Can't Get Enough (Kelsey)

[Zeneka Valiente]

Nyx sat on her shoulder, the sun was just beginning to rise behind the castle, and she had her easel and a nice blank canvas in front of her. In one hand she had a palette (one of those old fashioned kind that she loved) with globs of paint on it and in the other a new brush. Or was it really new? The good thing about magic is one could make almost anything look brand new with the flick of a wand and she used magic to clean her brushes after every piece and sometimes while she was in the middle of one as well so she wouldn’t accidentally mix any colors she didn’t want mixed.

She wasn’t normally an early riser, especially not this early and more especially not on a weekend, but for some reason she’d woken and couldn’t get back to sleep, she felt... inspired. Without really thinking she’d taken up her supplies and gone out to the lawns, setting up at the nearest place that seemed to call to her. She hadn’t even gotten dressed yet and was in still in her pajamas, pale purple pants with numerous colored bunnies on them and a matching colored tank with the same bunny pattern. She was barefoot and rather enjoyed the tickle of the grass, still wet with dew, beneath her toes.

She glanced up at the sky and took a long, deep breath, letting it out slowly. It promised to be a really beautiful day. She dabbed her brush into some pale blue she’d mixed and began to paint the far background, the sky. Once that was done she began to add the colors of the sunrise, soft and vibrant, slowly so she would be able to add colors from the start of the sunrise to the finish. It was slow going, but her hand was confident and she had endless patience when it came to her art. As soon as she was satisfied with the sunrise colors she added a few light clouds, and finally the ground, a still rather dark green with a little bit of glisten from the dew shining in the rising light of the sun.

With the background done she began on the castle, thrusting into the bright morning sky like a great black claw. She absolutely loved Hogwarts castle. The skyscrapers of Chicago had been mighty things, disappearing into the sky and sometimes the tops even got half hidden by clouds, but the Hogwarts castle was ancient and powerful, foreboding and romantic at the same time. There were no castles in the United States, save sad imitations which she had never even seen, only heard of. None with power and history like the Hogwarts castle. She could never have enough pieces centered around the castle.

[Kelsey Anette Wheeler]

Kelsey scowled at the ground below her as she walked. She hadn't slept. At all. She kicked a bit of dirt in annoyance and let out a short sigh. She was tired of not sleeping. What was with her and not sleeping? It happened too often, she was always sleep deprived.

Anyway, this time, something told her to go for a walk. Maybe clear her head. Then maybe she'd spend the rest of the day just... sleeping. Kelsey stretched her arms above her head, exposing her stomach. That was when it hit her how early it was. She could feel the dew in the air, not just on the grass. Deciding to ignore it, Kelsey just continued walking, watching the imprints her bare feet made in the grass as she stepped on it. Her stride was slow, and she made almost no noise as she moved. That was why she was surprised when she heard the rustling of... something. Someone was moving around out here.

Kelsey picked her head up and looked around. Not far to her right was a girl wearing purple pants and a purple tank with rabbits all over it. Kelsey smirked despite herself, it was kind of adorable. The girl was painting something, and it actually looked really good. Kelsey stopped and watched silently as the girl stroked the canvas.

"That looks really good." Kelsey finally said, her thick Irish accent clinging tightly to her words. She was never one to actually start conversations but she was just so... adorable. Kelsey had a soft spot for cute things and people, just like any other girl, she guessed.

[Zeneka Valiente]

She had the basic shape of the castle done and was going over the edges to make a more defined shape when she heard, as if from a distance, a voice. For a moment she hardly registered it, as focused as she was. She put a few finishing touches on the shape and tore her gaze slowly away toward where she thought she had heard someone say something. She blinked in surprise at the girl she found standing there and looked at her with a slightly tilted head for a moment before it finally registered what she had said.

“OH! Thank you! Sorry I… I space out when I’m…,” she waved her brush absently at the painting. The black rat on her shoulder twitched her nose and crawled to her other shoulder, her tail wrapped loosely around her neck, and she giggled as the rat’s claws tickled her skin. “Stop that, Nyx….” She set her brush down, plucked her rat from her shoulder, and set he atop the easel instead where she balanced easily enough, looking down at the yet unfinished painting.

Zen turned back to the girl, “I’ve never seen you around before, or at least I don’t think I have.” She caught sight of a spot of the castle she’d missed going over and got a rather determined look on her face as she dipped her brush and gave a few light strokes until it was satisfactory. Then she remembered the girl again, “Uhm… yeah, so… I’m Zen, and that’s Nyx,” she pointed her brush at the black rat atop her easel, “Uhhhmmmm, I’d shake your hand but mine are kinda full.” She smiled instead; it would have to do, “So who are you? Are you out enjoying the dawn too?”

[Kelsey Anette Wheeler]

The girl said nothing. Kelsey was almost sure she didn't hear her, and was just about to turn and walk away when the young girl turned to look at her and tilted her head slightly. Still she said nothing. On her face was a look of dazed confusion, Kelsey actually jumped a bit when the girl finally spoke up. "OH! Thank you! Sorry I… I space out when I’m…," Kelsey flashed what she hoped was a kind smile and nodded. "Understandable," She said simply. This was when she noticed a black rat on the girl's shoulder. She giggled a bit and said something before placing the rat on the easel where her painting sad. Kelsey raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly as the girl spoke again.

"I’ve never seen you around before, or at least I don’t think I have." Kelsey shook her head, grinning. "No," She answered shortly as the other girl turned around and began stroking the painting once again. Kelsey's eyebrow rose higher, but she soon turned back around and started talking again. "Uhm… yeah, so… I’m Zen, and that’s Nyx," she pointed at the rat she'd just taken off her shoulder. "Uhhhmmmm, I’d shake your hand but mine are kinda full."

Kelsey grinned. Zen was so... innocent-sounding. So adorable. "So who are you? Are you out enjoying the dawn too?" She questioned. Kelsey laughed quietly and shook her head. "No exactly..." Kelsey trailed off slightly as she stifled a yawn. "I haven't slept at all. I thought a walk would maybe clear me head." Her hand shot up to the back of her neck as she stretched. She was so tired. But sleep was just... impossible for some reason.

[Zeneka Valiente]

She bit her lip lightly, her brow furrowing in slight concern, “Why haven’t you slept? Is something wrong?” She chewed her lip a little again, “Oh, but… I guess it’s not my business if something is… but it helps to talk about stuff sometimes, for some people anyway….” She was sort of rambling; she was good at that, though hardly aware of it whenever she did. “You can talk to me if you want. If you need to that is. Or… if you don’t… I mean….” She wasn’t sure how to say what she meant, so she laughed instead, “I think I’m tired too… not used to getting up this early but my muse didn’t want to wait.”

She glanced back at her painting twirling her brush between her fingers, “Speaking of my muse…,” she glanced back at the other girl, “You don’t mind if I finish this up do you? Now I know you’re here I won’t be so lost in it so you can still talk to me if you want and stuff.” She surveyed what there was of her painting so far. The castle was hardly more than a dark grey shape at the moment, she needed to add the shading and the lighting and the detail. “You have the same accent as my boyf-… ex-bo… you know I don’t like calling him that it’s so negative sounding, he’s still my friend so… my friend.” She nodded affirmatively at that, “You have the same accent as my friend. He’s a Gryffindor, his name is Kite, do you know him?”

She looked back at her and looked a little surprised, “I haven’t gotten your name yet. Unless you don’t wanna tell me, I guess that’s okay too. You don’t really have to, some people can get weird about it for some reason… not that you’re weird, I mean, maybe you are, cuz I kinda like ‘weird’ things but-” She felt heat rise in her face and knew she was blushing so she looked hard at her painting. That hadn’t come out exactly like she wanted. She figured she should probably stop blabbering about nothing, that might help keep her from saying anything silly. “Hrm… so, mm, if you can’t sleep… you could always ask the nurse for a sleeping draught or something….”

[Kelsey Anette Wheeler]

"Why haven’t you slept? Is something wrong?" Zen bit her lip and looked... even slightly concerned. This was surprising to Kelsey. Kelsey was a complete stranger to this girl, what kind of person shows concern for a stranger? "Oh, but… I guess it’s not my business if something is… but it helps to talk about stuff sometimes, for some people anyway… You can talk to me if you want. If you need to that is. Or… if you don’t… I mean… I think I’m tired too… not used to getting up this early but my muse didn’t want to wait." Kelsey laughed quietly as the girl rambled on. She went to say something, but Zen started speaking again before she could start, "Speaking of my muse…" Zen turned back to her painting, glancing back towards Kelsey only to ask if she minded.

Smirking, Kelsey shook her head. "No problem at all." She spoke as she took a step or two closer to the girl. "You have the same accent as my boyf-… ex-bo… you know I don’t like calling him that it’s so negative sounding, he’s still my friend so… my friend. You have the same accent as my friend. He’s a Gryffindor, his name is Kite, do you know him?" Kelsey shook her head, suddenly frowning. She didn't know why. She surveyed the girl's appearance almost regrettably. She was known to make assumptions based on appearances... judging girls and that. Zen seemed like she might have been a good shag. Kelsey dragged herself back to reality. "Your... um... friend? Is Irish?" She asked hesitantly. Most people she'd met here were either Scottish or English. Never really Irish. Then again, she wouldn't be surprised. "No. I do not know him."

"I haven’t gotten your name yet. Unless you don’t wanna tell me, I guess that’s okay too. You don’t really have to, some people can get weird about it for some reason… not that you’re weird, I mean, maybe you are, cuz I kinda like ‘weird’ things but-" She broke off and blushed a bit, quickly turning away from Kelsey to her painting. She was so adorable. Kelsey laughed.

"Kelsey," She answered, "My name is Kelsey." Zen then quickly changed the subject, asking Kelsey to go to the nurse for sleeping draught. Again, Kelsey shook her head, lifting her pale hand now to brush the hair from her face as she spoke, "I try not to go to the nurse... Especially not for something so trivial. Plus, I'm used to it."

[Zeneka Valiente]

Happily, she dipped her brush and continued painting when the girl said she didn’t mind. Her gaze narrowed slightly in thought, “I think he’s Irish… he might have said so before, but I don’t really have a great memory,” she laughed a little, dabbing dark shadows onto the castle to give it more depth.

“Kelsey…,” she murmured absently. Repeating names herself always helped her remember a little better. “It’s nice to meet you Kelsey,” she turned a friendly smile her way, but frowned slightly as she went on to say her sleeping problem apparently wasn’t anything new, “That’s not good… you go long enough it’ll really start to affect you badly….” She frowned at her painting as well, brushing a few more shadows onto the castle.

“I, for one, enjoy my sleep,” she chuckled, taking out her wand and waving the brush clean with a murmured spell. She looked down at her palette and mixed a new color, a slightly lighter grey. She glanced at the castle looming ahead of her for a quick reference and began stroking on lighter patches where the sun reached the stone.

“So, what do you like to do for fun, if not sleep? If you don’t sleep you must have something you do instead,” she still frowned a little thinking about it and wishing she could help her somehow. “I keep a really boring book of poems by my bed in case I can’t sleep, that usually works for me,” she laughed.

(sorry kinda shortish ;P)

[Kelsey Anette Wheeler]

"Kelsey… It’s nice to meet you Kelsey." As Zen spoke, her friendly smile turned into something of a frown, "That’s not good… you go long enough it’ll really start to affect you badly… I, for one, enjoy my sleep." Kelsey grinned slightly. Easy for someone who could sleep to say. Kelsey appreciated sleep, but she liked it better in the early mornings and late nights; people were rarely ever around her. That tended to make her happy. She wasn't really a people person.

Kelsey shrugged and shook her hair from her face again, "I appreciate the few hours I get, but it doesn't bother me much anymore," she spoke calmly, only the hint of a yawn tugging at her thick Irish accent.

"So, what do you like to do for fun, if not sleep? If you don’t sleep you must have something you do instead," Kelsey continued to examine Zen's body as she spoke. She had such nice hips and shoulders, with only a bit of a pronounced collarbone. That she could see of it, she only got short glances at the front of the girl. So instead, Kelsey spent her time shamelessly checking out Zen's curves and butt. "I keep a really boring book of poems by my bed in case I can’t sleep, that usually works for me," Zen laughed as she said this, continuing to shade the painting.

Kelsey was almost too distracted to answer, and there was a bit of a pause before she did. "I take walks, read, stare at the ceiling..." Kelsey paused, realizing how boring this must seem. "I like to live life on the edge, you know?" She joked.

[Zeneka Valiente]

“It doesn’t bother you?” She frowned a little, “Well, whatever floats your boat I guess. I couldn’t live without a good night’s sleep at least the majority of nights in the week.” She did love her sleep, “Honestly… most of the time I’d rather be up at night than in the day time… but then I’d miss a lot of beautiful and interesting lighting and all my paintings would be dark and… samey. I like the night time though, it’s calm and peaceful. Nighttime walks are the best, especially on clear nights when you can see all the stars….”

She giggled at the other girl’s words, “Indeed, it seems you lead an exceptionally exciting life… though, taking walks and reading aren’t horrible pastimes.” She added a few finishing touches to the highlights on the castle and took a few steps back for a fresh look. After a long moment’s study, she decided she was satisfied and turned around to face Kelsey properly.

“Speaking of walks, you wanna take one with me?” She picked Nyx off the top of the easel and put the rat back on her shoulder, pulling the easel a little ways away to where a tree stood, “I’ll just leave this here and come back for it later.” She walked back over to Kelsey, curling her toes into the still damp grass, “So do you think you’d like to? Or not? You don’t have to….” Most people probably would have left by now so she was hopeful that maybe the girl would stay and say yes. It would be nice to make a new friend.