Closed A Study Companion?!

[Gregory Friend]

Gregory had returned to school feeling a little tentative, not exactly hopeful, but not exactly completely downtrodden. He had still tried to stay at home, knowing that he would run far less risk in the muggle world, but he hadn't been too disappointed when his dad had rejected the idea. He was at school, and doing his best to stay out of people's way. Gregory had decided to study in the library, give an attempt this semester to actually pass a class or two, rather than completely failing. But the library was busy, everyone was trying to get ahead before the semester started. He went to the usual hidden spot he studied at, and at that table was the last person he wanted to run into. "Oh sorry, I'll go," he said to Cassius already turning, he could go somewhere else. He would go somewhere else. ​

 

[Cassius Styx]

Cassius Styx felt the need to get started on everything early since he decided to really overload himself with, well, everything except Muggle Studies - for obvious reasons. He wanted nothing to do with the course. Or anyone there. So, he had a table to himself in the library, and had a book open. With his texts to the side, the book he was focused on was actually a dungeons and dragons book. It was a good distraction since he had some troubles over the break. It was nothing that he wanted to share with anyone though. He was half way engrossed in the book when he heard a voice, apologizing. His silver eyes looked up to see Gregory Friend, already turning. He glanced around to see that most places were already filled. "You can sit there if you want. The library is probably the best place to study than running off to wherever it is you want to hide." Cass shifted his eyes back to his book and shrugged, "I'm not fussed if you stay or go."​

 

[Gregory Friend]

Gregory didn't really expect Cassius to say anything, maybe he'd hear a faint grunt as he walked away. But that didn't happen. He froze mid-turn as Cassius invited him to sit there, sit at the table with him. In the previous two years Gregory would've sooner expected a book to the face than an offer to sit. Yet, he had an offer to sit. There was no where else good for him to study so he nodded. He took the furtherest chair from Cassius that he could and put his notes out as he sat down. He pushed his glasses up his noise as he began trying to decipher his notes from the previous year. ​

 

[Cassius Styx]

Cass could only look at the book for so long before his gaze would land on Gregory as he sat down, and seemed to keep his distance. He wondered if there was a way to fix that eyesight of his. Contacts were a thing, weren't they? He could tell that he was studying from the previous year, and not ahead. Did Gregory seem to have trouble? Must be the muggle blood. Had to be. "Did you have trouble or something last year? Nothing you do today will help with last year so I wouldn't worry about it." Cass knew that his tone was condescending, but honestly, that was just natural with him. He held up the book that he was looking over, which was clearly Dungeons and Dragons. "Do you know anything about this? I am trying to figure it out so I know what the hell Seraphiel talks about but I still don't understand how it works. Muggles have some odd concepts of magic."​

 

[Gregory Friend]

Gregory glanced up from his notes as Cassius spoke. Another thing he never would've expected. He was talking to him. He glanced back at his mess of notes, knowing that part of his notes being terrible was constantly being worried about being picked on. Gregory sat out of the way, trying to not bother anyone because he was a bother. "I can't….," he paused, biting his lower lip as he thought about if he should say it. No one at school knew yet. "I just wanted to refresh my memory," he settled upon, not admitting to the person who he did not trust. He glanced at the book that Cassius was showing to him and frowned a little. "Yeah, a little, I played it a little. It's a game...role-playing game," he was picking his words carefully. "You make a character, and a dungeon master, makes a world, and you play as your character in that world," he gave a very high level explanation, not sure if he should tell him more. ​

 

[Cassius Styx]

Cass raised an eyebrow when Gregory said that he can’t. And he did not finish the sentence. Can’t what? He ended up shrugging his shoulders, deciding that if Gregory wanted to finish his train of thought, he would have. Must not have been important. Of course, not long after, he explained how he just wanted to refresh his memory. Cass thought that was a reasonable excuse, and nodded, "Suit yourself. Won’t need it until fifth year though." Cass had more interesting things to read up on, such as what they might be going over this year. That would be the key to success, if he could only figure out this book. Once Gregory said that he had played a bit, and explained what it was, Cass stood up, grabbed the book and his chair to move closer to Gregory to show him the book. "I get that, but how in the hell do people remember all of this? Isn’t there something simpler to play or something?" Cass knew that it might be a waste to talk to Gregory about this, but this was a great distraction for him, and he gripped it like a lifeline.​

 

[Gregory Friend]

Gregory frowned a little, why would he need it in fifth year..." What happens in fifth year?" he asked before thinking that Cassius was perhaps the last guy that he should ask about it. He was on thin ice with him he was more than sure. Would one wrong question just lead to him ending up back at square one with him. Gregory wasn't sure what to do as Cassius moved closer. He had never been so close to him without it descending to violence. "People write it down, you get a character sheet, and you can take notes," Gregory's words were tentative. "There are simpler things to play, but not much that work in the magical world," he replied.​

 

[Cassius Styx]

Cass gave Gregory a look when he asked what happened in fifth year. Did he not know? Oh right, non-magical background. Cass let out a sigh, "The Ordinary Wizarding Level Exams, otherwise known as the OWLs. They rest over everything we have learned from first year to fifth year. But you don’t have to take them all if you don’t need that class." Cass might skip on some of the electives, but he wasn’t sure himself. The Slytherin could not help but be curious about the whole game. Were some of them in the muggle world this interesting though? "Sounds like a ton of work honestly. But what else is out there? Like a few examples." Cass rested his arm on the table, and propped his head on his hand as he stared at Gregory curiously.​

 

[Gregory Friend]

Gregory had expected mockery and ridicule for his question, but Cassius answer it plainly and enough so that Gregory now knew exactly what it was. He know wouldn't forget it either, since he couldn't imagine Cassius being pleased if he had to repeated it or if anyone else had to either. But it really seemed like Cassius was interested in those muggle games. "It's usually pretty rewarding," he said about dungeons and dragons. "There's a lot of stuff, there's more board games, or table top games like Risk or Settlers of Catan, or games you can play on muggle devices, like minecraft, zelda. There are hundreds of games for devices," He wasn't sure how deep this interest was or how much at a base, Cassius knew about muggle things. ​

 

[Cassius Styx]

Cass wondered how rewarding it could be because of all of the work involved. It must have meant something then. Cass thought about it and realized that maybe it might be rewarding one day. Have everything out and work toward a goal, but he heard it was a very long term thing. Wouldn't it get boring? His thoughts wandered until Gregory snapped him out of it by talking about more board games, table top games, and then muggle devices. Cass raised his eyebrows, "Hundreds of games for devices? I can understand board games and such because we have Wizard's chess and gobstones, but I don't know anything about muggle devices. They aren't exactly allowed in my house." Cass was being honest. His father used to love video games, but changed suddenly after his previous wife lost her life or something. Then got back with his mom. "Zelda sounds more like a name for a girl, honestly, not a game. Minecraft... Do you play in mines or craft them?"​

 

[Gregory Friend]

Gregory had thought that at some point Cassius would decide once more that all of this was silly and not worth his time, but he seemed interested, so very interesting. "Muggles can play chess on these devices." Gregory said quietly with a shrug, and of course Cassius wasn't allowed them, he didn't get the impression Cassius had ever interacted with muggle things. "Zelda's the name of the female character within the game, you go around words doing shrines and helping defeat the evil," he explained in real broad strokes. Before half nodding. "Yes...kinda you dig into the ground, and mine things out and then with the items you gather you can make things," he said. "It doesn't always seem fun when talking about it, but it is fun,"

 

[Cassius Styx]

That seemed to connect in his head that these muggle devices would allow other muggles to interact from far away, in real time. Play games and stuff. He didn't think that wizards had that. Sure, one could stick their head in fire and talk through a fireplace, but how could they play games? Cass really wanted to have something like this, just so he could experience it a few times, but he knew his mother would crush any sort of muggle item that came within ten feet of their house. "It sounds boring when you talk about it, but I'm sure talking about it is different from actually experiencing it. Mom will destroy anything muggle related so I can't go out and get what I want..." Cass just wondered how in the world he was going to be able to see this first hand, and then an idea came to him. "Wait, you live somewhat near me. Would you show me this stuff on break when we go home?" Cass did have ulterior motives for this. He wanted to experience muggle video games, but he also didn't want to go home where he would have to face the fact that he lost a sibling, and their empty bed.​

 

[Gregory Friend]

The more Gregory spoke with Cassius the worse he was finding it. It just..well...he was worried for when it would change because there was no way that this wouldn't. Cassius had been cruel to him from the beginning and he was just clearly having a moment. Even before he asked to go to his house, he was insulting him. In a round about way. He just didn't think he could say yes. How he could let this happen. "Oh...we moved....to Dunedin," Gregory lied, since he really didn't think it was a good idea to say. Even if he said yes, he was sure by the time it came to it, it wouldn't happen, but he didn't want to run the risk.

 

[Cassius Styx]

Now, the next words didn't really faze him too much. He already knew the answer the moment that he asked. Cass did suspect that what Gregory said was not the truth. Cass could not resist chuckling under his breath, "If you want to say 'No, f**k off after everything you've done to me' I wouldn't attack over that. It is reasonable. My request was more of an excuse and not genuine if I am being honest." Cassius did look over at the books that Gregory was looking at, before he offered, "Want me to leave you alone to study? I could help, but I doubt I can teach. Terror could do better but... you wouldn't want that." Cass started to stack his books together in case Gregory did tell him to leave him alone.​