Open Go with the Flow

[Nikko Blackwood]

Nikko wasn't sure why he decided to go to the dance. But it felt like a better idea then just sitting in the dorm by himself, even if he had a brand new cat to keep him company. He had manged to avoid most of the chaos of the rose deliveries earlier in the day but now coming into the great hall he felt a little overwhelmed by all the pinks and reds of the decorations. It sure was festive but he wasn't sure how much he was feeling into the Valentine's Day spirit. He guessed he liked the idea of Valentine's day but it wasn't like he had anyone to ask out or anything like that. He didn't like girl enough, or boy if he really thought about it. Nikko shook his head and found his way to the tables full of snacks and picked up a cookie to keep his hands busy while he watched the rest of the students dance and talk with their dates, or just stand around just as awkwardly as he was.

 

[Ivy Ashworth]

Last time Ivy had gone to one of these dances, she had gone with Zach. She didn't mind that he hadn't asked her again, especialyl because the Valentine's dance seemed much more... about romance, and it was a bit early for all that. But on her own, Ivy wasn't entirely sure what she could do at the dance. She was keeping a lookout for Ivy and Delilah, but the room was pretty crowded. And, being a first year, Ivy was shorter than almost everyone here. She sighed, giving up for now and grabbing herself some pumpkin juice. She should have made plans with her friends, rather than expect to run into them there. She paused as she saw a boy nearby, a little older than her but also in Gryffindor. Ivy had been telling herself she needed to make more friends, and did seem like a good opportunity to do so. She shuffled over to him. "Are those any good?" She asked him, gesturing to the cookie in his hand.

 

[Nikko Blackwood]

Nikko broke off a corner of the cookie and took bite. He was still busy looking around when someone asked him a question. "Oh, uh." he mumbled awkwardly with his mouth full of crumbs, as he glanced at the girl who had spoken too him. "They're alright." he finished once he swallowed his bite. Nikko was almost positive she was a first year gryffindor but he had a bad habit of not paying attention to those around him so he could be wrong. "I think they're just sugar cookies, which aren't really my favorite." he explained with a shrug. He felt awkward saying even that much about cookies to a stranger, but he used to bake a lot with his mom before he came to school. She knew a lot of recipes and apparently now he had a lot of cookie opinions.

 

[Ivy Ashworth]

The boy seemed surprised to be spoken to, and Ivy wondered if she shouldn't have picked someone else to try and befriend. But this was a challenge now, and Ivy was determined. She smiled at him, though frowned a little as he said they weren't his favorite. "Really? What kind of cookies are your favorite?" She asked him. "And why are you eating it if you don't really like it?" She added, looking over the nearby cookies curiously as she took a sup of her drink. "They look fine to me." She added, though she made no move to pick one up just yet. "You're in Gryffnindor too, right?" She asked him. "Are you a second year?"

 

[Nikko Blackwood]

Nikko shifted uncomfortably as the girl started to ask him numerous questions, unsure of how he was supposed to answer them all. He was kind of impressed that she could go on for that long with out really pausing. “Well my mom makes these peanut butter cookies which are probably my favorite.” he answered, kind of lamely and bit his lip nervously. “I just grabbed one. I didn't think about it too much.” he said with a shrug, not really sure what kind of answer she was looking for. It wasn't like there was an unlimited types off cookies. “They’re fine.” he added. His mom made better ones but he figured mentioning his mom again wasn't the smartest move if he wanted to seem remotely cool. “Yes, and yes.” he said, grateful for the change in topic. “You’re a first year right?” he asked, taking another bite of his cookie.

 

[Ivy Ashworth]

Ivy grinned at the boy's description of the cookies. "Oh, those do sound nice." She admitted. Her own mother didn't really do that sort of thing, but Ivy ignored the pang of jealousy she felt. "And I can get that, but there's so many options... I don't know what to choose." She admitted, looking around at all the snacks. Ivy felt pretty proud that she had been correct in guessing his house and year, even if it wasn't that impressive because she had definitely seen him around the common room before. "I am." She said with a nod. "Can I ask you how the first year exams are at the end of the year? Are they very difficult? I've started studying already, but I'm a little worried about about Transfiguration personally. Are you good at that subject?"

 

[Nikko Blackwood]

Nikko shrugged as the other girl spoke, unsure if he really had anything more to add to their cookie conversation. Or at least anything she would be interested in, because he probably could talk about cookies for longer then anyone should. He was relieved he had guessed right, that she was a first year. But it was a pretty easy guess for him. He was only a second year so if he didn't remember seeing them least year the odds were good that they were a first year. Nikko blinked rapidly as she started to suddenly ask him a lot of questions about exams. "Already?" he asked incredulously. "It's only February." he said, sounding a little unsure because he really couldn't fathom anyone studying that far in advance. But his grades also reflected that fact. "Um...I think you should be good if you're studying now." he said with an encouraging smile. "I didn't find them too difficult but my grades are pretty.....average." he admitted with a shrug.