Herbology

Stavros slowly made his way through the conservatory, going back and forth to examine the various plants, flowers, and herbs that were present. Although it was unlikely, maybe he'd find something that contained some chemical or substance that would be useful to him. He'd needed some way to occupy his time, and perhaps expanding the range of what he created would entertain him for some time. Not to mention it could be practical; maybe he'd be able to create something medicinal, or perhaps develop a poison. Both of these seemed equally appealing to him.

This school was nothing like he'd imagined or even wanted. There wasn't anywhere to go when one wanted to skip classes, there wasn't any point in having brought his car when the village was just down the road, he hadn't made any friends (not that he had any back home), and academics were a major focus here. It was with a desperate mind that Kyle threw himself wherever he could have fun and get attention.

This attitude found him heading to the conservatory midday over the weekend. He checked his phone for the millionth time, the last six messages he'd sent to this girl still unanswered. They had agreed to meet here, although it wasn't his choice, to make an unforgettable (or, for him, forgettable) afternoon, but as she wasn't answering his messages, he found his belief it would happen slowly dwindling. At the door to the conservatory, he considered turning back and actually doing his homework. Which was for nerds. Sucking in a deep breath, the boy entered the plant home, breathing in the warm, earthy air.

It was still nowhere near like home, but it was enough to bring him back, the freshness of the air almost hitting him in the face. He allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. Even if the girl never showed up, at least he wasn't completely unhappy for this moment.

Stavros' long, green hair swong around as he heard the door to the conservatory open. He hadn't exactly expected anyone to show up while he was here, but it was not a problem. What reason could he have for being here? Maybe it was simply to take in all the plant life and relax, but it could also be for a more interesting reason as well. Stavros simply made his way towards the student, silently examining him as he did so. He certainly didn't look like the type to come somewhere like this to relax, or just come to a place like this period. This only ended up making Stavros more curious and interested about the unfamiliar student's presence. "Hello."

At the sound of another person's voice, Kyle jumped, shifting backwards slightly as his head whirled towards the source of it. When he saw a person with green hair, he couldn't help but wonder if they had some kind of plant gift. After all, who else would willingly come to the conservatory?

I would. Like an ass.

"Uh, hi?" he said, his voice uncertain. They were short, it seemed an entire foot smaller than him, and their hair blended in with the organic growth around them. This was not what he had planned.

"If you do not mind me asking, what are you doing here? You do not seem like the kind of person who would enjoy a place like this." Stavros seemed slightly excited as he spoke. He couldn't do a very good job of hiding his interest in this student's reason for being here. If Stavros was very lucky, perhaps it'd be vaguely related to the reason Stavros himself was here. Then again, he didn't look like much of an intellectual either, so that was probably unlikely. Maybe he could still be helpful in some capacity though. Maybe it'd come to light this student needed something, or perhaps Stavros would be able to test some things on him. Either worked.

For a brief moment, Kyle considered telling the truth. That he had been lured here under false pretenses, that he was severely disappointed and felt lied to, that now he really just wanted to be home. Not here home, but his real home near the beach. But this was a stranger, a bit of an odd one at that, the way they were talking, and he didn't want to share possibly incriminating information about himself. Drawing in a deep breath, he said, "I haven't been here before and I had some free time, so I figured I'd come and check it out. I'm Kyle, by the way." He considered offering a hand to shake but opted to shove both deep in his jean pockets instead.

So he was being led here by curiosity then? It didn't appear like a particularly likely reason, but it was certainly a possible one, if nothing else. "I'm Stavros. I came here to examine the various flowers snd herbs that are present here in order to determine if any of them contained or produced any substances that would be of some use to me for developing things of the medical and poisonous nature. Would you happen to need anything like that, or perhaps anything else made? Would you perhaps like to aid in my studying?" As soon as he had begun to start speaking, it took some time for him to stop, and excitement was obvious in both his voice and his facial features as he did so. It seemed like a pretty unlikely scenario, but he was allowed to hope, and there was no harm in asking.