Playin' it safe. [Blue-poo!]

[Rhi-Rhi]

After the, uh...events several weeks ago, Gabriel had been a little more wary about the whole 'knock on doors before entering' thing as of late. It was a bad, bad habit of his, but getting in a fight with Roman and then seeing his candidate and two guys he loathed naked together, all because he'd busted in without knocking, had kind of shaken him enough to exercise more caution. At least, for the time being; who knew how long it would hold. So far, so good.

So when he headed to his new candidate's room that morning for their 'hi, I'm your mentor!' meet and greet--he knocked on his door.

Knocked, and waited. Without opening the door! Gods, he was so proud of himself right then. Hopefully the kid wouldn't answer the door naked or something--he was part fae, apparently, and he'd heard some things about fae types. But even without the fae bit, the whole coming to the door naked thing? That had happened before. The hell was with people flashing him all over the place, candidates and Pilots alike?

"Hey, Nelu!" he called through the door. "It's your mentor, Pilot Tierney!" And then, just to be on the safe side, he added with a grimace, "You're fully clothed, right?"

[Blue]

Nelu Sweetflower had been on the tail end of his meditation when the knock had reverberated on the door, very nearly a physical sensation to him due to his psychic ability currently heightened by act of meditation. He was kneeling and facing away from the door, sitting back on his heels, with both hands rested along his thighs - his usual pose for his daily mind-clearing exercises. Opening his deep purple eyes, he was just in the process of standing when his mentor said something rather…bizarre. Was that a common question when knocking on one another’s doors here? Was there a higher probability that one might be in the process of changing or bathing in this training complex?

As the faeborn puzzled over the meaning of such an inquiry, he was already moving toward the door with haste - forcing his mentor to wait for him would be terribly rude. Without pause he hit the button on the wall and the door slid open with a light hiss. Nelu was in his candidate uniform, and it was perfectly pressed and followed dress code by the book to the letter. The only odd thing was his flower-like hair, which he had absolutely no control over.
“Good morning Pilot Tierney. As you can see, I am fully dressed. I appreciate your courtesy given toward one such as myself.”
Oh yeah Gabe, he spoke like that aaaaall the time. Nelu was polite to a fault and had a thing for respecting his elders (so anybody above his current age of 16) without fail.
He stepped aside in case his mentor wished to enter his room - just like his uniform, it was incredibly neat and tidy, sporting only a few personal effects. A picture of his immediate family, a picture of his extended family (which was quite large and very obviously fae), and then a tiny portable ‘rock garden’ were probably the only items of interest to be found.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Gabriel blinked, opened his mouth to speak and closed it again. Then he just stared blankly at the kid as he went from trying to decide if he was being mocked or something to realizing that the boy was dead-freakin'-serious. So, the kid wasn't naked, and yet for the bizarreness of that greeting, he may as well have been. It was like the kid had stepped straight out of one of those Steplord Wives movies.

"Iiiii don't even know how to respond to that stop that," he finally managed, giving himself a shake. "No, like, really--don't do that. It's weird. And just...no. Like, y'know, calling me 'Pilot Tierney' and 'sir' and stuff, that's good! But you can--you don't have to be so formal."

Though, judging by his room, speech, and the thoughts he'd picked up--good gods, this kid was by the book.

Stepping back from the door, Gabriel motioned the kid to come out. "Anyway, nice to meetcha, kid! I'm Gabriel Tierney, your mentor, and you..." He paused, blinked again, and then just went ahead and said the first thing that came to mind, "...have the weirdest hair."

[Blue]

Gabriel’s reaction was actually a rather large shock to the faeling, and his face completely reflected this. His eyes grew wide, his heart began to pound, and his slender fingers began to tremble in what was threatening to become a full-body shiver of horror. Somehow, someway, he’d completely messed up his first meeting with the Pilot responsible for his training. His brain back peddled, ran over the entire scenario three times, and then analyzed exactly what Pilot Tierney had said.
In the end, he was breathing rather fast and shallow, and he had no idea what so ever what the Pilot had really meant.

Before he managed to have a full-on panic attack, he checked himself mentally. He had to be calm and level headed about this. Discard all the misleading emotions and look at this logically. He had to be reasonable.
Perhaps this was just a test, like that first odd question. Perhaps this was all just to throw him off, to see how he handled stress, uncertainty, and new uncomfortable situations. Yes, if that was the case, then he couldn’t afford to lose it so quickly. He had to make a good first impression, it was paramount that he do well in this program in order to be successful.

Taking a deep breath, he calmly stepped out of his room, the door shutting behind him. Good, good, he was back in control of himself. Which seemed to be perfect timing, for Pilot Tierney was testing him yet again - by hitting on a sore spot.
Nelu visibly flinched, but he kept his face otherwise stoic and his eyes did not falter away from his mentor.
“The pleasure is mine. As you know, my name is Nelu Sweetflower. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
He bowed slightly to the blond man, and then steeled himself against wandering emotions as he aimed to respond tactfully and politely to the rather blunt observation.
“I apologize if you find my hair unsettling sir. It is a flower fae trait, and not something easily changed. If it is necessary for me to adjust my hairstyle, then I will likely have to shave my head entirely. Of course, this is of no consequence, if it is deemed necessary.”

[Rhi-Rhi]

Gabriel's mouth dropped open.

Okay. He...he really genuinely had no idea what this kid had been told about Pilots or the Pilot Candidate Program or what shows he'd been watching but...what? Granted, alright, that stuff wasn't far from the truth; a kid had got his legs smashed, another had gotten his throat cut, it happened, but those were the extreme cases! They were few and far between! They weren't the norm!

And they certainly didn't make a habit of removing body parts they found aesthetically displeasing!

Poor kid had looked about ready to have a full on freak-out.

Gabriel awkwardly cleared his throat behind a fist, now feeling like an epic jerkface. He hadn't meant to scare the kid. Way to go, Gabe. Scare the kid, make him flinch, get him to offer to shave his head...what the hell was even happening here...

"Er. That's...that's okay. Your hair's fine, I was just--I didn't mean that in a bad way, it's just, uh, never mind! Look, kiddo," he said, reaching out and placing a hand lightly on the boy's shoulder, "I dunno what crazy stuff the other kids have been pumping you full of, but like...it's okay. You can relax! I'm on your side! I was just, y'know, teasing you."

[Blue]

Nelu wasn’t entirely sure how to interpret the looks crossing over Gabriel’s face, so for lack of any sort of understanding he simply stood there and blinked. The idea of trying to peek into the man’s head to get a better feel for what his thoughts were never once crossed his mind - that would be incredibly rude, and incredibly stupid. He kept his thoughts to himself (well, apart from the fact Gabriel could have seen them if he wanted) and waited out the Pilot’s internal WTF-ery.

The hand on his shoulder made him blink again, and his level of confusion just deepened, to the point his brow began to furrow with the weight of it. Somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered if they were simply having a misunderstanding - it would not be the first time the Edani born had found himself on the opposite end of an entirely different conversation with an Aedolian.
He simply didn’t always understand their thought process.

“I’m sorry sir, but I do not understand. Your apology is not necessary - I simply wished to make it clear that, should my hair be a problem or distraction, I would be willing to remove it for the duration of my stay. Though this was not a position I sought to find, I am willing to apply myself to your program in order to climb the Aedolian social ladder and be of use to this society.”
He paused for a minute, wondering if he had missed anything of particular importance. Sure he had glazed over the fact the teasing of his hair was a sore spot, but he figured that was unnecessary information. Maybe if he was as thorough with his responses as possible, Pilot Tierney would better understand his meaning, and they could begin having the same conversation again.
“To be honest sir, I have yet to speak much with my fellow Candidates. However, I can assure you that I would never be so naïve as to take their word over yours, or the word of any other Pilot, or over official reading material I have been presented with.”

[Rhi-Rhi]

More blank staring followed.

There was an awkward pause before Gabriel found his words again.

"Uh...right," he said, still trying to work out if he was being trolled right now or not. He seemed so earnest in a way that he hadn't--no, wait, he had seen this before. A certain sociopath sprung to mind, only this kid didn't seem sociopathic. Just...socially inept and confused?

"Right," he repeated and cracked a grin, slapping the boy lightly on the back. "That's...that's great! Um, glad to see you're so gung-ho about the program, kiddo! That's what we like to hear. That's real dedication there, offering to...shave your head and everything."

Okay, so he was still weirded out by that.

"You just apply that enthusiasm to your studies and drills, yeah? Anyhoo, why don't we take a walk and you can tell me about yourself."

[Blue]

Another batch of awkward silence. Perhaps Pilot Tierney was catching back up to the conversation at hand. Or…he had simply given up.
…it appeared to be the latter.
Blinking rapidly at the pat on the back, Nelu had an expression of acute displeasure on his face for a split second before regaining control. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be touched, but being slapped on the back when you had delicate wings was NOT generally a good thing. He did not bring it up, however - surely Pilot Tierney had read his file and knew about his physical as well as psychic attributes. It was likely just another test, and he was determined to pass.

Gung-ho was not really the appropriate term, but trying to explain that he had no real enthusiasm for this program was not likely the best approach, so he remained silent. Even if he wasn’t excited, it didn’t mean he wasn’t determined - he had been handed this fate, and there was little he could do but apply himself and excel at it. He would do the very best he was capable of, and make every effort to succeed.
It seemed Gabriel was intent on walking and talking, so Nelu obliged by stepping out of his room and into the hall, the door sliding shut behind him.
“I will be happy to answer any questions you have that were not already covered in the information your organization has gathered on me. What would you like to know, sir?”

[Rhi-Rhi]

It was really, really hard not to face-palm.

The kid was totally missing the point of this little exercise.

Gabriel could have easily read the boy's mind. He was an open book, mind untrained and undisciplined, a green candidate. He could have delved deep into his psyche, dug around, and pulled out what he needed to know. But knowing wasn't the point. Conversation was the point, and nothing could replace the actual give and take of conversing with another person. Besides, you didn't just violate peoples' minds like that.

Gabriel kept the easy smile plastered on his face. "Well, uh...well, for one, what're your hobbies? Whatcha like to do?" Jeebus, anything to break the ice. That was an easy question, right? Easy to answer? Right?

[Blue]

Nelu had no idea of the inner turmoil he was creating for Gabriel - he was perfectly oblivious to it. In his opinion, they seemed to have finally converged back onto the same conversation. That was enough to make him feel relieved.
Hobbies? Well, he supposed that sort of information was probably trivial enough not to really be included in official reports…unless he had dangerous or deviant pass times, of course.

“I would have to say I spend most of my time meditating, sir. I think after that it would likely be reading. I prefer non-fiction texts that are informational, although I don’t really have a preference as to their topic. I like the discovery of new information itself.”
Yeah Gabe.
Have fun with that one.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Gabriel's eyebrow arched.

Meditating?

Non-fiction?

This kid. This kid. Didn't he have a childhood? A life? Sure, those things were all well and good, but that was seriously it?

He decided to dig a little deeper, because there had to be more.

"Oh..." he said, nodding thoughtfully. "That's pretty neat. What else?"

[Blue]

Neat wasn’t quite the word he had expected to hear out of the Pilot’s mouth…and thus he could only conclude that it was a false adjective describing his rather mundane hobbies. Perhaps his new mentor was simply trying to be polite - understandable, given they would be working together during lessons. It was best to have at least a civil relationship in these types of situations, and he appreciated Gabriel’s attempts.
What he did not particularly appreciate was the request for more. Did he seem to lack depth due to his lack of extracurricular activities? Again considering the question part of some grander test, Nelu squared his shoulders and answered with what he hoped would be satisfying answers.

“I’ve dabbled in gardening a few times sir, with the small garden at our home on Edanith. As there is little in the way of true gardens here, I’ve attempted to learn the finer points of the rock garden my parents gave me. I do a bit of calligraphy now and then, though I’m not sure any of these activities could be considered hobbies as I do not partake in them particularly often.”
He was at a bit of a loss, having scraped his brain for as many activities as he could think of. He would never fabricate or lie to cover up his own shortcomings - he was nothing if not honest. But he simply spent most of his time meditating and reading…reading was probably the most voracious of his ‘hobbies’ as he was keenly interested in picking up and reading just about any informational document he came across.
He’d already breezed through all the various files he’d been instructed to look over for his start in the Candidacy program!

[Rhi-Rhi]

...This kid.

This kid.

Did he have a life?

Well, on the positive side, he supposed if he hadn't had one before he came here, he didn't have anything to miss while he was stuck in the hell that was candidacy. But still. Damn. And his parents had worried about him when he'd stayed cooped in his room playing his latest game, and he did things outside the house! With people!

They had almost reached the cafeteria by that point, the scent of food wafting down the halls. Gabriel scoured his brain for more topics he could toss at the kid. So far, these were all alone-type activities; if anything, he was getting the impression that this kid was kind of an anti-social homebody.

"Hmm...any friends?" he prodded, watching Nelu from the corner of his eye. "People you're missing?"

[Blue]

Another question that warranted a stiffening from the young man beside Gabriel. This was a test…this was most certainly a test. But to deliberately ask about those left behind, those missed…no, no, he wouldn’t feel slighted by this. He had to maintain his composure, and answer firmly and confidently. He squared his shoulders and set his jaw, centering himself mentally to keep back the flood of memories the inquiry had provoked.
“Family, sir. Back on Edanith. I come from a very large Fae brood, and we mostly lived within the same section of neighborhood. I have approximately six great-grandfathers, four great-grandmothers, seven grand-fathers, ten grand-mothers, ten uncles, thirteen aunts, twenty-three nieces, twenty-five nephews, fifty-two cousins, and one younger brother.”
He took a deep breath, steadying himself once again.
“I…There…there is little chance of seeing most, if any, of them again. Only my parents and brother are here on Earth now.”
It had been harder than anticipated to speak on his family…he’d been meditating daily for closure and acceptance. But thinking on all of their faces while numbering his family members had sharply reminded him how much he missed them, and how lonely and isolated he felt on this distant planet.

[Rhi-Rhi]

...There were that many Nelus running around?

Daaaayuuuum.

He couldn't even wrap his brain around having that many relatives--so many foreign relatives, at that.

"Well, that's not true," Gabriel said, head tilting. "It's not true you'll never see them again. They could always visit. There's no embargo on Edani tourists--if there was, you wouldn't be here, right?" He flashed the kid a reassuring smile.

"Anyway, you'll make a lot of new connections here, too. That's important. I know you miss your family--" It wasn't even an assumption; what candidate didn't miss their old life when tossed into a scary, unfamiliar environment? "--but now that you're here, it's important that you start interacting with the others. These are the people who are gonna be your partners and comrades for the rest of your career, the people who will watch your back when the bullets are flying. Got it?"

It was a little unsettling that though he'd listed off like fifty-plus relatives, there were no friends in that list.

[Blue]

He worked hard on his composure, doing something akin to walking meditation to keep himself balanced emotionally and mentally. Just talking about them should not be enough to unravel all his previous work on accepting this fate - he would be stronger than that. If there was anything he understood about this place, it was that it required a great deal of mental fortitude to survive. That he could do - meditation was not only simplification and relaxation, it was also the reinforcing of the mind and spirit.

Still he flinched at Gabriel’s next words.
“This planet…does not suit them. And many are Edani Mages, and so their responsibility to the well fare of the city does not permit them to simply leave.”
He was not disillusioned as to the likelihood of seeing the vast majority of his family again. The fae did not turn his head to meet that reassuring smile.

Here was something that he expected more than the barrage of previous questions - a lecture. A lesson to be learned. It was still a rather basic concept, but then what things in life could not be broken down into simple parts?
He would have to, and be expected to, make allies here in this place. People that he would, all things permitting, be working with years from now as a Pilot.
“Of course sir. I will make all efforts toward facilitating the proper interpersonal connections with my fellow candidates.”

Nelu was unaware of Gabe’s worry - to him, his family were his friends. With that many cousins to play with, who had time for other playmates?

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Good to hear!" Gabriel said with a grin, and hoped to gods Nelu didn't go about trying to make friendships by asking people to 'facilitate a proper interpersonal connection' with him. Maybe he would be less socially awkward around his peers. Unlikely, but it was possible; some people just acted funny around Pilots.

And if nothing else, maybe being around June would bring him out of his shell--and hopefully Nelu would calm that kid down in the process.

They rounded a corner and the cafeteria sprawled out before them, already thrumming with conversation and goofing off, but some of that calmed down when the kids recognized Gabriel as a Pilot--which was obvious by the fact that he was in street clothes as opposed to everyone else's standard uniform.

He picked out a table and then motioned Nelu ahead. "Go ahead, get some breakfast! We'll talk some more when you're all loaded up."

[Blue]

It seemed that, for the time being, he had passed whatever tests Gabriel had given him. The enthusiastic response put him somewhat more at ease, though one would be hard pressed to notice. Again he was completely oblivious as to his mentor’s worries, though those worries were quite justified. Nelu was not exactly the best at social interactions outside of Edanith…Aedolans baffled him and were possibly as different from his literal prude self as one could get. He knew it would be a challenge, but it was also something he could not afford to fail at.
One way or another, he would have to make himself more comparable to his peers.

Once the cafeteria, Nelu stood awkwardly until he was shooed to get something to eat. He wasn’t used to a setting quite like this, but then again it was a simple thing - a place you went to get food. He didn’t need to try and analyze it further - he would use it for it’s intended purpose, and ignore the rambunctious energy present.
“Of course, thank you sir.”

Nelu’s trip to the cafeteria line would prove to be incredibly short, and as he returned his tray held but three items - a large cup of water, a small carton of milk, and three packets of honey. Sitting down in front of his mentor, he didn’t seem to think his choice of breakfast to be terribly odd. He already knew that the food items would likely be of a lesser quality than what he was used to eating, but just as true was the fact he was going to have to get used to it.
The carton of milk was opened, the honey packets were emptied inside of it, and then he took a moment to shake it up.

Then he started taking sips of his water and his honey-milk, totally calm and natural.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Gabriel was waiting at the table when Nelu returned, and his head tilted when he saw what Nelu had picked out for his meal.

Uh...?

But the kid seemed to see nothing odd about it, sitting down happily and going about his business, putting the honey in the milk, shaking it. There was a sort of practiced, ritualistic feel to his actions, like he had done this many times before and had it down to an art, and it wasn't until he started sipping both milk and water that he decided to comment on it.

"Er. You know there's more than just the condiments, right?" That couldn't be healthy. There was no way he could get all the nutrients he needed from freakin' milk and honey.

[Blue]

Nelu blinked in perfectly blissful confusion at Gabriel. It seemed quite obvious, he felt, that there would be quite the assortment of food at an establishment such as this. Perhaps his mentor thought him unfamiliar with a cafeteria setting? Well, it was partially true, but he was not so uneducated as to be confused.
“Yes sir, I’m aware of the fact there is a wide assortment of food items present. With such a large diversity of species, I presume the program takes into account many different nutritional needs.”
He set his own double-fisted-drink-meal down and looked at it for a moment. Perhaps his mentor’s confusion was really directed at his own choice? It was quite possible he’d not yet had time to read up on his kind’s particular dietary needs.
As a matter of course, a Pilot had much more important things to consider than what their candidates ate on a daily basis. Perhaps that was it.
“This is all I require sir. Well, all I require from the cafeteria. The water is necessary, the honey and milk are an extra.”