Liyah froze with a start, her eyes frantically searching around the room. Clothes still hung from the bunk bed’s wooden frame, papers were still strung across the bedsheets, make-up and bottles of hair spray were piled in little corners according to color. The only thing that Liyah didn’t see was an ounce of organized, clean space. To make it even worse, a guy with large, blue eyes was smiling down at her. Liyah let out a little cry as she pushed Ayato up from the bed, her long, slim arms wrapped around his as she pushed him forward.

"It's her!” Liyah hissed. “You have to leave!"

Ayato frowned but obeyed, hurrying towards the door with the redhead.

"Welcome!” Liyah greeted with a strained smile as she pulled open the door for the second time. “I'm Yukano Liyah."

The wind from the force of the door opening made Liyah’s pumpkin-colored hair blow back. It caused her to take on the shimmering, mystical look of an angel. For a second, she stood there, looking out into the hallway at who stood before her. The first thing that she saw as she looked over the frail, pale girl was the apparent look of hopelessness and isolation in her eyes.

“Come on in.” Liyah said in a smaller voice. Her smile was fading as she brought her hand up to touch her mouth.

Paris, who had been hesitant to knock on the door, looked at her new roommate with a similar form of awe. She shifted uneasily on her feet before taking a step forward.

“I'm Kamina Ayato !" Came a sudden, deep voice. The smiling face startled Paris enough to stop her in her tracks. Her day had been full of loss and heartache; the presentation of happiness and gid offset her. For a second, the three stood in silence, an awkward, ugly silence that seemed to permeate the air. Liyah looked worryingly at Ayato, who just shrugged and stepped away from blocking the door. Finally, with a deep intake of breath that restored her smile, Liyah motioned her new roommate inside.

Paris' icy blue eyes searched the room. It was different then what she was used to in Germany. The windows were open, letting in a fresh, crisp breeze scented with juniper and rose. The faint smell of vanilla hung around the countless piles of clothes and sewing material. Stepping over a heap of nail polish and colored mascara, Paris was able to rest her bag by her feet, a small, almost indistinguishable smile growing on her lips.

Liyah and Ayato both stood on the other side of the dorm room, the two leaning slightly forward as they watched the foreigner survey the beds and bookshelves. She was a strange site to behold; incredibly different from what one would expect to be at one of the top fashion schools in Japan. Unlike the other hundreds of self-proclaimed students at Yazawa Arts, Paris seemed like a breath of fresh air. Her hair was one color, not six. The only holes in her face were two discrete piercings in her ears. She was pale, a silky porcelain tone as apposed to the numerous Yamamba and Gogals that permeated the campus. She wore no jewelry, save the small, silver studs in her ears. Her clothes were simple, no fishnet, no mesh tops, no ripped tops or torn jeans. In a school ridiculed for its redundant circulation of pseudo-punks and goths, Paris appeared to be the epitome of unique.

Paris suddenly looked to the side. Ayato averted his eyes quickly, yet Liyah stayed focused on the new guest. Out of the corner of her eye, Paris eyed up the male and, for a second, a confused, questionable look dawned her face.

“I didn’t know that there were co-ed rooms.” She said at last, her thick accent a mixture of Germanic drawl and European twang.

"Liyah and I have been shacking up for awhile now.” Ayato cut in before Liyah could finish, the smirk on his face growing as he continued, “I guess you'll be joining us."

He grinned seductively at Liyah, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Paris, a perplexed look on her young face, turned away from the two, and stared out the pink-wallpaper lined window.

Startled, Liyah hit Ayato in the shoulder with her fist, sticking out her tongue and playfully pushing him away.

"Don't listen to him." Liyah retaliated. "Our real roommate went out. She should be back later. Her name is Hayasaka Yukari but most people call her Yuka."

“Or whore” Ayato muttered. He was met with a second swift punch to the shoulder.

On the walk in, Paris had spotted a smaller bed pushed up against the far window. The sheets on it were a vibrant pink; a jeweled helm circled the edges. She glanced at it momentarily before looking back towards Liyah.

“Have you ever heard of Happy Berry?” Li asked, catching hold of Paris’ eyes. She pushed past Ayato and stood next to her new roommate. “It’s a clothing line that originated from Yazawa Arts.”

Paris shook her head. The name didn’t ring any bells.

“Well, the designer, Kouda Mikako, is a teacher here. She designed those sheets.” She pointed to the Happy Berry logo stitched to the edge of the comforter. “Her sister, Miwako, is one of my friends.”

"I think I may have Mikako for a class.” Paris replied, trying hard to recall her schedule for the upcoming semester. Weeks before the start of the new semester, Paris has been mailed her new schedule, complete with the professors names, individual class descriptions, and a list of some of the more seasoned, talented students attending the courses.

“She has a Fashion class.” Liyah detailed, interested. “New Age Fashion is the course. I have 5^th with her.”

“I’m going to have to look at my schedule.” Paris replied quietly, putting her finger to her lips.

“We may have it together.” Liyah said with a bright smile as she moved a pile of junk away from Paris’ new bed. “This is for you. Yuka and I tried to fix it up as best we could.”

“Thanks you.” Paris nodded slightly and placed her bag on top of the bed.

“Oh yeah, I'll give u a quick tour" Liyah said, still a bit ashamed of the mess she was unable to clean. She reached over and gently nudged Paris towards the new side room Yukari had purchased a few days ago.

"This is a room where we can do our homework and store things.” Li explained. “I know it's seems kinda small but we do have to fit three people in it."

Liyah watched as Paris finished her initial glance around, then took her to a room full of clothes. Lush beadwork, bold colors, lace and piles of sequences lined the small, square room. Walls tacked with designs, some colored, some outlined, most consisting of basic, rough lines from a designer-not-yet-an-artist. Liyah watched as Paris placed her face close to one of the pictures, one that she had done almost a year ago for the Summer ‘04 fashion show here at Yazawa Arts. The drawing lacked ability, but was perfect in its simplicity. Liyah was about to explain about the show that Yukari had stared in, Koizumi George’s very first here at the school, but didn’t want to jinx his winning spree by detailing on one show he placed a measly second in.

"This is where we work on clothes." Liyah said instead, leaning against the doorway as Paris studied the picture. Like a stalking cat, the dark-haired girl stealthily moved to the next drawing, touching it with pale fingers before turning back to the girl in the doorway. She looked as though she was going to say something, but stopped. A noise behind both of them signaled Ayato’s presence just as he wrapped his arms around Liyah’s waist. The redhead made a face, pushing him away gently.

"It's kinda messy in here.” Ayato said as he let go of the model’s waist “Um, is that someone's bra?" Liyah picked the bra up in a hurry and threw it behind a pile of clothes.

"That was...Yuka's.” She said hesitantly, a small, peachy blush on her face. “Why are you still here anyway?”

Liyah tilted her head to the side slightly, her flirting apparent. Somewhere deep inside she yelled at herself to stop, but her heart wouldn’t let her.

“The only other thing you need to know is that that bathroom is directly across from this room.” She said, glancing back at Paris. The girl slowly turned her head, the glimmer in her eyes causing a tingle to shoot down Liyah’s back. This girl was definitely an interesting little thing.

After a paused second, Paris straightened up from the picture, touching it one more time and spoke in her notoriously quiet, yet assertive voice.

“Could I have this?”

Liyah was caught of guard. Her brows furrowed as she tilted her head yet again to the side. The drawing was one that she had done with a deadline looming over her head. She remembered the frantic rush she had been in that day as she sat next to Miwako and George in the Studio. The sketch showed unique talent, but was nonetheless an ugly representation of what Paradise Kiss, the clothing line it had been for, was about. The design for the dress displayed on the paper had lost first place, running in at second. Likewise, it was a surprise that Yukari hadn’t ripped it down, or that Liyah herself hadn’t. It was bizarre, almost. Out of the hundreds of designs tacked up on the walls, Paris had picked one of the worst.

“Um…sure.” Liyah replied, a little confused. In a way she was happy; that picture was an eyesore. “It’s all yours.”

“You should autograph it,” Ayato snickered behind her. “We can’t let anyone forget whose design lost Parakiss their title last year.”

“Would you go bother someone else for a change?” Liyah replied, shaking her hand at him to leave. She turned back to Paris, slightly offset by the comment Ayato had said. “Well, that’s the grand tour. Feel free to use anything you need. Are you hungry?" Liyah asked as she shut the dressing room‘s door, blocking Ayato from reentering. Paris simply shook her head, her azure eyes still fixed on the drawing.

"Actually, I’ve had a long day and would just like to go to bed." She said, hesitatingly. “If that’s ok with you…“

“Oh, of course.“ Liyah allowed Paris to walk by her. It was hardly nine at night; She could only imagine what Paris’ trip must have been like if she was already tired.

Outside the room, Paris set the drawing down on the wooden end table that Liyah was able to procure from the Studio upon Isabella’s suggestion. The brown sack, which had been on the bed the entire time, was opened. Paris slowly took out her belongings: a single old, a black-and-white photo, a case of some sorts, one that held a toothbrush and a few other toiletries, and a few books. Liyah looked on with worry embedded in her emerald eyes.

“Is that all you have?”

Paris nodded again as she set the picture up against the case on the end table.

“Don’t worry, we can fix that.” Liyah said in a matter-of-factly tone. She suddenly remembered that there was a man present in the room. “Ah, I think you should leave now, Ayato.” Liyah exclaimed, pointing Ayato to the door. Liyah knew if any one of the narcs at Yazawa caught Ayato there, the three of them, Yukari included, would be in a load of trouble. Running the thought of being kicked out of the Yazawa through her mind, Liyah started to push Ayato towards the door.

“Wait! Aren't you hungry? Wanna go grab somethin’ to eat?" Ayato asked quickly, grabbing hold of the door’s ledge as Liyah tried to elbow him out. Putting on his most handsome smile, Ayato raised an eyebrow, almost daring her to say no.

"Well…..I guess.” She finally says before turning back to her new roommate. She knew Paris was tired, but thought it polite to invite her along, “Would you like to come with us?”

Paris shook her head slowly, turning down the friendly gesture.

“Aw, ok," Grabbing her jacket and purse from a gold-plated hook behind the door, Liyah quickly waved farewell to her new roommate. “I should be back soon. Like I said, make yourself at home.”

The door shut, and the room silenced.

Exhausted from the journey and weary from the new faces and names, Paris slipped into the sky blue wool sheets, still in the clothes she journeyed in. Before closing her eyes, she reached over to her night stand and picked up the lone black-and-white picture. For a second, she looked at the woman smiling up at her before bringing it to her pale lips and kissing the glossed surface gently.

“Gute Nacht mamma.”

The room had been silent, dark. The open window had let in a cool, grass-scented breeze as the girl slept. Crisp chirps of crickets filled the night like a dull, white noise. Every few seconds, with a slight gust from the courtyard, the curtains over Paris’ bed wafted outwards, the pleasant, soothing sound of shifting fabric added to the lull of midnight. A slight shadow shifted in the choking darkness, the man’s striking features were outlined by the streetlight down below the window sill. From behind it, another figure seemed to appear slowly. The two who had walked in had never seen the sleeping, dark-haired creature before. Engrossed, one reached out a hand to brush away a few strands of black that covered the pale face.

"Yukari,” Said a deep, sultry voice. “Whose this?"

"George, get away from her. You might wake her up.” Yukari warned in the background. “She’s our new roommate. An exchange student from Germany, I think. I bet she had a long day. Let her sleep.”

The voices slowly nudged Paris awake from her shallow, restless sleep. Her eyes blinked open, and because of the drugging effect of fatigue, she kept her calm for the first few moment as she looked up. She saw a pair of blue eyes, a tuff of blue hair, and soft, peach colored lips smiled down at her. For a split second, she couldn’t help but stare back, until something inside of her realized the situation was a bit strange.

She screamed hoarsely, throwing her hand up at the face looking at her. There was an audible slap that rang throughout the dorm room; a startled gasp soon followed.

"W-who--“ Paris backed away quickly, pressing her back against the wall next to the window. A steady, chilly stream of air flooded in around her shoulders, raising goose bumps across her back. The figure held his face, shaking his head to dispel the pain. Through the confusion and shock, Yukari found it wise to turn on the lights.

“I'm so sorry. Did we wake you?” Yukari asked, turning to George with a scowl on her face. “I’m Yukari. Did Li introduce me?"

Paris’ eyes immediately had stung and watered when the lights flashed on. She sat there rubbing away the sleep and tears from her face as best she could.

“I’m Paris.” She said, nodding at Liyah with a smile. There was no doubt in Paris’ mind that she must have look quite ridiculous sitting there with her watering eyes and haphazard hair. “I’m…really sorry about that.” She glanced over at the male standing off from the two of them. Surprisingly, a soft grin was on his face.

“No harm done.” He said as he gently touched his cheek. “I get it a lot.” He walked back to her, reaching out a long, lithe hand to hers. “I’m George Koizumi. Pleased to meet you.”

Paris forced a smile and kindly shook his hand. She tried desperately to tame her hair but found it futile. She realized the only thing that could save her now was a shower.

“Isn't it a little late for you to be here?” Paris asked, trying not to sound rude. She watched as Yukari threw her jacket and purse onto a near by bed. The garments tumbled forward onto the floor.

“You’re right.” Yukari‘s face twisted up in a worried glance as she pressed her finger into her nose. “Maybe you should go now George.”

The tall, blue-eyed man nodded as he ran an elegantly long hand through his sapphire hair. He stood up against the post of the bunk beds, his free hand deep in his pocket. He looked tired as well and there was also a twinge of distant annoyance in his voice.

“Get me the dresses and I’ll be out of here before you can even say ’Stay for the night.’.” He said to Yukari as he motioned towards the other rooms.

Yukari’s eyes widening with embarrassment as she excused herself to the Dressing Room to get what George had came by for. As she was gone, once again a set of dark indigo eyes washed over Paris. He studied her for a long time, scanning over her doll-like face, the long, dark lashes that fluttered with unease every few seconds against her cheeks. Paris was becoming increasingly uncomfortable under his watch, frustratingly trying to decide on how to precede with small talk if Yukari didn’t reappear soon.

A few seconds later, Yukari, with her long, remarkably beautiful, black hair tied up in a bun, reentered the room, a large plastic bag hung over her left arm. George kissed her on the forehead as he took the bag, mumbling a quaint goodbye and a promise to meet her later today. With a wave, he disappeared out the door. A moment later, both Paris and Yukari heard the familiar alluring voice of their third roommate as she passed George in the hallway. The greeting was warm yet brief; it only took a second before Liyah appeared at the doorway.

"You brought George up?” A rosy cheeked Liyah joked as she slowly took off her coat and tossed it to the floor. Her eyes sparkled with something enchanted. “Yukari, you know he shouldn't be here this late, especially when someone is tryin’ to sleep…"

"Oh really? Is it just me or is that Ayato’s coat?“ Yukari replied, her voice uncharacteristically snappy and worried. Things were going badly with George. She’d rather be spared the cute little jokes until morning.

Liyah, a concerned look now forming on her face, looked down at the coat. A flashback of that evening was displayed in her mind. She mentally cursed herself for not reminding to give it back to him.

"I was gettin’ something to eat.” Liyah replied, a little troubled by Yukari’s troubled expression. “It's not that late.”

"Well its almost midnight…” Yukari said quietly, her mind somewhere else. Li glanced over at the plastic Hellsing clock over Paris’ bed. Sure enough it was 11:51pm.

“Might as well get to sleep than.” Liyah said quietly, following Yukari into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Paris just sat there as the two talked. She stayed out of their conversation, alienated by the fact that she was so new. There was a longing inside of her that tried to reach out to them, but failed as the two slowly drifted off to sleep.

“Tomorrow, I’ll walk with you onto campus.” Liyah suddenly whispered to Paris. “And, if you want, I can introduce you to some of my friends.”

Paris, caught off guard, smiled and looked towards her in the darkness.

If only she knew.