splitmemory | riddle/cater shenanigans

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.”

Him, perservering? No, Cater would argue that he was doing little more than existing. Riddle was the one who worked so hard, every day, to better himself. He's the one who suffered through being misunderstood, being pushed beyond his limits. He's the one who had been labeled a tyrant, had eggs thrown at him, but still put his all into doing right by his peers.

Riddle was an amazing person. Something that Cater Diamond had never been and would never be.

Cater watches Riddle as he turns away and continues speaking about the language of flowers. He puts his phone away, shoving his hands far into his jacket pockets, sinking into the warm material as he feels his heart stammer.

"You don't need to live up to that title--you're already well above it." Riddle Rosehearts, their very own Rose Queen. "Giving you my devotion is the least I can do."

Riddle had no clue about the way he was making Cater feel, no matter how much he claimed he was watching. His gaze was stuck on the flowers around them, after all. How could he see that look on Cater's face, the way he sunk into his jacket as if he wanted nothing more than to vanish from sight, to keep himself from being praised at all.

Only at Cater's words does he turn his head back, looking up towards Cater over his shoulder.

"Do you really think so?" The question is rhetorical, requiring not a single answer. His hand is held back out towards his loyal soldier. "Come on. I want to see more."

"What other flowers do you think we'll see? Snowdrops? Winter Jasmine?" His own face feels too warm, Riddle notes. His body ached-- was he already struggling to keep up with all this walking, all this exercise they were ending up doing? ... He'd need to push through. If he ruined this day-- he would never forgive himself.

Cater takes a breath, re-centering himself. Instead of answering the question he simply catches up to join Riddle, slipping their hands together, as well. "I'm sure we'll see a whole bunch of different flowers," he agrees. "But I think this one's going to be my favorite."

After all, it's the one that Riddle anointed him with.

He sticks close, arm to arm, feeling the cold nipping at his skin despite the warmth of his clothes. Fortunately, he sees a vendor up ahead selling hot drinks, so Cater points in that direction.

"Let's get some cocoa. That'll warm us both up while we go deeper into the park."

Their hands, once again clasped together, allows Riddle to step in line closer to Cater, using that hand to ground himself.

His favorite...?

Looking forward towards the vendor, Riddle nods slightly in agreement. "Cocoa..." Riddle murmurs, as if thinking it through. He'd... definitely heard the term before. Cocoa powder, that's what was used to make chocolate desserts, but it didn't taste good on its own. And, chocolate was derived from something similar, right?

Not wanting to admit his own lack of knowledge, the questioning on what it might taste like, Riddle continues on with Cater, towards the vendor.

Riddle doesn't disagree, which is good enough for Cater. He walks them toward the stall and orders two drinks--he could tolerate hot cocoa, it was more rich than sweet, after all. It only takes a moment before two to-go cups are handed over, and Cater smiles at his companion as he raises his own. "Cheers," he says. "To an unforgettable day."

He takes a sip, careful not to burn his tongue on the hot liquid. It's immediately warming, and Cater sighs as it seems through his body. Quickly, Cater glances over to Riddle, hoping that it's just as helpful for him.

The cup in hand was daunting. Similar to the first bite of a strawberry tart he'd ever had, the cup is held in an almost unnatural way after he'd been given it, as if it might bite him. Still, he lifts it with Cater, "To an unforgettable day." He copies.

Looking between it and Cater, he slowly brings it up, sipping carefully on the drink.
With wide eyes, Riddle stares down at the cup.

"..." This was... so delicious. What-- why had he never had anything like this before?! Taking another, longer sip, Riddle seems content, if not a little shocked. "... It's so good..." His admission brings the truth to light - this was the first taste of Hot Cocoa Riddle Rosehearts had ever had.

Edited 2024-04-21 07:14 (UTC)

Wait...that reaction. Did Riddle not know what it was going to taste like? Had Riddle never had hot cocoa before?! He can't help watching as the other teen gets really into his drink, the hand in his squeezing encouragingly. OMG...this was so cute! Cater wanted to say so, but made himself swallow the excitement, not wanting to make Riddle feel self-conscious about the lack of experience in this area.

"I'm glad you like it," he says instead, voice airy and casual. "There's nothing like a hot drink on a winter day!"

Once both of them are ready, they can start back down the trail again, snowy ground crunching under their feet as they carry on.

"Do you see anything else that you like?"

Which would be a horrible come-on if Cater didn't mean it literally.

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