[The night went well (if awkward) enough; the two chatting about games and movies and some of the major differences in the world between the time periods from whence they came, doing everything they can to avoid talking about how he is tiny and adorable(and she wants so badly to squish him.) Turns out there's a lot that's changed! And trying to take in all that knowledge was so much for poor Seras that she did eventually decide to call it a night and give both their tired little heads a rest. She put on a classic animated film (on VHS no less) to fall asleep to, made a tsum-sized nest of blankets on one side of her bed for the bean to sleep in. If she'd put just one more minute of thought into it, she may have opted to put him on the couch instead... Because if she had, it may have saved both of them the ensuing trauma.]
Mmn...
[Half asleep, the young vampire snuggles into the warmth of another body, mumbling something unintelligible against the space between his shoulder blades. Her brain is slowly starting up, triggered by a scent she doesn't recognize. Her eyelids flutter open with a curious hum, only to be greeted by a faceful of--
Blue fire?!]
Wh-- AAUGHHH!!? [She scrambles backwards out of the bed, reaching for the water on her bedside table and ripping the top off, spraying the contents of the bottle on (what she assumes is) the source of the fire-- the place where her new little friend was sleeping! When the fire doesn't completely go out (she missed-- she was a cop, not a firefighter, okay!?) she starts looking for a blanket to throw over the remaining flame, hoping to snuff it out in time to save her friend.]
O-oh no, oh no-- Idia!! [Please be okay, please be okay.]
[Idia's never had a sleepover, believe it or not, so he's only loosely familiar with what it entails. He and Ortho's dream, among many others, was always to be invited to play games at someone else's house. Who knew that dream would come true when both of them are dead? And the night is... well, he didn't expect to exchange so many words but it wasn't so bad after all. He doesnt besmirch the nest, though he is flustered at the idea of sharing a bed. But he's so sleepy by the end of the night that theres no energy to make a fuss with.
No small part of him goes to bed looking forward to next time. He wonders what games Seras would like, what would be best for 2 player co-op, if she'll take to them easily...
Before he knows it, he's slept the night through, dreaming of being enveloped by something warm. Blinking blearily ahead, he sees the TV static with a self-ejected VHS tape. Oh thats right, he thinks to himself. That old movie...
There's very little time to process this before he's being doused with water. He yells as she yells, sitting up straight in bed. A hand flies to his face and wipes at the water there, flicking it off hurriedly.]
Ah!! Wh-what's going on, what are you--?
[It's at this point that Idia realized that he's much higher up now, about how high he's used to being. Which is a good thing. But, carding a hand through his mane of (real, not felt!!) hair, he realizes that Seras is looking at him terrified, which is not a good thing.
He hasnt pieced together how very fucking exposed his torso is right now.]
[This is not what she expected the little stuffed toy to turn into. Sure he's the same colors and his voice is the same, but he's so.]
Idia...?
[Unable to take her eyes off of him, she reaches out to set the bottle back down on the nightstand. She misses, the plastic bouncing on the carpet and rolling under the bed to be reunited with it's similarly empty, similarly forgotten brethren, unbeknownst to her.]
A-ah-- you're. [On fire? So... delicate looking? Beautiful? In a full face of makeup before noon? ON FIRE???? Wait no, nothing is actually burning... Maybe his hair works like Fearless's does...] --!! Oh, my god! It worked! You're a person again!
[She's not worried at all about him being shirtless, men are shirtless around her all the time. This is nothing new. So she won't act like she's scandalized by seeing a flaming angel nipple.]
[It's not that he wasn't aware of how much he'd talked to Seras, how much they'd touched and made eye contact-- far from it. That was very keenly at the forefront of his mind at all times. But it feels starkly different, doing these same things with his normal body. He feels instantly on-edge but still. Oh my god what a relief.]
Ah! I-it worked! It really worked! Ha!
[Disbelieving laughter edges at his voice, raising his hands up from where they were clutching at the sheets to really look at them-- and there they are! Bony, long-fingered hands pale as you can get. Those are his alright! Now, when the sheet (the barest top sheet that was re-configured into a nest for him) drops out of his hand, he feels the way it falls against his skin. His... skin.
Re-focusing his eyes, Idia looks past the blur of his hands and finds that... he's naked as the day he was born. Ah....
With a hurried yelp, Idia grabs at the sheets, trying to scrap together some dignity.]
Wh-where are my-- [His eyes zero in on teeny tiny TsumTsum clothes on the sheet between them. Jesus.]
[Envy doesn't remember how he ended up with Idia's number but that's probably not super important bc either way Idia will receive a text-- not a DM! --from a number he may or may not recognize.]
keep ur musty dusty cheeto crusty mitts to yourself nerd
[Somehow in some way, Idia Shroud has left his room-- well. Seras' room, which is half of the "problem", as it happens. But he's being so brave about it. As prepared as he'll ever be, too, seeing that he's studied this menu top to bottom and navigated every customer photo of the interior as well as G*ogle indoor maps. If you slapped a napkin and a sharpie in front of him, Idia could draw the entire floor plan. Yes, he knows what's good here. Yes, he's practiced in hushed whispers in Seras' bathroom on how to say "oh, no water for me" and seem casual. Check his Ste*m, he's been logging some hours on "questions to ask the guy you're step-boyfriends with to make him tolerate you". This is as good as Idia Shroud is gonna get today.
Though, in spite of being invited, he's pressed himself against the wall, staring at his phone and praying for a cancelation text. Heaven has never been quite so kind to him, though, so why start now?
[Nanami is difficult to miss walking in, adjusting his cuffs and looking like he's moments from demanding to speak to a manager. Or maybe just take over as manager. He has an aura of determination over his normally serious exterior that is entirely due to his own nerve about the coming evening. He's wearing a nice suit, not a tuxedo but nicer than his average suit. Probably something Azul picked for him. This man is one monotone backdrop from being a luxury brand ad interrupting Idia's Y*uTube video.
And Idia isn't hard to spot either, the hair stands out immediately even if every other part of him wants to hide away. Nanami approaches and inclines his head in a soft, informal greeting.]
Thank you for agreeing to meet me. I hope you haven't been waiting long.
[Glances up at the menswear ad walking straight toward him, trying not to book it out of the nearest fire escape. Mentally hovering over "This Ad is not relevant to me" and instead chooses to brave this out. Idia clutches at his crossbody bag until the strap digs uncomfortably into the tender flesh of his palm. Deep. Breaths.
Idia nods in return.]
(This macho stuff is so not my style. What even is the way I'm moving right now? Get a grip, Idia. Put your hands in your pockets. God can this be over...)
Uh, yeah, no problem. I got here way early anyway, so...
(Aaah I got too anxious and overestimated how long it'd take to get here. Again. Always trust GPS! Computers never lie!)
[Nanami turns around and heads to the host desk where he tells the cherub his name and that he has a special reservation for the evening. He's probably exuding some of the intensity he is trying not to aim at Idia at this poor fluffy creature who squeaks as they lead the pair to private room in the back. There's a lovely attached garden and enough room for more people, even if they're not expecting anyone else. The cherub is gone again almost as soon as the door is open for them.]
[Nanami takes a seat with his back to the garden and lets Idia pick whichever spot he wants. That includes seats on the far end of the table from him, he's already prepared for Idia to want to keep his distance.]
You're welcome to order whatever you want, tonight. On me.
[Nanami hasn't prepared well enough that he doesn't have to look at the menu, but at least this way he's not staring at his dinner partner.]
Pulls his headphones away from one ear and listens. Squints. He probably should have had the foresight to install cameras or something but he's been preoccupied with-- oh forget that. Idia just sits there for a minute before. Standing. He's not gonna call out and look stupid because they probably just have the wrong room but. Well.
Stands to the side of the door and leeeeans over to look through the peep hole.]
He's not always here, so I'm glad I made sure to check this time....
[Maya doesn't actually know where Idia runs off to, though. Not really her business. She's confirmed he's here and ready for a steel samurai sesh, and has brought Cater along with her as a surprise.
She's ready to knock when she looks over her shoulder to Cater and asks;]
[Oh, he is so excited. Far too excited to see Idia here in the afterlife. His eyes are shining as he nods, lowering his voice.]
I really want him to be surprised, so if he asks who's there, you answer, okay?
[Because, in all honesty, if Idia realizes Cater is there before opening the door, it's very likely getting locked, bolted, and barricaded. Maya doesn't need to know that Cater's expecting that, though.
So, with a wink, he reaches around Maya to knock on the door.]
[Idia hears the knock an appropriate amount of time after the standard "on my way" text has been sent, so nothing stands out to him as odd about the situation. And why should it? It's Steel Samurai night, when everything is perfect and nothing hurts.
Instead of actually opening the door, Maya's phone gets a little notif--]
u here?
[That's, like, common courtesy! Every day Idia's grateful he didn't grow up in a time where people just showed up at your house unannounced. Then again... he didn't grow up in a time where anyone came to his house at all! Let's not split hairs about it.]
[if Maya'd had the forethought she might have, oh, you know, prefaced Idia with the fact that she, too, has been smacked with the Now I'm A Fish gene and isn't as kitty-cat as usual. Her forethought has instead been preoccupied with the fact it still is in fact fun to dunk on this guy.
She shows Cater the phone over her shoulder, too, grinning. This is probably a very predictable Idia move actually.]
[it's a little weird, having fallen into a routine with Idia. but for Fearless, the tension between them had resolved after challenging Idia to real about his feelings with Seras. even further still had Fearless's endearment toward Idia been assured after Idia's reaction to seeing Fearless fight.
see, getting critiqued on his form hadn't swayed Fearless one way or another. it was the idea that Idia even cared about things like that, that he could pay such attention. that he was endlessly considerate about some things, despite being so obtuse about others. it reminded him a lot of someone else, even if the shape of that personality was still different. and so Fearless had actually come to look forward to joining Idia in Seras's room routinely, crashing on Seras's bed for a few hours, ordering food, and sharing that food with Idia.]
Man, I'm glad you eat noodles,
[Fearless says, past a slurp. there is a huge chance he missed whatever Idia said before that, since he's been preoccupied with tasting Flavors.]
Japchae is the bomb.
I dunno why everybody doesn't just use bean starch noodles, man. Total cardboard-free flavor.
[It's. Nice, actually. It's good, this weird little routine. Idia feels lighter for it, being able to stretch that strategic, puzzle-solving muscle and see it pay off. Fearless gets better and better, that grin of his stretches wider. Even talking to the guy gets easier, like any strange energy is mostly behind them. Idia's shyness and reservations fall to the wayside, so slowly and surely that he doesn't even notice.
This, for example, would have been an impossible sight just a few months ago. He'd be hunched over himself trying to go back to his room to eat. Now-- well, Idia looks like he'll be comfortable in a minute. Right now, he's seeing if Poob has it.]
Legit. If it's not max flavor I don't want it.
But hey-- [He gestures to the screen, where he's rapidly cycling between two options, using the selection noises to get the Fearless' attention back.] Focus. Street Fighter II or The Animatrix?
[Either option would be epic, but he's particularly excited about this pick. Sometimes luck really is on your side. Idia starts rambling as he navigates over to Street Fighter II;]
Hehehe! You're gonna love this one. It's, like, way past cool. The fights are so epic, everyone's style is unique and accurate to the game's movesets. [Fearless has most definitely seen Seras and Idia playing SF together, they might be recognizable!] And-- no spoilers-- but the final battle is so sick. Total. Sakuga.
[Idia takes a seat beside Fearless, curling his legs up as he snatches his noodles from the to-go bag. Ever since Idia's been breaking down Fearless' fights they've had to be decently close to each other, so it's been a slow acclimation. Now he doesn't even seem to have a problem with it.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[THE NEXT MORNING]
Mmn...
[Half asleep, the young vampire snuggles into the warmth of another body, mumbling something unintelligible against the space between his shoulder blades. Her brain is slowly starting up, triggered by a scent she doesn't recognize. Her eyelids flutter open with a curious hum, only to be greeted by a faceful of--
Blue fire?!]
Wh-- AAUGHHH!!? [She scrambles backwards out of the bed, reaching for the water on her bedside table and ripping the top off, spraying the contents of the bottle on (what she assumes is) the source of the fire-- the place where her new little friend was sleeping! When the fire doesn't completely go out (she missed-- she was a cop, not a firefighter, okay!?) she starts looking for a blanket to throw over the remaining flame, hoping to snuff it out in time to save her friend.]
O-oh no, oh no-- Idia!! [Please be okay, please be okay.]
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No small part of him goes to bed looking forward to next time. He wonders what games Seras would like, what would be best for 2 player co-op, if she'll take to them easily...
Before he knows it, he's slept the night through, dreaming of being enveloped by something warm. Blinking blearily ahead, he sees the TV static with a self-ejected VHS tape. Oh thats right, he thinks to himself. That old movie...
There's very little time to process this before he's being doused with water. He yells as she yells, sitting up straight in bed. A hand flies to his face and wipes at the water there, flicking it off hurriedly.]
Ah!! Wh-what's going on, what are you--?
[It's at this point that Idia realized that he's much higher up now, about how high he's used to being. Which is a good thing. But, carding a hand through his mane of (real, not felt!!) hair, he realizes that Seras is looking at him terrified, which is not a good thing.
He hasnt pieced together how very fucking exposed his torso is right now.]
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...That's...
[This is not what she expected the little stuffed toy to turn into. Sure he's the same colors and his voice is the same, but he's so.]
Idia...?
[Unable to take her eyes off of him, she reaches out to set the bottle back down on the nightstand. She misses, the plastic bouncing on the carpet and rolling under the bed to be reunited with it's similarly empty, similarly forgotten brethren, unbeknownst to her.]
A-ah-- you're. [On fire? So... delicate looking? Beautiful? In a full face of makeup before noon? ON FIRE???? Wait no, nothing is actually burning... Maybe his hair works like Fearless's does...] --!! Oh, my god! It worked! You're a person again!
[She's not worried at all about him being shirtless, men are shirtless around her all the time. This is nothing new. So she won't act like she's scandalized by seeing a flaming angel nipple.]
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[It's not that he wasn't aware of how much he'd talked to Seras, how much they'd touched and made eye contact-- far from it. That was very keenly at the forefront of his mind at all times. But it feels starkly different, doing these same things with his normal body. He feels instantly on-edge but still. Oh my god what a relief.]
Ah! I-it worked! It really worked! Ha!
[Disbelieving laughter edges at his voice, raising his hands up from where they were clutching at the sheets to really look at them-- and there they are! Bony, long-fingered hands pale as you can get. Those are his alright! Now, when the sheet (the barest top sheet that was re-configured into a nest for him) drops out of his hand, he feels the way it falls against his skin. His... skin.
Re-focusing his eyes, Idia looks past the blur of his hands and finds that... he's naked as the day he was born. Ah....
With a hurried yelp, Idia grabs at the sheets, trying to scrap together some dignity.]
Wh-where are my-- [His eyes zero in on teeny tiny TsumTsum clothes on the sheet between them. Jesus.]
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CW for cyberbullying and eventual but probably unsurprising death threats...im so sorry
keep ur musty dusty cheeto crusty mitts to yourself nerd
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done ez
[clearly thats got nothing to do with him]
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good so youll stay away from azul, glad we're on the same page. <3
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are we even talking about the same thing?
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[action] nanami and idia's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad not!date
Though, in spite of being invited, he's pressed himself against the wall, staring at his phone and praying for a cancelation text. Heaven has never been quite so kind to him, though, so why start now?
...
Well, he did it. He's here. Can he go home now?]
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And Idia isn't hard to spot either, the hair stands out immediately even if every other part of him wants to hide away. Nanami approaches and inclines his head in a soft, informal greeting.]
Thank you for agreeing to meet me. I hope you haven't been waiting long.
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Idia nods in return.]
(This macho stuff is so not my style. What even is the way I'm moving right now? Get a grip, Idia. Put your hands in your pockets. God can this be over...)
Uh, yeah, no problem. I got here way early anyway, so...
(Aaah I got too anxious and overestimated how long it'd take to get here. Again. Always trust GPS! Computers never lie!)
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[Nanami turns around and heads to the host desk where he tells the cherub his name and that he has a special reservation for the evening. He's probably exuding some of the intensity he is trying not to aim at Idia at this poor fluffy creature who squeaks as they lead the pair to private room in the back. There's a lovely attached garden and enough room for more people, even if they're not expecting anyone else. The cherub is gone again almost as soon as the door is open for them.]
[Nanami takes a seat with his back to the garden and lets Idia pick whichever spot he wants. That includes seats on the far end of the table from him, he's already prepared for Idia to want to keep his distance.]
You're welcome to order whatever you want, tonight. On me.
[Nanami hasn't prepared well enough that he doesn't have to look at the menu, but at least this way he's not staring at his dinner partner.]
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backdated nebulously to February
There are more knocks on Idia's window.
God damn, someone just keeps knocking on Idia's window...]
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If only there were some other way! To get in!]
1/2
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Pulls his headphones away from one ear and listens. Squints. He probably should have had the foresight to install cameras or something but he's been preoccupied with-- oh forget that. Idia just sits there for a minute before. Standing. He's not gonna call out and look stupid because they probably just have the wrong room but. Well.
Stands to the side of the door and leeeeans over to look through the peep hole.]
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BEFORE CATER'S PARTY time literally isn't real in heavell
He's not always here, so I'm glad I made sure to check this time....
[Maya doesn't actually know where Idia runs off to, though. Not really her business. She's confirmed he's here and ready for a steel samurai sesh, and has brought Cater along with her as a surprise.
She's ready to knock when she looks over her shoulder to Cater and asks;]
You wanna do the honors?
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I really want him to be surprised, so if he asks who's there, you answer, okay?
[Because, in all honesty, if Idia realizes Cater is there before opening the door, it's very likely getting locked, bolted, and barricaded. Maya doesn't need to know that Cater's expecting that, though.
So, with a wink, he reaches around Maya to knock on the door.]
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Instead of actually opening the door, Maya's phone gets a little notif--]
u here?
[That's, like, common courtesy! Every day Idia's grateful he didn't grow up in a time where people just showed up at your house unannounced. Then again... he didn't grow up in a time where anyone came to his house at all! Let's not split hairs about it.]
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[if Maya'd had the forethought she might have, oh, you know, prefaced Idia with the fact that she, too, has been smacked with the Now I'm A Fish gene and isn't as kitty-cat as usual. Her forethought has instead been preoccupied with the fact it still is in fact fun to dunk on this guy.
She shows Cater the phone over her shoulder, too, grinning. This is probably a very predictable Idia move actually.]
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1/2
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at some point idk when
see, getting critiqued on his form hadn't swayed Fearless one way or another. it was the idea that Idia even cared about things like that, that he could pay such attention. that he was endlessly considerate about some things, despite being so obtuse about others. it reminded him a lot of someone else, even if the shape of that personality was still different. and so Fearless had actually come to look forward to joining Idia in Seras's room routinely, crashing on Seras's bed for a few hours, ordering food, and sharing that food with Idia.]
Man, I'm glad you eat noodles,
[Fearless says, past a slurp. there is a huge chance he missed whatever Idia said before that, since he's been preoccupied with tasting Flavors.]
Japchae is the bomb.
I dunno why everybody doesn't just use bean starch noodles, man. Total cardboard-free flavor.
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This, for example, would have been an impossible sight just a few months ago. He'd be hunched over himself trying to go back to his room to eat. Now-- well, Idia looks like he'll be comfortable in a minute. Right now, he's seeing if Poob has it.]
Legit. If it's not max flavor I don't want it.
But hey-- [He gestures to the screen, where he's rapidly cycling between two options, using the selection noises to get the Fearless' attention back.] Focus. Street Fighter II or The Animatrix?
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Heads for Streetfighter.
[it's an easy way to pick, after all. a flip, then he snatches it out of the air and slaps it against the back of his opposite palm.]
Aaaand, Streetfighter it is.
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[Either option would be epic, but he's particularly excited about this pick. Sometimes luck really is on your side. Idia starts rambling as he navigates over to Street Fighter II;]
Hehehe! You're gonna love this one. It's, like, way past cool. The fights are so epic, everyone's style is unique and accurate to the game's movesets. [Fearless has most definitely seen Seras and Idia playing SF together, they might be recognizable!] And-- no spoilers-- but the final battle is so sick. Total. Sakuga.
[Idia takes a seat beside Fearless, curling his legs up as he snatches his noodles from the to-go bag. Ever since Idia's been breaking down Fearless' fights they've had to be decently close to each other, so it's been a slow acclimation. Now he doesn't even seem to have a problem with it.]
This one's mine, right?
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