( so, maybe juniper gets to the cafe early. like, really early. he's excited, okay? skye seems a little bit (or a lot) out of his element, and junie's more than happy to have a new little bird to take under her wing. he's acquired quite the spread for their first tutoring session, a glorious assortment of cute little pastries, one half-drunk iced tiramisu latte accompanying an inevitable second and skye's brown sugar milk tea. maybe he's overdoing it a little — but is that so wrong?
the moment he spots skye — well, he can only assume it's skye, considering he's the only boy giving lost little puppy dog looking for its owner when he walks in — juniper jumps to his feet, and it's maybe obvious right away why he asked for skye's favorite color. his hair, almost iridescent shades of lavender and baby blues, is up in a clip with sparkly makeup to match, and he's wearing a blue crop top underneath a half-unzipped white hoodie that he'll almost definitely be taking off when it's time to go to the party. )
Skye? ( she grins, immediately going for an excited little hug. sorry about it! ) Juniper! Nice to meet you.
[Skye realizes as he enters the cafe that he has no idea what Junie looks like or anything about them really other than their phone number. He stands a little awkwardly to the side, looking around, trying to figure out if any of these customers are Junie. What if he got the cafe wrong? Maybe he should text to double check. And ask for a picture so he knows who he’s looking for.
But just before he reaches for his phone he sees movement out of the corner of his eye, a blur of pale purples and blues that’s suddenly in his space saying his name.]
Yeah—oh. [He's startled by the hug and completely unsure what to do with his hands, though Junie doesn’t seem terribly bothered.] Hi. I'm… [He starts to offer his name then stops himself, because that’s already been confirmed.] Well, you know who I am.
Thank god I guessed right, or that would've been really awkward, ( junie laughs, giving skye a little squeeze before letting him go. with a sheepish smile, he adds: ) Sorry, I'm a hugger.
( with a flourish, he sits himself back down, gesturing towards the seat across from him with a hand while taking a big ol' sip of her latte. ) I kinda went overboard on the pastries — I couldn't decide if I thought you'd like sweet or savory and I kinda bought one of everything.
[Skye can’t help but smile a little at the thought of Junie greeting a random passerby like that. Awkward might be an understatement.
He slips his bag off his shoulder and takes a seat as Junie explains the extensive pastry layout.]
I’m really not picky. Both are good. [Though the first thing he reaches for is a raspberry scone so Junie can make of that what he will.] Were you waiting long? I’m still learning my way around.
( skye is, frankly, upsettingly adorable with his sheepish little smile. junie's megawatt smile absolutely gleams in return as his new friend (yeah, they're friends now!!) picks out a scone — which feels like an enormous victory in his quest to win over the new kid. there's a reason juniper is such a highly ranked member of the welcoming committee. )
Mmmaybe a little, but that's all my fault 'cause I was too excited so I came super early. ( and she gives a half-apologetic little shrug, smile warm as she picks out a tart for herself. ) You'll get the hang of this place.
( he looks thoughtful for a moment as he takes a bite of his pastry, surveying skye with slightly narrowed eyes. ) Have you thought about what you want to specialize in?
[The scone is actually delicious and Skye is happily chomping on it as Junie talks. It’s really kind of nice, Skye thinks, that Junie is so energetic and chatty. It means Skye doesn’t have to try to think of things to say to fill in any awkward silences.
Of course, he's reminded that he still has to take part in the conversation when Junie narrows her gaze on him and asks a rather pointed question. Skye blinks and pouts, staring for a moment like a deer caught in the headlights. Or, perhaps more accurately, a chipmunk in headlights considering how full his mouth is of scone.]
Hrmrff.
[Very articulate. His mouth is obviously too full to speak so he grabs his milk tea and gulps down several swallows along with the scone.]
Uh… [Another sip of tea to collect himself.] You mean…magically speaking? [Because he did have a specialty before all this happened, but music doesn’t seem to be good enough for his dad's weird, elitist family.] Not really. I haven’t even been able to find anything I’m very good at.
( ohhh god, skye is so very round and squishy and cute with his mouth full of pastry, full lips pouting across the table at him even if he doesn't realize he's doing it. junie's previously pointed Look absolutely melts into goo, leaning her elbows onto the table and propping her chin up on her hands. )
Not anything? ( he's all pleading puppy dog eyes emoji, because he finds it hard to believe — and if it's true, then juniper sure does have her work cut out for her. ) Well, we'll just have to practice a little bit of everything until we find the perfect fit! In my experience, it's gotta be something you like — because if your heart's not in it, it'll definitely suck.
[He hums as he grabs a napkin to wipe some of the crumbs from the corner of his mouth, and feeling kind of guilty. He doesn’t want to be a problem or a source of frustration for Junie.]
Yeah, I mean, that ghost charm I told you about before? That took me over a month to learn, and it was pretty basic even for a kid. My mom was really patient about teaching me, but I remember being frustrated the whole time.
[He sighs and picks up his tea and sips it thoughtfully. Junie does make a fair point about having to like what you study.] It was way easier for me to learn to play something new on the violin, but maybe that’s because I was just more interested in music?
[He was always pretty good at other normie subjects too, though, even if he wasn’t passionate about them. But maybe magic is just harder in general.]
( juniper nods emphatically as she listens to skye's explanation, straw in her mouth as she takes perhaps a comically long drink of her latte, swallowing with a satisfied sigh as she sets the (mostly) empty cup back down. )
That makes sense. Plus, you haven't really even been around all the magic there is in the world, so — you don't even know what you were missing. Maybe you'll find something here at school that you love just as much as music.
( he bites his lip, looking up towards the ceiling pensively for a moment before smiling back across the table at skye, twirling the strand of hair hanging loose from her ponytail around his finger because heaven forbid june stays still for even a millisecond. )
[Skye falters a little at Junie's last comment, almost dropping the second pastry he’s chosen for himself.]
Yeah, I guess. [Shit, that sounds ungrateful. He shouldn’t talk shit about his dad or his family in public or with someone he barely knows. What if word gets back to them? Skye isn’t really convinced they have his best interests at heart, and he doesn’t feel safe saying it out loud. From the way the Dean and his academic advisor have been treating him, he gets the impression his dad's family is a Big Deal at this school, so it seems like it would be really easy for them to have spies around or something.
Then again maybe he’s just paranoid.
He clears his throat as he places his newly selected apple turnover onto his plate.]
I mean, yeah. He’s an alumni and knows the dean. That’s why they were able to get me enrolled on such short notice. I think the family donates a lot, too. Have you heard of him? Bowen Liang?
( junie's mid-picking up a croissant when skye so innocuously drops his dad's name like it's nothing — like bowen freaking liang is just some regular rich guy — and it's so surprising that the pastry ends up dropped abruptly back on its plate, his eyes wide, absolute deer in headlights. everyone in the magical community knows the name liang — unless they live under a rock, and the really smart people know that the liang family and anyone associated with them are not to be fucked with. but — juniper's never heard of there being a son, let alone one his age. and a liang kept mostly away from the world of magic? even stranger yet.
oh, god, she realizes that she's gawking, and all the transformation magic in the world can't help her absolute absence of a poker face. ) That's ...
( oh god. now she really needs to get skye to like her. anything less might get his family into big trouble with the liangs. ) Sorry, ( junie apologizes abruptly, pressing a hand to her cheek that's suddenly warm with embarrassment. ) It's just — the library on campus is literally named after your dad. He's so super powerful and — everyone respects him a lot.
[Skye tries very hard not to wilt at Junie's reaction. God, his dad really is just everywhere, isn't he.]
Right. The library.
[He probably should have expected something like that, but somehow he didn't. He hasn't been to the library yet. He hasn't had a need to. His dad supplied all his text books for him and he hasn't been here long enough to start any research projects or whatever. He wonders where else his paternal family name will show up on campus.
He picks idly at his pastry, having lost some of his appetite.]
( junie can feel his eyes widen as the mood at this cafe table visibly takes a nosedive — not ideal. like super not ideal, because selfishly, she's maybe now a little scared of word getting back to skye's scary powerful dad.
but worst of all? and most importantly? he's making the new kid feel bad the very first time they've met when he's already clearly having a hard time.
she frowns, gaze flickering upwards, clearly thinking Very Hard and then — junie softens a little. a sweet smile plays at the corners of his mouth, and a hand reaches across the table to give skye's a squeeze. )
Hey, let's forget the boring school stuff for today, okay? ( and that smile spreads into a grin, confidence returning to her body millisecond by millisecond. ) I think we should go to the party and have some fun. What do you think?
[Skye is a little surprised by the offer. Incredulous, even. It's almost on the tip of his tongue to ask "you still want to?" But he realizes in time that saying that would probably sound extremely pathetic.
He'd like to avoid being pathetic as much as possible.
And he supposes that even though he has mixed feelings about his dad's family not everyone does. People seem to respect them, at least.
So, instead of asking any silly questions, he accepts Junie's little hand squeeze and nods.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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the moment he spots skye — well, he can only assume it's skye, considering he's the only boy giving lost little puppy dog looking for its owner when he walks in — juniper jumps to his feet, and it's maybe obvious right away why he asked for skye's favorite color. his hair, almost iridescent shades of lavender and baby blues, is up in a clip with sparkly makeup to match, and he's wearing a blue crop top underneath a half-unzipped white hoodie that he'll almost definitely be taking off when it's time to go to the party. )
Skye? ( she grins, immediately going for an excited little hug. sorry about it! ) Juniper! Nice to meet you.
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But just before he reaches for his phone he sees movement out of the corner of his eye, a blur of pale purples and blues that’s suddenly in his space saying his name.]
Yeah—oh. [He's startled by the hug and completely unsure what to do with his hands, though Junie doesn’t seem terribly bothered.] Hi. I'm… [He starts to offer his name then stops himself, because that’s already been confirmed.] Well, you know who I am.
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( with a flourish, he sits himself back down, gesturing towards the seat across from him with a hand while taking a big ol' sip of her latte. ) I kinda went overboard on the pastries — I couldn't decide if I thought you'd like sweet or savory and I kinda bought one of everything.
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He slips his bag off his shoulder and takes a seat as Junie explains the extensive pastry layout.]
I’m really not picky. Both are good. [Though the first thing he reaches for is a raspberry scone so Junie can make of that what he will.] Were you waiting long? I’m still learning my way around.
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Mmmaybe a little, but that's all my fault 'cause I was too excited so I came super early. ( and she gives a half-apologetic little shrug, smile warm as she picks out a tart for herself. ) You'll get the hang of this place.
( he looks thoughtful for a moment as he takes a bite of his pastry, surveying skye with slightly narrowed eyes. ) Have you thought about what you want to specialize in?
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Of course, he's reminded that he still has to take part in the conversation when Junie narrows her gaze on him and asks a rather pointed question. Skye blinks and pouts, staring for a moment like a deer caught in the headlights. Or, perhaps more accurately, a chipmunk in headlights considering how full his mouth is of scone.]
Hrmrff.
[Very articulate. His mouth is obviously too full to speak so he grabs his milk tea and gulps down several swallows along with the scone.]
Uh… [Another sip of tea to collect himself.] You mean…magically speaking? [Because he did have a specialty before all this happened, but music doesn’t seem to be good enough for his dad's weird, elitist family.] Not really. I haven’t even been able to find anything I’m very good at.
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Not anything? ( he's all pleading puppy dog eyes emoji, because he finds it hard to believe — and if it's true, then juniper sure does have her work cut out for her. ) Well, we'll just have to practice a little bit of everything until we find the perfect fit! In my experience, it's gotta be something you like — because if your heart's not in it, it'll definitely suck.
( well, that's how it is for junie, anyway. )
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Yeah, I mean, that ghost charm I told you about before? That took me over a month to learn, and it was pretty basic even for a kid. My mom was really patient about teaching me, but I remember being frustrated the whole time.
[He sighs and picks up his tea and sips it thoughtfully. Junie does make a fair point about having to like what you study.] It was way easier for me to learn to play something new on the violin, but maybe that’s because I was just more interested in music?
[He was always pretty good at other normie subjects too, though, even if he wasn’t passionate about them. But maybe magic is just harder in general.]
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That makes sense. Plus, you haven't really even been around all the magic there is in the world, so — you don't even know what you were missing. Maybe you'll find something here at school that you love just as much as music.
( he bites his lip, looking up towards the ceiling pensively for a moment before smiling back across the table at skye, twirling the strand of hair hanging loose from her ponytail around his finger because heaven forbid june stays still for even a millisecond. )
Thank goodness for your dad, right?
( :D :D :D???? )
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Yeah, I guess. [Shit, that sounds ungrateful. He shouldn’t talk shit about his dad or his family in public or with someone he barely knows. What if word gets back to them? Skye isn’t really convinced they have his best interests at heart, and he doesn’t feel safe saying it out loud. From the way the Dean and his academic advisor have been treating him, he gets the impression his dad's family is a Big Deal at this school, so it seems like it would be really easy for them to have spies around or something.
Then again maybe he’s just paranoid.
He clears his throat as he places his newly selected apple turnover onto his plate.]
I mean, yeah. He’s an alumni and knows the dean. That’s why they were able to get me enrolled on such short notice. I think the family donates a lot, too. Have you heard of him? Bowen Liang?
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( junie's mid-picking up a croissant when skye so innocuously drops his dad's name like it's nothing — like bowen freaking liang is just some regular rich guy — and it's so surprising that the pastry ends up dropped abruptly back on its plate, his eyes wide, absolute deer in headlights. everyone in the magical community knows the name liang — unless they live under a rock, and the really smart people know that the liang family and anyone associated with them are not to be fucked with. but — juniper's never heard of there being a son, let alone one his age. and a liang kept mostly away from the world of magic? even stranger yet.
oh, god, she realizes that she's gawking, and all the transformation magic in the world can't help her absolute absence of a poker face. ) That's ...
( oh god. now she really needs to get skye to like her. anything less might get his family into big trouble with the liangs. ) Sorry, ( junie apologizes abruptly, pressing a hand to her cheek that's suddenly warm with embarrassment. ) It's just — the library on campus is literally named after your dad. He's so super powerful and — everyone respects him a lot.
( and fears him, she doesn't say. )
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Right. The library.
[He probably should have expected something like that, but somehow he didn't. He hasn't been to the library yet. He hasn't had a need to. His dad supplied all his text books for him and he hasn't been here long enough to start any research projects or whatever. He wonders where else his paternal family name will show up on campus.
He picks idly at his pastry, having lost some of his appetite.]
Yeah, I guess he's a pretty big deal.
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but worst of all? and most importantly? he's making the new kid feel bad the very first time they've met when he's already clearly having a hard time.
she frowns, gaze flickering upwards, clearly thinking Very Hard and then — junie softens a little. a sweet smile plays at the corners of his mouth, and a hand reaches across the table to give skye's a squeeze. )
Hey, let's forget the boring school stuff for today, okay? ( and that smile spreads into a grin, confidence returning to her body millisecond by millisecond. ) I think we should go to the party and have some fun. What do you think?
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He'd like to avoid being pathetic as much as possible.
And he supposes that even though he has mixed feelings about his dad's family not everyone does. People seem to respect them, at least.
So, instead of asking any silly questions, he accepts Junie's little hand squeeze and nods.]
Sure. Yeah. That could be fun. Where's it at?