The Weirdos

21

The first thing Jasper noticed was the smell of earth. When he stepped in, he saw yellow. Mustard yellow walls, and a mustard yellow bed with just a splash of dark teal in the form of a throw blanket and the carpeted floor. The smell of earth came from the numerous potted plants hanging from the ceiling and sitting in all the crooks and crevices in the room. Jasper didn't have time to take in anything else before he was being gently tugged further inside the room. Roderick brought him to the wall across from the bed where several fish tanks lay embedded in the wall. Roderick clapped his hands excitedly, then looked at Jasper with a wide toothy grin.
"Fish."
He pulled Jasper to another corner of the room and showed him even more fish tanks on top of stands and on the floor. Jasper caught sight of a little swinging chair hanging from the ceiling, and a fluffy white bean bag chair not too far from that. Roderick went to a nightstand beside the bed where a little radio was. He turned it on, releasing soft nature sounds, then went and sat in the swing. He sank down in it, releasing a relaxed sigh. Jasper couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up at the sight. He was such an odd creature, that Roderick. Like a child always playing a game of pretend. The albino stared at the fish swimming in the tanks and the small, contented smile never left his lips. Jasper could feel his calm and the overall calm of the entire room. It made his limbs feel like jelly. He flopped down in the bean bag chair, then let out his own relaxed sigh. Some indeterminable time later, Jasper had his eyes closed and head tilted back when there was a knock on the door. He opened one eye and looked at the open door where Books stood with a smirk on his face.
"Having fun?"
Jasper shrugged, then slowly sat up and stretched with a groan.
"How long has it been?"
"Less than an hour."
"Oh, really? It felt like so much longer than that..."
Jasper tried and failed to get out of the bean bag. He tried standing again, but couldn't seem to make his legs work.
"How do you get out of these things?"
Books laughed and offered no assistance. Jasper struggled a minute longer, then looked at him.
"Help?"
Books raised his brows.
"Oh, no. I think you've got it."
Jasper glared at him and that provoked even more laughter from the young man. Jasper eventually fell forward onto his knees, then stood from there. Books clapped at his final success, cheering and giving one last little snicker before gesturing out of the room with a jerk of his head.
"C'mon. Time to see the training room."
Jasper ran after Books as he left the room and traveled down the hall.