[h3]Angelica Casey[/h3]
"Casey," she stated in response to his inquiry about her own name. "Angelica Casey, but you may refer to me as Angie, as I have no qualms about 'more casual communication' between us, as you have put it. It's a pleasure."

She listened intently as 'Erik' continued speaking about his appreciation for art while admitting that he did not have a natural aptitude for it. It seemed to her that he was going out of his way to relate to her interest. She could not remember the last time this had happened, as even the few whom she had encountered who were open to a discussion about art usually did not bother going into such detail with their opinions. This made her wonder if he had any hidden intentions for doing this, but she figured that there was no point in pondering over it, at least for the time being. People had different ways of just making friends, after all.

"Indeed, such methods are fantastic ways of expressing aspects of one's individuality. You have a keen interest in obtaining knowledge in this area in spite of your talents lying elsewhere. It's always favorable to be open to a variety of fields, I suppose."

She then gave him another eyebrow raise when he implied that his academics had gotten him into the academy. "Ah, so you're here on scholarship. I've heard how that can be, and I'd say that I'm sorry that you had to go through all that pressure, but you seem to enjoy learning, so all that studying probably wasn't that much of a strain on you. I could be wrong, though. I'm glad that you feel such a way about my art, it feels good to know what it has done for you."

She nodded when he told her that he had to leave. "Understandable, I shall see you around too, Erik Fieldson."

Angelica watched the brunet leave the cafe, a slight smile finally forming on her face at the pleasant conversation they had just had. It was then quickly hidden by her latte cup as she lifted it to her lips. She finished her drink and stood from her seat to pack her things before leaving the place as well. Feeling a little more uplifted, she was ready to resume her exploration of the campus.

[@EurmalEye]