Chapter Text
On the sofa in the room 561 lay a woman with disheveled hair and dressed in a blue set of pajamas. On the floor at her side, a huge suitcase was open, and there were as many clothes around it as there were inside. But her eyes were glued to the fan that spun slowly above the small room, and to how its blades cast long shadows on the ceiling above. After some time, a powerful voice startled her awake:
— Korra, wake up! What are you doing?
The owner of the voice was standing next to the sofa, on the opposite side of the suitcase, and looking down at Korra with judgemental green eyes.
— Uh? Ah, sorry, Kuvira, I just zoned out a little — Korra said while getting up and continuing the packing from where she left.
— For God's sake, Korra, you're twenty-four already, when will you learn to focus for more than five minutes? — Kuvira asked with a groan.
— Yeah, yeah, I know. And you're just one year older than me, when will you stop acting like my mother? — she replied without looking in her roommate's direction, paying more attention to the shirt she was folding.
— Well, maybe now that you're moving — she smirked — Though one could interpret your procrastination as a demonstration of how little you want to leave me.
— Oh, shut up — Korra chuckled — If I could, I would have left a week ago, right when I knew my new dorm.
— Yeah, sure — Kuvira rolled her eyes, but couldn't contain a laugh.
Thirty more minutes had passed when they finished packing and were locking the door. There, Kuvira surprised Korra with a hug.
— I'll miss you — she said.
— Oh... me too, but you know that your apartment isn't that far away, right? — Korra replied, hugging her friend back.
— Hey, don't spoil my drama! — Kuvira feigned protest, but laughed nonetheless — But seriously, be well, and text me.
— Wow, now you're really talking like my mother — Korra replied.
— So you better obey me — she laughed while releasing the embrace.
They took the elevator down to the reception, a simple room with a counter in one corner. There, an old man registered their leave and received their keys before giving a new one to Korra. It was identical to the other one: small and golden, with a head in the form of a clover, to which a tape with the room number inscribed was glued. This one had the number 743 in it, as she was already informed.
The friends hugged one last time before parting ways, Kuvira to her car and Korra to her new room. She entered the elevator again, now going up, and let her mind wander while fidgeting with the key. When the door opened, she walked out too distracted to notice anything around, until a collision with something and a sound of paper made her aware again.
— Bloody hell! — exclaimed a female voice with a very posh british accent.
When Korra looked up, she saw the owner of said voice: a woman with raven hair, in stark contrast to her skin, that was as pale and smooth as polished ivory, eyes green like emeralds and full red-tinted lips. She was kneeling down to retrieve a fallen book from the ground and checking its integrity.
— Ah, sorry! I was distracted and didn't notice you! — Korra apologized as she approached the woman — Did I hurt you?
— Oh, don't worry, mate, I'm fine — she got up again and looked around — Just a little lost...
— I see. These corridors may be a little treacherous, specially for someone who just got here.
— Yeah, I'm noticing it — she looked back at Korra — Could you please help me getting to my room?
Just then Korra noticed the many suitcases around the woman, and couldn't help but wonder what they had.
— Oh, sure! Which one is yours? — Korra asked.
The pale girl fished a key in her pocket and looked at the number on it before answering:
— Room 743.
— Wait, seriously? — she couldn't help but chuckle — That's my room too!
— Really? — the girl looked surprised, but laughed — Woah, what are the chances of meeting my roommate like this?
— Crazy, right? — Korra now laughed too — Anyway, my name is Korra, it's nice to meet you.
— I'm Asami, and I say the same! — she said with an extended hand.
Korra shook it before starting to guide Asami to their room.
— So, you're an exchange student, I suppose? — Korra couldn't contain her curiosity.
— That's right. I'll be here for this year before going back to Britain — Asami replied.
— Oh, that's cool. From which course you are?
— Mechanical engineering. This year will be my last one. And you?
— Medicine. And in my last year too. I mean, at least before the residence.
— So we have a specialist in fixing bodies and one in fixing machines — Asami joked.
— Well, you can see it like this — Korra replied with a chuckle.
In no time, they were in front of their room's door, and Korra was unlocking it. Inside, it was exactly the same as all other rooms: a living room with an old TV, a sofa and a wooden table welcomed them, and a short corridor could be seen on the other side. At its end there was a very small kitchen, and its sides had two other doors: the right one leading to the bathroom and the left one to the bedroom.
They carried their suitcases to the bedroom and started unpacking, storing their clothes inside their respective closets and decorating each side to their like. Now, Korra finally discovered the contents of those numerous suitcases Asami carried: numerous books, tabletop and card games, miniatures, and all the sorts. She organized them all methodically, sorting the books by genre and theme, the games by style and ordering the miniatures almost as if they were an actual army. Such perfection was hypnotizing, and Korra was so entranced watching that she only finished her own side after Asami, despite being way simpler: just a bunch of posters from a lot of punk rock bands and her electric guitar in a display.
Once she finished, she did the same as Asami and lay on her own bed, finally resting after such a long day.
— So, for how long have you already been here in America? — Korra asked without moving her head, that was facing the ceiling. This one had no fan.
— No more than a day — Asami replied — I got to the airport this morning.
— Woah. And what about first impressions?
— Too many cars — she chuckled — But very normal besides this.
— Normal?
— Yeah. My father had some strange expectations about here, and maybe I ended up getting them too.
Asami's tone was unusually somber while saying this, so Korra decided it would be better to change topics. She looked at the opposing wall, now covered by a gigantic and highly detailed poster-map of the Middle-Earth.
— Where did you got this poster? That's awesome — she asked
— This one? Oh, I... I made it myself.
— You what? — Korra sat up out of surprise.
— Yeah, I drew the map and commissioned it on a poster — Asami sounded bashful.
— No way — she was now looking at the map with her mouth open, flabbergasted by the information.
— Nah, it isn't that much. I mean, many people drew maps of the Middle-Earth before, I just made mine based on those.
— No, it is that much — Korra looked back at Asami — It is even more than "that much". It is the nerdiest thing I've ever seen someone do, and this is absolutely awesome.
— Seriously? I wouldn't peg you as one who likes this kind of thing.
— Oh, I'm not. But I always appreciate people putting a lot of effort in these things — she raised an eyebrow — And to be honest, I would have said the exact same thing about you when we met before.
— Fair enough — Asami laughed and pointed at Korra's guitar — But on the other hand, I expected you to be exactly like this. And that's awesome too.
— Heh, I don't play it very well. I had some classes when I was younger, but wasn't the most dedicated student — she chuckled.
— I'm sure you're just being modest — she smiled — And I would love to hear it anyway.
— Well... maybe tomorrow. Now it's getting late, and I didn't even bathe yet — Korra said shyly
— Oh, me neither. But you can go first.
And so they did, bathing and changing to their pajamas quickly, then going to sleep, thinking how well their first hours as roommates went.