[zapdragon555]

Leveret stared at Ciri with an expression akin to someone looking at a piece of roadkill, before his slight scowl morphed into a pleasant little smile. "In order," he began quietly, reclining back on the bed with one arm folded behind his neck, the other holding up three fingers, "One, there is no other bed. You'll be sleeping on the floor." He lowered his index finger at this, looking more aloof than anything. "Two, yes, it does get rather cold in this area. This room is heated, and you should be thankful for being allowed to stay here for the time being." He put down his ring finger, a slight smirk appearing on his face. "Three, absolutely not. It's almost lunchtime, at that." Leveret then folded his other arm behind his head and sighed through his nose. "Ciri," he began, tasting the name, then frowned. "Well, Ciri, I suppose this will have to do for now, won't it? This little arrangement of ours."

[crow]

Leveret had a funny habit of switching faces. It was like watching someone try on masks, one moment this and then the next moment something else. What he said and how he looked and the tone of his voice were all at odds too. One was friendly and another wasn't, and which was which kept changing.

... No, that wasn't right. It was something else. But whatever it was, he wasn't going to think on it. Instead, he smiled and said, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. They'll get the second bed set up soon, huh? In the meantime, it'll be like having a sleepover every day. And that's fantastic to hear! I don't do well in the cold. It's a genetic thing, I think. My entire family's the same way." They were immigrants from a much warmer place. Ciri had been born after the move, so he never knew what it was like to be somewhere that didn't freeze over during the winter, but he imagined it must have been nice.

With the chip bag refused, Ciri shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, and tipped the entire contents of the bag into his mouth. The singularly loud crunch they made as he closed his mouth was something else, though the roof of his mouth hurt a little for it. "So," he said with his mouth still full, "what are we going to do now? I mean, I've gotta get unpacked, I guess, but that won't take long."

[zapdragon555]

Leveret considered Ciri for a moment, looking a little rueful, and he slipped off the bed, stretching up to his full height, which was a few inches shorted than Ciri. "Well," he began musingly, straightening his sweater with a twist of his arms. "As I said... it's almost lunchtime. You can unpack now, I guess. Keep all of your things on that side of the room," he instructed, jamming a thumb over his shoulder at the bare side of the room where a bed should've gone. "And afterwards..." Leveret seemed to speak with a halting lilt that suggested he was really making an effort to communicate, or rather, not making any effort whatsoever. It was difficult to tell, really, now that he was facing away from Ciri. "We're going to go somewhere."

[crow]

Ciri looked in the direction that Leveret had indicated and smiled to himself. There wasn't a bed there, but at least there was plenty of room. And hey, he'd slept on futons in the past once, when he had gone on a trip with his family. This could be like an adventure. That was what he'd wanted, right? An adventure.

He hadn't unpacked much just yet, so it was easy to shift everything over. One suitcase was all clothes, which he decided to leave for now. The other had a few mementos and trinkets, which he set up on the shelf that lined the wall: a picture of his mother and sisters, a lucky cat figurine, a model airship. When he was done, he rose and trotted after Leveret like an eager dog. "Where are we going?"

[zapdragon555]

Leveret had been staring off into space, or perhaps studying Ciri very carefully as the boy set up his knick knacks; it was difficult to tell either way. When Ciri moved back over, Leveret's laser gaze grew a bit more focused on Ciri, a rueful smirk twitching up the corner of his mouth. "Out," he said simply, pushing off the bed and standing up, straightening the dark red sweater he wore. "To lunch. The food here is disgusting," he explained curtly, moving towards the door. He glanced back at Ciri and clicked his tongue slightly, jerking his head towards the door as if calling a dog. "Come on. We haven't got all day," he said, already moving out the door.

[crow]

Ciri was happy to follow Leveret's lead, that was, at least until the other boy named their destination. "Ah," he said quietly, and his smile faltered for the first time. He hesitated at the door, looking after Leveret uncertainly. "Um, maybe... Maybe I should stay here. First day and all; won't know for sure how bad the caf is until I try it, right?" He laughed, but despite his best efforts, it came out sounding forced. His fingers longed to twist together, and he jammed them in his pockets to keep them still.

[zapdragon555]

Leveret froze in the hallway, then slowly turned to stare at Ciri, his auburn gaze dull and unimpressed. "The 'caf,' as you say, is definitely as bad as you could imagine. I'm doing you a favor, here," he added with a humorless smirk, eyes narrowing a bit. "Do you think I offer this to just anyone?" Leveret stared at him for a moment, then snorted slightly in contempt, though it came out sounding more like a disappointed sniff. "You're hurting my feelings, Ciri..." he added, his brows knitting up in a pitiful little look, lower lip sticking out in a pout. "There's a really nice cafe just a ways away off campus..."

[crow]

"Oh, really, I'm not picky," Ciri said. It was a testimony to how much practice he had at it that his smile still looked mostly natural, and his voice still sounded mostly cheerful and offhand. He didn't try another laugh though. He picked at a loose thread from the hem of his shirt, behind his back so Leveret wouldn't see. His palms were starting to sweat, just a little.

Ciri was surprised for a moment to see Leveret pouting at him. He hadn't thought the other boy was that interested in his company. It was... flattering, and certainly much more promising for Ciri's hopes at friendship, but somehow he couldn't work up the joy he should be feeling about that kind of thing. Hadn't this been what he wanted?

"... I, um, I don't have any money," he said. The words were quiet, almost a whisper. He was still smiling, because he didn't know what he would do with himself if he stopped smiling. He didn't think he wanted to try.

[zapdragon555]

Leveret's eyes flickered for a moment, staring at Ciri's smile. Whether Ciri was too good at his facade, or Leveret was unobservant, Leveret didn't seem to pay it any mind. "I'll pay for you. I've got loads," he said, turning back around to face Ciri with a level look in his dark brown eyes. "Regardless of how long it's going to last, there are perks to being my roommate. I'll take care of you," he said as offhandedly as if he were talking about the weather, and he considered Ciri for a moment, then beckoned him as he turned away to walk down the hall. "Come along. You won't get in trouble, if that's what you're afraid of."

[crow]

... Oh.

Well, that... that knocked the wind out of his sails, for sure. Or something. Not that he had been excited before, but--- Leveret was saying he didn't mind, and Ciri ought to be happy, right? He was getting a free meal, and Leveret was saying that they were roommates, which was a good start. So why wasn't he relieved? Why wasn't he overjoyed about it? His shoulders had gone stiff as he worked through the sudden shock of it, but thoughts were already nagging at him. Say yes. He'll get upset if you wait too long.

"O-Okay," Ciri said, stumbling over the word a bit in his haste to get it out. "Sure. Thanks!" he added, sounding more like himself this time. He started walking again in big deliberate steps, closing the distance between himself and Leveret as if he was afraid he'd lose his nerve. "Where are we going?"

[zapdragon555]

Leveret's eyes had flickered slightly at the first word uttered by Ciri. It sounded different; more subdued, and hardly anything like the Ciri he'd come to know in the past several minutes. Which granted, was not a long time at all. But Leveret had pinned Ciri a rather one-dimensional thing that he could have a somewhat entertaining time playing with, until he got arrangements made to have Ciri shipped off to another unfortunate soul. Then again, the poor boy would probably be eaten alive.

"I think you'll like it," he answered, glancing at Ciri with a sweet little smile. "They've got delicious cakes there. And other foods, too, of course," he mused, folding his small hands behind his back as he walked, keeping a few inches in front of Ciri at all times. "It's close enough to walk. My uncle is busy today, so he can't drive us anywhere. It's rather inconvenient, but this cafe will have to do."

[crow]

"But why would you want to be driven anywhere?" Ciri asked. "There's so much to see when you walk. It's good exercise." Ciri, whose family couldn't afford to run anything more than an old junk that haemorrhaged oil, didn't have much of a choice in this regard, but he had adapted. Or perhaps it was in his nature to enjoy walking regardless. As long as the weather was good, he liked to go wandering for hours by himself, though he realized for the first time with slight dismay that those days were probably at an end here.

As for the food, Ciri wasn't picky, and said as much. "I'm happy to eat anything, mostly. I don't care for tomatoes though. How about you?" If they were going to be friends, they ought to get to know one another better, right?

[zapdragon555]

Leveret seemed almost indignant at Ciri's chatter, taking it as a lecture. "I don't like sweating," he said with a small shrug, fiddling with his long sleeve behind his back, one string of the red sweater threatening to unravel a bit. "My Uncle is a very rich and busy man, but he always finds time for me. Except today," he mused idly, tilting his head up to glance at the elevator that led down to the dorm lobby, and he punched the down button with his elbow, crossing his arms in front of him and leaning against the wall. He looked Ciri up and down for a moment, considering the boy's question, and gave him a sort of condescending smile. "I'm a bit particular as to what foods I like. I like sweets, but not if they're too sweet, you know?" Leveret paused, then frowned. He wasn't terribly keen on talking, and thankfully, the elevator was pinging and opening. Leveret waved Ciri to follow him, clicking his tongue slightly as if calling a dog. "Let's go."