flameinthedarkness

Cater nods. "Sure! We'll see how you feel when we get there."

He's hoping the arcade will help Idia relax, but this is definitely a bit more of an extreme case of nervousness than Cater was expecting. It does give him an idea, something that he's hoping might help, but...well, kind of flying by the seat of his pants, here.

"I can wait to eat. Oh, but wanna stop for coffee first?"

"Oh?" Oh, ah, "Ah, yeah, yeah, ok." Caffeine was good. True, Idia normally got it via energy drinks, but yeah, he could go for that. "That sounds good." Oh, gods, is Cater one of those 'black coffee only' people? Idia has no clue. He can guess he is, since he doesn't like sweets. While Idia is the total opposite.

Also still not questioning the hand holding at all, as if it's just part of this all.

“Great! I know just the place!” With Idia’s agreement, Cater leads him forward, turning down into a street that seems to be filled with little boutiques and storefronts. He was thinking this might be a good place to end their date or maybe follow up with some other time, assuming things went well, but…Idia clearly needed something to help stabilize him.

That’s how they end up in front of a cafe that has cutesy, cat-themed art on the window. Stepping inside, though, it seems that the feline motif is more than a simple theme: meowing can be heard coming from past the front counter.

Yes. Cater has brought Idia to a small cat cafe.

It's as Cater starts leading him around that Idia realizes that hand hold again, a blush flushing up as his hand stiffened in Cater's... then relaxing again. Yeah... it's not bad... a glance to Cater as he thinks this, Idia tugging at his hood again, trying to hide that pink as it blushes over his face and hair, unable to stop himself from thinking of all those romance visual novels he has played.

Luckily for him it's mostly faded by the time they stop, he too scared to look to see if Cater had spied it at all during that walk, and any blushing is well forgotten with their stop.

"A-A-A c-cat cafe?! I thought you meant, like, just grabbing something and going!" Really?! A real one?! Idia's voice dropping to a whisper. "I always wanted to go to one..."

Cater responds with a mischievous laugh. "I told you I had things up my sleeve."

He didn't expect to reveal his trump card so soon, but if it helps Idia forget his fears a bit faster...well, it's worth it. The hostess leads them back behind the counter, past a door that keeps the cats from running straight out the front, and hands them a menu to look through.

Even better for them, it looks like they're the only customers, giving them completely free reign to pick a table and admire the many cats that roam freely in the area. The tables are low to the ground with cushions for seats, a perfect height to be able to maximize cat interaction. Already, a particularly curious tabby is padding toward them.

"It looks like the cats here all have different bios in the menu, as well." Cater flips it open. "This iiiiis...Michi!"

He's so nervous! But in a different way to everything else so far, playing with his sleeve edges once he and Cater move far enough Idia has to let go of his hand, looking this way and that as the cats move around them. Oh, they all look so soft and amazing! But Idia's also not worried about if they don't come near, that's ok too.

He's comfortable enough sitting at the low seating, fiddling with his sleeves and fingers, letting Cater look over the options for this place, when they get that 'staff' member come up to them. Oh, look at it! Adorable! Idia quiet and not moving too much as the tabby approaches, cats were fickle after all, even if used to people being around. "Michi." He echoing Cater quietly, interlock his fingers together to keep himself for reaching out for the cat. Though... he may draw a few more with time, just from his hair being a constant moving target, it spilling down onto the floor behind him since they were seated so low.

"Michi's a friendly feline who's always ready to play," Cater reads as the cat in question sniffs Idia before butting its head into his leg, rubbing up against his side--all but asking for pets! Ugh, Cater wants to take so many pictures...

But first, he really does want coffee. He flips through the menu while Idia's got his eyes on the prize, figuring he might as well just order for the both of them so the spell doesn't get broken. When a (human) staff member approaches, Cater puts in for a snack and two coffees--one highly sweetened and one lightly sweetened. They're left alone again, being told it'll be just a few minutes.

Meanwhile, as Michi eats up Idia's attention, another cat, this one a big and graceful angora, strides over and promptly lays down into a solid loaf position right beneath the table.

Sorry Cater, he's not listening once Michi starts rubbing against him, Idia slowly raising a hand to brush the back of two fingers over the cat's head, checking that was ok before continuing to pet the cat more, long fingers gently brushing over the cat's fur. So a good call on Cater's part to order for them with Idia totally distracted. But maybe bad on his part, Idia really should focus on Cater instead, but right now? Yeah, this was a good move, a soft smile on Idia's face at this all.

That's all fine, because Cater can't look away from the scene, either. It's so precious, and not just because of the clear fondness that Idia has for the animal in general but the clear care in his movements. By now, Cater's started experiencing unexpected sides to the mysterious Ignihyde housewarden, but this is a whole new level of gentle. He looks so soft and content...

Okay, so, maybe his heart is doing a bit of a flip-flop watching those dedicated fingers make that pussy purr--oh thank Seven, the coffee saves him from his thoughts.

"Ah! OMFG! Totes adorbz!"

Yeah, okay, he's taking ten million pics of the order that just arrived: two coffees and a set of pastries.

It's both a good and bad thing Cater reacts like that; good because Idia was not paying attention to this at all and would had missed food coming, and bad because he jumps as Cater does, causing Michi to jump and dash off a few steps before checking to make sure everything was fine, slowly coming back to Idia's side.

Looking to what arrived and, "Oh. Oh! They're so cute!" Look at them! "I didn't realize you ordered." Oh... "I... didn't realized you ordered... sorry." Whoops, he should be paying attention to Cater, not the cats. Or... more towards Cater than the cats.

It may surprise Cater but Idia's phone also appears to take his own photos of the food. He has to, they're too cute! He has to record these and show them to Ortho later. Hmmm... also, a few pictures of Michi and the other cat loafing next to them... then, "Ah... can I... take your photo? Is that ok?"

"Right?" Echoing his excitement, Cater stops with the photo op when Idia apologizes, shaking his head. "NBD! I didn't want to interrupt. This one is yours, it should be nice and sweet."

And then he asks if he can take Cater's picture and his eyes widen. It's hard not to be shocked--he never thought that Idia would want something like that. "Yeah--I mean, of course!"

"T-Thanks." The fact Cater made sure to keep it to his tastes too, Idia's expression softening for a moment as he slips the drink closer to him... and a few more photos since he has a different angle to do so.

"Ah... ok then. Um... Pose?" Cater's good at that, right? Though... that's more Cay-Cay, right? "Oh, only if you want, it's cool if you don't want to. With," Nope, Idia correcting himself. "A date with Cater after all, not Cay-Cay."

Cater chuckles. "Okay, you got it."

Cay-Cay would certainly throw up a double V or a diamond sign and a wink, maybe stick his tongue out...but what would the real Cater Diamond do? As if the many cats that roam about the café are waiting for the perfect chance to assist, a white cat bounds up from somewhere behind Cater and starts to crawl up his back.

Laughing, he takes the cat by its middle and scoops it carefully to his front, posing them cheek-to-cheek. "Cheese!"

...oh, that's cute, and perfect to match the other photos so far, Idia pausing a moment to just look at Cater... then realizing, ah, yes, photo. Raising his phone and making sure it was set up right with several quick quick taps before... a few shutter sounds, taking a couple to make sure before lowering it again and turning the phone around for Cater to check he was happy with them. It seemed right to, since it was his photo and all.

"I'll restrain adding cat features to you." Idia jokes.

"Too cute! DM me those pics?" Letting the cat he's holding down before it gets too squirmy, he laughs. "You can do whatever you want! I think I'd make a pretty kitty, don't you?"

Picking up the coffee that he ordered to be less sweet, he sips carefully to avoid disturbing the foam too badly--wanting to admire the artwork as long as he can. He sighs, glad for the caffeine, and licks the foam off of his upper lip. The white cat is pouncing over to Idia now, and climbing seems to be her MO. She definitely seems taken by his hair, jumping and batting at the flickering ends.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a total pussy magnet?"

He had to.

"I could make cat ear assets for your model..." Idia muttered as he taps away on his phone again, sending through the raws to Cater so he can edit them how he wants. Maybe Idia would do a joke one later with those neon edits of Cater with ears and whiskers, but good enough for now.

Luckily Idia's used to stooping forward, so he curves his shoulders a bit more to allow that cat an easier platform to sit on, trying not to move too much and silently rather pleased. He may hate his hair but... well, this one time, yeah, it's not bad.

He's looking now to handle his own drink when Cater makes that joke, letting out a laugh, "N-No," The stutter caused by laughing this time rather than nerves. "Funnily enough, never heard that before."

Idia's laughter is infectious, and Cater can't help laughing more in return. Despite his shaking hands, though, he manages to snap another picture without thinking to ask first--a candid shot of Idia laughing as he's sat there with a cat on his back and coffee in his hands.

"Title unlocked," he says as he looks at the image, torn between sending it and keeping it for himself. It feels wrong, though, so as he makes a singy-song sound of an in-game achievement, shoots the photo back to Idia in return for the ones sent his way.

"OMG, you're so lame." But Idia's grinning as he says this, looking to his phone to confirm the photo sent and... yeah, ok, it's not bad... he guesses... still, a few moments of doing something on his phone... then a few more of concentration... before Cater gets two photos sent back to him. The one Idia took of him, and one Cater just took of Idia, but with those neon added lines on them to make them cats; orange lines for Idia and blue for Cater. You know, to contrast their natural colors.

"You like it," he shoots back teasingly. His laughter subsides as Idia goes quiet on his phone for a minute, still smiling and rosy-cheeked as he takes another sip of his coffee. Then his phone notifies him that he's gotten another message and he picks it up to see the work that Idia did on their photos, turning them into matching cats. Cater can't help but absolutely beam.

"We really make quite the couple, don't we?"

Idia opens his mouth to answer that, closes it again, opens to try again... before eventually. "Y-Yeah, I-I guess..." Forcing himself to put his phone down so he doesn't try to hide behind it, and instead carefully poking at his coffee to shift the little cat foam to one side so he can try it without destroying it right away. Trying a sip and, "Oh, good." Tongue darting out long enough to lick his lips before another sip, as if needing another test of it, moving to support himself and that weight of the cat on him by planting his elbows on the table, holding the cup between his hands near his face.

"Ah..." He starts, trying to keep the conversation going. It's been easier with Cater over the time they been talking, but still... this is different! It's a date! But... trying. "This, ah, this was... a really good idea... thanks."

A little too late, Cater realizes that maybe calling them a couple was a little too forward. Pair might've been a bit less...well. He feels his face flush a bit hotter as he curls a lock of his hair around a finger. He nods, hoping to ease off of all the grinning and giggling--though it is a little hard when Idia's a playground for cats right in front of him.

"I'm glad," he responds with a huff of relief. "I want you to have as much fun as I am."

Maybe, it was only a first date after all, but... it's also not upsetting Idia to hear, just feels it's a little early. Idia glances away, as if giving Cater a chance to compose himself from this all, looking down to his little floating cat foam in his cup as Cater continues. A bit of a smile forms as he admits, "I am... but my back's sore now." Still managing a smile for the reason why it was, that cat still playing and shifting around on his shoulders as Idia dropped his head to rest his forehead against the back of one wrist, those long fingers still precariously holding that mug, looking like it could fall anytime but Idia had a good grip on it.

Seven, how does Idia look so cute? He's just so clearly...happy, surrounded by so many cats and treats. He's never seen him smile so much--and even when he has seen him smile, it's never been this softly. "Well, we can't have that! Need your back in good shape for some pro gamer moves. Hmmm...but somehow, I get a feeling you don't want to be rescued from your adorable tormenter."

He would hate to hear that... being called cute... or anything positive.

And true, it's a wonderful way to go. But still, yeah, he needs a chance to stretch, raising his head enough to look around. "Is there toys or something to distract them? If I had my computer here I could use it as a laser point to try and get it off me." Hmm, could he do something with his wand? He had transferred the gem he normally has in his computer to a pen for today, it in a hidden pocket in his left sleeve, just in case he needed it. But still, they weren't supposed to use magic outside of the school, not really.

"I'm on the case!"

Setting his coffee and phone aside for now, Cater cranes around until his eye catches a few toys scattered around the play area. Getting up, he retrieves a ribbon toy and comes back to his space, dragging the end of toy across the toy in a slinking movement until the cat using Idia as her personal tree leaps off to capture it between her paws.

"Too cute!" Cater laughs, continuing to entertain the rambunctious ball of energy by flicking the ribbon here and there.

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