"I apologize for the lack of accommodation," Master Eraqus- the new master, the man with somber gray eyes that read your soul with steely distance and a voice that was warm and gentle as honeyed tea -said. His slightly wrinkled and bony hand firmly pushed the door open, "You see, I was not expecting my comrade of old to-"

Ventus's new room was empty. It was terribly empty.

Nothing was in it, save bare shelves. The window looked like it could swing out, but for was locked shut with faint curtains dancing in the small breeze from the open door. The wood paneled walls and floor were a deep shade of rust and were unblemished, but in general looked like a box of sorts. Dust covered much of the room. Not ready at all for the fragile new apprentice.

Eraqus inhaled deeply. Ventus felt the hand on his shoulder turn from gentle to tight, but then it relaxed again. Eraqus let his guiding hand go with a pat and then nodded his head in a small bow to Ventus, "I apologize deeply for this."

Ventus stiffened when Eraqus yelled down the hall, "TERRA! AQUA!"

Not even minutes later the two apprentices rushed over, breathless, cheeks flushed, standing tall and wobbling, "Yes Master?!"

Eraqus looked at them both for a moment before demanding, "Why is Ventus's room not ready yet?"

Terra looked at Aqua, "I-I thought you were-"

"Terra I said I was looking for things like bed sheets and books, not furniture." She mumbled right after, "I was also looking for my old telescope to give him-"

"That is enough." Eraqus sharply cut Aqua off. He glanced at Ventus, who was rigid, eyes wide. Eraqus gently touched his shoulder, and Ventus jumped, watching him with a confused fear. Eraqus bent down, "It's alright, Ventus. You are safe here, and there is nothing to fear. I am not mad at you," he continued his sentence at his older pupils more than his new one, "I am disappointed in how your peers didn't understand my express orders to set up your new living quarters."

Terra and Aqua bowed deeply, "We are sincerely sorry, Master."

Eraqus stood, "It is Ventus you should be apologizing to."

Terra and Aqua didn't budge, but said just as sincerely, "I'm sorry, Ventus."

Or at least Aqua said that. Terra stumbled around with the new name, "I'm sorry Ben- uh, Vint- Wind- Banter-" he sighed, "Ah, Ven. I'm sorry, Ven."

Eraqus sighed, "It is a start." He waved his hand, "Go, do as I told you before: get Ventus's room ready for him to at least sleep tonight. We can worry about the particular style and other details later. Now go. Both of you."

They ran off as fast as they had come, "Yes master!"

After that, Ven's room was a little less empty.

A dresser was filled with belongings callously dropped off by Master Xehanort. Ven's bed was covered with soft white and blue sheets and put right next to the window after an afternoon of asking the boy where he wanted it with only blank stares in reply and a slightly less blank one when it was in the proper place. Aqua scooted her old brass telescope set (a low chair alongside the telescope itself on its little tripod) between Ven's bed and his bookshelf. The wood shelves were now filled with the books Terra and Aqua had outgrown through their apprenticeship that Ventus would likely need in his amnesia. Terra found him a scale to put somewhere, and he hoped it would bring the poor boy some kind of balance to his life (he would have enchanted it if he or Aqua knew how, but who knew if the thought and presence would work just as well).

But the room was still a little bare.

After a few more points where Ventus fell asleep- some of these comas worryingly long -Ventus was getting better. He was reading his books and making tiny, curt requests for different ones. He was adapting to his new name well, responding to Ven more and more and insisting being called such more and more.

A few drawings began getting posted up. Mostly sigils made during lectures and lessons and spellcraft layouts to develop new, nonexistent spells. They didn't do anything but Ventus said the symbols brought a kind of comfort to him.

Terra- ever the carpenter - carved a boat for Ventus. He hung it up for him in the corner, where it swooped in imaginary waves. Aqua made Ven a glowing orb set in the air upon a stool, and Ventus would spend some days basking in the gentle light. A tiki mask from some forgotten world ended up on his desk, discarded by Terra. Shortly after Terra came in draped the desk in a dyed and patterned cloth that came with the mask at Ventus's quiet request. Discovering that Ventus loved the telescope, Aqua handed him her planetary sphere as well, and she hung it above the telescope with glee. Eraqus gave Ven a few bottles full of some sort of powerful smelling lotions that mostly sat around on his dresser instead of being used for their intended purpose of aromatherapy. Once or twice he let the one that reminded him of citrus sit open, often alongside the window opened to the courtyard outside.

Ventus began dragging urns that he found around the castle, and used them to hold odds and ends from elsewhere. A deep red sheet Terra was going to throw out was rescued by the boy to become a drape on one wall that added interest to the crate-like room. Aqua helped him get some cuttings from the garden and a vine began curling around on the wooden walls, eventually accompanied by a small purple flowering plant thanks to Ventus's desire to nurture and his natural green thumb. He went out and found more books instead of asking for them.

Ven didn't know why he put it in, but when he found an old, empty birdcage he let it sit in a shelf in the corner. He stared at it, wondering if he really wanted it or just empathized with it. Eraqus asked him if he was desiring a pet (to which he said "no" before Ven even asked) but Ventus shook his head. He didn't think anything would like being caged in it. He just... liked it, he supposed. Something felt familiar about it. The emptiness between the bars, like something was missing but also trapped.

It was a good couple years now, since that small day when Eraqus was mad at Terra and Aqua for not preparing Ven's room. Ventus sat back in the doorframe, barely remembering how empty it was. He smiled.

"What's up Ven?" Terra asked him as he walked down the hall.

Ven leaned back, holding onto the door as he did so to watch Terra go down to his own room, "Just admiring my room!" Terra waved in reply, and Ventus leaned back in. He rubbed the smooth wood, "Just admiring what I've got..." His smile turned into something soft and sweet and nostalgic.

"Just admiring what I've got."

I asked for prompts on tumblr and so far this is the only one I got: the significance of the grab bag of stuff in Ven's room. This was really fun to write, I'll be honest!

Also Ventus week starts tomorrow so I might start up a fic of Ventus week 2k15 inspired stories~