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Tommy was back in the basement, but only to pick up the last few things from his old room that he needed to move upstairs to his new one. There wasn't much left behind, really. A half empty bottle of hair gel, a small wooden box with a few earrings and gauges inside, a couple of battered books that had seen much better days, some bars of soap and other little odds and ends that were all tossed into a box that he had brought with him with little thought. When finished, there wasn't a personal item of his own left in the room, and he was sure to check every dank and dungeony corner before he finally strutted out, box tucked beneath one arm and head held high with a small smile perpetually on his lips.

He only managed to get a few steps before he tripped on something that was lying on the floor, though he caught his balance pretty quickly before turning on his heel to see just what it was that he had caught the toe of his soft leather boot on.

Oh. A book. He stepped back towards it and leaned down to pick it up, turning it over to have a look at the title.

An eyebrow raised, and he was swiftly scooping it up, eyebrows suddenly drawn together as he suddenly turned to lean against the nearest stone wall, between two room doors, his box unceremoniously dropped to the floor and nudged with his foot so that it was out of the way of anybody passing by.

He flipped open the cover, noted a name scrawled inside, and then flicked a couple more pages in.

And then, he began to read. Right there. In the middle of the basement. His intention was, actually, to read the entire thing, and when he was finished, he would set it back down where he had found it. He didn't even care if that took him all day, which was unlikely as he was a fast reader, and nearly 300 pages or not, this was pretty mindless drivel.

He would probably love every last little bit of it.

Tommy had not really felt like he had been leaning against that wall for long, though he had managed to burn through at least a third of the book already, eyes eagerly scanning down the pages, fingers flicking through them rather quickly. Normally, he might have actually taken the time to savor and enjoy the story, but since he felt it necessary to return the book to where he had found it in case it's owner should return, he thought that haste might be prudent.

Shifting a little in his position, a stone digging into his back uncomfortably, Thomas had just flicked to a new page when a man, a relative stranger to himself, wandered by. His dark eyes flicked up briefly, and a small smile was given along with a nod of his head, before those eyes went back down, continuing right along.

Rapid returning footsteps had Tommy looking up again, eyebrows suddenly raised at the pointing finger, and at the gaping mouth, before the other mans words were uttered, and suddenly, something clicked in the mist trainees mind.

"Oh this? No. It is little more than garbage, really." He closed the book with a broad smile, flashing teeth, his Italian accent thick on his words. "It might have been best to leave on the ground where I found it. Something so awful deserves little more then to be trod into the dirt."

Suddenly, he just couldn't do it anymore, and he let out a bark of laughter, giving his head a small shake before he continued. "Are you Horace, by any chance? I apologize, I do not actually think so lowly of your literature. I am rather enjoying it, actually."

....He really hoped this was Horace, otherwise he was going to come off as rather bizarre. Or, at least, more bizarre then he likely already did.

Tommy had closed the book, but at Horace's question, his broad smile widened somehow yet more and he flipped it back open to the inside cover, turning it around for the other man to see, before flipping it closed again and holding it out towards him so that he could take it back.

"I guess it is fair that, since I know your name, you should know mine. Thomas Giacinto, but please, call me Tommy."

The blush, however subtle and if even noticed at all, was completely ignored. Thomas wasn't really trying to embarrass the other man, though teasing did come quite naturally to him. The book was handed back easily, and Tommy was about to bend down to retrieve his small box of possessions and be about his way, when he Horace's smile stopped him.

A pierced eyebrow rose slightly at the sudden offer. "Ah, really? Thank you, that is appreciated." He nodded, taking the book back without pause before his own eyes flicked down to the box at his feet, just as Horace did so as well.

"Yes." He answered. "I found an empty room upstairs...though it seems another found it at the same time as me. We are rooming together now, but it is still better then rooming down here, I believe." He grinned, leaning back against the wall as he resumed talking.

"You are staying down here, I take it? Or visiting? I should get your room number so I can return this when I am finished." Which, at the rate he was going, might be in just another hour or two.

Tommy glanced down the hallway in the direction of Horace's room, as if he could see it from where he stood, but locked the number in memory....or at least, attempted to. He wasn't always all that great with numbers, but he told himself he would write it down once he got back to his room.

"I suppose everyone has a preference. It is just, ah....a bit too claustrophobic for my liking. No windows, no sunshine." He shrugged his shoulders, still giving the other man an easy smile. "Though I suppose sharing a room is a bit stifling as well, yes. And yes again! She is indeed, though there are no intentions there for anything to happen between us. She is quite nice. Almost a perfect roommate, as far as having one forced on me goes."

"The cleaner water is definitely a plus, but I always went upstairs to shower anyways. It is only but a short walk away." Tommy then glanced down to the box he had put at his feet.

"Ah no, no. I do not think so. This is the last of it...though I would not say no to company if you wish to walk with me for a ways."

Thomas had to agree. "Yes, it is rather more then I am used to as well." And made for very sweaty exercise and training, as well. "Though that is all the more reason to be closer to the nice showers." He grinned, gesturing in a shall we? sort of way before setting off down the hall and towards the stairs.

He snorted a little in response to Horace's comment. "Fancy? I have slept in nicer alleyways." He joked, before shaking his head. "I kid. It was not an alleyway. It was a crack motel."

He was probably not being serious. Probably.

After a little bit of a walk, up the stairs and down the hallway, Thomas came to a stop at room 178. "And here it is." He gestured with a bit of a flourish, before unlocking the door and pushing it open. "Behold the majesty."

There was barely even room to walk between the bed and the cot, let alone everything else crowding the room.

"Yes?" It was Tommy's turn to raise an eyebrow, not really thinking much of why the other man might suddenly be so curious as to whether this was indeed the mist trainee's room, though he did look at the number on the doorway again just to be sure. "Yes." He nodded this time in affirmaition, having decided that it was indeed his, if the fact that he had just unlocked it and could see all of his posessions on the other side of the door was not quite enough.

And then it all became quite apparent why Horace suddenly seemed so intent on him, as Tommy turned towards him and leveled that narrowed, assessing gaze with a wide eyed innocent stare of his own.

"Well, I do beat her occasionally when she doesn't make my sandwhiches just right, but otherwise I think I am being quite nice to her."