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Kat has a talk with Riddle after school, and encounters a very loud individual.
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Hands in her pockets, Kat strolled up to the stables.
There wasn't really much to say about them besides that...
They were, indeed, stables. Pretty big ones too, and well-kept.
There were a few horses roaming around in a paddock attached to the building.
They raised their heads, ears pricking, as she got closer.
Then they apparently decided she wasn't very interesting. Turning away, they went back to munching on hay or leaning against each other or other such horse activities.
She got closer to the stables, heading towards the open doors, when...
"WHO GOES THERE?! HALT!"
Kat jumped, startled.
"Ack! Fuck--"
She looked around, seeing a tall, broad-shouldered figure striding purposefully towards her.
"Um," she tried, but the other person was already speaking again... Or, more accurately, shouting.
"THIS AREA IS RESERVED FOR EQUESTRIAN CLUB ACTIVITIES FOR THE DURATION OF THE AFTERNOON! OUTSIDERS CANNOT JUST WANDER ABOUT AS THEY PLEASE!"
She flinched involuntarily, taking a small step back.
God, this guy was loud... Did he not have a volume control?
Even the horses in the paddock were starting to look uncomfortable, picking up their hooves and swiveling their ears.
The stranger loomed over her, hands on his hips.
Geez, he was tall...
He was probably a couple inches taller than the Headmaster and Crewel. How tall was that, six-two?
He had an angular, chiseled face with piercing eyes and strong as hell eyebrows, the same pale green color as his hair.
The hair itself was slicked back from his forehead in a kind of swoop...
God damn, how much hair gel did this dude go through per week?
She didn't know the masculine body types off the top of her head, but the best way she could describe this guy was...
That he was shaped like a small triangle on top of a tall cylinder.
He had that slim, athletic triangle torso, like some kind of martial artist, with sinewy arms to match. Below his ribcage, though, he pretty much just went straight down into a pair of long-ass legs.
"IDENTIFY YOURSELF AND STATE YOUR BUSINESS IMMEDIATELY!" He ordered, glaring down at her with sharp, olive-green eyes. "IN WHAT DORMITORY DO YOU RESIDE?! WHERE IS YOUR VEST AND ARMBAND?!"
Kat winced, shrinking back a little bit and gritting her teeth.
"I-- I'm sorry, I just wanted to talk to--"
"WHAT?!" He demanded, interrupting her. "SPEAK UP! DON'T MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF, HUMAN! DIDN'T ANYONE TEACH YOU ANY MANNERS?!"
'Human'? She thought, still flinching a little as she stepped back.
That was weird...
He didn't have a tail that she could see, and his ears were fully visible, on the sides of his head where they 'should' be.
They were also round, not pointed like the Headmaster's.
His hair and eyebrows were definitely out of the norm, in her experience...
But, again, she was literally 99.999% certain, this was some kind of anime world, so that wasn't definite proof by any means.
"Look," she tried again. "I was just coming over to see if I could talk to--"
"TALK TO WHOM?!" He interrupted again, stepping forward until he was looming over her. "ARE YOU IMPLYING THAT YOU KNOW SOMEONE IN THIS CLUB?! I'VE CERTAINLY NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE! TELL ME THE NAME OF YOUR SUPPOSED ACQUAINTANCE, OR ELSE I--"
"SEBEK."
The sharp declaration cut through the tall boy's voice like a dagger of ice.
Riddle stood in the doors of the stables, arms crossed. He was wearing his P.E. uniform, and had a horse brush in one hand.
"That's enough. That is no way to speak to the Prefect of Ramshackle House."
"RIDDLE-SENPAI!" The tall newcomer spluttered, straightening up and folding his arms behind his back, like a soldier snapping to attention.
"You are acquainted with this..."
He shot her a suspicious look.
"...Human?"
"Yes, I am," Riddle replied, walking forward and skewering him with a disapproving look. "And I would suggest that you refer to her as 'Miss Kat', or 'Prefect'-- that is her title, and she is very well deserving of it, and the respect that it entails."
'Sebek' blinked.
"...'She'?" He repeated, glancing back at Kat out of the corner of his eye. "I'm sorry, but is this human a..."
He better not say 'female', Kat thought.
"...Woman?"
"Indeed she is," Riddle confirmed, finally bridging the distance and coming to a stop in front of the pair.
"It's bad manners to raise one's voice to a lady... And, she also happens to be an acquaintance of mine. Such discourtesy will NOT be tolerated in my presence. Besides--"
He nodded to the paddock.
The horses had gathered at the farthest end possible, snorting and nickering nervously.
"You're frightening the horses."
"I.... S-See," the green-haired boy muttered, shooting another glance at Kat. "But-- that uniform... Is she a STUDENT here? Isn't Night Raven College a school for MALE mages?"
"That's correct," Riddle confirmed again. "However, the Prefect is... Well, strictly speaking, she's not a mage."
"WHAT?!" The green-haired boy burst out, whipping around to gape, open-mouthed, at Kat, making her wince and shrink back again.
"She's NOT?! THEN HOW IN THE--"
"SEBEK!"
It was 'Sebek's' turn to wince, looking guilty.
"I will NOT repeat myself a second time. Lower your voice."
"Of course," the tall boy agreed, giving a sharp, but slightly sheepish, nod.
Riddle nodded back.
"Suffice it to say, there are... Extenuating circumstances. For the time being, Miss Kat-- or should I say, the Prefect-- has been enrolled in the first-year class, as a beastmaster."
Unfolding his arms, he put his hands on his hips, taking a small step back.
"If you need more details, I'd advise you to speak to the Headmaster, or one of the professors, rather than ambushing her into a one-sided shouting match. Now..."
He paused, blinking as he looked around.
"...Perhaps you could go and locate Silver? He said he was going to check the hurdles, but I haven't seen him since..."
"Wh--"
The green-haired boy stiffened.
"Rrrrr-- why, that... SILVER! Sleeping on the job again, no doubt... I shall go and track him down IMMEDIATELY, Riddle-senpai!"
Giving another sharp nod, he whirled around, striding away in an impressive power-walk.
He actually glanced back briefly, giving Kat one final suspicious glower before shrinking into the distance.
When he was gone, Kat finally let herself relax, shoulders drooping a little as she let out a long sigh.
Giving a quiet, nervous laugh, she brushed some hair behind her ear.
"Thanks," she smiled.
"It was no trouble," Riddle replied, shrugging.
"Sebek is a bit of an odd duck, but he's mostly harmless."
Stepping back again, he straightened his shoulders, hands behind his back.
"Now-- is there anything I can assist you with? And..."
He looked her up and down, then at the ground around her feet.
"...Is Grim not with you this afternoon?"
"Oh-- no, no, he's not," Kat replied, shaking her head. "Don't worry, I didn't just let him wander off by himself-- Deuce is actually keeping an eye on him for a little while for me. And, uh..."
With another nervous smile, she brushed her bangs behind her ear again.
"...Well, the thing is... I was actually hoping to talk to you? For a little? If that's okay?"
Riddle blinked, eyebrows raising as he took another step back.
"To... Me?" He repeated, seeming slightly taken aback.
"Yeah," she confirmed, nodding. "Oh-- I-if you're busy, it doesn't have to be right NOW, though, I can leave if you want..."
"Oh-- n-no," Riddle said quickly, shaking his own head. "No, it's... It's quite alright... Ahem."
He coughed politely into his fist.
"The truth is, I... Wanted to speak with you as well, so... This is actually quite a pleasant surprise."
He took a step back.
"...Would you mind terribly if we spoke in the stables? This is, after all, still technically club-allotted time, and I have a few more things to see to..."
"Oh-- sure, no problem," Kat agreed, nodding.
Riddle nodded back, then turned back towards the stables with a small bow, indicating that she should follow him.
She did so, holding her elbow with one hand and looking around.
Large, spacious stalls lined the building, floors carpeted in thick layers of clean straw and sawdust.
Horses of all colors stuck their heads out over the stall doors as they passed, and she heard the occasional nicker or huff.
After a little while, Riddle slowed to a stop in front of a particular stall on the right side of the building.
There was a horse in this stall, too-- no big surprise there.
It had its whole head and neck sticking out over its stall door, watching Riddle intently as he put the brush he was holding back into a large plastic bucket.
Straightening back up, Riddle turned, watching as she approached.
"Who's this?" Kat asked, tilting her head at the horse.
"This is Vorpal," Riddle replied, laying a hand on the horse's neck.
"Unlike most of the others housed in this stable, he is my personal horse-- I was permitted to transfer him to the campus stables when I enrolled, provided my family sees to all his expenses, and I care for him myself."
The horse huffed, bringing his nose over to Riddle's head and ruffling his hair with a long breath.
Riddle chuckled, lightly pushing him away and smoothing down his hair.
"He's gorgeous," Kat said.
He was, actually, a very pretty animal...
Her knowledge of horses pretty much went draft horse, pony, mini horse, and 'normal' horse.
Vorpal appeared to fall firmly into the 'normal' horse category, but definitely one of the more aesthetically pleasing specimens.
He had a light build, with long, graceful legs and neck. His face was well-formed and slender, and his coat was a solid, glossy bay.
His dark brown mane was visibly well-kept, and that probably applied to his tail, too, even though she couldn't see it.
Vorpal's ears pricked, and he looked around at her for the first time, turning his head to the side to get a better view.
"Can I say hi?" She asked.
"I suppose," Riddle shrugged, folding his arms again. "When greeting a horse, you-- oh..."
Stepping carefully forward, Kat held out a closed fist, palm-side down.
Vorpal's ears pricked again, and he snuffled lightly at her knuckles, then bumped his velvety nose against them.
She laughed quietly, opening her hand and stroking him gently on the snout.
"That was very well done," Riddle said, a note of genuine surprise in his voice.
"Do you have any equestrian experience, Prefect?"
She shrugged.
"Yeah, actually-- I mean, I'm not an expert or anything, but I've been around horses... Like, I know the basics of riding, at least with a saddle and reins, and how to introduce myself without losing fingers. And let them know I'm coming in behind them without getting my head kicked off, if I have to."
Vorpal bobbed his head, pushing lightly against her hand.
"Yeah, hi, we're talking about you," she informed him, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Or-- well, kind of."
She heard Riddle chuckle quietly again, then he cleared his throat.
"Well? What did you want to speak to me about, Miss Prefect?"
...Oh boy, here we go.
Kat took a deep breath, blowing a strand of bangs out of her face as she moved from stroking Vorpal's nose to scratching his neck.
"Okay, first, um...."
She paused for a second, trying to get her thoughts in order before starting to speak.
"Look, I... I'm not gonna beat around the bush about this, okay? Don't mistake ANY of this for, like... Romantic interest. 'Cause, I'm telling you right now, it is NOT. I don't-- I mean, it's not a YOU thing, okay? Doesn't have anything to do with you personally. It's just---"
She trailed off for a second, grimacing.
"Well, it's... M-Me. I'm actually-- um, well, I'm... Gay? I... Prefer-- or no, not 'prefer'... I'm only into women. Plus, you're seventeen, and, like... A-At YOUR age, I think the biggest age difference should be, like, one year at the most. So... Yeah."
She risked a glance sideways at Riddle.
He blinked, eyes widening a little as he took the smallest of steps back.
"Oh," he said, and she could see that his face had gotten a little red.
"I-- I see... AHEM!"
He coughed into his fist again, then shook his head, folding his arms.
"Was there... Anything else? I presume that wasn't the only reason you came here..."
Kat laughed quietly, shaking her head.
"Nah, it-- it wasn't..."
Then the smile slipped off her face, and she felt the nervous fluttering start up just below her ribcage.
Hoo boy-- here we go... This is it. The moment of truth.
"Well-- it's just..."
Her hand slowed down, coming to a stop on Vorpal's neck.
"It's about.... What happened. Um-- at the duel. Or-- I guess, after that? Like... Like immediately after."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Riddle go still.
Squaring her shoulders, she plunged on.
"Do you.... Know? Could you-- could you... tell? Somehow?"
They stood in silence for a few seconds.
Suddenly, Vorpal tossed his head, leaning into her hand and giving an irritated nicker.
"Oops-- sorry," she muttered, starting to scratch again.
"Could I tell.... What?" Riddle said slowly.
She still didn't look right at him, eyes vaguely unfocused on a patch of bay coat on Vorpal's neck.
"That I... Saw. I saw it."
"...How much did you see?" Riddle asked quietly, after another moment of silence.
"...All of it? I think?"
Kat shifted her weight from side to side, leaning her free arm on the gate of Vorpal's stall.
"I... Look, I didn't MEAN to, okay? I don't know why it happened- I... I'm really sorry."
There were a few more moments of awkward, painful silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity.
"....I... See," Riddle murmured after a while. "I-- yes... The truth is, I.... Already had a-- that is to say, I..."
He paused again.
"...I had a feeling," he said eventually, almost under his breath.
This actually surprised her a little-- blinking, she turned to look at him.
"R-Really?"
Arms still folded, he was standing a few feet away, head turned to the side and definitely not looking at her.
As she watched, he nodded slowly, still not turning his head.
"....Yes," he confirmed slowly. "I-- when I... Regained consciousness, I had a... I remembered a few-- I mean... It wasn't-- very CLEAR, mind you, but I thought that-- um..."
He trailed off.
...More awkward silence.
Vorpal bobbed his head again, giving a soft, happy nicker and bumping his knees against the stall gate as Kat kept scratching his neck.
Now Riddle looked over, eyebrows raising.
They caught each other's gaze, blinking, then both laughed quietly, shaking their heads with wry grins.
"Yikes-- well... That's a little embarrassing," Kat muttered, finally able to speak now that the awkward silence had been pierced. "Um-- sorry for... Intruding? I guess?"
Riddle shook his head, laughing softly again.
"No, it-- it's quite alright... I'm sure you didn't mean to."
"Yeah," Kat sighed, leaning a little heavier on Vorpal's stall door and crossing her ankles. "I mean-- I don't even know HOW that happened, so..."
A slightly shorter pause this time.
"...What... WAS that?" She asked hesitantly, turning her head to look at him again.
"I mean-- d-do YOU know? I-- literally have no idea..."
Riddle shifted a little, looking uneasy.
"I... Don't," he admitted after a second. "I have a few theories... About what areas of magic may have been involved, possibly. But-- those are just theories, mind you, nothing concrete."
"Really?" Kat asked. "Um... Like what?"
"Well..."
Chewing his bottom lip, Riddle tilted his head back, looking up at the stables' ceiling.
"...My current hypothesis is that it-- involved some form of... Dream magic."
"...Dream magic?" She repeated, unable to quash a twinge of intrigue. "What's that?"
Riddle actually looked at her, giving another surprised blink.
"You... Don't know?"
"No," she admitted, shaking her head. "The truth is, I'm-- w-well... Did Crow-- the Headmaster, I mean-- tell you anything? Or... Maybe, did you hear anything from Ace or Deuce?"
"...Oh," Riddle murmured, eyebrows raising and looking even more surprised.
"Well-- yes, I- I did, but... That was... True? You... Really are from another world? My goodness..."
"Yeah," Kat sighed again, turning back to Vorpal and petting his nose again.
"Kinda unbelievable, huh? Trust me, I-- I'm just as surprised as you are... Probably more, to be honest."
She shook her head, giving a wry laugh.
"Anyway, um-- obviously, it has something to do with dreams, but... Besides that? What does it mean? If... You don't mind explaining?"
Riddle paused.
Glancing back, she saw that he was looking up at the ceiling again.
"Dream magic is," he said after a moment. "Old. Very, very old. Nearly all the mentions of it are from sources made a very, very long time ago... Even before the time of the Great Seven, in fact."
He paused, putting a hand to his chin.
"...And those sources are hardly fonts of knowledge themselves," he admitted after another moment of deep thought.
"Back in those days, most still viewed magic as something utterly foreign and unknowable... So no concrete facts are available. What IS there, however... Is the insistence that dream magic is very powerful... And very, very strange. Even by the standards of the time, much emphasis was placed on how mysterious and unknown it was. Honestly, I always regarded it as more of a myth than anything concrete... But-- well..."
He trailed off again.
"...Seriously?" Kat asked after a second. "That-- that kind of thing, it... Isn't something that just... I mean, there's NOTHING else that might explain why all that happened?"
Giving a measured, but slightly helpless, shrug, Riddle shook his head.
"No.... At least, not as far as I've ever heard of. The sentient mind is a very complicated thing, a-and... While some forms of what one might call 'psychic' abilities exist-- very minor telepathy, for example, or empathy-- psychic empathy, that is... The concept of.. Of sharing memories, o-or entering some form of joint trance... I-- that's the only possibility I could think of."
There was a slightly longer pause.
Kat sighed, standing up from her lean and turning around, leaning her back on Vorpal's stall door this time.
"...Great," she muttered, pushing her bangs back with one hand.
"So-- basically, you might as well be saying that ancient aliens did it, for all we know. Fantastic."
Riddle turned, giving her a puzzled look, and she shook her head, waving a hand dismissively.
"N-Nevermind... It's nothing."
Another awkward pause.
"So... How accurate was all.. That?" She asked after a second, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
Riddle sighed quietly, stepping back and leaning against the wall of the stable.
"It was a bit-- abstract at times, and... Of course, that was-- at least, it seemed to be only a handful of... Memories? I suppose?"
He shook his head, frowning.
"But... Everything seemed to be... As I remembered it. I... Think."
Another awkward silence fell over the two of them.
"...Wow," Kat muttered. "Um..."
She paused for a second, trying to figure out how to word this next part.
...Ugh. She should probably just say it...
No other way to put it, really.
"That's... Uh, pardon my French-- or whatever-- but that's... That's pretty fucked-up. Like-- no, actually, that's... REALLY fucked-up."
Riddle remained silent for a few seconds after she spoke.
Just when she was starting to shift anxiously, he sighed again, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.
"...Yes," he murmured after another second. "I.... I'm beginning to see that, yes... Or rather, I-- I'm beginning to... Understand. Fully, I mean."
Kat remained silent...
It seemed like, maybe, he wanted to say something else.
And, as it turned out, he did.
"...I had been trying to... Convince myself otherwise. For a very long time. After all, it-- it wasn't as if I was neglected or starved, or physically harmed..."
Kat gave him a sideways glance, and he shifted a little, looking uncomfortable.
"...Much," he admitted after a second. "It was nothing serious, at least..."
"...That's not really the point, though?" Kat ventured. "Like, the-- the fact that it happened at ALL, um..."
She chewed on the inside of her cheek for a second.
"...Not gonna lie, MY parents-- occasionally they, like... Well, they spanked me sometimes? And they-- sometimes they got... Frustrated, and, um... W-Well-- to be fair, I was a kid with a lotta problems, okay? And I understand getting overwhelmed and fed up, but it wasn't... This-- might sound like I'm trying to make EXCUSES for them, but I'm-- I'm really not. I'm admitting that it was bad, but..."
She shook her head, trying to rattle the thoughts in her head into the right order.
"I- I feel like parents, they... I mean, all of them have a few fuckups every once in a while, you know? But-- I mean, that... There's a difference between the occasional fuckup and a-- a... Pattern of... Behavior..."
There was another beat of silence.
"...If it was often enough to make you flinch like that, it-- it... Wasn't. Just a fuckup," she finished, rather lamely.
"...I-- see," Riddle murmured after another beat of silence.
"I'll-- take that into consideration, I suppose..."
He sighed, shaking his head a little.
"...As I was saying. I always thought... Or tried to tell myself that it was... Normal. That-- that I... I mean..."
Pausing, he looked up at the ceiling again.
"Of course, I didn't... Know. Anything else... Any other way to-- live, I suppose. But, when I... Well... I- I suppose that it only really started when I began spending time with Trey and Che'nya."
Kat folded her arms, head tilted as she kept looking quietly at Riddle.
"They... When they spoke about their families, I-- at first, I... I couldn't really fathom it. I thought that-- perhaps their families were the abnormal ones. But-- after that, I began paying closer attention to... Other children. And their families. Whenever we were out. And it... Wasn't very difficult to see that my family-- my- my mother... The way we interacted, it was... Different."
He sighed quietly, crossing his arms.
"The truth is, I was... Jealous. And... After a while, I tried to convince myself that I wasn't. In fact, I started to think that... That my family-- my upbringing-- was the only proper way. That every other family-- every other mother-- in the world... Didn't love their children enough. Letting them run about all day, allowing undesirable influences to enter their lives, mingling with whoever they pleased..."
Shaking his head, he gave a soft, bitter laugh.
"That's a bit pathetic of me, isn't it?"
"Wh-- N-NO!" Kat interjected, shaking her head insistently.
"No, it's not... Not at all! That's totally understandable... People find ways to cope, right? I mean, they--"
She shook her head, giving a wry laugh.
"They kinda HAVE to. And-- especially if you're in a situation where you literally can't do anything about it, it's, like... What else CAN you do but go 'eh, maybe this isn't such a bad thing', you know?"
Riddle blinked, looking over at her.
"...Really?"
"Yeah!" She confirmed, nodding. "Yeah, yeah... And-- GYAH--!!"
Her sentence got cut off into a strangled yelping noise.
Vorpal, evidently upset that he was no longer the focus of her attention, had put his nose to the top of her head, ruffling her hair with a hot snort of breath.
"Ack-- HEY!" She protested, jumping forward and turning around. "What was THAT for?!"
Vorpal bobbed his head eagerly, prancing in place and giving a whinny that sounded remarkably like a laugh.
"Wh--" she spluttered at the horse.
Then, she caught Riddle's eye again.
After a second, they both burst into laughter, pressing their hands to their mouths and grinning.
"Vorpal seems to have taken a shine to you," Riddle smiled after the laughter died down.
"He only plays about like that with people he likes... Congratulations, Kat."
Kat laughed again, shaking her head and waving a dismissive hand.
"Pff... Thanks, I've always been pretty good with animals... Mostly cats, but other animals, too."
Then she blinked, tilting her head and giving him a surprised look.
"Hey-- I think that's the first time you've used my name since the unbirthday party!"
Riddle blinked this time, returning the look.
"It... Was?" He asked, drawing back a little. "Oh... Yes, I-- I suppose it was..."
Kat laughed again, putting the side of her fist to her mouth.
"Well-- feel free to KEEP using it, if you want. Actually..."
She put her head on one side, folding her arms and smiling.
"...I-- I've been meaning to ask you this... It might be a little weird to just-- come out and ask, but... Can-- we be friends?"
Riddle blinked again, looking even more taken aback.
"...Friends?" He repeated. "You and... I?"
"Yeah!" She confirmed again, nodding. "I mean--"
Jerking her head back towards Vorpal, she grinned.
"It looks like I've already won over your horse... So-- whadd'you think? Would that be okay with you?"
Riddle looked at her for a few seconds, seeming genuinely baffled.
"But-- but... Me? You-- wish to be friends with... Me? Even after I-- I... I mean, all the things I said to you, and I-- I..."
He looked down, avoiding her gaze as he blushed.
"I-- tried to kill you," he mumbled after a second. "I don't remember very much about... What happened, but I tried to... I WANTED to... Kill you. And I-- I very nearly DID. If Cater-- if he hadn't..."
He trailed off.
Kat shifted a little, biting her bottom lip.
After a second, she walked over to him, taking him by the sleeve of one elbow.
"C'mere," she said, tugging him gently over towards Vorpal's stall.
"Pet him," she ordered, nodding towards the horse.
Riddle blinked again, giving her an even more baffled look.
"I... Beg your pardon?"
"Pet him," she repeated.
"You'll feel better... I speak from experience when I say that hard conversations are at least a LITTLE bit easier when you've got something to pet. And, I feel like, in order to get my point across, I'm gonna end up saying some-- dumb things... And-or things you might find a little... Insulting, for lack of a better word. So..."
Stepping back a little, she put her hands in her pants pockets, shrugging.
"I guess this is my attempt at... Semi-distracting you? Enough that I can at least finish what I'm trying to say, I mean."
"...Oh," Riddle murmured after a second. "I- I see... Very well, then."
Nodding, he put his hand out.
Vorpal eagerly pressed his long nose against it, whickering and bobbing his head.
Kat smiled, watching them for about half a moment before she took a deep breath.
"....I think you need-- help," she said after a second. "I don't mean that in a BAD way, but-- I wanna help you... And-- um..."
Shifting a little, she fiddled with a lock of her hair.
"...The-- trying-to-kill-me thing wasn't... Okay, it wasn't GREAT. But-- you were... I mean, it was like you were-- literally POSSESSED back then, and I wasn't the ONLY one you were trying to kill, to be fair. And-- it's not like this is the first time I've made friends with someone who tried to do that. I mean, Grim--"
Blinking, she paused, tilting her head.
"...Okay, actually, I-- I don't know if he was actively TRYING to kill or hurt me... I don't think he thought that far, really."
She shook her head, laughing quietly.
"I like the little guy, but he's really not the brightest..."
"...Oh," Riddle murmured, blinking slowly as he kept stroking Vorpal's nose.
"I-- I see... But-- as you said, Grim is-- was... A different case. And..."
He shifted his weight a little, brows knitting as he looked unsure.
"What happened, it was... It was because of MY actions. I knew the risks, and yet I insisted on continuing to use magic... If I hadn't been such a fool, then..."
He trailed off, face going a little darker.
Kat tilted her head the other way this time, chewing on her bottom lip for a few seconds.
"....Well-- you're ADMITTING that it was bad," she said eventually.
"You're admitting that you made a mistake... Or, a poor decision, I guess. And I can tell that you feel really bad about it... Which, like... Feeling bad SUCKS, but-- it's also important. When there's actually a good REASON to feel bad, that is. If you DIDN'T feel bad in this particular situation, I'd be more worried, actually."
Riddle actually turned his head, giving her a wary, slightly suspicious look.
"...What do you mean?"
"I mean..."
Shifting her weight to her back foot, Kat looked up at the ceiling, pursing her lips.
"...To put it bluntly, I mean that you're not a narcissist... Or a-- a sociopath, or a psychopath or whatever. You-- care about other people, basically... Or-- no, not 'care', exactly, but..."
Groaning, she drooped her head, scratching her forehead furiously for a second.
"God, I'm so bad at explaining...! Ugh-- you... You have morals. Obviously. And you-- know that things could've turned out really, REALLY bad for-- everybody, and you... Understand? The weight of that, basically?"
She risked a glance up through her bangs.
"...Do you... Get what I'm saying?"
Through the strands of mousey brown, she saw Riddle's hand slow to a stop on Vorpal's nose, going still for a few heart-wrenching moments.
"...I-- believe so," he murmured eventually.
Exhaling hugely, Kat lifted her head again, tossing her bangs out of her face and nodding.
"Yeah, I... Don't think you're a bad PERSON. I-- well, I don't think anybody's really BORN a bad person... But you-- you're DEFINITELY not a bad person. Maybe a little... Not conceited, uhh..."
She snapped her fingers a couple of times, trying to find the right words.
"...Prideful? I guess? But-- not, like, MALICIOUS... At least, most of the time. And-- well, you ARE really impressive, so it's not like that's for nothing... But...."
Putting her head to one side, she gave him a long, thoughtful look.
"...I think you're kind of... Sad? A little bit lonely? I guess? You don't really seem to know how to connect with people, or... More like you haven't really had the OPPORTUNITY to, even. And..."
Kat shifted again, rubbing her elbow.
"I mean, it's not like you're ALONE, you know? Trey really seems to care about you, and Cater seems like he likes you too. Deuce really respects you, and Ace..."
Trailing off, she grimaced.
"Well, Ace is just obnoxious, so let's skip over him for now."
Riddle shook his head, giving a quiet huff of laughter as he started scratching Vorpal's neck.
"Yes, he IS a rather abrasive character, isn't he?"
"More like he doesn't know when to shut the hell up," Kat muttered, grinning.
"But, anyway... You have THEM-- more or less. But..."
She tilted her head again, touching her chin thoughtfully.
"...If you ever have things to talk about-- things that you feel like you can't with THOSE yahoos... You can-- talk to me, I guess. You're--"
Pausing, she blinked.
"...You're an only child, right?"
Turning, Riddle raised his eyebrows, giving her a puzzled look.
"Yes, I am," he confirmed, nodding.
Kat nodded back.
"To tell you the truth, I... I have a little brother. Back in my world. He's bigger than me now, but-- well, I guess you... Remind me of him? A little? Back when we were both kids?"
She gave a quiet laugh, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"So... that's probably why I want to... Help you, I guess. Befriend you or whatever. I kinda feel like I want to... Look out for you? Or something? Not that you NEED it-- physically, I mean, it's not like you get picked on or whatever like HE used to. But..."
She looked up at the ceiling again.
"...Like I said, you seem... Sad. And lonely, and... I-- I feel... I- I sympathize with you? Or empathize, or have... Compassion for you? I guess? Soooo...."
Taking a deep breath, she looked at Riddle, who'd actually stopped petting Vorpal, turning to face her with wide, surprised eyes.
"Honestly, I... I'm not the best at-- connecting with people, either. I'm pretty weird, and my attachment style's probably not the healthiest, a-and I'm not really good at small talk or whatever, but..."
Stepping forward a bit, she stuck her hand out, putting her head to the side and smiling.
"...Maybe we could be bad at it together?"
Riddle actually drew back a bit, eyes darting between her hand and her face for a few seconds.
"....I," he said slowly. "Suppose... That would be alright."
Stepping forward, he hesitated for a moment, then, carefully, reached out, taking her hand and giving it a cautious shake.
"After all, I've been told it was you who ultimately ended the battle back then, so..."
He laughed quietly, shrugging.
"I suppose that this is the least I could do in return, really."
Grinning, Kat shook her head as well, returning the handshake with a significantly firmer one of her own.
"Hey, come on-- don't worry about that! Friends don't keep score about stuff like that, okay? I'm just happy you ended up okay in the end."
Dropping his hand, she stepped back a bit, still giving him a warm smile.
"Congratulations on not dying, Riddle... And-- thanks. For agreeing to be my friend."
Giving one more soft chuckle, Riddle shook his head.
"No... Thank you, Kat. For everything. And... I'm looking forward to seeing where our..."
He paused, seeming to roll the word around on his tongue before speaking it, like he was unfamiliar with it.
"...Friendship goes."
He cocked his head at her, blinking slowly.
"Though-- I must admit, you really are a strange one... The others all seem to be frightened of me, but you-- well, you don't seem the least bit fazed.."
Kat blinked, then cocked her head at him in return, smirking.
"Why? Do you WANT me to be?"
Riddle stiffened a little, blushing again.
"Ah-- n-no, please don't misunderstand. It isn't as if I'm-- rebuking you for it or anything of the sort. It's just a..."
Turning his head, he coughed politely into his fist, still blushing.
"...Bit-- odd, I suppose. But-- not... Unpleasant."
Grinning, Kat snorted.
"Well-- to tell you the truth, I kind of was a little scared of you at first. You're just very..."
She gestured vaguely.
"...Intense? I guess you could say charismatic... You've got a very strong presence, you know what I mean? But-- I dunno, I guess... I mean, for one, I don't have any magic to shut off, so..."
She shrugged.
"What're you gonna do? Try to kill me again? I doubt it."
Catching sight of Riddle's face, she raised her hands placatingly.
"Sorry, sorry-- too soon? That was supposed to be a joke.. I'm kinda prone to a little-- dark humor sometimes, I guess... It's a coping thing."
"Oh," Riddle said, blinking uncertainly. "Well-- yes, it was too soon. Much too soon... But-- thank you for ATTEMPTING to lighten the mood, at least."
"No problem," she smiled, shaking her head. "And-- I won't make jokes about that anymore, don't worry."
Another silence fell across the two of them.
Putting her head on one side, Kat looked at Riddle.
He still had that unsure look in his eyes as he looked back at her, but it was also tempered by a touch of.... Cautious-- not quite warmth, exactly, but... Fondness?
Or the very, very beginnings of fondness, or affection, or whatever-you-wanna-call-it.
And-- and...
....Admiration.
It was there-- just the faintest, slightest tinge in his eyes, and in the set of his faint smile.
A hint of admiration and-- approval.
Riddle Rosehearts was looking at her with approval.
Kat's chest seemed to bloom with warmth as she felt a gentle rush of pride-- partly for herself, and partly for him.
The moment was cut short when Vorpal, once again not receiving an ounce of attention, banged his knees against the stall door, making it rattle as he tossed his head, giving a loud, displeased whinny.
Kat jumped, jolted out of her reverie, and she and Riddle blinked stupidly at each other for a second.
Then, in unison, they both burst into laughter again, hands over their mouths as their shoulders shook.
"Okay, okay!" Kat gasped, shaking her head as she grinned. "We get it, you wanna be involved, too... C'mere, you."
Stepping forward again, she put out her hand, letting Vorpal press his face against it, snorting and huffing eagerly.
"Thanks for letting me be YOUR friend too, Vorpal."
Glancing over, she met Riddle's gaze again, still grinning.
He blinked cautiously once more, then returned it with one of his own.
"You really shouldn't encourage him, you know," he said in a chiding tone, quirking an eyebrow. "He's already incorrigible enough as it is..."
"Awwww-- but c'mon, he's such a big handsome boy!" Kat protested lightly back, starting to scratch under Vorpal's chin with her other hand.
"Isn't that right? Are you the biggest, handsomest boy, Vorpal?"
Vorpal nickered happily, pushing his head into Kat's chest like an extremely oversized cat giving a headbonk.
She spluttered with laughter, and Riddle joined her again, the sound of their mirth and the other horses echoing through the stables.
_______________________________________
You're my friend now. We're having soft tacos later!
*zelda music*
Bonus Chapter #1 (aka the 'important' one) finished! 2 more to go!
Ha Ha Funney Croc Man Go Brr
Sebek: Assigned No Ass At Stables.
...I'm sorry.
I... I just thought that's what he should look like.
Technically, since he's all knight-in-training, he should probably have the Tactical Buttcheeks (look it up if you're unfamiliar), but I can't picture him any other way than a triangle of cheese on a toothpick.
So... He's just built like that.
No matter what he does, he's got ridiculous cartoon tumblr sexyman lower body. Alas.
It actually took a ridiculous amount of effort to track down what he calls Riddle in Japanese, and it turns out I didn't even need to, since I was right the first time. Lmfao.
Eh, at least I KNOW I'm right now.
And knowing... Is half the batt--
*sniper on roof across street fucking takes me out with a headshot before I can finish the meme*
*Equine Therapy Intensifies*
I actually used to do equine therapy IRL, so I do know... ENOUGH... about horses.
....Confession time: I was actually a bit of a horse girl in my youth. Mostly unicorns/pegasi, but also real horses.
I actually went to a "boarding school" in Utah for a while (IYKYK, lol), and one of their main draws was offering 'equine therapy'/horse-riding, but... They never actually let me RIDE the mf horses, or really spend much time with them besides cleaning the stalls.
Like, literally. That's all they let me do.
And if the horse actually wanted attention, or was otherwise getting in the way of me, a skinny-ass 13-14yrold, by virtue of being a Big Fucking Animal, I got yelled at by the staff.
So... After a long-ass time doing that, it was kind of like... Horse girl overexposure therapy, lol.
Horses are fine, though, and if I'm near a horse I'll happily interact with it.