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"Are you sure you wana ride that thing? Wouldn't you prefer to test it out virtually first?" Idia asks, his gaze lingering on you as you sit on the Blastcycle he made...for fun.
He didn't see the point in riding these things. Sure, tinkering with them and making them from scratch was thrilling, but taking a ride on it? Yeah, no. It has to be just as bad, if not worse, than flying. Okay, maybe he can see the appeal just a bit. Anime characters look so cool when they drift dramatically onto the scene just in time or when the main character went on a drive with the sun setting in the background.
It's so cringey that he imagines himself doing that for you. Ugh. At this rate, he's going to end up like a real normie. Gross.
"That's different," you argue. You let your fingers glide across the machine while balancing on it. "I can't feel the wind in my hair or the motor- it does use one, right?"
"If you want a simulation of the real thing, I can make it in a snap." He grins, full of pride. And you believe him. "Yeah, I guess in your case. Magic is supposed to power it, but you can be basic and go without it." A pause as he pulls his hands together. "I-If you need me to power it with my magic I can."
"Really?!" Your eyes widen and you smile. "Than-"
"Prefect!"
Idia jumps as he hears another voice, one that isn't Ortho or Grim's. He's quick to hide behind you to avoid any sort of interaction. So much for having some alone time out in the fields. Normal people wouldn't be out here while the sun is setting. While Idia would have preferred coming out in the dead of night, even he knows the roaring sound of this machine could wake the heaviest of sleepers.
"Hey, Deuce!" You wave to your friend as he approaches.
The first year comes to a halt in front of you. If it weren't for Idia's flickering flames, he may not have noticed him.
"Oh, uh, hello, Idia! Sorry, I didn't see you there."
"I wish you hadn't..." You hear him mumble. You reach out behind and put a soothing hand on his shoulder, rubbing him gently.
He's grateful for the comfort and glad that one of your more...calmer friends approached. Well, somewhat calm. As long as he didn't activate his delinquent mode then Deuce wasn't too bad on his own. As long as that other extrovert isn't tagging along with him, he may just survive this encounter.
"What brings you out here? I thought you had to study per Riddle's rules?"
"I do..." He sighs. "But I started to get a headache and decided to take a walk. Clear my head a bit, ya know? But hey, I didn't know you had a Blastcycle." Deuce eyes the machine more than he does you. A part of him feels like he has to apologize for giving it more attention than his friend, but could you blame him?
"Is it a new model?" His eyes are filled with childlike wonder and awe. You can tell that he just wants to reach out and touch it, grasp the handles and take it for a spin. It's taking all his might to simply keep his hands at bay instead of touching this priceless piece of machinery.
"No? Kind of? It's homemade." You point to Idia, who flinches as the conversation switches to him. "He made it."
"Idia made this?!" Deuce gasps. "Ignihyde is known for its technical powers, huh? It looks even better than the latest model..."
"Right?!" You chirp, leaning forward and nearly sliding off the vehicle. As you steady yourself, you continue, "I don't know too much about Blastcycles, but I saw Idia put the whole thing together on his own! Not even Ortho helped him out. It's like he knew the machine like the back of his hand! He even said he added some new thrusters! This thing even has some magic energy saver, which is cool to! You know, I bet if Idia made me one that I could use I'd beat all the magic riders." You say with a bright and confident grin. "You included, Deuce."
"Is that a challenge?" He says, getting excited by the prospect of a friendly fight.
"Hmph. They'd definitely beat you," Idia mumbles, not expecting Deuce to hear him. He retreats into his hoodie when their eyes meet and turn so his back faces him.
"Whatever Idia makes, I know it will be better than anything else." This time your voice loses that bit of fight, going softer. "He's just cool, ya know? Smart and pretty. I'd trust in whatever he makes me."
A part of Deuce melts at how sweet you can be towards your boyfriend. Of course, he still thinks he could win in a match against you, but he also knows that he shouldn't doubt his senior's skills. Even if said senior is hiding in his hoodie and trying to hide that fleeting pink hair of his within it.
"Do ya think I could test it out sometime?" Deuce asks to take his attention off Idia.
Now, you turn to look at him. You're not too surprised to find him hiding from the conversation, though you had expected him to throw in an answer.
"I'll ask him later." You say to your friend. "I can get him to say yes, don't worry," you add with a grin.
Deuce's eyes light up once more. He then clears his throat and stands tall to act as if he was never offered a golden opportunity.
"Thanks, Prefect!" Now he's excited. Then it dawns on him that he's out here for a reason. And now he's probably third-wheeling a date. Should he apologize now or just go? He isn't quite sure, but he decides on the latter. "And, uh, thanks for talking. I'm going to head back to my dorm now," a sigh. "Or it'll be off with my head..."
As you wave to your friend, you pray that he'll survive his study session. It's not his strongest point, but you do want him to do his best. Once left alone, you turn your attention back to Idia. While he may not have been active in the conversation, you always checked up on him after a hard encounter.
"You okay?" You ask as you slide off the Blastcycle and stand beside him. He seems okay compared to earlier as he's not too hunched over, but he still grips his hoodie and keeps it pulled down. And that's worrying.
Until you see his pink flames. A tendril of once-blue hair seeps from his hoodie. He couldn't conceal all of his lengthy hair no matter how hard he tried.
"Wh-Why do you talk like that...?" He asks, lifting his head so your eyes can meet. You find that his cheeks are colored the same as his hair.
"What do you mean?"
"So...lovey-dovey. It's cheesier than those Markhall movies."
"Do you not want me to do that?" You frown.
You adored talking about Idia, especially with Ortho. The younger Shroud was happy to have someone who could appreciate his amazing older brother. But sometimes, you slipped. Like today with Deuce. At least your friend didn't seem to mind the way you spoke about him, although to be fair others would be. You're just thankful it was Deuce who dropped by and not Ace. You didn't want to hear him fake gag over your love.
"I could dial it down a bit if you want."
"N-No! I just..." He releases his hold on his hoodie, fumbling with his hands as he tries to figure out what to say. "No one really hypes me up aside from Ortho...A-And hearing it come from you is like a dream...! They're like super special voice lines I should have recorded..." He's desperately trying to hide that toothy smile of his. You know he dislikes it, meanwhile, you found it charming.
"It's all true, you know," you nudge him with your shoulder. "You're the coolest person I've met. The best one too. Should I list all your wonderful attributes?"
"D-Do you seriously want me to KO here and now?!"
Another laugh escapes you. "I'd rather you stay conscious. So, I'll keep it for another time." You lean towards him to give him a quick peck on the cheek. If you couldn't kill him with your kindness, you would with your love.
Idia burns even more with that display of affection. At least no one, aka Deuce, is around to see it. He loves what you do to him, but at the same time, he feels as if his heart can't keep up.