After hanging out with the others, Ethan made his way upstairs, picking up the bags the staff had left at the staircase. He went up and found his way to room two. He’d seen on the board his roommate was a “Grant Smith” but he hadn’t met him.

When Ethan walked into the room he found his roommate, a black androgynous kid with short-cropped hair, wearing a raggedy hoodie. He was bent by the bedside, the drawer under the bed pulled out, and he was building something that could only be described as a shrine; a deer skull, bones, and other weird occult tchotchkes he’d seen in his sister’s witchcraft phase.

“Sup, I’m Ethan, looks like I’m your roommate.”

Grant looked up at him, and a tiny fennec fox climbed onto his shoulder, eyeing him. “Grant,” he said cautiously. 

“Careful this one also smells of old gods!” Jack spoke, appearing in the room’s large window. 

“Shut up Jack,” Ethan sighed, putting his bag down. He’d already picked a fight with one person, Ethan dreaded a second enemy. 

“What’s wrong with old gods?” Grant asked, getting up and facing him with a defensive posture. The fox growled at Jack.

“Oh great you can hear him…” Ethan said, “Nothing is wrong, Jack’s a twat who picked a fight with some other magic kid,” Ethan says.

Grant nodded. He went back to his shrine, finishing arranging it to his liking, and then bowed, whispering something Ethan couldn’t understand. That done, he put down an apple and closed the drawer. 

Great way to attract ants, Ethan thought, but didn’t say, he unpacked his bag quickly. Jack kept prattling off warnings, but Ethan tuned him out. 

It was then the Fox came down from his owner’s shoulder and jumped up on Ethan’s bed, yipping for his attention. 

Ethan bent down to pet it, “Hey you little thing, what’s your name?”

“Killer,” Grant said. 

“Hi Killer.” 

“Don’t let that cursed familiar touch you, you don’t know what it could do,” Jack warned. 

“I’ll take my chances, now shut up.”

“Killer isn’t cursed.” Grant snarled.

“Again, Jack’s an asshole,” Ethan sighed and sat down on his bed. “So, what’s your magic god-whatsit? I’m stuck with an incredibly annoying plague demon.”

“She’s a nature goddess. Really old one called Reka.” Grant picked at invisible lint on his sweatshirt as he answered.

“Never heard of her, want to trade?” Ethan joked, “I’ll pay you.”

Grant rolled his eyes, “fat chance.”

“Damn it,” Ethan laughed, “Was worth a try.”

Grant laid down on his bed, “Reka would probably still give you some perks if you prayed to her.” 

“Neat, how do you do that?” Ethan asked, more curious than committed to the idea, he had his hands full enough with Jack.

Grant paused for a bit, “I made a shrine under my bed so you can just pray in front of that and leave some food or something,” he explains, stuttering a little at first like he hadn’t expected a positive answer.

“And then the human sacrifices follow!” Jack said, “Next thing you know you’re in a temple and cutting people’s hearts out!”

“You are literally a plague demon who brags about how many he’s killed,” Ethan answered.

“Excuse me, I killed them myself, I didn’t have my minions do it!” Jack said, utterly disgusted by the comparison. “I don’t need sacrifices, human pain and misery is enough for me.”

“Like that’s so much better.”

Grant spoke, he was quiet, “I did do a human sacrifice but that was just for the powers and to become her like high priest or whatever.”

Ethan stopped “You what?” he asked flatly. Had he misheard?

“Killed my parents.” Grant said, bored matter-of-fact, he stared down Ethan’s no expression on his face.

Ethan just blinked, “what?”

“I. Killed. My. Parents.” Grant enunciated each word in an exaggerated way.

“Right…” Ethan turned around. How in the hell was Grant in Ravenhold? Murdered his own parents? Without a hint of remorse? Ethan gave him another glance; he was so relaxed, bored even.

“See? Pure evil!” Jack said, “We should kill him preemptively!”

“I’m not killing anyone, Jack”

“Well obviously the school doesn’t think I’m pure evil or else I wouldn’t be here.” Grant said with a shrug, rolling over so his back was to Ethan. Killer left Ethan and jumped onto Grant’s bed, curling up against the small of Grant’s back

He had a point? Maybe there were extenuating circumstances? 

“I feel like maybe this needs a little more context?” Ethan asked, trying to be diplomatic, he had to live with this guy after all…

“They were pretty shitty parents.”

“Ah.” Ethan said, everything went quiet for a moment, awkward and heavy silence settling between them. 

“I’m watching you, cultist,” Jack spat out. Ethan looked at the window which was swarming with bugs so much you couldn’t see out anymore… He realized he’d been subconsciously calling them to his side. He took a breath and dismissed them. 

“Well, I probably should shower and hit the hay early,” Ethan explained, “It’s been a bloody long trip for me.”

“It’d have been faster if you followed me down the Abyss like I said,” Jack calls, “Much faster!” Jack had insisted he knew a ‘shortcut’ through whatever the Abyss was, Ethan had opted with an eight hours plane ride instead. 

“I’m not going into whatever hellhole you say for a shortcut.” 

Ethan grabbed a change of clothes and showering products. 

“They said it was good she was dead. They locked me in the basement and I couldn’t even go to her funeral.” Grant muttered, was it to Ethan, or just to himself? Ethan wasn’t sure but he didn’t answer. 

Ethan gave him a last look, he was curled up in the fetal position, shaking lightly. What the hell had happened to this kid?

Ethan went out for a shower, coming back with pajama pants and an old shirt. “I’m back,” he announced gently, putting his dirty clothes into a hamper. “Do you mind if I close the light?”

Grant sat up, looking as deadpan as ever. He pulled his arms into his hoodie. After a few seconds he stuck his arms back thru and pulled out some ace bandages and dropped them under the edge of the bed before laying back down, “go ahead.”

Was Grant trans? That explained his more androgynous appearance. Maybe his parents…  Ethan thought. 

“You shouldn’t use bandages,” Ethan said, “It’ll fuck your ribs up.”

“Yeah yeah.” Grant yawned.

Knowing he wasn’t going to win an argument, Ethan didn’t push it, closing the light and getting into bed. He looked back at Grant, seeing his silhouette in the dark. Ethan had been maybe harsh, he didn’t know anything about him, Grant probably needed a hand to reach out, someone who wouldn’t judge him?