Hot Chocolate (Open)

[Kassia Burke]

This time Kassia did roll her eyes. She didn't exercise because she was afraid of her image, no the Burkes had privileged genes, she did it to stay healthy, but her sister was funny about her image. She thought it was more important to appear to be dieting than it was to flirt with any slytherin male within a fifty foot radius. And she loved to hear compliments about herself.

But Kassia didn't begrudge her sister whatever it was that made her feel happy even if she thought it was trivial. Her mind was more focused on her duties as a Burke, she took her responsibility very seriously, but at the same time she just didn't care that much about image, she wanted to appear respectable.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia blushed in spite of herself. She adored any kind of compliment at all, even ones so woefully inadequate as being "just fine." Of course, she had to be better than fine. She had to be perfect. And this boy certainly couldn't understand the pressures that were on girls of her status. "Well, there is a difference between being 'fine' and being 'great.' I'm a Burke, I have to be perfect. I have to aim for nothing less than perfection. Not that you would understand something like that."

[Tyler Parsons]

He looked at Ophelia with an eyebrow raised. "The way you are is perfect. I mean, if people don't like you for who you are, then that's their fault not yours. No matter how hard you try, not everyone is going to like you. People would actually act like they like you because of your family name and status. That's all. Do you really want people to just act like they like you?" Tyler looked at her a little confused. His family did have values, but it wasn't like he had to act one way. If people didn't like him for who he was, that was their problem.

"And you think that you have to just eat less in front of people to make yourself look perfect? I think that perfection is when you are you and not trying to be someone else." He gave a shrug. "I don't think you should try to impress anyone that prevents you from acting like you do when you're behind closed doors."

[Ophelia Burke]

These concepts were really quite foreign to Ophelia. They all sounded good to her, but he didn't understand what her life was like. What her family was like, and what kinds of expectations she had to live up to. "That's all very well and good for you," she said. "But you don't understand my family or my status. My father expects me to be a shining example of pureblood royalty. And I would never want to disappoint Daddy. Not after all he has done for me."

Then her lips curved up in a tiny smile. "Do you really think I'm perfect as I am?"

[Tyler Parsons]

"Yes, I don't really know what your family is like, but you should act like yourself. If you like to eat more than just a piece of lettuce, then do it. Don't hold back. It's healthy to see people have food on their plate as long as they are not cramming it in their mouths." Tyler didn't understand a family that wouldn't let their children be who they are.

"And yes Ace, I think you are perfect the way you are. I mean, you're beautiful and you seem like a pretty nice girl," he said with his cheeks turning slightly pink. Tyler didn't care if her hair wasn't what Ophelia thought was perfect. The way he saw her now, she was perfect.

[Ophelia Burke]

"Other girls can be cruel, too," Ophelia said. "If a girl eats like a pig in front of everyone, she could wind up being the subject of rumors and lies. I can't let Charlotte Monroe or Natasha Davenport see me eating a lot of food at dinner. I'd never hear the end of it. And I hate both of those girls, and have no desire or need to impress them. It's a matter of self preservation. I can't let me reputation suffer. It doesn't matter, though, because I can come here and eat what I want."

In reality, she had no idea whether Charlotte would have cared what she ate. In fact, Ophelia was reasonably certain that the only thing Charlotte cared about was Charlotte. Still, the girl was one of the nastiest girls in the school, and Fee had no intentions of letting the little witch have anything against her.

At the compliment, however, her cheeks blushed prettily. "Thank you," she said. "I guess... you're pretty OK, too."

[Tyler Parsons]

"Oh yes. Girls can be cruel. Much more cruel that guys can be," he said. "I've never understood that either. I guess it's just a way to make them feel better about themselves, although I don't see the point in that either." Tyler smiled as Ophelia said that she would come down to the kitchens and eat. A girl that could eat a decent meal was always pushed up on his list.

"Good. I can't say that I blame you for coming down here and eating. At least your eating a decent meal. That's always a plus. But, I've seen Charlotte before. She's a real nasty piece of work. I'm sorry you have to deal with her, although if it makes you feel any better, I think you're better than she is." Tyler wasn't making it up.

"And thank you Ace. I think that's probably the first compliment I've had in a while. I'm sure that you get plenty of them everyday."

[Kassia Burke]

This time Kassia spoke up, but not to admonish the boy for taking conversational liberties with her sister but instead to chastise her blood.

"Fee, you are one of the most beautiful girls at this school, and you carry the Burke name. You have no reason to compare yourself to the other girls at this school when you hold a title all your own and you know that." merlin knew she was told that half of the time. Her sister was really beautiful, and Kassia supposed they all were really beautiful, but no one spent as much time on their looks than Fee did.

Kassia generally just preferred to look presentable and neat, but she wasn't without her own compliments.

[Ophelia Burke]

Any ill will she harbored toward her sister went out the window at that. Compliments were one way to get on Ophelia's good side, and they never failed. Right now, both of them were quite possibly her favorite people in the world.

"Thank you, Kassi," she said, blushing prettily. Of course, she agreed with her; she believed she was much prettier than Charlotte, whose face seemed etched in a permanent sneer. "I don't really care about what those girls think, but I certainly don't want to get into a battle with them, either. It's unladylike to fight, after all. Even fighting with words, trying to top each other with rumors... it's inappropriate."

She turned back to Tyler. "And thank you, too. Maybe I misjudged you at first. But I do wish you'd stop calling me Ace."

[Tyler Parsons]

She was even more pretty when she blushed. Tyler made a mental note to compliment her every time he saw her. Of course Ophelia was ladylike, and she should be treated as such. Tyler prefered to treat her with respect, but also treat her like a normal person. That was what she was after all, a person. He didn't believe that just because one person was extremely rich, or in a well-known family should be treated any different. They were people too.

"That is one thing I can't do. See, you're the only one I've ever given a nickname Ace, so it's going to stick for a while. But, thank you, and I only speak the truth. I see no point in lying."

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia just barely reigned in a sigh, she wanted her sister to be happy and to be complimented all day even if she already did have the ego the size of the moon, it was just something that made her happy and therefore Kassia wanted it for her.

At the end of the day Fee was her sister, no matter how much she annoyed Kassia, or otherwise Kassia loved the girl. She knew too that at the root of her sister was goodness, she may have been a little spoiled but Fee was a good person.

She worried about Mr. Parsons and how much he was viewing of Fee's good side and what his flattery could do to a girl like Fee.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia was finished her hot chocolate now, as well as the cookie that the house elf had given her. And yet, Kassia was still waiting for her food. Ophelia had a sneaking suspicion that her sister was stalling, waiting for her to be ready. It annoyed her, but she couldn't very well ask her to leave. Especially when she was really done, anyway. She just didn't really want to leave yet.

"Well," she said reluctantly. "I couldn't possibly eat anything else, so I suppose Kassi and I should get going back to our common room." She stood up and gave a slightly curtsy to Tyler. "Tyler, it was... interesting talking to you. Perhaps I'll see you in class some time."

[Kassia Burke]

She wasn't stalling at all, but she was curious now as to what was taking her food so long. She didn't want to be rude to Mr. Parsons, and leave him alone, but Fee was finished and seemed like she wanted to take Kass with her. Still Kassia was hungry and she didn't intend to leave until after she had eaten. She didn't care about her figure, not that she gained anything anyway.

[Tyler Parsons]

Tyler rose when Ophelia did, just to be polite. He gave her a small bow. "It was pleasant talking with you Ace. I hope we have a chance to talk again sometime in the near future." Tyler smiled at her, then turned to her sister. He gave her a small bow as well. "It was nice meeting you Kassia. I'll see you around." Looking back to Ophelia, he was reluctant on saying good bye, because he was having a great time talking to her.

"Good night ladies. I hope you have a wonderful night," he said looking directly at Ace. He would wait until the girls left before he took his own leave.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia didn't really want to leave just yet. Although Tyler annoyed her in some ways, especially when he called her Ace, she also liked the attention. Looking at Kassia, she said, as if realizing for the first time that her sister still hadn't eaten anything. "Oh, wait. Kassi, you're still waiting for your food. I guess we may as well wait until it's ready. Since you missed dinner and all."

[Kassia Burke]

"Thank you." she said though there was a bit of dry humor in her voice, she turned however to go speak with the house elves about what was taking so long instead of letting her sister dwell on her tone which was barely discernible anyway.

She found her sister's urge to flirt amusing as long as Fee knew not to get too involved.

[Ophelia Burke]

Dry humor was, of course, a little bit over Ophelia's head, and in her mind, she thought she was being generous. Of course, the delay worked in her favor as well, because she could continue talking to Tyler until Kassia was ready to leave.

Turning back to Tyler, she said, "Do you have homework you need to do tonight? All that hot chocolate will probably keep you up tonight."

[Tyler Parsons]

Tyler stayed quiet as Ophelia and her sister talked. He minded his own business until he heard her speak to him. Turning to Ophelia he nodded. "I do have a little bit that I need to finish. It's not going to take me too long. Besides, I'm used to having at least two cups of hot chocolate before I go to bed. It doesn't really bother me that much." He gave a shrug. "How much do you have to do?"

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia sighed dramatically, knowing how Kassia was annoyed by it. "I have tons of work," she said. She lowered her voice so only Tyler could hear it, then added, "I'll probably be working in the library until it closes, actually."

The library would be closing in another two hours, and Ophelia had an idea. She hoped that Tyler got her subtle message to meet her in the library later. It would be nice when they could talk without one of her sisters present.

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia knew what her sister was doing and almost rolled her eyes again. These games were silly, Kassia wasn't trying to intrude on her sister's space, she was just hungry, but *everything* had to be about Fee. Sighing Kassia came back to the table, "They were out of what I wanted, I have them started on something else, Ii'll be leaving soon. But I'll wish you luck on your studying now."