Cater was usually a very sound sleeper. In fact, if it weren't for the prospect of his housewarden's incessant lectures on punctuality, he would probably have slept through his alarm every day of the week. Once, even, Trey had to come and actually drag him out of bed after a night of particularly hard partying, as Cater was never one to deprive hosts of their desire to keep the festivities going.
Despite all this, there were exactly two occasions during which Cater actually had failed to sleep soundly.
The first time had been when his sisters had bought him a very large, very pink sheep plushie for his birthday. They had insisted on keeping it above his headboard, so as to give him pleasant dreams of counting sheep. The first night the sheep had been installed, he had shot up out of bed twelve minutes into his slumber, not being able to shake the feeling that the stuffed animal was watching him. Since then, the sheep had found safe haven in his closet, and he had never slept more peacefully.
The second instance of abrupt arousal was that night, about an hour after Idia had left. Cater had been sent to his room by Riddle, who was determined that the party-prone Heartslabyul student get a sound night's sleep at least once a week.
Cater woke up, drenched in a fine film of sweat, the words "IT'S A DATE?!" flying from his lips. When he had initially said the words, he hadn't thought much of them, for surely that was what Idia had been implying, yes? But Cater's dreams had replayed the conversation out, and he was suddenly plagued with the idea that maybe that wasn't exactly what Idia had meant.
What had he said again?
"Funny you say that. As you're um ... 'friend,' I, uh, wanted to repay the favor! By buying you food!"
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NIRAEGHIE/AGI&A
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Could Cater have woefully misunderstood him? Idia hadn't dissented toward the plan Cater had made for them to meet at Merchant's Gold for lunch. However, he had been quick to flee the Heartslabyul dorm as soon as he had affirmed the idea with a noncommittal "Oh! Um! Sure!"
By the Queen, this may have been the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to Cater. He didn't consider himself to be easily flustered, but, really, there could be nothing worse than this! Assuming an event was a date when it clearly wasn't? #HumiliationValley. Then again ... "It's a date" was kind of common lingo, wasn't it? Someone could say "Hey, wanna go dig through the trash with me and my buddies?" and you could answer "Sure, it's a date!" without being thought weird, right? Perhaps Idia would have seen the phrase as just ... platonic?
Cater whipped his phone off of his nightstand and opened Discord. This wasn't something to tear his hair out over; he could just ask Idia—in a roundabout way, of course—how he considered their future outing.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
notJustGirls Today at 12:43 AM
heyooo
we still up for tmrw?
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Hm, how would he phrase his confusion delicately? In a matter that was nonchalant? Composed? Unconcerned? With an air of finesse befitting someone like him?
A moment's pause brought him an excellent idea. He selected his previous message and clicked the "edit" option that hovered over it. After a quick change, the message now read:
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
notJustGirls Today at 12:43 AM
heyooo
we still up for OUR DATE tmrw? (edited)
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
There, it was done.
All that was left was for Idia to say "sure sure but idk if id really call it a date" or "yeha ofc."
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Idia, who saw the message at 12:59 AM, flushed upon reading it. While Ortho had entered sleep mode an hour ago, he was still bent double over his monitor, his fingers clacking away at a snippet of code that had frustrated him for several days.
Cater had referred to tomorrow as a "date" again. And it wasn't, really, right? Idia had never gone on a date with anyone besides the pretty people from the dating sims he played and the visual novels he read through. And besides, people like Cater never invited people like him out on dates—his imagination wouldn't even entertain the idea!
It wasn't as if Idia disliked the prospect of Cater asking him out He was flabbergasted, of course, but far from unhappy. However, after his initial surprise, he had been sure Cater had simply been using the phrase "it's a date!" as an expression. But now, seeing the words "our date" in all caps intrigued him greatly.
Oh, and terrified him.
Definitely the second more than the first.
Suddenly, he was possessed by the urge to cancel, deciding to make it up by promising to have Cater's desired picturesque lobster thermidor delivered to Heartslabyul directly. Actually going out to dine with Cater would no doubt render in the loss of any esteem Idia had gained in his eyes. He knew he would only make a fool out of himself.
But despite this desire, the prospect of the date shimmered in the back of his mind, daring him to take the chance, for despite all the anxiety that he felt whenever around Cater, there was always something so thrilling about their interactions, something that made him feel as if he was ... wanted?
He shook his head at this thought, knowing that what he had to do was cancel. It was better that way.
Idia's fingers were swift in their reply, and he looked mournfully at what he had sent, giving a double-take when he saw what actually glowed on his screen.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
notJustGirls Today at 12:43 AM
heyooo
we still up for OUR DATE tmrw? (edited)
shroudedinidiocy Today at 1:00 AM
yeha ofc
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Huh? What? He hadn't meant to type that!
He was about to edit the message when he realized that the gray circle next to notJustGirls' name now glowed green, signifying that Cater was online, and suddenly, a box appeared that said that notJustGirls was typing.
Idia was too late as Cater wrote:
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
notJustGirls Today at 12:43 AM
heyooo
we still up for OUR DATE tmrw?(edited)
shroudedinidiocy Today at 1:00 AM
yeha ofc
notJustGirls Today at 1:00 AM
awesome!! i'll meet u there @like noon? lmk if that works for u!
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Idia could say nothing except "sounds good 👍👍."
Under this affirmation, Cater reacted with several smiley face emotes before his status blinked back to gray, letting Idia know that he was now offline.
Well. That had not gone according to plan.
But Idia felt a secret smile stretch across his face when he admitted to himself that he would have it no other way.
The next day, upon realizing that his brother had a date with Cater Diamond, Ortho was in an entire flurry, sharing Idia's anxiety times three.
"Idia! You can't wear that to Merchant's Gold! I looked it up on my mapping system and all the reviews say that it's a very trendy place! You have to look cool."
Idia, who had taken out the entirety of his closet and lain all twelve articles of clothing onto his bed, was at a complete loss. "The coolest thing that I own is my One Suplex Man cosplay from two years ago." An idea began to form in his head. "Unless ..."
"Don't even think about it, brother. You are not wearing cosplay on your very first date ever."
This continued for some time before Idia was finally resigned to wearing his Ignihyde dorm uniform, as he had no other clothing that was fitted for a place as stylish as Merchant's Gold.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Most of the students at NRC had driving licenses, but as parking in the campus parking structure was expensive, few brought their cars along to school. And, as many students had yet to master the art of broom-flying, those who wished to leave campus were forced to employ the bus or other modes of transportation.
Idia loathed the bus, but he hated walking all the way to the campus parking structure where he had parked his car even more. This unfortunate conundrum bade him cede to the prospect of riding public transportation with strangers. Lucky for him, however, most students were in class at noon, and the bus was empty, save for a snoring freshman.
Ortho had walked with him to the bus stop, and before Idia boarded, he nervously turned toward his brother, overcome with apprehension. "O—Ortho, y—you should come with me!" Idia was always assured of a high roll in the Confidence stat if his brother was with him.
Ortho looked sympathetic. "Don't be nervous, brother! Just remember everything I taught you a few minutes ago, be normal, and please try not to follow any of the advice you've acquired from dating sims."
Idia gulped. Oh, those were three very huge impossibilities.
He waved glumly at his brother as the bus rolled away, taking him to the uptown region of the Isle of Sages, where Ortho and he had ascertained Merchant's Gold's location to be.
Idia pulled his headphones on and blasted his favorite anime OST, hoping the uplifting melody would soothe his anxiety-riddled mind.
It did not, and his mind only grew more anxious as the bus reached its destination. From the window, he saw Cater tapping away at his phone in front of the stop shelter. He appeared deep in his MagiCam feed as Idia tripped out of the bus (nobody noticed but he was mortified). Though as soon as the blue flames of Idia's hair caught Cater's eye, he looked up and beamed. "Nice! I was worried you weren't going to show."
Idia gulped and looked at his phone. It was just turning noon. Perhaps he had mistaken the time he and Cater had agreed on? "O—oh, sorry! Am I late?"
"No," Cater said, laughing and stretching out the word. "But considering it's you, I was hm ... kind of thinking that you'd cancel last minute."
Yikes. Was now a bad time to tell Cater that he'd been thinking of doing just that on the bus? Probably.
Instead, he said, "I'm not ... that bad, am I?" Yes, you are. Why would you ask that?
Cater looked at him thoughtfully. "Hm ... after knowing you for a while, I guess that was super unfair of me to say." He snapped his fingers. "I should've known you wouldn't leave me hanging."
With that vote of confidence, Idia didn't realize his words were a promise as he vowed, "I'd never."
The two walked together down the street, where just a few feet from the bus stop was a shiny building labeled "Merchant's Gold."
"After you," Cater said, opening the door in a gentlemanlike fashion. He winked as Idia walked in. "'Sides, you're the one who's paying, right?"
Idia was well-aware of the fact and had packed two credit cards and an entire wad of thaumarks. That way, if one credit card didn't work, then the second one would, and if even that failed, he could still pay in cash.
"I'll get us a table," offered Cater as he, too, stepped into the ritzy expanse that was Merchant's Gold. Idia nodded as he took in the scenery. Ortho was right in saying that the restaurant was trendy. He was no expert in the current fashions and styles, but even he could recognize the sheer meticulousness the interior decorators had exercised in making the inside of the restaurant as in-the-now as possible. He ... might even be imposed upon to say that what he saw was even nicer than Mostro Lounge.
Cater returned a moment later, pulling his wrist and leading him to their table. "Come on—I have a feeling that the lunch rush is going to come in soon, so we've gotta secure our places ASAP."
The host had assigned them a table in a spot that Idia deemed perfect. It was in the darkest corner of the restaurant, but at the same time, was near a high window that offered a delicate cut of sunlight. Idia really didn't care for the latter, but he thought Cater would appreciate the light for his photos. He was contented further still upon realizing Cater was right in saying that the lunch crowd had yet to arrive. This left the restaurant blissfully empty. Of course, it wasn't going to stay that way for much longer, but Idia could admire the solitude for now.
Menus were handed around, and Idia didn't know what else to do besides pretend to study his menu intently. He had already looked up what the restaurant offered beforehand and knew exactly what he was going to order. However, Cater was quiet as he perused the sleek black menu. For once, the silence worked against Idia, for the low music made it very evident that he and Cate—his date—weren't talking.
"So," Cater said, filling the lull in as effortlessly as he breathed, "what're you gonna order, Idia? I had my mind set on lobster thermidor, but that kinda sounds like a lot for a lunch date, doesn't it?"
Don't start with "um," "uh," or "oh," he instructed himself. "Um." Damn it! He cleared his throat. "I was thinking of getting the fried eggplant gyros with the tzatziki sauce." Admittedly, he preferred moussaka to most other foods, but he was apt to get hunks of it stuck down his throat, and he didn't feel like choking on a first date. He and Ortho had decided gyros were a safer option.
"Oooh, that sounds good." Cater tapped his chin thoughtfully. "But I've gotta consider the photogenicity of what I eat." Turning to observe his menu, his eyes widened. "O-M-G, look at this." He shoved the menu toward Idia, who didn't know what he was supposed to be looking at since the sheet contained no pictures. "'Linguine with bacon, peaches, and gorgonzola,'" Cater read aloud. "That sounds like it'd photograph well. Just imagine—bright peaches on a bed of pasta. Perfect!"
Idia couldn't really imagine that at all—what exactly could be so photogenic about four ingredients thrown on a plate—but he nodded and added, "We'll probably want something to drink."
"That's right. Hm ... any suggestions?"
Knowing what he wanted already, Idia was instant with "Uh ... well, I decided on pomegranate lemonade."
"Works for me and sounds pretty. I'll get that too."
And so, they placed their order with the waitstaff. Although Cater had been easy to start a conversation regarding food, he and Idia each pressed their lips together and looked away from each other, completely at a loss as to what to say next.
Idia was used to relying on Cater in their dialogues, for the latter was a social butterfly in every respect. Seeing him in situations where he didn't know what to say made Idia even more uncomfortable. This date-thing was a terrible idea. Why wasn't Cater talking? Oh no, had Idia said something wrong? But he'd barely said anything at all!
His mind immediately went to the countless "dates," he'd been on in video games. What would an otome love interest do in this situation? They probably would put their hand under their chin, lean toward their date, and say something cool! Something about the weather!
"Uh ... pretty unfortunate weather we're having." That wasn't cool at all! No wonder Ortho had warned him against relying on dating sims!
Cater raised an eyebrow and looked at the sunlight searing against the window panes. "Um, it's sunny outside?"
Idia wanted to scream at himself. Of course, Cater wouldn't think that sunny weather was, in fact, poor weather! Only weirdos like him thought that! "Uh ... um, what I meant was ... uh ..." Oh, how intelligent he sounded right now! A true scholar!
Something like realization dawned on Cater as he put his hand under his chin, leaned toward Idia, and said, "Wait a sec, I remember now. You told me a while ago on Discord that most everyone on the Isle of Woe thinks sunny weather is pretty mid, right?"
Idia did remember that, yes. Sighsighsigh, why couldn't he have just articulated it the way Cater had just now, instead of stumbling over his words?
Before he could say anything more, the waiter came up with their drinks. However, as he turned away with their orders, he accidentally knocked their table, sending Cater's phone—which was always held loose in his hand and never safely in his pockets—flying to the ground. It landed with a loud crash.
The waiter looked horrified and began to make thousands of apologies as Cater flew to the rescue of his beloved device. His voice was pleasant as he assured, "No biggie, my guy, it was an accident."
Seeing that Cater wasn't nearly as bothered as expected, Idia declined the waiter's promise of free drinks, willing to put the incident behind him if Cater was.
However, as soon as the waiter's back was turned, Cater's face crumpled. "E-mer-gency! E-mer-gency!"
Idia didn't think the phone had fallen from a height from where it would have taken too much damage, but he looked concerned as Cater began to pull off his phone case to check for any possible injury. Once the case was removed, Idia was surprised to see the sticker that was applied to the back of Cater's phone's body.
That sticker—that was his sticker! That was the sticker he had given Cater on his birthday!
He recollected that on Cater's last birthday, he had come quite late to his and Idia's shared History lecture. The only seat available that day had been next to Idia, so there he had sat. Idia had felt uncomfortable sitting next to the birthday boy, who had been dressed in his full birthday regalia, without offering some kind of gift, so he had grabbed the first thing he dug out from his pocket—a new sticker he had just bought from his favorite obscure anime, Some Anime—and given it to him.
He figured that Cater wouldn't have kept the sticker—everyone knew that the trend-following Heartslabyul student consumed only the most mainstream of media—but he had felt obligated to give him a birthday present. Seeing it now stuck to Cater's phone caused Idia's eyes to widen in shock.
"You actually kept my sticker ..." Idia muttered, mostly to himself.
Appearing satisfied that his phone was all right, Cater looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, O-F-C! Can't just throw away cool gifts, y'know. OH! And also, you giving me this sticker made me kinda interested in Some Anime, so I actually ended up trying to watch it, and by the Queen! Totally ten out of ten!" He took a sip of his pomegranate lemonade and nodded. "Awesome, I was lowkey worried this'd be too sweet, but it's literally perfect. Anyway, Some Anime's rewatch value is totally insane. Now that I talk about it, I'm so gonna watch it again when we get back on campus."
Idia finally found himself in his element. For the next few minutes, he and Cater spoke passionately about Some Anime, neither stopping for a breath and neither resorting to filler words or silence. Very few people cared to watch Some Anime, even on the online forums, so the catharsis of finding someone to talk about it to was very great on both their parts.
"I absolutely agree," Idia enthused, not even noticing the waiter place his gyros in front of him, "The 'Stuff Happens' Arc was my favorite, too, because Character A's character growth really started there. I honestly thought they were pretty boring up until then, but that arc opened them up to more development, and I think it was well-executed."
Cater didn't seem to realize the steaming plate of linguine that was placed before him, either, as he said, "For sure, and I think their relationship with Character B totally came to a head then. Don't get me wrong, I still ship Character B with Character C, but I love the dynamic between Character A and Character B."
They continued in this vein for a while, and before he knew it, Idia found himself voluntarily talking of something else. Not because he had bored of their previous topic, but because he actually thought of another thing to say and actually had the confidence to say it.
"I feel super lame," he lamented, surprised that his voice came out easy. "Everyone's dressed like total bosses and here I am, wearing my uniform like an NPC." It may not have been the most clever thing, but it was a start.
"No way, the Ignihyde dorm uniform is fire and you totally pull it off." Cater brushed the sleek fabric on Idia's collar, and even though Idia blushed, his thoughts didn't scatter a thousand directions like a startled colony of bats this time. "This matches your hair too." Sighing, Cater pulled his hand back. "Nothing on the Heartslabyul uniform matches me. Don't get me wrong, our uniforms are hot, but I don't super think they're like, me, y'know?"
Idia thought for a moment. "Not really. I think the ordered chaos of Heartslabyul fits you perfectly." Wow, nice on-the-spot analysis, Idia.
"Aw, you think so?" Cater laughed. "Maybe it does. I-D-K, those are just some things I think about sometimes—ignore them."
For a moment, Idia thought he noticed something had dulled in Cater's eyes as he said this, but he decided now was not a good time to pry anything out. Cater didn't seem to want to elaborate, either, so Idia resolved to save the topic for later.
"You were right," Idia quietly said, "the peaches actually look SSS-tier on the pasta."
"Right? Right?" agreed Cater as he snapped a photo of the becoming meal, his voice now sounding lighthearted as ever. "And yours looks good too. Mind if I take a pic?"
Idia nodded. Cater held his phone out to focus and after staring at the screen, he bit his lip and tentatively motioned his hand for Idia to hunch down. His eyes asked "please?" Idia didn't think twice about assenting as he gave the smallest smile and slouched his shoulders to get in the shot.