splitmemory | riddle/cater shenanigans

Oh, Seven, save him. Was this a mistake? Cater knew so much more about going out than he did, and while that was an infuriating fact, Riddle found himself feeling at a loss, having to fall in line beside Cater. It made him feel so small. Not in a bad way, at all, but....

What was this feeling?!? Why can't he identify it?!!?! Ugh.

"... Fine. But only for now." Riddle relents, deciding he would steal the warmth from this jacket for as long as he could. Not that he needed it or anything! Of course not.

With a slight nod, Riddle shifts, stepping up into the bus with Cater. After finding a pair of seats, Riddle makes Cater sit by the window, before slipping into the aisle seat himself.

Then, he shifts, moving to lean against Cater, resting half of the jacket around Cater, using the seat to hold it up. Both of his arms wrap around one of Cater's, pulling his arm close.

"You said we should sit close-- will this work? If I let you catch something..." What kind of Housewarden would he be!!!

Cater follows along, letting Riddle choose where they sit and how they sit, though it's a surprise to him when the other teen pulls him in just as close as he does. Cater can't help but let out a small giggle, finding his phone. "This'll work. Let's take a selfie!"

He leans in even closer, practically resting his head against Riddle's as he holds the phone up.

"To start off our foray into town!"

Getting sick isn't even a concern for him. They'll be fine, they'll be fine! It's just brisk out!

Always so focused on saving these moments with pictures. Was that something that only Cater did? Their other classmates occasionally took photos, but he can't remember whether any of them are as obsessed with Magicam as Cater Diamond.

Still, he begrudgingly leans his head in ever so slightly, allowing the photo.

... They looked .....
Curse Cater for putting such strange thoughts in his mind.

Pressing his cheek against Cater's arm once the picture is taken, he feels- well. A little tired, already. The warmth of both Cater and the borrowed outerwear was too comfortable.

"I've decided something, Cater."

All smiles, Cater hums after the picture's taken, turning his attention down to his phone screen so he can add filters and hashtags. The bus starts up and begins its roll into town, and its easy to get lost in Magicam while they head toward their destination. Cater finds himself feeling pretty peaceful, sitting there with Riddle. Sometimes, outings like this with other people could feel exhausting, but so far, he was just excited.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"My goal for the day--" Aside from taking a break from studying, of course. "I'm going to catch you off guard at some point today. When you least expect it, I'm going to catch you on camera, too. Not in a bad way, no." Riddle seems to be thinking through his words carefully, trying to figure out how to say this aloud.

"Your smile. I'm going to capture it."

That could mean so many different things. What Riddle meant by it wouldn't be seen until later, surely. It may be extra confusing to hear such a statement, when Cater smiled in almost every photo he's in, but Riddle seems so sure of himself.

When Riddle makes his grand declaration, Cater's eyebrows raise. Capture his smile? What did that even mean? He was almost always smiling. In public, at least. As far as anyone knew, he was just a happy-go-lucky guy without a care in the world. Every day was full of fun possibilities, and today was no different from the other.

Except, it already was completely different from any other day, wasn't it? There already hadn't been a day like this, before.

He looks at Riddle fully in the face, his smile frozen in place for a moment before it gets a bit more mischievous.

"Oh yeah? That a promise?" He leans in a little, as if to make sure they aren't overheard despite no one else being on the bus with them. "I'll hold you to it."

Oh. Oh. What was Cater doing, looking at him in that way? With that frozen smile - that smile that takes on a completely different feeling. The mischief, coupled with the close way Cater leaned in--

Riddle's hand comes up, pressing against Cater's cheek and shoving at his face to push him away.

"Don't make it weird!" Riddle exclaims, his face flushing again. Had it even ever come down from the previous flush?

"Idiot. Fool." The insults are flung easily, as the small man declares his annoyance -- in this case, more his embarrassment -- with violence, both verbal and physical.

Cater isn't expecting Riddle to push him away by the face, but it just serves to make him laugh, giggling merrily as he keeps their arms linked together underneath his jacket. "OMG, Riddle, you're too funny! Today is gonna be a day to remember, that's for sure."

It's as if he wasn't insulted at all. Maybe Cater's just able to tell that yes, it's all coming from a place of embarrassment and not at all malice. He's sure Riddle didn't actually think he was an idiot--and anyway, he does play up the role of the simple fool. There was no point in getting upset for something that he lent purposeful credence to.

"Don't make me regret agreeing to it." Riddle huffs out, letting his hand fall from Cater's face just as easily as it'd come up to push him away. With a small shift, he resumes their previous position, resting his cheek back down against Cater's arm.

Who knew... that the human body was so warm? He could feel the heat radiating off of Cater even through his clothes. Was this what it meant to allow himself to get close to another person?

He doesn't hate it. Even if he does keep getting flustered and embarrassed. That's just who Cater was.

After Cater's giggles subside, it becomes a much more peaceful ride, the sounds of the bus rolling along as they sit together in the chilled air. His hand comes to fall back against Riddle's again as he gets comfortable, and he leaves it there as his gaze drifts out the window.

Eventually, the main town on Sage Island comes into view, and Cater points it out. "Nice, here we are! We should be parking where the main shops are, so it'll be a quick walk."

When the bus rolls to a stop, Cater waits for Riddle to situate himself so they can head out.

The ride was ... too calm, for Riddle. He had a hard time keeping his eyes open, almost finding it impossible. At one point, his eyes do slip shut, his breathing slowing to a more relaxed pace. Had Riddle ever felt this calm, this relaxed? This at peace? That in itself causes a spike in anxiety. Did he really deserve this break-?

Lifting his head as Cater points out the town, his eyes finally open again, blinking against the light.

Without a comment, he waits for the bus to come to a stop before he shifts back from Cater, standing up onto both of his heels. A hand is offered. It's less of a question of whether Cater wanted to grab it or not, more of a demand of its own type.

"I hope you don't expect me to be willing to be dragged around to every single shop there is." Riddle warns, though he does seem curious, shooting glances out of the window.

Cater takes his hand, standing and letting out a huff of a laugh as they exit the bus together. "You aren't talking to Vil, you know. There's only so much shopping I can take in one go, either. No, just one stop before the park, I promise."

There was a specific store he knew of that had good prices for their trendy clothing. Most of Sage Island was on the more affordable side, but there were always shops that tried taking advantage of the tourists. Fortunately, after three years you learned a thing or two. This place tended to even give discounts to well-behaved students.

Keeping their hands together, Cater points out a few different shops on their way to the one in question, making idle comments about the cuteness factor of certain wares, how nice the shopkeeper was here and there...and with all that chatter, it's soon enough that Cater's holding open the door to a small clothing store, respectfully letting Riddle enter first.

"Here we are! Time to get you dressed to the nines, King."

Luckily for Riddle, those earlier thoughts of a stranger variety had all but vanished, making it all the more easy for him to step into line beside Cater. His hand stays comfortably within Cater's hold, his eyes following his opposite's pointing, taking in all the sights as they went.

As they approach this shop, though, Riddle's expression shows nothing but nervous energy as he steps in first. A nervous smile is offered to Cater--

"..."

There's only a second of silence before Riddle replies, "Cater... You're going to have to choose the outfit." Fashion wasn't something Riddle even knew.

"Something either red or neutral tones. That I can wear my heels with." Riddle informs him, bringing his finger up to point in Cater's face. "And! Nothing too flashy. If we're going to do this, then it has to be something casual."

Unsurprisingly, Cater seems ready for the challenge of finding Riddle something suitable to wear. He bounces around the store, occasionally chatting up the worker who checks in on them from time to time, pulling things from different racks, holding them up toward Riddle, putting some back again. Eventually, he settles on a few things. Riddle's uniform pants will work fine enough, but Cater finds a soft and warm long-sleeved shirt, thick yellow vest to go over it, and a baggy cardigan to swaddle up in. Just by virtue of it being winter, he also picks up a scarf and matching gloves for Riddle to replace his uniform gloves with--these are much warmer.

"What do you think? Casual enough? You should be much warmer in this."

He'll, of course, wait for Riddle to try everything on in the changing room before giving a final verdict.

Shopping, for himself of all people, was a task that Riddle seemed very unused to. His eyes dart around, watching Cater as he pulls things from racks, making a face at some of the items that Cater holds up to him. He makes his own small comment here and there, making it known when he didn't think something looked like it'd fit his style. At least he was vocal instead of keeping his mouth shut.

Looking over all the pieces, Riddle takes off one of his gloves to feel the material of each item, his eyes narrowed in focus.

"It ..." Would work, for sure. He can't tell what it might look like without putting it on first. "Could work." He decides on, nodding slightly towards Cater. Slipping off the other man's jacket, he shoves it into his arms before grabbing all the items.

Shuffling his way into the changing room, Riddle takes his time trying on each item, pulling the outfit together.

Exiting the room, he tugs lightly on the collar of the shirt underneath the vest, his eyes meeting Cater's.

"I like it." Seems he's decided, refusing to comment much more on it. But one last thing mattered to him...
"What do you think?"

When Riddle steps back out, Cater's eyes widened. He had been pretty confident in what he picked out, but seeing it all put together was another thing altogether. "You look amazing! So cute! It all looks so good on you!"

And since Riddle likes it, he shoots a happy grin over to the woman at the register, letting her know that Riddle would be wearing the outfit out. He takes out his wallet to provide the necessary thaumarks, not seeming to even consider that Riddle might want to pay for the clothes, himself. This was all in Cater's plan, so he intended to take responsibility for it all.

"I'm soooo glad you're happy with it. You're going to be so much more comfortable, now!" He winks at Riddle, "even if you looked best of all in my jacket."

All the compliments - Riddle is almost sufficiently distracted, to the point where he almost doesn’t realize Cater’s trying to pay for him. Almost. “Thank you..! I couldn’t have chosen anything better without your help.” Riddle admits, tucking some of his hair behind his ear. That bashful look… oh how he wished he could erase it from his own face, to hide away forever.

As Cater works on paying, Riddle tugs his own wallet out, getting out the amount he’d overheard the cashier say. Stubbornly, the boy holds it out to Cater.

“You don’t have to buy them for me. I can handle it.” Riddle insists, trying his best to not get overly flustered at the words Cater had said. Stupid Cater, saying such stupid things all the time. “And— and me wearing your jacket was just temporary. Don’t say things like that.” It’s embarrassing.

It's certainly not very often that anyone dares tell Riddle Rosehearts no. But this is a special case. Cater holds up a hand to the other boy, shaking his head. "Hey, today's totally my treat, okay?" They never would've come here if Cater hadn't dragged him, and he isn't altogether certain that Riddle would ever wear these clothes again. It was rare to see him outside of his uniform, after all, and his sense of style didn't tend to lean toward casual.

"It's payment enough for me to get to see you looking so good."

The audacity. To tell Riddle Rosehearts no directly to his face. To deny what he felt he had to do, by paying Cater back. In any other case, any other normal day, Cater might’ve lost his head for that. Riddle seems to be ready to make a comment, to argue his point, before slowly nodding and slipping his wallet back away, tugging his new cardigan tighter around himself. “Alright. If you’re absolutely sure.” He relents, still flushed with what can only be a mix between annoyance and embarrassment.

Both of his hands come up, pulling the scarf a little higher, as if to hide the lower half of his face within it.

“…. Thank you.”

Quickly, Riddle looks away, averting his gaze completely.

"Totes!"

Cater pays the woman for the outfit before putting his jacket back on and heading with Riddle toward the door. Holding it open for his housewarden, he offers his hand again as if there was simply no reason for them not to be holding hands as they walked through the town together.

"Now you can really enjoy yourself. Are you ready for the main event?"

The hand is easily taken again. It's become routine at this point, during this day, to make sure they were walking hand-in-hand. By now, Riddle was honestly beginning to relate hand holding to hanging out with a friend. Who knew when this would come back to bite him?

Was.... this really just--
The thought doesn't even fully form in Riddle's mind, as his fingers shift slightly, interlacing with Cater's.

"I am."

Something about the way that Riddle moves his hand into Cater's makes his face grow a little hot. Clearly, though, it's just the chill that's getting to him, and he clears his throat as he tightens his jacket around his collar with his free hand. "Great! On we go!"

From there, he leads Riddle into the center of town, once again making comfortable chatter as he points out different things about their surroundings. Clearly, he's spent plenty of time here since joining NRC, taking advantage of weekends and days off to explore. He seems to have a lot of restaurant recommendations, but he talks about an arcade and a movie theater, different types of cafes...

And soon enough, they arrive at the sprawling park, strung up with lights for the holidays. Even in the earlier hours of the day, its quietly beautiful. Winter flowers fill up the snowy environment, and the walking paths are dotted with benches and the occasional vendor.

"Here we are! Pretty, huh?"

Obviously, the cold was getting to the both of them, even with how bundled up they both were now. Riddle's own face felt warm -- he ignores the feeling, focusing closely on the feeling of their hands in each other. Nothing else could explain the feeling of the warmth of his face, the beating of his heart in his chest, so loud that he's worried Cater might be able to hear it.

Thank the Great Seven that Cater began to chatter on enough for the both of them, pointing out spots of the city that he'd been before. Riddle had never imagined that the town was this interesting, that it had this much to offer. Was he really... so focused on something he didn't even fully want that he didn't take the time to look past it, to reach out? There had never been a point before.

Riddle's thoughts are immediately wiped clean at the sight of the park, his eyes widening with a look of wonder, of amazement.

"This is..." He seems to brighten even further, taking a few quicker steps and, this time, tugging Cater along a little, his steps filled with excitement. "Gorgeous. Look at the lights!" Riddle points up to some of them, before his eyes manage to spot some of the winter flowers. Tugging Cater close to some, his hand finally releases the other boy's, only for Riddle to squat down in front of them.

One flower in particular seems to have had its stem half broken, whether by accident or from the wind. It would die, eventually, unable to get any nutrients.

Carefully, Riddle takes off one of his gloves, breaking the stem the rest of the way. Standing straight back up, Riddle turns on his heel to face Cater again. It requires him to stretch up, but he manages to place the stem between some of his hair, to rest it behind his ear, where the flower could settle in his hair.

"Do you know what kind of flower that is, Cater?" Riddle asks, as he pulls his glove back on. He seems very pleased with himself. He continues, before Cater can answer, "It is a variety of camellia. They are similar to roses. Some mistake them for roses, if they have an untrained eye. Unlike roses, camellia blossom during the colder months. They share some of the same symbolism, depending on who you ask. I like to believe they represent a sense of perseverance, even in the harshest of conditions."

Edited 2024-04-21 05:57 (UTC)

Seeing Riddle's face light up makes the whole trip worth it. When was the last time he saw him looking so unabashedly excited? Yes, he tended to show happiness when he was presented with a picture perfect tart, or when the Hearstlabyul students did something to warrant praise...but this was different. Riddle was almost like a completely different person. Before he realizes it, Cater is smiling, too.

"Oh--"

He's taken a little off guard when the flower is tucked behind his ear, his face flushing further at the action. WTF was that, even? What had inspired Riddle to do something like that? Not that Cater was going to question it out loud or take the flower out of his hair. No, actually, he should take another selfie.

"I didn't know that. That kind of flower is perfect for you, don't you think?"

That look on Cater’s face. That’s what Riddle wanted to see. Something akin to shock, confusion, and happiness. It’s hard to see all those emotions in Cater, in someone who was constantly showing the same face, without fail. Regardless, Riddle does his best to focus on the minute details, the smallest of ways Cater’s body language shifts, that his expression changes. This made accepting his offer worth it - being able to do something as silly as that, as foolish as anything could be, without any rhyme or reason behind it.

All of Riddle’s actions had to have reason. Had to have purpose. And yet…

“No.” Riddle disagrees, “I believe it fits you better. For all the meanings it holds as a symbol. At the very least— something to strive for, if you don’t feel that it fits you yet.” Turning his gaze away, Riddle looks back to the other camellia on the bush, in full bloom.

“They can also symbolize devotion, in some cases. You’ve been one of my most devoted Card Soldiers, standing by my side. The camellia fits you and only you. Try as I might, I could never live up to the title. You do.”

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