[Cater lets out a huff of a breath that isn't quite a laugh. Where does he start? He knows that he's not going to just dump everything out on the floor in a vomit of words the way he did with Trey. It's a good thing that having already let out so much, he feels a bit more stable, less likely to lose track of himself again.]
You mean with those guys?
[Nothing really, is what he wants to say, but of course that would be a lie.]
They found out that I'm dating Vil Schoenheit, and they're big fans so they were putting me down about it.
[Cater moves to sit down heavily on the edge of his bed.]
Well, actually, I think Rook Hunt knows, but he's kind of like, you know, weirdly observant about Vil.
[And everyone else, but he's not really going to go down a rabbit hole thinking about Rook and how weird he is.]
Vil's such a big deal, we were planning on keeping it on a need-to-know basis until...
[He trails off as he realizes he has no idea when that time would've been. Would it ever be a good idea, considering Vil's fame? How many people there are who probably fantasize about him being their boyfriend, lover, husband? Cater frowns slightly.]
Doesn't really matter, now. It's all over the Internet.
[Trey's so good at explaining without catastrophizing. Cater's thankful for him; he'd probably freak Riddle out way too badly, considering how little he understands about pop culture.]
Lots of gossip and rumors, most of it online, but probably some on television as well. I'm used to seeing this happen as a member of the audience but I've never been in the hot seat, before.
[His hands itch. He wants his phone. Thank Seven for Trey once more.]
I'm waiting for Vil to tell me how he wants to address it--from now on, I've got to be really careful about what I do or say, because it could reflect poorly on him. I just wish we'd had time to talk about it first.
Hmm... [He doesn't understand it well, but he thinks he gets the jist it of enough.] I'm sorry to hear that. People can be much harsher when it comes to those they're unfamiliar with.
That said...
[His gaze narrows, and he touts darkly, giving a sharp gesture of his hand.]
I will absolutely not tolerate any such behavior on the dorm grounds. If you receive any harassment, Cater, I want the incident reported to me at once so the culprits can be dealt with promptly.
[He gets to a stand.]
I will call for a meeting tonight before dinner to give a reminder. Here in Heartslabyul, we are associates, not some schoolchildren to spread and act upon rumors. Cater, and anyone else in this dorm, for that matter, should be treated as a respected colleague.
[It isn't fine, really, but at least he isn't smiling and laughing about it. When Riddle really goes into full Queen of Hearts mode, Cater doesn't really know how to react. He glances at Trey briefly, chewing on the inside of his cheek.]
I'll let you know if anything else happens, but you'll keep my name out of it, right? I'd rather not be singled out any further than I already am.
[Trey gives a little helpless shrug. Riddle's heart is in the right place, at least. And, well... it could be a good thing, honestly, for the students to get a reminder. It'd give Cater some needed breathing room.]
Of course. That goes without saying.
[Riddle hesitates for a moment. He's rather caught by the expression on Cater's face. It's such a far cry from his usual demeanor, he's not sure how to reconcile it in his head.
Finally, after a moment, he closes his eyes.]
... and if there's anything else that I can do for you, please let me know, alright?
I may be the new Housewarden, but I don't want that to make me seem unapproachable. I still want to do whatever I can to help.
[Cater nods slowly. It's still awkward, letting people in. Worrying that he might be a burden, bothersome, not worth the consideration. Riddle's a good person despite being a hard ass, and Cater likes him, but at the same time he's a little nervous.]
Thanks, Riddle. I appreciate your help, and you checking in on me.
[He hesitates, wanting to say more but having a much harder time with his words than he normally does.]
We're friends, so...I'm glad I got to share this with you on my own before you found out somewhere else.
[Even if that's mostly because Riddle's so studious that he barely knows his way around a smartphone.]
[Once Riddle's gone, Cater's shoulders sag. He didn't think he could be any more tired than he already was.]
I'm gonna have to, I think. I'm a mess.
[Even if he put his mask back on, he knows it won't be nearly as convincing as it was before. Kind of hard to act unaffected when your eyes are red and your face is blotchy. Besides that, word had probably spread through much more of the school by now. Even if Cater wasn't being singled out by Riddle, he has a feeling some of their dormmates are going to be able to read between the lines.]
You think that was okay to do? Show Riddle my real face, I mean.
I think it was fine, but either way, trust your gut. I don't think you'd readily reveal yourself to someone who doesn't have a fair chance of being understanding.
And Riddle goes hard on rules, but he has a heart of gold. Granted, you may have opened yourself up to some mother henning from him. So just let him know if it gets to be too much for you.
[With a groan, Cater flops backward, coiling around a pillow. He feels so drained he's sure he could fall asleep, but he'll have to stay up long enough to make sure his split card doesn't vanish mid-meeting. If only his other selves could eat for him, too, but unfortunately transferring stomach contents is definitely not how it works.]
Mother henning from Riddle Rosehearts--I'm too scared to imagine what that looks like. I'll have to start studying more of the rules.
[All he can think is how he's way more likely to mess one up if Riddle's paying bigger attention. Ugh, what a drag. But Trey's right, Riddle means well, so it's not like he's really all that upset.]
[As soon as Trey says Vil's name, Cater shoots bolt upright in bed. Whatever amount of calm he'd managed to find for himself is broken as anxiety shoots through him, and when Trey offers his phone Cater reaches out and takes it without hesitation. It's as much of a relief to know he's going to hear Vil's voice as it is terrifying. Like he's anticipating scorn, derision.]
Vil!
[He can't help the way his voice creeps higher, unnatural.]
Where are you right now? I tried calling, but I couldn't get through--
Oh--right. I'm sorry, I totally forgot that was today. I shouldn't have blown up your phone like that.
[He sounds irritated, but not at him, so Cater relaxes a little.]
Yeah, wherever you are now, I can be there.
[In fact, he's already swinging out of bed. Doesn't really matter where he is when he sets his split card loose, and he knows he's not going to be able to rest anyway, so going to Vil is definitely the best option.]
[He doesn't care how long he has to wait; the promise of Vil is worth it. Cater lets out a tired chuckle.]
Yeah, I'm not great, but I'm better than I was.
[There's still an urge to tell Vil that he's good, he's fine, don't worry, what I'm going through isn't worth your trouble. He's able to stamp that down, at least, not wanting to hide things from the most important person in his life.]
I've got the world's greatest friend to thank for that. And hearing your voice does wonders, too.
[He grins at Trey slightly as he takes the phone back, putting it into his own pocket without turning it on--he'll wait until he's with Vil, too afraid of being alone with everything he can see.]
Okay, I'm going to give Trey his phone back, so I'm going dark. See you soon?
Trey is relieved. He'd had a pretty good feeling about Vil, and based on everything so far, he's handling everything, even the negative parts of their relationship, pretty well.
A good thing— Cater isn't remotely yet in the mindset to properly defend himself, should someone unjustly put him down or try to take advantage of him.]
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You mean with those guys?
[Nothing really, is what he wants to say, but of course that would be a lie.]
They found out that I'm dating Vil Schoenheit, and they're big fans so they were putting me down about it.
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But what he says next completely derails all train of thought.
His hand flies up in alarm.]
Eeehhhh?!
What, but I... I had no idea! How could I miss something like that?
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It's not your fault, Riddle. They were trying pretty hard to keep things under wraps.
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[Cater moves to sit down heavily on the edge of his bed.]
Well, actually, I think Rook Hunt knows, but he's kind of like, you know, weirdly observant about Vil.
[And everyone else, but he's not really going to go down a rabbit hole thinking about Rook and how weird he is.]
Vil's such a big deal, we were planning on keeping it on a need-to-know basis until...
[He trails off as he realizes he has no idea when that time would've been. Would it ever be a good idea, considering Vil's fame? How many people there are who probably fantasize about him being their boyfriend, lover, husband? Cater frowns slightly.]
Doesn't really matter, now. It's all over the Internet.
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At the end of it, he brings a hand up thoughtfully.]
So... what does this mean, exactly? I'm not very knowledgeable about celebrity life.
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You already saw some of the fallout. Unfortunately, people are downright nasty online as well.
[There's a quizzical look, and Trey looks a bit uncomfortable.]
Let's just say... fans can get a bit possessive over their idols. So they're not really happy with Cater "taking" him, so to speak.
[He crosses his arms.]
That said, though, I think this will be the worst of it. It'll be news for awhile... Maybe a few days, I guess? And then life will go on.
Though Cater's going to have to contend with some increased attention.
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Lots of gossip and rumors, most of it online, but probably some on television as well. I'm used to seeing this happen as a member of the audience but I've never been in the hot seat, before.
[His hands itch. He wants his phone. Thank Seven for Trey once more.]
I'm waiting for Vil to tell me how he wants to address it--from now on, I've got to be really careful about what I do or say, because it could reflect poorly on him. I just wish we'd had time to talk about it first.
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That said...
[His gaze narrows, and he touts darkly, giving a sharp gesture of his hand.]
I will absolutely not tolerate any such behavior on the dorm grounds. If you receive any harassment, Cater, I want the incident reported to me at once so the culprits can be dealt with promptly.
[He gets to a stand.]
I will call for a meeting tonight before dinner to give a reminder. Here in Heartslabyul, we are associates, not some schoolchildren to spread and act upon rumors. Cater, and anyone else in this dorm, for that matter, should be treated as a respected colleague.
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[It isn't fine, really, but at least he isn't smiling and laughing about it. When Riddle really goes into full Queen of Hearts mode, Cater doesn't really know how to react. He glances at Trey briefly, chewing on the inside of his cheek.]
I'll let you know if anything else happens, but you'll keep my name out of it, right? I'd rather not be singled out any further than I already am.
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Of course. That goes without saying.
[Riddle hesitates for a moment. He's rather caught by the expression on Cater's face. It's such a far cry from his usual demeanor, he's not sure how to reconcile it in his head.
Finally, after a moment, he closes his eyes.]
... and if there's anything else that I can do for you, please let me know, alright?
I may be the new Housewarden, but I don't want that to make me seem unapproachable. I still want to do whatever I can to help.
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Thanks, Riddle. I appreciate your help, and you checking in on me.
[He hesitates, wanting to say more but having a much harder time with his words than he normally does.]
We're friends, so...I'm glad I got to share this with you on my own before you found out somewhere else.
[Even if that's mostly because Riddle's so studious that he barely knows his way around a smartphone.]
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He gives a nod, then gives pause.]
I expect the two of you will be there?
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Yeah, no problem. We'll see you.
[Riddle gives a nod, heading out. It's once the door is closed and Trey's sure he's had some time to leave that he looks to Cater.]
If you decide to split a card, I'll be none the wiser.
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I'm gonna have to, I think. I'm a mess.
[Even if he put his mask back on, he knows it won't be nearly as convincing as it was before. Kind of hard to act unaffected when your eyes are red and your face is blotchy. Besides that, word had probably spread through much more of the school by now. Even if Cater wasn't being singled out by Riddle, he has a feeling some of their dormmates are going to be able to read between the lines.]
You think that was okay to do? Show Riddle my real face, I mean.
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As for that question...]
It surprised me, that's for sure.
[He reaches up to shift his glasses.]
I think it was fine, but either way, trust your gut. I don't think you'd readily reveal yourself to someone who doesn't have a fair chance of being understanding.
And Riddle goes hard on rules, but he has a heart of gold. Granted, you may have opened yourself up to some mother henning from him. So just let him know if it gets to be too much for you.
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[With a groan, Cater flops backward, coiling around a pillow. He feels so drained he's sure he could fall asleep, but he'll have to stay up long enough to make sure his split card doesn't vanish mid-meeting. If only his other selves could eat for him, too, but unfortunately transferring stomach contents is definitely not how it works.]
Mother henning from Riddle Rosehearts--I'm too scared to imagine what that looks like. I'll have to start studying more of the rules.
[All he can think is how he's way more likely to mess one up if Riddle's paying bigger attention. Ugh, what a drag. But Trey's right, Riddle means well, so it's not like he's really all that upset.]
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[Ok Trey.
That's when his phone starts vibrating, and he blinks, taking it out. He taps on it, and brings it up to his ear.]
Hey, it's Trey. [His gaze softens quickly after.] Hey, Vil.
[He gives a small smile at Cater.] He's hanging in there. It was pretty rough, but we worked through the worst of it.
[...] Mn, sure thing.
[And then he walks over to Cater, reaching out to offer him the phone.]
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Vil!
[He can't help the way his voice creeps higher, unnatural.]
Where are you right now? I tried calling, but I couldn't get through--
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I was at my shoot. Ugh, what a mess.
I'm sorry, Cater. I really should have taken time to better prepare you for this. You'd think I'd have known better.
Do you have time to meet face-to-face?
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Oh--right. I'm sorry, I totally forgot that was today. I shouldn't have blown up your phone like that.
[He sounds irritated, but not at him, so Cater relaxes a little.]
Yeah, wherever you are now, I can be there.
[In fact, he's already swinging out of bed. Doesn't really matter where he is when he sets his split card loose, and he knows he's not going to be able to rest anyway, so going to Vil is definitely the best option.]
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[At least Vil knew just how distressed Cater was. It'd have been worse if he played it off like it didn't bother him.]
It will be a bit, but I can meet you at the tower.
[His tone drops and softens a bit:]
How are you doing?
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[He doesn't care how long he has to wait; the promise of Vil is worth it. Cater lets out a tired chuckle.]
Yeah, I'm not great, but I'm better than I was.
[There's still an urge to tell Vil that he's good, he's fine, don't worry, what I'm going through isn't worth your trouble. He's able to stamp that down, at least, not wanting to hide things from the most important person in his life.]
I've got the world's greatest friend to thank for that. And hearing your voice does wonders, too.
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He takes Cater's phone out of his pocket, offering it to him.]
That's a relief. I'm glad Trey was able to help. You certainly made the right choice in confiding in him.
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[He grins at Trey slightly as he takes the phone back, putting it into his own pocket without turning it on--he'll wait until he's with Vil, too afraid of being alone with everything he can see.]
Okay, I'm going to give Trey his phone back, so I'm going dark. See you soon?
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[Vil hangs up.
Trey is relieved. He'd had a pretty good feeling about Vil, and based on everything so far, he's handling everything, even the negative parts of their relationship, pretty well.
A good thing— Cater isn't remotely yet in the mindset to properly defend himself, should someone unjustly put him down or try to take advantage of him.]
I'll handle things on this end.
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