good company.

“I enjoy doodling here or there but I can’t say I’m an artist by any means,”he says with a laugh, “So I am sure you bear is much better than anything I could draw.” With that he moves towards the other in order to catch a glimpse of his notebook. “It’s good,” he says with a smile.

“Me either, definitely not an artist, but I do like to doodle. Do you do other things? I’ve heard everyone has, like, a- ‘a thing’ that they do?” Rivan laughed too, pushing his notebook towards the boy so he could get a better look. “Thank you, he’s a work in progress.” He smiled, enjoying the boy’s kindness as he slid his notebook back towards himself.

“Each book holds its own little world,” Anika replied. “They’re all so immersive, and I love…knowing things, I suppose. I think there’s something powerful about expanding my mind to things that it never knew when we were in the Jungle. It’s certainly overwhelming, but for me it’s almost…a challenge? To try and learn as much as I can.” She shrugged her shoulders, thinking back to the struggle she’d had when she first became human. The cultural differences, the slang, the general behavioral differences were all certainly difficult to learn. However, it was her own personal feelings towards humans that made things so difficult. Even now it was strange to look down at her hands and see the same tools that had killed her mother all those years ago. “Yes, humans are indeed very complicated. I don’t know how they do it sometimes.” 

“I never thought about it that way,” Rivan ran a hand through his hair, thinking about her words. “If I was competitive, I think that might really help me, but I’m just... not. I don’t especially like challenges. I wish I could just read something once and suck all the knowledge up into my head but... it just doesn’t work that way, I guess.” He sighed, before smiling at the girl in front of him, “You’re really smart, Anika.” He complimented, wishing he could be as intelligent as she seemed to be. Rivan had a troublesome time figuring out humans. He’s beginning to get it now, he’s got the grasp of it, but there’s still so much he doesn’t know and understand. “I never know how they do it, but it’s really interesting. The way they socialize and all of that stuff. It’s so different from the Jungle. So, so, so different.”

“Oh, are you doodling anything particularly interesting?”he asks as he raises an eyebrow, slowly placing his book on the table in front of him. He’s not sure why he’s interested, normally he wouldn’t be interested. “Oh,” he repeats, “that’s interesting.” It’s really not but he’s not sure what else there is to say.

“Not really. Right now I’m trying to draw a bear- because I’m from the jungle, and technically I am a bear- but.. I’m not so sure I’m doing very well. You can look at it if you want... but really, it’s just a simple doodle. Do you like to draw?” He asked, nodding at the boy’s other comment. He knew it wasn’t very interesting, but it was nice that he at least said it was.

“No, I’m being serious.” Auburn admitted with a shrug and a shake of her head. “I’ve legit never done that. Is that really so shocking?” The young brunette asked  as she lifted her mug to her lips and took another sip from the tea she had just made.

“Maybe not shocking to others, but definitely shocking to me!” Rivan rested his head against his hand, trying to figure out if it was only a bear thing. “You’ve really never floated through a river on your back? Huh...” That was the main thing bears did, he was still confused at the idea of living a life without that. 

“I’m not trying to be intrusive or anything-” Oliver states as he narrows his eyes, “but what exactly are you doing?” he asks the person sitting next to him as he stares at them. “The last time I checked, it’s finals week, this is the library and that’s not studying.”

Rivan looked over to the boy with a friendly smile, “Oh, that’s okay! I’m just... sort of, doodling, I guess? I’m trying to find something I’m good at, and I’m pretty bored, so I thought I’d draw a little. It’s not studying, definitely not. I don’t have finals because I haven’t technically started classes yet at WDU. I have to get my GED first, but I’m really, really close now.” He explained, hoping he wasn’t talking too much. He didn’t want to be bothersome.

Anika shook her head with a soft laugh. “I wish I did. No, I don’t know where every book is, but I’m hoping that with time I can familiarize myself with most of them. But I have memorized the library’s organizational system, and have reach a handful of books from each section. Those three are all ones that I’ve read,” she explained, gesturing to them as she spoke. “I read them years ago, when I was still in school. They were very helpful in teaching me some of the elaborate history humans have had.” She found herself idly running her fingers along the spines on the shelved books, almost as if they offered some sort of comfort. “It can be…very overwhelming, can’t it?”

“Well, that’s still pretty amazing, if you ask me. Why do you like books so much? I’m not judging you, really, I’m just curious. I’ve only really read them for school, but I wonder if I’d like the ones that aren’t school related.” He thought on this for a minute, wondering how amazing books could possibly be. Rivan was positive Anika had a good reason for liking books as much as she did. “Thanks, well, if you used these to get your GED, I should probably do the same.” He sighed, he hated those letters. GED. They brought so much stress to his life and really, he hated to be stressed. “Very overwhelming. I don’t really understand any of it- the human part, at least. I just don’t see why they do all of the things they do. Being a bear is... so much simpler. We don’t have all this... this.. drama? Is that even the right word?”

I’ve got all black fur, with a white patch around my neck, sort of like a necklace! Humans call my kind “sloth bears” so I look a lot like all other sloth bears.

Well, Bailey’s an all-around lovely person. She’s very pretty, but also really nice, which just makes her seem prettier. Reese is really nice and pretty too. I don’t really know Rhea or Bay that well, but I find them attractive too! Oh, and Anika is so pretty too, how could I almost forget her? She’s always been so kind to me, even when I was really little. 

No, not that I know of. How do you know that you have one of these “crushes”? I know what they are, kind of. It all sort of goes over my head, I think.

“Yes, I certainly think it is,” Anika replied with a smile. She was incredibly grateful that she was able to convince her father to let her attended WDU all those years ago. While she loved the role that she’d created for herself in the Jungle, the desire for something more couldn’t be satiated back at home. “World War I it is. Now let’s see…” Anika quickly scanned the shelf of history books. With nimble, elegant fingers she plucked three books from the shelf with a practiced grace. “These are the three best ones, in my opinion. This first one has a great, comprehensible overview and is perfect if you’re looking for more of an overall understanding. This second one also has an overview, but it’s not as comprehensible and it goes more in depth on certain key events, which would be helpful if there are only certain aspects you need to know. And this third one isn’t going to give you the details of the second, but it will give you a historian’s perspective which could be beneficial if you need to write a paper or have a class discussion.” 

Rivan may have gone to WDU behind Baloo’s back, but whenever his dad told him he wanted him to come home, he always used Anika as leverage, and he was thankful to have her there for many more reasons. She made him feel like home wasn’t quite so far away. He watched her quickly find the perfect books for him in wonder. “How do you know where all the books are? I could try and try and try and I could never memorize where everything is.” He looked around, wondering just how many books were in the library to begin with. “Do you know where every single book in the library is?” His curiosity was clearly getting the best of him. He carefully took the books from her, listening to her explain the contents of each one. “Oh, thank you! You really saved me, Anika. You’re the best.”

Clarence shook his head. “I wouldn’t mind… And I don’t think others would either, especially if they’re your friend.” Considering his words carefully, he continued. “…I think sometimes friendship is about leaning on them, just like you’d let them lean on you.” He recalled his mom saying something along those lines to his dad many years ago. “But um– You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.” 

Rivan looked over at Clarence, “You wouldn’t?” He scratched the side of his head, wondering if the boy next to him would consider him to be a friend. Human’s social lives were still so foreign and strange to Rivan. He nodded, “I do always want to be there for my friends. I don’t know why it would be different when I’m the one who needs someone there. Maybe I just think about it too much or something.” He shrugged, “It’s just my dad. He doesn’t like that I’m here, and he wants me to come home.” 

“Injury is a part of the fun, my friend!” Calder encouraged, already finding this man to be quite charming and easy to talk with. It had been a while since Calder had had a camaraderie with someone. “Asgard is on a different planet. Most mortals only ever see with their Human Eye. Earth is all that exists to them, but the world expands to so much more.” He said in a wise voice. Honestly, Calder didn’t really know if it would hurt the male, but he doubted it could. Not a little bit. Could it? “It will be fine.” Calder reassured with faux bravado. “Now, come! My room is not far. You will feel better in no time at all.” Calder was already starting forward now, walking to his room, not even looking behind him to see if the other male was following.

“It is? I thought injury was... bad... and painful?” It was clear that Rivan was confused, wondering if he’d gotten the meaning of injury twisted with another word. “A whole different planet? Wow, that’s amazing. Can people see Asgard? Is it invisible?” Their was childlike excitement clear in his voice. Rivan nodded, he seemed sure enough- what could be the harm in a little aged mead? “Oh, okay!” He realized that the boy was already moving and walked quickly until he caught up to Calder. “I sure hope so. Thanks, by the way.”