shouldn't be a dream

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

This shouldn't be a dream. Zoe blinked, looking around the library. It smelled like a library: books, pages, a sort of wafting smell that seemed to come from the computers that seemed to grow among the books like a horrible plague. The whole place felt very familiar to Zoe, very safe, given everything that had happened. No one had attacked her or shot her or done anything horrible to her at a library, after all. Which was the main reason she'd come here now.

What she hadn't meant to do was cat-nap on the comfortable chair she'd elected to sit on. For one thing, Zoe didn't take cat-naps, at least as a general rule. For another, she didn't generally feel comfortable enough to nap in public. She had, however, been utterly exhausted of late. The nightmares had returned as fierce as ever, and she didn't have the person she usually contacted. In fact, remembering that person often caused additional nightmares. Zoe now practically jumped at shadows, and she certainly wanted nothing to do with dark dogs.

So she'd ended up catching a nap at the library, a library book in her lap. So what had woken her up? Well, she'd thought she heard someone speaking, talking with the librarian. the voice had seemed... familiar, somehow. Zoe shifted the book, craning to try and look at the source of the book.

The girl even looked familiar. Zoe kept staring, wondering if she should say something, but when the girl turned, she flushed and turned away, almost too quickly. Zoe only held the position for a few moments before cautiously turning back to look, hoping that the girl wasn't staring or something equally embarrassing.

[Serena Rivers]

Serena smiled as she stacked up a few books that she was doing research on for writing her own novel. They were on varying mythologies and old poetry of greek and roman origin translated into modern text professionally so that she could better understand them. She was doing a few side projects for fun before her university year started, even though she didn't consider herself to be that good.

She had been having a casual chat with the librarian about the books she was reading. She wondered if she should maybe offer her assistance with stacking and ordering some of the books, but she also quite valued seeing some of her friends before they darted away from Bellefonte to various universities or moved into Calispell itself. 

She had however, clocked onto a girl sleeping on one of the more comfortable chairs in the library with a book in her lap. She woke up as the two of them were talking and as Serena glanced back she seemed to blush and hide her face. She stacked the rest of the books, dropped them into her bag and walked over to the other girl. "Hey there! Are you alright.... Most people don't sleep in here." She giggled. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

So the other girl had noticed. Zoe should've figured as much: she had been rather obvious. She licked her lips as she unscrunched herself, trying to look up at approaching girl. She nodded, then slid off the chair, moving to stand, more or less. Zoe didn't try to meet the other girl's eyes though, at least, not right away. Instead, she smoothed her skirt.

"I'm quite alright," she said, nodding as if to convince herself of that. "Really. I just... it's quite peaceful in here," she forced herself to meet the other girl's eyes before gesturing to indicate the library as a whole. It did occur to Zoe that because they were in a library she should perhaps be a little softer in voice but, well, she wasn't exactly the loudest to begin with.

Now that Zoe looked at the other girl, she couldn't help but see more little bits that again seemed quite familiar to her. But, well, it wasn't as if Zoe were a social creature, especially not given everything that had happened recently. Then again, she had been encouraged to try. Like now, for example:

"I'm Zoe!" she said almost too quickly, only to flush. "Zoe, um, Wallerstein-Smythe, and, uh, I, um, spend a lot of time in the library?" See this was exactly why Zoe didn't bother to talk to people. It was always just so... awkward. She wanted to go run and hide behind another book...

[Serena Rivers]

Serena found herself smiling gently at the other girl, who was most certainly familiar to her, which was probably because she looked to be around the same age. Which meant she might have had classes with her before, or seen her around the school more than once. Serena knew most of the people that were in her year though.

She chuckled lightly as the other girl became flustered. It was kind of cute, in an awkward way. It was as if the other girl was asking if the information she was giving Serena was correct. She found it rather amusing, she hadn't found someone this socially inept in a little while.

"I Spend a lot of time in here too. I'm surprised I've never really encountered you before. I'm Serena by the way, it's lovely to meet you." She noted the other girl's British accent and was rather pleased. It wasn't hugely often that she met other Brit's around the academy and many of them were extremely snobby anyway. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

The accent sounded almost reassuring in a way, probably because nearly everyone Zoe heard who used it either came from a television or happened to be a close family member. She felt a slight pang at the thought of her abandoned family, and she fought against the other negative emotions that arose at that prodding, stirring like some kind of slouching creature waiting to consume its prey.

"Serena is quite a lovely name," Zoe offered along with a smile. She meant every word, though she supposed that it sounded almost forced for whatever reason. She rung her hands together for a few moments. "And I try to, um, be not quite so noticeable. So it's alright if you, uh, hadn't noticed me," she flushed, noting the repetition. It made Zoe want to lapse into silence, but she knew that it would be better for all parties if she just surged forward. Just keep swimming and all that.

"I was just... napping because..." she gestured, trying to remember. She fidgeted. Then looked around, then realized that she had been talking about being here. "I, um, I also like poetry," she paused, blinked, then raised her hands, waving for a moment, "I just... I--that might be why you haven't seen me, because I'm usually in the poetry sections," and Zoe turned beet red, wholly embarrassed and thoroughly regretting her decision to even try the whole casual conversation thing.

[Serena Rivers]

Serena gave the other girl a gentle smile in response to the comment. "Well thank you. Zoe is quite lovely as well." The other girl simply oozed awkward. Serena never got the other social butterfly, it was always the people who either didn't want to hold a conversation with her or physically found it difficult to do so.

Still she would just do her best to make the other girl feel comfortable in conversation and well... Not awkward. She wasn't sure how much success she would have with it, though it was most definitely worth a shot. She straightened out her skirt as the other girl spoke.

She chuckled gently as the other girl's face flushed in red. She reallllly was not good at the whole interaction thing, was she? "Are you very into poetry?" As a poet herself Serena was curious as to what the other girl's relationship with it was, if she wrote it Serena would most likely want to see the other girl's poetry. That could be fun. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe flushed slightly at the compliment to her name. It felt good to hear, though some part of Zoe also happened to, well, agree with it. She didn't want to say that though, as that would sound rather conceited. It wasn't as though she'd picked her own name though. Her parents had. So maybe it wouldn't be too bad to be pleased with it?

Not that she thought as much about it, considering that the subject had moved toward poetry. Zoe had more or less forcefully dragged in there, and thankfully Serena seemed most willing to make it as easy to cover as possible. Zoe nearly collapsed with relief as the girl asked her question. "Yes, quite," she agreed, nodding. "It's just so wonderful to read, so packed with emotion and meaning in just a few words. I, um, well, I write some poetry myself," she fidgeted for a moment, "um, mostly on photographs? It's, well, it's, um, what I do," that felt lame, but Zoe wasn't sure what else to add. She vastly preferred to be known as the girl who did poetry and photography as opposed to the other labels this place liked to apply to her.

[Serena Rivers]

Serena smiled lightly at the other girl. She would just keep pressing on. This was getting less awkward, right? She thought so at any rate. And the other girl had been in a library which she evidently spent a decent amount of time in, and in the poetry section at that. The two girls surely had some form of common ground which they could use to bond over.

Serena smiled gently. So the other girl read poetry, And she wrote it. The photograph bit surpised Serena a little though. She hadn't really heard that before. She could picture it quite easily and had heard of old photographs in wars often having poems scrawled across them, but again she had never really contemplated doing it herself. 

She was very much a vivid imagination kind of person who enjoyed painting pictures in people's minds and attempting to draw people into her worlds with her words. She didn't discredit the other girl's preference though. It was all down to personal taste in the end she supposed. 

"On photo's you say? That's something I've not really come across before. And I agree! I love reading it. Many different forms of it too, I also quite enjoy writing it. Although I think I prefer just general creative writing to poetry specifically, but that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy writing my own." She smiled. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Yes, yes it was getting less awkward. The more Zoe talked to Serena, the more she realized that the other girl was in that vastly growing number of people who actually didn't hate her and wouldn't do awful things to her or think awful things about her or whatever. Zoe's smile became more and more relaxed as time and words passed.

"It does seem like a lot of people haven't thought of it, but it's really quite striking," insisted Zoe, nodding a few times. "And it's brilliant that you do any kind of creative writing! I know not everyone likes poetry or what have you and all. There's just so much about it that I adore," she fidgeted for a moment, looking around and feeling abashed, like she shouldn't have said as much as she already had.

"Um, so..." she said, flailing as she tried to think of something else. Maybe... "Would you, um, like to, uh, get a drink or something? Just at the cafeteria or maybe the lounge or something. not, um, here because... books," gah, she shouldn't even bother. The other girl would probably think she was flirting and wouldn't be interested. Or, worse, she would think Zoe would and make things uncomfortable. Was Zoe ready? She just wasn't sure...

[Serena Rivers]

Serena paused for a second to contemplate that to some people what she said may have sounded like she was actually belittling the other girl's style of writing poetry, thankfully though her worries were quickly put to rest as the other girl reacted positively to what she had said. She smiled gently.

She smiled more fully as the other girl spoke. "Well thank you. I do appreciate it when I can talk to somebody about writing without them either getting all elitest about the books that they like, or just not caring. It is quite refreshing if I am being honest."

Serena had to do her best to restrain herself from teasing the other girl's amusing reaction. People being socially awkward was nothing to tease them about. No matter how adorable it might seem to her at the time. She nodded lightly. 

"Sure. A drink sounds good. Would you like to go to the student lounge? I could make us some tea." She added with a smile. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"Well, um, it's just---all books are good," said Zoe, almost immediately mentally kicking herself for it. All books are good? Who said things like that? Awkward girls who were trying to regain something of a shattered confidence after their entire world had been uprooted several times in quick secession, that's who. Zoe had to actively fight against the urge to tremble, and it took all she had not to completely collapse when Serena agreed.

"Tea?" repeated Zoe with a laugh. "That would be splendid, but it does seem so very British, doesn't it?" she had to giggle again. Her father always said something like that whenever he brewed some, and it had become something of a joke between them. Just mentioning tea was enough to bring it to Zoe's mind now, though at least she didn't feel the pang of sadness she normally did whenever she thought about her long abandoned family.

"Do you have some proper tea? You know, ah, English kind?" Zoe flushed a little at that. She had pushed herself up and would begin walking, assuming that they were walking to head back to the lounge, that is. She assumed that Serena would but, well, she didn't know for certain. People did seem to have funny ideas of what tea should be around here.

[Serena Rivers]

Serena felt a grin spread across her lips. Yes she had judged this girl right. She was a little awkward, but she was also very sweet and both enjoyed books and poetry, and apparently photography, which just added another layer of interesting to the girl. She always liked having diversity in her friends.

Serena chuckled and the winked playfully at the other girl. "Well, we have to keep our culture alive here somehow, even through stereotypes, right?" She grinned. Serena slung her bag over her shoulder and offered the girl a hand up so that the two of them could go off and enjoy a nice soothing drink together. 

She giggled again at the girl's comment. "Yes. I have many different blends. Including some rather delicious herbal blends. I also have proper utensiles to drink it with. Although that isn't really needed unless you particularly feel like spreading our stereotypes to any passes by at an even greater extent." She smirked.

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

Zoe giggled at the mention of the whole stereotype thing. She was again reminded of her father ever so strongly. She fought back the urge to make any further comment on it though, wanting to make at least something of a decent impression, though at the same time she was half convinced that ship had already sailed.

The different blends nearly made Zoe sigh, remembering trying ever so many with her father yet again. She wanted to wrap herself up in that old memory and just sort of soak it in until she felt even better, but this was definitely enough. "It is tempting to sit down with a proper tea set," she said, smiling. "I'm sure that everyone would just love seeing that.... oh, wait, I wouldn't want people looking at me," she flushed, realizing how horrible that sounded, her hand going to her face to cover her embarrassment. "I, well, um, the normal drinking containers will be just fine."

fortunately, there didn't appear to be many people in the halls right now. That meant that their trip back to the lounge would be relatively unaccosted, and all the easier for Zoe as a result. She had to fight back another sigh of relief. Though even with all that, she still stayed relatively close to Serena, almost like a child with their mother at a mall. A new friend, Zoe had to keep reminding herself of that, Serena was a new friend.

[Serena Rivers]

Serena was pleased that the other girl totally seemed up for the prospect of tea, and wasn't entirely opposed to drinking it out of proper utensils for tea, so few people she met actually ever seemed to appreciate it. James had always seemed to just be fine with whatever mug was on hand, whereas Serena actually liked proper china and tea cups to drink from rather than single mugs.

She wasn't stuck up or anything about it, it was just one of those weird little 'quirks' which she so rarely found in another person pretty much ever. She smiled gently as the other girl mused about British stereotypes more. It was quite joyous how many British students seemed to pop up here these days, especially considering the UK had St Bethany's at it's disposal. 

"It's quite alright." She soothed. "We can drink from normal mugs, I was just teasing at British stereotypes a little bit." She smiled gently, wanting to not make the girl feel uncomfortable at all. 

[Zoe Wallerstein-Smythe]

"Well, we can use the others if you'd like, really," said Zoe, flushing again. "Really, whatever you like will be just fine with me." She smiled back, fighting back the urge to sigh with relief when she saw that friendly smile meeting her expression. Zoe had to keep telling herself that the people around her really didn't mind, that, if anything, they wanted her to be less nervous, less worried about what she said and did.

So Zoe kept moving forward, telling herself that worrying wouldn't do anything.