Myriad

Slim fingers and the warm palm pressed firmly on the lower back of a porcelain skin. The smoothness feeling as the hands glide upward on both sides of the spine all the way to the shoulders. The mild aromatic scent of maple, hint of mint and honey loitered around the room; it was soothing and relaxing. Arlert slightly groaned.

Ryuu breathed silently, the pressure of his palms made a circular motion all the way through the neck of the blonde lad; some of the strands of his hair touched the pale hands. A sudden raise of one's shoulder, the blonde locks laughed.

"Hey, don't move!" Ryuu was only starting from the professional procedure, and he was hesitant to use his old techniques which he usually applied to his Father.

Arlert, who enjoyed it very well, got up his upper body from the bed. The other lad paused and scowled at the happy face, Arlert laughed again.

"You're tickling me! I thought you're gonna strangle me-" His plain T-shirt was slapped on his face. Ryuu sighed and wore his shoes, the blonde put down his shirt and watched the young man walk to the bathroom. Arlert controlled his laughter, and put his turtleneck on. His roommate asked him which regards to the Hub. It was a first to see the young man to gain interest about his current state. He took a gander at the wall clock. They still had an hour before supper.

"Ah, you talking about Kanji-san," Arlert replied while he played on a golden necklace, with a small pendant. Ryuu looked at him as he dried his hair with a towel. He mentioned the first Watcher he saw at the dinner hall the other night. Ryuu was hesitant to ask his profile to Aika, as his instincts were telling him to avoid it.

"Was he the person who adopted you?" he asked. The blonde shook his head, and raised his head to gaze at Ryuu. His voice grew bubbly,

"He's not in the Hub often since he lives in Europe." Ryuu dying his hair slowly stopped, letting the towel stay on his nape and he put down his arms gradually, he sat down on his bed. His black eyes pierced through the floor. There was a faint discern behind the blonde boy's vibrant personality. Although, he was still cynical about the incontrovertible fact.

The two boys went to the dinner hall. This would be their first coming to supper together. Although Ryuu had scanned the route from his room to the dining hall, there were things which he considered a constant watch; the walls, wall paintings, and more importantly the mahogany door. However, the mahogany door was placed to the left side across the stairs. No one would walk their way in the entryway as there was nothing there to do.

Ryuu halted from touching the golden doorknob of the dining hall, and his eyes met the familiar black ones who wore black casuals. The piercing guy looked at him a few seconds and passed by the two, Arlert noticed the sudden change of his roommate's behavior. He did not stare longer at any servers before.

"Do you know him?" Ryuu got back to his senses from the soft voice, he glanced at Arlert and opened the door.

"No."

They came to supper at the usual time and there were a lot of other servers than them. About 60, and there were other servers coming in and out. Ryuu followed Arlert on the line to get their set meals. The line was longer, more than 10 young boys were in front of them. The boys from the very front were talking to the Ladies on the counter, pointing out certain foods on the glass display then the Lady would put the food he chose. "What's he doing?" Ryuu questioned. Arlert looked at the boys upfront.

He snickered, "It's for a week, the Hub was serving customized meals."

"Was there an occasion?" Ryuu questioned again. The two stepped forward.

"Not really. The servers requested this. Who would not get fed up eating the same meals, right?"

Ryuu stood in front of the food display. Everything was all different and he could hardly remember if he had seen this from his first month in the Hub. Every food his eyes feast on, was not existing to him before. Ryuu gulped. Arlert on the other hand, put down his set of meals on the counter side and leaned closer to Ryuu. Their eyes met. The sapphire blue eyes laid themselves on the food.

"Please give him the same as mine, Tomoka-san." The black haired Lady nodded. Suddenly, the name of the blonde locks was called out. He looked at the Server who waved at him sitting on a table. Arlert waved at the curly haired boy, and strode on their table. Ryuu turned around to view the crowd. Arlert waved at him, however, Ryuu sat down on the first table as usual.

He barely ate in the dining hall from his first month on the Hub. Those times, Aika delivered his meals in his room. Where he had no other choice but to eat his meals here were the days Aika was occupied. He usually sat down on the same table, the first table near the door. If it was unavailable, he would make sure to sit on the table nearest to the entryway.

Ryuu moved aback as the boy sitting beside him leaned closer. The almond eyes and red locks, with freckles on his nose; he smiled. "Tee-hee, we meet again." Ryuu gulped. He did not notice him. His eyes were focused on the other servers chattering and laughing with other Servers. As if this place was simply a normal dormitory.

The stiff lad picked up his chopsticks and started eating. His eyes grew bigger as he savored different flavors on the creamy sauce of a round bread dumplings and sirloin steak; celery, parsley roots, onions, carrots and other spices he vaguely remembered their existence. It was delicious and tasty. His sense of taste got stronger and clearer.

"That's Svickova." Ryuu gazed at the red-haired boy. Eyes met him as he put a shrimp in his mouth with the chopstick. The thin orangey lips babbled on about the food the new boy encountered. He was more talkative than his roommate. Ryuu glanced at the blonde locks chattering in delight with the boy next to him.

Their table was on the last corner of the room. The curly-haired boy was shorter than him, skin was cinnamon-like. The boy's amber eyes met his black ones, Ryuu caught him and Arlert gazed at him, the cheerful blonde whispered something to his seatmate. Ryuu frowned as the two cackled. He paid attention to his meal, however the boy beside him leaned on his side which diverted his sight.

"Do you know Ryuji-sama?"

"Who?" responded Ryuu. The red-haired shrugged and talked to the other boy beside him.

Disregarding the question thrown at him, the Watcher which Arlert named Kanji appeared on his mind. As per Arlert and Aika, there were three members of 'The Watchers' and their main job was to monitor everyone who lived in the Hub. By monitoring, it included not only their actions but also every conversation that could reach them. Fancy to say, they had mysterious ways of keeping everyone in check.

Now he met one of them who could be seen often in the Hub, and the other one who stays outside the country. It would only be a matter of time to cross their paths.