~ Tнє Pαяα∂σχ Hσυѕє ~ now back to regularly scheduled chaos

Ronan | Pride Room 3.0 | strider

Ronan had gotten lucky, too. Of course, Matthew had known from the start and had always gendered him correctly, but being even younger than Ronan was, and being Matthew, it hadn’t occurred to anyone to put the pieces together. Not until Ronan had come out in his blaze of glory.
He didn’t make it obvious. He was aware that there were people who weren’t on board with who he was. He avoided those people mostly.
But it wasn’t what Zuko had dealt with. Not even close. He didn’t know what it was like in Zuko’s world, but judging by the other boy’s expression, it wasn’t exactly the land of the open minded. At least Zuko had been allowed to present masculine, it seemed. Ronan found himself hoping his pronouns and name were respected, too, though naturally he didn’t speak that thought.
It had been an impulse decision, putting on the pin. He hadn’t meant to do it, but he did take it back. It felt less like doing what the House said and more like doing what he wanted to do.
He didn’t regret it. Zuko didn’t even know there was a word for it. Ronan felt oddly protective of him all of a sudden.
He shrugged, like it didn’t matter. Zuko wasn’t the only one with a treacherous voice.
“There are a lot of us,” he told him, leaning against the table a little. “In my world, anyway. I don’t know a thing about yours. But...yeah. Enough that there’s a word and flag and a lot of other sh(oops).”
He eyed Zuko, his expression no longer nearly as guarded. “And your family?” He asked finally, the word ‘family’ carrying the same lilt as the word ‘bomb’ might. “They’re good?”
It was possibly too personal of a question. But it was out here now, and Ronan didn’t take it back. Somehow, knowing Zuko a little better, knowing who he was and, more than that, that he was okay with who Ronan was...Ronan wasn’t quite as determined not to care. He still wasn’t too invested in being friends. But they had something other than a forbidden room to go off of now.

"What do you do if you're going to live forever, L?" Kid asked softly. To the forest more to the person, if the tone and direction was any indication. Hands in pockets, he started walking off in the direction he'd been looking at. The cast of the light went over him and around his outfit, making it look a bit like he was a ghost caught in amber light.
Fitting.
Eventually he looked over his shoulder. "What's the point? What do I attach myself too? The House hardly lets me in anymore. And it's the only thing which seems to have people like me. What I am now, at any rate. And then what? Back home I've been passing the time chasing criminals, but I'm not even a blip on their radar anymore. I'm KID the Phantom thief in name, not intent. I won't die. No matter what happens. The only thrill I'm getting is keeping that hidden. But give it ... what ... another five years and I won't even be able to manage that. I'm lost, L."
And he truly was looking for a way out. A way down this road he couldn't see.
He looked ahead again.
"I'm not even sure if you've ever heard of a map like that. Much less be able to find one."

Hange | Living room | ®Hawkpath® |

"That is a brilliant piece of innovation," said Hange, completely seriously.  They pulled up their sleeve to reveal their own pattern of burn scars, crisscrossing up their forearm and just over their elbow.  "The results of my work with tyrinium.  I abandoned attempts to stabilize it months ago after making very little headway - your solution is incredibly simple, yet really not something I would have thought to try..."

They blinked, maintaining steady, wide-eyed eye contact with the young person in front of them.  "You are incredibly resourceful.  Some would say gifted, although that I believe is something of a myth.  Do you have a mentorship?  Someone who is able to teach you?"

Ronan | Pride Room 3.0 | strider

Ronan hadn’t really known how, either. It hadn’t been simple, not at first, though his family had never really batted an eye. In Declan’s eternal wisdom: “I really don’t care that you’re actually my brother, I care that you’re actually under arrest.”
And Gansey, of course. Who had been very anxious not to mess up, but hadn’t really needed to worry. His mind was made for adaptation, and his nerves had been more endearing than anything else. Adam hadn’t even known at first, but he hadn’t really batted an eye when he’d found out. He had bigger things to worry about. And Noah, who had been the one to suggest they celebrate it, because that was Noah for you.
It didn’t matter as much now. He just went stealth. But he knew it would have been much, much harder if they hadn’t been there. He could have done it. Even he had to admit that he’d rather not have done it alone.
He didn’t know if Zuko had been alone when he was just figuring it out. He didn’t know whether he’d had anyone there. Maybe he had. Maybe he’d had people who were good with who he was. Or maybe he’d had to figure it out by himself.
He picked up another he/him pronoun pin and tossed it between his hands, restless and anxious to do something that involved moving. He wasn’t connecting this room to the last one. He was trying not to think about the past one, however much he’d enjoyed it. Turtle ducks...they had reminded him of home, even if they hadn’t been the exact sort of creature that lived there. With who his father was? They easily could have been.
“Different sub labels and stuff,” Ronan explained, glancing back at Zuko. “Non binary. And different ways of being non binary. There are a ton of different words for different identities, and they have their own flags, too.”
He hesitated as Zuko unsurprisingly turned the question back on him. He should have really seen that coming.
“Yeah, my parents were good,” he replied, voice flat, like he didn’t care about the past tense at all. His face wasn’t quite as good at hiding it, and he looked away, shrugging roughly. “My older brother’s a d*ck, but not about that. My younger brother...yeah, he’s cool.”
He’d been about to say his mind was so open everyone could see his brain, but he didn’t think he knew Zuko well enough to joke about Matthew with him.

Hange | Living room | ®Hawkpath® |

"Alchemy?" Hange tilted their head, considering. "I suppose you could call it that. Amusing to hear it in that particular tone - I call it chemistry, science, and in my experience, only my more vocal detractors use the word 'alchemy'."

They paused, something like understanding flashing through their brown eyes. "I didn't have a mentor, either," they said, giving him a small smile. "No one else like me, not in my world, anyway. Yours is similar?"

Varian | Living Room | <Raintalon>

Varian waved a hand, acknowledging the terms. “I call it science too,” he told them brightly, rocking back and forth on his heels. “So people in your world don’t like that word? Huh.”
He hesitated, then gave a small nod. “I have some pretty old scrolls with some information, but I’m the only one I know who’s actually actively doing experiments and discovering new things. I’m sure they’re out there, but my dad doesn’t want me to trace, until I’m older so, y’know. So yeah, same here. No mentor. Just...just me ‘n my dad.”

Zuko figured he was fortunate that he had figured out he wasn’t like everyone else when he was young enough that he hadn’t really needed to worry about the people he cared about. He was too young to understand that he wasn’t normal, and far too young to know that his father’s love was conditional. He was fortunate that he had gotten to grow up as a boy… though he was beginning to suspect that part of the reason he had been punished so harshly at thirteen was because it was going to get harder for him to pretend he had always been a boy. Being around sailors had helped him more than he cared to admit when it came to posture and tone of voice. And if he could never grow a beard? So be it.
Zuko shook the thought away. His childhood had been mostly happy, and he didn’t really want to think about how that had changed overnight. He hadn’t believed Azula when she told him that his grandfather was going to kill him… maybe he should’ve. Maybe the Fire Nation would be in better hands if he had found a way to stop his mother and flee as far away from the Fire Nation as he could. It would have been treason. But it would be better than banishment.
“Non-binary,” Zuko repeated quietly, tasting the word. He could guess what that one meant, and he could understand why there were so many possible sub labels, too. In away, he figured he was grateful he had only grown up with two options. It made figuring out his path a lot easier… though he was also glad there were other labels for people who wanted them.
“Good,” Zuko said after a moment, shifting a little awkwardly. “I’m glad they were good.” He noticed the past tense, but didn’t say anything about it. Ronan hadn’t pried into Zuko’s mom, so Zuko wasn’t going to ask questions about Ronan’s parents.
Zuko could see Ronan’s restlessness in the way the other boy tossed the pin around, and he could feel that same energy building up inside him.
Moving forward, Zuko brushed a finger along the wall, tracing a rainbow until he got to the bracelet making station. He had never seen beads exactly like that, but it wasn’t too difficult to tell what the House intended.
“I bet we could get out of here if we played along,” he commented, a hint of irony in his voice. That, and he needed something to do with his hands. And something to distract them both from those awkward lull in conversation that was born from knowing simultaneously too much and not enough about your conversation partner.

Ronan | Pride Room 3.0 | strider

Ronan hadn’t had much adjusting to do, overall. Maybe because he’d learned most of what he knew from Nial, who hadn’t been around much, but hadn’t been completely distant either.
Their lives had both come to a complete halt very suddenly. For Zuko, it had been banishment. It had been a punishment. It had been intentional.
Ronan wondered now and then his had been punishment, too.
Maybe it was because it had been so fast that Ronan hadn’t been able to really process it. Maybe it had been because he had been banished, too. Maybe it was that he’d found the body. He wasn’t a detective. He couldn’t tell whether it had been a kill of anger or something else. But it had been very intentional, and he didn’t have anyone to blame.
He couldn’t forget it. But he didn’t need to think about it every minute. And he didn’t need to think about it here. He was just going to ruin the mood.
He nodded. He didn’t have direct experience with non-binary people, but it seemed relevant to mention it, while he was talking about this. Somehow, he hadn’t screwed it up yet. Somehow...this was going well.
He hadn’t planned to come out. But somehow, he didn’t regret it.
He tossed the pin. He caught the pin. He wasn’t going to start spilling his guts. But this wasn’t what he’d expected. Zuko wasn’t what he’d expected.
He was glad Zuko didn’t try to pry. He didn’t want to spoil the room, which was actually kind of nice at the moment. Moods could be spoiled so easily, it was hard for him to know when to expect them to shift. And once they did, it took as while to get them back on track, especially when he was with someone he didn’t even know.
He reluctantly followed Zuko to the table, eyeing the supplies. He had a feeling he knew what they were for. There were little charms, he realized as he got closer, in edition to the beads. Miniature forms of various things, things like flames ans cars and a tiny, delicate turtle duck and an equally delicate raven.
He picked up a small feather, eyeing it dubiously, then picked up a currently blank bracelet with his other hand. “Oh great,” he said tonelessly. “I love making jewelry.”

Zuko may have been slightly more comfortable if he had known more about Ronan. If he knew what made him tick, if he understood how similar the two of them really were. He didn’t know what to make of Ronan as it was. There were similarities to himself, but the fact that both of them were reluctant to talk about what all they had been through meant that Zuko was a little bit on edge. He didn’t know what was alright to talk about. He didn’t know if anything was taboo. The more he learned about Ronan, the more he wanted to know, but questions invited questions and Zuko wasn’t used to inviting people into his life. He had met kind people in the House, sure, but there was a huge difference between kind and trustworthy. In fact, some of the kindest people were the people Zuko found himself trusting the least. For the most part, they had something to hide.
Besides, the room was nice. Talking about some of the things Zuko was curious about would have brought down the whole mood of the room, and that was the last thing Zuko wanted. He still didn’t know what the rainbow flag stood for, but he had a feeling it was something similar to the transgender flag. Maybe he would ask, if the House decided to keep them both there for much longer.
There were things from do to pass the time, at least. Zuko had never made jewelry, though he cocked a brow at Ronan’s less than enthusiastic response.
“No offense,” he said after a moment, picking up one of the strings they were supposed to bead, “but jewelry like this doesn’t really seem like it fits your whole aesthetic.” Frankly, they didn’t fit Zuko’s either. The colors were too pastel, and not red enough for a Fire Nation citizen. For a Fire Prince. Still, he couldn’t help the fact that he wanted to make one.
Very carefully, Zuko tied a knot at the end of his string before perusing the charms and pulling out something that looked a little like a claw. It matched the part of Ronan’s tattoo that’s naked over his shoulder, so Zuko slid it onto the string. He’d make one for Ronan, regardless of whether he’d actually wear it or not. Making one for himself seemed… well, a lot less interesting.

L Lawliet | Living Room | ~∂єѕтιиу

L followed the other blinker, his bare feet soft against the carpet. He’d wanted Vincent to go first for a couple of reasons - the obvious one, so he couldn’t stab L in the back, as well as the more convoluted ones like will you do it if I seem to want you to? - and he was intrigued that there had been zero resistance. Interesting...was Vincent thar eager to show he didn’t think L could attack even if he chose? Was he bluffing? Could he fight, or was he just showing off? Maybe he was simply arrogant and eager to prove it.
The detective’s hands tucked themselves into his pockets as he walked, hunched as usual. “L,” he replied easily, as though he had no issue giving his name, and never had. “And you’re Vincent.”

Vince - ®Hawkpath®

Vincent rose his eyebrows as he considered the simple moniker, wondering about it’s origins. He then smiled at the detective’s memory, pleased to see he’d left an impression. He gave a small nod in acknowledgment, hands behind his back as he crossed into the hallway.
He led at a slow pace while he analyzed each of the doors, seemingly waiting for one to catch his attention. Or he was stalling for time for more conversation. “How have you been, L? Anything note worthy happen recently?”

Vince - ®Hawkpath®

Vincent glanced over his shoulder upon receiving no verbal response and seeing the detective gesture out of his peripheral. He stared blankly, looking the man up and down before; “ah.” This wasn’t his usual look, granted, but he didn’t give appearance much thought. It was a malleable thing for a reason.
“What’s that for?” He asked, stopping abruptly in front of a random door. He crossed his arms in front of him, waiting for L to either respond or to open the door for him.

L Lawliet | Amplifier Room | strider ~∂єѕтιиу Razzle Dazzle

With the way L was right then, he might have returned the hook, had Hook asked nicely. His brain was having a hard time accepting the danger from his fellow blinkers. Or even the House. It was as though he was so paranoid normally, the House had needed to make him far more trusting than even Orpheus normally was to get through it. He wasn’t thinking about that, though.
He waved a hand at the door. To get to it, Hook would have to walk by him, but he didn’t seem too bothered by that. He actually turned his back in the pirate to look at the door, noting the space left.
They had done an adequate job of explaining, he decided. He didn’t see any reason to add anything. Besides, he didn’t think he wanted to speak when he wasn’t himself...he had a feeling he was going to regret a lot already. He just didn’t know what.
His brain was definitely not working.
He fiddled with the hook in his hand, fingers turning it around and around, eyes on the door. Hopefully, they would be able to get out of here soon. He didn’t appreciate his head being messed with.
Stop this, House, he asked silently. He waited hopefully. Nothing happened. He probably shouldn’t have been at all surprised.

Sam nodded several times, clearly trying to prove he was indeed okay by sheer amount of times he could nod his head up and down. 
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Thanks. I'm fine."
He looked like he was most concerned about Nico and the smaller vampire sat perched on the edge of the couch, looking at Nico with exactly that worry.
Then he grinned.
"Well, we can say we survived a drop from a ridiculous height now. We got pretty far! It was so cool."

( Feel free to call it and we can blink them out for our other planned room at any time.)