Hex would go to Ana's dorm after each of his classes, to see his sister, down with what the nurse said was either a really bad cold, or a mild flu. So even though she was pretty bad off, and probably slightly contagious, he checked up on her, bringing her warm soup from the cafeteria, and juice.
He knocked, poking his head inside the door and smiling. "Hey, Sis. Feeling any better?"
Sio was the one who spoke, looking up from the desk where she had several books laid out in front of her. She turned putting a finger to her lips as she whispered.
"She just fell asleep again," she gestured to the curled up lump on the bed that was covered in several blankets, "She was coughing for almost an hour straight."
"Aw, man," Hex said lowly, slipping inside and closing the door to a crack behind him and setting the cup noodles- a good cure-all for stuffy noses and coughs- on the small desk. "I hate to see her like this. It's gone on so long."
"Yeah. She's been really miserable," the blond sighed, flicking some bangs out of her eyes, "What did the doctor say when she went yesterday?"
"He said it should clear up soon. I guess she's doing the best thing for it right now," he offered, sitting in an unoccupied chair hesitantly. "At least it hasn't diminished her appetite much."
Sio snickered softly, glancing at the amount of quick-fix food wrappers and containers that were in their trash. Though she couldn't keep down much solid food, she'd been living on soups and other such light things ever since she'd gotten sick.
"That's true. Hey! How about we go do something tonight? I've been killing my brain over this paper, and I need to get out. You could use it too, taking care of her so much like that."
"I... nah, I should stay. I've got some formula research to do for chemistry, and I can check up on her..." Hex glanced at his sleeping sister, and curled his hand against his leg hesitantly.
"Oh come on! You're such a stick in the mud, Hex!" Sio protested, though she kept her voice low, "If you don't agree, I'll just get Winry and the other girls to drag you!"
Hex, perhaps, visibly paled at that. "I-uh, but..." and finally, he sighed. "... I guess I... could..."
"Yes!" Sio grinned, clapping her hands together lightly, "I'll come get you at your room at nine, okay?"
He nodded reluctantly. "Are you sure she'll be okay?"
"Dinah's going to be in tonight. She's got an early class tomorrow, so I'll ask her to check on Ana."
There was a bit of relief in the way Hex's shoulders sagged. "Thanks, Sio. Sorry to bug you so much."
She shook her head, waving her hand in the air as she turned back to her books. "You're not bugging me. Now shoo! I'll see you at nine."
"Okay, okay," he said, and stood, backing out of the room with another glance at Ana. "If she wakes up, those noodles are for her. ...See you."
"Later!"
9:02 rolled around, and the sound of giggling and talking began somewhere down the hall, getting louder as it approached Hex's door. There was a knock, and the sound quieted some.
Hex sheepishly opened the door, already knowing who it was. After he'd gotten back, he'd finished up a quick formula paper for chemistry, and gone to take a quick shower before the girls showed up. And after, he threw on a sweater and slacks, and felt rather awkward about the whole thing.
"Hi," he said, a bit unenthusiastically, slipping out of the door.
The look on Siobhan's face was priceless, as it dawned on her that she really didn't specify where they were going. The other girls giggled, and one elbowed her in the ribs lightly.
"He looks like a high-schooler..."
"Yeah. Hex, do you have anything that would be better at a...well...a dance club?"
"...Dance... club?" he asked, blinking. "Well, I, uh... I never really..." He shrugged, slightly hopeless in this situation. What he'd meant to say was, he'd never really thought about anything like that, more focused on school, alchemy and his friends than... dancing.
Sio sighed, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at him thoughtfully.
"Well, I hate to tell you, but you're going to get awfully warm in this. You need something lighter, even if you wind up being a wall flower all night."
Hex shrugged helplessly again, looking at the girls that were looking back at him expectantly, like he should know everything about the dance club scene. He felt rather awkward compared to them, now seeing how most were dressed- he didn't really... own much in the way of what they were wearing, but if Sio figured he needed something different, he guessed it'd be better to take her advice. He opened his dorm door again and went back in, already trying to figure out what the heck he was supposed to do.
They lingered outside for a while before Sio finally pushed her way in, actually bumping him out of the way as she went to the cloest. For a tiny thing, she managed to make her presence known. Without even asking she began rifling through his things.
"Do you wear nothing but winter clothes?" she quipped, lifting up everything that seemed to have long sleeves in there.
"I-..." he hesitated a moment, glancing away. "Sometimes, I get funny looks. Stuff like that at least lets me cover some of..." He trailed off, voice obviously indicating his 'extras.'
Sio pulled a mechanic's knife from her purse, and with a skeptical look, tugged a long sleeve turtleneck from Hex's closet. "This'll have to do," she stated, rolling her eyes at the rest of his wardrobe. With a slightly disturbing grin, she stretched one of the sleeves over the back of the desk chair, and cut it off at the shoulder seam.
"Hey! What- what're you doing?!" Not that he couldn't fix it; he'd been altering his clothes ever since he'd figured out the proper circle to allow such a thing. He'd had to, with his tail and feet- not to mention such long legs- that made pants completely impossible to find.
"I'm fixing this shirt for you!" Sio explained. Slicing off the other sleeve at the same place, she then cut off the long neck, and cut a slit several inches long down the front. "Look, I know you're worried about people noticing your... attributes, but your arms and chest are pretty normal. Therefore, you don't need to hide them. Also, if you wear that..." She pointed her knife at his sweater- "I promise you're gonna be miserable. Just trust me, ok?"
He looked at her like she was crazy, but finally sighed. "... Fine. Just- keep the pieces, okay? I'll have to fix it later."
Sio looked at him. "If you say so. I think, really, you'll be better off keeping it the way it is. You're probably more self-conscious than you need to be.
"Tell ya what, I'll keep the pieces, and if you decide after you wear it tonight that you want to put it back, you can. I think, though, that you'll like my changes. I did manage to pass my sewing portion of home-ec, despite the fact that it wasn't really my thing." She stuck her tongue out at Hex, and walked into the hall. "Get changed, and make it quick! I hear the DJ at this club is really good..."
Hex looked over his shirt in dismay, but finally tugged his sweater over his head, and the ratty one on, instead. It was then that he realized the door was still open, and there were girls in the hallway. A blush found its way across his nose, and he promptly pushed the door shut with his tail, and tugged awkwardly at his 'new' shirt.
Sighing, he tugged it off again, and picked through his clothes, finally deciding on something he could mash together and have an easy time of re-alchemizing.
When he finally emerged, it was with Sio's altered shirt over another, thinner, stripy-sleeved one. His usually placid slacks had a few more pockets, and a few more buckles, not to mention the zippers down the sides of his legs, all the way from belt to boot- not that he was wearing any shoes. Instead... were those rings around his large toes, and one around each horn?
He looked sheepish, and offered a simple "...um."
She looked Hex over, and clapped her hands together. "Ah! Much better! Now, if everyone is ready, we can get going." Siobhan traipsed down the hall, tugging on Hex's arm and dragging him, slightly unwillingly, behind her.
He still felt rather awkward as they headed out, not deaf to the giggling of girls, and even a few looks from the guys they passed on campus, as they walked toward the College Village, and a little past, down 'The Ave,' as it came to be called, where most of the students and even some teachers had come to hang out.
There was music thumping through the ground as they drew closer. "Uh," Hex offered. "Isn't it kinda... loud?"
"Its a club, Hex. Not a restaurant! Its always loud!" Sio explained as they went and stood in the line to get inside. She turned to him, tilting her head at his tense shoulders, his rather rigid stance, and his over all uncomfortable demeanor. Though she was far shorter than him, she stood on the tips of her toes and grabbed his shoulders, shaking them roughly. "Loosen up! We're supposed to be having fun!"
Windmilling his arms to keep his balance, even though his feet were firmly planted, he yelped, head bobbing on his shoulders. "Uwah! I- I've never been before!" he pleaded, even as they were ushered inside, where the bass beat pounded on his eardrums. "Gimme a break!"
She sighed with a chuckle, the girls still snickering and commenting to one another, a few of them remarking that he was so reserved it was almost cute. She patted his shoulder and lowered herself back down. "Don't worry. You'll get the hang of it. And who knows, maybe we'll both get lucky and meet some one nice!"
He glanced around at the sea of dark, interspersed with what almost looked like multicolored, whirling stars, and dull lights near the edges of the room, and the DJ, and finally, back at Sio like she was crazy. Someone nice, huh? Right.
"You know you're never going to have any fun if you don't go out there," a voice was saying loudly in Roy's ear over the sound of the thumping bass. Roy grunted, turning a slight glare to the small, bespectacled DJ sitting next to him. Both were holed up in the raised DJ booth, Roy looking positively unamused about the fact that his friend had decided to be 'generous' and bring him a long to his place of work.
The smaller one donned a grin as he turned to flip another vinyl on the turn tables.
"You know I'm right," he insisted again.
"I could be sleeping right now."
"You sleep too much anyway."
A sigh left him, and his dark eyes that reflected the flashing lights oddly turned towards the entrance, watching as four girls streamed in, a tall blond following slightly reluctantly behind. They snaked their way past the upraised dance floor where most of the patrons were currently dancing to the heavy music, heading for a table slightly near the DJ booth.
Roy sat up slowly, blinking as his eyes went a little wide in recognition.
"The chimera..." he muttered, not even realizing that the words passed his lips. Kain looked at him, unable to hear what Roy actually said.
"What?" he called over the music, pulling one headphone off.
"Oh, nothing!" Roy called back, forcing a grin before looking back to the table where they'd sat.
Hex still felt positively out of place when he knew he could be studying or practicing or... something other than feeling slightly like an idiot in ruined clothes.
He opened his mouth to protest, but it was already too late when what was obviously a waitress came by and ordered Cosmopolitans for everyone, including Hex. Not that he even knew what a 'Cosmo' was.
Sio leaned on Hex slightly, watching the people dance on the floor, their shapes twisting and warping under the strobing lights. Noticing that the chimera still seemed so uneasy, she sighed and prodded him lightly. "...Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I... I'm just gonna... I'll be right back," he said, a weak argument for his getting up, reinforced, but not by much with, "gonna look around."
An eyebrow lifted at this, but she said nothing, shifting her weight back so he could stand.
Awkwardly, he managed to get away from the table, and weave his way through the crowd, keeping his tail close and trying not to intrude on anyone's personal space. It was kind of hard in such a crush of them.
He finally got to a clear space and darted as far from the speakers as he could, which turned out to be even closer to the DJ box. Leaned with his back against it, he sighed, the noise lost in the steady beat, and slid to sit on the edge of what seemed to be considered a piece of the stage, feet splayed and tail loosely over his leg.
Several eyes were on him, both flirtatious smirks and irritated glares all around. Try as he might to make himself not present in such a people-infested place, he hadn't gone unnoticed.
For a while no one approached, waiting, wanting to see whose move would be first. Eventually some one got gutsy...
The first thing anyone would have seen on this one was cleavage and ass, and she had plenty to go around, her skimpy, sparkly outfit making it all too noticeable. She sauntered over, leaning down with her hands on her knees to be 'eye level' (more like chest level) with Hex.
"Hey, what's a cutie like you doing all alone over here?" she asked in a sultry voice.
His face almost immediately turned the same shade of red as her dress, ears a nice orange from his soft yellow fur and red beneath. "I, uh- I... was, um," he stuttered, keeping his eyes well away from what she obviously wanted to flaunt, and actually meeting her eyes, instead. "Sitting?" he offered weakly.
"Aw, honey. This is a dance club. You should be dancin'!" she chirped, actually having the nerve to grab his arm as if she knew him, attempting to pull him on to the dance floor.
He didn't resist much, but he did plant his feet as soon as he was up, and give a sheepish look. "Kinda... can't," he lied, even if it made him feel a bit guilty, and wiggled his toes, the rings glinting in the rainbow of lights from overhead. "Not really like this."
She flipped her wavy, clearly bleached hair over her shoulder, giggling in a rather... dumb tone, looking at the feet only once, not enough to even get a decent look at them.
"You're just being shy! Come on!" she insisted, tugging again.
"Actually, um," he said, and raised his free hand to tug hers from his sleeve. "I don't really want to."
The girl went to respond, another insistence, but her words were drowned out by another voice coming from behind Hex.
"Back off, Jana. He doesn't want to dance."
She jerked her head up, soft eyes suddenly going steely on the figure looming over the chimera. He stood in a slightly lazy stance, hands stuffed in his pockets, dress shirt open down to his chest, expression clearly not amused with her antics.
"...I was just trying to have some fun."
"He doesn't want your kind of fun. Neither do I."
"...You didn't say that three months ago."
It was his turn for the look to go cold, though his expression barely faltered. It was all in his eyes.
"Leave. Or Kain will have you escorted out for harassment."
All this made Hex rather flustered, but the hand on his arm did leave, and that was a relief in itself. His back to the wall of the DJ box again, he watched the woman's eyes, cold on not only the man that had interrupted, but now him.
Still, she didn't say anything more, and was obviously rather annoyed that she hadn't gotten her way. But she walked away, and Hex let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, finally turning his eyes away from her, and focusing on the other guy instead.
"Um... thanks."
"She's a leech. Best to send her kind running while you still have a chance," he said, moving to the edge and sitting down. Kain had actually stood by this point and was on his way over to check on them, obviously noticing Jana's harassment as much as Roy had, but Roy waved him back.
The younger one tilted his head, mouthing 'you sure?' to him. Another nod, and Kain reluctantly went back to his booth, watching Jana leave the club with a frown on his features.
Roy turned back to the chimera then, looking mildly concerned.
"...You okay? You seem a little flustered still."
He tugged at his shirt sleeve idly and nodded, the sheepish grin coming back on his face as he slipped back down to sit. "I- yeah. I just, well, I've never been here before, and my friends kinda dragged me out-" He paused, and hesitated a moment. "Kinda worried 'bout my sister, too," he admitted.
"The redhead?" Roy asked, only realizing right after that he was a bit presumptuous in asking. When Hex turned a very, very confused expression on his face, he let out an embarrassed laugh of his own and scratched at his neck. "I uh, know the DJ. Childhood friend of mine. He told me that the girl with red hair was your sister."
"Uh, yeah. She is. Ana," he offered, and folded his hands in his lap, tail resuming its place across his leg absently. "But she's been sick."
"Really? Oh... that bug that went around the dorm. She must have gotten it late. Is she going to be okay?"
"I hope so. The campus nurse said she should be, if she didn't make it worse. She still had to go to class, but... I check up on her. She was sleeping when I left," he explained, still feeling kind of bad that he had left at all.
"That's good," he said, shifting his weight a bit to put his hands behind him. The song changed, to something that could only be considered 'mellow' by dance standards, and the strobe went off, being replaced by spinning colored lights across the floor.
"I'm Roy, by the way."
"Oh, uh. I'm Hexan- er. Hex. Just Hex is fine," the chimera replied, holding out his hand for a proper shake.
He took the hand, his grip firm but still somehow soft, a light smirk playing on his features in a look that could almost - just almost - be described as arrogant.
"Pleasure to meet you, Hex. So I take it you got dragged a bit unwillingly?" he asked, eyes flicking to the table where a certain blonde was currently staring rather... intently towards the DJ table.
"...Yeah," he admitted. "I was gonna get bodily dragged if I didn't come. Still did, come to think of it. And Sio ruined my shirt," he added, looking down at his beat up turtleneck.
The smirk grew just a tiny bit, head canting slightly as a few pieces of black hair sliding over his eyes. "Ruined? I think it looks good."
"I liked it better with sleeves," Hex pouted halfheartedly, before he realized something. "Ah, but don't tell her I said that," he added hurriedly. "She thinks she fixed it. She probably won't give me the sleeves back, either."
He chuckled, giving a nod of assurance. "I won't say a word. Lips are sealed and all that. Although, personally, I think she had the right idea. A long sleeved sweater would have been sweltering in this place. Its like they can't manage decent AC any time of year."
"I had to, uh, 'fix' my pants, too," he admitted, and curled one leg closer, slipping a ring from one of his toes. "And I don't even know what these are for. I mean, they're shiny, but..." he shrugged, putting it back on his toe, anyway, so he could re-transmute it later.
"Well," Roy drawled slightly, looking at the other patrons out on the dance floor, watching as two guys became the center of attention, doing flips and tricks while spinning glow sticks on strings, "Shiny, bright, sparkly, hell... if it catches eyes, its all good around here. Doesn't have to serve a purpose."
Hex followed his gaze after a moment, watching, too, as the crowd on the dance floor gave the guys some space.
"Huh," he said idly. "Guess not." He paused a moment, the bass still thumping, and still considering the middle of the floor. "They're pretty good."
Roy sighed a little, head bobbing a little to the song that was currently blasting bass out at full volume behind them. It was amazing that they were able to converse so well, but he knew he was going to have a raw throat in the morning.
"That's a talent I'll never have. I'm not sure why Kain insists on bringing me here. All I ever do is sit around and watch." His head tilted back again, shoulders partially shrugged. "I bet with legs like that, though, you'd be pretty good at it. Tricks would be easy."
He grinned sheepishly, a faint tinge of blush darkening his face in the low lights. "Well, I- I guess so. It helps when me and Ana spar, but I never really thought about dancing."
"Spar?" Roy repeated, a curious look coming over him. "Like... fighting?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Practice fighting, exercise, but only with arms and legs. And mind," he said with a shrug. "We've been doing it ever since we were little. Something to keep us occupied."
He went to answer, but realized that it was just a bit much, having to talk over and listen over the loud music, and the air inside was stuffy even with what ventilation they had. Nearby a door to a small balcony stood open, and the last two people who had been out for a smoke break came inside, leaving it empty. He gestured with a thumb towards it.
"Hey, I need some air. Care to join me?"
"Um," he said, glancing at the table Sio and her friends had claimed. The blonde was gone, and only one person he recognized was there, the others probably gone to dance or... something. The evening air seemed to be the best refuge save sitting near the booth as they were, and he finally nodded. "I- yeah, sure."
A short walk later, they went in to the cool spring night air, stars dimly glowing above the bright city lights. The Ave stretched out below, cars passing by, people walking, the overall weekend vibe pulsing over everything. Roy turned around, resting his elbows on the thick wooden railing, his ears ringing but able to hear so much better away from the speakers.
"So... you said to 'keep you occupied'. No offense, but that seems to be a bit of an odd hobby."
"Well, we couldn't just sit around all day reading and taking notes," the chimera reasoned. "It was better exercise than my PT. Got me, well... back on my feet."
"Didn't you two go to school?"
He fidgeted and admitted, "Our mother and father taught us."
"...Oh. Home school, then," he said, moving his feet slightly, gaze shifting away. "I'm sorry if I'm asking a lot of personal questions."
"Oh, uh, no, it's okay," Hex replied, raising his hands a bit. "No one ever really... asks. I've heard some of them talking sometimes, though. Not like they know, though."
"I... I heard some rumors, too. I hate them, honestly. It's so childish, but a lot of the freshmen seem to think it's fun to talk about everyone else and not focus on themselves."
He paused for a long while, lost somewhere in his own thoughts. He finally made eye contact again, his gaze shadowed in various angles of lights from the club and the street.
"Asking the person out right is always better, anyway. Were you home schooled because of...?" There was a vague gesture from his finger. It wasn't like he was afraid of actually using that word - chimera - in front of him. It was a universally accepted word, anyway. He just had to get used to actually speaking it aloud, especially directly to someone.
It didn't take much for Hex to catch on, but a wan smile crossed his lips, and he shook his head. "No, it wasn't because of me. My sister-... something happened, a long time ago." His voice softened, and he glanced away briefly. "She wouldn't want me to talk about it."
Roy nodded slowly, understanding instantly.
"You're protective of her. That's good, though. So many people are just looking out for themselves anymore, at least there are some people who are willing to take care of those around them." He gave a genuine smile at this. "I can tell you care about her a lot."
"Yeah. It's just us out here. Mom and Dad back home. We gotta have at least someone to rely on." His smile turned into a slight grin. "Plus, we kick butt as a team."
"Nice," he laughed lightly. A reflection caught the edge of his watch, and he pushed the sleeve of his jacket back, letting out a soft grunt. "...And as nice as this is, I really wish I could be sleeping right now."
"It is kinda late," Hex admitted. "But if you want to go so badly, you could tell the DJ, right? I mean, he's your friend, and..." he glanced over his shoulder, looking into the dark of the club. "And it's not like they even really noticed we were gone."
He peeked in as well, seeing the table still empty, drinks left behind. Craning his neck around, he saw that Kain was still at the booth, but the blonde - Sio, was it? - was hanging around near the area. He seemed to be giving her the occasional look and smile, but was mostly concentrating on the task at hand.
"Clearly. I see how important we are," he said in a mock-haughty voice, squaring his shoulders as if actually offended.
His smile softened at that, almost reverting to a wan attempt. "Everyone's busy, with something or other. I don't mind."
"Yeah, me either," he said, yawning loudly as he stretched his arms over his head, shirt pulling upwards a little. "Kain's good at what he does, and he and Jean make an amazing team of their own when they're both on together. I may not dance, but it's still worth it to come watch them work. Admittedly," he added as an after thought, smirking with one eye closed, arms still up, "I'm enjoying the conversation a little more than the music for once."
A sheepish, slight embarrassment crossed Hex's face, and he glanced away briefly, resisting the urge to brush his bangs away in what was usually an idle attempt to hide it. "Guess Sio was right," he said vaguely, more to himself than the man standing next to him. "Um, yeah. It's a bit better than learning to dance."
Roy's arms fell back down, and he straightened, working out a couple of kinks in his back while briefly wishing he could get a different chair for his desk at the dorm. The university-provided ones were painful on lower backs that had already seen too many years of desk work.
"Much less embarrassing anyway, though I'm sure the entertainment value is in there somewhere, to those fortunate enough to watch said 'lessons'."
"All I've heard about dancing is stepping on toes and running into people. But I don't think that's the same."
The club was still in full swing, but being out in the cooler air and quieter space had given Hex time to think, conversation with Roy aside. He knew it was late, and he did have one class the next day. Not to mention that he really should be getting back, if only to check on Ana, though Sio had promised Dinah would.
He was reluctant to leave so abruptly, but he fidgeted his claws a moment, before addressing Roy again. "Hey, um. Could... you do me a favor? Little one. Could you tell Sio I went back to campus? I should... check on my sister."
He almost offered to drive him back, as he had actually brought his car due to Kain's being in the shop that week, but stopped. He could tell there was something more on Hex's mind, and idly wondered if perhaps he had pried just a little bit too much. It wasn't like he was showing any signs of anger or resentment, but that didn't mean that Roy hadn't pushed the wrong way.
He nodded slowly, putting a smile on in the dim light. "I will. Have a safe walk back, Hex. It was nice talking to you."
"Thanks, and... yeah. You, too. I guess I'll... see you around, huh?"
He grinned a little more, running a hand through his hair. "Of course."
There came an awkward silence between them, then, Hex shifting on his feet. He finally broke it, though, and jerked a thumb back over his shoulder, over the railing of the balcony. "I'll just, um. Yeah. See you."
The ground wasn't far from where they were, and Hex pulled himself up to sit on the railing, facing Roy.
He didn't quite get the gesture at first, and he honestly felt his heart sink to his stomach as he watched Hex fall back. He turned, grabbing the railing as he bent over it so far the wood dug in to his stomach, a light wind picking just that moment to waft over the area, lifting his hair over his furrowed brow. There was no way he could land... was there?
Hex's knees had been hooked over the wooden bar. Next, his hands came, taking hold at the edge of the platform, and his legs disappeared, the momentum of his swing down allowing him to briefly kick off the wall and land safely on the sidewalk.
A few steps had him out in Roy's sight again, and he looked up, smiling sheepishly.
The movements damn near had Roy woozy from just watching, but another feeling started inside him, like his stomach fluttering and his heart pounding both in fear of what he'd just done and some kind of awe that he couldn't quite explain.
A laugh left him, and he found himself muttering to the wind as the chimera slipped easily into the dark.
"...Just what the hell am I getting myself into?"