Zoey: Hey, Kelsey! Aww that's a very sweet thing that you're doing for everyone. If ever you need help, you know I'll help you or if you get bored and need someone to keep you company, I'd volunteer.

Zoey: You sure though you wouldn't want a night off to go to parties too?

Kelsey: Thanks Zoey, I'll let you know if I need company or help wrangling drunks into my car.

Alex: That's very nice of you. Although maybe have your brother take their keys since he's been the bartender lately.

Alex: Why not? I mean hey nuggets is a nice trade off too. It's at least one meal you don't have to pay for. Plus who doesn't love nuggets.

Kelsey: I like that idea, he guards them and then I'll give them their keys back once they're dropped safely at their dorm. I also thought it might be a nice way to actually talk to people. I find it easier to talk to people when they're not overly coherent.

Alex: I have your number Kelsey. Emily gave it to me and she also gave me Mason's number incase I ever can't find her.

Alex: Thanks though for offering a ride. Are you sure that you want to be the full time uber for everyone? If you are then you should start charging everyone. $5 a ride sounds about fair.

Kelsey: I'm sure. I don't do much and I'm up late usually anyway. I'd rather everyone get home safe rather than walk in this cold or risk trying to fly or something.

For a moment Luis expected her to go on about his Thanksgiving; normally, he wasn’t able to lie to her or hold back information, she’d always somehow just know that he was hiding something. So while part of him was surprised she didn’t ask any further, he couldn’t deny the relief that eased his mind. It had always been hard for Luis to talk about his feelings, partly because he never seemed to be able to put them into suitable words, but mostly because he didn’t want to annoy his friends with his problems. Even though they never actually gave him that feeling, he sort of worried he might overstrain their friendship by talking about himself and his stale sorrows all the time.

“Oh, yeah, I heard what happened there. It’s horrible, I can’t even believe it,” he mumbled, nodding slightly at the mention of Nina and her family. The older student’s demeanour – especially when it came to unclaimed and mixedblood wizards – made Luis used to avoid any business with her and he wouldn’t confront her, but despite all he surely didn’t want her to suffer like that. No matter what, nobody deserved this. “I hope she’ll get over this. She was lucky to have you, though,” he then added with a soft smile, his gaze meeting Kelsey’s.

Her following words, however, got him by surprise as he had sort of expected this topic to be through. He even snorted a little as he realised how ridiculous his dull family problems seemed to be compared to what Nina was facing. The bitter expression on his face, though, was soon to be replaced by an amused smile at how well Kelsey knew him. “Honestly, though, it’s no big deal. Yes, maybe it was a bit, y’know, uncomfortable but nothing life changing, really.”

Kelsey smiles back slightly “...Mase is more close to her, but .. I just like being there. Sometimes people just need to talk. I like being that person.. it’s just.. I like being needed I guess. I don’t feel that way here. At home, there’s always something to do, someone needing something. Vegetables to be chopped, a shoelace needing to be tied... Boots to be cleaned. But here? Not so much..” 

Lips twist together, Luis is still hiding something from her but it’s really not her place to poke and pry or maybe it’s just the setting, surrounded by people, and the walls of the library closing in on them. If anything she should probably get out of there having been there since it opened that morning, her lips move, though no words come out until she clears her throat, cheeks flaming for a reason that her head can’t seem to wrap it’s head around “...D-Do you want to get out of here? Maybe w-walk into town and get something to drink?.. Hot chocolate maybe? I know you don’t really drink coffee”

Nicole: I will teach you the ways of the party before we graduate.

Nicole: For clothes, look through my things and see what you like.

Kelsey: ...Do you have anything oversized.. Or stretchy?

[unsent] Kelsey: It's not like I'll know where togo or be invited anyway.

Luis lets out an amused chuckle as she jumps at him and dramatically rubs his arm where the book hit him. “Guess I deserved that one,” he chuckles, relieved that she doesn’t seem to be mad at him for not showing up earlier.  “Experimenting with potions and creating your own elixirs can be quite fascinating as well, though.” Helping her with the books, Luis silently wonders what she is looking for that requires this amount of research.

“Oh, I’ve been great, thank you. It was awesome to come back and see all my friends again,” he smiles with a nod, sliding into the chair opposite to her. For a moment he pauses until he realises what he just said. “I–I mean, I obviously haven’t met up with all of them yet since I’m seeing you only now – by the way, I am so sorry for not seeking you out earlier – erm…” Realising what crap is actually falling out of his mouth, Luis breaks silent. Usually talking to people comes as natural to him as breathing but recently he finds himself quite often picking the wrong words, even more so in the presence of Kelsey. “What about you, though?,” he tries to quickly change the topic, “Did you enjoy the holidays?”

The corners of Kelsey’s lips twitch into a smile at Luis’ rambling, especially since it was how they came about being friends during their time at school and watches him with amusement before giving a small smile at him, shifting her body towards him to give him her full attention. Although Luis’ demeanour can be judged as somewhat flight. She likes to believe she knows him well enough and that they’re considered that good of friends to know when he’s hiding something.

 Her hand waves in a ‘so-so’ motion, it was nice.. Well the seeing the family and food was nice... Nina was with us and we found out about her family.. So that was sad, but I was grateful she was with us. She used to scare me, but I actually think I really like her.” 

 Large eyes watch Luis curiously as he offers no more information about his holidays, and her brow furrows slightly before asking bluntly, though concern colours her words, ‘..... You’re avoiding talking about your own. You change topics to about who the person you’re talking to to distract them... What’s going on, and don’t say nothing because you know I won’t believe you”

Kelsey’s arms tighten around herself, watching Jackson carefully taking a cautious step forward “... I like to do so.. I don’t like giving bad advice or saying the wrong thing, and sometimes it’s just easier to listen I guess. And in a family with 8 siblings? Someone always had something to talk or complain about, or was getting mad at someone for something..” One hand rubs a blonde strand flying loose from her ponytail “....Would you like to talk? I have hot chocolate, and butter pecan cookies. My Mom kind of loaded us up with food and none of us felt like eating on the way home”

“Some, the people that I know and I know care about me are genuine. There are some people that show their concern with a grin on their face. I just want to punch it off.” She took a calming breath. She would not punch anyone today. “They definitely don’t. Emojis have ruined us.” That made her smile a little because she tried not to show emotion, but she always used emojis when she texted at times. “Little Women, definitely a winner. I read it a really long time ago. So long that I’ve forgotten. What’s your favorite book?”

Kelsey gives a nod of agreement, giving Nina a half smile. “...Probably Little Women, it reminds me of my own family... Em’s like Jo.. She’s so sporty and a little wild. So fearless. Mason’s Meg.. He’s so pretty, and people just seem so drawn to him, I don’t know how he does it. He can make friends with anyone. Grandma used to joke he could make friends with a lamp-post if he tried hard enough... I think I’m Beth. The little one’s are Amy. They’re so young but full of love and they’re going to develop into amazing people.... I like The Bell Jar thoug, she kind of has to hit her rock bottom to really find her way back up.. What kind of books do you usually like?”

Nicole: You're going to at least one party.

Kelsey: I know. Pyjama Party with myself 👍 #raging

Kelsey: So I know with holidays approaching, and curfew lifted .. I imagine there's going to be more parties and probably drinking so if anyone needs a lift to and from anywhere at any time, you're more than welcome to message me and I'll take you or pick you up.

“Canada. Vancouver, specifically, so it’s not even as cold as most of the country gets. Are you from near here?” 

“Only a couple of hours away by car, it’s partly why I wanted to come here. Do you miss Canada at all? I heard it’s beautiful”

“But they should be threatening people for you to have books. It saves you from the worry of not getting your work done. You’d always have the book you need.” She knew the struggle of needing books and then someone just holding on to it. “See, I wouldn’t be upset with you for holding onto a book. All you’d have to do is smile and all would be forgiven.” When the girl called her miss, she waved her off. “Call me Cam or Cameron. If someone would pay me to threaten people about books, I’d do it. It’d be my side gig. The perfect one actually.” 

 Kelsey gives a mock thinking face, pretending to be deep in thought. “You should take that side gig, especially during exams when people are desperate for books and cramming last minute needing them. If multiple people want the same book, charge for the highest bidder, it’s total legal right?” At the name ‘Cameron’, her head tilts slightly her voice lilting as she speaks “...The same one who goes to the gym? I think my sister mentioned she had a new gym buddy in passing at some point”

When she looked up to see who was there, she regretted her words immediately. That was the problem with caring for and about people, sometimes she misspoke and her misguided anger went to others, people she didn’t mean to hurt with her words. She hadn’t meant to lash out at Kelsey. The younger of the three Bryants was someone that she didn’t want to harm in anyway. “I don’t say this to people often, and your family seems quite often to be the exception to all of my rules, but I’m sorry. I thought you were someone else coming to give me fake apologies.  Or just want the latest scoop on what happened. I don’t even know what happened. I haven’t been home…” Her voice cracked over the word home. It wasn’t really home anymore. “I may very well take you up on that offer to talk. Sometimes I just don’t know what to say. My family weren’t the nicest group of people and I didn’t even like them sometimes so I can see others not meaning their words but why say them at all in that case?” she shrugged. 

Nina held up the book that was laying in the grass. “I was trying to do that with this book, but I chose the wrong book. It just reminds me of the situation at hand actually. What books do you have?” 

Kelsey settles down next to her, listening to Nina’s apology knowing she’s one of the few to ever receive one and lets Nina talk, her lips press together chapped by the wind before offering a small smile “...I’m glad you won’t cause any damage to my trachea, but it’s okay. You don’t need to apologize. I can’t even imagine the wave of people.. Some are probably genuinely concerned, but I’m sure many others are just nosy. It’s this type of society we live in.. Emotions don’t always translate to beyond screens, and most people spend their lives with their eyes glued to them...” She trails off, shuffling the books in her arms “...There’s The Bell Jar, The Secret Garden, Jane Eyre, Catcher in the Rye, Little Women, Catch 22... I wasn’t entirely sure of your reading taste so I brought a few different ones”

Hope smiled brightly and nodded. “Yeah that’s absolutely fine. I’d be happy to help you out. Who is your brother? If he’s an Earth student, chances are I know him.” Opening her text book for her animal morphism class, she looked over the questions the professor had assigned for homework and sighed softly. She loved this class and understood why so much homework was necessary, but it still really sucked. “I am so ready for this semester to be over.”

Kelsey gives an almost enthusiastic nod of agreement, “I love school, but I’m honestly just ready to be home for a little while, I’ve done so much homework that I haven’t read for pleasure in so long. I miss it”, the pencil between her finger twirls before answering Hope’s original question. ‘Mason Bryant, do you know him? Blonde, big smile. Does some bartending work”

Jackson stared at her for a second, surprised into silence. It wasn’t that he was unaccustom to the kindness of strangers, it was just that he was unaccustom to it. For all that he was a light witch and an air witch, he could feel the pull of anger coiled in his stomach. It only seemed to fold back in on itself as he stared at her. He wasn’t angry at her, he knew that logically. But all the things that he was angry at seemed to crowd behind his teeth, ready to lash out. “Thanks, I think the cold’s helping,” he said, “can’t even really feel it–” which was probably not a great thing, now that he thought about it, “I should probably go inside.” he muttered aloud. 

Body language, even vague aura reading is a huge part of her studies, and living a life in what could almost be defined as the shadows, becoming one with the wall, shrinking herself to be as unobtrusive as possible, less of a target, watching in silence. The suppressed anger almost rolls off him, and she takes a step back automatically before speaking her voice it’s usual hushed tone “...It would mean that your body is already in an early stage of hypothermia, so most likely..” Her fingers peek out from fingerless gloves, running over soft yarn and sewn patterns. “... You seem bothered about something, if you’d like to talk. I won’t even say anything. You can just ramble and rant so it’s not swirling around your head, apparently I’m good at listening and not trying to offer advice. I won’t repeat any of what you say.”  

“So I should find the pretty people or the pizza and I’ll see her there?” She asked, jokingly. “I like that plan! Is that something you’ve used? I might actually go the whole route of starting a sentence, and then cutting off mid sentence like my signal’s cutting out. Then every time she asks me to repeat it say the same, and then hang up.” 

Kelsey gives a small laugh in return, “Essentially? Yes. She’s also E-Blitz Captain, you can’t miss her, she tends to command attention without even trying. Like moths and flame. Which I suppose is a good analogy since she’s a Fire..” Quickly realizing she’s once again rambling, she quiets down, fingers tapping at her book “...I’ve done it more times than I should admit. I think more than a few people think my phone is permanently broken, but I do recommend trying it”