FLOOOWWERRZZZ |D

It was close to the late afternoon when the newest kid in the school had decided that he was going to take a walk around the campus. The entire building had completely surprised him mainly due to the sheer size of the building and the land that it sat on, but he was trying to find one thing: flowers. Something to remind him of home. He needed that one security that would help him get over being homesick since this was his first time actually living independently away from his mother who had encouraged him to go to this school.

After a short while of walking, Brendan finally came across a rather large building made completely of glass and separate from the rest of the giant mansion that stretched aimlessly across the cleared out land until it reached the forest on one side and... who knew what was lying on the other? Brendan didn't exactly want to know. He was only focused on this glass house sitting away from all other activities. It was as if this place was calling him... but why? Taking a deep breath, the white-haired boy gripped the small knob on the door and turned it slowly only for it to swing out with a small creek from the squeaky hinges although he completely ignored it. All he could focus on was what was inside.

Sitting in the large room were plants. Tons of plants everywhere: hanging from the ceiling in pots, sitting on the floor, plants layering over plants. But, the best part was that all of them were covered in beautiful flowers that held every color of the rainbow. It was one of the most magnificent things he had ever seen. His eyes widened as he took a few steps into the conservatory, his focus belonging only to the flowers and the joy that they had brought him. Yes, this was home. This was what he had been in search of while he was here. Now, the only question was if he was allowed to be in here or not...

The sunlight filtered through every inch of window, leaving the entire place bright and luminous. The air was humid and a little heavy, but thanks to all the growing life in the contained space, it was somehow also fresh and crisp. The ground was soft with marble slabs, the entire place modern and neat. Every bit of the life there was given the exact amount of attention. There were no animals or wild creatures that got in or out of this place, out of fear of their destruction. Not a single chemical was used on any plant, seen almost as distasteful as sin by the caretaker, who loved this place so. Speaking of which...

Deeper into the room behind a few rows of garden, a young blonde woman stood, tirelessly sweeping every stray bit of dirt back into the pots and giving each plant it's own desired amount of water. To the contrary of what most people would imagine, this keeper of the conservatory was in a completely bright mood; in bliss being surrounded by her own created heaven, relishing in the warmth the sun brought unto her skin. She had no expectations of anyone else coming in, at least not if they were of her rank. Though the headmaster had enforced that the place would remain an open area to the public, much to her disappointment, it was hardly expected of anyone to walk in while she was there... Simply because the students normally tended to avoid her. Obvious reasons, like how the earth guardian might have intimidated them now and again... or they were all out afraid she'd bite their heads off if they ever crossed her path. She was certain it was something along those lines.

That reasoning taken into account, she expected no one to be watching when she walked out into the newcomer's sight, focusing on a small plant that was still refusing to bloom. "Come on, now..." she said quietly, almost soothing it as if it cold understood her. "You're been hiding out for too long." Irene cupped one of the buds in her hands, hiding it from the world for a few moments before opening her loose grip up. As she moved her hands away more and more, a magnificent flower was blooming brightly at an unnatural rate. She put her hands gently on the edge of the stand it rested on to observe her handy work; a classic red rose.

Brendan had come to a complete stand-still when he realized that he was not alone in this amazing place of natural beauty. When he saw Irene, he had completely stopped and was about to reach out and say something to her when he noticed what she was doing. Not saying a word, he watched carefully as she spoke softly to the little rose bud before cupping it in her hands as if she were holding it carefully. It was only when she had opened her hands to reveal a perfect red rose did Brendan finally unconsciously give away his presence with a sharp gasp.

How did she do that? He asked himself as he looked from the flower to the woman's face. Surely she would have heard him standing there now after breaking the dead silence in the warm room. He bit his lip nervously as he expected her to look up at him in surprise since he was sure that she had no idea that he even existed at that point in time. But, as he awaited some kind of shocked statement, his mind could help but wander back to the rose. The perfectly bloomed rose that took form in the hands of a woman within seconds. It was astounding; breathtaking even. He was amazed.

She lifted a hand and gently ran her finger against the rim of the petals, deciding she was satisfied with her work. She had made sure that every plant in this room would live up to it's potential and every now and then it was inevitable that there was going to be a late bloomer. Irene didn't mind this in the slightest. It was a simple fact to her that sometimes nature just needed a little helping hand, and she was happy to give it; after all, it was what she was practically born to do. And she had been doing it her whole life, even before her arrival at Beata, their house was always adorned and spectacular. Now, if only she could be so gentle with the students... Ha, didn't everyone wish?

A chill went down her body and she froze entirely when she finally took notice of the stranger not more than a couple of feet away. Her green gaze flashed quickly over in his direction, questioning and demanding. White hair, tall-standing... Simple characteristics she had noticed at first and figured that she had never seen him on campus before. He must have been new, and for whatever reason, she wasn't warned of his arrival. What was he doing here? How long had he been standing there. Unfortunately for her, Irene was not usually used to being caught off guard, it left her a little dumbstruck. "W- what are you doing?" The words stumbled out as she quickly tried to regain her composure. Guardian-mode, yip yip!

Brendan stood there, just about as dumbfounded as the guardian herself. He didn't know how to answer her even though she had just as much lack of confidence as he did at the moment. In other words, it was blatantly obvious that neither of them expected to see one another. "I, uh, I was just--" Just what? He couldn't tell her he was obsessed with flowers. That would make him look like some kind of girly man. No, he had to try to come up with a lie. "I just, um... I got lost around the campus. I was walking around in the courtyard one moment and the next, I had no idea where i was. I simply ended up here. I.. I didn't mean to disturb you," He said nervously, hoping that the folly in his words was well hidden. His gaze dropped as the young woman tried to gain her own composure from the complete surprise that was Brendan simply standing there where hardly anyone ever stood... in the conservatory.

Irene quickly brushed bits off dirt off her hands and her uniform, wanting to look as orderly as possible before taking a deep breathe and standing up straight, regaining herself just in the middle of his stuttering. She gave the older boy a strange look, obviously thinking that he was lying. This place was so secluded, where on earth was he trying to go? The other place farther out then the forest, he had to be some kinda retarded to miss that. The young woman took a few steps away from the plant and up to him. Unfortunately, the conservatory wasn't hers only for the keeping; as much as she would adore to order him to leave the place at once, she knew she couldn't; the rule lover in her forbid it so. Instead, Irene held herself together and decided to question him. "What were you looking for in the first place?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Do you really get lost that easily?" No. The guardian quickly raised a hand, as if silently commanding him to not even bother answering those questions. "Alright, what's your name?"

As soon as Irene took a few steps towards him, Brendan took a step back. The influence and intimidation in this woman was great, and he could feel it. "I--" He had started to answer her questions until her hand came up, motioning for him to stay silent. As soon as she was firm on her decision, he didn't dare speak another word. It was only when she asked him one final question did he started over with a bit of a shake. "I-I'm Brendan Cassedie, ma'am," He stated simply, not wanting to overdo it with this woman who seemed to be of some importance to this school. She just had that kind of appearance of teacher or principle of a sort. Now all Brendan could hope for was him not getting in trouble for trespassing or something of the sort. That would have been bad. "Hey Mom. Yeah, I got in serious trouble today... on my first day of school." That would definitely go over well...

Irene stared down the young man, her green eyes unwavering as the thought of what to do. "Brendan Cassedie." she started, repeating the name as to remember it later. Well, she couldn't do anything to him here, but she could certainly watch him like a hawk for later trouble, just so she could feel some kinda justice for the surprise that he had given her. The earth guardian held his gaze for a few more moments before looking down, relaxing her shoulders. "Alright, Brendan. If you're going to be here, just... don't break - or destroy anything." "Or I will have your arse mounted over my fireplace. :D" Irene let out a long sigh and turned back around, turning her attention back to the small plant. She avoided looking in his direction as she focused, motioning and forcing the plant to grow near twice in size, she went on to finishing blooming the remaining roses on the bush.

"Oh, no. I wouldn't ever break anything in here. It's too beautiful," He replied to her with a smile, too mesmerized by the flowers to try to really fake anything. This was a place of natural beauty, and it amazed him. The fact that this girl or woman could actually make these flowers come to life took his breath away. After there was a few moments of awkward silence as he slowly walked around the conservatory admiring Irene's handiwork, he finally kind of looked back at her as she continued to ignore him. It was obvious that she felt just as awkward with this situation as he did. "You have an awesome gift," He finally told her, breaking the silence between them.

Irene had already started to tune him out before catching his reassurance as well as his compliment. She kept her attention at her work and didn't so much as glance in his direction, but she was still unable to help but notice how sincere he sounded and take light in the fact that he could appreciate what she had worked so hard to create. She walked around the room, tiding up the area and continuing giving them water, but there was still that awkward stillness in the air; she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Usually, the only time she had to herself was when she was in here. With this boy, she felt like her every move was being watched. "Oh." Irene said quietly after he broke the silence, forcing a smile so small, it might be debatable if it even existed at all. "Thank you..." Well, that was unexpected. The earth guardian gave him a strange look. "You're a new student?"

As soon as Irene smiled, even though it was the slightest little grin, the world exploded and life as we know ceased to exist *shot*.

Brendan nodded as he stopped to look at a few daisies that had just gone into full bloom of several warm colors from cherry red to neon yellow. These were his favorite kind of flower. "Yeah, I actually just got here a few hours ago," He responded. It was a little strange how the entire situation from the moment he had entered the conservatory went from shocking to awkward, and now it was starting to relax ever-so-slightly as they started to converse. Brendan paid no mind to how awkward it was except for the fact that Irene, who had yet to actually tell him her name, seemed to want to kick him out earlier as if he was breaking some kind of rule of the green house.

She said nothing for a few moments longer, slowly realizing he must not have known who she was. "And your power?" she asked, noticing as his attention caught on some of the daisies. Irene felt a small spark of protecting worry, as those were some of her favorite flowers of well, and was unable to help but float over. To make sure nothing happened to her precious babies. ;_; She didn't really do much, just stood there, fixing a few bent leaves and sprucing a few of the flowers up. She was trying not to make it obvious, and it wasn't working, but she was just idly waiting for Brendan to move on away from them... Don't think about touching 'dem grapes either. >3>

Brendan, as soon as Irene walked over from her casual place next to her roses, took a few steps back from the beautiful daisies in order to give her a little more room to work. He noticed how protective she was of these plants and was glad that he wasn't the only one that truly appreciated natural beauty. Maybe that's why he wasn't attracted to girls with loads of make-up...

After going off on that bunny trail for a second, he focused back on what the guardian had said. "Oh, me? I can create little pockets in space where I can store things or take things from storage. I know it seems silly, but it comes in handy when I run out of place to store things. Its kind if like a portable closet." he said, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

Irene nodded slowly, finishing tiding up the little area. "I see..." she quietly wondered what reason the headmaster would want with such a power, but figured she shouldn't question it; If Mr. Cassedie was here, there must have been a good reason for it. The blonde bit her lip and stared at the flowers a few moments longer, hearing him stepping back and giving her room, to which she appreciated. An idea flickered in her head and she spun lightly on her toes, turning to face him. "I'm going to get something, don't wander off too far." she told him, rubbing some of the dirt off her hands as she walked to the back. The earth guardian went out of his site and searched around her little storage area, looking for a few things in particular.-

Brendan blinked as the girl seemed to kind of skip away only after telling him not to wander of too far in a manner that seemed like she was ordering a pet to sit and stay. It was a little strange, but he didn't question it. She must have had a good reason as to why she wanted him to stay, and so that is exactly what he did. Shoving his hands in the pockets of his nice pants he was wearing, he stood in the same spot with his head down, wondering what Irene was up to. She seemed to have a kind of authority to her, but why, he wondered. Shrugging, all Brendan could do was think that he hadn't been here long enough to really find out how everyone acted. And so, the nice-looking young man stood and waited for the lovely Earth guardian to come back with whatever it was she was searching for.

She kept on searching for a little bit longer, finally finding what she was looking for, a small clay pot. Nothing too fancy, but it'd do. She packed in her own soil and compost and swept the excess dirt off the top. She stopped by a small counter and swept a few more things into the palm of her hand before walking back out, seeing that Brendan had hardly moved at all since she momentarily disappeared, simply switching to a more relaxing stance. "Hold out your hand." Irene told him, waiting for the white-haired boy to do so. The earth guardian held a few small daisy seeds in her fingers and placed them in his. She swung the pot up and held it between them. Irene assumed he'd get the hint and plant the seeds himself. She had her own reasons for doing this, a test of some sorts.

Brendan took the seeds into his hands and studied them for a moment, turning them over gently in his hand with his index finger as if each one was completely different and held some kind of surprised as to what it might be. It was only when the pot appeared between him and Irene did he finally get the idea of what she wanted. As she held the pot of soil, Brendan carefully dug out a few small holes in the dirt with his fingers, placing one tiny, fragile seed in each hole. With a silent smile, he carefully covered the seeds back up and looked at Irene, hoping that's exactly what she wanted him to do. "What exactly is this for?" He asked curiously.

Irene stayed quiet and watched carefully as he poked holes into the dirt, gently pkanting the seeds. She smiled ever-so-gently as he patted the soil down. "Well ", she said slowly, handing the pot over to him with great caution. "I want you to take care of this. Understand?" Irene waved one hand over the surface. A few moments later, sprouts were poking out of the ground where Brendan had planted the seeds.

He held onto the pot carefully with both hands as he watched the seeds suddenly sprout from the dirt. It was an amazing sight to see since usually when he saw flowers, he never actually saw them grow like that where he was able to watch the complete process as it grew. "Oh, I can assure you that they will be cared for," He said softly. He's fallen in love! With flowerz :D

Flowurz~ ;w; Irene watched him carefully with her emerald green eyes, noticing his expression grow to amazement. "You had better. I'd know otherwise." her expression grew serious once again as she turned and started to walk away, taking a seat in a small wooden chair. The young woman began to watch him curiously. Hardly anyone elsd took an interest in nature as much as she did. Maybe if he could prove to be a good, dutyful student, as well as be absemt ofa black thumb, she might have someoe to help care for this place while she was busy.
"Irene Jacobs." she said quietly, finally introducing herself.

So that was her name. It was interesting that he really hadn't even bothered to ask her about it, and he kind of felt bad for not doing so, yet here he was, finally knowing the mysterious and somewhat intimidating girl's name. It put a small smile on his face as he tucked the plant into the crease of his elbow and held it firmly against his side so that he made sure that the flower pot wouldn't spill or fall to the floor and shatter. That would be a disaster. "It's definitely a pleasure to meet you!"

The young woman nodded to him gently to add onto her quiet response, "Likewise." She looked at him curiously for a few moments longer, brushing the remaining the dirt off her hands and taking off the apron she was wearing. "Alright, Brendan." she stood up and held out one arm, enough for him to link his with hers, if he wished that is. Depended on how deeply he considered himself a gentleman. "Where did you want to go?"

Brendan gave her a quick curious look before linking his arm with hers. It was rather strange for the girl to offer her arm, but whatever worked. Either way, he was going to be nice and awesome and sexy and take her up on her offer. "Uh, anywhere, really. I kind of just want to know my way around this place. It'd definitely help me for classes and such," He told her with a smile as he looked out through the glass of the conservatory and stared at part of the campus.

Irene nodded softly and placed her free hand in his linked arm gently. Yes, Brendan, you just stay there and be awesome and sexy. |D For her, this was nothing more than a polite formality. In fact, he should feel honored to walk with her like this. That was how she was raised, anyways. "Should I give you the grand tour, then?"

"That would be wonderful!" He told her with excitement in almost every feature of his face. It was great to be here on the first day and already meet someone so nice... well, after the intimidation trip she put him through earlier. As he realized how ridiculous he must have looked, he regained composure and gave her a gentle smile. "Thank you," he said in a softer, more calming tone of voice.