"Yo,Ken... you good?"
"Yeah, just gotta get this shit into two braids"
Kendrick was currently seated in front of a mirror and trying to arrange his blue dreads into a double braid. He didn't need his hair getting in the way for what he was about to do. He was obviously struggling to properly get it but after about five minutes,he successfully braided his dreads.
"Alright," he looked at his gorgon roommate. "now I begin"
"Do you have to do this every morning?" Ajax looked at Ken as the nephalem took his shirt off and got to the floor. It'd been three days since Ken moved into the room and Ajax had noticed a pattern. "I mean,you have naturally intense physical strength"
"Yep,but it doesn't mean I should be lazy and depend on that all the time" Ken replied as he began his push ups. "Plus I gotta keep myself active somehow"
"I guess that makes sense..." Ajax pondered.
A few push ups, sit-ups and crunches later, the nephalem was done and hopped into the shower, almost accidentally grabbing Ajax's towel.. again.
Despite the awkward silence that lingered at first in the room due to both boys being shy almost to a fault, they eventually started to open up to each other after Ajax noticed Ken had a plushie on his bed; a particular fluffy blue alien experiment. A conversation immediately struck from there – from Disney characters to movies to anime,music and everything in between and they realised they had quite a few similar interests... And it helped that Ajax had a PC. In less than 24 hours,the gorgon and nephalem found themselves becoming good friends and sitting together in every class they both had... Mostly because Ken still wasn't used to nevermore and kept getting lost on the second day.
"Ready?" Ajax asked.
"Yep" Ken threw on the nevermore hooded jacket. "let's move"
__________
It was classes as usual.. which,in Ken's case was just sitting down, daydreaming and paying no attention whatsoever. He was reflecting on the past few days, wondering if he could actually have some kind of life in this school.. he'd miraculously befriended his roommate, so that was a good sign. He was just thankful Ajax was a lot like him as he realised he could've ended up with someone he couldn't tolerate.
Last time he shared a room with someone,it wasn't pretty.
"Never again" Ken shuddered before turning to his notebook. He figured it wise to at least write something down,even if he didn't understand jackshit about werewolf reproduction.
And judging by Ajax's reaction to the terms being used by the teacher, he was grateful for being ignorant.
"So where to next?" Ken looked at the gorgon.
"I have archery with Xavier, " Ajax replied.
"The long hair kid?" Ken remembered seeing the boy and Ajax interact the previous day.
"Yeah" Ajax nodded. "You haven't picked an activity yet,have you?"
"Nope" Ken shook his head.
"I've heard you sing,plus you have instruments," Ajax recalled. "Why don't you join the pitch slaps club?"
"The choir thing with all the sirens in it?" Ken scoffed. "No, thank you nigga"
"C'mon,dude!" Ajax pushed.
"How did you even hear me sing?" Ken asked as they made to walk out of the classroom.
"You're not exactly the most quiet guy in the shower" Ajax smiled. "Buy you're not a bad rapper either"
"Fuck..." Ken bit his lip. "Don't tell anyone else about that"
"Who's there to tell?" Ajax laughed. "You don't talk to anyone else"
"True-"
"Ajax!"
The two boys turned their heads to see a blonde heading towards them,she had the sides of her hair tinted pink and blue and she had a big smile on her face.
"Hey, Enid," Ajax waved at the girl. "what's up?"
"Oh, y'know" the girl, now known to be Enid said. "Just the usual.. and it's been a while so I decided to come see my favourite gorgon"
Ken noticed a bit of colour rush to Ajax's face once Enid said that. He immediately caught on and a small smirk graced his lips. Just then,Enid seemed to notice him.
"Who's this?" Enid tilted her head at the caramel skin boy and Ken immediately felt self conscious under her gaze.
"Enid,this is my new roommate, Kendrick Carson" Ajax spoke on the boy's behalf. "Ken,this is Enid"
"Hii, Ken!" Enid smiled and waved. The nephalem couldn't help but wave back with a smile of his own. "You just got into nevermore?"
"Yeah..." Ken surprised himself by speaking. "Three days ago actually"
"Really? Awesome" Enid beamed as her eyes seemed to sparkle. "What are you exactly?"
"I'm... Basically what happens when an angel and a demon can't keep their horniness under control" Ken scoffed a little as he answered.
"He's a nephalem" Ajax rolled his eyes.
"Wait,so you have like... Wings and angel powers and stuff?" Enid queried,to which Ken nodded.
"And also fucking demon powers" he added.
"And your hair's blue, like mine!" Enid squealed. "Is it dyed?"
"Actually it's natural," Ken replied, playing with one of his dreads. "I was born with my hair blue and I just never thought of changing it"
"You're really special then," Enid said.
"I guess that's one way to put it" Ken shook his head with a smile. He was starting to like this girl.
"I'm a werewolf by the way" Enid gestured to herself.
"Seriously?" Ken raised an eyebrow. He'd never seen a female werewolf before. "Awesome!"
"Thanks, Ken," Enid replied. "Since you're rooming with Ajax, I'm guessing he's been showing you around"
"Without me he would've been wandering around and panicking by now" Ajax smirked,much to Ken's embarrassment.
"Oh haha" The blue haired boy rolled his eyes.
"He helped you find your way?" Enid snickered. "no offence but he's... Clueless"
"Oof," Ken smiled at the gorgon. "I mean she's not wrong, nigga. But personally I wouldn't take that"
"Oh, screw you both!" Ajax frowned.
"C'mon, we're just teasing" Enid looked up at the gorgon.
"Well stop it" he rolled his eyes. "if you weren't here,his royal shyness wouldn't be talking this much"
"I know you did not just call me that" Ken looked at Ajax. "You never look anyone in the eye"
"Neither do you"
"So?"
"Both of you cut it out!"
"He started it!"
Enid was trying not to burst out laughing.. Ajax had finally met his match.
"You both are just crazy," Enid smiled. "Speaking of which,I heard Miss Thornhill say I might get a roommate too soon. I'm so excited!"
"How do you know if you'll even like them?" Ken asked.
"Enid likes everyone" Ajax laughed a little.
"Not true!" Enid pouted. "I can't stand Bianca.. just cause she nests me every year at the Poe cup"
Ken smiled to himself.. what had he gotten himself into?
"Anyways,I better get going," Enid said before turning the other way. "Bye, Ajax! Bye, Kenny!"
Ken blinked as the werewolf skipped away. That is one hell of a girl...
He liked her.
"Hey," Ajax nudged him. "You good?"
"Yeah"
"Aright, I gotta get to archery" Ajax dapped the nephalem up. "Sorry.. but I really gotta go... I'll catch you later, alright?"
"Later,man," Ken smiled.
But once Ajax had left,the nephalem couldn't help but feel lost. He still didn't know that many places in the school so the thought of walking around alone terrified him.
He let out a sigh as he started wandering.
__________
Somehow, Ken found himself in the quad, just sitting on the floor and leaning against one of the pillars,his headphones over his ears as the 808s of R.I.P Fredo gave him some kind of comfort as he scribbled into his notebook. He didn't enjoy being stared at by all the other students but fuck it.
They hadn't seen a blue haired angel-demon before?
His thoughts wandered to the man who sent him here...
He wondered if Astaroth thought he was dead.. the nigga would probably be over the moon now to have him gone. All five of his half-siblings hated him too so he could imagine them all having some kind of feast in hell. What hadn't he tried to do to gain their respect? But they all saw him as weak and an overall anomaly..
He tried to contrast that with nevermore.. it wasn't as bad as he thought it would be but still.. he wished he didn't have to be here.
Suddenly,he felt someone next to him. Turning to his left,he was met with blonde hair.
"What the fuck-" His eyes widened. "Enid??"
"Hi, Kenny!" The werewolf had her usual smile. "Whatcha doing?"
"Just... Thinking I guess" Ken took off his headphones. Enid then peeked at his open notebook.
"X? Useless? Revenge? 17?" Enid furrowed her eyebrows at the contents she'd managed to see. "what's all that mean?"
"It's just a bunch of scattered thoughts" Ken closed the notebook.
"Can you tell me about them?" The werewolf scooted closer.
"I don't know... They're not the most joyful topics" Ken chuckled dryly. "I'm kinda lost..."
"Well then I have to listen," Enid nodded. "I can't sit around while my friend's lost?"
Ken looked at her, slightly surprised. "We're.. we're friends?"
"Of course we are, silly" Enid nudged him. Ken slowly grew a smile on his face at that. "And friends help friends... Right?"
"Right.." He slowly nodded.
"Exactly," Enid smiled. "So talk to me... what does it all mean? I promise not to judge"
Ken let out a sigh. He supposed telling her wouldn't hurt.. he'd already gained a liking towards her anyway.
"Well," the boy started. "X is the only variable that's been unknown to me my whole life…"