RA Gilbert's Room

Gilbert opens the door to his private room, grinning wide.

RA bitches he thought to himself.

The room was smaller than most of the other dorms, but with no roommate he would still end up with more personal space. He plopped his duffle down onto the bed, then shoved it against the far wall. With that, there was plenty of room for a modest desk, a dresser, and a folding table if needed.

Gilbert grinned. There were always the walls as well.

He cracked his knuckles and flopped onto his bed with a small "oof." Not bad, but he may have to get a memory foam pad.

Pulling out his cell phone, he sent a text message to his brother with a crooked half smile. "Little brothers need looked after..."

Gilbert spent a short while setting up his large bird cage on his dresser in front of his window. Gilbrid wasn't very large, but he deserved a special place to call his own. While his human filled water bottles and food bowls, Gilbird scurried around the room, checking out his new space. It was his after all, just as much as it was his human's.

The young man with white hair smacked his palm against the corner of the cage which was proving to be more of a hassle than he at first expected. He cursed under his breath and sat down on his bed with a heavy slump. As he was brushing his hair out of his eyes, his phone began to play "I Love Trash," the Grammy-worthy Oscar the Grouch song.

Gilbert smiled to himself as he thumbed open the new text message.

He looked out at Gilbrid who was bouncing over his outstretched leg.

He texted back: "I love you dearly and only wish to care for you as a big brother should. Come see me soon."

Gilbert picked up Gilbird and tucked him into the crook of his arm. "I love you Gilbird."

Ludwig stood outside of Gilbert's door and knocked. He wasn't overly anxious about his big brother being here. He'd been hoping to escape him, honestly.

With a groan, Gilbert rolled off his bed with his pet still in the crook of his arm. He set his friend on his shoulder and opened the door to see his younger brother.

A crooked smile spread across his face, and he tipped an imaginary hat to the taller male before him.

"Miss me?"

"Oh so much," Ludwig deadpanned. "I thought you'd registered too late to get in here. What did you do to convince them to let you in? Tell them a sob story about how you were a friendless albino, despite having more drinking buddies at 14 than a 40-year-old has?" He glanced around the room. And of course, Gilbert managed to even get a single room, no roommate. Though, that was probably better for that unfortunate person (most likely, Ludwig) than it was even for Gilbert.

Ludwig saw the little yellow bird bouncing on Gilbert's arm. "Hello, Gilbird. Is he behaving himself?" He didn't dare try to pet the bird, knowing it could be more temperamental than its owner at times.

Gilbert grinned and Gilbird danced on his shoulder.

"I have minority status, Little Brother. Pink eyes get you chicks and into schools." He petted his friend and stepped back, allowing Ludwig to enter.

Gilbert walked over to his bed and sat with his legs crossed. His pet peeped and began to bounce about the room.

"Beer?"

"Only chick I've seen it get you is the one hopping around the room." He walked inside. "Gilbert, this is Roderich. Roderich, Gilbert." He looked at the beer, seriously considering it, but shaking his head. "You know, that isn't supposed to be on campus."

He took a seat on Gilbert's bed and looked around. "Haven't started hanging your posters yet?"

'Ah...hello.' Roderich stepped nervously into the room, looking at Ludwig's brother. He was indeed albino, and attractive at that, but he really didn't look much like Ludwig.

"I get plenty of chicks...and then some." He pointed at his brother with the mouth of the bottle.

He leaned back, resting his hands on top of his head. "Eh...being lazy today. I think I'll make one wall for chicks, one for dudes, and one for my chick." He winked at the small yellow bird, who seemed to understand and peeped back before flying into his cage.

Gilbert took a swig of the warm beer and stopped mid-gulp as he eyed the new guy. He lowered the bottle and stood again to greet Roderich. With a crooked smile, he put his hand out.

"Nice to have you...if I may say so." He cleared his throat.

'Likewise...' Roderich shook his hand, wondering how to interpret a grin that seemed- to him- to be slightly predatory. It took him a second to realise he was staring at Gilbert's eyes; they were unlike anything he'd encountered before, and considering he had a rare eye colour himself that was saying something. He dropped his gaze hurriedly. 'So, you're the RA now, right? That's a lot of responsibility.'

His grip grew tighter for just a moment before he dropped the new guy's hand. The grin also seemed sharper for just that instant before it softened.

"Heh, dude. I know the eyes are weird. Don't worry about it." He took a sip. "Hell if I had to look at them all the time, I know I'd be staring."

He sat on the edge of the bed next to his brother and motioned to a chair nearby. "Sit sit. Yeah, I'll be in charge, so I don't want to hear of any fornication or beer-runs or internet pornography." He winked as he took another swig.

"Cool eyes too." He turned to Ludwig. "So...you mackin' on Roddy here?"

"Am I... what?" Ludwig hated his brother so much at that moment. Sure he'd flirted with Roderich but he hadn't... "We're roommates." Of course, it didn't help that Ludwig's cheeks got a bit pinker at his brother's implications. Yes. Hate was definitely the word for it. Though he did have the guts not to say no. He got the impression that the brunet might be gay. Or bi at least. He didn't want Roderich to think he had a problem with that.

And if Ludwig ever sorted himself out, he didn't want to turn away someone he found fairly attractive, if a little too aristocratic.

'...Goodness me.' Roderich dropped into the chair, raising an eyebrow at the turn the conversation had taken. Unlike the clearly embarrassed Ludwig, he was rather amused by the idea; he'd moved fast in his time, but he had yet to start a relationship in the space of a day. He gave Gilbert a small smile. 'I can assure you, you needn't worry about any...fornication from our room. Not on the first day, anyway.'

Roderich crossed his legs, absently adjusting his necktie and glancing around the room. He decided to tolerate Gilbert's nickname for him; he suspected he wouldn't stop using it even if asked. 'So, why didn't you two arrive together?'

Though it had seemed impossible, Ludwig's blush got impossibly deeper at Roderich's words. The idea of fornication in the room... Damn them both.

"I was the only one who got his application in on time. I didn't even know Gilbert was going to be here." Even if he had, to be perfectly honest, he wouldn't have wanted to come there with his brother. Maybe that was why he hadn't been told. With Ludwig's grades and classwork, he'd had numerous offers. He could have even gone so far as to pick an arts school, like his mother had been pushing for (if he'd really wanted to risk his plans to become an engineer to spite Gilbert).

Swell, they were both here. So much for being something other than Gilbert's little brother.

'Ah, I see.' Roderich decided he wouldn't comment further; Ludwig did not seem all that pleased to see his brother, and in any case he was looking rather red. No more fornication comments, then.

Gilbert's eyes widened at the "not on the first day, anyway."

He broke into nearly cackling laughter, choking on his drink as he reeled back on the bed. Gilbird even looked at him like he was nuts.

"I decided I needed to be here for my little brother. He gets in so much trouble." He put his beer down as he spoke. "And Ludwig, I didn't tell you because I didn't know!"

Gilbert eyed Roderich and winked. "You ever have a problem with my little brother, you just let me know."

"How could you not know?" Ludwig asked, looking up at Gilbert and then over at Roderich. His brother was flirting with him. Well... seemed at least someone had figured out preferences. Either that or he was screwing with Roderich because he seemed flamboyant and possibly (probably) gay (or at least bi).

Or he was doing both.

Most likely the latter.

As Gilbert finished off his drink, he placed the bottle into Gilbird's cage, where the small yellow puff-ball proceeded to lap at the remnants. He settled back into the bed, using the wall as a backrest. With his favorite crooked grin, he eyed both his brother and the newcomer.

"I didn't know until two days ago. Gilbird sent in my application--it would seem."

The small bird looked up from the bottle and peeped, seemingly saying "liar!"

"Oh hush." Gilbert quirked his lip at his pet. Turning to Ludwig, his smile fell. "Fine. I applied a few weeks ago. Got my acceptance letter last Monday. So really I didn't know."

Roderich looked from Gilbert to Ludwig and back again. It wasn't technically an argument (yet), but it was obvious that they had...issues. He wasn't entirely sure his presence was helping that. Apart from anything else, he had a mild suspicion he was being flirted with, and while that was all well and good normally, it seemed to be adding to Ludwig's irritation. He wondered if he ought to attempt to defuse the situation.

'I doubt I'd have any problems with Ludwig, Gilbert. He's been excellent company so far.'

Gilbert sat for the moment with his eyes on his brother. With a soft huff, he twisted his body to reach under the bed. Once he pulled out a flat plastic container, Gilbert russled through its contents before pulling out a black knitted sweater with a Gilbird design knitted into the front.

He cleared his throat as he tossed it to Ludwig. "Uh...Dad thought you might get chilly." His cheeks reddened at this slightly. He suspected that his brother knew of his hobby, but he didn't want Roderich to know that he could knit.

"I didn't make it." He threw out off-handedly.

Then he turned to look at Roderich as he cleared his throat.

"So...Roddy." The nickname nearly sounded like a jibe. "Tell me about yourself."

Roderich's eyes flickered briefly from the sweater to Gilbert. The 'I didn't make it' sounded less than convincing, but he knew better than to say so. He frowned slightly at Gilbert's words; as he'd suspected, Roddy was now his nickname and he's probably be stuck with it for life. He sighed before answering.

'Well, I'm Austrian by birth, I play various instruments, and I'm taking music and drama. I...what else would you like to know? I never know what to say when people ask me about myself.' He resisted the urge to shift awkwardly in his seat. Posture, he'd been told, can cover for any inner nerves or discomfort.

Gilbert leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, listening. He scratched his neck absently as he waited for Roderich to finish. Music hmm? And drama. Interesting.

"Well, I think that's good enough for now. Didn't mean to put you on the spot." A large grin crinkled his eyes.

Gilbird peeped and jumped from his cage directly onto Roderich's shoulder. The small yellow bird proceeded to nom on his hair.

"I like music. Used to play the drums. Perhaps you'd be willing to play for me and Ludwig sometime."

'Quite alright. What about you, what are you taking?' Roderich asked, peering curiously at the little bird now pecking at his hair. He hesitantly stroked its feathers. 'I dabbled in drums, but it wasn't quite to my liking.' He glanced over at Gilbert, looking at him over the top of his glasses.

'Certainly, I'll play for you, if you wish. I played with Ludwig earlier, as it happens.' He went back to watching the bird, half thinking it was cute, half hoping it didn't start pecking his ear or something.

With a laugh, Gilbert responded. "Yes...you don't seem like the type to play drums." He eyed his brother. "Was he good, Ludwig?"

With a cough, he changed direction. "Hmm...well martia arts, gender social roles in history--er something. And uh..." he trailed off for a moment and his cheeks again grew red. "Um...visual arts," he grumbled under his breath.

Gilbird peeped and leaned into the petting from Roderich.

He's actually very good at the piano." Ludwig knew better than to leave that as an open statement which his brother would be able to twist. He glanced down at the sweater and tried not to laugh. His brother seriously still tried to hide that he knit? As though the giant image of Gilbird on the front wasn't a clue. "I'm curious to hear him play a few other instruments. Except for the trombone."

He glanced up at Roderich with a smile, remembering what the other man had said about his experience trying to play that instrument. "Though Gilbert's better with the drums than he lets on. Mutter used to put you on the kettle drums in hopes he could find the same interest in the symphony that she had, didn't she?"

Thankfully, Gilbert had never had their mother toss a metronome at any of Gilbert's teachers, but none of Gilbert's teachers ever hit him with a ruler (tempted as they may have been).