. Opening the door, his eyes widened and then his eyebrows pulled together. Speak of the devil.

“Ey, wait. What are ye talking about?” Drinks. Right. He had promised, but Declyn honestly had expected him to ditch out on that. Why would he want to hang out with a kid that had the life he was supposed to? “Drinks sound great, but uhm, why are ye doing this? I mean, ya didn’t very much seem like you were interested in really ever speaking to me after I came to yer room.”

[Odion Martins]

Odion’s eye twitch compulsively. Maybe this was a bad idea. “Well how would you feel in my position?” He snapped, before biting his tongue. He took a deep breath, wondering what the best way to handle this situation would be. He had never really come across it before, it was completely novel. How many people, being orphans, later met a sibling? Quite a few. How many had been attending school in a different country and ended up having a twin? None. It was just a lot to deal with, and felt like a totally different life than the one he had been living.

Standing stiff as a board, Odion wondered if Declyn would have the patience to let him try again. “I’ve given it some thought obviously,” he said, “and well I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.” Odion wanted to get to know Declyn. He had decided that it wasn’t Declyn’s fault that their shared parents were idiots. “I’m trying to make this year different, better,” he said, not that he owed Declyn an explanation. He offered a bit of a smile, his dark blue eyes travelling past Declyn and into the room. Already there were pictures up that hadn’t been there before when Odion had helped his twin with baggage.

“You take all those?” He asked, nodding his head towards the pictures. Please give me a chance Odion thought, before outright staring at Declyn.

[Declyn O'Callahan]

How would he feel in his brother’s position? Weren’t they sort of in the same position? Okay, yes Declyn had his parents, but that didn’t mean his life was perfect. He didn’t know all of what Odion was dealing with, but at the same time Odion didn’t know all he’d dealt with either. He didn’t seem to realize how nerve-wrecking it had been going to his twin brother’s dorm that he’d never even met and then was given the cold shoulder because of something he didn’t even do. “Aren’t I in a similar position? Look I get it, you didn’t ask fer this to happen, but neither did I,” Dec said quietly.

Declyn was leaning against the door frame, trying to keep the nerves and anxiety from seeping through his body language. They were both nervous, but if anyone had a reason to be nervous it seemed to be Declyn. He was the one who was trying to get close a brother that should have had his life, but ended up having a suckier one. He expected his brother to hate him, whereas Odion didn’t have to worry about that. “I suppose giving you some time was a pretty good idea then. I’d be glad to help make yer year better if ye want me to.”

Noticing Odion look past him, Dec followed the other boy’s eyes and nodded with a half smile. “Yeah, I did. It helps pass the time by I guess,” He shrugged and looked back at his brother, slightly surprised that he was being more talkative than he had the time before.

[Odion Martins]

“That’s why I changed my mind,” Odion said just as quietly, grasping at straws. “I commend you for even trying, you probably thought it would turn out differently.” Odion wasn’t sorry for who he was, but he was sorry that he probably wouldn’t end up being the wonderful sibling Declyn had envisioned. And if he thought they would be friends from the start, well, then this was going to be a long uphill battle.

Odion eyed Declyn suspiciously. “You’re going to offer that to me right away? After I treated you the way I did?” The ginger didn’t want to owe Dec anything, and though he was glad the brunet was willing, Odi felt haunted by the expectations a brother was supposed to have.

Smiling in spite of himself, Odion wondered what else could be so vastly different between them. “I hate pictures,” he said, but it was in good humour. “Look, if tonight’s not a good time for you...” He just wanted to know, did Dec still want to hang out with him?

[Declyn O'Callahan]

Declyn folded his arms across his chest as he listened to the boy in front of him. So he had been thinking about it. Well that was a start. It was true, he'd expected two outcomes, both on the opposite ends of the spectrum. He expected to be hated and maybe hit or for them to instantly hit it off. It seemed what really happened was somewhere in the middle. They may not have been close now, but Dec knew eventually they could be, just as long as Odion was willing to be. "I did actually think it would turn out different, but not in a better way. I was expecting more violence," He laughed once and rubbed the back of his neck.

The look on Odion's face sparked a curiosity in Dec. Why be suspicious of someone, who was family no less, that was offering to help? Clearly they had many differences. "It is what brothers do, and even if not brothers than friends. I don't expect ye to trust me right away, but I'm quick to forgive and I'm fairly good at helping." He shrugged, "But ye don't have to take me up on it if yer not interested."

Smiling? That was a good sign right? So he didn't like pictures, eh? "I don't like others taking me picture, but I enjoy taking others' pictures," He said in response and looked at all of the pictures. Not one of them was of him or his parents. Glancing back at his brother he raised an eyebrow, "I ain't got nothing better to do. I'd be glad to go with ya tonight."

[Odion Martins]

Odion was willing to give this a try. He looked at Declyn hopefully. He’d never had family before, not really. Sure, he’d had his travelling pickpocket gang, but, that was a gang. Family and gangs were very different things. Odi laughed with Dec, a sheepish smile on his face. “Well I did push you against a wall, which should count for something...” He sighed. “It just wouldn’t have been the first time someone’s lied to me about something so serious.” Odion pursed his lips together. That was information Declyn didn’t need to know just yet.

“Curious...” Odion said, giving Declyn another once over, as though he were an opponent. Time would tell if Declyn still wanted to be friends with Odi by the end of this. The ginger had his guard all the way up, but at least Dec had a peep hole. Would Declyn still want to help a criminal?

“We have that in common then,” he said, a warning glance sent to Declyn. One picture of the ginger, and there just might be hell to pay. “Okay,” Odion said, suppressing a smile that still lit up his eyes. “Er, should I come back or something?” He asked, giving Dec another once over. Surely he wasn’t going to go out looking like that.

[Declyn O'Callahan]

Trying was all the two of them could do. If they weren't meant to like each other than that was just how it'd be. Declyn really did want to get along with his brother though. He'd started off having a bit of a bad relationship with his parents once he understood exactly what had happened and that was sparked once they told him he'd had a twin too. They were his family of course, but they'd wronged him in the past and sometimes Dec felt as if they weren't truly a family because families didn't abandon each other.

Nodding he shook his head slightly, it was true, Odion had roughened him up a bit. But it wasn't anything compared to what he expected. "I know whatchya mean," He answered a little uneasily. He didn't know exactly what Odion was referring to, but Dec was thinking of how his parents had lied about what really happened all of those years ago. Often he didn't show just how much it bothered him, but now that he was away from them, he was really starting to think about it. And his feelings towards his mother were getting darker and darker.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'd quite like to keep the violence to a minimum between us. I won't take yer picture unless ye ask for it," Declyn laughed and shook his head. The warning glance said it all. His brother's question made him curious and he raised an eyebrow. Once he noticed Odion looking over his wardrobe, he understood and laughed again. "To be honest, I'm not really up to speed on this whole clubbing attire thing. Would ye like to help me spiffen up a bit?"

[Odion Martins]

Odi had been abandoned so many times in his life, it was just something he assumed would happen with anyone he came into contact and got close with. Just another reason why he was resisting Declyn so much. But he wanted to be brave, just once in his life, and maybe this time he wouldn’t be abandoned.

“I would never ask for you to take my picture,” Odion said, as though Declyn were the biggest idiot in the world. Hadn’t he just said he didn’t like his picture being taken? It was bad enough Lani had stolen one, but that was a different story. Lani was just someone who could get away with something like that, but Odion didn’t have to like it.

Odion raised an eyebrow. “You mean, you’re from Ireland and you’ve never gone out drinking before?” This was just too funny, Odi let out a bit of a laugh. “Alright, I’ll help you out mate,” he said, pushing past Declyn and into the dorm room. It was like every other room, and Odi only had to snoop through one room before finding the one that was Dec’s, still partially unpacked.

“You know, you don’t have a lot of things to play dress up with,” he commented, picking up yet another t-shirt. Odion held it out like it was some kind of dead animal and shook his head. He glanced over at Declyn, an idea forming in his mind that showed through his eyes. “What size are you?” Odi asked innocently enough.

[Declyn O'Callahan]

Declyn didn’t understand the whole abandonment thing, at least not as much as Odion. Though he had been abandoned by his family, they’d come back to him. It wasn’t as if he’d had to go a long time without them, though part of him had wondered what it would have been like if they’d never have found him. He wouldn’t be here at Hammel looking for his twin.

Smirking faintly, he shrugged, “You’d be surprised. I’ve had people threaten to hit me if I ever took their picture, and not long after that they asked me.” He was joking of course, but it was possible. At least he thought it was, even if it wasn’t for him. “But I won’t take one of you because I value the attractiveness of my face too much,” He laughed once.

“I’ve gone out drinking, I just haven’t gone to a club before. I’m used to the pubs back home, not much dancing or anything there,” Declyn shrugged and looked back at his brother. He stepped back so that Odion could walk into the room. He followed him into the room that consisted very few things aside from the pictures. The only things that had any personal importance to him was the cameras that were laying out on a table ranging from sizes. There was a few charms here and there around his room as well, showing that he was a total superstitious freak.

Dec shrugged at his brother’s comment, “I’m not one to really dress up as ye may’ve noticed.” He had a small smirk on his face as Odion looked through his clothes as if his style was absolutely awful. Which to someone like Odion, it probably was. “Size? Uhm, well considering we’re twins and all, I’d assume I’m about yer size.” At least he hoped.

[Odion Martins]

It might very well be a blessing in disguise that at least Declyn had been rescued after only a short time of being away from his family. What if he was an orphan just like Odion? Declyn would have no reason to believe he had a brother, and they may never had found each other. Odion, being the pessimist that he was, just didn’t see it that way.

Odion smirked. “You’re a terrible liar,” he said, and then for good measure added, “well have to work on that.” He didn’t really care if they did or not, it was just a segue into saying he wanted to spend more time with Declyn, without actually having to. Regardless, he didn’t want his picture taken, ever. Odion stared at Declyn’s face, critiquing it, and then in all seriousness said, “I guess any insult I could come up with to that would only be insulting myself.”

Suppressing a groan, Odion shook his head. “So you can’t dance.” It wasn’t a question, it was stating the obvious. “The drinking’s the same, so it shouldn’t be too far of a stretch.” Pubs and clubs, same shit different pile. Sauntering into Declyn’ room, Odi wondered what his... brother, would do if one of said trinkets ended up missing. Odion smiled devilishly before turning to the closet.

“Oh, well you have to dress up to go to a club,” Odion lied flawlessly, staring Dec in the eyes. Most people did anyway, so it was believable enough. “Never assume things,” he stated, before setting down the shirt he was holding. “But it’s worth a shot. You have nothing even close to being good for wearing out.” Perhaps they’d have to do some shopping to while he was teaching Dec how to lie... “Come on then, I have something in my room that should do.” Odi made a beeline for the door. Maybe critiquing your brother’s style wasn’t the best way to bond, but, oh well.

[Declyn O'Callahan]

Declyn often wondered how he’d have turned out had he not been taken back by his parents. Would he be bitter towards everyone, angry at the world? Maybe at that point he’d have learned how to lie and been more of a troublemaker. He wasn’t sure what the differences would have been, but he was glad he ended up the way he was. Quirks and all, he had no problems with himself.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Dec nodded. Well that didn’t take long to figure out. He smirked when Odion offered to help him with the lying because he’d read between the lines. His brother was actually interested in spending more time with him. It was a huge weight lifted from his shoulders, knots untwisting in his stomach. Tilting his chin up a bit, not in arrogance, but more as a defiant gesture he laughed, “Guess that’s the sucky part about us being twins aye?” Well at least he wouldn’t have to worry about too many insults about appearance, maybe just his sanity would be in question.

Again, Declyn nodded at the statement. “Other than the River dance,” He joked half-heartedly. It was true, dancing was not something Declyn had ever done, at least not fast pace dancing. Slow dancing was just easy, very little involvement. He was relieved when Odion told him that the drinking was much the same. He just hoped they’d have beer because liquor was Dec’s worst enemy, maybe he’d ought to warn Odion about that. Instead he focused on his brother and caught sight of a rather strange smile that had him suspicious. He shook it off, thinking it was just one of his delusions again.

“Have to? Well this ought to be interesting,” He looked down and kicked his feet. Declyn wasn’t one to really stand up for himself, any advice on clothing would be much appreciated and taken as long as he liked what he was wearing. If he had a problem with it, the advice would be used on certain occasions. Such as only when he was with Odion. “Did ye really expect me to have anything? I’m not a clubber, why would I have clothes for clubbing?” He asked simply. Odion walked out of the room and Declyn followed after without any hesitation, “Just try not to make me look ridiculous, aye?”

[Odion Martins]

Odion was also happy with the way he turned out, even if his personality was a little off the beaten path. But that was no thanks to his parents.

Declyn would quickly learn that Odion was an expert people reader; very few people weren’t open books to him. “And I suppose it would be equally awkward to compliment your looks,” he smirked a bit to himself. They were both quirky, that much had been established. It was a good thing. If Declyn was the perfect son, Odion would hate them and their relationship wouldn’t work. The peculiar Irish teens might find success here after all.

“It seems we have less and less in common,” he raised an eyebrow, unable to imagine Declyn River Dancing. Odi, on the other hand, could dance quite well, although he wasn’t professionally trained, he had done well for himself. Except liquor, but that was a trait unknown to either of them. One of Declyn’s Celtic crosses may or may not have been taken and now residing in Odi’s pocket. Odion also noticed a strange patch with different colors on Dec’s wall – some kind of crest. A family crest perhaps? He would ask him about it later.

“What about dress clothes? Dress clothes are multifunctional, for clubbing or otherwise.” Odi said, an eyebrow raised. How would that even begin to make sense to someone who didn’t own any nice clothes? Scoffing, Odion headed up the stairs and to his room. “Please, there’s nothing I can do to make you more ridiculous.” Odi opened the door to his dorm and strolled in.

Heading straight to his closet, Odi pulled out a dark blue button up shirt and tossed it to Dec. “Those jeans will do, but this should jazz things up a bit.” He smirked, just about ready to go. “Who knows, might just get someone to teach you how to dance wearing something nice like that.” He was going clubbing with his brother. This was insane.

[Declyn O'Callahan]

Declyn laughed and nodded with a smile of his own, “Maybe just a tit bit awkward. Though it would be greatly appreciated.” The previous tension he felt for being around his brother, the one that threw him against a wall, had slipped away as they spoke. At least Odion was really trying not to completely scare him away. He was sure if Odion did try to scare him off that it wouldn’t take much. Dec was pretty intimidated by his brother. That was another difference between the two, Odion could be charming maybe, but he was more intimidating than Declyn would ever be.

It was funny how Odion’s comment went along with Declyn’s thought path. They really didn’t have much in common it seemed. Other than their looks of course. “It would appear so,” He said with a smirk at the image of himself river dancing. It would never happen, Dec just wasn’t a dancer in general, he wasn’t coordinated enough for that really. Declyn had taken to very little decoration in his room, but what he did have were random patches, all of his lucky charms, photos of everyone he’d encountered. Two of which were of the same girl, in different settings. As his eyes roamed over the two pictures, he found himself smiling faintly.

The smile slipped from his face when Odion spoke again. Dress clothes? “Uhm, I don’t own any of those either. I’ve never really had a use fer ‘em,” Dec said sheepishly. He honestly was as fashionably challenged as one could get. He liked his clothes though, they were comfortable. At the slight bash to his appearance, Declyn just smiled in good nature. No use in being offended when he didn’t really care what people thought of him or his choice of clothing.

Glancing down at his dark denim jeans, he was glad that at least one part of his wardrobe was nice enough to wear. And he liked his jeans. He caught the shirt and shrugged off his own before buttoning it up. Dec looked at himself in the mirror and his eyes widened. He caught sight of Odion in the background and the resemblance had him a little spooked, enough to where he couldn’t even respond to what his brother had said. This was just crazy.

[Odion Martins]

If Odion knew he was coming off as intimidating, he would only be too pleased. “No, what’s awkward is you saying ‘tit bit awkward’.” But then he couldn’t help but laugh. This was one way to break the ice, but if the occasion arose, Odion would still try and be as right as possible.

Odi’s eyebrows rose. “You’ve never had a use for dress clothes?” For fuck’s sake, Odion was a thief and even he still had dress clothes. Declyn obviously didn’t have any taste. Odion smirked a bit as he was reminded of a certain blonde friend. They’d probably be the best of friends, what with their lack of taste in general. A couple of boxes, one who liked t-shirts and the other who liked greys and blacks. Wonderful.

“I guess I can compliment how you look now,” Odion teased, a hand to his chin as he surveyed his brother. Good enough. The ginger wasn’t as phased about the similar appearance. To him, Dec had brown hair and eyes and he had red hair and blue eyes. That was a big enough difference for him to try and stop caring about those things. But Dec was just staring at him and Odion could only grin. “I know I know, you look better than you did before no need to thank me.” This time there was no malice in his voice. If they could just keep things light, this wouldn’t be so weird...

Odion smirked as one of the kittens came out to greet them. No one had really been in his room other than Lani and Avi and the kittens weren’t used to others. Little LJ sniffed at Declyn before pawing his feet. Odi laughed, before his face grew serious. “You tell any of the staff about my cats and I’ll make sure it’s the last thing you ever say.”