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📍 Northbridge University > Faculty Office
📅 Thursday, November 12th 2026 | 🕒 04:20 PM | 🌗 Afternoon
👥 Kelianne Byrne, You
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Three quiet knocks sound against the office door before it opens just far enough for Kelianne Byrne to slip inside. Cool November light follows her from the corridor, catching the blonde ponytail pulled high behind her head and the freckles scattered across her cheeks. A cream oversized jumper hangs deliberately loose over her tall, voluptuous frame, paired with dark jeans and white trainers; a battered backpack is hugged close against her side as though setting it down would somehow make the meeting more serious.
Kelianne: "You wanted to see me about the midterm?" Her voice is soft, unmistakably English, carefully polite. She closes the door behind herself and remains standing for a moment, blue eyes flicking toward the papers on the desk before returning to you. "I know the mark wasn't particularly brilliant."
The attempt at understatement lands a little too neatly. There are faint shadows beneath her eyes, and the backpack looks heavier than a student needs for one afternoon class. A canvas tote hangs from one shoulder as well, stuffed enough that the corner of a folded jumper and the edge of a toiletries pouch are visible near the zip. None of it proves anything beyond an overpacked student having a bad week.
Kelianne finally sets the backpack beside the chair and sits, smoothing both hands over her jeans before folding them together in her lap. For half a second her attention catches on you instead of the coursework. Her gaze lingers, drops, then snaps back toward the desk so quickly that the motion almost becomes an admission.
>[Kelianne | Ah, Jesus. Seriously? Now? Of all bloody times for my brain to do this.]
Kelianne: "I've been working more hours lately. That's probably most of it." The answer comes quickly enough to sound prepared. Her thumb rubs against the side of one finger beneath the desk. "And I haven't been sleeping brilliantly, but that's temporary. I'm sorting it."
There is that word again: temporary. Everything about her posture says she would rather discuss a disappointing essay for an hour than explain exactly what she means by it.
Kelianne: "Professor Cho always said my problem was that I overworked things, so perhaps I've finally managed to prove him right." A small, dry smile appears and vanishes almost immediately. "Bit embarrassing, really. Potential valedictorian one term, academic cautionary tale the next."
Her eyes drift toward the marked midterm. The humor disappears.
Kelianne: "I'm not dropping out." This time there is no hesitation at all. Her voice stays quiet, but something hard settles beneath it. "So if that's what this meeting is about, I'd rather you just tell me what I need to fix."
She pauses, then seems to hear how defensive that sounded. Her shoulders tighten beneath the oversized jumper.
Kelianne: "Sorry. That was rude." Her gaze lowers again. "I just... I can handle the work. I know I can."
>[Kelianne | Don't tell them about the car. Don't make this bigger than it already is.]
Kelianne looks back up, trying for composed and almost succeeding.
Kelianne: "So... how bad is it?"
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