Periodic Frustrations (Ian) ●

[Alexander Rosstillo]

After hours of staring at his botany homework, Alex had just about had enough. He loved the class, adored it really since it was all about plants and what made them work among other things. This particular subject however was difficult to grasp and he has a research paper due soon on top of questions from the textbook. It was all piling up at once and stressing him out to say the least of things which was why he was in the library waiting for his tutor to show up. It was ridiculous really, Alex could name almost everything about plants and their significance, and other random facts about they were good for and yet something like determining the ploidy of a plant was tripping him up. All this cellular stuff was important obviously but for some reason it was just hard.

Sighing, Alex shoved the textbook away from him and put his head in his hands, this was getting him nowhere clearly. Besides, what use would he have for determining ploidy in plant cells? Sure it was cool to look at but he wanted to work with flowers not study the plant cells and mess with genetics. Though...that would be interesting to come up with a new breed of rose or something like that. That was besides the point though, it wasn't like he was going to sit and work in a lab for the rest of his life. He wanted to work with plants, not study their cellular structure and what made them tick. Alex could only hope that the later subjects wouldn't be quite as difficult to grasp but this particular one was like pulling teeth.

The notes that Alex had written regarding the subject were detailed enough certainly but he was sick and tired of trying to figure this particular subject out. Instead, he flipped through a few chapters in the book to where it was talking about specific plant species and started reading. Why couldn't they be studying this right now? It was so much more interesting then how the singular cells divided to form a plant or chromosomes or whatever. He had signed up for Botany because he thought it would be fun but it seemed it was turning out to be anything but. Hopefully the tutor could make some sense out of it though because Alex certainly couldn't and he was done trying.

~~~

Ian Indigo

[Ian Indigo]

Intensely bright green eyes flashed around as the white-haired male picked his way through the hall. It was the afternoon, and several classes had just finished, so the hall leading toward the library was absolutely packed. It made his stomach churn uncomfortably, though deep breaths taken in through his nose ensured that he wasn’t going to panic over it. Crowds had seriously panicked him as a child, but coping mechanisms had been learned since then, and if it wasn’t for the fact that his eyes were moving around so much, he seemed perfectly normal and at ease. He wasn’t exactly anxious in crowds, it was just a sensory overload. He wanted to focus on everything and everyone all at once, but he obviously couldn’t do that.

Fingers that were as pale as his hair rose to stroke the head of an equally pale snake that laid lazily over his shoulders. Miraz’s tongue moved slowly in and out of his mouth as he tasted the air around him. He was perfectly at ease, nothing ever seemed to upset or even interest the creature. He was a stark difference to his owner whose mind was constantly buzzing. The snake, oddly enough, seemed to help to calm him though. Their minds were constantly connected, and in some strange way, Ian could take refuge there when he needed to. Right now, though, he needed to be focused. He had a tutoring session, and he couldn’t check out.

After what seemed like forever, the door to the library was pushed open and he stepped through. The room was much quieter, even if it was rather full as well. It was reserved for studying, and therefore loud or disruptive students would be kicked out. Forest colored eyes scanned the area until they fell on the form of Alexander. Or whom he assumed to be Alexander. The blonde boy was sitting where they’d agreed, so it had to be him.

Striding with a confidence that he only possessed when he knew he would be discussing something he was good at, Ian quickly crossed the library. He fell into a seat across from the blonde and extended his hand. “My name is Ian, I’m your tutor~” He stated with a warm smile. “You’re Alexander, I take it?” He went on to ask, just to be sure.

--
Alexander Rosstillo

[Alexander Rosstillo]

By the time Ian arrived at the library, Alex was absorbed in reading about all the different kinds of plants that there had been throughout history. There were even plants that had survived since the dinosaurs still lived! This was why he loved Botany, Alex loved learning about the different kinds of plants there were and how to care for each one. Fungus, moss, ferns...there was so much to learn and Alex couldn't wait until the class was far enough along to actually learn about these things.

It wasn't until Ian spoke up that Alex realized that there was someone else there. Even then, it took a moment to register what the man had said after he had sat across from him. Blinking a few times in order to get his mind out of the textbook and back onto what the man, Ian, was saying. Apparently he was going to be his tutor in Botany and had guessed Alex's name already. Of course he had, this was where they had agreed to meet after all. Alex was about to smile and assure that Ian was correct in his assumption when he finally registered the hand that Ian had extended and visibly paled.

This wasn't good, it was just a simple handshake but after years of being bullied by kids his age, any touch, no matter how small, was associated with pain. Americans unfortunately had the custom of greeting people with a handshake when they first met. It was a simple touch and meant little more than a social greeting, Alex knew that but it didn't keep his fear at being touched at all from reigning its ugly head. Not many people knew that he was afraid of being touched by other men and Alex would prefer to keep it that way. It wasn't logical, Alex knew that but he simply could not just turn off something that had become so normal to him. There were only a few people he wasn't afraid to be around, his father of course and Bastion. Oddly enough, being in close proximity to other girls didn't frighten him near as much as being around men though perhaps that was because he had seven younger sisters and had grown accustomed to being around them.

None of that changed the fact that Ian was still waiting for him to take his hand. Already Alex felt himself trembling and swallowed hard before quickly taking the hand, albeit shakily. A quick shake would be given before Alex withdrew his hand and placed both hands in his lap, careful not to draw attention to how badly they were shaking even after that brief exchange. "Yes...I'm A-Alexander,"he replied after a moment, trying his best to appear calm despite how anxious the simple gesture had made him,"Alex is f-fine though..."he continued briefly, smiling slightly before looking back at his textbook.

At this point it was a welcome distraction and Ian was here to tutor him after all, there was no point in wasting his time. "I was having a hard time with determining the ploidy of a plant,"Alex stated after a moment, flipping to the page he was talking about in the book,"I'm having a hard time seeing how learning this has any relevance at all, just a bunch of busy work,"he continued, sighing quietly as he rubbed his temple.

~~~

Ian Indigo

[Ian Indigo]

in the clouds

For someone as perceptive as the colorless man happened to be, he still had no idea just how uncomfortable Alexander was. It took the blonde a moment to notice him, likely because he was reading, but then it took him a longer moment to return the handshake. Ian had been about to lower his hand when the slightly shaky hand of the other man grasped it. Before he could even really return any pressure, the other hand was being withdrawn. Quite fortunately for Alexander, Ian didn’t care. He didn’t find the action odd, nor did he notice the discomfort. He had noticed the paling, he was still noticing the shaking, but he didn’t know what to make of these things… so he simply ignored them.

The snake shifted on his shoulder, a white head protruding from under his shirt briefly to take in the situation. Miraz’s tongue slid from his mouth as he tasted the air around Alexander, and then he disappeared again. The thought that he should, perhaps, explain what had just happened didn’t readily occur to the man as Alexander finally spoke. “Alex, then.” He agreed simply. His name was short enough that he had no nicknames. He knew that certain people preferred them, however, and he used them when he was asked to.

After the introduction was given, it was straight to business. Well, Ian preferred that anyway. He wasn’t great at holding conversations that revolved around socially acceptable topics, so this was easier for him. Botany wasn’t exactly his area of expertise, but he knew enough about it to help Alex currently. Still, he certainly hated the term ‘busy work’. It was rather easy for Ian to forget that most people didn’t enjoy anything and everything having to do with learning, especially as far as science was concerned. Green eyes blinked as they shifted to look over the page in question. He remained silent for a moment as he tried to decide what was more important. Should he simply answer Alex’s questions about ploidy, or should he try to explain the relevance it had to Alex’s major?

Several very long moments would pass before he finally looked up at the other male and formulated a response. “What do you plan to do after you graduate, exactly?” Came the question at last, the words moving over his lips with ease. Well, surely they would after he spent nearly five minutes choosing them.

Alexander Rosstillo