Unnatural Selection [Guy]

[Sebastian Bolstad]

[Backdated to the day Seb first arrived at Hammel]

“Thank you for your help, ma'am.”
The lady who had helped Sebastian carry his meagre possessions up to his new dorm room gave a soft smile, helping him slide the glass tank into position on top of the small chest of drawers. The converted fish tank and the contents within it were the most important of all the things Sebastian had brought to Hammel with him, in his opinion anyway, and he made sure it was neat and straight on top of the drawers before thanking the lady again. After wishing him welcome she departed from the room, keeping the bedroom door open and leaving him to unpack and get settled on his own.

Inside the tank a small carry case jostled slightly, the two gerbils inside impatient from their long journey and wanting to stretch their legs again. Sebastian removed the carrier from the tank and placed it on the bed, freeing up the tank so he could add the wood shavings and toys. The shavings were a few inches deep on the tank base, giving the rodents plenty of space to dig and play, and he filled and added the food bowl before going to the bathroom to fill the water bottle, hanging it from the wire mesh lid of the tank. A few small logs and empty toilet paper tubes were added before he let the gerbils loose inside. The pair immediately started to sniff and explore around the tank and Sebastian perched on the edge of the bed.

Sebastian ran his fingers through his long blonde hair and looked around the room, taking it all in. it was his first time away from home, away from his family, and he was frightened. He knew where he had been brought and the kind of people in this place. He was in a freak show now, a vast building housing all those his parents had spent his entire life trying to stop him associating with. The people in here were the worst things in creation, the reason why the world was as evil and corrupt as it was. Despite all his parents had done to try to save him, he had failed them. He was one of them now.

Rubbing a hand on his eyes, trying to hold back the tears that wanted to form, Sebastian stood and opened one of his small suitcases and started unpacking his things.

[Guy Roeby]

It was hard to think of this place as anywhere but home. Maybe on the surface it seemed like a freak show, but only if you were an outsider. And really everyone felt that way when they arrived here. But pretty soon meta human became normal human, and really, this was just high school on steroids. Not that Guy did those, steroids are bad for hopefully athletes.

Nobody knew who the new blond haired kid was, but Guy wanted to find out for himself. He had just been watching random videos on YouTube when he heard the dorm door unlock. Everyone in Room 503 had been prepared, and he wasn’t surprised as a little tour was given of the place, his new roommate and a friendly woman bypassing his room as she simply explained how the living arrangements consisted of a few bedrooms, and a shared bathroom and common area.

After waiting for a while, and making sure his new roommate wouldn’t be startled or think Guy had been spying on him, he closed his laptop and decided it was time for introductions.

Guy knocked on his new roommate’s doorframe, seeing as the door was still open from the Welcome Desk secretary helping this guy. “Hey, I’m Guy. Need any help unpacking?” He wasn’t usually so friendly, though he wasn’t mean either, he was just shy. But if they were going to be roommates, it’d be a good idea to maybe be friends too. After all, you never knew when you might need an extra pair of socks or something.

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Sebastian had heard the footfalls in the hall outside his room and so he was not startled when he heard the voice by the door. However, that did little to ease the discomfort knotting in his stomach. Slowly he turned to face the boy, spindly fingers brushing a long lock of blonde hair away from his eyes. Seb had been told that all the other students in here were freaks like him – of course, the recruitment person had not used that specific word.

The boy didn't look mean or evil, but his mother had told him that they were often the ones to fear the most. The ones that got close to your trust or heart before they tore it out. Was the boy about to set fire to him? Or maybe erase his mind and leave him senseless and dribbling. Sebastian hooked his right hand around his left elbow, nervously chewing his bottom lip for a moment, before giving a small nod of his head. “Yes please, if you wouldn't mind.”

Common sense told Sebastian that he was going to have to live with these other abominations, whether he liked it or not, and perhaps if he stayed quiet but friendly they might just leave him alone. He only had to stay here until he graduated and then he was free to go back home. Assuming his parents would actually take him back, of course.

“My name is Sebastian. It's a pleasure to meet you.” Seb put one of the suitcases onto the bed and unzipped it. “These are my books. Would you mind putting them onto the shelf for me, please? I'd very much appreciate it.” In the tank, Dust and Storm bickered over a sunflower seed.

[Guy Roeby]

These two would soon realize they had much more in common other than being meta human or roommates – they both took advice from their mothers seriously. Guy was smiling sheepishly by the doorframe, feeling totally unsure of himself. His mom always said he had the best personality, that he was good with listening. But when there was nothing to listen to, Guy just squirmed.

So when he was given permission to help unpack and use his hands, he visibly relaxed. “Don’t mind at all,” he said, adjusting the toque on his head before moving into the still spacious room. Guy had a smile on his face that never left, it was always hovering there.

“Cool name,” Guy said with a sigh. His name usually ended up being the butt of many jokes. ‘Oh hey there cool Guy’. Yeah, they got old pretty quickly. Taking the books easily, Guy wondered if Sebastian would need any help with heavier things – the guy seemed kinda scrawny. “Sure,” he said amiably, sauntering over to the bookshelves while humming a tune to himself.

“Anything el-” Guy cut himself off as movement caught his eyes, and they lit up. “Aw!” Guy was getting excited over a couple of gerbils, and he wasn’t ashamed about it. “What are their names?” He absolutely adored animals of any kind.

[Sebastian Bolstad]

The other boy's apparent shyness was something of a help towards easing Sebastian's wariness. Seb assumed that if the boy wanted to he could have quite easily overpowered him by now, regardless of whether he had any real supernatural power or not. Seb knew he was anything but intimidating, and the fact that the boy hadn't instantly jumped on that fact was a reassuring one.

Sebastian returned the sheepish smile as Guy moved inside the room to start unpacking the books. He still wasn't entirely sure he wanted the other boy in here but if they were both busy doing something then that would surely help build some form of understanding between them. It was supposed to be tougher to hurt someone the more you knew them, right? “Thank you so much.”

As Guy began unpacking the books Sebastian started moving clothing from suitcase to drawers. He made sure they were all neatly folded and grouped correctly into the drawers, taking his time to be positive they were arranged correctly. He may be far away from home now but he wasn't going to let that ruin his routine and standards.

Guy's sudden enthusiasm caused Sebastian to turn, and a small genuine smile crossed his lips as he saw Guy's reaction to the gerbils. He liked animals, that was a very good sign at least. Seb had been worried that his new dorm-mates would hate them and try to get rid of them. “The sandy one is Dust, and the black pied one is Storm. They're both females.” Sebastian hesitated for a moment, then added “They're very friendly, if you'd like to say hello properly.”

[Guy Roeby]

Guy and Seb were almost total opposites in looks, but not demeanour. Guy was a built like an ox but wouldn’t hurt a fly. Sebastian seemed sweet, and Guy’s hard looks were smoothed out by his constant smile.

“You’re welcome,” Guy said, glancing around the room, spreading things out. “Moving here was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, so, I guess we’re in the same boat.” They all were, and maybe that could be something of a comfort to the frail looking blond.

“Dust Storm,” Guy said absently, his eyes moving with the gerbils, “I like it.” His mind wandered only for a second before Seb invited him to play with them. Guy opened the cage carefully and reached inside, his big hands easily cupping around Dust. The critter nestled against him, and when Guy brought her closer to his chest, she started sniffing around, making him laugh.

“I love animals,” he stated, looking over at Seb, “I volunteer at the shelter here in town sometimes.” It could be an invitation, or it could just be a statement if Sebastian wasn’t interested.

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Guy's calmness was definitely helping to ease some of Sebastian's tension, and he found that the more they spoke the more he was starting to relax. There was still an air of unease around the blonde, but when Guy explained his situation a sympathetic smile crossed Seb's lips.

“It seems we are. This is my first time away from home and my family...” Sebastian lightly bit down on his bottom lip as he folded a shirt and placed it in one of the drawers, taking a deep breath and trying to keep his composure. “I am sorry it was difficult for you too. I hope it has gotten easier over time.”

Sebastian was about to warn Guy that Dust could sometimes be a little quick, but he quickly realised there was no need. Guy seemed to have a good grasp of handling small rodents and Dust settled quickly in his hands. Reaching in and gently lifting out Storm, Seb brightened a little when Guy mentioned that he loved animals too and volunteered at the shelter. “Oh? That's fascinating! I always wanted to volunteer at the one near home, but mom wouldn't let me.”

Storm nibbled gently on the end of a lock of blonde hair. Of course Seb's mother hadn't allowed him; the woman who ran the shelter back home was a freak, speaking to the animals as easily as she spoke to humans. Seb had quickly been banned from going there. “How long have you been helping there for? Is it far away? What sort of animals do they have there?” Quickly remembering himself, Seb bowed his head slightly, crimson creeping onto his cheeks. “Sorry for my questions. I didn't mean to be intrusive.”

[Guy Roeby]

“It has,” Guy said, looking at Seb and offering a small smile. No, this wasn’t easy by any means, but it did get easier. Even the people determined not to make friends, made friends. He sighed and shook his head as Sebastian kept on moving. “Doesn’t mean I stop missing my mom though.”

Guy laughed a little, his chest shaking Dust. “Well you could always come by, I’m usually there on Tuesday and Wednesday nights,” he said, his dark eyes bright as he stroked Dust softly. “Uh...” Guy answered in response to the onslaught of questions. “It’s not intrusive, I just, yeah, just a lot of questions.” He smiled slightly, blushing himself.

“It’s not too far from here, I usually walk, good exercise.” He frowned slightly, looking at Seb. “There are all kinds of animals there, dogs and cats mostly, but there’s this snake and... I’ve been going there ever since it opened a couple months back, it’s a nice facility.” Guy put Dust back into the cage once the critter started getting antsy. He wiped his hands on his shorts and sighed, smiling at Seb. “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, I just thought it might be... nice.” Why did he have to be so awkward and terrible with words?

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Giving a sympathetic smile, Sebastian nodded his head slightly. “I am glad it has gotten easier for you, but I'm sorry you still miss your mom. Do you not get to see her at all any more?” Seb had only just been taken away from home and already he missed his family, but he doubted they much missed him. He had seen just how quickly his parents had filled in the forms, signing him out of their lives and over to the care of the facility. He didn't blame them, not in the slightest, but that did little to stop it hurting.

Sebastian held Storm to his shirt and the gerbil clung to it, climbing up it and sitting on his shoulder, rummaging in his hair. “Tuesday and Wednesday nights” Seb repeated, making a mental note. At the moment he had no clue what his schedule for this new school was like or how it worked, having only ever been home-schooled before, so he was unsure if he'd be able to make those nights. But as Guy explained the animals they had there, the blonde had already made his mind up.

After listening patiently while Guy answered the onslaught of questions, Sebastian gave a genuine smile. “It sounds delightful.” He placed Storm back in the tank as Dust was returned to it, so the gerbils could get settled in together. He then carefully replaced the lid of the tank so they couldn't escape. “I would very much like to go, if you wouldn't mind showing me the way. Thank you for telling me about it.”

[Guy Roeby]

“Well, not at all, I mean, just not as often as I want to.” He offered a small smile. “She lives in Vegas with my sister.” He missed them all the time, but his friends made him happy to be here. “We Skype a lot though – where’s your family from?”

“Yeah,” Guy agreed, “the guy who bought the place made everything brand new.” It was nice to the see the generosity of some people. There was still hope for this world yet. Guy backed away from the cage to let Sebastian do his thing. “Sure, we could go together some night if you want, to?” Guy asked, glancing around the room.

[Sebastian Bolstad]

Nodding slightly as Guy explained where he and his family were from, Sebastian gave a small smile. “I'm glad you still get to see them, however long the gaps between visits.” Las Vegas, the city of sin. One place he had been absolutely banned from ever visiting by his parents, and yet one place he would loved to have seen. In pictures it always looked so terrifying and yet so beautiful, with millions of lights shining bright as day. “I'm from Door County, in Wisconsin. I doubt you'll have heard of it. It's very beautiful though.” He laughed softly, tucking a runaway strand of hair behind his ear. His town was so small and isolated he doubted many people in the rest of Wisconsin had heard of it.

“It's good to hear of people doing things to help animals like that. So many people seem to forget they exist, or they simply don't care.” His smile brightening, Sebastian nodded quickly, some of his tension and unease finally rolling away. “I would very much like that, thank you!”