Just sipping some soda (Erebus)

[Zander Shale]

"Finally!!! This has been taking forever!" called out Zander. He'd been here at Ashford for about two weeks now, and his paperwork for joining the Prefects seemed to have been caught in a hold-up. He knew some frantic things happened here recently, sure. And he obviously wouldn't understand what all happened, having just gotten to the island. However, that didn't help settle the anxiousness to help out, or the boredom of walking around on patrols between classes... Well, the classes he actually went to.

However, it seemed that his wait would finally be over. He just needed to go through with the blasted orientation/observation/interview thing that he was told would happen a week ago, but he decided to withhold judgement. At least they got the boring part out of the way. Now, officially, he was a Prefect. Now, he thought, he could start getting things done.

After harassing the office here for the past week or so, he decided that a bit of a break was in order. He grabbed a Dr. Pepper from the machine nearby, sat back in one of the nearby chairs, and sipped his drink. It was nice in here; The wall paper was nothing to brag about, but at least they had some comfy chairs and decor. "This I could get used to... I'll have something to look forward to after my runs. Now I just need to find this..." He reaches to the table where he placed some notes and scanned for the name of his "Observer." "Oliver Scott Grey... Hmm, sounds like a fun guy." He pulls back into the chair and takes another sip of his drink. "I wonder what this "observation" is going to be like? I'd say it's just an interview, but even the government wouldn't come up with some fancy name for that."

He ponders for a minute, then simply shrugs and relaxes in the chair. He figures he'll have time to worry about that later. He pulls together a shade in his hand: a small titmouse, chirping away. Even if they don't really exist, they're still fun... Even if I'm the controller, they still feel... alive, in my mind. He lets out a genuine smile, not one of cockiness or childish playfulness, but one of contentment. He then has the small shade of a bird fly over to a desk, partially ruffling the papers nearby. At once where he is and from the titmouse' point of view, he scanned around the room. The feeling of this perspective allowed him a whole new view of the room. This isn't the first time he'd used a shade to look around. New perspectives were always enjoyable. Especially when it comes to girls. The thought made him chuckles. He never spied on girls like a criminal, but it was nice to be able to... examine innocently whenever he talked with them. But that was a different time altogether. He figures if he tried something like that now, he'd get a blast of fire to the face.

Now his thoughts drifted to the very thing that brought him here: The existence of the gifted in the first place. It as a shock to find out he wasn't the only one with powers. Sure, he figured there were probably some out there, but that didn't make the shock any different. The sheer number of students here was amazing. And what's more, almost every one of them had different gifts. He wasn't one to gape in amazement, but even he found it impressive.

These thoughts kept him so occupied that almost an hour went by before he realized what time it was... and how many sodas he drank. There must have been 4 cans sitting next to him, and he didn't even remember getting up to get more. He let out a heavy sigh before standing and speaking. "I really gotta watch out when I daydream. I should clean this mess up before people come in and get any ideas about me." Zander pulled out of the chair and started carrying the cans to a nearby bin. Once he was done with that, he figured it'd be best if he started looking for this "Oliver" guy, and proceeded to gather his things from here.

He had a long day ahead, that was for sure.

[Erebus Ryder]

Erebus yawned, stretching a bit as he walked towards the Student Lounge. He had been up all night, having had to make a double shift that night since the Prefect who was supposed to have the first shift came down in the flu. He was exhausted and glad that the next night he'd have free because of the fact he got no sleep that night. Oliver had decided that even someone like Ryder needed sleep, even if he didn't really sleep much to begin with. He blinked lazily as he stepped into the lounge, glancing around it. No one was there, that was good. He didn't need to be too secretive with the combination today. He looked towards the machine that would lead him to the Prefect Lounge, the much nicer of the two lounges and one he was grateful for.

There were those small perks for being a Prefect after all.

He double checked his surroundings, pushing the buttons after he made sure no one else was there in the correct order and pushed his way past the machine as it slid to the side, slipping in silently for the most part besides the sliding of the vending machine. He blinked in surprise at the new face he saw with an armful of cans. What was he supposed to do about that? He had never seen the boy before and he doubted he had ever seen him. He closed his eyes, jogging his memory for anything that would click before remembering that Oliver had told him they'd be getting a new team member. He looked over the kid curiously, his habit of sizing others up coming into play.

He was slightly taller than him but had a slim, well defined build. He was obviously more agile than strong. It made him look frail, though he doubted that was the case. The few months he had been on the island had thought him that most people were more than they appeared. Knowing most he'd have something to enhance his durability so he can take blows. However, that didn't matter if you didn't pay attention to your surroundings. He seemed distracted by something which made Ryder doubt he had seen or even heard him. He did have about four cans of soda sitting near him. He blinked as he suddenly stood up, collecting the cans as he made his way over to the bin. Ryder was right, he obviously didn't have the best idea of his surroundings in the world, then again people in combat were completely different from those out of combat.

He watched him silently for a moment, making no moves before heading over and sitting on the couch next to where the blond haired boy had been sitting. Why did he do that? He wanted to see how much the other boy would freak out over someone seemingly appearing out of thin air. It was fun to mess with people every now and again, especially if that person didn't know you were there. Now all he had to do was wait and see how long it took him to realize someone else was there.

He was counting the seconds already.

[Zander Shale]

        Zander slipped his hands into his pockets, putting the paper he had away. It was time to start looking for "Oliver Grey" so he could get this all finished. He stood for a second, wondering where this "commander" would be at, when he heard someone or something behind him. It wasn't very surprising that somebody could get in without his knowledge, considering he wasn't quite the best a keeping an eye out without putting effort into it, but whoever or whatever didn't seem hostile, thankfully.

        He casually spun around and spotted a lone guy sitting in the couch near where he sat. This guy was just staring in his general direction, lazily relaxing in the seat. The outfit he wore was definitely fitted for moving around quietly, so Zander figured he was maybe a night-watchman, his obvious Prefect badge showing. The guy seemed to have a dull look, almost as if he had just woken up. And if that was the case, Zander was actually gonna try to be careful talking to him.

        Waving a hand a the guy, Zander spoke up to him. "I see you're finding yourself comfortable... you been there long?" While listening to the response, Zander went to the vending machine again and pulled a Dr. Pepper out again. He loved these things so much, you'd probably find soda instead of blood in his veins. Popping the drink open and gulping down a bit of it, Zander wiped his mouth in satisfaction before continuing. "I've only been here a couple weeks, but I haven't seen you around here. At any rate..." He takes a step over and extends a hand to the man, continuing "...the name's Zander Shale. I get the feeling we're going to be seeing quite a bit of each other in the future. Pleased to meet ya."

        Taking another gulp, Zander sat down in the chair he was at before. He felt this conversation wasn't going to end soon, so he decided to get comfortable.

[Erebus Ryder]

Erebus blinked lazily at the boy, listening as he spoke. He watched him open yet another soda, now counting five because of the four from earlier. The kid was probably addicted to the caffeine in them or something along those lines. Though he was a little disappointed that he hadn't been surprised by his "sudden" appearance. He had hoped that it would happen, then again his luck was never really the best in the world to begin with so it didn't surprise him. He crossed his arms, thinking carefully about what to say, his eyes closing for a moment before opening and looking at the other boy again, taking a moment before responding to the first question.

"Long enough to see you look in confusion at the collection of cans before standing up and throwing them out...only to get a fifth can. You really like that stuff don't ya," he said casually, more of a statement than a question. He was keeping his tone as casual as possible, trying to figure out what to do exactly. He wasn't really used to talking to people out of the blue, but here he was, talking to this Zander kid. He glanced him over again, sizing him up subconsciously like he was going to fight him before speaking again, his words flowing easily through his slight Yankee accent, though he didn't make a move to shake his hand. He didn't like touching people after all, and it wasn't like he didn't have a reason behind it.

"Name's Erebus Ryder, though I prefer Ryder. It's nice to meet ya Zander. I'm assuming you're new here? Got any clue on who your commander will be for the rest of your time at this school?" His eyes didn't show any hint of hostility or friendliness, it was more neutrality, not really caring and going with the flow of the conversation.

[Zander Shale]

What a surprise this was. Zander had hoped to run into another Prefect, and just like that, here sits this guy. It was like winning the lottery or beating the hidden boss of a Final Fantasy game.... in other words, divine providence. He obviously wasn't the most friendly or sociable of people, though, due to his refusal to shake hands. He wasn't hostile in the least, thankfully, so that was a plus. As he sat down, the black-haired youth gave his name. Keeping his eyes on him, Zander nodded slightly. "Not really... I mean, I got a name, but that's it. No time or place to meet him, not even a description." He lets out a long sigh before yanking out a piece of paper. "All I know is I gotta track down this Oliver Grey fellow for my, quote, "evaluation" or whatever." He grunted slightly as he shoved the paper back into his pocket before sighing slightly. He downed the last of his soda with a few gulps and let out a content gasp of air before laying back and relaxing. I'm either gonna wait here until he pops up or go find somebody who will know where he is..." His last words were a fishing slightly. Zander had hoped that this guy knew, or at least knew of, Oliver and could point him in the right direction.

Sitting there made Zander think for a moment about what this "Oliver" character would end up looking and acting like. It was his hope that the guy either had very low standards so Zander didn't have to do much to impress him, or that he recognized how talented Zander thought of himself. Picking up the can and tossing it to the trashcan before waiting for Ryder to respond. After all, if he was gonna give any info at all, Zander might be able to actually get something done today instead of waiting.

[Erebus Ryder]

The young swordsman sat there and listened to the other boy's reply, nodding inwardly to himself when he heard the name. Oliver, that meant that the two were now going to be teammates. Erebus just hoped the boy didn't slow him down, it was hard to stay caught up with someone who had been fighting for his life almost every day of his past. Hopefully he knew how to at least handle himself in combat, and if not, knew when to stay out of the way. He didn't shift from his position at all, looking over Zander for a moment before speaking, sizing him up overall.

"Ah, good ol' Oliver. Looks like we'll be teammates then," he stated simply. Erebus thought on the subject for a moment, trying to remember where Oliver was even at right now. He had seen him earlier that day, but after that? Nothing. He tapped his chin for a moment, mulling over it before shaking his head, having no way of knowing where Oliver had gone after that morning. He leaned back a bit casually, thinking on the subject some more before speaking again, his tone keeping to a neutral sound, almost like he was bored. "I, however, have no idea where Oliver went after I finished my shift and reported to him this morning. I could probably give him a call and ask how long he's going to be though. It's not that hard to get in touch with him, that is unless you would rather wait a bit longer." He opened his eyes, looking at Zander again, waiting for the answer. Calling Oliver wouldn't be an issue at all for him, at least he didn't think it would be. Who knew what Commanders did in their free time.

[Zander Shale]

        Well, what do you know... I'm pretty damn lucky after all Zander mused. This was beyond divine providence... well, maybe not. But whatever it was, it was really helpful meeting what would probably soon be his new teammate. He crossed his legs and leaned over onto one elbow as Ryder continued to speak. Unfortunately for Zander, the other youth did not know where exactly Oliver was. "That's a shame... However, he probably is going to be busy, so I don't want to bother him. I think I can manage waiting for him a while longer." As he finished his sentence, he stretched out a bit and rose to his feet. As much as he enjoyed relaxing, there comes a time to stand up and stretch here and there.

        Speaking of stretching, Zander needed to get moved into his room. He had his things stored in the common stoarage locker here until he got accepted, and now it was time to get things unpacked. Since Ryder had been so helpful already, maybe he could help him get moved into his room? Or, at the very least, explain how he gets there. "Say, maybe you could help me out with something else," Zander queried as he reached around in his other pocket. "See, I gotta get moved into my room, and I was wondering if you could maybe tell me how the hell to get to navigate the Prefect Dorms so I can get settled in. I.. Gah, where is that bloody note for my room? It had a key attached to it... Aha!" Just as he exclaimed, he had found the key and note attached with it, the Room number B51 printed on the note. "Ahh, here it is. Room B51. Think you could show me to where that is, at least? Maybe help a soon-to-be teammate move his stuff in?" As much as he usually liked his personal space, Zander figured he'd be spending a lot of time with Ryder in the future, so no harm in getting a bit more acquainted with him now. Maybe get some of the unseen awkwardness he can feel from Ryder constantly sizing him up. It was like he was constantly wondering whether or not to pull a frying pan out and bash him over the head with it.

[Erebus Ryder]

Ryder blinked at him a few times, taking in what he said with his usual air of calmness. He was always calm, it was how he had started to take things in his life. He didn't get a lot of time to relax early on, after all. The fact that he didn't have to worry about fighting for his life anymore after all. He closed his eyes and crossed his legs, thinking about how his life had changed for a moment before cracking an eye at Zander when he started to speak again, taking a moment to realize he was asking about moving into the Prefect Dorms.He shrugged, having no issue with helping him move to his room, but blinked when he said the room number.

Well there goes having a room to myself. Welp, it was nice while it lasted.

The young swordsmen let out an audible sigh before standing up, stretching a little before looking back at Zander, nodding a little. "More time than you think, that's my room number," he stated simply, his eyes trailing over the boy in front of him for a moment, wondering if he'd need to talk a lot around him. He was a quiet guy at heart, friendly but quiet. It was hard for him as it was to talk as much as he had, the only person he had talked much to was a girl that was dead. He adjusted his blazer, wishing that it was three already so that he could change into something mroe comfortable and get at least a little bit of sleep before the usual nightmares and insomnia kicked into gear, keeping him awake.

"Well, let's get a move on, it's not like you could really have that much stuff so this shouldn't take long, at least I hope."

[Zander Shale]

        Zander blinked a bit at the boy's words. Had he heard him right? It sounded like he said he had the same room as Ryder, and judging from the boy's look, he wasn't kidding. Zander had never had a string of luck in his life quite like this. And it was perfect timing, too. Despite the slightly obvious unease of having a roommate, which Zander thought understandable, he couldn't thank Ryder enough for offering to help a newbie like him. With a bit of a spring and a small grin, Zander hopped to his feet and nodded to the boy earnestly.

        "Heh. That's perfect. Yeah, I got a couple boxes, but not a whole lot, really. About the worst of it is my suitcase, but that's just bedding and some spare clothes. Hey, I appreciate the help. Nice to know some people here are dependable. Welp, Room B51, here we come!"

        With that remark, Zander flared his duster out slightly to straighten it out before nodding to Ryder a bit as he passed him. As he almost reached the door, though, he came to an abrupt halt before turning around, muttering out a request to hold on before swiftly jogging back to the drink dispenser and fishing out another soda with a small chuckle, slight amounts of nervous embarrassment in his voice.

        "Ahehe... almost forgot this. It'd be a long day if I didn't bring one with me."