catra

[katzepaw]

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week 2; sunday

[katzepaw]

[Caleb is in the library like a nerd, perusing some books, gathering a pile to bring back to his desk.]

[supercatty]

[Catra is, by rule, not really a library person, and yet! here she is! also being a nerd!! she's also scanning a few books, but in a way that makes it seem like her mind isn't completely here]

[when she spots Caleb, she stops, ears perking forward-- but then she pauses. like. she isn't sure if she is allowed to approach or not??]

[katzepaw]

[He glances at her, sees her looking at him, and gives her a nod.]

Ah, hello.

[supercatty]

H-- hi.

[AWKWARD?? a little awkward. she flicks her tail a little bit like she doesn't know how casual social interactions work]

Fuuuuunny seeing you here?

[katzepaw]

[I mean fortunately he can read cat. . . body language. . . better than human body language.]

. . . Not so funny. I practically live here these days. Find anything good?

[supercatty]

[she is all cat body language so that is fair. his comment earns a gentle snort from her]

I didn't take you for such a nerd.

[SAYS CATRA WHO IS ALSO HERE]

But no, not really. I guess I'm not here to read as much as I am to pass the time.

[katzepaw]

Oh. No, I'm a really big nerd. One of the biggest.

[He will just be honest about that.]

[supercatty]

At least you're owning it.

[a tiny little tail flick, before she reaches up to run her fingers across the bindings if the books on the shelves]

There isn't anything useful in here, is there?

[katzepaw]

Depends what you think is useful or not. But nothing that will help you learn much more about this school, as far as I can tell. I haven't found any spellbooks, either.

week 3; sunday

[katzepaw]

[Sometime Sunday afternoon, he can be found outside near the dorms if they want to talk.

When he sees Catra he gives her a glance like he has something to say.]

[supercatty]

[she is definitely on her way back to Winter when he glances at her, her pace slowing a bit, fur bristling like she's prepared to bolt. but with a deep inhale--]

. . . what?

[she sounds a bit wary, a bit defensive, but she isn't running!]

[katzepaw]

[He's quiet for a second, hands in his pockets.]

. . . You did a good job. Sort of, uhm, solved that on your own.

[And he feels a little badly about that.]

[supercatty]

[she looks-- a little surprised? her expression grows slack, ears swiveling forward. it's clear this is not at all what she was expecting!!]

I--

[???]

I didn't. . . really do much of anything.

[katzepaw]

Sure you did. [He toys with his sleeve a little.] I know others were helping, but wouldn't have solved it without you.

Maybe the outcome wasn't the resolution you hoped, but. . . still.

[supercatty]

[her gaze flickers away, tail swishing behind her. she looks a little out of her depth, like she isn't sure what to do with?? praise??]

It-- [. . .] It is what it is.

[everyone hits betray eventually!! haha!! that's just her life, isn't it]

Um-- [. . .] I'm glad we found who killed your friend, too.

[said a bit awkwardly, but also sincerely]

[katzepaw]

[He understands, she is a cat.]

. . . Danke. I'm glad we found both of them, even if neither was the nefarious villain that would make it feel satisfying to catch.

[supercatty]

[a hallow laugh, lacking in any humor whatsoever]

Life is never that black and white. After Rupert. . .

[she trails off]

. . . I don't know. I still don't know-- why.

None of them will tell me why.

week 4; saturday

[katzepaw]

[Well. He did say he would talk to her later, so he's coming down to the detention room. His mood is just quiet, still, like he's shut some of him off, but he does feel sad for her.

He brought his cat, too.]

Hello. Accepting visitors?

[supercatty]

[hers is definitely a flatline of. . . nothing at all, like she's emotionally exhausted herself and has no more RAM for feeling things]

[but there is a peek of surprise, of bemusement, when he speaks to her, and she flicks her ears as she turns to face him. she's seated in a corner of the classroom, tucked away from the main door]

. . .

. . . sure?

[she isn't sending him away but she is giving him a look of like, "but why would you want to?"]

[katzepaw]

[Ah, Catra. He does feel sad for her, although he tries to clamp that emotion down. Whatever she did, it doesn't make her deserving of grieving two different loves.]

. . . I didn't know if you would want to finish that conversation. About Byleth. [But after a moment.] It's alright if not. After everything else. . .

[supercatty]

[ah. . . does it matter, after everything. . .?]

[. . .]

No, I-- I want to know.

[whether she deserves to know or not]

Especially now.

[especially after what happened with Adora]

[katzepaw]

[He will sit down in a chair, then. Think about what to say for a long, awkward moment.]

. . . I didn't mean to imply I knew more than anyone. I never got much. The fact that they only killed adults made me think they were being forced, trying to find acceptable targets.

But what I believed about Byleth was that she was present at Bradley's death to protect Rupert from what he was being forced to do, and she was present at Crow's death to protect someone else young and vulnerable.

[supercatty]

. . . [ah. . .]

She's-- that kind of person.

I'd believe that of her.

[katzepaw]

Ja. So even if I couldn't get my head around it, I admire that a little.

[. . . ]

What made you decide to go after her?

[supercatty]

[khhhhhh. . .]

[. . .]

[she looks away, hand drifting to her upper arm. the same one she clutched during trial that no one asked about]

. . . it wasn't fair, was it? For her to be forced into hurting people when she didn't really want to.