| Details for Fizzling Friends |
| Summary: | When Gabrielle arrives to inform Kiefer of "exciting" news, an oh so clueless Kiefer manages to turn the situation into an unintentional argument. |
| Date: | October 7, 1937 |
| Location: | Hogsmeade |
| Related: | None |
| Characters |
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The last day of Hogsmeade weekend. Kiefer has steered clear of the hot spot Three Broomsticks this time around and instead has sought quieter places. Well … quieter in the means of gossip and drama. The sweets shop surely isn't a place anyone comes to for peace. Students go in and out, buying last minute stashes for their dorms before the weekend draws to a close. Kiefer sits at the malt counter on a stool with a fizzing drink in front of him. Swirls of chocolate, strawberry, vanilla are seen in his glass, with blueberry fizzing foam. He also has a large chunk of brownie, and a bag of candy to try to sneak back. He's waving to a fellow Hufflepuff with glasses who is leaving, but Kiefer stays behind to finish feasting on his sugar rush of treats.
It's midday. A cool, crisp afternoon in fall.
Gabby wanders in wearing a light jacket, sketch book clutched to her chest, per usual. She scans the area and when her eyes land on Kiefer, they light up. She practically skips towards him, "Kiefer! I've been looking for you!"
Kiefer stirs a spoon in his mixed up fizzing malt before taking a sip through his white and red striped straw while glancing to a boy who has just opened a box of chocolate frogs, which are now jumping around all over the place. Just a usual day in the candy shop! Til he hears his name being called. He glances to the side, spotting a very cheerful looking Gabrielle skipping his way. He lifts a hand to wave. "Hi! Looking for me?" he echoes, head slightly tilting. "I don't owe you something do I?" He stops to think. He finished her salve. … that's all he remembers having to do for her. "How are you?"
She'll make a confused face, not quite as excited as she was a moment ago, "No…I was just wanting to say thanks again…" she'll glance around, "Didn't expect to find you at the candy shop." She'll turn back towards Kiefer and smile.
"What, you don't think I like candy?" says Kiefer, smirking. "I can't live off sunshine like plants. Got to get my energy from somewhere." And candy is pure energy! He gestures for her to sit if she wishes. "Want some of this?" he asks, pushing his plate of brownie towards her a little. "It's pretty good. Think it's chocolate chunk chocolate chip chocolate brownie."
Gabby smirks back, "I wasn't sure if it was all …harmonious or whatever." She'll glance at the brownie and bite her lower lip for a moment "uh…sure! I'll try it." She'll pinch off a corner, and place it in her mouth. As soon as she does that she closes her eyes, "Merlin….I wish I could have this everyday!"
"Candy is always good. And because it's good, it's good for karma. Makes people happy." Case in point, just look at how her face lights up with just one taste of chocolate. Kiefer smirks and breaks a piece off for himself too. Mmmm, yeah! "I know what you mean," he says with a pleasant sigh. He points to his bag of candy stuff. "Think I can sneak this stuff in without bein' found out?" he asks, grinning. "I'm gonna try, and if I make it, I'll share with you. No brownies though. They won't keep for long. But there's other stuff."
Gabby will giggle, "Yeah, I don't think you'll have any issues. They don't really police the older students…unless you've pissed off a prefect." she'll look over at the bag, "you don't have to share it, that's ok. I’m not gonna fit into the dress as is" She'll shake her head, but is smiling as she does.
Lucky Kiefer, he hasn't pissed off any prefect! Not that he knows of anyway. And if he did … well, maybe he could just bribe them with candy, and all will be good. He picks off another morsel of brownie, but before he can pop it into his mouth, he quirks a brow at something that she comments on. "Dress?" he glances at what she's wearing now. "I'd say that's more of a .. skirt, right? And you seem to be fitting it well."
Gabby shakes her head, "No for the dance. I'm wearing Mabel's dress and she's…" Gabby will wave her hands to imply curves. She laughs. "Between her and Ria, I have no idea how this is going to end."
You know that feeling you get when you know you've missed something? .. Yeah. Kiefer's feeling that right about now. Dance? Dress? He blinks at her and for a few seconds, just stares. "Dance? What dance?" he finally gets around to asking, a brow arching. "There's a dance? With dresses involved?" He sets his uneaten piece of brownie down for now and fixes her with a 'please fill me on!' look. How did he miss this?
Gabrielle will blink a little surprised, "Uh…the Halloween Dance? It's a costume dance…So, yeah.Dresses." Gabby's not sure what to do with his reaction, so she doesn't do anything but sigh. He's becoming even more difficult for her to read.
"There's a Halloween Dance?" This is news to Kiefer! He blinks at her. "…on Halloween? Was there an announcement? I hadn't heard. Do we have to go?" Oy. He thought he was doing an alright job at keeping up with the important stuff. Not the gossipy stuff. But things that concern the whole school. Like the duels! He knew about that. Didn't sign up for it, but he knew. And the Herbology project. And Hogsmeade weekends. But a dance? "A dress isn't a costume though, is it? What kind of dress are you wearing?"
Gabrielle says, "I don't/think/ there's been an official announcement yet…but everyone is talking about it…..No, you don't have to go, unless you want to." Gabby will watch Kiefer for a moment, then shake her head, obviously having decided something. She'll laugh, "Well, some would say me in a dress is out of the ordinary enough to be a costume, but no. I'm going as Maid Marian. It's really pretty, it's very Medieval. I can't believe Mabel just had it!""
Kiefer thinks that over a second. "If there hasn't been an announcement, how does everyone know there's going to be a dance?" Seems like a logical question, in his opinion! "It'd be disappointing to go through all the trouble of getting a costume ready only to find out that there isn't a dance at all, and it was all just a rumor." He stirs his drink a little, thoughtfully. "Maid Marian? She's the one from Robin Hood's story, isn't she? What made you choose her for your costume?"
Gabby's smile drops a little more as Kiefer slowly takes the joy out of this conversation. "I doubt the school would let this rumor get that big. And I've heard Prefects talking about it." she'll look down and run a finger over her sketchbook in her lap. She'll smile and look up when he asks about the idea, with a shrug, "Well, Chris is going as Robin Hood, so that just made sense."
"I'm surprised sometimes about what the school does an' does not allow," remarks Kiefer, though it's said in a passive sort of way. Whether or not he's inadvertently being a damper on the conversation, he seems not aware. He surely doesn't mean to be. He's just trying to clarify the details. "You're assuming I know who Chris is," he remarks, amused. "I'll guess, since you're Maid Marian and he's Robin Hood, he's the one you're going with?"
Gabby's smile drops a little more, but let's that part of the conversation die. "Christmas Jones , 5th year Griffindor….yeah, he asked, "she'll shrug, "It surprised me, I didn't expect anyone to ask, so after a small issue with what to wear, I'm going." she'll smile at Kiefer softly, and try to read his reaction, if there is any.
Kiefer blinks. "..There's a lad named Christmas?" The Hufflepuff takes in a breath, trying to stifle what would be a not very nice snicker. "Well. He must be a … er, very jolly fellow.." Ah, he can't help it. He smirks before snickering, eyes glittering with mirth. "Dio mio, his parents didn't really name him that, did they? No wonder he goes by Chris." He combs his fingers briskly through his unruly hair, uncharacteristically .. well, not nice. A least, in this brief moment. "Well. Now that I know, should I ask someone to go with me?"
It takes Gabby a moment, as she's completely thrown off by Kiefer's remarks, but her eyes will narrow as the smile drops completely off her face. So she reacts as she knows how, by attacking back. "Really? I tell you that something nice has happened to me? And your response is be nasty about his name?" the grip on her book tightens as she gets off the stool, "Good luck finding someone that will go with you!" She's obviously moving to leave.
See! This is why Kiefer does his best to stay away from girls. Girls are weird. And confusing. And moody! "Why tell me in the first place?" he counters back, feeling oddly irritated. "I'm not a girl. I don't wish to know your gossip of who you're going to a dance with. Or what dress you're going to wear. Why would I need to know?" Two can play at this game! Though granted, Gabrielle will likely play it better. She's a girl, and girls always have like … sidekicks and entourages to back them up. "You think I'll have a hard time finding someone to go with me? I won't. Not that I want to go anyway." He doesn't make any move to stop her from going, turning back to his brownie.
Gabrielle 's eyes flash in a dangerous way,"You were supposed to be my friend! You asked me who Chris was! You asked about my dress!" She's mad enough that she's shaken loose a lock of hair and it's falling across her eyes, "You know what? You're right, you won't have a problem finding a date. It's keeping the date you'll have trouble with."
"I asked because you brought it up," says Kiefer, who swivels in his stool, ignoring his treats. "You brought all of this up. The dance. The dress. Jolly ol' Saint Nick. You've only come to brag to me about going with someone, knowing that I wasn't going with anyone." He makes a slight face. Oh, his chakra. Spiraling down a negative spiral! "I am your friend. You're the one being unfriendly. I hadn't said anything bad about you."
Gabrielle 's hands tighten around the book more, it's not clear if she's upset, or doing that to stop herself from making a fist. "You think I came to find you to /brag/? I was looking for you to /thank you/ again for the salve, you jerk!" She's actually shaking slightly," I brought the dance up because I was happy. My arm doesn't hurt, and I'm going to a dance. I'm so sorry, i didn't realize you don't want to hear about the things that make me happy.You think I'm being unfriendly? Well, you won't have to deal with me agin!Problem solved." She'll actually hiss this last part at him.
Gabrielle turns to leave.
"I'm not a jerk," Kiefer replies. At least he's not yelling. He still has that much control left, though it's difficult when one is getting yelled at. That's really all he has left to say. Arguing isn't really his thing, and so he doesn't pursue it any further than it's already gone. She doesn't wish to be his friend? That's unfortunate. Saddening even, if he allows it to be. But he only gives a slight sigh at that and turns back to his drink and brownie to finish them both off without further word.