.||winter wonderland||.

[antehya]

The clear crisp layer of frost that froze over the world at that point was not untouched; crushed by footprints and hurrying students while only the highest branches of trees were braves by the crystals of water. However this did not bother him as Lys stood just outside the main doors into the school, one folder bundled in his arms.

His icy blue eyes raked the landscape, searching for somewhere where they could actually sit and not be soaked and their gaze alighted gently on the small copse of conifers that bordered one side of the lake. Their evergreen colour bought relief to most eyes, the colour smiling out through winter's hold and through the grey that was what the season bought with it.

"Should we maybe work over there?" Lys asked, gesturing towards the trees in question.
"If you don't mind," he added, an amused smile on his face, "I'd rather not soak myself to the skin - it's cold enough already. You of all people would know."

He didn't feel the cold much so he was in a shirt but still in jeans. Cate on the other hand was in a skirt, and a short one at that.
"You sure you're not too cold?"

[_KAT]

Cate Brooks

The sun was still shining as they descended the steps out of the main building. Although it was a cold glare it brought a smile to Cate's face; it meant she could still justify her skirt-wearing. And in general, any sunlight made her happy; it put everyone in better moods. Except the weird people who liked rain. Cate stole a sideways glance at her companion. He didn't seem that weird. Not that it really bothered her; Cate was a sociable person and often it really didn't matter who she was talking to; she pretty much treated everyone the same.

As Lys spoke, Cate turned her gaze to where he was gesturing. What the trees were Cate would not have been able to tell you, but at least they looked at little less cold and damp than everything else. Although she half regretted taking him outside in the first place, Lys seemed to be taking it all in his stride. An ironic smile lifted his face at his next words. "Well, perhaps some people like to be cold," she retorted, though there were hints of humour in her eyes. A quick pause, and a rather inconvenient shiver had Cate quickly adding, "But not me," with a sheepish grin.

She couldn't help but blush a little at his concern, but brushed it off as she often did. "I'm fine, but touched by your concern." Once again her voice held a touch of laughter, though she was half serious. It was in her nature to be independant however; despite her young age she liked to be able to do things on her own. Although this might have been an endearing quality, when you coupled it with her stubborn trait it could occasionally make her rather difficult. As they crossed towards the place Lys had indicated, Cate felt she ought to make some smalltalk, but could, for once, not find the words. "It's weird; I like coming out here, but I'm not really the kind of person who likes being on their own," she finally said. A bit profound for random chitchat, but occasionally she did come out with that sort of thing. Just not often with her friends.

[/blockquote]

[antehya]

"Well, some people like to be cold...but not me." She grinned sheepishly and Lys chuckled before heading towards the trees they had agreed to work under.

Silence fell between them and she broke it soon afterwards, presumably not comfortable with it. Lys himself spent a good deal of his time in silence when he was working but he would often be singing to himself, being alone, not in a conversation situation.
"It's weird; I like coming out here, but I'm not really the kind of person who likes being on their own." Cate seemed to say it out of nowhere but he had a feeling she meant every word.
"Fair enough," he replied evenly, struggling not to think about his own lonely times, mainly at night, when he had no choice but to be alone because he was different. He scowled at the word internally but kept his face smooth.
"After all, being alone can be good some of the time, but what's life without good friends and conversations?"

They reached the edge of the trees a moment later and Lys mentally rifled through the folder in his arms, trying to sort first- from second-year memories, tiredness playing with his mind. He rubbed his eyes roughly and blinked a few times, mentally reminding himself to drink coffee at dinner that night to keep him awake for the assignment he planned to finish.

[_KAT]

He had a nice laugh, she decided. He seemed quite confusing; eloquent and polite but casual at the same time. Cate knew a lot of well-born people attended Ludus Elementum; people whose parents and grandparents had been taught by previous Magisters and who thought highly of their elements. Compared to them, Cate was a commoner, probably once part of some bloodline but now just a NYC girl who was lucky enough to have a special talent. After all she didn't choose her parents. Although, she was grateful; without her element she might have faded into the bustle of life and never been able to feel like she amounted to much despite her confidence and ambitious nature.

Fair enough. His reply was simple and accepting, something Cate gathered made up something of his personality, and his expression remained unreadable. At his next words, Cate smiled. "That is exactly right. Talking is what I do best anyway, I guess." Cate did tend to be quite chatty. It wasn't that she felt awkward without it, more that she always had some comment to make, some advice to give, or she just wanted to get to know people, and to feel like they knew something of her that they could take away with them and remember, even if it was just her random profound speculations that hardly meant anything at all.

As they reached the edge of the trees, Lys rubbed his eyes and Cate felt a little bit bad for dragging him out in the cold when he seemed rather weary. But he could have said no, right? And it would be nice to have some company and some help with the work she was always struggling with. Languages were the only thing she felt she could actually do well, and although she wished she could draw art would probably only ever amount to a hobby. "Thanks for helping me out," she said, trying to make sure he knew she was being genuine, "A lot of the time smart people are pretty annoying but I reckon you're alright." This was accompanied by a rueful grin as Cate settled herself on the ground and waited for Lys to join her.

It was true, she sometimes made a point of avoiding getting too friendly with clever people. After all, they were very sweet and told you you'd be fine but when the results came out all they did was made you feel dull. She was aware it was judgemental of her - smart people couldn't help it - but she hated the side of her that was jealous, the side that contradicted everything she lived for right now, and for that reason she steered clear of things that brought it out. It was the bit of her no one could work out who she'd inherited it from; probably her dad's Ignis ancestors.