Unintentional hazing (Benton)

[Koty Hura]

More often than in the past, Koty had perhaps been seen around Hammel with his nose in a book. Why? There was Dante.. who was more into science than he was and who Koty wanted to be able to hold an intelligent conversation with. There was also Vincent.. who had encouraged Koty to experiment with the foods that he prepared. Oh, and Hazel.. who had developed one hell of a set of mommy issues and would likely never go to anyone about them, so Koty was her only hope at ever healing in the slightest. Ugh. Lots of people.. and each person's ..thing.. required reading. Koty could read just fine, easily at his grade level, but this much reading in addition to the reading he was having to do for classes was boring. No matter that it was for a cause, it was dull. So much information intake and so little.. anything else.

So while Koty was juggling back and forth between two different books (one about cooking theory and another about psychology) he was pacing the hallway from his dorm to the end of the hall and back again, trying to keep moving so that he could at least feel like he was doing something aside from cramming his brain full of information that may end up useless to him. Studying just wasn't one of Koty's strong suits and he had to push himself to do it. Regardless, he had been pacing for easily half an hour.. earplugs in, gloves on, the usual dark jeans and long sleeve shirt. It was cooler in the hallways than it was in the dorms, even here on the fifth floor. Cool enough that a jacket would have been okay, but he wasn't wearing one because the colder weather helped keep him awake and focused. Helped him to be in his own little world.. full of cooking theory and psychology. And hallways. And that everpresent faint ringing in his ears that supposedly everyone got whenever it was quiet but that one hardly ever noticed until they thought about it and then it just got louder and louder and it was neat how it could be toned out with willpower and during meditation--. But now Koty had read an entire paragraph with his eyes and absorbed absolutely zero of it with his brain because he had been pondering the ringing sound in his ears. Ugh, studying was hard.

He tucked both books under his left arm and brought his hands up to rub lightly at his eyes and give them a break for a moment. Noone had been down the hallway in some time, and he'd already completely forgotten about his earplugs. Aside from the ringing sound, there was only the steady thump of his heart that he could hear, and occasionally the whispery sound of his breath echoing through his head. When he removed his hands from his face, Koty went a bit wide-eyed and threw an arm up instinctively to block himself. Someone had apparently come out of dorm 507 and was looking back into it while already heading directly for him.. at a quicker-than-leisurely pace.

Now, If this person would have been Koty's height (around 5'7") Koty's arm would have caught his shoulder or his upper chest. This person was three or four inches shorter than Koty, though, and as the person turned to face Koty's direction, his momentum was almost definitely going to result in Koty's elbow meeting somewhat harshly with this person's throat or chin.. It was quite possible that this new person was going to end up on the ground with no idea how he got there.... staring up at a wincing Koty with his face in his hand, looking like he felt a bit responsible for the entire situation.

[Benton Barrett]

It had become habit, at this point, to either tip-toe or dart through the common room. He wasn’t checking to find if Kodi was in there or not… he just knew that if he was quiet, and quick, he could usually make a clean break. It wasn’t that he was avoiding the older boy…

Okay, he was. The dude was a freaking werewolf.

But it was uncertainty, more than anything, that made him so uncomfortable around Kodi. He simply couldn’t focus enough on finding some crack in his armor, or figure out if this was all some elaborate game. But one way or the other, he wasn’t going to risk it. The less interaction he had with Kodi, the better he’d feel, until he could ask a couple of other people about his potentially psychotic, flesh-hungry roommate.

He was dressed rather warmly – which wasn’t unusual for him in the least. He had to stay warm, or he risked things getting out of control, and even when it was not really chilly outside for anyone else, he was hotter than they were. It kind of sucked, honestly. But as always, he had his red hoodie on overtop everything else, and a pair of black jeans that he knew were too big for him. It was belted, just to make sure he didn’t have any awkward malfunctions, but at the end of the day, they were still far lower than anyone really needed.

The big surprise, though, wasn’t Kodi. No, as he brushed through the room almost too quickly, he checked over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t being followed out. He knew better, of course – he flung his door open, and practically dashed outside.

The problem was that the outside was pretty powerfully blocked off.

Now, the kid was by no means an unstoppable force. But he played soccer regularly, and was in pretty decent shape, so when he wanted to move, he tended to do pretty well for himself. But soccer? Not so much a contact sport. He didn’t do much in the way of tackling – or getting tackled – so he wasn’t sure how to move himself.

Aside from straight forward.

He smashed his throat into the taller man’s elbow, with all the practiced finesse of a salmon jumping into a bear’s mouth. He effectively clotheslined himself, and he was down for the count in the time it took for him to realize he’d been hit in the first place. He coughed, the feeling of being choked, even for a second, enough to rattle anyone. That was why throat punches were so effective in the first place.

Looking up, his first instinct was to fight back for everything he was worth. For a second, though, he had a flash of pure panic. He thought, even for a second, that it was Kodi.

It took him a second or two of coughing for recognition to kick in – no, it was not the shark-mouthed roommate. Someone else who had no reason to run around elbowing strangers in the neck. Of course – he realized that the guy looked absolutely horrified at the fact that Benny was down in the first place – and his hackles lowered just a little bit.

To be fair, he had been the one that rushed out of his door without looking where he was going. One hand massaging his throat, he pushed himself against the wall, and back up to standing again.

He managed a small “Sorry-“ as he reached for the door to pull it closed behind him. Nope, he didn’t want Kodi to come out and investigate any noise he might have heard. This? This was a great way to really want to just go back to his room and sleep for another few days.

[Koty Hura]

After a few moments, Koty dropped his hand with a resigned look on his face, ready to accept whatever consequences this unfortunate series of events brought on.. Seriously, if Koty himself was less composed, more volatile, more angry, or a few dozen other 'mores' or 'lesses' he would completely understand reacting with violence. Karma was karma, and intention aside Koty had just clotheslined some poor kid who was just in a hurry to get out of his dorm.

Of course, as he'd stood there in silent contemplation, the boy seemed to calm down.. then got to his feet.. then apologized? Koty's shoulders dropped and his head tilted a bit in awe. What on earth was this kid apologizing to him for? Koty had been the one obliviously rubbing his eyes in a public area where traffic was to be expected. He had taken advantage or a false sense of security. This kid had done nothing wrong, he just had some rather crummy timing.

"I can assure you.. You have no need to apologize. You have done nothing wrong and I am at fault here. Are you alright? I am very sorry. I was preoccupied and failed to notice you until instict..." Koty took a knee to collect the two books he had dropped, shaking his head slightly at himself and his situation. "I would certainly have helped you to your feet were I not expecting a retaliatory strike of some sort. It would be well within your rights."

Hey, this was kinda like how Koty had met Dante.. Given, that experience had been more 'interesting' than negative or positive in the long run. Or perhaps 'overwhelming' was a better way to describe it overall.. What a day that had been. Was this how Koty was going to make friend here? Unintentional physical altercations? Come to think of it, that's how he'd met Hazel as well. She'd fallen right on top of him out on the track.

"You seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.. Am I interrupting you? My name is Koty Hura, I am in room 501. If you are needed elsewhere and wish to resolve this issue at another time, you can find me there. I have already inconvenienced you more than enough and I do not wish to make you late or behind schedule."

[Benton Barrett]

Was... he sure he was in the right zone? His throat was still a bit sore, but it'd be fine. Though he'd apologized, the other guy clearly threw that away, as though he'd been the jerk in the situation. Benny was confused, more than anything else. The younger boy had come running out of his room, so the guy standing in the hall couldn't really be blamed, could he? 

"I try not to hit people unless they hit me first, and technically, I hit myself on you." It'd be like running into a bookcase, if that bookcase was fleshy and had the reflexes of a ninja. 

Was that racist?

"No - you're not interrupting me. I'm just... kind of playing a round of 'avoid the roommate-werewolf.'" He said, as though that were the most normal thing he could be saying to the guy who had managed to put him on the floor with very little effort on his part. Rubbing the back of his head, he added: "I'm not inconvenienced. Choking a bit, but otherwise I'm fine. No issue to resolve. Just..."

He waved his hands a bit behind him, at the door.

"Tell you what, will you show me the fastest way to get to the track from here? We'll call it even. I was just going to use the map and hope I'm looking at it not-upside-down, as I seem to do kind of regularly." He shook his head. "I just need to run. Like, a lot. And I'd prefer that running happen before Kodi comes out to figure out why there was a crash. I'm not entirely sure he'd care if I was hurt, but he'd at least be interested in laughing. Or cackling. Do werewolves cackle?" 

Okay, so he was a bit nervous - he didn't know why, exactly. The older guy was clearly not an evil person, but honestly, he was caught in the middle. People were rather polarized here, and he wanted to make sure he was on everyone's good side. It was just unfortunate that that wasn't always possible.

He just needed to not be standing in the hall, and since he hadn't had the chance to really run since he'd gotten here, he was dying to burn off some of the extra energy.

[Koty Hura]

"Of course." .. In answer to whether or not Koty would show Benton to the track. Other things could be discussed in transit. In fact, immediately after answering, Koty would spin around and start walking, gesturing for Benton to follow him with a wave.

Once the boy caught up, Koty's curiosity got the better of him. "Can you tell me about this 'roommate-werewolf'? His name is Kodi? From what I know, werewolves in older movies prefer to howl, bark, and growl over cackling, however I am reasonably sure that you would be able to find at least one 'cackling' if you were to partake in more recent films about vampires and/or werewolves."

Koty would lead Benton out of the dorms and instead of directly to the track, would take him to the cafeteria. Cause staying hydrated was important, and he could get a bottle of water there. Koty would quickly hop inside and get one for himself, then lead Benton directly toward the track, pointing out landmarks along the way in case Benton wasn't so good with typical directions. Koty was better with landmarks than compass style directions, why shouldn't he leave that as an option in case someone else was too?

[Benton Barrett]

Straight and to-the-point would go a long way.

Koty started walking before Benny thought he would. Something about the situation just lent itself to hesitation... but apparently, the other student didn't feel that way in the least. Benny bit his lip, and started after him, at his beckoning, doing a little jog to catch up to him. Koty wasn't blazing any trails, he just had a head start, so despite their height difference, once he was next to him, it was easier to keep pace. 

Glancing sidelong at him, he nodded. "You haven't lived next to him, have you?" He asked, trying not to huff. "There is plenty of howling, barking, and growling in his room some nights." Not that Benny had spent oh so many here, but from what Kodi had told him ( and who knew, maybe Kodi was lying? ) there would be plenty of the sort happening, and he wasn't supposed to be telling any dorm monitors about it. So far, he wasn't going to, for threat of getting mauled, or having his teeth fused together. However that worked.

He realized partway through their trip, that they were walking down a familiar path - he was heading down the way to the cafeteria. Maybe the track was beyond? Benny wasn't going to argue - he watched as the older boy darted in to the kitchen. Peeking his head in, he watched him... just in case there was a secret tunnel or something that lead to the track. With this place, it was hard to say.

However, it looked like he was just getting a bottle of water. Once he was rejoined, he followed along, giving quick, cursory glances to the things that were pointed out to him. 

"Yeah, I was talking about Kodi, before." He added, in case that hadn't been clear. "I'm Benny, by the way - thanks for crashing in to me, before, otherwise I'd probably just be wandering around. My throat would probably feel better, but hey, small prices." He grinned, just a bit, because he was mostly teasing. His throat wasn't even aching any more at this point! Well, unless he swallowed. 

[Koty Hura]

Koty neither lived next to Kodi, nor had any knowledge of howling, barking, or growling in his room.. though that did sound.... strange. "I have no knowledge of Kodi, nor any werewolves on campus. I know that there are several metas here who were gifted with shapeshifting and animal mimicry, but I have yet to meet any of them myself. I am unsure if being a werewolf is a known meta ability. Are you under the impression he was genuine? The only light-sensitive meta abilities I am aware of are photosynthesis and.. bio luminescence. With no investigation, I would be willing to guess that your roommate was joking or untruthful with you." Barking and growling and and howling all sounded like.. thinly veiled sexual noises of some sort. Perhaps Benton was just getting trolled?

"Benny, my name is Koty Hura. I do not believe I have seen you before today. Until little more than a month ago I was attending Eisai in Japan. Are you a recently recruited student or have I simply not noticed you?" Koty was kinda horrible at guessing ages.. Westerners looked different than Japanese people did. Koty had gathered that most westerners had some issues putting an age on Asians.. Apparently he was the same way. Or.. just bad at guessing someone's age. He was just as bad at it when it came to Asians or Europeans as he was with Americans.

Perhaps it was another side-effect of his ability? Age, gender, race, creed, and physical appearance made very little difference to someone who could see and understand the actual experiences someone had been privilege to in life. Age was just a number, but experience dictated wisdom, and wisdom was (as far as Koty was concerned) a far better judge of maturity than age.

"Would you permit me to ask what your ability is, Benny? I do not wish to pry, I am merely curious." The pair was approaching the track now. It could be seen in the distance, the track itself seemed to only have a few people on it. It was getting a bit cool these days for as much recreational running as was popular in the summer. People were starting to revert to their winter hibernation routine, wherein they... put on a few pounds and got a bit lazy in the comfy warmness of their dorms.

[Benton Barrett]

Shapeshifting and animal mimicry?

So werewolves, right!? That seemed like splitting hairs in his opinion. If they were people that could mimic wolf traits, or become wolves? They were werewolves. There was no in between. There might just not be a silver-bullet and full moon component involved. Which, by itself, almost made it worse. Get upset? Flip out and eat the roommate. He rubbed the back of his head as he walked. "Maybe..." He replied, though it was obvious that the thought of Kodi lying never crossed his mind. The guy was too much... something... to be not a werewolf. Animalistic? Uncontrollable? Benny didn't know. It was hard to say - his first impression was sticking pretty hard. 

Of course, he said Koty, and Benny couldn't help but side-eye him. Seriously? Another person with the same name? That... was not exactly comforting. After all, what if this Koty was like the other Kodi - a werewolf? Then it'd do him good to not let anyone believe that werewolves were out there. 

"Uh, yeah, I was recruited a few days ago." He said - though he didn't really think 'recruited' was the right word. It was the nice word, but there was no way around the fact that this wasn't voluntary. He was drafted, morelike - pulled here because he had no other choice in the matter. Yes, part of him wanted to be here so he could learn to not hurt people. But another part of him? God, it longed to go home. He was guessing that Eisai was like the one in Germany that Dean had been talking about - one like Hammel, but not here.

"So no, not just a not-noticing thing. I haven't been here to notice." He gave him a bit of a crooked smile, though it'd be hard to see, considering they were both walking. Since Benny was unfamiliar with the territory, he was doing his best to look around and get better oriented, only casually throwing expressions the older boy's way.

"Oh... sure." That seemed to be a common first conversation for a lot of metas. "It's hard to explain. But basically, my body absorbs heat. Forcibly." Okay so maybe it wasn't hard to explain. He'd have to just leave it at that from now on. It pretty equally explained why things could get really cold around him, and why he was so much hotter than the rest of the world's population. "It's mostly only when I get cold, but sometimes when I touch people it can get out of hand." He added, mostly for Koty's own safety. He could see the track ahead - and the soccer field within. That was good to see. He'd have to ask about the soccer team.

"What about you? Do you shoot lasers from your eyes?" So far, no one seemed to do that.

[Koty Hura]

Oh, if only Koty had trans dimensional perception instead of tactile telepathy..

A few days ago? That wasn't much time at all. Not nearly long enough for someone to already be freaking out about his roomate wanting to eat him.. or whatever Benny was assuming that a werewolf roomate would result in. Then there was also the.. subtle and momentary shift in Benton's expression when he'd mentioned being recruited. So Benny was one of those cases? ..Then again, what exactly was 'one of those cases'? A person who didn't want to be taken from their home? Someone who didn't want to be snatched up and sent to a boarding school? Someone who didn't ask to be a meta and just wanted a normal life? ..Perhaps vague references to people not appreciating their opportunities should be avoided.. Besides, one didn't have to shrug off the opportunity that was a school like this just because they were fine with things before Hammel... Koty had been just fine with life before Eisai. But then he'd also met Vincent at Eisai.. and because of his ability he'd saved his friend's life...

And Koty blinked and shook his head slightly when Benny continued.. Because getting absorbed in your own thoughts was almost as enrapturing at getting absorbed in other people's thoughts.. it just took longer. While Benton wasn't looking at Koty much, Koty was basically navigating with his peripheral vision.. observing everything he could non-creepily observe about the boy.. Cause.. hey. Maybe it would be good to have an acquaintance that didn't have some sort of huge mental issue that Koty felt he was the only person in the world that could help to solve. That might be refreshing..

So he.. did some sort of heat absorption? Well that was.. different. Sure, Koty had heard of pyrokinetics.. Seen several.. but he'd never heard of something quite like this. He couldn't help but wonder what Dante would think of it.. Though, if Benny was reacting this way to a mere werewolf, perhaps it would be best to keep him distanced from Dante. Regardless, Koty grinned at the ease with which Benny had accidentally described his ability, and gave a curt nod, pausing and turning to face the boy.

"I have a better idea than simply telling you. I wish to show a gesture of my trust in you as a person and as a meta, and in return, I will show you what my ability is. Unless your abilities also enable you to paralyze humans, I can ensure you that no harm will come to me." Koty swiftly pulled the glove from his right hand and presented it to Benton, as if to shake hands with him. "A proper meta introduction."

If Benton swallowed his anxiety enough to give Koty a quick handshake, his mind would fill very suddenly and fairly briefly with the knowledge that Koty was the one filling Benton's mind with the knowledge that was suddenly there, and that if there were reason, Koty could also take back any knowledge that Benny himself wanted to give up.

Of course, if Benton was freaking the hell out about killing Koty by touching his hand.. That kind of anxious thought was nearly impossible to block out.. and Koty would get a head-full of Benton's thought process.

Of course, if Benton refused to shake Koty's hand.. well.. none of that..

[Benton Barrett]

When the older boy stopped, Benny did not. Not for a second or two, as he realized that Koty had stopped. He skidded, and, if he hadn’t been used to actually being able to turn on a dime from soccer, he would have stumbled. He paused, giving Koty one of those looks that clearly asked what in the world? Then, Koty explained to him that he would like to show his power. It was a display of trust? Benny blinked, quietly, trying to figure out what he meant – until he pulled off the glove. Oh. Oh.

He meant trust that Benny wouldn’t hurt him.

Something that Benny couldn’t particularly promise.

The younger of the two looked extremely skeptical. A proper meta introduction? A way for the two to… what, exchange the way their powers felt? Nerves were already prickling along the back of his neck. So far, he hadn’t actually figured out whether or not it was safe for people to be touched, even fleetingly. With his mom, it had taken minutes. Since then? He hadn’t actively tried to touch anyone. Other people touched him, but not the other way around.

Koty’s hand, extended, was almost a challenge. Almost a promise, at that - that he truly believed himself safe. Maybe he did? Benny was going to accidentally give himself a lip piercing, with as much as he was chewing on his bottom lip. But… if he really believed that, why was he going to assume that Koty shouldn’t. His hands had curled into fists, defensively, as Koty’s hand remained outstretched, waiting for Benny to make his decision. How long was he willing to wait?

Finally, he lifted his hand, though it was slow, uncertain. He wanted to say he could do this confidently, but he couldn’t. He let out a little breath.

“Okay.” He finally said, his voice wavering. He took Koty’s hand, though he didn’t grip it tightly. Then it was like his brain expanded, and there was something else there. He almost jumped, and snatched his hand back – but he knew he didn’t need to. He didn’t know how he knew… until he did. Koty was giving him those thoughts. He understood Koty’s power, to a point. His fear was washed away in wonder – after all, it wasn’t every day one’s mind was touching someone else’s. It was… actually kind of amazing. He was baffled – but taken in to it. He could explain why he was so hesitant, without actually saying a word.

So he did.

Koty would get a single memory – a flash of his mom in the hospital, and the knowledge that Benny had put her there, with a severe case of hypothermia. It hadn’t been intentional, of course – that was why it hurt so much. He was scared that even a small touch could cause the same kind of thing. The image of his mother, her lips blue and shaking, her body unable to replenish the heat it needed to survive…

Benny shuddered. After the handshake, he let the other guy’s hand go. His own felt warm and proper, where Koty’s would probably feel the first tingles of an unseasonal cold.

“That… that’s pretty amazing, actually.” He said, clearly impressed. If people existed that could do something like that – there were probably all sorts of practical ways to make that help the rest of the world. Benny’s hand, avoidantly, was shoved back into his hoodie pocket. “That has to be really strange, though. Can you touch anyone without that happening? Or is it automatic?” Because Koty might understand exactly what Benny was worried about, even if it was for a different reason.

[Koty Hura]

Memories which were given willingly were so much clearer and easier to understand than those that forced themselves out in a panic. When someone was genuinely scared (or dreaming - things could get powerful when dreams were involved as well. the subconscious mind has few concepts of restraint) or truly anxious about something, the thoughts and images and memories that Koty got often came at him like wild starving beasts.. Tearing consciousness asunder and desperate to sink their teeth into something, anything that would sate their need to feed. Anxiety was a nasty emotion.. so was fear. They fed like wildfires on as many memories and thoughts as they could, and had no problems whatsoever consuming everything until there was nothing left..

This, though? Different. Not only was it a composed and complete memory, it was worry and remorse. Not terror or horror or any of those horrible fresh emotions that so many people carried around. Worry and remorse were more subtle, more calm.. even if they could be just as heavy. And so Koty would experience the memory exactly as Benton had.. A flash, mother, hospital. Fault, but no intention. Hypothermia. Extreme hypothermia. The memory of fear - rather than the immediate feeling of fear - and the thought that he could do this to anyone in a moment... Images of the sin.. Fault without intention.. Mother half-frozen and trembling in a hospital....

As Koty's hand was released, he took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, giving Benny an understanding nod before lifting his hand between them and staring, flexing his fingers all individually. "Thank you for your memory, Benny...." He would then move his hand closer to Benny's face so that he could inspect it as Koty had. "No pain, no discoloration.. At worst, it feels as if I have been outside for some time in cool weather properly bundled but for this hand." He gave a small smile. Benton wasn't a monster.

As he redonned his glove, Koty gave a shrug. "As is your ability, Benny. I would imagine you would be very helpful to have nearby at sporting events in case of hyperventilation.. possibly even in a clinic to help break a high fever. I am confident that with training you will greatly increase your control over your ability. As for mine.. I can.. 'reduce the sensitivity' if I focus. Certain emotions carry with then the very powerful desire to travel and spread. Fear, rage, hate.. all very difficult for me to block out. I have yet to master a technique to avoid it. I am, however, proficient at limiting what I send back to another.. Your thoughts are clear, your emotions logical. You are worried, not terrified. Until you chose to show me your memory, I received nothing."

No doubt, Benny had no idea how refreshing that was to Koty. The vast majority of people had something that was just beneath the surface, screaming to get out.. Many had several somethings.

"I could have searched your mind as well as any other telepath, but I prefer to avoid such activities. I feel it invasive and offensive. There is a difference between yelling in a room loud enough to hear outside the door, and listening at the door for whispers, only to peek one's head inside to investigate. As I contact a person more often I find it easier to sort through their thoughts, ignore them entirely, understand what is real and what is perspective. Each person views the world through unique eyes, and a period of adjustment is required before general thoughts become clear."

But.. Koty was rambling a bit. Again. He really needed to stop doing that. "Based on what you showed me, Benny, I am happy to tell you that I do not for a moment believe that you are a monster or a killer."

Koty would nod sideways toward the track again, asking silently if Benny wanted to continue, and if the boy did, Koty would start walking again. The track was in view now, Benny didn't need any further direction, But Koty already had a bottle of water

[Benton Barrett]

Benny, who was still trying to process the disconnect – to make sure he was not doing anything too bad ( and trying to push away how good taking that bit of heat had felt ) only looked at Koty. He nodded, softly – he’d given Koty something important to him… something he held close, because it was a defining thing for him, now. That memory was the reason he was so hesitant to do anything with anyone. Why he was okay with pushing people away, even though he liked people, and wanted to be around them. He refused to be the reason someone else got hurt, and until he knew he could do that without hurting someone?

He’d hold off.

Koty showed him his hand, though, which didn’t look particularly worse for wear. Koty explained how it felt, and Benny nodded, a little bit. So a couple of seconds wasn’t terrible. He’d keep that in mind, going forward. That so long as he was careful, until he had time to get with a trainer, he didn’t have to stop touching people all together. Still, seconds left him feeling a strange thrill – one that he wanted to ignore, for now, until he had time to look at it later.

Benny didn’t know how amazing his ability was. It was weird, hard to explain, and dangerous – all the things that together made for less than amazing. But Kody pointed out that there were places where an ability of his might actually be useful. He hadn’t thought about it – but it was true. Bringing down a potentially lethal fever? He could do that in a matter of minutes, with none of the pesky risk of hypothermia. It wasn’t a prominent thing, but it was something he could do – and a positive thing, at that.

He just hoped that Koty was right about him learning to control it. That was what he was here for, after all.

It was interesting, listening to Koty explain how emotions seemed to have a personality of their own. It actually made a lot of sense to the boy – he had experience with panic and anxiety attacks, where some of his less than friendly emotions took over. He’d never thought of it like that, of course – how could he?

Hearing Koty say he was worried, but not terrified, though, almost made him want to laugh. But of course, on further consideration… he was right. He wasn’t terrified. He was blocking himself from the world a little bit, but it wasn’t an overwhelming fear. It was concern. Yes, it scared him, what he could do, but it wasn’t crippling, not by any stretch. Maybe he was right – in that Benny was a little stronger than he gave himself credit for.

Lifting a brow, Benny shoved his hands back into his pockets. Maybe he should invest in some Koty-style gloves. “I’m glad you didn’t. That would have been a bit much – you’re right, I think, about the whole invasive thing. I have secrets I don’t want to let go of.” He was glad Koty ascribed to that philosophy, though something he said didn’t sit well with Benny. As well as any other telepath. Were there people out there who would scrape in to his mind for no reason other than to do it?

He’d have to talk to Dean about that, see if he knew anything about keeping people out of your head.

The corners of Benny’s lips tugged upward in a smile. “I’m glad you think I’m not a monster. Then again, it would make sense as to why they bunked me with a werewolf.” His grin betrayed the fact that he was only somewhat serious. He was going to take what Koty said under advisement. He nodded, when Koty indicated the track, and Benny moved to keep pace with him.

“So, do you like it here?”

[Koty Hura]

"I have doubts that your werewolf roomate is actually a werewolf.. I also doubt that the staff here would place high-risk or potentially violent students together. It is more likely that you would have been placed with a werewolf because you are either capable of defending yourself, or you are far enough from being a monster yourself that your personality would counteract his."

That, or they just filled rooms as students came.. but what was the harm in trying to give this guy a little more confidence about his situation?

Now, onto whether or not Koty liked it here... "I do not wish to bore you with my past if you do not wish to hear it, but ..yes, I believe I do like it here. This place is very different from Eisai, and the customs here are very different as well. Even as a student who was educated and familiarized with western language and customs from a very young age, the adjustment remains.. formidable. I have found people here more obnoxious and loud and prone to violence than I had expected, but I find that it is much easier to learn who a person is as well, even without abilities such as mine. The change has been difficult but.. refreshing."

He turned and glanced at Benny again, pondering if his gloves would work for Benny like they did for himself.. "How have your first days here been, and may I test a theory briefly?"

[Benton Barrett]

He quirked a brow, a little amused at the simple statements Koty threw out. How could someone be so complex and so simplistic at the same time? It was like he knew and understood exactly how to break what he wanted to say into its component parts. Benny could appreciate that - he wasn't an idiot, but it wasn't unheard of for him to not get something. Of course, that did leave on other options.

"Or... I'm monster enough to face his down." He shrugged, softly. One way or the other, what was done was done. He had no real way to argue it, as far as he knew. Just leaving wouldn't work - and he didn't know if they moved people just because they were having issues with their roommates. Easing back, he looked over at Koty, when he said he didn't want to bore him.

"I'd like to hear it." He replied, simply. It was true - he wasn't the kind of self-centered person that didn't want to know about someone else's life, especially considering how far and away Koty was from his own experiences. He had to wonder what it was like, coming to a place that was even further away than North Dakota. Benny had at least come from the same continent. There were a lot of things that were similar, between his old life and his new one. Having to change everything about his existence, not just his location?

He figured that had to be tough.

"Sounds like an accurate assessment. People do like to talk a lot out here, even if it isn't about anything important." He replied, simply. It was just the way things worked - most people had an inflated sense of self, and so they tended to talk about what they knew.

"Still, I'm glad you like it here. If you do, there's hope for me yet." He said, with a mall smile tugging the corners of his lips up. Yeah, it was silly to judge his own happiness on the happiness of another, but the way things were - Koty coming from a completely different culture? He could see that eventually he'd get the hang of Hammel, one way or another.

"Uh. Well, turns out I still have panic attacks, and the roommate werewolf thing. Other than that, I'm pretty okay. And... sure? What theory?"

[Koty Hura]

Yeah, Koty was from a completely different culture and all that, but at the same time he did have some advantages.. Namely Meian-sensei. It was pretty cool having one's father figure on campus. It was also a huge load off that if things went as bad as they could go, Koty had someone he could turn to for help or an unjudging shoulder to lean on.

As for the theory, Koty would reach out and gently grasp Benton's forearm... and then pretend like he wasn't touching the kid, continuing the conversation without missing a beat. "If you need to share your fears with someone, I would be willing to assist you in bearing you burden. It is.. what I believe I am here to do.. and I do not believe your troubles will cause me any harm. I am not making a request, simply an offer that will remain open as long as we both attend Hammel."

Still.. no mention of the hand gently grasping Benny's arm. In fact, Koty was staring directly into Benton's eyes, pointedly ignoring the contact he was making. "As for my past.. The brief version includes manifestation at thirteen years of age to the tune of a very good friend thinking suicidal thoughts, a mother who loved me very much but was always a better friend than mother, a father who lived in Georgia the entire time, more traumatic thoughts, memories, and experiences than a dozen lifetimes should normally contain, and the best mentor that I could have hoped for. The more extended recent past involves my mentor leaving Eisai, my mother's death, her last wishes being for me to come to America with my biological father, and finding that my Sensei is here at Hammel."

Well, if that wasn't enough to distract Benton for a few minutes to test the glove/attention theory, it was probably going to take a werewolf.. which could probably be arranged if it became necessary. Meanwhile, showing basically no emotion about anything that had been said, Koty removed his hand from Benny's arm to inspect it, feel if or how well Benny had managed to take his body heat through the glove. "If there is nothing you wish for me to elaborate on, I would be happy to know a bit more about you as well, Benny."