He quirks a brow at that. âNever had someone watch me code beforeâŚâ For some reason, he can picture it, as if sheâd enjoy the process of watching him build something out of numbers. She just sort of fits in, surrounded by all of his plants. âMight make me nervous.â Being watched is nerve-wracking in itself, no matter the task. âWell, unfortunately, this is a school. I reckon the classes bit is sort of important,â he teases gently, because he can understand how classes arenât thrilling for everyone, especially at a place like NL. People will force themselves to use powers that make them uncomfortable, or choose a track they donât feel any passion towards, or thereâs the general anxiety caused by academics. âI think Iâve got something of an edge, being raised by a professor and all, so I might be able to help with the studying part. I donât know much about fire, though. I try to keep away from it.â No offense to her, itâs just kind of famously bad for plants. âI get it though, the control thingâŚWhen I was younger, sometimes Iâd wake up from a bad dream just, likeâŚcovered in vines. Like I wanted someone to come help me and my plants were the only ones who could hear me, and I wanted them closer, so I made them come closer. Um,â he cuts himself off with a laugh, because itâs kind of embarrassing? He needs hugs from his plants? âThat hasnât happened in ages, though, partially because I learned how to control my powers better. Sometimes itâs not as fun as youâd like, but practice is a big part of not letting your gift take over, and itâs worth it in the end.â
âWell, you can just pretend Iâm not there. Iâm very good at being quiet.â Because for the most part she rarely speaks to anyone as it is. A couple of her siblings and Oliver are the exception. Some people believe itâs because she thinks sheâs somehow above them but really itâs because sheâs a nervous wreck most of that time and that tends to project aggression rather than shyness. Nevertheless, she wouldnât want to make him uncomfortable in his own space, not on purpose. âI wouldnât want to impose on your coding and then have you help me study.â Despite herself, Eloise is hoping heâll object to her rejecting his help. Partially because she could use the tutoring and the other reason, well, she wonât allow herself to think about that. She listens intently to his story, thereâs nothing in it that she finds embarrassing, itâs most endearing and very Oliver in a way. âYour power protects you or at the very least makes you feel protected. Itâs nice.â Thatâs something she would like to be able to do. Eloise doesnât hate her power nor does she ever wish that it wasnât hers to carry but she wishes it wasnât something that people immediately feared or that was incredibly difficult to control. Particularly with the temper that she tended to carry, there was always a subtle fear that sheâd end up hurting someone instead. How could she be helpful if she found it so hard to figure out what she was doing? âYeah, youâre right.â She says the words passively as if it embarrasses her to direct them towards anyone out loud. âI should focus more on practicing.âÂ