Pleased to Meet You PV Cathy Finished

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Cathy’s response elicited an amused grin from the blonde, although he still felt pity for those bugs. “We had a spider once when I was younger. It was a tarantula.It died when I was around 9, though,” he shared. Annie was a good spider. Very chill.

The shock that the brunette displayed hearing what happened was… understandable, to say the least. You didn’t normally hear about people grabbing owls, even in the wizarding world. “Yes, they can be feisty… I wasn’t stealthy though, and I kind of let him know I was going to do it if you know what I mean? Like, if he wanted too he could fly out of my way. ‘e looked a little baffled, but when you’ve been grabbed by a tiny little 11-year-old, I don’t think there’s any way to not be at least a little surprised,” he said. He left out the fact that the owl had left some claw marks several centimetres long on his arm as a parting gift. Those were healed anyway, not that they would have stood out much among the other scratches he tended to get.

He laughed a little at her reaction to learning of his birthday, although not unkindly. “Thank you. And you didn’t know. It’s fine. My birthday isn’t really something with much fanfare anyway. My family and I usually just go camping and go to a bookstore,” he explained.

At the new information, he hummed, tucking it away in his head. “That sounds like fun. Going to school on your birthday… well, you’re lucky if you can avoid the entire class singing to you. Having traditions like that is great too. I definitely get that, putting in the work making it better in the end. It’s the same in other things too, like learning how to play a song or completing a project that you’ve been working on for a long time.”

His thoughts were called back to the easel in his room, taking up a decent amount of space. He’d gotten a few complaints from his dorm mates at first, but the project was coming together nicely… Hm. He wondered if he could show Cathy some of his paintings the next time they met up. Not this meeting, of course, but he would probably be able to bring one along next time…

Reducio

It’s totally fine! I get it. Wednesdays are my busy days- I have archery early in the mornings, then school, then volunteering. Either way, you don’t have to worry about that.

@Catherine Drea

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At the mention of the fate of his pet spider, Cathy gave a sympathetic look. While she personally never got the chance to have a pet, she could understand the feeling of loss. She almost winced at the news, as she was invested with the idea of a spider as a pet. Imagine a spider as your pet, wouldn't that be amazing? Heh, though, she thinks her mother would rather than be dead than allow that.

"Oh dear....I-i'm um- sorry for your loss, that must've been hard on you...Well, she seems to have been well-cared for so I doubt that she left feeling unloved...,"Cathy commented, voice soft and trying to be comforting. Death was always a tricky subject, and one her Catholic family always seemed to avoid. A yes, it was more an unspoken thing, only talked about in codes or little euphemisms. She gave a kind smile at the end of her words, trying to remind him of some cheerful memory. She hoped it would help with that sort of pain.

“Yes, they can be feisty… I wasn’t stealthy though, and I kind of let him know I was going to do it if you know what I mean? Like, if he wanted too he could fly out of my way. ‘e looked a little baffled, but when you’ve been grabbed by a tiny little 11-year-old, I don’t think there’s any way to not be at least a little surprised,” He educated, informing her of the experience. Cathy's eyes widened and her mouth flew open. It took her a few seconds to find her words.

"Oh my, you are...more bold than I am...I would have probably been scared...it's nice he wasn't too bad towards you though," She stated, tone turning more jovial towards the end. Really, that bird was awfully nice, Cathy knew she wouldn't experience been jostled around.

Cathy felt a bit of her light up when she heard the boy's laughter. It was such nice sound to hear your friend laugh, especially after a sensitive subject like the one he had just admitted. He heard him explain that, truly, it was fine and that his birthday wasn't very focused on splendor. She nodded, finding her own birthdays similar.

"Yeah we don't do much on my birthday other than a cake...and a little present..we never went all out or anything..." She spoke, tone still having that subtle softness to it. She began to discuss her own birthday traditions and such, Gavin then made the move to talk.


“That sounds like fun. Going to school on your birthday… well, you’re lucky if you can avoid the entire class singing to you. Having traditions like that is great too. I definitely get that, putting in the work making it better in the end. It’s the same in other things too, like learning how to play a song or completing a project that you’ve been working on for a long time.” Gavin discussed. Cathy felt a pang of worry at the idea of going to school on her birthday, she was not a fan of that idea.

"Oh um-...I-I don't really like school- oh!- um- I mean my o-old school, I like Hogwarts a lot actually, but um-...I mean- I like learning just...uh....not o-other parts," She revealed, voice soft and quiet, traces of sorrow present. Uncertainty was on her lips. School stories were a subject that she both would love to talk about and hated bringing up, it was odd paradox. Painful memories and a mixture of genuine curiosity were her school experience so far, and while her grades were perfectly fine, her impression of the establishment was tainted.

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Gavin smiled. "It was a while ago, but yeah. I cried for around an hour. Now, though, I'm just glad I got to spend time with her." Death had never been something he had shied away from. His grandmother, of course, was a rather old woman and had health issues since before he was born. There was always that fear that she would die one day, alone, without any of them. The important thing was that you made good memories while the people you care about are alive.

Gavin just nodded, humming his agreement. Owls, like all birds of prey, could be vicious. The bird could have done much worse than just a scratch.

Hearing her traditions, he smiled. "Simple birthdays are the best, in my opinion. Sometimes it's nice to get together with a group of people, but it's more peaceful when it's just a few."

"Oh um- I-I don't really like school- oh! Uhm- I mean my o-old school, I like Hogwarts a lot actually, but um... I mean- I like learning just... uh... not o-other parts." Gavin nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I get that- I mean, I'm in Ravenclaw, so if you lean into the typical image, of course, I like learning. Socializing can be awful, especially when you're particularly awkward. Being surrounded by more social kids can be quite alienating..." He would always be that kid who sat separate from everyone else, until he met Andy at least. Always sitting closest to the door, always alone at the lunch tables... Always alone.

@Catherine Drea

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"It was a while ago, but yeah. I cried for around an hour. Now, though, I'm just glad I got to spend time with her."

A frown was first brought onto her face when she heard the words, the mention of the time he spent crying hurt her heart, poor dear. But, she offered him a smile near the end, when he had summarized everything into that simple little sentence.

"I guess that's all matters in the um grand scheme of things...just...make sure the things you care about are well-loved," She added onto his original point, giving him an encouraging smile.

After rambling about her traditions, the boy offered a pleasant smile. He then voiced his own opinion on the matter.

"Simple birthdays are the best, in my opinion. Sometimes it's nice to get together with a group of people, but it's more peaceful when it's just a few." He remarked and Cathy nodded in agreement.

"I like when it's more um-...how to say...serene and all....just a nice relaxing day...no um-...rambunctious things?...it's just...um good to have a day to not worry...plus, I don't need to do chores on my birthday..heh...yeah that's a family tradition... She replied, tone growing a bit more in cheerfulness as she described the tradition. It was something she really was thankful for, it was nice that she did not need to worry if she made sure the dishes were spotless or not. She went on to discuss more about her views on birthdays, especially having them in school. The idea alone made her anxious. It seemed Gavin could understand that sentiment.

"Yeah, I get that- I mean, I'm in Ravenclaw, so if you lean into the typical image, of course, I like learning. Socializing can be awful, especially when you're particularly awkward. Being surrounded by more social kids can be quite alienating..." He apprised and Cathy found herself frantically nod. Oh boy was that completely true.

"Kids can be mean sometimes too...."She continued, voice trailing off. Obviously, she did not like to talk about the events that happened in her old school. But, sadly, her timid, passive, nature compared with anxiety made her a perfect target. Not-so-nice comments were often whispered, never said directly to her face, no, no one was ever that obvious. The pain came children being subtle. The way more well-respected girls would group up with others besides her, completely ignore her, or just shoo her off in a faux-friendly manner. Cathy was no stranger to the unkind nature of some children unfortunately, as she remembered what she happened to her beloved journal.

It was Fourth Class, Cathy was nine at the time. Toys and such were often sold on the school black market, something Cathy did not really partake in despite the pressure she would receive from some girls to buy their rainbow loom bracelets. No, Cathy would normally stick to herself and just write in her little journal, making up simple little characters, maybe a romance if she was feeling up to her. She was always the sappy type of person.

Her skills came into good use when she won the grade writing contest, a little competition that judged every student's creative writing ability. She had won first, a feat she found surprising. The pride in winning was quickly replaced with the feeling of being mortified when the teacher praised her work above the rest. She could feel the looks of envy, the vultures were beginning to circle. Cathy simply kept her eyes glued to the floor, she hated the attention, she hated the looks of disappointment from the other classmates as they watched this no-name girl steal a prize that should have been theirs. Now, that's not to say all had poor sportsmanship, no, it's just that the ones who did were more...expressive with it. Cathy would soon find out the dangers of jealously after returning to her desk only to feel a feeling of horror at it's contents.

Purple slime, icky and cold, lay on the inside of her open desk, contaminating the many books, but the main casualty be her book. Cathy never understood the appeal of slime as a toy and she must definitely was not a fan of it in this moment. She picked up her journal, the purple sludge was hanging off it, it was gross honestly. The smell of it was horrid, it almost smelled rotten, and Cathy found herself recoiling at it. The worst part of it was that it was terribly sticky, the kind of sticky to where if you put your hand on it, it would have it remain stuck there like a glue trap for a few moments before releasing you. The pages of writing she'd spent hours of time writing? Gone within minutes. Unable to be opened, lost to time, only now entertaining the reaper himself in their death. Her face fell, her lip quivered, she couldn't even process it. Tears sprang up in her eyes, she didn't even cry loudly. Silent streaks came down her face, her world shattered.

The culprit was never found, no matter how hard that teacher tried. It was due to the switching classrooms system, where for around two periods, students would go to another teacher for a different subject, then return back to their regular teacher. It seemed that while this narrowed it down to someone within the group that was with her regular teacher at that time, there were no assigned seats, aka any systems whatsoever to track who had sat where. The teacher, while passionate, was an old woman with a bad memory, so she could not recall. No one was pointing fingers, so blame was never truly instituted. Cathy had her suspicions though, from the way some of her classmates smiled at seeing her mourn her book. The crooked looks of amusement some were giving each other. 'This teacher's pet...finally getting what she deserve' seemed to be a sentiment shared by those still upset by the previous contest results, either way, Cathy felt that building with a hollowed look that day.

A sour look was painted on her face as the memory faded in her mind, open wounds now reopened, the bad blood seeping into her poor mind.

➵

Gavin nodded. A lot of people couldn't grasp that, so focused on the ends of things and not considering the things that happen in between. In the long run, what mattered was the work that you put into something. If others couldn't appreciate that... well, their loss.

When Cathy gave her comment on birthdays, Gavin found himself nodding once more with a smile. "Yeah, birthdays should be days when you can relax. Do what you want, you know?" It could be hard to relax, even on his birthday, but he could definitely see the value in it. He liked to work on projects on his birthday since he usually got a burst of motivation. The impending doom of growing up and all. Better do the fun things before you have to pay taxes.

"Kids can be mean sometimes too..." Although he nodded again, he saw the way her expression seemed to sour, supposedly remembering something unpleasant. His expression turned into a barely perceivable frown. Whatever had happened when Cathy was younger clearly had something of an effect on her...

"They really can, can't they..." Looking down at his shut sketchbook, he tried to think of a good course of action. Well, he might as well ask. "Do you want to talk about it? Or would it be better to get your mind off it?" Sometimes, it was good to talk about the things bothering you. But other times... Well, other times it was really better to just change the subject. Not everyone wanted to talk to someone about their problems, especially if they're not particularly close with the person asking.

Reducio

Man, I'm so sorry I took so long to get this out. I had a pretty busy Saturday. Also, that really sucks. I would hate for my writing to be ruined.

@Catherine Drea

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Cathy found herself growing more at ease with the boy's show of agreement. Death was such a sensitive topic, you almost felt like walking on eggshells when discussing it. It was a matter to be handled delicately and Cathy was thankful the boy did not seem displeased with any of her comments regarding it.

"Yeah, birthdays should be days when you can relax. Do what you want, you know?" He commented and Cathy nodded with confidence. Of course, it's your birthday, you are being celebrated, therefore you should have a say in the day's festivities. It makes perfect sense.

Her demeanour dampened as she went on to dryly voice that one little opinion, the revealing fact. A hint towards a mystery that has haunted her for a good few years now. It's not necessarily about who did it, more for the crime itself. Such a heinous act was not something that went away that easy in a mind.

"They really can, can't they..." The boy remarked, and Cathy realized she had just said her previous words out loud. I mean, she knew she'd been speaking, but it hadn't truly hit her that she was speaking to someone about..this. She hadn't really talked to anyone about this...it was a fuss that she'd tried to simply brush off, ignore, and just...let fester until those stubborn feelings of hurt left. It was method that she was using despite it's ineffectiveness. Either way, she gave him a surprised look at the words. Traces of empathy were detected, had he also had an issue with this kinds of things?

Gavin then asked something of her, a question she hadn't really received too often. 'What happened'. Funny how easy it is to think about something but how hard it is to put into words. Cathy looked on, an emotionless expression on her face, as she too, was seeping up the details into a cohesive response. She took in a sigh, letting out a breath.

"No, I get it'd be better to talk about it..um..though tell me if I'm bugging you with um-..you know...um..I just don't know you to um..feel pressured into listening to my problems, that's all... She settled on, tone dancing between sure and anxious as she fiddled with the correct way to describe it. She didn't want the poor boy to get bored or annoyed with her emotional response to playground drama. She didn't want him to force him into hearing anything like that, you can't just dump your problems onto your friends like that.

"Um, well, if you're alright with hearing...Some...person...er- ruined my book...it was a little journal I had, um, I'd just write some things in there..." She paused, voice growing more quiet, her characters were something she was a little embarrassed about. They were secret things she tended to keep to herself. Plus, Who still plays pretend at 11? Come on. "Um...you know..just some stuff...I'd make characters..and all...Um- anyways- I won a writing competition because of it, it was a grade-level thing? Um..yeah, someone didn't like that I guess...when we came back from switching, er um we'd switch teachers for different subjects, um...my journal was......wrecked with slime? it was um..very displeasing..." She continued, voice growing a bit more upset at the mention of her journal's cruel death.

"T-they um, never found out who did it...no assigned seats...classes switching in and out....hard to track down a person...um...yeah.." She finished, tone growing more upset, she sounded near tears. She forced herself to swallow that down. Don't burden your friend like that.

"I'm doing better now though...um..I don't write as often as I used to.." She added, tone still a little shaky, but definitely a bit brighter than before. She puffed up her cheeks a bit, letting the silence fester a few moments, she was really unable to think about how to progress this conversation. Was that too much? Did she say too much? An awkward look hung on her face as she waited for a response from the boy, eyes a little widened.

➵

Gavin shook his head. "No, no, I asked you about it. The choice was up to you to share or not. I'm willing to listen," he reassured. He wouldn't have asked if he didn't want to know, after all. It was her story to tell.

He listened intently, catching on to her little tonal shifts. She seemed a little embarrassed, which in the context of the situation, felt a little silly. Writing wasn't something to be embarrassed about. How else would authors rise to fame? He'd always admired writers and artists. They put their work out there for everyone to see and it worked. As she continued to speak though, his expression curved into a concerned frown. "Hm." Children. So passive-aggressive. He says while being a child himself. "That is... incredibly petty of them. I know it doesn't change anything, but I'm sorry that happened. Seeing your work destroyed..." He shook his head, expression screwing up in a mix of disgust and frustration. He hated even imagining it. "Do you know who the culprit was?"

He hummed when she explained that no, they did not find out who did it. "That's unfortunate..." That was an understatement. If she could win a contest, she definitely had a lot of passion for writing. Little kids aren't always the best at their craft, but if they put a lot of work into it, it could be incredible. And Cathy definitely seemed like she would put a lot of work into whatever she was doing.

Again, he hummed. "That's good... and that makes sense. Having bad experiences with something can make you a lot less willing to do it, even if it's something you love doing. I remember when I fell out of that tree and got my scar, it took me a long time to find the same enjoyment in doing it that I used to. If you really enjoy doing it and you want to continue, someday you will be able to." He didn't want to say anything insensitive, but he wanted to say something.

@Catherine Drea

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Cathy felt a bit better at the boy's reassurance, even if the subject matter at hand was a bit more gloomy it was nice to have a friend who you could discuss such things about. He seemed ready to listen, his voice shifting into something that was used to disarm a large amount of her worries, which honestly, she was grateful for. There was always something to worry about in that mind of hers and it was good to have a few moments of relative peace. She took a deep breath and began to tell her tale.

She watched as Gavin listened sharply to her story, she could see the displeasure rising within him as she explained the terror of what happened. She almost forgot her surroundings for a few moments, the memory over-taking her and she felt the tears brim in her eyes, though she fought to hold them back as before. She went on, he continued to look at her, obviously upset at her being upset. Really, whenever you see someone in pain it tends to start a chain reaction, vice versa whenever you see joy. She saw his expression curve into a mix of disgust and frustration, an odd look on the normally polite boy she'd seen. She certainly did not want to be the receiver his ire, that's for sure. Cathy blinked for a moment, surprised at the boy's changes in attitude before he spoke up with his own remarks.

"Hm.", He began, tone thoughtful, "That is... incredibly petty of them. I know it doesn't change anything, but I'm sorry that happened. Seeing your work destroyed...". Cathy's expression faltered for a moment as she recalled the look of how her precious book was destroyed, but still she gave him a grateful nod.

"It's okay...it wasn't your fault...it's...um-....sad that it happened but...not too much to do about it now..I just moved on and all.." She said, tone gradually moving towards acceptance. It had been years now, and the girl had realized there was nothing she could really do. Still, the sight of her book was enough to tug and pull on her heart strings, to the point she thought they could snap. She was looking down, expression blank for a moment before the boy's words pulled her back into the conversation.

"Do you know who the culprit was?" He inquired and Cathy shook her head in response. A melancholy look was present on her face as she supplied an answer.

"Oh yeah...um..no..they never figured it out...um...Just..way it worked out it could have been anyone...they didn't want to point fingers..so..it was dropped pretty much...I mean-I don't have really any enemies or anything like that- so..I don't really have any suspicions...I wasn't really popular enough for an enemy.." She explained, her words at the end dripping with a sort of ironic amusement. Honestly, she was surprised someone had noticed her enough to do such a thing. The most pathetic thing out of this, Cathy thought, was the fact that she took a little, emphasis on little, comfort from at least the idea of being known enough to be targeted. At least she wasn't a complete wall flower.

"That's unfortunate..." Gavin's sympathetic comment drew a bit more sadness from her, she bobbed her head in agreement.

"It was..."She commented dryly, voice soft and in a somewhat injured tone. It still stung after all these years.

Once she provided her present day-writing situation, the mood lightened. She felt Gavin's volume rising as he went on to ramble about his own personal scenario.

"That's good... and that makes sense. Having bad experiences with something can make you a lot less willing to do it, even if it's something you love doing. I remember when I fell out of that tree and got my scar, it took me a long time to find the same enjoyment in doing it that I used to. If you really enjoy doing it and you want to continue, someday you will be able to." He ranted and Cathy found herself nodding along. The philosophy made sense, and she was inclined to agree. She found her voice shortly after.

"Um, yeah, sorry about your arm. And uh, that's a good way to look at it, I mean- I still try to come up with ideas and things, I just...I'm not as...well...into it as I used to be...I'm still trying though, and I think I'm getting better...It just...It takes more time from me that..I don't really have these days.." She admitted in a quiet tone. It was a regret of hers. She did really love writing. But nowadays? Time was shorter, she felt like she had a lot of responsibilities. Sure, she could think of things, but now, things were more..nuanced...and they were deeper than before. Her mother told her something about a perspective change when one reaches a mature age, and Cathy could feel the effects from it currently. She felt the need to explore different themes, play around with topics more, understand things more than the surface-level characters she'd made before. That type of writing that she'd wanted to expand on would take time that she just didn't have right now, so she tucked her ideas away, an ace to be used for later if she was being optimistic about it. Perhaps he was right, perhaps one day that same motivation would hit her. As of right now, she felt herself release a sigh. The sigh of tension, it was exhaustion, heavy topics took a lot out of the girl. Yet, she still gave him a small smile.

What did she do to deserve such a nice friend? The question popped into her brain as she looked upon him, thankfulness in her eyes. A loner girl who had practically no friends now has the company of a boy who was willing to listen. It was a trait that Cathy thought more people should have, in the world of talkers, you want someone who can remain silent for a few moments to let the soft-spoken speak. And he called himself the sarcastic type? Well, Cathy supposed, people have different sides and it was not very nice to generalize him based on a few interactions. Still, she truly felt better with the polite young man around, a feat that sometimes felt impossible for someone with her ability to get anxious quickly. She continued to give him a kind smile.

"Do you write anything?....You ever..written a story?..."She asked, curiosity seeping from her words. Her face turned contemplative as she waited for Gavin's reply. She assumed it was just...something that everyone did, you have a character idea in your head for a topic you get passion about. It would be interesting to hear a different perspective on the matter.

➵

Although he could see he point, Gavin still frowned. “It’s not your fault. You were doing something you enjoyed,” he said quietly. Not quite a whisper, but not loud either. She didn’t need to blame herself for the actions of a couple jealous kids.

He hummed at the response. It really was petty of those kids to do that.

Gavin chuckled a little bit. “It was mainly my leg, actually, but thank you. And I understand that. I devote a lot less time to homework than I should because I’m working on art,” he remarked wryly. He could get his assignments done fast and he still had all Os, but he did not spend as much time as he probably could.

At her question, he paused. “Hmm… well, writing has never really been my thing,” he denied. However, while he may not be a writer, he was an artist. “I don’t write stories, per se, but I have done my fair share of character design. You can tell a lot about someone from the way they compose themselves, you know? The way they dress, the way they do their hair, their expression. Sometimes I’ll come up with little backstories for characters only after I’ve determined what they look like.” It was fun. Bringing colour theory in as well always made for a fun ride. He would do the appearance first, come up with a personality, add colour, and finally come up with some semblance of a backstory.

Reducio

As someone who can bang an essay out in 30-90 minutes, I definitely don’t devote enough time to my work. Grammerly is my only saviour.

@Catherine Drea

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“It’s not your fault. You were doing something you enjoyed,” Gavin assured, voice soft. Cathy looked up, her eyes meeting the boy's. The previous sadness in them from the subject matter had faded a bit as she pondered the boy's words. She hummed a bit, before giving a small know.

"I know...I don't blame myself...I've just...gotten over now...hard to stay angry at somethin' so um-....lacking? Not to say what they did was nice, it just..I didn't really have anyone to blame..... She admitted, voice truthful. It's hard to form a rage at something that you couldn't picture, she have it in her heart to try to accuse anyone or anything. So, sadness was her main emotion from all this, she felt more upset at the loss of her book than the bullying.

She finished her story and she replied to the boy's own comments, she heard a chuckle arise from him.

“It was mainly my leg, actually, but thank you. And I understand that. I devote a lot less time to homework than I should because I’m working on art, Gavin humored, and Cathy felt an amused grin sliding onto her face.

"For me it's the opposite, I don't really have time for my hobbies as much, I-...I want to get better with magic and all....if that makes sense, She builded on, tone soft and quiet. At the mention of her hobbies, she perked up, and asked the boy if he himself ever did writing. She saw his body pause for a moment in thought.

“Hmm… well, writing has never really been my thing,” He began, denying her original idea, "I don’t write stories, per se, but I have done my fair share of character design. You can tell a lot about someone from the way they compose themselves, you know? The way they dress, the way they do their hair, their expression. Sometimes I’ll come up with little backstories for characters only after I’ve determined what they look like". .

Cathy listened with intrigue as the boy went on to describe his own passions. She found her eyes widening and her head nodding. She found the subject fascinating personally, how you can build everything off someone just by having a design of their appearance. It was a remarking talent.

"That's very admirable, um, I can't really draw so...I just...have a basic idea of how my guys look?" She added, voice still unsure. Hm, she wasn't really the best at character design per say, she just was alright at making personalities and getting everything to look pretty on a paper.

"I have...vague looks for them, um, I do personality first then design, stuff can change depending on how they...well, are....if someone's more tough, you make them look tough or you...could be ironic if you wanted to! I-it depends. That sounds fun though, what you do. I just..sorta wing it in that area..." She rambled, writing was certainly an interest of hers. It was something to pass the time, something she could relate to. It also allowed her a chance to plan away all those interactions she could never encourage herself to try, after all she was horribly shy and an anxious mess. It was wonder she could talk to new people at all without dying of fright. So, as quaint as the writing of people could be, it made her feel better, and that's all that matters in the end, is it not?

"Um, if you wanna know..." She started, tone a little embarrassed, as if she was revealing a shameful secret, "I think the story I wrote was about World War 1, we were just learning about it during the time, uh I got a little too interested and uh-...that's what I did the contest on....I think it was something with two brothers...I..don't remember the details too well....I-it's been a while, sorry".