bloom

“If you’re looking for my roommate, she isn’t here right now. Something about a new movie playing in one of the other rooms I believe.” Ceylan commented when she heard a slight knock to the doorframe of the open room, not turning away from what she’d been caught up in until she’d finished scribbling up her writing in elegant cursive. “Or am I the lucky recipient of your attentions today, hm?” The brunette queried as she finally turned to face her company.

“Does it really come as a surprise that I’d want to see you?” she asked with a laugh. “You do have time to hang out... right? I’d hate to interrupt you in the middle of a study session or something.”

Being put on the spot Kit had about a thousand questions and yet none at all, she didn’t know what were the right and important things to ask and what she wanted to know just out of sure curiosity. “Where are you from?” She guessed she’d start easy, not that she knew much about the realms around this place, the idea that there were realms was confusing enough. She much preferred her states and countries.

“Crescere,” she replied easily. “It’s a beautiful realm filled with incredible plantlife and primarily earth fairies,” Winnie explained further. She always spoke fondly of her realm, even if the thought of ruling it some day terrified her. “And you? Where are you from?”

@winifredvaughn​

“I think ‘this is amazing!’ are the words you’re looking for.” Simona commented as they held up their attempt of painting the skyline, it looked more like a child had attempted it. “Do you think we can hang it on the fridge?”

“As long as it’s a large,” he replied. “The amount of caffeine I need to even think to function and work on homework is crazy.”

“I’m not sure what’s the biggest size they sell, but I’m sure we can get you a bunch of coffee,” Winnie laughed. “Do you always consume so much caffeine? I’m sure that can’t be good for you in the long run.”

Jasmine liked that Winnie thought pretty similarly to herself. It made her feel a lot less nervous about talking and being herself when Winnie was there- she understood.  Jasmine smiled in response to the comment- she didn’t know that; or she didn’t let herself know or acknowledge it.”I do,” She lied, very easily. “Do you have much studying left for today?” 

“Yes! I love Legally Blonde!” Dakota said, happily. “There’s something about a woman achieving success over arrogant men that gets me so happy.”

“Elle Woods is a total badass,” she agreed with a nod of her head. “If we still need another movie to fill up the night we can watch the second one, but I don’t remember it as well to be honest.”

“Man… that is so much more procrastinating than I’d had you pegged for, Win but sure, I’d love to go out for a coffee. Let’s be real, when have you known me to turn down anything caffeine related… or even food related for that matter. Anything that can fit in my mouth is a winner in my books.”

“I’m not sure why I’m having such a hard time today,” Winnie sighed. “I’m so glad to hear you say that,” she admitted, a smile reaching her lips. “Food as well? I’m sure we can manage that. Anything in particular you want to snack on?”

“I don’t know if oddly comforting is the term I would use for it, but sure. Let’s go with that other then the body-snatcher fanatics did a good job on making us have similar lifestyles.” She added, knowing she was falling down a deep dark hole of videos she sat up watching until four in the morning sometimes when she couldn’t sleep and applying them to her own life. Something she had been doing a lot since her Dad brought her here. “Right- yeah, that sounds fair. Though I feel like we should be able to veto something we don’t want to answer because I’m not about to spill my entire life and personal private details to you just because we look the same.”

Winnie couldn’t say she was familiar with ‘body-snatchers’, so she simply kept that to herself, not wanting to ask and look stupid. Especially if it was some sort of common knowledge. “That also sounds fair,” she nodded at Kit’s added terms. There were things she couldn’t legally share being royalty, so that worked for her. “What would you like to ask me?”

“That sounds nice,” Noah replied, nodding along. “I could go for a quick coffee too, to carry around when we’re on our walk. Do you want to ditch our books in the dorms quickly first so we don’t have to lug it around?”

“That does sound really nice,” she smiled at the suggestion. “Alright. It’ll only take a second to drop everything at the dorms too,” Winnie added, gesturing for him to come along. Once they’d both dropped their things off, she turned with him with another smile, “Shall we go get that coffee then?”

“It’s a bit shocking that most people don’t take that time to themselves and slow down, it’s great for our brains to have that break!” Jasmine said, as if she wasn’t one of those people who rarely took any time for herself. “The same goes for you too, you know. It’s not one sided.” 

“What one were you thinking about. We could always go with the classic, Love, Simon, or we can do something new maybe, like The Half of It? Or maybe The Map of Tiny Perfect Things?”

“Those all sound great,” Winnie nodded, already putting a kernel of popcorn in her mouth. “I was thinking we could throw in something like Legally Blonde as well maybe? I always feel better after that movie.”

“It just sounds like it would be so nice and peaceful- relaxing for the both of us! I feel like it’s very well deserved especially since the semester is starting to wrap up.” She spoke, it was absolutely something that Jasmine would be looking forward to. She enjoyed any chance to be able to just sit and watch. “I’ll be sure to take you up on that, I’d love the advice!” Jasmine said, although she wasn’t entirely sure when she would be ready enough to share it with anyone. If she was going to share it with anyone, it probably would be Winnie with her positive outlook on most things. 

“I really think so. Like, these are art gallery good if you sized them up a little bit,” Mags said. Complimenting others came so easy to her, and especially if she was complimenting something that was genuinely good, which in this case it was. “What can I say? I’m a girl full of scandalous ideas,” Maggie teased. She had a lot of trouble trying to focus on her work and would honestly do anything to get out of sitting in a silent room looking at books. “Definitely,” she agreed. “We can take our books outside if you really want to continue this boring stuff, but I have a feeling that you won’t.”

“Oh I don’t know about that, I think you’re being much to kind there,” she insisted to Maggie. The last thing Winnie wanted was to get her hopes up. There was no way her parents would like the idea of their beloved princess deciding to become an artist instead of respecting her royal duties. Tale as old as time. “You always have, always will be,” WInnie chuckled back. “Okay but as much as I don’t want to look at another book today... that’s a great idea Mags,” she admitted. “We should totally try studying outside next time! Even just for a little while.”

“Well I’m glad the comfort of the situation outweighs the creepiness of it all.” He chuckled, smiling at the other because he just found the other drawing a lot more interesting in whatever was in front of him that he was supposed to be learning. “I blame it on the topic we’re supposed to be learning, it’s hardly gripping and I’m pretty sure I zoned out in class too. So I really have no idea what we’re supposed to be learning.” He confessed, because there were just somethings that the university taught that didn’t interest him at all. “I think I’d get a verbal berating from my parents if I didn’t pass, well-… if I didn’t pass without trying. But I can imagine the weight for you is heavier… with being a princess and all.” He spoke with a small wave of his hand. “But food sounds great, I always do better when I’ve had something to eat. Especially if it’s chocolate.”

Winnie chuckled along with him, glad to think about something else even for a moment. “Me too. I get it, not everything we have to cover is going to be super interesting to all of us... but it certainly doesn’t make it any easier to follow,” she sighed sympathetically. She found it awfully hard to focus on most class topics as well. “That’s totally understandable. I think everything is worth giving at least a try, but if it isn’t for you there’s not much you can do about it. We’ve all got our strengths and weaknesses after all, no?” Winnie pointed out with a light shrug. “Yeah... I try not to think about it too much but it’s one of those things you can’t really escape,” she nodded. “Have you not had anything to eat all day?” Winnie wondered. “Ooh, chocolate. Not exactly the most nutritious choice, but definitely one of the more delicious options,” she couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s what everyone says, blondie.” Lucas couldn’t help but tease as he flopped down next to her, glancing over the drawings. “Seems to me like you need a break if that’s what you’ve ended up doing. Sometimes a break is just as good for you.”

“I guess I have been working at this for a while now,” she admitted, “Long enough to lose focus about three or four times now,” Winnie added, flipping through a few more pages to show the other sketches she’d done just sitting at that desk. “Do you want to come with me to grab a coffee or something?”

“How about a rom-com?” Dakota suggested. “I definitely don’t want to start with a sad one. When I cry I get a headache and then I just want to go to bed, so I’d rather end with a sad one if we choose that route.”

“Super valid. I don’t really feel like crying quite yet either, so it works for me,” she admitted with a laugh. “We can avoid the sad ones overall today. Just go from a rom-com to an action movie or something.”

“You would be correct,” Noah replied with a slight chuckle. “ How about we take a break? It seems to be needed.”

“Yeah a break sounds nice,” Winnie admitted with a nod of her head. “Should we go out for a walk around campus, get some fresh air?”