Loathing Chapter 2
A/N: oh snap, an update.
I'll never understand why A is an official character on the drop list, but Quarter Queen and Backyard Bottomslash ect… aren't. oh well *shrugs*
Sun flooded through the windows in the boys' room. Near mayn't have woken from his sleep if the rays hadn't caressed warmth into his face. As he lifted his head from the small bed, he noticed for the first time, the real layout of the room.
There were two rows of beds lining the opposing walls. Each bed had a large chest in front of it and the ones adjacent to the occupied beds had ornate names carved into them. Near read some of them slowly: Adam, Beyond Birthday, Matt, Steamer, Mello, Calico Cactus…Dipstick. He furrowed his brow. Like him, they mostly all had quaint unnatural names. He was momentarily distracted by an older boy who walked up to him, shirtless and obviously not heeding his abandoned dressing ritual.
"Good morning. Near, was it? I'm Tint Mirage. Everyone's getting up and getting ready because we eat breakfast at 7:15. You can come down with everyone or by yourself."
The pale child nodded. He had no toothbrush, clothes, hairbrush, or any other kind of personal items so he wasn't sure what to do about 'getting ready'. Instead, he watched the others getting dressed. On one side of the room was a vast wardrobe full of hanging clothes. Apparently, everything was neatly sectioned off to each child as everyone seemed to know where their individual clothes were without much fuss.
A familiar feeling in his bladder caused him to turn to his neighbor, the blond boy from the night before.
"Mello, where is the W.C.?"
The blond snorted at the quizzical look Steamer shot towards the albino child.
"He's looking for the toilets, Steamer." Laughed Mello, each vibration making a ripple through his body and causing his golden mane to bob lightly, reflecting the sun's rays on natural highlights.
"Ohhh! Right." Steamer scratched his head in embarrassment, "Sorry but jeeze, Near where are you from that you speak so frickin' formally?"
"Germany," replied the younger child.
A set of gasps rippled across the room and Mello dove at the boy, throwing his hand over Near's mouth. The pink eyes found steady blue and Near cringed at the grip on his face.
"We do not talk about our pasts here. You have no family," clenched the blond through his teeth, "you have no country and you have no name other than Near. You have no past and you have no memories. Everything's a blank slate. You have nothing. Do you understand?"
Near nodded and Mello released him. An angry red handprint marked the delicate skin of Near's cheek and lips.
"Fucking newbie…W.C. is that door way at the end of the hallway on your left side."
The boy nodded and left, the large handle on the door creaking in protest as he forced the hinges to swing forward.
"Hey, wait up."
Near pivoted enough to catch himself before crashing into the form of an older teen. He recognized the build from the night before. It was one of the boys who had comforted him.
"I'm Adam." The boy extended his hand and Near took it hesitantly.
"Mello's giving you a hard time because that's just his personality. You'll like it here once you get used to it though."
"Thank you," mumbled Near. He trained his eyes on the worn patterns in the carpet as he trudged his way towards the W.C.
"Wait!"
Once again, Near was stalled as the older boy led him in a slightly different direction. Adam opened up a small closet and pulled out a few things, including some white pajamas and a clean towel.
"Here. You must want to feel clean after such a long trip and a hard night like that. There are showers in there but if you're in the need for a longer sort of soak, there's one tub and some bath salts in the corner. Wash up and change your clothes before you meet us for breakfast. You can take your soiled stuff to the laundry room downstairs."
Near tried not to wonder why the other boy was being so helpful as he walked into the room where a few other boys were brushing their teeth at sinks.
The pajamas were a little stiff against his skin, but comfortable even if oversized. He felt clean after his shower and wandered down the stairs in only his socks as a few other boys rushed past him. For the first time, Near noticed the grand chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling, and the gallery of paintings that cascaded down the walls. There was a strange geometric harmony in the design. Whoever had arranged them kept a sharp eye for the pattern and the pale boy was a little more than entranced in the complexity of the simple hanging fixtures.
At the bottom of the steps, a flash of red curls nearly knocked him to the floor.
"Oh dear, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there. Whoa, you're new, aren't you? What's your name, kid?"
Near found himself looking at the bouncing figure of a girl, not much taller than him, but certainly older if the small clumps of acne around her nose were any indication of age. Since the girls' room was downstairs, it made sense that he hadn't seen any others yet. He was sure there would be more in the dining room, though.
"Don't you know how to talk, kid?" piqued the girl again.
"Leave him alone, Kit. You remember your fist day here, don't you? I'm sure he doesn't want to talk to anybody right now. You can stalk him after he's adjusted."
The girl turned around and blushed in the direction of a tall, plump brunette who was carrying a stack of sheets in her arms.
"Yes, Bea." Squeaked the redhead before she excused herself towards the dining room.
"Welcome to Wammy's House," came the gentle voice of the elderly woman, who tilted her head to take a good look at Near. "I'm Beatrice Ruvie, but you can just call me Bea. The other kids start hasslin' you and you make sure you come see me, alright, honey? Now go on and get some breakfast. You're so skinny."
Near watched Mrs. Ruvie walk away and had to wonder how such an old couple like she and Roger ever kept order over so many rambunctious children. He pushed the thought away as he entered the dining hall and took a seat at a long table.
Breakfast was far from enjoyable. The food was horribly bland and the other children were obstinately loud. He felt like a caged animal on display as all the fingers and whispers were directed at him. One overly-bubbly girl even tried to hug him. All the boy really wanted was for the entire affair to end so he could be left alone. Hardly touching his own food, he observed the other children. They asked him questions. He answered some. Once in a while, the cook would wander in and ask if anyone needed anything.
When it was over, Near didn't know what to do with himself. Roger suggested he wander around and get used to his surroundings. Eventually, he found himself in a large reading room with shelves upon shelves of books of all subjects and languages. He pulled a few off a shelf and sat on the floor, distracting himself from the people who attempted to become his playmates. The sun moved through its cycle and Near remained in the library until it had set and the moon rose in substitution. When he returned to the boys' room, he found his named etched into the trunk at the end of his bed. The others were already changed into their nightclothes.
As he lay down, he could hear the sounds of the other boys' breathing and then the digitized music of a videogame broke the silence.
"Goddamnit, Matt. If you're going to play your Gameboy under the covers, at least mute the shit."
"Fuck you, Mello."
"Matt, don't make me hold you down as Mello pummels you. Turn the damn sound off."
"Tch. Bring it, Beyond. You don't scare me."
The arguing continued for a few brief exchanges until Matt, quite defeated, simply shut off his device and all was quiet again. Near smiled in the darkness of the room. He couldn't say he was happy, or that even liked being at Wammy's, but somehow, he felt like he could adjust.
Somehow.
Plot stuffs…gah. Well, Near's nearly broken in, now. I'm going to take it slow making Near's development into the stoic creature we see him in canon. We'll have some conflict with the other canon characters soon. Hope you're enjoying the story.
Review please :D