Dr. Ichabod Hate University

Ivan's dad was undeniably and unavoidably old fashioned, the advent of a computer into the household was met with slight irritation and suspicion. So it was no surprise that the letter came by snail mail with that clear block print Ivan would recognize anywhere. It must be hard for his dad, thinking he was never going to get a family of his own and then ending up with a whole clutter of kids under foot, and then Ivan going off to school.

It made Ivan embarrassing, well, mushy, not that he'd cry or anything. One of his hands curled subconsciously around Lapuska, although he would never admit under threat of torture that he had packed his old teddy bear. He put his sock feet up on the bed (his dad'd kill him if he stuck his boots on the bedclothes) and settled into read, kinda half glad his roomie wasn't in yet. Ivan's half of the room was neat, and clean, everything put away. With a picture of his family on one corner of the desk and a poster of a Dodge Charger on the wall.

Chad wasn't quite sure just why he needed to switch rooms. The letter he received from the school proper hadn't been entirely clear (something about re-prioritizing and helping new students to aclimate) but he figured there was nothing to be done. Most of his personal possessions fit in a cardboard box; his clothes and sword, he was assured, would be packed and delivered to his new room.

He hadn't been told anything about his new roommate so Chad wasn't quite sure what to expect when he opened the door. When he saw that said roomie was already in, and set up, he placed his cardboard box down on his bed and stuck out his hand. "Hey, I'm Chad. I guess I'll be rooming with you, yeah?" There was a definite Wisconsin twang in the boy's voice. He was tall, too, and broad shouldered with bright blue eyes and close-cropped blond hair. Very All-American Boy Next Door.

Blinking up from the lines of neatly printed writing (there were seven pages, when had his dad found the time to write seven pages?). Ivan smiled politely, like he was taught and shook his hand. "Ivan. Very nice to meet you," after so long in Montana his voice was nice and American, although his coloring was distinctly Russian. His eyes and hair were dark, neatly groomed by order of his father. "I ended up coming in late, it was nice of you to move."

Chad's grip was firm, but not overpowering. "So, uhh, what're you studying here?" He set to the task of unpacking, but never gave the impression that he wasn't listening. Out of the box came a poster of the Green Bay Packers (which was tacked to the wall), a small wooden cross (which was hung over his bed) and an armful of football equipment that included an HSU jersey. A cheap laptop (which had seen better days) was set up on his desk along with a family picture in a clear plastic frame. Just about everything he owned; he hadn't realized there was so little of it.

"Angel studies," Ivan said, trying not to watch too curiously, Chad seemed to have a lot of stuff. Most of the things in his house were shared, it wasn't a matter of what you owned, just a matter of what you could get your hands on at the moment. He had his clothing, his car, and Lapuska. The picture was a gift from his dad and the poster was something he bought for himself, as a going away present. He looked at the cross curiously, his dad never said anything one way or the other about religion, but he couldn't help being curious. "I haven't decided if I want an emphasis yet. I just want to get caught up."

Chad nodded. "Well, there's a couple-two-three angels and saints running around on campus; I'm sure they could help you out." He sat on the edge of his bed, dropping his locked hands between his knees. "And there's Miss Rose. She's a professor but she's not ..." He searched for a polite way to word it. "She's more modern than some of the others, yeah? Makes her easier to talk to sometimes. Early studies aren't that bad. It's pretty basic stuff ... This is my second year and we're just starting to get into some of the heavier stuff." He nodded at this then added, "I'm, uhh, I'm studying to be a Paladin." It still sounded a little ridiculous, hearing it out loud. "And I play ball on the school's team. Quarterback." As if the jersey and helmet and his sheer size hadn't been a tip-off.

Ivan tensed a little at the mention of other angels and resisted the urge to touch the spot on his forehead where he'd been blessed, wondering if one of them could, he didn't know, smell it on him or something. He'd have to be careful, the only angel he'd met other than his dad had been Machen who was all about the thunder and lightening and looming ominously in corners. But there was no reason for Chad to know about him or his father. No reason for any one else to know. He hadn't put it on the application.

The difficulty level shouldn't be an issue though, he had grown up in it. His dad always blessed cars when he was done with them and Ivan had seen him do that plenty of times, and what little he talked about his time Upstairs Ivan had practically memorized. "A Paladin? You must be pretty devoted."

Chad failed to notice Ivan's shift in mood. He was a nice guy, to be sure, but not the most observant. He looked up at his roommate's question then over to the plain cross on the wall above his bed. If Ivan was more adept at reading people he might pick up a hint of ... shame? ... in Chad's expression. "Yeah. I guess. My folks're Lutheran, ELCA, if that makes any difference ... I actually haven't been to church in, geez, months now. Been busy I guess." He seemed to turn inward, reflecting on some unspoken trouble. Then, just as quickly, he shook off his darkening mood and regarded Ivan with a smile. "Hey, if you haven't already I can show you around, yeah? Give you an unofficial tour?"

Ivan carefully folded his father's letter and slid it back in its envelope before toeing on his boot and standing. "Thanks Chad I'd like that, I've wandered around a bit, but I kept getting lost," or distracted by girls, he liked college girls. He paused a second, he had seen the shame and something made him want to try and offer comfort. "My dad always said the best way to reverence God is in your heart," he tried. "We never really went to church growing up, so I don't pretend to know anything, but it seems that as long as you feel devoted inside, live your religion..." he shrugged. His dad was one of the most devoted people he knew, but he had never stepped foot in a church except for Sheriff Tom's wedding. Not that he could remember at least.

"Yeah, it's a pretty big campus but once you get it down it's not so bad." Chad stood and waited for Ivan to get his shoes on. He was beginning to think that maybe having a roommate wasn't going to be so bad. Ivan seemed like a nice enough guy; he was sure his mother would like him, which reminded him that, with everything that had happened, he hadn't had the chance to call her since getting her letter. Something else to worry about.

Ivan's voice caught the footballer's attention. He appreciated the effort and offered his roomie a small smile and shrug. "Thanks. It's just been a, uhh, a busy year, yeah? Gotta work on getting my head back in the game, I guess."

He led the way from the dorm, exiting the building to an extensive outside space. As the pair walked he pointed out the necessities: the cafeteria (the food wasn't half bad), the bookstore, the building where most classes were held and where most professors had their offices. There was also a small garden ("That's Miss Fatima's. She's a saint. Kind of intimidating, but I hear she's pretty nice, yeah?") and an astronomy tower and a row of fraternity and sorority houses. Near this row of houses, several jock-looking boys greeted Chad as did a few girls who looked like they might be cheerleaders. He waved back and made some promises to hang out later or get in some extra practice. The girls looked at Ivan with some interest and a couple smiled and winked at him.