Chapter Text
In an old little street of Paris - the kind you'd find only if you were really looking for it and had a very detailed map, or if you got incredibly lost - in between two woobly buildings, there stood the Pandora Residence. It was a residence only by name, and looked just as poor and odd as the rest of the street. It was however agreed by the few neighbours and the occasional pizza delivery boy that it wore its name well, and that if you gave in your curiosity and oppened its doors, you would probably regret it. Very probably.
On the first floor, behind a massive dark red door, lived Rufus Barma. He owned the building, as well as a library a few streets away. He was a strange man, far older than he looked, rather grumpy and very vain. He liked things ordered and cleaned, especially if they belonged to him, and had given hell to his residents many times in the past if they left any mess in the stairs or corridors. He had this way of looking at you that made you feel like the lowest form of life on the planet, and that made most people hate him. Not that he bothered caring about it.
The second floor had only one appartment also, with a rather plain door if you could overlook the lilac colored sign plastered on it. Which, really, no one could. There were three different hand writings: a simple neat one read "Reim Lunettes", a curly elegant one underneath "Sharon Rainsworth", and a jumpy messy one crosswise and half overstepping the two others "Xerxes Break", surrounded by little strange doodles of candies. Three people you'd never have expected to live together if you'd met them separatly. They owned a little bakery - which also served as coffee shop - not far away, although far enough they wouldn't be right next to Barma's library. Reim made the best cakes of the city, and Sharon the best tea. The young miss only worked there in the evenings and week ends, as she was also a student. No one was too sure what Break was doing, but they thought better than asking.
On the third floor, there were two small appartments. It was the only floor with separated appartments, which was really rather useless considering how much time their residents spent with one another. Behind the little white door on the right lived Echo. No one knew her last name, and the few who had asked has only recieved a cold blank stare as an answer. She was the only person living in this building who had never got into trouble with Barma. She was small, tidy and quiet, and liked to make herself unnoticed if she could. She also spent a lot of her time on the roof with what seemed to be a diary. Her neighbour, Vincent Nightray, was a strange man. No one knew what he did for a living, but no one asked. Everyone was very happy with not having anything to do with him, thank you very much. He often ordered pizza - never sliced - and had scared more than a few delivery boys just by the look of his door, covered with stabs and gashes. Once again, no one asked.
On the fourth floor lived his little brother, Elliot Nightray, with his best friend slash maybe more slash we are not dating mind your own business insert here colorful language censored in your own interest, Leo Baskerville. They were both students, in the same university as Echo, Sharon and Oz - we will talk about this boy later. Elliot was doing political studies, as his father had asked - not that he really had a choice - of him, and Leo was in the litterature course. You could often hear them play the piano, even from down the street, during the evenings. Surprisingly, it was one of the rare noise Barma had never complained about. Sharon had even installed a small cheap piano in the coffee shop when she'd realized their income was much better than expected. It was a nice way of forcing the boys out to share their compagny every now and then.
Finally, on the fifth floor, right under the roof, lived another little strange association of three friends. Oz Vessalius was in the same class as Sharon and Elliot, and also spent a great part of his time in the coffee shop, having long conversations with Break that would end up in everyone having a migraine except them both. He was bright and smart, a cheerful spark of energy full of tricks and fake innocence. No one would have guessed that he was, just like his two flat and class mates, the heir of one of the biggest industry of the country. Gilbert Nightray was Oz's best friend, as well as the elder of his brothers who shared his flat. He was an excellent cook, most of his pastries could compete with Reim's, and no one could beat his coffee recipes. He had started working at the coffee shop a few months back, and they hadn't let him leave ever since. It was yet another reason why Oz spent so much time in that place. Alice Baskerville - not exactly related to Leo, it was complicated, most Baskerville family related matters were - was the last piece of the trio. She was an interesting young lady, although most wouldn't use the word "lady" to describe her. She had just as much energy as Oz, if not more, and spent most of her free time bickering with Gilbert and teasing him about his hair. She worked in butcher's shop right next to the coffee shop. The owners loved her, and she loved their meat.
In the times they weren't trying to kill one another, they all got along rather well. Especially when it came to try and trick their neighbours, or elaborate plans against Barma that they'd never carry - Break was particularly fond of the one involving cutting the old man's long red hair. They spent their free time chattering in the shop or on the roof, they'd invite themselves into each other's appartments without reason, and had on every friday a movie night where they took turns choosing the movies. Which would more than often end up in a lot of bickering to finally agree at an unholy hour on one movie they'd all seen a hundred times, and they'd all fall asleep on the couches or on the floor before the end of it.
Such was the life of the residents of Pandora.