IKAG Study Session

Another one of the million threads on putting these two characters together, this time about a study session. Set sometime after the Cards and Board Games story, when Conner sees Amelia as an official rival but isn't always 'on' 100% of the time about it.

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Everyone is receiving their scores for essays they handed to the teacher. Girl students around Amelia's desk, sucking up to her and all the work she does and still managing to get good grades. She waits for some response or outburst from Conner but he keeps quiet.
Amelia smugs it up, showing her paper [85] and offering to tutor Conner on future schoolwork [as a pretense to study with him alone]. Conner nonchalantly/without thinking holds up his own paper [92] and says "Nah, I'm good, thanks."

Amelia after regaining her composure: "How did you get a high grade? I thought you were flunking classes, mister!"
Conner: "That's Hero Practical. This was for Hero Technical. I always bone up on this stuff."
Amelia decides to be shameless and drop some bait. "...hmm! I guess you'll have to be the one tutoring me, then." No response. She tries again. "That wasn't a joke, you know. I'd like to improve my score on the next paper." "Mid-80 is plenty enough, though."
Hayleigh cuts in: "Think about it! It means you'll be able to study together. Just the two of you. Alone."
Conner, a little too loudly: "You're not funny."

Conner reactively stonewalls Hayleigh a lot of the time, especially if she's looking to embarrass him socially. In his mind she made the implication to undermine him further; Amelia is a student councillor with high standards and very popular in the class, while he's at best a lowly rival and at worst an E-grade nuisance. He doesn't think he's in the wrong. Meanwhile Hayleigh is about to scowl and Amelia is vibrating in her seat.

Conner at his apartment, annoyed at the scene staying in his head, blaming Hayleigh. He likes the idea of being with "Ams" even if its just to study; he assumes she won't be as much of a nuisance there, compared to playing sports.
Doorbell - it's Hayleigh, Rudy and Amelia. Hayleigh makes her leave [and takes Rudy even as he objects]. Amelia says she's there to study -

Conner: "Study for what?"
Amelia: "We have an upcoming exam in Hero Technical."
Conner: "...that's two months away."
Amelia: "Well, then it's better to get a head start on our revision."
Conner: "Couldn't you ask someone else?"
Amelia: "You had the highest grade of everyone in class. I thought you'd be grateful having the opportunity to teach someone."
Seems like the initial C/A meeting with the handcuffs, where Amelia has an answer for every line of inquiry. Conner once again not happy about not being in control.

Amelia has a loaded backpack, she sets it on the table in the living room, having prepared an advanced plan for the evening. Amelia taking out some minced beef and buns, steaks, vegetables for a curry etc etc; puts an apron on and commandeers the stove. Conner confused as he normally cooks for himself, and cooks for one. He doesn't seem thrilled about the food choices either; Amelia is magnamious and offers to settle for takeout, but Conner decides Ams can cook her own meal and he'll have salad. Mild confusion - this wasn't in Amelia's plan. Conner eats mostly vegetarian. More confusion. A difference in taste. Amelia remembers Conner and her eating lunch at the school cafeteria when they were handcuffed together - a burger and salad respectively - but she assumed it was just a bit he was doing for a reaction. The two began to bicker already.

Change of plans; Amelia escorts Conner to the living room table. They'll hit the books and settle for sandwiches and drinks. Amelia offering to prepare the food still - she's the guest, so she should be polite and helpful. Conner declines - Amelia's the guest, so she should be polite and waited on by the residents. Amelia pouting and acting out of character, wanting to cater and help for the evening. Conner really not happy being chauffered, about to say he didn't really plan on having her around and doesn't want her to be her 'normal taking-over-and-beating-everyone-at-everything self'. Conner is interrupted by a sardonic text from Hayleigh - he starts thinking of how his step-siblings try to calm him down and act as his shoulder angels [fallen-angel Hayleigh]. He sits at the table.

Amelia catches her first glimpse of Conner's phone here and seems puzzled/shocked - it's a $20 brick. Not even a flipphone, let alone a smartphone.

Conner thinking of expies of the great rivals that might not exist in this setting - Holmes and Moriarty; the Jets and the Sharks; Godzilla and King Kong; Pokemon trainers Blue and Red.
Amelia beaming, saying the sandwiches are ready.
Conner: "(This doesn't feel like how it's supposed to go.)"

Conner asking what happened to the Amelia he knew who sat at the computer desk and frowned all day. Amelia, quietly confident, moving the plates and books around: "She's still here."

The driving point of Amelia's plan - being shameless for the evening, pretending to not know facets of the course and asking questions, getting Conner to teach her, take the leading role so he can feel validated ["wow you're so smart, I never would have understood this without you helping, you're such a good teacher"]. This way he's distracted from possibly planning a stupid scheme at home, and might even be encouraged to be more constructive as a person, more helpful in teaching subjects rather than trying to invent things and creating more roadblocks for Amelia's schedule.

Amelia says all her lines, gradually moves her chair right next to Conner's, and acts like the 'interested but mildly inept but willing to learn' kind of girl she thinks will suit the part - however she over-acts it. As a result Conner goes from actually helping her to being put off, calling her out for being smugly sarcastic again. "I'm not being sarcastic! I think you are a good teacher!" "And I think you're bad at acting." "I don't have a lot of practice, alright?" Inadvertently giving herself away.

Conner going quiet, trying to concentrate on his work. Amelia moves her chair back but bangs it against the table. Chair is back at the opposite end of the table.

Amelia chides herself. ("Actually, I have a lot of practice. I've had this mask on for almost ten years.")

Conner chides himself. ("This wasn't supposed to go this way. I wanted something grander for her. Not sitting in some dumpy apartment eating sandwiches. Not having to feel pity for me and try to take over everything to make the best out of a bad spot.")

Conner opening and closing his mouth, repeatedly trying to put the right words out. For once he's struggling to make any momentum and is visibly confused. Amelia catches on, but thinks asking him will make it worse [he could retreat into silence]. Conner clicks his fingers, turns a sheet of paper around and starts writing a sentence; crossing it out; writing again; erasing; tapping fingers in annoyance.

Conner leaning back. "This would be so much easier on a computer. You just type things out and hit Delete to fix them." Amelia can relate. But, Conner doesn't seem to have a computer at home? He says he uses the school library, or the IT rooms. "What about your phone?" Amelia asks, pretending like she didn't see it before. Conner puts his phone on the table and Amelia screams internally; "It is! It really is a $20 brick!!"

Amelia was going to handwave Conner living on his own, feeding himself, obviously capable of looking after himself in most areas, but a lack of a computer and a lack of decent phone is simply bad praxis. She almost starts hyperventilating. Why does everything involving Conner have to be an uphill battle, and how does he still soldier on and get 92s in spite of all these setbacks and lack of basic human needs [like broadband fibre]?

Conner asking if Amelia is OK. She tells Conner they'll get him a proper phone in the morning, and arrange for a laptop from the school. "But the phone I have is fine." Another argument. Conner feeling he's being led around again, has his limits, wants Amelia to stop intruding on his life. Amelia telling Conner he's holding himself back and making everything a complete chore - admitting in the heat of the moment that he's genuinely talented and with the right gear he should be able to do even better things; he shouldn't be shutting himself off from his family and classmates.

Conner saying Amelia should mind her own business and stop trying to micromanage his life.
C: "Why are you trying to take over my life?"
A: "I'm not trying, I'm just saying you don't have to be like this!"
C:"You walked in here, with a shitload of things, different food ideas - books - you've still got your apron on."
A: "...I just wanted to be prepared. I wanted things to go OK."
C: "...it's not the nicest spot in town. I get it. But it's where I belong-"
A: "What are you talking about?"
C: "You've walked in with a bunch of things, food, cooking, books, trying to take over so everything is up to your standards. I know this place doesn't match up-"
A: "I don't care about that. This place is fine. Anywhere is fine. ...I just wanted us to have the option of doing different things. To just have fun and enjoy ourselves."

Long pause.

Changing the subject.
A: "It's very cozy though. And clean. I've seen some guys' rooms that have clothes and food all over the floor."
C: "Ah, mine was the same way. But the landlady kept giving me an earful, so I stopped doing it. Same with the takeout. Her daughter runs the Chinese downstairs."
A: "Does she now? And how often do you order?"
C: "Not that often. The novelty ran out after a week."
A: "So you cook and clean by yourself all the time? Instead of just making a show of it when a girl shows up? Aren't you grown up!"
C: "(More like shown up.) You do the same at home, I bet."
A: "Mmm. I wouldn't mind if someone took over once in a while."

C: "If I'd known you were coming, I would have done something a lot bigger."
A, curious: "Oh?"
C: "Ah, well! ...er. Can't be having some billionaire student council daughter around and then just saying 'ah, you know, let's read books'!"
A, smug: "And here I thought you were trying to be romantic."
C, saying nothing
Amelia walks over to her own backpack. "If you want to read though... I have some books to share." She retrieves several volumes of manga. A lot of different choices of different genres. Amelia holds a tablet in front of her face, partially to hide her blush: "I also brought a tablet, if you'd rather read something else..."

Conner walks over to a bookcase with glass doors - it's one of the bits of furniture left by his parents. He brings out a stack of comics and lays them next to the manga on the table. "Wanna swap?" Both Conner and Amelia seize themselves and read manga/comics respectively.

("I don't want to say it, but this stuff sucks! It's really bad! But I don't want him/her to feel bad!") Both characters having the same problem. Amelia is put off by the garish colouring, simplistic storytelling, snark-riddled irony dialogue and continuity snarls in what she reads, it's either capes or pretentious hipster trash. Conner is put off by the small resolution, thickly-bound, greyscale books of childish drawings, characters undressing each other in contrived ways between inner monologues.

Amelia takes the initiative: "Um, I'm just going to have a look and see if there are any more books similar to these." "Yeah, go ahead." Conner doesn't realise his mistake until it's too late. ("I don't have a lot of girls' comics. Dad never really bought many, except for Mom. But it's not like girls have to read 'girl comics'. Heroes are universal! ...Man, she's taking a long time looking through those books. Maybe she isn't going to find anything after all? Well, that's fine, she can look on her tablet instead-- oh no -- the tablet -- I left my tablet in the bookcase under a bunch of comics -- the tablet with all those bookmarks on the sad panda -- I need to stop--") Conner jolts out of his chair and sees Amelia with the forbidden tablet in her hands, engrossed but not shocked - mildly surprised? Her neutral expression?

Amelia: "Huh, so you do have a tablet to work on."

Eventually she turns around to see Conner scrunched up in his chair, hiding his face behind some manga.
Amelia lamely tries to handwave it: "Ah, don't worry, I didn't see anything..." Conner slams the table.

Conner: "Don't fuck with me!!"
Conner: "...I can take it like a man!"
Conner: "Yes, I've got a tablet, and it's got shitloads of porn on there!"
Amelia: "I saw. A lot of vanilla, a bit of futa."
Conner: "Yes, look, every guy is into tits, even guys who are going out are going to want to see some videos or-"
Amelia: "I'm a student councillor. I know these things, it's Ok. People ask me for help every week."
Conner looking everywhere around the room except in Amelia's direction. Until he has a stray thought.

Amelia: "I won't tell anyone else--"
Conner stands up: "Alright, so you got me! You got my embarrassing secret!"
Conner: "Now it's your turn."
Amelia: "?!"
Conner: "You tell me something embarrassing about yourself, and then we're square! It's not fair otherwise, right?!"
Conner: "(I know I don't have any right to say this, but...)"
Amelia struggling with herself.
Amelia: "These names you've bookmarked... do you know another artist called Tsuki-Hime?"
Conner: "A little bit. I've seen some of their work, but it's not to my taste. Mostly NTR, some futa, prostitution-- "
Conner catches himself: "No! This is just more of MY secrets! You're the one who's supposed to be admitting things!" [Amelia smiling benignly]
Amelia: "Ok, so... to be honest... I'm... I might know Tsuki-Hime in person..."
Conner: "What, in real life or on Instant Messenger?"
Amelia: [shaking a little bit]

Amelia: [slowly starting to ramble] "I use the name Tsuki-Hime since I want to draw proper hentai manga. It means 'moon princess' in Japanese. I was thinking of going by the nickname Diana, but I like Ai-chan a little more..."

Amelia runs her mouth off about her work process and the different fetishes she likes to draw. Meanwhile Conner has just realised he's ridden his Harley-Davidson to 'comics' by the girl sat in front of him. He's too fascinated to stop her babbling, especially for how enthused she is; he has some grasp on making comics but this is a whole different market to him. He lets her come to a stop, mostly as Amelia seems to realise she's dragged on forever and not really heard anything from Conner. She feels ashamed.

A: "I'm sorry, I must have come off completely doo-lally."
C: "You draw tits?!"
A: "I'm a mangaka! I draw manga!"
C: "I was just surprised. I didn't see you as much of an illustrator. Does everyone know this?"
A: "Not especially. I mostly keep it to myself."
C: "Does everyone know you take time off schoolwork to draw tits? How does it affect your marriage prospects?"
A: "I draw manga besides doujinshi! It's not ALL I draw... and it's like you said, men have sex on the brain, but you know, women are into it too..."
Long pause.
Amelia runs her fingers through her hair: "It'd be pretty awkward if everyone found out, huh?"

Conner wracked with the idea of being able to blackmail a student councillor, and wondering if it's all a set-up, where's the catch? Visual metaphor of Conner holding a loaded gun, or a landmine, or a cartoon bomb. Something hideously dangerous, albeit possibly aimed at Amelia.
Conner: "You know, I don't think this was an even trade at all. I don't think that really counts."
Conner, clapping his hands, eyes-closed: "Let's pretend none of this ever happened! How does that sound?"
Amelia, with a calm eyes-closed smile: "That's a good idea."

Another awkward pause.

Conner: "You know, I'm something of an illustrah-ti-o myself. I joined the Art club for two weeks. I've got schoolbooks full of drawings, some of them weren't even traced!"
Amelia: "Woahhh! Two whole weeks? You must have learned everything there is to know about rendering life by then!"
Conner: "Alright, alright, don't rub it in."
Amelia: "...It's strange. Maybe it's presumptuous or biased. But you're into comics, so I thought you'd be into the more Western cartoon porn-?"
Conner slamming the table again, leaning across: "Cartoon porn is garbage! It's garbage all the way down!"
Amelia, assuming the same pose: "I know, right?!"
Conner: "...Did you say you work at home?!"
Amelia: "Yeah, I have a laptop at home and I have the council computer to use."
Conner: "Does that mean you can draw on a computer? I know you can scan paper in at school-"
Amelia: "You mean you draw everything by hand? Including lines and margins? But that takes forever!"
Conner: "Isn't it supposed to?"
Amelia: "No! You can draw if you buy these special tablets that connect to the machine..."

Silhouettes of the students gesturing, presumably discussing porn and drawing comics through the night.

The night passes.
Hayleigh: "So, how did it go~?"
Senmu: "What happened?"
Conner: "Nothing happened. We just pretended to study for a bit and then talked about drawing all night. We had sandwiches. That's it."
Amelia: "We talked about porn."
Conner: [glaring]
Amelia: "What?! That's LITERALLY what happened!"
[arguing in the background as the students watch]
Hayleigh: "She must have found the tablet."
Rudy: "I was a little worried, but it looks like they got on just fine after all!"

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Amelia seeing Conner ruffle Rudy's hair: "(Cute and canon.)"

Hayleigh sharing embarrassing photos of the boys. Conner was shorter than Rudy but shot past him during adolescence. Amelia thinking about Rudy being a power bottom in this scenario, uses it as doujin material.