splitmemory | The Care and Keeping of Bunnies

Ouch. Cater winces slightly, feigning more hurt than he really is. "Don't spare my feelings about it."

And then that smile's back, like it never left, and Cater laughs again. "But you're not busy. You're just walking!"

And anyway, he wasn't going to count "studying" as busy, when he was sure that Rayne just sat alone reading. It so wasn't plans.

"Hey, here's an idea: we could have a study party! Make it, like, supes fun! We can have snacks and come up with learning games, and help each other on the subjects we're weakest on."

Did he really expect him to be kind, to sugarcoat his words? Rayne wasn't the type. Cater should know that by now. Did he? Was that why he kept following him, why he kept walking, now alongside him?

"Walking can still be considered busy." Rayne retorts, his brows furrowing in clear annoyance, the only emotion he ever really showed. Congratulations Cater, that's another day in a row you've been able to elicit that emotion!

A study party, though... it sounds like something the Orca dorm would do.

"If you want to organize that within Adler, go ahead. You'll be able to find plenty of third years willing to join you." Rayne seems to be thinking Cater meant this as a big event type thing, not as something for just the two of them.

Hmm...Cater had indeed suggested it as a one-on-one thing, but if this is a foot in the door to get Rayne to loosen up in any aspect, Cater's not going to shy away from the opportunity. "Sure," he agrees, "I'll get things going for it! You'll be there, too, right--I bet that'll be a huge draw!"

He's not so silly as to think that Rayne planned on being there at all, but Cater's not going to give up so easily. They're making momentum, here!

"What kind of snacks do you like? I'll make sure to get your faves!"

Cater was stupid. A fool. Someone who, by all means, Rayne should have managed to shrug off by now. Someone who shouldn't still feel so comfortable pretending to want to get closer to him. It's incomprehensible. Even further than that, it's impossible. No one-- not even Finn, at this point, he's sure-- wanted that.

"No." Rayne replies, his brows furrowing further, his head turning to finally look to Cater, "What did I say that would suggest I'd be there?"

Still, it almost did sound like something he should be at, as prefect-- gods dammit, Cater was about to catch him within a trap, wasn't he?

"I don't eat snacks." Who doesn't eat snacks???

"You didn't," Cater agrees, locking eyes with Rayne--it must be maddening, the lack of fear in those green eyes. They're full of mischief, full of secrets, but he isn't backing down even as Rayne throws such intimidating looks. "But it sure would set a good example, wouldn't it?"

Maybe he was smart enough, where it counted. At the very least, he was clever. It showed in the way he seemed to get just what he wanted from people. In the way that someone so new to the school was so confident he'd be able to rally together such an impressive study session.

Would it maybe lean more toward a party than studying? That depended.

"I'm sure you'd be a very motivating presence. So, I'll pick up a little bit of everything. You'll find something you like."

What a sneaky asshole this one was. Rayne grimaces, the look he was giving Cater only really showed how much he hated the very fact that he was practically tricked into agreeing to be there. At this rate, if he didn’t, he’d seem like a terrible example of a prefect, of a Divine Visionary. After all, he was still such a big deal—

“Fine.”

The single word is spat out towards Cater, as his face turns back away. The library was just ahead, all he’d need to do was slip inside and Cater would leave him alone, yes? Surely someone who didn’t want to spend time studying wouldn’t willingly go sit in the library.

“There will be rules. No alcohol for one. Studying needs to be done with a clear mind. Another would be that studying does actually need to happen. It cannot just be an excuse for a party. If it ends up that way, or if I find out it was planned that way from the start — I will have to deal with you.”

One little word and Cater is over the moon. His expression completely lights up, regardless of how unamused and begrudging Rayne clearly is about the whole thing.

"Yay! You got it, boss!" Even Cater Diamond wasn't so bold as to drink on campus, so that wouldn't be a problem. Still, he can't guarantee that it'll actually be a studying-heavy party, even if he tires to emphasize it. When you get a bunch of teens in a room together without adult supervision, who knew what could happen. Like he said, though, Rayne's presence was sure to discourage rowdiness.

"Deal with me, huh?"

He doesn't at all sound threatened, even though he clearly should. Pulling out his wand, Cater whips out his signature spell: Spliteus. At once, three other Caters appear and the original gives them their brief assignments. They all head off in different directions, ready to get the party planning underway. By then, they've reached the library.

And Cater's still hot on Rayne's heels, following him inside.

Rayne's going to regret this isn't he? Cater looked way too happy to be given permission to get something like this together. Rayne, on the other hand, was pretty obviously annoyed.

Cater's signature spell wasn't one that he was unaware of, but watching it cast was another story. Rayne eyes his wand, watching the three different Caters form and be given their assignments, even as the two of them walk to their destination.

"Yes, deal with you." What did he not understand? Rayne lifts his chin, looking down on Cater despite their similar heights.

Heading into the library, Rayne seems to be set on finding a table. Upon spotting a free one, he moves to set his bag down atop the table, beginning to pull out the material he was going to be working on studying, along with some of the papers he was doing for work related things--

"Are you not going to head out to that place you wanted to check out?" Rayne asks, his eyes narrowed, "I thought you were going." Take the hint, Cater. Leave him alone.

Ugh, Rayne Ames had no right to be so attractive. All this pushing away just made Cater want to hold on even harder. His smile flashes wider as he sets his own books down across from Rayne at the same table, feigning innocence.

"It'd be more fun to go with a friend. It'll still be there tomorrow." Oh, he has taken the hint and simply chosen to ignore it. "Besides, a certain someone pointed out that I should spend more time studying. I'm feeling inspired."

Turning Cater away, pushing him away and forcing him to study elsewhere... that wouldn't be what a proper prefect did, would it? As much as Rayne despised the very idea of studying with someone else - studying with Cater - he knew the look it'd put onto him, to turn away another student.

"Why invite me, then? We aren't friends." Rayne Ames doesn't have friends, thank you very much. Pulling out his books, Rayne settles himself down in the chair he's claimed, beginning to flip through some of the pages of one book.

"I won't stop you from studying here," He couldn't. Cater really, really got him there, "The moment you become too much of a nuisance, you will go." Yes, that's another threat, sorry Cater.

Edited 2024-05-20 23:02 (UTC)

"Not yet," Cater agrees, but he leaves it at that. He takes his seat, getting comfortable, watching Rayne as he started to flip his textbook open to the page he needed. There was still time. They had until they graduated, and Cater would keep working away at the prefect all the way up to it if he had to.

At the second threat of the day, his smile widens again...but it seems that for the moment, he's done poking the bear. He'd only get so far if he was nothing but annoying. No, for now Cater would be good and actually study. Opening his notebook to its most recent page, he buries his head into the book and starts to write out notes for himself. Even his constant smile fades into a more resting expression as he concentrates.

Time could fly by like this; there was something nice about sharing study time with someone else, a presence to that silence that kept it from feeling too heavy. And occasionally, when Cater needed to rest his eyes from so much text, he had something pretty to look at.

Not yet, he says, implying that he planned to become friends. How stubborn could one boy get? Couldn't he take the advice of everyone else, to avoid Rayne? To avoid pissing him off, a task that was all too easy for anyone to do, if they said or did the wrong thing. Pale yellow shifts up from the book in front of him as he watches Cater for a second, watching him open up his notebook and begin to take notes.

He-- was actually studying. Even he could take this seriously, couldn't he? Rayne's annoyance seems to fall away slowly, as he turns his attention down to his own books and notebook. When Cater would look up to him next, Rayne looked focused instead of annoyed or angry. Somehow that blank look on his face could be read as calm instead of threatening, even if there was that obvious threatening expression still there.

It's him who speaks up first next, when he's rummaging in his bag. He pulls out a water bottle, then seems to pause, looking over at Cater.

"You didn't plan to study, did you? Did you not bring anything to drink?" The question is offered as a formality. At least, that's how it seems at first, before Rayne sets the water bottle he'd gotten out over closer towards Cater's side of the table. "We'll share." It's important to stay hydrated, after all!

It's surprising enough that the two of them are able to study peacefully together, and Cater isn't testing his luck--after all, it's the first time he's been in Rayne's space for such a prolonged period of time. Even if it means proving that he knows how to shut his mouth when it counts, he's determined to make it work.

"No, I didn't, but..."

He's about to say that he can take a break to go get one or have one of his doubles get something for him when Rayne actually offers to share. This would be where Cater would normally say something cheeky, but it's so surprising that he can't help his expression from sharing in it.

"Thanks, man." With a nod, he accepts the offering, cracking open the bottle to take a swig before he slides it back into place. No way was he going to turn down something like this, especially not from the guy that was trying everything short of summoning magic to scare him off. After a moment, he decides to try and make appropriate conversation. Something on topic, that he hopes Rayne won't get too prickly over.

"Do you have a best and worst subject?"

For a smart man, it didn't click in Rayne's head that Cater could simply take a break, go get a water bottle, or have a double get one for him. All he'd been thinking about in the moment was being a good example for those around him, when it came to either studying or treating other students with what little kindness he had, despite his cold demeanor and his refusal to get close to any of them.

"Don't mention it." Really, don't. If you tell anyone, he might legitimately hurt you, Cater. Rayne takes the bottle back into his own hand once Cater had taken a sip, doing the same after him. Didn't seem that he was bothered that Cater's lips had just been against the bottle. How could he be, when he had been the one to suggest sharing?

Setting the bottle back into place once the cap is back on, Rayne seems ready to get right back to studying. His forehead tightens as Cater spoke up again. A question. Something that... well, he couldn't say it was a terrible question to ask him. After all, Rayne had been here far longer than Cater. If the other teen needed help with a subject, that was the perfect question to ask to get an idea of what he might be able to ask of Rayne.

"I'm best with Magic History and Magic Zoology. Subjects like those with facts, clear to see right in front of you. Subjects such as... Fortune Telling, I have a harder time with." The conversation would end there, if Rayne didn't ask the question he knew would push it forward.

"You?"

Don't take this as Rayne trying to get to know you, Cater. It's not like that.

Even though it was a sincere enough question, Cater wouldn't have been all that surprised if Rayne brushed it off as being none of his business and left it at that. After all, would he even want to admit that he had a worst subject? Sure, everyone did--even if you got high marks in everything, it didn't mean one class wasn't just that much more of a struggle than the others. But, hey, he's actually opening up, making conversation. Conversation! It's officially one of those when Rayne does more than just answer the question.

"Hey, that's perfect! Fortune telling happens to be my best subject." He taps his pen against his notebook, giving a little chuckle. "Okay, second best, after flight. But flying doesn't exactly count where it comes to studying. I'm kind of an astrology buff, so I'm super into that kind of thing. It's surprising how much you can learn about a person, through their different readings."

Idly, Cater twirls a lock of his hair around one finger. He's talking too much again, isn't he?

"Magical history is a bit harder for me, I have a hard time keeping all the dates and names straight." AKA: It's boring. "Practical Magical Application can be a bit of a slog, too."

Admitting he had a bad subject wasn't something all too terrible. Everyone had something they struggled with. Even as the top of their class, he needed to still show he was human. Unfortunately, an obvious struggle of his was this. Conversation. Talking to someone else, opening up enough that they'd be able to learn even little tidbits about him. The only person who had been in that sort of position before was his roommate-- even he feared Rayne, trying to avoid his ire.

Resting his elbow on the table, Rayne settles his chin on his palm, staring over the surface at Cater. Was he actually paying attention, too, as Cater spoke? He'd asked the question, after all, so he must have some sort of interest in knowing the answer. An astrology buff. That certainly fit Cater's whole.... self.

Shifting slightly in his chair, Rayne points down to his own notebook with his own pen.

"If you need help with those two," Rayne's going to regret saying this, like all other things he regrets saying to Cater, "It's my job as prefect to help where I can. Ask if you need."

"... How can you find astrology interesting at all? It isn't rooted in fact. There's almost no rules to how it's interpreted, leading to different mages interpreting the same reading in completely different ways. Astrology barely has any standing with true magic. Even older forms of divination have a firmer basis." That's... more words than Cater had probably ever heard from Rayne, without an overtly negative or blank tone.

Cater borrows the water bottle again as Rayne speaks. The guys is completely blasting the subject that he just said was his personal favorite...but it doesn't offend him. Honestly, a lot of people disliked it. Despite it being such a "fun" subject, that didn't necessarily make it easy, in part because of how flexible interpretations could be. A lot of people found it frustrating. He chuckles after he finishes drinking, turning it in his fingers before he places it back again.

"I've always liked looking up at the stars," he explains. His hand starts fidgeting with his pen, instead, like he can't stand not having something turning around in his fingers. "The idea that there's meaning behind them makes me happy." It connects them all in a more meaningful way--but Cater's not going to delve too much into his reasoning. That's way too personal.

"Anyway, it's fun to explore the possibilities of the future. Do you ever have dreams about the way you can shape things? I think fortune telling can encourage people to be their best selves, to steer away from poor decisions."

Rayne wouldn't care if he offended Cater. Sure, he hadn't, but it wouldn't be something he worried about if he ended up doing it. That'd mean that Cater got off his back, right? Maybe he should actually try to offend him, with that thought in mind. Once he did that, would Cater leave him alone?

The explanation was simple enough. It made sense, even if it was childish. With a slight nod, he shows his understanding, not that he was going to further it by asking any questions, by furthering the conversation. Instead, he pushes a tuft of his own hair out of his face, looking back down to his notes.

"I suppose that's one way to look at fortune telling. I prefer to carve out my own place in the world," It's all he's ever done, not that many knew that, "So while I do tend to dream about how I can shape things, I've always defined those things using my own actions, my own logic. Not by using something else to guide my decisions. If I make a poor decision, I deal with the consequences." This was nothing anyone else didn't already know, but still... progress??

Cater is all here to talk less about himself and learn more about Rayne, so he's happy to let the conversation shift about the other boy's perspective on things. "You do strike me as a dreamer," he comments, thoughtful in the way he approaches the subject. He could imagine the idea of being a "dreamer" being one that might insult the prefect, but of course that isn't at all how Cater means it.

"I mean, I get the sense that you have big plans for the future. That you want to change the world."

For the better, Cater thinks. Rayne was a hardass but he didn't strike Cater as the kind of person who would work so hard and so diligently to make a darker future. Still maybe he's wrong, so he decides not to speculate on the manner in which he thinks Rayne might be aiming for.

The conversation continues to shift in a direction that requires Rayne to talk about himself, an increasingly complicated subject. Rayne makes a face, his gaze shifting away from Cater to instead look back down to his notebook.

"I do." It's not a secret. Why should he hide it? Not that he wants to go on and on about his own story, his own personal thoughts about the world, the things he wanted to change about it. Not to someone who he barely knows.

Instead...

"What do you find difficult about Practical Magical Application? Is it just boring to you, or do you have some difficulties?" His pen is set down as he asks, his gaze finally lifting back to Cater's.

"Hmm..."

Cater doesn't like that the topic is shifting back to himself. At least this isn't anything altogether too personal, but the problem is that he doesn't really have a good answer. He could lie, of course, but it's too silly of a thing to waste to much energy coming up with excuses over. Even if he has bad reasonings, he still has a feeling that Rayne would prefer to have an honest answer. Welp, time to steel himself for disapproval.

"It's not that it's difficult or boring. I just don't see the point in trying to be any better than I already am."

He was decent, passing. Wasn't that enough?

That's one thing Cater could rely on Rayne for: to never ask a personal question, not while they were just classmates. With Rayne planning on staying that far apart, planning on never becoming MORE than classmates, it's unlikely he'd ask anything personal unprompted, unless it was absolutely necessary.

Cater's answer does get a look of disapproval from the prefect, his chin tilting up in that telltale sign of disgust.

"Staying the same, being stagnant in your progress. That's worse. Foolish. What's even the point of trying at all if that's how you see it?" This was the type of attitude he couldn't stand. Getting right to the line of passing, never trying harder to improve themselves. What's the point of trying at all if you don't strive to be the best you can be, even at the cost of yourself?

... Maybe Rayne was a little too intense when it came to this, but what of it? He had to be.

It's a harsh thing to say, and underneath his smiling mask, it does hit a part of Cater a little too hard. Things he's called himself, when he's all alone in his dormitory. What was the point of even going on? But of course, it's the fact that he's shared such sentiments that he can take hearing it so unblinkingly. Cater chuckles, shrugging.

"Who knows, right?" Clearly, he's just a laissez-faire kinda guy, only one step up from being a troublemaker. "I don't have any aspirations, so it really doesn't matter much either way."

Surely, so long as he lived every day to its fullest, he wouldn't have any regrets. Surely, all he needed was to have fun.

"That's why I have trouble focusing any harder on subjects that I'm not super interested in. I'm not some kind of delinquent, but I'm not a very good student, either."

Edited 2024-05-21 05:06 (UTC)

Something was deeply wrong with Cater. The moment he took that with a smile, with a laugh, that's when it hits Rayne that Cater wasn't really normal. No one would be able to tell in his unchanging expression, not even Cater, but Rayne's perception of him was slowly shifting over the course of this conversation. The only hint of anything would be the slight narrowing of his eyes.

"A life without aspirations is meaningless -- worthless." Another harsh set of words leaves his lips, followed up by something possibly surprising: "Find something small. Build up to bigger aspirations. It can be something as tiny as wanting to taste a certain kind of snack in the coming days or petting a soft animal. You don't have to have a major goal in life. Find something, anything to cling to."

For Rayne, that small thing to cling to was his brother, no matter how hard he pushes him away. More recently, he had his rabbits, too.

"We'll train together. For now, that will be your aspiration. To show me what I know you're capable of. I've seen you with your magic, Cater. You're not as pathetic as you make yourself out to be. You have potential."

Cater's expecting the continued insults, bears down that accusation of worthlessness unflinchingly...so when Rayne follows it up with encouragement, it takes him by such a shock that his smile cracks. For a quick moment, he regards Rayne with a blank, appraising look.

Rayne was offering to train with him? To be his aspiration? On one hand, it was kind of egotistical, to put himself in that position. On the other...it was pretty sweet of him, wasn't it? To give Cater a reason, if he couldn't find anything else. His smile comes back, but softer this time, not anywhere near as plastic.

"If you talk like that, you're gonna make me fall for you."

Propping his chin on his palm, his smile fills up his eyes in a way that it usually doesn't.

"Okay, deal. If you're going to be so generous, what choice do I have but to step up?"

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