Chapter Text
The shrill beeping of his alarm clock reverberated through the cluttered room. Posters pasted upon each other with no rhyme or reason — at least to none but him.
Sunlight peaked through his blinds, filling the small space with an orange light. His favourite colour, but he'd rather slip back into the reddish black behind his eyes. His cheap mattress was more spring than fluff, but in the limbo between wakefulness and dreams, he could've sworn it was beckoning him.
He cursed at the alarm clock for doing its job when he finally rose from his bed. The moment sleep let go of him, his mattress was again reduced to springs. He groaned, and buried his face in his hands before running them through his head.
He didn't spare a second glance at his bedroom before exiting it; he hadn't cleaned it for weeks — if something shifted in the night he'd have no idea, so what was the point?
With a yawn, he opened the blinds over the kitchen windows. It creaked, maybe he shouldn't have used the oil to fix that dude's door. But hey, he had to earn money somehow...
He peered through the glass.
Axel City, in all its glory.
He wasn't fortunate to live in the pretty part of the city with pretty buildings and bright shops. No he lived in a neighborhood which was dubbed, "The Corner". Very creative considering it was in one of the corners of the city. Half surrounded by water, half surrounded by the better places.
The Corner had decrepit buildings with faded paint and obscenities written on every surface. Kids who grew up in The Corner knew naughty words long before kids in the prettier parts of the city could walk.
It had shady stores and housed bases of most of the criminal gangs that ran rampant through the city. AJ even met a mob boss at a coffee shop once, he was a sweet guy with 3 girls and kept gushing about how smart they were. AJ supposed he was what people call a "girl dad". He wondered if "boy dad"s existed. He wouldn't know; his memories got screwed up a long while ago.
He gained consciousness one day, at a park. He was 16, and was eating a chicken ham sandwich.
He knew his name. He knew his birthday. He knew his favourite colour. He knew he liked monster trucks.
He knew he had a brother. A brother named Blaze.
It felt like he knew everything about himself, but it was behind a curtain. A curtain he couldn't touch, but knew it was there. Occasionally, he'll see silhouettes of things behind the curtain, and he'll remember what it was like to have a brother.
But then the light disappears, and he's left with a curtain he can't see through, no matter how hard he tries.
Sometimes the curtain is lifted, but only in his dreams. Through them he's learnt that he might have just had an incredibly shitty childhood.
He sees green bottles with awful smells and cigarette burns on a woman's arm, sometimes the burns are accompanied by bruises. Then a person fills his view and turns his attention to monster trucks. The colourful machines occupy him and bring him to a different Axel City, one where they can talk. They go on adventures and do crazy things all while exploring the wonderful world of physics!
He sees himself raised on an older boy's shoulders, orange hoodie a contrast to the grey room. Together they drive through jungles and deserts and forests and tundras.
It's better than the life he had.
He silently muses it'd be better than the life he has now, as he scrapes his burnt omelette onto his plate.
He really should learn how to cook sometime. It's a miracle he hasn't died from dysentery or something.
He sighs and picks up his plate, preparing to drop the inedible scraps into the bin, when an odd pop of colour catches his eye. He leaves his dirty plate on the counter and tentatively walks towards his apartment door. On the mat, there's a letter.
There's only three things it could be, a reminder to pay rent, his utility bills, or that one cult member from two floors down trying to get him to join.
Upon closer inspection it's deduced that the pop of colour was the red wax seal on the envelope. He opens it.
An acceptance letter. To Nick University.
He honestly applied as a joke; with the only thing decent in his report card being physics and math — he didn't really expect to be accepted.
He was accepted into the Physics and Mechanical Engineering program, on a scholarship.
"Am I high?" He mumbled to himself, squinting at the words on the letter.
Once he saw the letter again the next morning, he realised he was sober. He didn't realise he was crying until the old lady who needed her heater fixed handed him a tissue.
★★★
Ryder did not need an alarm to get up in the morning, because — according to Katie — he'd been cursed to be a morning person.
His bedroom was the size of a small apartment building, but it was filled to the brim with boxes upon boxes. Dog toys and treats. Mostly toys because the treats would expire. He hoped it'd be enough to distract his dogs while he packs up for University.
He got the acceptance letter last night. Physics and Mechanical Engineering program. He really, really hoped they accepted him because of his Enginnering skills and not because his parents were politicians.
His mother taught him to never see himself above others, and his father taught him to help those in need. That's why they became politicians. (Personally he wouldn't vote for them though).
Even if they both had colourful opinions about it initially, they both accepted it. Their son wouldn't get into politics. Which is honesty the safest bet for him; he got kidnapped twice in the past month. Unfortunately for the kidnappers he has a black belt.
Maybe it wasn't a good idea to move to Adventure City. He loved Adventure County in all it's entirety — but if you were to compare it's urban neighbourhoods with it's suburban area, most people would choose to live in Adventure Bay.
The sounds of his dogs fighting over their kibble brought him back to the present.
He really, really wants to bring all his dogs, but Nick University only allows one pet per dorm room. He loves all his puppies equally (maybe Chase is his favourite by 1%) and it would be unfair to take one and not the others.
Speaking of his dogs, who'll take care of them while he's away?
He supposed he could ask his parents for some of their household staff — but he'd ideally want it to be someone he knows...
Oh!
Katie could.
And her clinic is super close to his watch tower! Bonus!
Now all that's left to worry about is if his roommate is chill.