Heckin Inbox

[effortaverse]

I did in fact forget to make one of these. i'll find some cool code for this at some point. or make gem do it for me.

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[effortaverse]

[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.]

[broasis]

[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?

[caycay]

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.

[effortaverse]

[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!]

[broasis]

[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!!]

[caycay]

[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.]

[effortaverse]

...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!]

[broasis]

[He can feel the vibe being sucked out of the room and ughhhhh this is why he doesn't!! Say things!! That will make things more complicated!! Next time he's just gonna keep his big mouth shut.

In the end he still gets what he wants, sure. They can all go to the park together!! Yay!! But... at what cost? Cater has disengaged! He's bummed! Kalim's gotta fix it ASAP! He groans-- not unlike a zombie --and shuffles over to Cater to flop on top of him, resting his head on the other bunny's belly and snaking his arms around his waist.]

I knooow, you always have my back. And I really wanna have fun with you, too! [Can Cater really stay bummed at this face??] All kinds! Maybe even the freaky kind!

[...whatever that may entail, Kalim seems pretty willing to tackle it head-on and that's gotta count for something, right? He wiggles a little, casting a look over his shoulder to Leona.]

And if it ends up being a scam, then we can kick the scammers butts or something and have fun that way. How about that? [Best of both worlds! ...or something!]

[caycay]

[Kalim should be allowed to speak his mind whenever he pleases! He simply has the misfortune of being saddled with a couple of people really bad at expressing themselves in healthy and appropriate manners.

Anyway, Cater cannot stay bummed when Kalim is making those eyes at him. He peeks at him from around his phone, but chokes on an incredulous laugh at what he says.]

You gotta work on your phrasing, buddy. Don't think we'll be having any kind of freaky fun with each other. Buuuuut let's just see what we do get up to, yeah? I'm sure we'll have a great time!

[effortaverse]

[another sigh, and Leona leans his chin into his palm, bracing his elbow on his knee. it's kind of amusing, but he can't give either of them the validation of his laughter right now, alright.]

Hey, now, Cater. Don't go assumin' again.

Maybe Kalim does wanna get you in bed.

[listen if the boy's gonna insist he's old enough to talk about this and pull that shit on him and Cater, then this is where the conversation is going.]

[broasis]

[You can’t tell if his face is red if he’s hiding it in another guys stomach, right?

He does say something in reply but it’s too muffled to even be considered words. Try again later!]

[caycay]

Kalim gets both of us in bed every night.

[He'll pat a hand on Kalim's back, giving Leona the mildest of looks. C'mon, man.]

What'd you say? Didn't quite catch that, buddy.

[Try again now!]

[effortaverse]

[but Leona... leans more toward the other two. He didn't quite perfectly hear Kalim, but...]

Yeah, Kalim.

What were you saying?

[broasis]

[He does not move from his place… he simply points at Cater. Still, but slightly less muffled:]

What he said.

[caycay]

[Cater hums, thoughtful. They were working on not underestimating Kalim and letting him be an adult and yadda yadda...so, maybe he'll just go out and say it. Unscrewing those training wheels! Here we go!]

Yeah, but we're talking about taking someone into bed to do the no-pants dance, you feel me? Not the kind of bed-sharing we've been doing...

[effortaverse]

[once again reducing himself to peanut gallery;]

'no-pants' dance? That's what you're going with?

[broasis]

[He does giggle a little at the concept of a “no-pants dance”… he might have to add that to the list of dances he wants to master…]

Well, half of the work is done already, right? You’re already here, where my bed is, so… all we’d have to do is take our pants off. And then we dance?

[caycay]

I--

[Cater's about to say something to Leona when Kalim chimes in with his suggestion, and damn it now his cheeks are getting hot again. No, no more misunderstandings!]

I really thought that was a clear-cut way of being obvious without being explicit. Horizontal tango definitely does not get the point across. We're talking about having sex again, Kalim. Usually when you say you want to get freaky with someone that's what you mean.

[effortaverse]

[but that?

that gets Leona to start laughing. the question becomes—

which of these two is Leona laughing at, now?]

[broasis]

[huffs and sits up, looming over Cater now, wiggling his fingers in a most threatening manner.]

I knooooow! I was keeping up with the metaphor!!

[Launching an all-out assault on Cater's sides now with tickles!! Because how dare you assume!!!]

[caycay]

[Between the two of them, Cater lets out an indignant noise.]

You can't talk like you don't know if you actually know! It's confusing me!

[It is becoming completely incomprehensible what is and isn't understood at this point! He's trying to be considerate, not make assumptions! Stop bullying him!

But anyway he's being tickled now so his protesting cuts off abruptly as he starts thrashing instead.]

Stop! I yield! I'll go put myself in the naughty boys who assume corner!

[effortaverse]

[Through his laughter—]

Let him go, Asim.

The man's gonna combust if you make him think about this any harder.

[broasis]

Aww, but I was hoping for fireworks!

[Now straddling Cater's legs, he uses this lovely vantage point to assess the situation that is his bunny-buddy's rockin' body for a sec. When he chooses to shift the framing just a bit, he absolutely understands what about Cater and his boyish charm is supposed to be appealing. Which isn't to say this is a new perspective in any way-- Kalim always has seen it, but between professionalism and propriety and knowing what the future had in store for him as the next head of the Asim family... Well.

He's just never allowed himself the time to explore the whole picture.

Now that they're here... now that they're finally free from the expectations placed on them by all the bigger, more adultier adults in their lives... they're free to explore whatever they like, right?

Even if "whatever he likes" happens to also be one of his bestestest of friends...?

...right?]

I kinda wanna see what happens when he gets set off~!

[caycay]

[Wait, what? What, what, whaaaaat the fuck was happening, right now? What was that look Kalim was giving him? Like, he recognized it, which was the problem, because it was not one he expected to ever see on him, and definitely not toward him. He blinks quickly as his brain hydroplanes and crashes against the side of his skull.

Really fucking cool, Diamond. Your super cute friend wants to set you off after a very specific set of metaphors that he was apparently keeping up with very easily and you completely fumble.]

Am I being seduced right now? I am actually asking for you to spell it out for me.

[effortaverse]

[sorry, Cater, but Leona's lost all desire to help you. he is leaning forward almost comically, mouth not emoting to match all the wide-eyed interest he has going on.

oh this is like tv. like good tv.

unlike Cater, though, this isn't quite as world-shattering to Leona. he's been watching Kalim all these months, learning quite a bit about him, out from under Jamil's thumb.

this is actually moreso putting some puzzle pieces into place.]