Cater sees more of Idia than some due to sharing the same class, though that isn't to say he usually gets much of a chance to talk to him. Even in class Idia shuts himself out and makes himself as scarce as possible, where as Cater spends every free moment chatting someone up or taking photos. So, when he spots Idia by himself in the wild, it's always an exciting moment.
At the sight of him, Cater speeds up, hoping to catch him off guard so he doesn't have the chance to run away. "Hey, hey, Idia!" All smiles and exuberance, he waves at the flame-haired loner as if they're already close friends. "You look like you could use some company. Lucky us, Trey's on babysitting duty today so my schedule is totally open!"
It's one of NRC's Trio of Super Extroverts, zeroing in on Idia's position. He knew it was a bad idea to come to class in person today, even though he made it through the lesson unscathed and even raised his hand once for some bonus EXP. Professor Trein knows he can take his classes over his tablet but Idia's been trying to motivate himself to go to class IRL since that whole mess at STYX and now he's done it, he's really done it, here comes Mr. Cater with that grin and that bubbly voice and Idia pretty sure he's going to die and not respawn....
His legs wobble, stopping him dead in his tracks. He doesn't even realize he's started breathing a bit funny, his wide eyes locked on Cater's approaching form. He's been trying, really trying, it makes Ortho so happy, but his social batteries are drained and he just wants to get back to his dorm room to recharge. CON and CHA are his dump stats, he's not equipped for this!
Although he can be fairly observant when he wants to be, at the moment all Cater can think of is how awesome the timing is. Nothing to do for Riddle, no club meeting, no other promises that he's made to hang out with anyone else...yeah, there's no way he's letting this chance go to waste. Already, Cater's reaching to loop his arm through Idia's, babbling as he does so.
"Is it just my imagination or have you been showing up to class more often, lately? I mean, I think you even broke your record for total times showing up in a row, which was a total O.M.G. moment for me." It's officially been too long since he looked at his phone, so Cater pulls it out, swiping it open with a finger. "We should celebrate with some pictures! There's this amazing ramen place in town--you ever been?"
He wants to say something, but his only dialogue options are "..." and something like a tiny, strangled wheeze. Touching touching why is Mr. Cater touching him? And now Idia sees his pale, alarmed face in that front-facing phone camera. Oh, oh this is too much, there's another strangled noise coming out of him like a broken modem. Boom, headshot, killed by a n00b who didn't even realize they'd won the match with a shutout.
He can't breathe, it's like the days before his Overblot but worse somehow. He leveled up so much, he should be able to do this quest, but he's woefully under-equipped. Cater's finger reaches for the shutter button and Idia shuts down, just full-on CPU cord yanked out of the wall, no backup battery save. Down he goes into a tight crouch, arm pulling out of Cater's grip, his hands shaking as he struggles to pull his headphones over his ears. The noise-cancelling should block everything but why does he still hear that weird roaring static, punctuated by a loud, fast thudding? It hurts in his chest and his head, worse than downing a case of energy drinks on no sleep.
It's a good thing he wasn't holding on very tightly, or he might've tumbled down with him. Cater hadn't been even remotely expecting Idia to suddenly turn into dead weight at his feet. He blinks, shocked to total stillness as he watches the headphones go on. It really is like a full on shutdown, isn't it?
And no matter how he looks at it, Cater can't see past the fact that this is very obviously his fault. What is he supposed to do now? He's never handled a situation like this before! Sure, Idia was never particularly happy or comfortable in the times he'd strong-armed him into social outings but...seriously, is he broken?
"Er..."
There's a definite, sudden urge to flee. No, no, he can't just leave him. That would be a totally unsubscribeable offense. So Cater takes a breath, running his free hand through his hair, and thinks. There's nobody around, so that's good. Ortho would probably be able to help, but he hasn't been Idia's shadow since Riddle and the others returned from that kidnapping stint.
Think, Cater, think. You may have no idea what's going on in his head but that doesn't mean you don't know anything about him.
That's how he gets an idea. Somewhat awkwardly, Cater shuffles to the side and lowers himself down beside Idia, making sure not to touch him but stay close enough that his phone screen is visible as he closes the camera app and switches instead to one of his mobile games, waiting somewhat anxiously for the loading screen to fire up. The gacha game with the anime characters might do the trick better than a puzzle game, he thinks.
Idia's about to close his eyes when light and color and movement catch his peripheral vision's attention. He turns his head slightly, enough to get a good look. He can't hear the sound over the weird noise and his headphones but he'd know those visuals anywhere. That's... it's definitely Destined Commandment playing on Mr. Cater's phone. But that would mean his classmate actually plays this, and judging by the level and number of characters Idia sees on screen this game wasn't downloaded recently.
He slides his headphones slowly down onto his neck again, staring at the other boy's phone but not daring to look in those bright eyes. Words still won't come, so he handles the problem like a true silent protagonist and simply raises a shaking hand to point at the screen.
Cater tries as hard as he can not to turn to look at Idia. It's hard to tell if this is really the right tactic to try at all but--ah, there it is! A pale finger cutting into his vision. Now just to act casual...
"Ugh, I've been trying to pull the limited SSR all week and haven't had any luck. I know it's, like, a total cash grab and the stats aren't any better than some of the other characters I already have but I just feel so incomplete when I don't have a full set." Cater sighs and gives a shrug of his shoulders. "Sorry, my bad, I shouldn't talk so much about something you're probably not even interested in."
Cater is so wrong, and Idia has the right key item to advance this scene! Still crouched and shivering, he fumbles in his bag for his tablet and unlocks it, tapping the Destined Commandment icon. The game boots up very fast-- of course, he built and optimized this tablet himself!-- and then he's timidly holding it out for Cater's inspection. Not only does he have that coveted limited SSR, he's clearly whaled for every character. This is what the Shroud fortune goes to in his hands: a fully filled gacha roster.
Maybe Cater won't see it with his head down and some of his wild hair brushing his cheeks, but Idia has a faint but somewhat cocky grin twitching at the corners of his lips.
"What? No way, you play Destined Commandment?" How totally...not shocking at all! It's a pretty popular game, so it was a pretty safe bet, what with Idia being such a notorious gamer. Still, Cater does a pretty good job at acting surprised--he's always been good at giving people what he thinks they want to see from him. "I haven't met anyone else at NRC who plays it."
More importantly, though, and actually--okay, wow, actually wow, look at that inventory! It's all Cater can do not to grab the tablet to get a closer look. "You--you seriously have them all?! Dude, how did you even manage? I feel like I've been grinding for my entire life!"
Oh, you might grind, Cater... but you do not grind like Idia Shroud. Not to mention buying the biggest premium currency lot is pocket change to him. Look at his 20K Grand Diamond total, not to mention his 1.6 million Crystal total! You are in the presence of a true gacha whale.
Idia can't hold back the tiniest, quietest "ke he he," a brief flash of sharp teeth behind a hint of a smile. This is a much better dialogue path with no physical contact, and a bonus of peer envy. Maybe he'll PvP Cater online later, put that full roster to use in the game and pwn his classmate into the ground. He's already got his UIN code memorized from a quick glance, he'll send a link request later.
The flick of a long finger opens his text app. He doesn't need the speech component right now, lest eavesdroppers pick up on his half of the conversation.
Did...did Idia Shroud just call him a n00b via text? Okay, well, he's clearly feeling at least a little bit better. Cater lets out a surprised laugh, eyebrows raised. "WTH? Super not l33t of you. Some of us have to earn our EXP the old fashioned way."
Also, what does he mean time? They have the same amount of time outside of classes? Or, well, okay, Cater's definitely borderline "filthy casual" with the amount of time he actually gives to gaming. Mostly, he just plays when he's got nothing else going on.
Time is not the same when you hardly sleep. When Idia sleeps, it's less "sleeping" and more "passing out" despite Ortho's attempts to pry his big brother away from the computer or a project. It's not like the little Shroud can do much when he's recharging, after all.
Idia finally looks up at Cater, raising a brow at the "l33t" comment. Not what he expected to come out of that mouth, honestly. He's still surprised Cater uses that phone for anything but Magicam and other social media. Idia's the total opposite, he only uses Magicam to follow other people, aside from a rare project post. Absolutely no selfies!
Ugh, his legs are starting to hurt. He tries to stand up slowly, but he wobbles and falls back on his ass with a grunt. Thankfully he holds on to his tablet, not that dropping it would cause it any damage. Idia builds his tech to withstand everything. If only his body tolerated that kind of impact. Blue lips twist into a pout but he doesn't try to get up again.
It's a complete relief when Idia starts to stand. They can both move on from this situation and forget it ever happened. Cater will still bug him in the future, but maybe give him a bit of space for awhile. Or, that's the idea, but as soon as Idia starts to lose balance again Cater reaches over to support him on pure instinct. Realizing his mistake, though, he holds his hands in the air apologetically.
"Sorry, sorry. I got really carried away." It's his fault that Idia's in this situation, but he can't help giving a slight chide, adding, "Don't try and rush yourself if you're not feeling well."
Idia sighs, avoiding Cater's eyes again to tap on his tablet.
[social bttry ded need rechrge. room.]
It's good that he's stopped shaking. Now that the adrenaline is crashing out of his system, he feels drained and light-headed. Walking back to his dorm will be at least a midboss-level effort, if not an end level boss. Maybe not final boss, thankfully. That would be going to a party or performing another Starsending.
He puts away the tablet and rolls to one side so he can get up on his knees. His uniform needs a good cleaning now but he can't bring himself to care. His bed is calling, not for sleep but for a good burrowing and watching the latest anime on his laptop. Ortho will have to hold down the fort in the meantime. Gritting his teeth, Idia forces himself upright, wobbling on gangly legs as he tries to find his balance. Ugh, his left foot is asleep and he has pins and needles in both thighs. Walking like this will be impossible, but he has to try. He takes one unsteady step and tumbles with a yelp, falling right against Cater.
Great. Lovely. Game over, no continues remaining. The tips of his hair start to turn the faintest shade of pink.
When Idia tries a second time and falls back down a second time, this time very much against him, Cater isn't sure if he feels like laughing or sighing. "All right, slow your roll there, moneybags."
Steadying him, he hops up on his own feet. Cater's far from one of the more athletic members of the student body, but the bar's pretty low when you're put next to the full-on shut in. With his phone safely back in a pocket, he offers Idia a hand. "I'll help you get back to your room." And thinking that he might immediately panic once again, holds up his other hand in oath. "No detours, no selfies. I swear on the Queen of Hearts herself."
Capricious as he is, Cater making an oath on the Queen of Hearts is pretty serious. The other teen does have Heartslabyul pride, and even if he didn't word could easily get around to Riddle. Surely Cater wouldn't risk his housewarden's wrath over a broken oath? That's enough to get Idia to gingerly take the offered hand, though he continues to avoid direct eye contact and the tips of his hair remain clear-pink.
Making their way to the Mirror Chamber is agony, not because his legs are still partially asleep but because they catch more than a few stares from other students. Great, he pinged the biggest humiliation flag in the event and now he has to suffer through it. Seeing Ortho with him on his rare outings is normal if rare, but seeing Cater Diamond, Number 2 Social Butterfly of NRC, practically glued to his side is beyond an SSR event. It's gotta be a UR or even a UUR draw. His face feels hot and his stomach swims. There's traces of greenish-teal in the blue parts of his hair.
On the flip side, if Cater is at all uncomfortable with the situation, he doesn't at all show it. There's definitely a certain sense of accomplishment that comes with getting Idia Shroud, of all people, to take his hand and accept an offer of help. The rest is just kind of awkward, with the way the other teen slouches and shuffles. This would go so much faster if he picked up the pace...but if he was in a state to do that, he wouldn't need the extra help.
As he exercises patience, he smiles and waves at anyone who stares at them just long enough, working overtime to normalize the situation without inviting anyone over to insert themselves in it. The only thing that would be out of his control would be if any of the other members of Team Social Butterfly showed up, but thankfully they make it to the Mirror Chamber without such an incident.
"You know, I don't think I've ever actually been to Ignihyde," he admits as they step through and he takes a look around at the, uh, admittedly pretty gloomy surroundings. Cater sighs. This would be such a good chance for a photo-op, but he made a promise. It'll have to wait until after he drops Idia off, at least. "Are you feeling any better? Still with me, Idia?"
Hey, Ignihyde's not totally gloomy during the day! They have lights! And holo-displays everywhere. There's just... nobody around. The students are all huddled in their individual dorms like the introverted tech gremlins they are. They won't notice Cater returning with their gremlin leader.
It takes Idia a second or two to make a curious little sound. His brain is definitely lagging. Time for some rarely sought sleep to defrag his memory. The question finally registers, but he only responds with a slight shrug. He does feel better being in his own dorm, but he won't feel 100% until he's back in his room. Seeing Cater's bright coloring against the grays, whites, and blues of Ignihyde is disorienting.
By the time they get to Idia's door, the tall housewarden looks utterly exhausted, almost slumping into Cater's side. His reserve power is drained too, shutdown is imminent. The door slides open at Idia's presence, revealing his cramped, messy room. At least it's somewhat clean, most likely due to Ortho's efforts.
"Gotta quick-save... out of battery...," Idia mutters, eyelids drooping. Even the flames of his hair, now back to their normal blue, look faded and weak.
It's not that Cater finds the room revolting or anything, his own back home isn't exactly ever in the best of shape, but compared to the pristine condition of the Heartslabyul dorm? He can't help but let out a bit of a strangled chuckle. "Man oh man, none of us could get away with something like this around Riddle. Ah, but I guess you can do whatever you want since you're Housewarden, huh? JK, JK!"
He kind of has a feeling that Idia isn't really listening at this point, anyway. Just to be on the safe side, he makes an attempt to escort Idia all the way to his bedside, not wanting him to just collapse onto the floor. But while he's here, anyway...
"Hey, would you mind if I looked around a little bit?"
Idia barely registers the question. It's gibberish, like strings of code to a non-tech normie. He flops face-down on the bed the second he's in range, releasing a low groan of relief at the familiar softness. That's it, no more in-person classes for a while, no matter how much Ortho begs and pleads. He needs way more EXP before he unlocks the next level of social skill.
The housewarden's room is probably more interesting than the dozing teen himself right now. The walls are plastered with anime and game posters, along with one odd gray tapestry of interlocking triangles. The bookshelves are filled with light novels and manga, mixed haphazardly with tech manuals and even toys. If Idia has any coherent sorting system, it's one only he understands. However, the two most immediately fascinating items are the sprawling desk with multiple holographic monitors and a custom-built computer, side by side with a large, empty stasis pod: clearly Ortho's recharge station. Everything is in standby mode at the moment, the room filled with a muted hum and a soft aqua glow that matches Idia's hair.
"Man," Cater muses aloud, "I really am in the room of a real life, honest-to-god otaku." Something he never really thought he'd be able to say. Sure, he prides himself on being able to be friendly with anyone, mostly by sheer force of will. He really, really wants to take pictures...! Even for him, though, photographing someone's bedroom is pretty out of line. Best behavior, it is.
Well, best behavior plus maybe a bit of unauthorized poking around. The students at Ignihyde really are something special. Like, he has absolutely no doubt that all tech was built by Idia himself, which is something Cater can't even imagine trying to do. That does make him think, though. What kind of sick phone upgrade could he get if he played his cards right? With the kind of know-how that a tech genius has, he'd never have to buy another phone again!
In any case, Cater decides against his impulse to reach out and try and touch one of those holographic monitors. Like, it's insanely tempting, but he'll be damned if he gets charged for breaking something. Instead, he'll start browsing the manga. Just what kind of genres is Idia Shroud into?
Idia's interests cover a lot of different genres, though sci-fi and fantasy are represented more than the others. But he has shounen, shoujo, seinen, josei... nothing seems to be off limits. Absolutely nothing.
Which is why a few very slim, oversized volumes with staples in their narrow folded spines probably aren't surprising. What might actually be surprising is the red R-18 mark on the top corner of one front cover, barely peeking out from behind another doujinshi.
If only he was awake to boot Cater out of his room right now. Idia Shroud will live to regret this day.
That...it can't be, can it? Cater was just about to give up on finding anything particularly telling when he catches sight of that rating. His hand pauses, but it's too much, he can't help himself. Carefully, the redhead pulls the issue out of its place, getting an eyeful of the suggestive cover art.
"No...no way!" He doesn't mean to exclaim so loudly, but it's just so surprising! Sure, Idia's the same age as he is, and certain things are to be expected, but somehow he just...didn't. Already, he's flipping through the pages to get straight to the good stuff. Plot? Currently unnecessary.
Luckily for Cater, Idia is so conked out at the moment that the exclamation goes unnoticed. He's not snoring or anything, in fact he's almost as still as a corpse except for the faint rise and fall of his back and the flickering of his hair. Oh, the blissful unawareness of his impending shame!
The doujinshi in Cater's hands so happens to feature characters from the very gacha they'd sort of bonded over earlier. In fact, it's two of the most popular SSR characters, both male. HMM. And while it's clear the artwork is one of the more stunning examples of doujinshi work, which would make it a prime purchase on its own, Cater quickly finds out that the second half is ridiculously smutty. The censoring is barely present and there are some wild positions, even x-ray shots.
Who would've thought Idia Shroud was into this kind of thing?
Even Cater, as unaffected and unflappable as he tries to act, can't maintain his cucumber-cool calm when he gets to the X-Rated M/M scenes. He can feel his face flushing, his body reacting instinctively to the explicit material, which then makes him choke and he hurries to close it, looking over his shoulder at Idia.
Yep, he's still out. Queenie up there must be looking out for him. He needs to snap himself outta it, he is totally not about to get an accidental hard-on in an otaku's room. Yeah, it's time to leave, officially. That said, though...
Cater approaches cautiously, reaching out to shake Idia gently by the shoulder. "Hey, can I borrow one of your doujinshi?"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
GAME: START
At the sight of him, Cater speeds up, hoping to catch him off guard so he doesn't have the chance to run away. "Hey, hey, Idia!" All smiles and exuberance, he waves at the flame-haired loner as if they're already close friends. "You look like you could use some company. Lucky us, Trey's on babysitting duty today so my schedule is totally open!"
I only play solo games! Well, except MMOs....
It's one of NRC's Trio of Super Extroverts, zeroing in on Idia's position. He knew it was a bad idea to come to class in person today, even though he made it through the lesson unscathed and even raised his hand once for some bonus EXP. Professor Trein knows he can take his classes over his tablet but Idia's been trying to motivate himself to go to class IRL since that whole mess at STYX and now he's done it, he's really done it, here comes Mr. Cater with that grin and that bubbly voice and Idia pretty sure he's going to die and not respawn....
His legs wobble, stopping him dead in his tracks. He doesn't even realize he's started breathing a bit funny, his wide eyes locked on Cater's approaching form. He's been trying, really trying, it makes Ortho so happy, but his social batteries are drained and he just wants to get back to his dorm room to recharge. CON and CHA are his dump stats, he's not equipped for this!
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"Is it just my imagination or have you been showing up to class more often, lately? I mean, I think you even broke your record for total times showing up in a row, which was a total O.M.G. moment for me." It's officially been too long since he looked at his phone, so Cater pulls it out, swiping it open with a finger. "We should celebrate with some pictures! There's this amazing ramen place in town--you ever been?"
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He can't breathe, it's like the days before his Overblot but worse somehow. He leveled up so much, he should be able to do this quest, but he's woefully under-equipped. Cater's finger reaches for the shutter button and Idia shuts down, just full-on CPU cord yanked out of the wall, no backup battery save. Down he goes into a tight crouch, arm pulling out of Cater's grip, his hands shaking as he struggles to pull his headphones over his ears. The noise-cancelling should block everything but why does he still hear that weird roaring static, punctuated by a loud, fast thudding? It hurts in his chest and his head, worse than downing a case of energy drinks on no sleep.
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It's a good thing he wasn't holding on very tightly, or he might've tumbled down with him. Cater hadn't been even remotely expecting Idia to suddenly turn into dead weight at his feet. He blinks, shocked to total stillness as he watches the headphones go on. It really is like a full on shutdown, isn't it?
And no matter how he looks at it, Cater can't see past the fact that this is very obviously his fault. What is he supposed to do now? He's never handled a situation like this before! Sure, Idia was never particularly happy or comfortable in the times he'd strong-armed him into social outings but...seriously, is he broken?
"Er..."
There's a definite, sudden urge to flee. No, no, he can't just leave him. That would be a totally unsubscribeable offense. So Cater takes a breath, running his free hand through his hair, and thinks. There's nobody around, so that's good. Ortho would probably be able to help, but he hasn't been Idia's shadow since Riddle and the others returned from that kidnapping stint.
Think, Cater, think. You may have no idea what's going on in his head but that doesn't mean you don't know anything about him.
That's how he gets an idea. Somewhat awkwardly, Cater shuffles to the side and lowers himself down beside Idia, making sure not to touch him but stay close enough that his phone screen is visible as he closes the camera app and switches instead to one of his mobile games, waiting somewhat anxiously for the loading screen to fire up. The gacha game with the anime characters might do the trick better than a puzzle game, he thinks.
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He slides his headphones slowly down onto his neck again, staring at the other boy's phone but not daring to look in those bright eyes. Words still won't come, so he handles the problem like a true silent protagonist and simply raises a shaking hand to point at the screen.
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"Ugh, I've been trying to pull the limited SSR all week and haven't had any luck. I know it's, like, a total cash grab and the stats aren't any better than some of the other characters I already have but I just feel so incomplete when I don't have a full set." Cater sighs and gives a shrug of his shoulders. "Sorry, my bad, I shouldn't talk so much about something you're probably not even interested in."
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Maybe Cater won't see it with his head down and some of his wild hair brushing his cheeks, but Idia has a faint but somewhat cocky grin twitching at the corners of his lips.
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More importantly, though, and actually--okay, wow, actually wow, look at that inventory! It's all Cater can do not to grab the tablet to get a closer look. "You--you seriously have them all?! Dude, how did you even manage? I feel like I've been grinding for my entire life!"
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Idia can't hold back the tiniest, quietest "ke he he," a brief flash of sharp teeth behind a hint of a smile. This is a much better dialogue path with no physical contact, and a bonus of peer envy. Maybe he'll PvP Cater online later, put that full roster to use in the game and pwn his classmate into the ground. He's already got his UIN code memorized from a quick glance, he'll send a link request later.
The flick of a long finger opens his text app. He doesn't need the speech component right now, lest eavesdroppers pick up on his half of the conversation.
[$$$$ + time = 100% ownage n00b]
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Also, what does he mean time? They have the same amount of time outside of classes? Or, well, okay, Cater's definitely borderline "filthy casual" with the amount of time he actually gives to gaming. Mostly, he just plays when he's got nothing else going on.
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Idia finally looks up at Cater, raising a brow at the "l33t" comment. Not what he expected to come out of that mouth, honestly. He's still surprised Cater uses that phone for anything but Magicam and other social media. Idia's the total opposite, he only uses Magicam to follow other people, aside from a rare project post. Absolutely no selfies!
Ugh, his legs are starting to hurt. He tries to stand up slowly, but he wobbles and falls back on his ass with a grunt. Thankfully he holds on to his tablet, not that dropping it would cause it any damage. Idia builds his tech to withstand everything. If only his body tolerated that kind of impact. Blue lips twist into a pout but he doesn't try to get up again.
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"Sorry, sorry. I got really carried away." It's his fault that Idia's in this situation, but he can't help giving a slight chide, adding, "Don't try and rush yourself if you're not feeling well."
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[social bttry ded need rechrge. room.]
It's good that he's stopped shaking. Now that the adrenaline is crashing out of his system, he feels drained and light-headed. Walking back to his dorm will be at least a midboss-level effort, if not an end level boss. Maybe not final boss, thankfully. That would be going to a party or performing another Starsending.
He puts away the tablet and rolls to one side so he can get up on his knees. His uniform needs a good cleaning now but he can't bring himself to care. His bed is calling, not for sleep but for a good burrowing and watching the latest anime on his laptop. Ortho will have to hold down the fort in the meantime. Gritting his teeth, Idia forces himself upright, wobbling on gangly legs as he tries to find his balance. Ugh, his left foot is asleep and he has pins and needles in both thighs. Walking like this will be impossible, but he has to try. He takes one unsteady step and tumbles with a yelp, falling right against Cater.
Great. Lovely. Game over, no continues remaining. The tips of his hair start to turn the faintest shade of pink.
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Steadying him, he hops up on his own feet. Cater's far from one of the more athletic members of the student body, but the bar's pretty low when you're put next to the full-on shut in. With his phone safely back in a pocket, he offers Idia a hand. "I'll help you get back to your room." And thinking that he might immediately panic once again, holds up his other hand in oath. "No detours, no selfies. I swear on the Queen of Hearts herself."
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Making their way to the Mirror Chamber is agony, not because his legs are still partially asleep but because they catch more than a few stares from other students. Great, he pinged the biggest humiliation flag in the event and now he has to suffer through it. Seeing Ortho with him on his rare outings is normal if rare, but seeing Cater Diamond, Number 2 Social Butterfly of NRC, practically glued to his side is beyond an SSR event. It's gotta be a UR or even a UUR draw. His face feels hot and his stomach swims. There's traces of greenish-teal in the blue parts of his hair.
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As he exercises patience, he smiles and waves at anyone who stares at them just long enough, working overtime to normalize the situation without inviting anyone over to insert themselves in it. The only thing that would be out of his control would be if any of the other members of Team Social Butterfly showed up, but thankfully they make it to the Mirror Chamber without such an incident.
"You know, I don't think I've ever actually been to Ignihyde," he admits as they step through and he takes a look around at the, uh, admittedly pretty gloomy surroundings. Cater sighs. This would be such a good chance for a photo-op, but he made a promise. It'll have to wait until after he drops Idia off, at least. "Are you feeling any better? Still with me, Idia?"
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It takes Idia a second or two to make a curious little sound. His brain is definitely lagging. Time for some rarely sought sleep to defrag his memory. The question finally registers, but he only responds with a slight shrug. He does feel better being in his own dorm, but he won't feel 100% until he's back in his room. Seeing Cater's bright coloring against the grays, whites, and blues of Ignihyde is disorienting.
By the time they get to Idia's door, the tall housewarden looks utterly exhausted, almost slumping into Cater's side. His reserve power is drained too, shutdown is imminent. The door slides open at Idia's presence, revealing his cramped, messy room. At least it's somewhat clean, most likely due to Ortho's efforts.
"Gotta quick-save... out of battery...," Idia mutters, eyelids drooping. Even the flames of his hair, now back to their normal blue, look faded and weak.
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He kind of has a feeling that Idia isn't really listening at this point, anyway. Just to be on the safe side, he makes an attempt to escort Idia all the way to his bedside, not wanting him to just collapse onto the floor. But while he's here, anyway...
"Hey, would you mind if I looked around a little bit?"
This is, like, the most forbidden of lore ever!
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The housewarden's room is probably more interesting than the dozing teen himself right now. The walls are plastered with anime and game posters, along with one odd gray tapestry of interlocking triangles. The bookshelves are filled with light novels and manga, mixed haphazardly with tech manuals and even toys. If Idia has any coherent sorting system, it's one only he understands. However, the two most immediately fascinating items are the sprawling desk with multiple holographic monitors and a custom-built computer, side by side with a large, empty stasis pod: clearly Ortho's recharge station. Everything is in standby mode at the moment, the room filled with a muted hum and a soft aqua glow that matches Idia's hair.
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Well, best behavior plus maybe a bit of unauthorized poking around. The students at Ignihyde really are something special. Like, he has absolutely no doubt that all tech was built by Idia himself, which is something Cater can't even imagine trying to do. That does make him think, though. What kind of sick phone upgrade could he get if he played his cards right? With the kind of know-how that a tech genius has, he'd never have to buy another phone again!
In any case, Cater decides against his impulse to reach out and try and touch one of those holographic monitors. Like, it's insanely tempting, but he'll be damned if he gets charged for breaking something. Instead, he'll start browsing the manga. Just what kind of genres is Idia Shroud into?
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Which is why a few very slim, oversized volumes with staples in their narrow folded spines probably aren't surprising. What might actually be surprising is the red R-18 mark on the top corner of one front cover, barely peeking out from behind another doujinshi.
If only he was awake to boot Cater out of his room right now. Idia Shroud will live to regret this day.
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"No...no way!" He doesn't mean to exclaim so loudly, but it's just so surprising! Sure, Idia's the same age as he is, and certain things are to be expected, but somehow he just...didn't. Already, he's flipping through the pages to get straight to the good stuff. Plot? Currently unnecessary.
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The doujinshi in Cater's hands so happens to feature characters from the very gacha they'd sort of bonded over earlier. In fact, it's two of the most popular SSR characters, both male. HMM. And while it's clear the artwork is one of the more stunning examples of doujinshi work, which would make it a prime purchase on its own, Cater quickly finds out that the second half is ridiculously smutty. The censoring is barely present and there are some wild positions, even x-ray shots.
Who would've thought Idia Shroud was into this kind of thing?
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Yep, he's still out. Queenie up there must be looking out for him. He needs to snap himself outta it, he is totally not about to get an accidental hard-on in an otaku's room. Yeah, it's time to leave, officially. That said, though...
Cater approaches cautiously, reaching out to shake Idia gently by the shoulder. "Hey, can I borrow one of your doujinshi?"
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