#erasmos

“Late night-” she began, but Halmarut waved his hand.

“It is important to have fun, especially at your age. Just make sure you’re not inconveniencing your students because of it.” He smiled beneath his mask, stepping out of her way. Ariadne began jogging away, before Halmarut called after her. “Oh! Speaking of students, you have a new one!” She slowed down and turned, continuing to walk toward her destination, but backwards, cocking her head to the side in a gesture approximating a question. “Just transferred from Lahabrea! Keep an eye on him, hm?”

Wonderful. A new student, and already half a bell late. The young botanists in her teaching group were used to her frequent tardiness, but this was a disciple of Lahabrea. She briefly conjured an image of a typical Phantomology student: serious, somber, driven. Lahabreas in miniature, she thought, scowling. She slowed as she approached the corner of the Phytobiology halls where her students met twice a week and peeked her head around to observe them before approaching.

The familiar botanists were undergrads, so in sync with each other as to be indistinguishable with their masks on and hoods up. They stood, huddled, observing the new student, who was significantly taller, leaning against the side of a bookshelf and watching them with a frown. His hood was off, revealing a mess of long, wild dark brown hair and, strangely enough, a goatee. Ariadne’s eyebrows knitted. An oversized Lahabrea, perhaps? What did Halmarut mean by “keep an eye on him,” anyway?

Perhaps by way of answer, the tall student produced a cigarette from his robes and lit up in the middle of Phytobiology, taking a long drag and turning away from the scandalized botanists, who tittered and whispered amongst themselves with a shaking, quiet furor.