[sylvanSpider]

The look on the young man's face was enough to make the edges of Aren's lips curl upward, ever so slightly. “Use it as long as you need. I'll ask you what you think of it once you finish,” he said.

Aren stood still for a moment, absorbing the fact that he was no longer going to be living alone. It felt like he'd always dreaded that empty apartment. Perhaps a roommate would be good for him.Perhaps a roommate could help fill the empty void that he felt every time he came home to no one. Perhaps a roommate could help the apartment feel like more of a home. “For my sake, I hope you're right. I ain't got much to hide, but I do have could get me locked up or killed – and I ain't talkin' about my gun,” he murmured scratching the back of his head.

“A girl?” Aren asked, cocking an eyebrow, “They wouldn't, would they? Someone would fight that, I'm pretty sure. The last thing this city needs is more mouths to feed. I mean, I knew they'd pair me with someone eventually, or move me to one of the single rooms. Maybe this'll be good, yeah? When I meet him, I'll let ya'll know if he's good. And Ian? You don't gotta worry about me sayin' nothin'. Secret's safe with me.”

> > >

Back at the apartment, Aren set to work organizing the few things he had. Stacks of books were condensed and posters were moved. Leftover unexpiring rations were hidden under his bed under a sheet, and the samples safely sealed the slides by this point wrapped in a thin cloth and tucked up in a crevice under the bed. The first he'd been intentionally saving for out of the city expeditions, the latter was his most recent object of study that Ian helped him acquire. The work was mindlessly simple for most of it, and he was finished in under an hour, leaving stretches of off-white walls a blank canvas, half of the room's storage and space for furniture left empty and ready to taken up by a new roommate.

Having finished with seemingly ample time, he picked up one of his books about mushrooms, specifically one with detailed pictures of Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. He plopped down on the bed, back resting against the wall. He barely began to thumb through the pages when he heard a click and the door opened. He jumped, not knowing why he was expecting a knock on the door from someone who was going to be living there.

The second surprise came with the figure itself. The first thing he noticed was the size. Couldn't have been taller than 5'3, and Aren would have stood a good foot over them. The second was that his new roommate was a...was a she. Specifically, she was a scowling she, one with choppy shoulder-length brown hair framing an Asiatic face with large brown eyes, a wide-set nose, and lips pressed in the firm line of one who was at the end of her rope – if that rope was a noose. She was clad in torn jeans that pooled about the ankles, a black shirt, a black hoodie, and as if to complete the look, she'd even managed to find the nail polish to turn her nails black. A backpack's strap was slung over her shoulder, though the bag didn't appear to be completely full.

Aren was on his feet immediately, shaking his head, “Ma'am, look, this ain't your room. I think they gave ya the wrong key.”

The woman's facial expression didn't change as she looked down at a little slip of paper, “Aren Reizian? That you?”

Aren was silent for a moment, his jaw set. “Yeah, he said after a moment, “That's me.” The woman pocketed the sheet of paper and held out her hand.

“I'm your new roommate Takahata Saito. Can't have kids so they paired me with whoever, and that whoever happens to be you. You got complaint you can take it up with the city. Trust me, I don't wanna be here either.” Her voice was cool and collected, but Aren could see the red tinges to her nose, that same red a tint in glassy eyes.

Again, Aren let the silence grow between them. He'd never been this long alone in a room with a girl before and he shifted on his feet and held out his hand, “Then I guess I'm Aren. I take it something happened in your district?”

Takahata who was previously maintaining eye contact now looked away, inhaling deep through her nose, exhaling through slightly parted lips, “Yeah. Heard the sirens, did you? It's fucked up that that's what it took to get here. I've been applying for a transfer for months. Took my place burning down for them to accept, but here I am with nothing but this and a change of clothes, so I won I guess.”

“Shit, I'm sorry. Take it you haven't been in the city long if it was District 3 you were kept in. That place is run by gangs isn't it?” Aren asked, sitting back down, moving his closed book over to the side. If this was going to be his new roommate, he might as well learn to be somewhat comfortable around her.

“Two years. Traveled with a group of nomads before that. Compared to that life? This is fucking hell,” she said with a snort, sitting on her own bed, tossing her backpack to the side. “And gangs? No. That shithole is run by Mavrick and Mavrick alone. He and his goons rule the place, and if you're not with them, they sorta do whatever the fuck they want with you. He was the one that set fire to our building. Men, women, and children were all inside. He just didn't give a fuck.” By the time she got to her last sentence, she began trembling, fists clenched. He'd done something to her and she was holding a grudge. Just like Ian.

Aren swallowed and crossed his legs, “Well, District 1 doesn't have him. At least not yet,” Aren said, trying to comfort, “Just try to keep your chin up and keep an eye out, yeah? Pretty much all we can do cooped up in this city like this.”

“Tch. I'm not staying. At least not all the time. I'll find a way out to breathe. I had my ways in District 3; I'll find new ways here,” Takahata said tossing her hair, “And you won't breathe a word to anyone, got it?”

Aren liked her. He could tell that right away. They were going to get along just fine. But she would have to earn her trust in time, and he likely hers, “Hey, hell no I won't. Especially if you're willing to pick some shit up for me when you go out. Or take me with you.”