The Dorm Room [Open]

[Rima Donavon]

Rima strolled into her dorm. Her roommates were no where to be seen. “Where the hell did they get off to?” She wondered. But then again, some quiet time might be nice. That, and her roommates as of the moment were both guys. They might not mind changing right in front of each other, but when you’re a girl, you got some goods that you don’t want to catch eyes on. Normally she’d leave them in the main area and slip into the bathroom to change. It was no big deal, just a minor inconvenience. Rima wasn’t bothered by doing this because she had been the one to choose a Co-Ed dorm in the first place, purely because she didn’t want to deal with the squeaks, squeals, and annoying bull shit that some girl’s dorm rooms had.

After taking a moment to change out of her jeans and throw on a pair of red plaid pajama pants, she sat down and slipped off the ¾ button over-shirt and rested it on the foot of her bed. The bit of sweat she had acquired from her earlier headache was virtually gone, leaving no odor, but none-the-less felt far better wearing a white tank top instead of the black over shirt. Taking a second to pause, she took the marble from the breast pocket.

Rima clicked her tongue, toying with her fedora for a moment before setting it on the black, wrought iron hanger she had above her bed on the wall. It was in the shape of a leaf, with four slender and curved hooks protruding from the center part of the leaf. The white fedora with black pinstripes went well with it.

Ri looked over her shoulder and at the entry door before reclining back on her bed, toying with the marble by dropping it from one hand, catching with the other, and repeating. Keen blue-grey eyes tracked it well, locked on the blue swirl in the center of the marble.

[Mason McKenzie]

For a moment, Mason's new room was in order. Whether this was due to the simple fact that he'd only been in there a short time and hadn't had time to mess it up, or whether one could assume that he really was somewhat respectful of the school he'd been invited to, it was hard to say. If you asked him, he'd probably pin it on the fact that he hadn't stole much of anything yet, which left him for ample room for all of his personal possessions.

At any rate, it's significant to mention the fact that it was clean while the seventeen year old's eyes were closed, because it wasn't as clean five minutes later, after the dark haired boy woke up and reached over to his nightstand, only to find an empty bag of mini Reese cups. How he was suppose to start his day without one, he had no idea. His idea of a solution was to throw the bag as far as he could (which wasn't far, disappointingly enough) then to lay there and sulk.

Sulking didn't last long- a minute, tops, and he was bored again, so he pushed away his blankets with a huff, walking over to his desk. On it lay about seven different notebooks; several were used for class, as his mother had always insisted he have one for each class. The way he went through them, it hadn't seemed like a bad idea- too bad he used most of the pages for drawing, not notes. There were also a few random things he'd already summoned. An eraser (which was his most commonly summoned object) a few random pens with various odd logos and colors, some mechanical pencils, and a small container of lead that he had actually swiped off someone's desk, opposed to drawing it.

The only thing that could be considered even remotely remarkable was the picture of a little girl. Five at the time the picture was taken, though she'd be eight now. She had curls of long, black hair and piercing green eyes normally, but in that picture she was throwing her head back and really laughing at what her older brother had said. He'd snapped it, grinned, then turned it in for a school project, knowing fully well even then that the memory of spending the day with his sister wouldn't be hard to remember. His teacher framed it anyway and said he should hold onto that one- at fifteen, he'd given him a strange look like,"What the hell, man, don't get all crazy on me,". Only three years later, he'd willingly admit that the teacher was cool to have done that for him. Anyway, his desk- not exactly the most impressive thing ever. Most of his stuff had yet to be unpacked, though, as he hadn't found a reason to get beyond the suitcase with clothes.

After a thorough messing up- er, examination- of the surface of his desk, he gave a sigh. Fine. He'd go search somewhere else for his peanut butter fix. That or a distraction, as peanut butter wasn't exactly the most healthy meal, anyway. Glancing down at his clothes to make sure he looked alright (he did that for Ally's benefit when he'd lived at home, and now that he had a girl roommate here at Hammel, he felt no need to stop the habit), which, he noted to himself, other than his hair he did look normal, a fact that made him smile. He was wearing a wrinkled pair of jeans, as the fact that his mother wasn't there to nag at him not to sleep in them hadn't escaped him, and a t-shirt. Strangely enough, they were not the clothes he'd worn a day ago, but rather clothes he'd changed into that night before going to sleep. Why? Because they were on top of the pile that was his suitcase, of course. He hadn't gotten to the pajamas yet, something that may be problematic several days later when he had nothing but pajamas left. Ah well, laundry wasn't so bad. . .

Mason slipped out of the room quietly, moving to Rima's door to knock lightly. Girls were nicer, right? She'd probably offer the peanut butter (or, better yet, candy that had some form or taste of peanut butter) sooner than J.T. would. And it'd be nice to properly introduce himself, as he was more prone to offering her a friendly smile before slipping away, opposed to actually holding conversations.

[Rima Donavon]

Rima pocketed the marble so fast it was like magic. Who was knocking at the door? “Coming!” She called, pausing to hang up her jacket as she started for the door. She couldn’t help but savor the feel of the soft leather in her grip. It was her favorit jacket by far, but proved to warm the wear in summer.

Pausing to make a mental note to put the damn thing away as she hung it up, she shifted her attention to the door. In doing so she saw something else that posed a problem: her stash of Skittles, gum, and Reeses cups was sitting wide open in the gallon ziplock bag. Sometimes she hated the candy addiction. Ri shot back over to her bed, stuffing the bag under her pillow before heading back to the door. Whoever it was would just have to deal with her casual appearance: she loved her flannel pajama bottoms and tank tops too much to ditch them and change just for what could possibly prove to be a quick visit.

She opened the door. The 14 year old, 15 in just a week, looked at him with grey-blue eyes similar to a predatory bird’s. “Hey there Roomie.” She said after a moment, leaning against the door jam as she regarded Mason. She had only seen him once before, and that had been brief. The rounded sphere of the marble was hidden away in her pocket.

[Mason McKenzie]

Casual clothes? Well, he wasn't exactly dressing to impress, either. He wouldn't bother for roommates, especially not ones he didn't know well, as to do so would prove troubling. It wasn't worth it. He did take in her appearance with a fair bit of silent amusement, but he hid it with a smile. Why amusement? It wasn't that she looked bad in any way. With his long hair, he'd probably be the one looking bad, as styling it was a process and not a natural occurrence. Anyway, he was smiling because casual was cute on anyone. He'd gladly add, 'especially me', but he won't bother. There'd be time yet for his overly confident remarks if he saw her more often than he had so far.

"Hey,"Mason responded. "This may sound a bit odd to you, but I kinda ran out of candy. And uh, I figured that was a major problem, as you'd probably expect. So, I was hoping perhaps you had some? I can get you something else in return, if you want- right now, even. I just didn't have peanut butter, and, well, I'm awake." Yes. Yes Mason did think that she should know that him stating that he was awake was all the reasoning in the world behind him knocking on her door right now. So he didn't explain. He'd pitch his offer and hope for the best. If she really did want something in return, he could draw her something. Hell, he could have drawn himself candy if he'd wanted, but those jagged edges of the peanut butter cups were a pain to draw, unfortunately, and where he'd already seen the empty bag in his own room, that was what he wanted if he could get it.

[Rima Donavon]

Rima smirked. “Candy huh. You do know we’re not exactly supposed to have it?” She leaned out of the door, black bangs falling into her eyes which she quickly brushed away. Ri glanced both directions down the hall, first right then left, before stepping back into the room. “Which is exactly why I have some. Come on it.” She said quietly, sidestepping to make a path.

Her room was usually kept pretty clean, as it was now. Her bed around the edge of the wall, pressed against the wall, her hanger mounted above it, a nightstand with a neo green furry lamp on it, and the headboard with a large mirror attached to it. Along the far wall was the dresser and closet.

Rima waited for him to step in before she shut the door and strode in. “Yeah, I know, please excuse the mess.” She said dramatically, taking on the fake voice of some sort of 60s housewife. She snickered to herself. Taking on a normal voice, Rima turned to face him. “What exactly did you want in candy?”

[Mason McKenzie]

Mason raised an eyebrow. Not supposed to have candy? Had he heard that before now, he would have carted it around with him everywhere, just to demonstrate the fact that he was seventeen and couldn't care less if they wanted to ban something as essential as candy. Where she went on to say that was why she had it, he smiled. Well, if they were on the same page, that was good. He stepped in at her offer, taking in her room. If she hadn't pointed out the fact that it was clean in her 'dramatic' way, he wouldn't have paid much attention. As it was, he chuckled in amusement at her way of conveying it.

"I think your room looks very nice,"Mason offered. "Especially that. . .interesting lamp you got there. Very cool, though." Mason grinned when he mentioned that. It was so bright that it was hard for Mason to miss it. Even though she was kidding, he wasn't one who liked putting yourself (or anyone else) down. It wasn't that amusing to him when strangers did it, at least. He knew he had to tread ground cautiously when they did. He had no idea what her personality was, or if this was clean for her standards. Not that he cared either way, really. He didn't dwell on the subject, and he silently hoped she wouldn't, either.

"I was hoping you had something with peanut butter, actually. "Mason responded, his tone distinctively hopeful."I have a weak spot for the taste of peanut butter. But I have a hard time procuring that on my own, unfortunately, when my supplies run low." Suckers? No problem, if no one minded the flavor they got. Even Popsicles and soda were simple in comparison to Reese's cups. Bubble gum was just a small sphere, as were jawbreakers (he never knew which one he'd get when it came to those two) and candy bars were, for the most part, simple. Which lead to the fact that he could procure a package of Reese's peanut butter cups. However, if he did so every time he needed one, he'd hate himself, as the pain in his hands would get to him quickly.

[Rima Donavon]

Rima clicked her tongue and gave him a sidelong glance at the mention of her lamp. She flashed a grin. “I love it.” She said, shaking her head as she turned to her bed. Distinctly recognizable, was her way of keeping her left wrist facing away from him at all times. No matter what she was doing for the moment, it was constantly turned from his view. Rima had her reason: the scar from when the glass had blown out of her living room back at the Donavon household, shortly after her Mother had passed, and right after a particularly bad argument with a Nanny.

“Reeses. Gotta love ‘em.” Ri nearly purred as she picked up one of three small baggies she had. Bag of the delectable chocolate and peanut butter cups in hand, she stepped back over and offered them with her right hand. Ri had also taken liberty and snatched up a bubblegum filled sucker for herself. Watermelon flavored. “My name’s Rima by the way. Most people call me Rima or just Ri.”

[Mason McKenzie]

The scar was the least of Mason's worries, but that was probably mostly due to the fact that she kept it hidden very well. If he would have noticed, he wouldn't have thought twice about asking her, but he would have dropped the subject if he noticed it made her uncomfortable. Mason was momentarily distracted by the candy. His eyes seemed to light up, at least for a moment. Enthusiasm was not something one would say he lacked.

"Ohh, man, I definitely owe you."Mason announced, taking the bag gratefully. When he noticed the sucker she chose, he smiled. That was easy to draw. It got him thinking that maybe he'd draw her a cool sucker. Then again, it was always iffy because they weren't always wrapped. He tried not to think about that, though. Besides, ideally he'd make it up to her by getting her something she didn't already have, and if he was lucky, it'd be of more value, making the fact that she'd been willing to give him the candy worth it. As it wouldn't cost him any money no matter what she wanted, he figured the sky was the limit so long as what he drew for her was tangible and the size of the paper he was drawing on. Or, at least, that's what Mason told himself. Sometimes believing he was more powerful than he really was provided him with all the comfort and confidence that he could ever need.

"It's nice to meet you, Rima."Mason replied, doing his best to sound polite. He did mean it- it was nice to meet her, especially since she offered him candy."I'm Mason."

[Rima Donavon]

“The pleasure’s mine.” Rima smiled, seeming to have come from more professional parents, and distinctly keeping the scarred one still shied away. He seemed… nice. But she could also tell, from her Mother’s side of the family, that there were more facets of his personality, yet to be explored. As with anybody. She herself was human in that way: 3D. different facets, different thoughts, and different attitudes. Ri did enjoy this meeting though.

She shrugged at his comment about owing her. “Don’t worry to bad, I get my stock from certain sources ever week or so.” A mischievous glint coming to her eyes, she smirked evilly. “Besides, us candy junkies have gotta stick together. Don’t let the man get you down.” By ‘the man’, Rima obviously meant the teachers. And in a way, she was right. It was hard enough to get candy, and sometimes it could get to be impossible. Sugar was definitely a crutch they had in common.

[Mason McKenzie]

"Oh? A secret source, huh?"Mason chuckled. It was an amusing thought. Not that Mason had much interest in knowing anything about the source- he didn't need a source, not when he could turn to her, and not when he could get his own candy. He unwrapped one of the candies as he'd spoken, and once he was done, he put it in his mouth with a smile. It made him feel a lot better, though the change in emotion was probably more psychological than anything.

"Stick together indeed,"Mason added in agreement."That seems like a very smart plan." He got the 'man' reference, so he didn't address it. But he did agree with that, too. Well, certain teachers had rebellion coming to them, but not all of them. Mason certainly had a few favorites, and he had a few he couldn't stand, but she hadn't asked about that, so he kept his opinions to himself.

"Do you have a favorite candy, Rima?"Mason questioned, more out of curiosity than anything else. She seemed like a nice girl, someone Mason could hold a conversation with, so he was reluctant to part with her. So long as she was okay with it, he would like to get to know her a little bit better.

[Rima Donavon]

“The Source.” She said dramatically, saying it as though she were a Jedi saying ‘The Force.’ She waved her hands in the air in a small arch. Money could easily get one Candy-Smugglers, or, if you could pull a few strings, you could slip of Campus for a few hours and just pick up your stock yourself.

“Favorite candy…” Rima mused, drawing out the word candy as her mind began to buzz with thoughts. “Well…” Tapping a finger to her chin, she closed her eyes to a second. “I’d have to say my favorite candy in itself would be…” She blinked her eyes open, giving a wicked grin. “War Heads.” At the mere words, Ri could’ve sworn that the sour taste sparked to life in her mouth. Yes, those candies did have a tendency to cripple certain people, but to Rima that just meant: more for herself. “Yeah, definitely War Heads.”

[Mason McKenzie]

That cracked Mason up. The laughter in itself made him feel good, and, well, Rima was funny. He was well aware of the Star Wars movies, so her humor was certainly not lost on him- and, perhaps it really was that significant, the source that was. Significant enough to be associated with the essential force from the movie, even, just not to him. Of course, he could drive and he had no problem leaving campus, whether he was allowed to or not. But the younger girl before him was at a disadvantage, one that he would have been willing to help her with had she not already found this source of hers. At the very least, he could be there for her when her source was ever in question, or if the source's supply ever ran low.

"Ah, well, aren't you daring."Mason replied, his tone affectionate opposed to mocking. War heads weren't deadly or anything, but that didn't stop him from implying that they were dangerous. "Anyway, I'll definitely remember that. I have a particular spot for those black cherry ones myself- those are the only ones I bother to eat." After speaking, he unwrapped another Reeses, placing the wrappers in his jean pockets for now. He'd find a garbage can when he left because, though she probably had one, he didn't want to bother seeking it out or asking, let alone moving from his spot unnecessarily.

[Rima Donavon]

Rima gave a wide smile. It was good to stay happy. Crack jokes, let others crack them, heck, it was fun on bored days to run up and try to make random people laugh. She gave her own little laugh, pleased that she had been able to make this boy laugh.

"Cherry. Hmm..." She smiled. "On War Heads I'd have to say I'm more of a watermelon kind of girl."

She was well aware that Mason was old enough to drive, he looked it at least, she had known the moment he entered the room. He hadn’t said anything to tip her off either, it was just a typical way she could look at some people.Oh well, She thought, rather competitively, I can get a learner’s permit now, just that my Dad’s an ass and won’t come get me to sign the damn Guardian initials spot on the document.

“Hopefully I can ditch my source in a few weeks. One I turn 15 I won’t have to rely on Dad to come sign a permit paper.” Rima spoke of her Father with a negative aura for a moment.

[Mason McKenzie]

"Watermelon war heads are certainly my second choice."Mason offered. And, they were. It was the lemon one he couldn't seem to stand, and it wasn't even that it was too sour for him. It was just lemon. Mason ate candy because it was sweet, so he really didn't understand where they came off putting lemon in the mix. In the case of war heads, obviously those were sour, he wasn't questioning that. But his opinion still stood because at least after the sour wore off of the other flavors, he could taste something sweet.

"They make war head popsicles now. Like, uhm,"Mason paused, trying to think of the name, before smiling,"Like, y'know, those otter pop things? I liked them well enough." It was her next statement that really seemed to matter to Mason. He grinned at the idea of her learning to drive. Not that most kids didn't pick it up from watching their parents, or even that it was that hard, just that when you were behind the wheel, it was so much different.

And the mistakes, oh, the mistakes lived on forever, so one had to make sure they didn't make any mistakes while they had their permit. Well, anyone with parents who couldn't seem to think of anything better to talk about than their kids. At any rate, Mason wasn't going to pry into the relationship she had with her parents, it wasn't really his place. But he could address driving, as he didn't have a car at Hammel currently. His parents weren't going for sending the car with him, and where he was almost eighteen, he figured it was just as well. Going without a car hadn't been so bad, either. Pilot Ridge was close enough to walk anyway.

"Ah, driving is an interesting experience in itself. Excited?"Mason questioned curiously, assuming that she was excited about the idea. That was probably why she mentioned it.

[Rima Donavon]

Rima tapped her index finger to her chin in thought. “Otter pops.” As she pronounced the last word, she popped her lips. “I have had them a few times. Mainly when I was little after being juggled around between adults. Y’know, the Meta-Human kid route.” She rolled a shoulder, finding it to be of no real importance.

She gave a grin. “Heck yes! I can’t wait to drive!” Granted she also knew her Father had absolutely no intention of ever buying her a car. Rima did remember a bond account with money for two things, though: a car, and her collage. All curtesy of her Mother.