effortaverse | Heckin Inbox

...And that's why I asked.

[he's. kind of shaking, though. like maybe even Leona is having trouble not laughing at that.]

Is it some other kind of dance club, then?

[A thoughtful pout while he continues to ponder the answer, whether or not they're gonna help him out. Despite his role as advisor, Jamil usually leaves Kalim in his mind palace to think critically on his own just like this... which is sometimes dangerous, but unfortunately necessary.

It just also sometimes leads to things like this. He has answers, but not all of them can be correct, can they?]

What else do people do with hookah?

[Hoo boy. Okay. He's under control, he's a paragon of chill. Cater runs a hand through his hair as he catches his breath, and looking from Leona to Kalim...yeah, he's gonna have to be the one to say it, huh? It was what he deserved, since he was planning on enabling Kalim in the first place. He could admit that much.]

It's, like, a sex thing. Bondage and submission. I don't think you'd be into it.

[Probably...probably not? Kalim struck Kalim as someone who would have very soft preferences. But, hey, people could surprise you.]

I think the hookah is unrelated.

I hope the hookah's unrelated...

[Leona's relegating himself to 'peanut gallery' for a moment, content that Cater is indeed accepting his punishment without being asked to.]

I'm sure there's plenty of things more your speed upstairs, Kalim.

[as he is assuming along with Cater that Kalim is far too repressed for sex, let alone bondage. his caretaker is Jamil, for pete's sake.]

[...blinking slowly while all of that processes...]

Oh...

[Did the gem in the center of his halo glow just then? Like he just had an idea? It's probably a trick of the light...]

Oh! Bondage! Like the mummy costumes Octavinelle did for Halloween last year. Iiii... don't think I have anything like that in my closet, but we could probably go shopping beforehand, right?

[It seems "sex" was not one of the words that processed and he did, indeed, only latch onto the words he does understand... Sorry guys.]

[Like the...like the mummy costumes for Halloween...]

Close! You've...got the right idea!

[Definitely a start. Cater wasn't sleeping on those leather chest cages. Delicious. But, anyway. He is a cool and collected senpai. He is not going to lose it laughing again. He is determined.]

I don't think they'd mind if you didn't dress full leather baby, but probs would be good to tone down the angel vibes in general if we're going places in Hell.

[The bigger question here, now that sex aspect was outright stated and Kalim glossed over it so easily...was this really a wise decision? Cater was confident he could keep Kalim out of trouble, he really was, but would this be, like, mentally damaging to virgin eyes?

He'd been dead for, what, close to half a year now? He had to learn sometime, right? Okay, Cater. Full send.]

I think we're all more-or-less on the same page, at this point. When're we going? We'll call it a boy's day!

[Leona, however, is staring at Cater like Cater has just said something absurd.]

...He's got a permanent glowstick around his head, Diamond.

How do you tone that down?

[wait a second]

— and there was nothing right about the idea he got!

[Listen, there's a certain level of underestimation from others Kalim shoots for on the regular (he has his reasons, okay) and this is actually so far below that threshold, he's wondering if maybe he should be... insulted??

Is that what this feeling is? Has he been insulted???

He was really going to let them just see for themselves how well he could acclimate to a more mature atmosphere, but Leona's reaction has somehow managed to rub him the wrong way and now he's gotta say something.]

Look, I-- [Nngh.] I know that I'm not all that smart. And my attention span is... lacking. And I can't always read the room! But--

[Smacking his hands down on his knees and sitting up straight, puffing out his chest. His little bean brows are furrowed tight above ruby red eyes filled to the brim with burning determination.] But I wasn't born yesterday!

I'm not a little kid! I've been to hell! I know what's down there!

[Oh...ouch. Even if Kalim's self-assessment isn't exactly wrong, there's still something that makes Cater wince internally at hearing him say those things about himself. His teasing, jovial attitude evens out into something a bit more serious as he reaches over to plop a hand on his head, between those big ol' ears.]

Hey, I get it.

[Kalim was definitely sheltered, but there were also things that he'd experienced most people didn't have to. Really serious things. Of course Kalim had some kind of understanding of more mature aspects of reality.

...Even if it still felt weird imagining Kalim in a sex club.

He glances over to Leona.]

It's not like either of us doesn't want him getting new life experiences. I'm serious, I'll tone myself down. No benders. If things get too freaky, we can leave.

[Leona's in a similar boat. it's... weird, hearing it from Kalim, and it's also weird to confront being a little incorrect. he's still not sure that it's a place Kalim actually wants to be at.]

Still can't turn off the halo,

[he mutters, sitting up to get crosslegged and resting an arm on his knee.]

I don't get what's in this for you, Asim.

What's the big deal about goin' to a hell park, anyway?

[he gets why cater's going ok]

[Huff. His head lowers with the hand placed upon it, ears drooping before flattening against his head. Normally this encouraging sort of comfort is fine, welcomed even, but right now it just makes him feel...

Well, like everybody thinks he's a baby!]

"Tone yourself down"?? Why would you have to--

[Ohh... Cater is admitting that he'd have to restrict or restrain himself from having as much fun as he'd like. That's the long and the short of that, isn't it? Damn. The very idea crushes Kalim's dancing soul. The whole idea is the antithesis of the world Kalim has endeavored to create, and if something about his presence at a place like that could ruin the amount of fun Cater could be having... Well. Either he has to keep up, or stay out of the way, right?

Man, this sucks.

Leona butts in with that too-casual line of questioning and it earns a deeper furrowing of the bunny's brow, along with a barely visible prickling of his hackles beneath Cater's hand.]

That's a good question, Leona! What is the big deal about going to a hell park? Why are you guys acting like it's "too much" for me or something?

[Oh, no. They were absolutely making things worse, weren't they? Cater hesitates--because he's never seen Kalim get quite like this. He takes a deep breath, retracting his hand and sitting up a little straighter. Okay, no more dancing around it, then.]

Because around the thrill rides, the whole thing is probably going to be one big orgy--literal. I don't want to see you get uncomfortable when you're expecting one thing just to find out that it's something completely different.

[He wasn't going to speak for Leona, though he was sure the sentiment was similar if not exactly the same. And Leona was certainly not going to sugarcoat anything, if he did express himself.]

[Leona's fairly taken aback, too, not rwally expecting this reaction— but Cater covers pretty much anything he could say, and as he thinks, much less harsh. so even though he doesn't speak for Leona—]

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

You don't have anything to prove just by goin' somewhere everyone else wants to go.

[he is absolutely completely misreading Kalim's wishes here, though.]

I'm not gonna be uncomfortable! [Probably! And even if he was, he'd FIGURE IT OUT!!] I want to go with you guys because it sounds like it would be a fun thing to do together!

[The more they talk the more aware he's becoming of how little they trust him and his ability to be a normal, functioning (young)adult male. Liek sure, yes, he's inexperienced, yes he's got a lot to catch up to compared to these guys (apparently) but he's still a guy!!! It's not like he's completely unaware of people's needs-- his own included --but this whole ordeal has made him sure that what he's been seeing these past couple of weeks has to be the truth...

Maybe this isn't about them thinking he's too stupid and childish to know what sex is, maybe it's That Other Thing.

He sighs, exhaling all his tension in an attempt to bring himself down a notch. It's not like he wants them to think he's angry at them or anything, after all.]

But if this is all just because you two would rather go together, without me, you can also just say that.

Dude, seriously, I...

[He's about to go on some sort of reassurance pipeline about how he really does want to have a good time with Kalim, and he does think that he will, and he didn't mean to make Kalim feel like a kid because he does want to empower him and it's just that he's maybe a little bit uncomfortable with the idea of himself--

But then Kalim comes up with this new secret surprise idea about why they're trying to discourage him or change his mind and he practically wheezes.]

Wait...what? That literally isn't a thing?

[He had not even considered the idea that he and Leona would go to Lust Themepark together. No, if anything, he wanted to go by himself where nobody could see him make very stupid choices.]

Why would you even think that?

Edited 2025-06-03 03:43 (UTC)

[meanwhile, Leona looks around the room as though he is trying to find the secret fourth person who is supposed to be a part of "you two", but Cater goes ahead and solidifies the assumption that yeah Kalim is talking about Cater and Leona here.

...And so Leona just lets Cater have the question, not adding anything.]

Well, it has to be something!

It's either that I'm interrupting something important again or you guys actually think I don't know what sex is and think I wouldn't have fun being around people who are maybe having it!

Which is silly! It's all silly!

Of course I think you know what sex is! But there's also literally nothing silly about not wanting to be around other people fucking while you're trying to have a fun time at an amusement park with friends!

[Cater's voice might have tapered off into a squeak by the end of that one. Interrupting something?]

And what do you mean again?! Since when has anything important happened for you to be interrupting?!

[Leona, too, keeps his eyes as wide as saucers, looking between Kalim and Cater. This. this isn't a conversation that has to be happening, right? Leona looks away from them both. there is one thing he can remember that Kalim could have been around to see.

...no, that's okay, fight on by yourself, Cater. Leona still says nothing.]

[Looking between the two of them like are they serious right now??????]

Ever since the party! You guys have been acting...! I don't know? Weird?

[He isn't crazy, right? He knows he saw what he saw!]

Unless you guys have always been like this and I just hadn't noticed til you were sleeping in my room all the time?

The party?

[Cater's eyes snap over to Leona, imagining at once two very particular moments that happened that night. Damn it, his face is turning red.]

We're not acting weird. We've just never spent this much time together, before, so it's understandable that the dynamic would seem a bit different.

[Leona, meanwhile, is avoiding eye contact with everyone. his face isn't a giant, readble sign like Cater's, but his tail sure is fidgeting.

...Calmly, quietly, he tries to redirect, denying nothing.]

...I never said you couldn't go, Kalim. I just wanted to know for sure you know what you're getting into.

[see? we don't have to talk about that other bit!]

[Wait...

Was he really on to something?

Cater's complexion is betraying him and Leona pivoted so fast Kalim's amazed he didn't get whiplash. It's not like he expected either of them to cop to this ridiculous accusation but... those responses aren't really helping their case either.]

Yeah, ha. I guess that's true... [He chuckles, scratching at the back of his neck. Man.] Hadn't really thought about it like that.

[Even if he doesn't really believe that at all... He shouldn't push it. They've been fussing over his comfort this whole time, the least he can do is put forth some effort to make sure they're comfortable, too. No matter how much it's burning him up to stick to the sidelines on this, if they really wanted him to be a part of it, they'd probably say so. It helps, though, having a better understanding of what they really thought about him this whole time... Explains a lot, really. Can't blame them for not wanting that guy to catch on to whatever this is supposed to be.

He purses his lips for a long, thoughtful moment, his gaze tracing the pattern woven into the massive rug spread beneath them as he considers the best path from here.]

I know, Leona. And I promise I'm gonna be fine. [Stretching his leggies out in front of him with a light-hearted little laugh.] And hey, you don't have to worry about chaperoning me or anything! I can just go to the places I think look fun and you guys can do whatever you want to do! [Compromises are cool!! Isn't that basically how it worked at Playful Land anyway?? Also totally not implying that he still thinks the two of them should get to go do things together or anything!!]

[Cater is very, very happy to take the out. Leona has redirected the conversation, and Kalim seems to have accepted it. Except, he's still sort of trying to push them into spending time alone together, apparently. Cater takes a breath, re-settling himself. Fine, this was all fine. What was important was not whatever was happening between him and Leona but making sure they didn't give Kalim some kind of complex.]

I want to go and have fun with you, Kalim. I was, like, already on board to do that. I think the things you've pointed out as fun are fun.

[This whole everything felt so weird, now. Buzz = killed.]

All things considered--if you'd be happier this time on your own, I'll step off for reals. I'm chill with all of us doing our own thing, too.

[He will be incredibly worried the entire time! And be very tempted to have a Split Card tail him! But, yeah, if Kalim legitimately felt like he was being smothered, Cater was not about contributing to that. Flopping backward, Cater pulls out his phone.]

Edited 2025-06-03 07:13 (UTC)

...Am I the only one who thinks this whole park sounds like a scam?

[he really is in the minority here, isn't he? Leona's the only one who'd be fine not going.

...but even he doesn't actually want to ruin the mood. especially when they're not going to get expelled from anywhere. no greater expulsion than being a fucking corpse.]

Fine. We'll all go to the damn theme park.

[which is a bit contrary to what Cater said but he did not ask!]

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