A Quiet Moment

It was a beautiful day, nice and warm, several clouds drifting lazily in a clear, azure sky. It was just like home. Well, it was quite a bit warmer than home, but Theo supposed that the only place where he could really feel like he was at home was, well, home. And he wasn't home. Sometimes he had to remind himself that he really did respond to the letter and he's on an island in the middle of nowhere now.
There was nobody as far as he could see. This made him feel a lot better about things. After all, it was easier for him to be alone and think. Theo was taking a doctorate program after all, and the classes here were surprisingly flexible - it looked like he was one of the very few students studying law here. He decided that he could have this morning off to get his bearings.
The school was big. At least the side of an average University campus, housing students from kindergarten age right up to people like him doing postgraduate studies. It made him feel a little uncomfortable and frankly way too old to be here. The surrounding areas, though, were similar to home, scores of trees and most likely ponds as well, although no lakes as stunning as where he lived.
His thoughts distracted, he didn't notice the other young man before he was maybe a dozen feet away from him. he probably try to make some friends. After all, the guy looked about his age.
"Hey!" Theo called out. "Nice to meet you. Are you also taking some time off out here?"

@Saylin

Theo smiled and walked closer to the man - Julius, a fairly uncommon name -, accepting the handshake. He tried to be nice to everybody he came across, but sometimes kindness just wasn't accepted very well. Sometimes people are tired, sometimes they've had a bad day, and most of the time they just wanted to be left alone. He was glad that it turned out mostly normal this time.

"Yep. It is beautiful out here. Reminds me a bit of home." Theo said, then immediately regretted it. This island was supposed to be a fresh start. No more mentions of what he was before. "I'm a student. I study law."

"My name is Theodore Bishop, but most people just call me Theo."

@Saylin

Theo laughed lightly when Julius mentioned something about being incredibly smart to get into a law program. He wasn't incredibly smart. All he had was some reckless determination and a decent family background. To be frank, he actually felt a little embarrassed. A lot of kids with tougher backgrounds than him make it to better universities and end up with better GPAs. He was just normal.

"No, no, I'm not that smart. Law isn't that difficult. There's just a lot of memorization. I'm aiming to become a defense attorney at one point," Theo grinned. David had once said that to him as well. His stomach churned and his breath caught for a second in his throat, but he let that smooth over with a smile. He's gotten really good at that. "Programming! Cool! I know some basic Python, but a lot of the concepts go over my head. I've never been that good with computers."

He was a little surprised to feel an unrequited amount of embarrassment but brushed it off.

"My home is a nice place," Theo said, avoiding the topic cleanly. Yes, nice. The Lake District was certainly pretty. No, nice. His parents's frigid looks and dark stormy arguments certainly weren't. "This place is beautiful, though. I agree with you on that." Theo paused.

"Have you been here for a while now?"

@Saylin

"Ah, no, I'm not being hard on myself," Theo smiled gently at Julius. Maybe it was part of his upbringing, but Theo just couldn't take compliments. He tried his best to push them away and if the other person insisted it always left a burning feeling at the bottom of his throat.

"Oh, my hair?" Theo blushed a little. He ran his hands through his charcoal-coloured hair and grinned, looking down at the floor. Nobody had ever complimented him on that before. Usually, it was a remark about how his eyes were "unique" or, more commonly, "creepy". "T-Thanks! That's really kind of you!"

"I'd love to see how programming works," Theo said. People love showing others what they were good at, and he was always up to learning something new.

He was glad when the topic turned away from his home. He could go on about the Lake District all day, and maybe even his brothers and sisters, but his parents were a touchy subject.

"Ah, I see. The world is a big place, and there aren't many peaceful, quiet places left anymore," Theo mused. His mind was returning to London, where his University and where - No, Theo, no more. "And wow, thank you!" He blushed again. "Is everybody here as sweet as you are?"

@Saylin