ArchivedLogs:Plan Bee

Plan Bee
Dramatis Personae Faelan, Kai	2014-05-19 A chance meeting in the gardens and talk of the future.
Location <XS> Gardens
From indoor gardens to outdoor, though without the protective greenhouse glass the back gardens do not last all year round. Still, the gardens out here are well-tended and well-worth spending time in, as well. The paths wending through the beds of flowers and herbs and vegetables spread out through the school's back grounds, tended by students as a credit class. Benches offer seating and a small pond is home to koi and turtles, as well as a few frogs. At the far back edges of the garden, a droning buzzing marks a few stacked white boxes as beehives. Here, at the end of the garden, a ways away from the more traveled areas, is the apiary. Once the domain of one insect-controlling student and a select few, it has remained largely un-violated through the winter months. Sleeping bees don't need much tending, after all. But now that the weather is starting to (slowly) warm back up, there is a bit of activity to be found here. Even today, with the temperatures not quite reaching over 60, there are a few bees sluggishly looping around their hives; sleepy sentries keeping watch. A small figure is among the boxes, clad in long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. The giant bee-keeping hat and veil obscure his face, but the unsteady gait and slow, measured movements mark him to those in the know as Kai. The small Korean boy has a spray bottle in one gloved hand, and he moves from hive to hive, spraying the sentries with a bit of whatever is in the bottle before lifting the lid and peering inside. Once he's looked in them, he sets down his spray bottle to pick up a notepad and make a few notations in it with a well-worn pencil stub. He seems rather serene in his work, a low humming noise coming from him that, when one gets closer, is identifiable as 'Love is an Open Door' from Frozen. Maybe the bees are fans. Dressed comfortably in a white teeshirt with the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago logo, a zip up sweat shirt in olive green, and a pair of grey cargo pants, Faelan is walking through the garden at a sedate pace. A small folder is tucker under his arm with a stack of papers in it, but he doesn't seem to be interested in opening it up. Seeing Kai moving around the bees, he smiles and keeps from chuckling, but offers a wave anyway. "Hello there, you almost made me think Ivan was back at school again there. You're doing well with the bees." Kai turns his head when Faelan speaks, pushing up the veil to peer at the older boy before offering a small smile. "Hello, Faelan," he says, giggling a bit at the comparison to his friend. "The bees are very calm today," he agrees. "It is almost like when Ivan is here. He does not need the hat and gloves, though." He picks up his notepad, and starts in Faelan's direction. "I enjoy taking care of /all/ the bugs," he says as he comes to a stop, reaching up to peel off the hat. His hair is damp and spiky, once released, and there's a bit of a flush in Kai's cheeks. "The bees are my favorite, though. I have learned much about them." "Bees are pretty neat. Just be thankful you aren't allergic to them like some people," Faelan nods at that and looks over towards the hives. "Still I'm sure that Ivan appreciates you looking over them after he went off. Have they taken the winter well? I know that they don't much like the cold, but at least they should have had plenty of honey to keep them through it." He readjusts the folder to his other hand and looks over Kai. "Have they given you much trouble?" "I am grateful that I am not allergic," Kai agrees, his smile a bit wider as he looks back at the hives. "Sometimes they are very grumpy, and that is not very much fun." He nods at the question about their weathering the unusually long winter, and flaps a gloved hand at the hives. "Oh, yes. They did very well. I think there will be a new colony by the end of the summer. The last hive on the right has more bees hatching than the others." He wrinkles his nose and lifts his shoulders. "I will have to ask Mister Jackson if we may have a new hive for them." He furrows his brow at a thought, and tips his head at Faelan. "Are you allergic to bees?" "No I'm fairly lucky to not be allergic to anything, it would kinda suck to be allergic but also need to worry about survival training," Faelan says with a small smile. Miming picking up a fruit he pretend peers at it "This is the only food around for miles, but if I eat it I will swell up and choke to death. Darn." Snapping his fingers he shakes his head abit. "And I'm sure he will approve a new hive, but it might not be a bad idea to have the other hive in another spot. You don't want all the bees competing for food after all, because they might run out and then there are other problems." Scratching his head he looks out over the school grounds and scratches his head. "I don't know where the best place would be, but perhaps nearer to the woods so that they have a different food source." Kai claps a hand over his mouth at Faelan's joke, his eyes crinkling as he suppresses a laugh. "Yes, I can see where that would present a problem," he agrees, when he has himself under control again. His head tips when Faelan offers his advice on the hive, and he nods solemnly. "Yes, that is a good idea," he says. "These bees are used to the other hives; a new one might go badly." He glances in the direction of the forest when it's suggested, and his eyes narrow thoughtfully. "Along the edge of the trees," he says, nodding once. "There is a place that would be probably be good. I will go and take pictures of it, so that I may show them to Mister Jackson." Then there's a sudden grin, and Kai wrinkles his nose. "You are very good at ideas, Faelan!" Nodding in agreement at the placement idea, Faelan chuckles at the compliment. "Thank you, now hopefully I have good ideas for myself. I was actually putting in applications to colleges for environmental science stuff. Which, includes making sure bees don't starve," he nods at that though he's fairly amused. "Who knows, maybe next I'll be brave and become an x man like in my dreams. Now that would be something." "I have heard other students talking about college," Kai says, his brow furrowing slightly. "And some of the teachers. I have not read much about it, though. It is more school, yes? If you wish to have a profession?" He nods at the course of study, and offers a slow rise of one thumb. "That is a very good thing to study. It would be good to have more bees." The idea of being an X-Man gets a slow, wide-eyed sort of nod. "The X-Men are very important," he says, as if Faelan might not be aware of this fact. "It would be a great thing if you joined them." "Its sorta why we're supposed to take all the schooling here so we are ready for college, at least when we're ready," Faelan says a bit of embarassment there. "I've been reading a lot lately, and I'm looking for ones where it doesn't matter if I have my registration card saying I'm a mutant. Which kinda limits it abit, but at least I don't stand out much as a mutant." He sighs and shakes his head. "I had a dream where I was training to be one at least. I was really cool, and I had fancy gadgets Kisha made me, and Doctor McCoy had been proud of how I did. It would be nice if I manage that. What about you? Do you know what you wanna do when you are an adult? Do you want to keep with insects? Maybe you could be an entomologist" "It should not matter if you are a mutant or not, if you are smart," Kai says, pursing his mouth. "It is terrible that it does. Do you like any of the ones that don't care?" He tips his head as he listens to the dream, and chuffs a small laugh. "Faelan, you are very cool," he says, bobbing his head. "You were very brave when that sand man attacked us last year, and your ability will be great when you can control it. There is no reason why you could not do it. /Especially/ if Kisha is helping you. She is terribly smart." The question of what he might do gets a blank sort of look, and then a sheepish duck of his tousled head. "I have not given it much thought," he admits. "A year ago, I did not even think such a thing was possible. Now..." he lifts his shoulder. "Maybe I will stay with insects," he agrees. "You will feed the bees, and I will study them to keep them healthy." He lifts his eyebrows. "Which is also a cool thing." "Private schools can be jerks about admittance. They don't have to say its why they turned me down, but that would be the reason," Faelan says with a bit of a sigh. "There are a few places that are kinda neat. I mean, I don't wanna get too far from the school though, just in case." The just in case could cover a number of things based on the look on his face. "And that is what the teachers have said to me as well. If I can control it it can be really useful. And I wasn't really brave with the sandman, I just didn't want anyone else to get hurt. I mean we were trying to run away, and the guy had tried to stop us." He smiles as Kai thinks it over, and he nods. "It is an option. You have a few semesters left to go before you graduate, so you have time to think about it. Maybe you'll find something else that you like. Like art, or cooking. Science is important stuff though, I mean we have lotsa smart teachers and all and look what they were able to do when things got rough." "Well, you will find a good school," Kai predicts, peeling off his gloves and stuffing them in the hat. "You are very smart. And you will learn to control your ability. Just as one day I may be in control of Foom. It is just a thing you should believe, so that it will happen." He shrugs, and stuffs the hat under one arm. "I like art," he concedes. "I do not know if I will be good at cooking. I think I will take the class next semester, if I am able. It looks like fun on television." He smiles, and motions at the mansion. "Speaking of cooking, though, I think it will be time for the evening meal soon." "I'm alright, not as smart as like Kisha, and B and Peter, but I do okay," Faelan says in response to the compliment. "I'll just have to believe in myself like you believe in me." Nodding at the talk of evening meal, he smiles. "Sounds good, I wonder what they have planned. I guess we'll see then." Glancing over towards the bees, he hrmed. "Good luck with the new hive. Hopefully it wont take much effort to convince him." "I believe in all of my friends," Kai says, matter-of-factly, starting towards the mansion. "That is what friends are supposed to do. It would be bad of me to not believe in you, after you have helped me so much." He nods at the musing, and looks up at the sky. "I think it will not take much," he concludes. "Mister Jackson likes the bees; he would not want them to be stressed." He bounces a bit in place, and looks over his shoulder. "I think they said there would be meatloaf," he says, his tone indicating his utmost approval of this choice of entree. "And mashed potatoes. With gravy." He pauses, thinking a moment before moving again at a quicker pace. "So we should hurry."