Meeting through art pv Beatrice Dupont

Beatrice stood in front of the great lake, letting the sun shine down on her as she watched the black water. She had come here to study but somehow she just couldn't start. Her heavy bag was still pulling on her shoulder, a patchwork planket in her hands that she had intended to sit on.

The wind blew through the old jumper she was wearing and pulled on her jeans. Beatrice fully sank into her thoughts as she saw creatures moving under the surface. For a moment she wanted to step back but something held her in her place as she kept looking. She didn't even notice someone was walking up to her.

"Hi," a voice suddenly said. Beatrice, clearly startled, almost jumped from getting pulled out of her thoughts so suddenly. "Um, sorry if this is weird, but is it okay if I draw you? Your hair is very pretty." The girl in front of Beatrice looked quite shy. Beatrice blinked a few times and tried to find her words. She had never been asked something like this. Stop thinking and say something a voice in her head reminded her.

»Uh-« she cleared her throat, »Thanks? Sorry no, I mean Yes, Sorry.« She spat out her words, not sure they made sense. Beatrice took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts as the girl in front of her looked at her in slight confusion.

»Um, yes. You can draw me if you'd like. Sorry, I've never been asked something like this before.« She tried again, her words coming out a bit clearer this time. Beatrice mentally slapped herself for that mess of words.

Interacting with: @Rani Adler

"Uh- Thanks? Sorry no, I mean yes, sorry," the girl in front of her stammered, stumbling over her words. It took a few seconds before Rani realized what she had said, but she was still confused.

"So can I-"

"Um, yes. You can draw me if you'd like. Sorry, I've never been asked something like this before."

"I see, I'm sorry if I startled you." Rani fiddled with her pencil nervously, pondering about whether she should just start drawing or say something. She looked over at the other girl, who also seemed a little nervous. Rani opened her mouth and tried to think of something to say.

"Uhmm..." Come on, just talk to her. You got yourself into this situation, Rani said to herself. What am I even scared of? I'll probably never see her again anyway.

"Well," Rani continued, feeling slightly more confident, "I will draw you standing by the great lake, okay? Uhh and by the way... You can just do whatever you want. Like, reading or something. I don't want to bother you." Rani tried to avoid making eye contact, but she just couldn't help looking at the girl's perfectly sea green eyes, as if there was some invisible power forcing her to look. For some reason, she didn't want to never see this girl again. She wanted to be her friend and talk to her. Rani was shocked at her own thoughts. I don't even know this girl, what is happening to me?, she wondered.

She quickly broke eye contact, took a deep breath, and continued to speak, "Sorry," she said, though not exactly knowing what she was apologizing for, "Uhm, I'm Rani. What is your name?"

@Beatrice Dupont

"I see, I'm sorry if I startled you." The girl in front of Beatrice gladly understood her. Beatrice noticed how she fiddled with her pencil and glanced around seemingly nervous.

»Uh no! I was just in my thoughts, you know, there was actually some creature under the surface that I was watching, should have probably stepped back anyway.« Beatrice stopped herself before she could say more. Merlin, why am I talking this much.

The girl opened her mouth to say something but the only thing that came out was “Umm...”. Beatrice looked at her, taking in the girls appearance. Her hair was short, slightly messy and blonde. Beatrice liked how opposite it looked to hers. The girls hair seemed to shine golden in the sun and her baby blue eyes matched perfectly.

Beatrice looked up and realized her thoughts had wandered off again. The girl seemed to have said something. Shit, what did she say? The two girls stared into each other's eyes. Beatrice wasn't sure if she should just look away or keep on staring. She tried a gentle smile but the other girl seemed completely lost in her thoughts. Then she snapped her gaze away, looking a bit flustered.

“Sorry,” she said, “Uhm, I'm Rani. What is your name?« Rani finished her sentence. Why did she apologize?

»I- Beatrice.« Her eyes went wide as she realized how dump that sounds. »I mean, my name's Beatrice!« she tried again, her heavy Scottish accent slipping through her words. It seems, i'm great at making a fool out of myself today.

»Oh and, I was just gonna sit here and do some homework, is that alright? Or do you need me standing up? It honestly doesn't matter. I can figure out how to do that standing.« Beatrice said. »Probably.« she said that a bit quieter, furrowing her eyebrows and trying to think of a way to hold her textbook, parchment paper, ink pots and feather in her arms and write all at once.

@Rani Adler

"I- Beatrice," the girl said sheepishly, "I mean, my name's Beatrice!" Rani noticed a hint of an accent in her voice, Scottish, probably.

"That's a pretty name."

"Oh and, I was just gonna sit here and do some homework, is that alright? Or do you need me standing up? It honestly doesn't matter. I can figure out how to do that standing. Probably." The girl looked thoughtfully. Rani immediately shook her head, causing her already tangled hair to appear even more messy.

"Oh, no that's alright! You can just sit and do whatever you want." She smiled encouragingly, "Um, as I said I don't want to bother you, so just pretend I'm not there." A little unsure, Rani looked back and forth between her sketchbook and Beatrice standing in front of her. She then took her pencil and quickly glanced at Beatrice again. She turned the page of her book to a blank new page and nervously started sketching. Is she looking? Rani wondered, but she didn't look up, because she didn't want to seem weird. The lines she put down were a little shaky, but she didn't care. Why was it so stressful to draw when someone else is near?

"Uhm..." Rani looked up and glanced at Beatrice again. "I got the sketch. I thought maybe you... wanted to check if it looks alright." She turned her sketchbook around and showed the other girl her drawing. It was only a rough sketch, but Rani hoped she liked it.

@Beatrice Dupont

"Oh, no that's alright! You can just sit and do whatever you want." Rani smiled at Beatrice, "Um, as I said I don't want to bother you, so just pretend I'm not there." She told her. Beatrice nodded, unsure of what to do. She looked at Rani who also seemed a little unsure, she looked back and forth between her sketchbook and Beatrice.

Beatrice decided to put her planket on the grass and start to get her things out of her bag. She glances up at Rani, who was drawing, her hand seeming a little shaky. Beatrice opened her Charms textbook and started to get to work, scribbling down her Homework.

"Uhm..." Beatrice looked up at Rani who was also looking at her. "I got the sketch. I thought maybe you... wanted to check if it looks alright." She turned her sketchbook around and showed her the drawing. A smile appeared on Beatrice lips as she looked at herself. She seemed prettier in the picture than in real life but overall it looked a lot like her.

»It looks great!« She said, smiling at the other girl. Then she noticed how weird it was, talking to Rani while she was sitting and the other girl was standing.

»Uhm, would you maybe want to sit down?« She asked, moving her stuff to her left and moving over herself so Rani could sit down in the free space. »It would probably be a little more comfortable than standing up and holding your sketchbook in your arms. Of course only if you want to.« She told the other girl with another smile, tucking a piece of hair, that had been falling in her face the whole time, behind her ear.

@Rani Adler

When Beatrice looked at the drawing, she smiled. "It looks great!" She said, "Uhm, would you maybe want to sit down? It would probably be a little more comfortable than standing up and holding your sketchbook in your arms. Of course, only if you want to." Beatrice moved her things to make place for Rani and smiled again.

It took a few seconds before Rani realized what the girl had said. "Oh, right, of course," she stammered, quickly sitting down on the grass beside Beatrice. "I hadn't thought of that- I mean not that it was an issue, but, I guess it's more comfortable to sit down." Why am I so awkward? I'm embarrassing myself, Rani thought. Lost in her thoughts, she started to continue working on her drawing. Even though she wasn't paying attention, she was hyper-aware of every movement she made. After a while, she started to realize that the drawing wasn't improving anymore, but getting worse instead. I messed up. Rani figured she must have been mindlessly scribbling all over her drawing, making it almost look like a three-year-old's work. She couldn't even recognize Beatrice anymore.

Rani sighed and closed her sketchbook. "Uhm, Beatrice?" She nervously looked over at the other girl, "I don't feel like drawing anymore. Sorry." She didn't want to admit that she'd ruined it.

@Beatrice Dupont

Date: Sept.
Word Count: 313

"Oh, right, of course," Rani stammered, quickly sitting down beside her. "I hadn't thought of that- I mean not that it was an issue, but, I guess it's more comfortable to sit down." Beatrice chuckled at her Answer but Rani seemed to be completely lost in thought. After a bit of time Rani started to draw again and Beatrice pointed her gaze back to her Homework.

Gosh this is hard she thought, glancing back at Rani who was furrowing her eyebrows while concentrating. Beatrice's thoughts wandered off to the lake again. She stared at it, trying to see that thing again but there was nothing.

Rani sighed beside Beatrice, closing her Sketchbook. "Uhm, Beatrice?" her gaze snapped from the lake back to the other girl,
"I don't feel like drawing anymore. Sorry.« Rani seemed kind of sad. Had Beatrice done something to upset her?

She put on a gentle smile, looking at Rani, who was staring at the book in her hands.

»That's okay! Don't worry.« She said and Rani looked back at her. »Uh,...« She didn't know how to say the next part of her sentence. The question was stuck in her head. She blinked a few times but only because her inner self was scolding her outer self, mentally slapping her hand against her forehead.

»Uhm, would you like to continue sitting with me?« Beatrice's cheeks flushed red. That's not normal, why was she nervous now? Maybe Rani would say no? Hopefully not. »I mean, only if you'd like. I understand if you have to go somewhere else or don't want to sit out in the cold. I do have a sweater in my bag tho.« She mentally scolded herself. Beatrice didn't want Rani to feel pressured to stay but she would like her to stay. She bit her lip, looking at her hands.

@Rani Adler

"That's okay! Don't worry." Beatrice said. "Uh,..." The dark-haired girl hesitated. Rani nodded at her encouragingly, and the other girl blinked a few times. "Uhm, would you like to continue sitting with me?" When Beatrice spoke, she blushed a little. She's probably shy, Rani thought. Just like me. "I mean, only if you'd like. I understand if you have to go somewhere else or don't want to sit out in the cold. I do have a sweater in my bag tho."

"Oh uhmm..." Rani smiled faintly and shook her head. "That's... That's nice of you, but no thank you." She put her hands in her pockets and looked at Beatrice cautiously. She didn't really feel at ease, but maybe that was just because of her anxiety. When she saw Beatrice's puzzled expression, Rani suddenly realized what her sentence had sounded like.

"Wait, I mean, I do want to sit with you. I just meant that I'm not cold." She bit her lip. While she said that, it seemed like the truth, but just now Rani realized that it actually was pretty cold. She shivered involuntarily. Why did it change all of a sudden? Just a minute ago it felt abnormally warm. Was she getting sick? Rani looked at Beatrice again and wondered what to say.

"Well." She smiled again, though a little more unsure, "Did... Did you just want to make your homework or something? Or do you wanna chat?" Rani spoke as casual as possible, even though she was feeling quite tense.

@Beatrice Dupont

Date:Sept.
Word Count: 331

"Oh uhmm..." Rani smiled faintly and shook her head. Oh no, she's gonna say no. I shouldn't have asked. "That's... That's nice of you, but no thank you." She put her hands in her pockets and looked at her. Beatrice tensed up, clearly feeling uncomfortable now.

»Oh...« Beatrice said, not sure what to say now. She looked back down at her hands, pressing her lips together.

"Wait, I mean, I do want to sit with you. I just meant that I'm not cold." Rani said suddenly, biting her lip. A breath of relief left Beatrice's lungs and she shook her head, still a bit puzzled. She stared at the girl, not sure what to say to her.

»Uh....« This is awkward. Why is it awkward now. She looked at the sky, a cold breeze pulling on both the girls and most likely everyone that was outside.

"Well." Rani started to talk again. She smiled at Beatrice but it looked a little more unsure, "Did... Did you just want to make your homework or something? Or do you wanna chat?" After she said that, Beatrice realized she hadn't really thought about that. The wind was getting colder and clouds started to pull together above them. Beatrice took a quick glance at her watch. Almost Dinner time.

»Um, let me just-« She didn't fully finish her sentence but instead started to pack her things into her bag. She had packed everything when she realized that she hadn't continued to talk.

»On second thought, let's go inside. It is getting quite dark, I think it's about to rain. And also, it's almost Dinner time.« She said, standing up with all her things.

»Would you like to chat on the way into the Castle and maybe sit together at Dinner? I'm not sure that that's actually allowed, but since it's the weekend, I guess it won't be problem.« She finished her sentence, holding out her Hand, for Rani to take so she could get up.

@Rani Adler

Beatrice leaves Thread