flameinthedarkness

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.

"Ugghhh! TY!" Once given the chance Idia puts his cup down so he can stretch, linking his fingers overhead as he stretches his arms up, leaning back to stretch his back as well. He may slouch a lot, but he also knows how to stretch. Need it after long computer sessions. A bit of an 'ahhhhhh' out with that stretch. "Don't realize how heavy they are until they, like, pressing your neck down."

It's easy to get lost in how absurdly cute these cats are. Fortunately for Cater, Michi makes a leap for the ribbon as well, and this results in the two cats playing together instead of the toy at all. This frees him up to totally eyeball Idia as he stretches out, admiring his long neck.

He's just gonna sip at his coffee, definitely not having any wandering thoughts.

"Gotta be, what, a twenty pound average or so? Well, you took it like a champ," he offers with a teasing chuckle.

Idia doesn't even consider that; he's so used to being hidden in his oversized hoodie, plus just the idea of anyone looking at him with any form of interest. A bit more of a stretch and a few cracks, "Ow." But yeah, better, Idia relaxing again, but also making sure not to be too inviting to be climbed on again. He leans back on a hand behind him, the other reaching for one of those snacks to try.

Then a 'pffttt' to answer that. "Any more and it would snap my neck." Yeah, he knows he's on the slim side, like the super slim side, he doesn't care, a small bite at that snack to test it.

"RIP Idia Shroud, I barely knew ye...a one hit KO by cat, hitting you with the gg ez. We'll all press F to pay respects." Cater puts his hands in front of him in a praying motion, nodding his head forward...and then breaks back out into a grin as he relaxes with his coffee. "How is it? I tried to go for one that wasn't crazy sweet, but I'm still a little hesitant to try it."

"Rather it be by a catgirl or catboy..." Idia mutters as he nibbles away on the snack. Then a pause as he realized he said that. Then, "OMG..." Ughhh, did he really just say that...? "I said that out loud... didn't I?"

Eh, fuck it. Looking to the snack then back to Cater. "Hmmm, it's good, it's not like super sweet, but... well, might be still for you." A pause before adding, "I'll treat you to, like, spicy ramen later."

"You did! You totally did!" He's laughing hard, he can't help it, but there's no real mockery behind it. Hey, good to know what Idia might be weak to. Maybe he should don some cat ears and put him in a headlock, someday. He's still giggling, but it subsides as Idia offers to treat him.

"You sure? I don't mind treating. All of this was my idea, after all." Not like he's going to insist on paying for everything, but he doesn't want Idia to regret wasting money on something that he's not enjoying.

"It's fine, you did this after all..." All because Idia was having a panic attack... and almost ruined everything. "Feels right to balance this all too..." He would feel a little bad if Cater covered everything.

"Unless you're trying to impress me with your leet streamer madol." Some light teasing back at Cater.

Enjoying Idia's ability to banter back, knowing it means that he's feeling way more comfortable, Cater feigns shock. "You caught me--how did you know?"

His little foam cat is starting to deflate, so he takes a stronger drink of his coffee before continuing. "If anything, I'm trying to impress you with my amazing date-planning ability. On a scale of 1 to 10, how wooed are you?"

Idia smiles as Cater shoots that back at him, then... that smile slipping away... before actually considering the question.

"Well... since I never been on a date before... not much to go by... though if going by dating games, that's going to be tougher to compare to." Idia starts to answer. "That at least comes with multiple choice to make it easier." Semi joking, semi not. But still, starting to answer that with him looking down at his hand, before forcing himself to look up to Cater. "It ah... it's been fun, so far, yeah, doing well with the, ah... 'wooing'." A slight blush to his face as he finished that, nerves giving out and having to glance to the side to get through it.

Even though he’d asked in such a joking manner…it’s not like Cater didn’t really feel that way. Maybe impress wasn’t the right word, but he did want Idia to have a good time. Wanted this to not just be a one-off thing. So, he listens intently as Idia mumbles about dating sims—it’s so dorky and cute.

“Good,” he declares at the verdict. “I’ll keep it up, then.”

The seriousness makes him blush a little too, so to lighten the mood again he adds a playful, “still plenty of time to put my arm around you while feigning a yawn.”

OMG Cater... "Going to have to wait until the bus back at this rate." Idia can't believe he's still on that.

...he's not really going to do that... is he? Should... should Idia be prepared for it? Or worried? Or... something? Then again... they had held hands here, but that was because he was in a panic... but still... Idia shoving the rest of the snack into his mouth before scooping up his cup, bringing it up to his face to hide behind it as much as it would allow him to.

"I'll get you when you least expect it," he assures with the confidence of someone who clearly knows what he's doing. Even though, you know, he's already admitted that this is a first for him, too. "Perfect timing for peak romance."

Okay, even he feels a little embarrassed at all the blatant talk of, well, intentions and clears his throat as he focuses on his coffee. "Okay," he murmurs from into his own cup, "I'll cut it out with the cringe as long as I can stand."

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