//------------------------------//
// The new Roommates. 
// Story: The Four Broken Souls Of Atera. 
// by Sylif Daring Doo 
//------------------------------//

The sun shone brightly as it covered the city of Atera, its size rivaled that of Manehatten and Fillydelphia, and its diversity was great, not because of its architecture or its various businesses, it was its residents, the city was known more commonly as the 'Crossroads of Equiss' for it had more variety in its species than any other city.

Atera did have downsides of course, as with all cities, there was poverty and crime, and it was difficult to find anything made for any one species, as such, there was many products that were based upon size and frame, rather than species, clothes, headwear, personal items, even suitcases.

Atera was very popular for one reason in particular, it was sometimes known as the 'city of new beginnings' to some, there were many who came here to start anew.

The city bustled with life, and every day more arrived, by train or other means, this city thrived on new arrivals due to the tourist shops and various restaurants.

And now, on a train bound for Atera, came Shade, one of a unique breed of Wolf known as Night Wolves, they were highly intelligent and the majority of this species were nocturnal, they stood upright on two legs, and could speak just as well as any other race.

Shade was a male Night Wolf with dark gray fur, he had dark blue irises and he wore a dark brown beanie over his ears, he sat calmly in his seat as he scratched his left pant leg, he was wearing dark gray jeans that were ripped at the knees, his dark blue shirt was hidden by the ragged brown jacket that he wore, he leaned back and sighed to himself. "Um, excuse me." He looked and saw a unicorn mare looking at him nervously. "Can I help you?" Shade asked, keeping his expression neutral.

The unicorn mare was blue furred with blue hair, she nodded slowly. "Um, yes.....do you happen to know where Jimmy's hardware is in Atera?" She asked quietly.

Shade shook his head. "I'm afraid not, it's my first time here." He answered honestly.

The mare nodded again. "S-sorry for disturbing you." She whispered.

Shade simply smiled and went back to minding his own business, despite being recognized as an intelligent species, there were those who still kept there distance, and in Shade's opinion, he did not blame them at all.

The train soon stopped and Shade stood up, he was a tall person, he was six foot last he checked, which was tall, especially for his race, who were usually around five foot two.

Shade grabbed his backpack and secured it to his back, he made his way off the train slowly, making sure to allow the line to thin out some first.

As Shade eventually left the train, he took a look around the train station, unlike most train stations, Atera's train station was indoors, he looked around and saw that there wasn't much security, all there was were a few guards here and there, Shade made his way out of the train station so he could get going with the rest of his day.

"I'm surprised there isn't much security here." Said a male voice behind Shade.

He looked over his shoulder and saw a Minotaur talking to a Bear, the two passed by and Shade resumed his steady walk.

After leaving the train station, Shade took in a breath, the air was cold, but at least it was clean, he looked around and took in the sights, he saw a hotel, a souvenir store, and a street sign saying Minos street.

Shade started walking towards Minos street, making sure to stick to a set path, and not wander off of it, it may have been his first time here, but Shade knew better than to wander around a city without having a place to stay the night.

Shade eventually reached a crossroads, one continued forward toward Hibernation street, while another went towards what was called 'the slums' according to the rumors.

He continued on to the slums, making sure not to bump into anyone along the way, not that it mattered, he had nothing in his pockets, and he had barely anything in his backpack.

Shade continued walking for what felt like forever until he reached what looked like an apartment complex, he walked towards it and eventually found the office after a few minutes of searching.

Shade rang the bell and waited, he heard shuffling coming from the back of the office and soon he saw someone, he was a thin and scrawny bear, wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and round glasses. "Oh hello!" He greeted in a friendly voice. "We don't get many Night Wolves around here, so! what can I do for you?" He asked.

Shade took a breath and spoke. "I'm Shade, I believe I have a room here." He replied.

The bear nodded and looked through some papers on his desk, he looked up at Shade. "Might I ask who paid for your first month?" He asked.

Shade nodded. "My uncle, Denol." He answered.

The bear sighed in relief. "Oh good, one moment please." He said before walking to the back of the office.

Shade waited patiently until the bear returned, and then when he did, he was holding a paper in his hand. "Alright, the room is one nine two, now I must warn you, the current resident is not happy about getting a roommate, she may not be welcoming." The bear said as he looked at Shade out of concern.

"I'll try not to cause trouble then." Shade said as he walked towards the apartment.

Shade found the apartment five minutes later, he raised his arm and knocked on the door, he waited calmly for a while until the door clicked and opened slightly.

"Yes?" Asked an annoyed voice.

"I'm Shade, I'm the new tenant." He said.

A groan came and the door opened, Shade was now able to look at who opened the door, it was a female rabbit with light brown fur and bright green eyes, she had a burn scar around her left eye, she wore a purple tee shirt with a dragon logo and gray windbreaker pants, she also stood at least five feet tall which was surprising for her race, considering most of them were around four foot.

"Come on in." The rabbit said as she stepped aside.

Shade walked in, looking around the room, the floor was covered by a warm light brown carpet and the walls were painted a pleasant brown, there were a couple of bookshelves around the room, all filled to maximum capacity with books, there was a couch and a dining table and some chairs by one of the walls, the dark green couch looked comfortable enough, the dark brown chairs were sturdy but didn't look terribly comfortable, the table looked old with scratches and it looked like it had been repainted with a mahogany paint, these made it difficult to see that it was actually light brown, which was just barely visible near the base of the table legs.

Shade did notice that there was a rectangular coffee table in front of the couch, and that it had what appeared to be a pizza box on it, as well as a paper plate and even some books strewn about the room, there was also an old gray lounge chair next to the couch, and across from that was a strange and large black box sitting on a sturdy wooden table.

Shade looked at the rabbit as she cleared her throat. "Now that your done eying my lifestyle, your room is the one at the end of the little hall over there." She pointed at the hall in question, it was right across from the entrance to the apartment. 

The rabbit stretched and walked to the coffee table and looked at Shade. "Anyway, I'm being rude, my name is Seth." She said.

Shade nodded. "Which door is the bathroom?" He asked.

Seth grabbed the pizza box and plate. "It's the first door on the right." She said simply as she went to throw the trash away.

Shade walked to the hall and took note of it, there were four doors, the bathroom, Seth's room, his room and what he guessed was a spare room.

Shade opened the door to his room and saw that it was bare, the walls were white, there was a bedframe, a mattress with simple white bedding and one pillow, and that was it, Shade set his backpack down on the floor next to the bed and sat down on the bed, he was relieved that the bed was at least comfortable. 'I guess Seth didn't decide to decorate the rest of the place, but I shouldn't be surprised.' He thought to himself as he took off his jacket and set it over his backpack.

Standing up, Shade walked out of his room and headed for the bathroom to relieve his bladder.

The bathroom was clean, it had a mounted sink with a small cabinet next to it and a mirror above it, the toilet was basic and the shower was very basic, it had hot and cold settings, and had a shower head that looked like it worked, and that was good enough for him.

_____*a few minutes later*_____

Shade walked out into the living room and looked around once again, he noticed the kitchen on his right, it was small, there was an oven, a refrigerator, a sink and some pots and pans, as well as a few cans of food on the counter.

"You got any allergies?" Seth asked, catching Shades attention. "I only ask out of concern, i personally don't have any allergies that I know of, so do you?" She asked.

Shade shook his head as he walked over to one of the chairs near the couch and sat down. "Alright, I'll just let you know a few important details." Seth started. "First, my room is off limits unless I invite you in, and even then you don't touch anything I don't tell you too, second, if you are going to live here, pick up after yourself, I'm not going to babysit you." Seth stated firmly. "Lastly, I have no problem with you doing whatever you do, but keep it to yourself." She finished as she stood up and walked to the kitchen. 

Shade watched as she pulled out a pot and set it on the oven. "I'm buying food tomorrow, there are beans in these cans, and some leftover fish salad in the fridge, other than that there is a can of corn." She said, grabbing a bottle of water and looking at a nearby clock for a moment before walking to the couch.

"Anything else I should know?" Shade asked calmly.

Seth shrugged. "You can read whatever is on that bookshelf, so long as it isn't my mail." She added as she sat down.

From Seth's perspective, the world seemed to hate her even more, as there was a knock on the door just as she got comfortable, she groaned and got up begrudgingly.

Another knock on the door and Seth's left eye twitched. "Hold the fuck on you asshole!" She said as she slightly opened the door.

"Who is it?" Seth asked.

"Uh, Syrin and Storm, we were told that we are staying here?" Said a female voice.

Seth's left eye twitched violently. 'What?' She opened the door and looked at who was on the other side, there was a male wolf with gray fur and purple eyes with his arms crossed looking down the hall at something, and a gray unicorn mare with a white mane and tail, her eyes were an icy blue and her cutie mark appeared to be a gear with a hammer and sword inside of it. "Inside, sit down, don't go anywhere." Seth ordered as she went outside and to the front desk.

Shade watched as Syrin and Storm entered the apartment and noticed him, they both had duffle bags with them. "Your staying too huh?" He asked.

Syrin nodded and closed the door "Yea, according to the bear at the desk." She replied, her voice was smooth and her tone was friendly.

"That rabbit is hostile." Storm muttered, he set his bag aside, sat down on the couch and looked off into space, his voice was rough as though he hadn't had water in years, and he sounded devoid of emotion.

Shade shrugged. "Maybe she's just having a bad day?" He suggested.

Syrin sat down next to Storm and looked at Shade after putting her bag down. "You'll have to forgive him, he's exhausted." She said calmly.

"Trust me, I'm just trying not to make the current resident mad." Shade joked as he grabbed a book and began reading it.

Syrin looked at the black box and blinked, there was glass on it, but the rest was some kind of metal or plastic. "What is that thing?" She asked.

Shade shrugged. "No idea." He replied.

After a few minutes of silence and waiting, the door to the apartment opened and a red faced Seth walked inside., she closed the door and looked at Syrin with an annoyed glare. 

"You are staying here, Shade can tell you about dinner, bathroom is the first door on the right, Shade's room is the door at the end of the hall, the last free room is next to the bathroom, no one goes into my room, I don't care how you guys work out the sleeping arrangements if there is any awkwardness, but no one bunks with me." She said with anger in her tone.

The three watched as Seth walked into her room for a moment before returning with a black hoodie over her purple tee. "Don't wait for me to eat dinner." She said as she walked to the door, opened it and left.

As the door closed, Shade could only blink. ".....Well, the bear did say that she wasn't happy about getting a new roommate." He stated absently.

Syrin looked at Shade. "I suppose so.....anyway, I'm Syrin, this is Storm." She introduced.

Shade nodded. "And as you probably guessed, I'm Shade." He said holding his hand out.

Storm looked at Shade and opened his mouth to speak, only to close it as though he forgot his words.

Shade didn't say anything about it, he looked at Syrin. "So, how are we doing the sleeping arrangements?" He asked.

"Syrin gets her own room, I get the couch." Storm muttered quietly.

"Storm!" Syrin snapped, she sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, but I don't like that idea at all." She said.

Shade shrugged and stood up. "Let's check out that room then, there might be a bunk bed or even two spare beds in there." He said jokingly.

"Stay here Storm." Syrin said as she hurried over to Shade.

The two opened the door and looked inside, the room was like a big box, it wasn't small but it wasn't big, just big enough for one person to be comfortable, thankfully, there was a second bedframe and mattress inside. "I wonder why she has four beds?" Shade asked quietly.

Syrin looked at the Night Wolf. "Let's just be happy that she does." She replied.

Shade looked at Syrin. "Ok, so who gets the mysterious fourth bed?" He asked as he leaned in the doorway.

"Depends, is your room big enough for two beds?" Syrin asked curiously.

Shade nodded. "Yes it is." He replied.

"Then Storm gets it, only real question is, who is bunking with him?" Syrin asked.

"He can't be alone?" Shade asked.

"Not a chance." Syrin immediately replied, her haste to answer actually surprised Shade, but he chose not to pry. "Then I will, I have no problem sharing a room." He said.

Syrin gave him a questioning look. "Are you sure? Storm can be a handful." She asked.

Shade nodded. "I had to bunk with seven other kids in one room for five years." He answered. "I can handle sharing the room." He added.

With that, Shade worked with Syrin to carefully maneuver the bedframe into his room, and once it was positioned near the corner wall, they got the much easier to move mattress.

After it was set up, Shade grabbed a spare set of bedding that was with the fourth bed, once that was done, he looked at the time, it was now two thirteen in the afternoon, he was glad he ate before arriving, because he would have been starving if he hadn't.

____*A few hours later*_____

Shade had spent the past few hours getting to know Syrin and Storm, he learned some stuff about them and they learned about him in return, nothing too personal, but it was a good start.

For instance, Shade learned that Syrin and Storm had known each other for the majority of their lives, and that they were here because the places they worked at went bankrupt, Shade told them a little bit about himself in return, one brother, parents divorced splitting the family apart, and he was here because he was leaving the Night Wolves isolated society.

"So uh, what do you think of uh.....what's her name?" Syrin asked.

Shade took a sip of his water. "Seth." He reminded. "And she doesn't seem to be a bad person, she just seems wary of strangers." He replied.

Syrin went to say something, but Seth soon walked inside and went to her room. "Welcome back!" Shade called out.

"I don't need a welcoming committee to my own home!" Seth shot back, she was clearly still frustrated.

Seth walked back out and headed for the refrigerator, she grabbed a bottle from inside and walked over, she looked at the trio with a confused expression. "How come you guys are just sitting here in silence?" She asked.

"Nothing to do." Shade replied.

Seth sighed. "Out of my chair damnit." She said.

Shade tilted his head in confusion, but got up and sat on the couch, he watched as Seth sat down and grabbed a small gray rectangular object and pointed at the box. "What are you doing?" Shade asked.

Seth pushed a button on the object and the box lit up, startling Shade. "It's called television, you guys grow up in a rock or something?" Seth asked as she took a sip from the bottle filled with brown liquid.

"Oh, that's a television?" Syrin asked. "I heard about them, but I never saw one before." She said as she and Storm watched what appeared to be a comedy.

"Night Wolves don't have technology in their society, so I never had it growing up." Shade answered simply. "It's incredible what technology can do." He added.

Seth groaned as he leaned her head back. "Just shut up and let me watch the tv." She said.

After that, the four roommates watched the television in silence, the hours passed by as they watched a variety of things, comedy, action, horror and even news broadcasts when they had nothing else to watch. 

Seth soon stood up and set the television remote on the coffee table. "Have fun." She said, walking to her room once again.

Shade looked at the rabbit as she once again walked out of her room with her hoodie. "Going out again?" He asked.

Seth narrowed her eyes at Shade. "First, it's none of your business if I want to go out, second, no, I have a night job." She answered as she walked to the front door. "Don't forget to eat." Seth reminded as she left, closing the door behind her.

Shade looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly eight. "Wow, time flies." He stood up and walked to the kitchen. "I'll get dinner ready." He said.

When Shade looked at the living area, he saw that Storm's ears had perked up and he was looking at him. "I'm guessing I'm not the only hungry one." He muttered.

"Do you need help?" Storm asked.

Shade was honestly surprised that the wolf asked, but he shook his head. "I already looked around, all we have is canned food and a little bit of fish salad in a container." He replied.

Storm looked visibly put off by the sound of canned food, as he looked at the television in silence.

Shade managed to get what could be considered dinner ready in a couple of minutes, he managed to set a timer and he walked back to the living area and sat on the chair, he looked at Storm with a question on his mind. "I take it you enjoy cooking?" He asked.

Storm looked at Shade and nodded. "I used to be a chef, I.....loved it." He answered as he looked at the television.

Time passed uneventfully as the three roommates ate in silence, they cleaned up quickly and soon enough, Shade was sitting in the chair reading the book from earlier.

Shade soon closed the book and placed it back on the bookshelf, he looked at the clock and saw that it was eleven, he took a breath and stood up. "I'm turning in, I'll see you two in the morning." He said, he then walked to his shared room and opened the door.

"Hold up!" Syrin called out.

Shade looked over his shoulder and saw Syrin standing behind him. "Can I ask you a favor?" She asked quietly.

"Depends on what it is." Shade replied.

"Can you keep an eye on him?.....if he does anything strange, like scream or Yelp in the middle of the night, come get me." She asked.

Shade raised an eyebrow but nodded. "I can do that." He said before walking into the room and closing the door. 'Strange.' He thought to himself as he climbed over the covers and closed his eyes.

______*2:04 AM.*_______

Seth grumbled as she reached the apartment door, she rubbed her eyes and turned the doorknob, it was locked, she wordlessly grabbed her keys and unlocked the door, she walked inside and closed the door. "Can't believe this shit." She muttered as she locked the door and headed for her room.

Seth walked into her room and closed the door, she then undressed herself and slipped into a pair of boxer shorts and a gray tank top, she got into her bed and closed her eyes. "Three new roommates, wonderful." She groaned as she fell asleep.