Livvy decided to stay. "Yay!" she said as a grin reappeared across her lips. That was when she said something about presents. "Oh no!" That was horrible,how had she forgotten hers? They were somewhere in the girls dorm. She'd have to get it and hand them their presents. "I got you guys something too only....it's....not here." she told them looking around her,hoping maybe they'd just show up. If only she knew that Accio spell.

Still smiling,she watched as Chase opened his gift first. "Oooh!" While she wasn't too big of a fan of chocolate,kissables were pretty good. "That's so cute! It's like the Oscar Meyer one!" She looked around expectantly,hoping one of them knew what she was talking about. It was a huge car...thing...that was in the shape of a hot dog.

Now it was her turn. 'Yaaay!!!' Keeping her thoughts to herself,she looked at her gift and saw that it was an orange animal. That's when it clicked. "GARFIELD!" It'd been forever since she last saw something with Garfield on it. She could remember reading the comics on sundays,in the newspaper,with her dad and although she couldn't always understand it,each and every time she'd laugh. Plus....it was ORANGE! "Aww thank you so much Livvy! I adore it! I'll put him with the Nemo Lima gave me." She was super happy now. No more tears or anything just Livvy,Chase,Garfield and her. "I'll make sure to get you both your presents as soon as I can." And that would have to be very soon.

Tobi sat rigidly in a small booth at the back of the tea shop. He'd never been in a tea shop before, and he wasn't sure he was a fan, for one thing, it was... all chic and.. NOT MANLY.

If he was going to lay down the law for Kettleburn, this was perhaps not the best venue he could have chosen. He'd thought of it because it wasn't as loud or ruckus as the Three Broomsticks and not as sketchy as the Hogs Head, but it was.. almost girly.

Tobi scowled.

Great, just great.

Copernicus peeked through the window into the shop and spotted Avalon's glowering face. Not exactly... the right setting for that expression, considering Avalon seemed to be floating on a cloud of floral patterned cushions and tulle. It looked Bunbury had finally lost it and exploded all over this place. He inched into the shop and tried to look confident.

"Avalon," he greeted the boy with a nod. Just don't let him hit you again!

Tobi's eyes narrowed further when Kettleburn entered his field of vision. An involuntary reaction, really.

"Kettleburn," he mirrored his nod. Gesturing to a seat no more manly than his own, all pink and lacy in his own right, he said, "Have a seat."

If he were an objective observer, he would perhaps find it funny to see two young man regarding each other apprehensively, even with hostility amongst all the lace and frippery, but Tobi was not objective in this situation, and mostly his thought pattern consisted of:

I promised Kayla I wouldn't hurt him. Cela will be upset if I kill him.

Copernicus sat across from Tobi and tried not to faint or drool or twitch randomly in a way that would show he was terrified and had less than perfect control of himself. "Cuppa?" He lifted one hand toward the teapot before setting it down again. "I'll buy you a... bun or a crumpet or something, if you'd like."

Tobi's eyebrows raised. His mouth twitched. "You're kidding right?" he asked. He was dying for a coffee, but he wasn't about to admit it. "I didn't ask you here to have a friendly chat, Kettleburn. This is hardly the venue I would chose for such an occasion; right now I'd choose a nippy outdoor skating rink in hell for that."

He regarded the twitchy Ravenclaw appraisingly. "No, you're here because we need to discuss this whole 'terminating your friendship with Celandine' thing. And we'll see if we can't get to the end of the conversation with a better opinion of each other than we began."

"I have a very high opinion of you already," Copernicus said solemnly, stowing his hands in his lap to avoid demonstrating how violently they were quaking. "Your goal is to protect Miss Toussaint, and that is my goal as well. I guess... maybe I didn't think it through fully before trying to talk to her about things?" He was being awfully vague, but not on purpose.

Okay, what? Talk to her about what things?

"Back up there skidmark," Tobi raised a hand, "did you even talk to her about anything? Or did your conversation go more to the tune of 'it's been good times, but we can't be friends anymore, kthanxbye?'"

He pointed a finger at him, it's rude to point, but his manners were not good where Kettleburn was involved; drownings, fisticuffs, snow burials, and now pointing, what would his mother say?

"And don't think for a second I have a very good opinion of you right now." He said, "Personally, I think that you have a completely backwards sense of nobility, and you might be just about the most dimwitted Ravenclaw I have ever met, and I've been forced into the company of Barry Weasley, so that says something right there."

It was no secret that Tobi didn't have a high opinion of the 4th year either, also largely based on the Celandine factor, but also because the kid just couldn't quit while he was ahead. Copernicus Kettleburn, however, needed to learn to keep at it even if he was behind.

"I was doing just what you and everyone said I should during History of Magic," Copernicus had OBVIOUSLY misunderstood what they meant when they told him to quit while he was ahead. He'd TRIED to quit, and that was apparently wrong too.

"I DID so talk to her," he tried to remember exactly how that scene had played out. "I was trying to talk to her about... keeping my distance. Not being alone together so I won't be tempted to try to kiss her again. Just... I don't know. But she didn't get it at ALL, and then I told her Plymouth could decide if we could still be friends..." He shook his head. "I'm really bad at this. Maybe it's better if I just stay away and stop messing her up."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

"I was doing just what you and everyone said I should during History of Magic," Copernicus had OBVIOUSLY misunderstood what they meant when they told him to quit while he was ahead. He'd TRIED to quit, and that was apparently wrong too.

"I DID so talk to her," he tried to remember exactly how that scene had played out. "I was trying to talk to her about... keeping my distance. Not being alone together so I won't be tempted to try to kiss her again. Just... I don't know. But she didn't get it at ALL, and then I told her Plymouth could decide if we could still be friends..." He shook his head. "I'm really bad at this. Maybe it's better if I just stay away and stop messing her up."

Tobi was seized by a terrible urge to hit his head against the table repeatedly. He fought it off, only just.

"Oh for Sweet Circe sake! Are you that thick?" he cried. "I'm the dumb jock in this conversation. How are you 3rd in the school and I'm battling Evangeline and Clifford for a top five spot? Honestly!" he threw his hands in the air, letting them come back down to land on the table with a loud smack.

"There are just so many things wrong with that, not the least of which being the root; Maddox, Kayla and I were NOT talking to you when we said quit while you were ahead," he continued. "Well sorta, in that we wanted you to shut up before you got your stylish dunce cap, but other than that, we were almost entirely directing our conversation at Plymouth. It was all stuff about calming down and getting over it. And that somethings don't last forever. Like if Cela happened to have chosen you in the end, he needs to suck it up and deal with it."

This kid has SO much to learn.

"But she's not mine to pursue, Avalon. She likes Plymouth, and he really likes her. How are they supposed to work things out if he has to worry about her being around me and she... she wants to try the tree thing again?" He turned red, starting at his ears and creeping down his neck.

"I'm not STUPID, though. I make mistakes, but I'm trying to do what's best for Cela. She's so little and sweet and she does that lip thing." He looked glumly at the teapot. Tea made things better. Why couldn't there be tea? "What would you do, if you were me?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

"But she's not mine to pursue, Avalon. She likes Plymouth, and he really likes her. How are they supposed to work things out if he has to worry about her being around me and she... she wants to try the tree thing again?" He turned red, starting at his ears and creeping down his neck.

"I'm not STUPID, though. I make mistakes, but I'm trying to do what's best for Cela. She's so little and sweet and she does that lip thing." He looked glumly at the teapot. Tea made things better. Why couldn't there be tea? "What would you do, if you were me?"

Maybe it's worth dying to knock some sense into him. Kayla might kill me quickly... no probably not.

Tobi rubbed his temples and spoke very carefully. "Has it yet occurred to you that Celandine is thirteen? I don't mean to imply that she's fickle, but she doesn't actually know who she wants for very certain. It might be you and it might be your big mouthed step brother, and it actually doesn't matter, and it might not actually last your whole entire lives, sorry to burst your bubble! And just because she happens to chose one of you does not mean the other one can't be a man about it and continue to be her friend."

He looked up at Kettleburn and exercised great control to keep his voice even, "That is the part that hurts her the most, and thereby makes me the angriest: You ended your friendship with her. You didn't even give her a say in the matter, it was just over. What are you thinking there?"

This one will be good. I need coffee SO badly.

"I didn't want to!" Copernicus looked panicked. "Do you think it's too late to try to be friends again? I wasn't trying to just ditch her. It just came out all wrong and... stupid. I was stupid." He gave in and reached for the teapot. HE NEEDED IT.

"I'll talk to her," he informed his teacup as he filled it. "Find out what she thinks and what she wants."

"Too late to be friends with Celandine Toussaint?" Tobi asked incredulously, "the nicest person on the planet? You could probably stab her and still be friends with her. I wouldn't recommend it, unless you want to be a ghost, because I'll kill you, that is, if I get to you first; Maddox, Kayla, or one of her brothers might beat me to it. But no, I can't imagine what you would have to do to Cela before she would stop wanting to be your friend."

Kettleburn caved and reached for the pot of tea, score! Tobi just had to last like a full minute more, and he was officially stronger.

"Look man, you may have thought you were being noble backing off and all that, but Cela still wants you in her life, in some capacity, at least as a friend. So backing off becomes running away, which is not noble or gentlemanly. And rather than risking hurting her later on, you definitely hurt her now. It's far more noble and gentlemanly to give her a say in the matter, it at least shows that you think she's capable of understanding the 'risks' as it were, and she's smart enough to make an informed decision regarding her own life." Tobi leaned back in his cushy girly seat and placed his hands behind his head. "Which, when you think about it, is not something either of us have been doing since the day you two fell out of a tree."

A server passed by the table, he waved her down. "A coffee for me, sticky toffee pudding, and did you want something, Kettleburn? On me?"

Peace through food, always.

"Cinnamon scone, since you're offering," Copernicus settled back on his little poof to think about what Tobi had said. "I don't know how to tell her what her options are without it sounding like an ultimatum. But... she can't go on as she is now, kissing us both. Maybe that works for her, but... I don't think Plymouth likes it, and I know that I don't." He carefully stirred honey into his tea, not looking at Tobi. Why did he always open up session of the lonely hearts club on unsuspecting people?

Livvy walked into the cafe and as she did so, she spotted Copernicus with some.. guy... Something.. Avalon. She just shrugged and smiled at them, giving them a small wave. She picked a spot to sit and let her bag drop onto the table.

Sighing, Livvy pulled out two pieces of parchment and her quill. She figured that writing was a better method than actually saying it. Saying it face to face was too hard for her. Maybe in some other life. Well.. she hoped she would never have to do this again in her other life. That'd be baaaddddd.... Livvy shook herself and told herself to focus. She picked up her quill and began writing away, the scratching noises of the quill on the parchment faintly heard.

Tobi nodded to the server who, clever as they were, seemed to catch on to the added scone. "So," he said shrewdly, "then it's not all about protecting Cela, noble as that goal is? At least part of you is trying to protect yourself, and Plymouth too, I'll give you that."

Tobi steepled his fingers, but he felt too much like a psychiatrist, so he put his hands back down on the table. "Are you also afraid of getting hurt further, I wonder? Did you pay much attention to the other stories in History of Magic the other day?"

"I heard the part where my heart is hairy and I'm now incapable of being unhairy, actually. And I heard the part about how Cela thinks having a personality is better than being very smart," he picked up his tea, but the cup clattered against the saucer and he set it back down. "I'm afraid that everyone will get hurt, to be honest. There isn't a way to come out of this with everyone happy, but I can make THEM happy."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassirin

"I heard the part where my heart is hairy and I'm now incapable of being unhairy, actually. And I heard the part about how Cela thinks having a personality is better than being very smart," he picked up his tea, but the cup clattered against the saucer and he set it back down. "I'm afraid that everyone will get hurt, to be honest. There isn't a way to come out of this with everyone happy, but I can make THEM happy."

His coffee and snacks arrived, Tobi took up his beverage and sipped with relish. "Ah, that's so much better. - the coffee, not your attitude. Sorry to say dude, but martyr complex much?"

He took another sip and tried to get his point across, How do you even explain such a basic concept?

"Look, you want to rid yourself of your fear of pain, for yourself, your brother, and the general world? Come visit my family sometime. I may be afraid of some weird things, but pain is not one of them. People get hurt; they hurt themselves, they hurt each other, and the good people avoid hurting themselves and each other where possible, and regret the pain they cause where it isn't. You will never grow beyond what you are if you feel no pain, and live in fear of causing pain to others."

He speared his pudding with his fork. "And it's not terribly nice of me to say it, but you aren't yet perfect so you have some growing up to do, like lots."

"It's not terribly RUDE of you to say it, though, since it's kind of obviously true," he managed a sip of his tea this time, and it was heavenly. "In my defense, though, no one's perfect, so it isn't as if I don't have good company. I guess I just have to be honest with Plymouth and Cela and live with the consequences." It wasn't even so much that he was afraid of being hurt, but of hurting other people. He'd always avoided causing people pain if he could, and since day one, he'd been making all sorts of glaring painful mistakes. Maybe because he wasn't being totally himself and was so caught up in always doing the right thing to the exclusion of the truth.

Tobi swallowed an enormous mouthful of sticky toffee pudding, washed down with a liberal swallow of coffee.

"Honesty is actually the easier policy," he said. "There is less to keep track of, and it can sometimes breed a kick in the pants, but everyone usually feels better when all is said and done. Cela won't be mad if you're honest with her about you're feelings. She appreciates honesty."

Actually there isn't much Celandine didn't appreciate, except being told what to do, or her friends being beaten up by older gangling seventh years... As for Plymouth, well Tobi didn't know much about him.

"I can't speak for your step brother. I don't even have any brothers to speculate with. Only sisters. But I can't imagine he'd stay mad at you forever if he even got mad to begin with. He doesn't look like the grudge carrying type." Tobi wasn't either. He was more of the flash and burnout type. It was the Kinney in him, or was it the Gzowski? Who knew anyway.

"And you? And Kayla?" Copernicus asked hopefully, poking his head up like a little newborn turtle. "Are you going to hold a grudge? Attack me in class or punch my face? I'd much rather be in your good graces than your bad."

He fingered a drip along the side of his cup, drawing it back up to the rim. He was going to have to REALLY talk to Cela, which was scary. "How do you get Cela to listen? Any tips on that?"

Tobi grinned. Fifth years are funny when they're afraid. "Kayla's got way more patience for you than I do. She at least gives you the benefit of the doubt, but she had spoken two words to you before you fell out of a tree and into my problems. And when cooler heads prevail, I know you aren't a dirty fifth year, out to woo and wound Cela, but I don't always get to that point before I've gone and attacked you in front of a teacher or a prefect. Kayla's trying to teach me this 'benefit of the doubt' thing when it comes to you. Mostly her regime consists of, 'Tobi, you will wait and see what he has to say for himself, under pain of death.' And since I'm not known to hold a grudge past my initial burst of temper, you and I are okay." Tobi took another long sip of coffee, talking so much was leaving him parched.

"As for getting Cela to listen, the person to ask is Kayla." He explained, "She knows that subject way better than I do. I listen to Cela, that's my job. Kayla's the one who has to make her listen even if she may not want to hear something." He attacked his pudding with gusto at this point. He hadn't eaten in almost an hour and a half, his metabolism couldn't take it.

He screwed up his face. "I want her to listen to the words that I'm saying and not to interpret it. That's part of our trouble, I think." He pulled the scone apart and ate a small piece of it. Mmm cinnamon.

"I'll try not to woo OR wound Cela, but... with this whole being honest thing, I might end up hurting her in the long run. Just... do this wait and listen thing, and we'll be fine."

Barry had spotted Livvy in the little tea shop and was in there before he knew what the building was. Madame Puddifoots, the store for couples. Oh come on, it had to be the couple store of all stores.

He plonked himself on the table which Livvy was sitting on and said "I won`t bother you" and let her write what ever she was writing "I might be gone before you know it" and so he looked around. He saw Copernicus and Tobi sitting together.

Ugh that Tobi was such a weird boy, when ever Barry showed up he was all weird and it was like he hated him. But whatever he was just some kid. He watched them with great intrest. Why was Copernicus with him anyway?