[center][h1][b][color=green]A L B E R T A[/color][/b][/h1][hr][b][color=gray]AVALICE ACADEMY — THE PLAZA[/color][/b][/center][hr]
In truth, Alberta hadn't been fully aware of what she was saying as she carried on with her spontaneous ramblings. Such outbursts, rare as they were, were often times met with puzzled looks or apathetic sighs in her past. Not that she had many people to talk with back home in Grünewald anyway.

So when Kiara and Sanhan replied to her with genuine curiosity, Alberta had to hide the twinge of joy that threatened to surface on her face. She kept a nonchalant expression to save herself from further embarrassment, not at all matching the feverish passion she had put into her long-winded explanations about tea. But when the subject suddenly switched to parties of all things, the feigned apathy on Alberta's face began to reflect true disinterest.

Parties were hardly a source of excitement for Alberta, more a source of the more unpleasant memories she'd harboured during her childhood. It was uncommon for her grandfather to accept invitations to such events — he was more concerned with scribbling the mornings and nights away in his office than interacting with other people, especially Alberta — so it was practically unheard of that an invitation would ever be extended to her. 

For the few celebrations Alberta did attend, one could hardly call them 'parties'. As the memories briefly came back to her, her face twisted into a harsh grimace. The stench of acrid cigar smoke, the sounds of slurred drunken laughter, the sickly sweet taste of stale gingerbread pudding; the mesh of recollections made her nose twitch with discomfort.

[b]"[color=green]I don't care for such celebrations,[/color]"[/b] Alberta said in a nonchalant tone. [b]"[color=green]There are more important things I'd rather commit myself to. But…[/color]"[/b]

She trails off and puts a thumb to her chin, as if she were in deep thought. [b]"[color=green]I guess offering advice on refreshments isn't something I'm opposed to. I suppose if I'm forced to attend a… party of any sort, I'd rather have something pleasant to drink while everyone—[/color]"[/b]

Alberta was then rudely interrupted by the sudden surge of electrifying mana several yards away, the menacing energy sending an uncomfortable itch through her skin. Thankfully, the mana vanished into the air as quickly as it had appeared, and Alberta heard loud cheers from whatever commotion was taking place. Just that one, minor occurrence was enough to sour her mood again, and whatever positive feelings she had left from the previous conversation were now gone. And before she could even close the discussion, another interruption in the form of her professor's voice echoed in her head, ordering the class headed back to the lecture hall. Alberta groaned, running a weary hand through her hair.

[b]"[color=green]Well, you heard the professor. I'm leaving,[/color]"[/b] Alberta finished coldly, walking away from Kiara and Sanhan at a brisk pace as if their conversation had never happened.