[Mingle] The First Official Meeting of the Young Adult Club

[skyward_eyes]

WHO: Nida
WHERE: House 16
WHEN: Evening/Night Monday the 14th
OPEN TO: Mingle: Open too all young adults (22 and younger); Older may show up but expect a testy Nida.
WARNINGS: Young Adults Partying, Possible: Underaged drinking if people bring stuff. If your thread changes ratings, in subject line and DM me so I can update.

---

The message goes out over the Network Sunday evening.

'Young Adult Club, First Meet-Up/Party Monday night. First house after the Jail/Barn. Bring Snacks If You've Got Them To Spare.'

Invitation sent in general, The rest, now, came down to Nida. Good thing he had someone who knew how parties worked was right there too. Rinoa turned out to be a pretty good resource. He learned there were a few important things to do for a party. Three major things were needed: music, treats and games. Unfortunately they couldn't do much about the former, so instead Nida employed his housemates in trying to make sure the latter two were covered.



The Nibbles

The easiest person to go to about food turned out to be Seifer. Of the three of them the blonde had somehow ended up as the defacto chef of their house when it came to important things like this. What this meant was a variety of easily made food, things like a plate of half-dollar sized pancakes for easy munching or dipping into other things, fried potato edges, even a quiche that Seifer had managed to whip up, not that Nida even recognized what the whole thing was. While it wasn't as impressive a spread as the New Year Eve party had (or perhaps even the forge gathering) it was clear that the three had done the best they could with the skills two mercenaries and a formerly sheltered young woman had between them. Hopefully treats from other people would help with the spread. Personally, Nida was hoping to steal some of the fritatta Seifer had made in their cast iron skillet, but guests came first of course.



The Games

Games. What even were party games? For that one the center spotlight had gone to Rinoa's planning efforts. Nida had scrounged in the inn's shared supplies, borrowing a set of playing cards and a Jenga set. Not that he really knew what the latter was. The cards went to the dining room table with some extra chairs borrowed from an unoccupied house, the Jenga onto the coffee table, and Rinoa's peakitten Julia got shuffled into her room to prevent her from knocking over the wooden blocks yet again. Nida was tired of rebuilding.




Introductions

They're all new here, they don't all know each other, so Nida and Rinoa encourage people upon arrival to start out simple. And all you have to do is say your name and three facts about yourself. Or, if you're feeling mischievous, two truths and a lie. Can people guess the truth of the matter about you? Or do they already know you well?



Quite Spaces

Frankly Nida wasn't sure how he felt about opening their house to so many people, and with the living room, dining room and kitchen all prepped for use, he realized there was one other thing people could need. A place to talk quietly or just have group games. As he was the only one of the three of them that didn't have much in the way of property and could give up the whole concept of privacy for a bit, the back bedroom ended up having a note pinned on it with a kitchen knife.

'Quiet Space for Your Use - Do not have sex in my bed please'

With his staff stored in the basement and his tiny journal and pencils stored out of sight on top of the standing wardrobe, the room was perfect for anyone who just needed to cool down. Or have a private conversation. Good thing the house has electricity because that could be used long into the night.

Comments

Jenga

[skyward_eyes]

He'd been watching, breath held, as the wooden piece wiggled under Aqua's touch. He didn't want to breathe and knock the thing over, mostly because rebuilding the stack took time. The game was surprisingly fun, though, and he was getting just a bit addicted. SO when the tower collapsed part way he smiled.

"It's really okay, Aqua," he laughed as he leaned forward to start rebuilding the tower. "So, my housemate Rinoa, I don't know if you've met her yet, she has this pet peakitten. And when I was putting this thing up the first time, Julia, the peakitten, was being so helpful. I'd get it about a third of the way built and then the kitten would just pounce it. It was cute, yeah, but you're already worlds better at playing it than Julia is."

[aguidingkey]

Well, at least he's taking this better than expected. Some people could be very competitive about games. Still, Aqua feels a little bad about having been the one to knock it over. His story helps and she manages a small smile as she helps pick up the blocks and reset them.

"I don't think it's hard to be better than a kitten at this game," she says, though the smile stays in place for a little bit longer. She appreciates his efforts at cheering her up. "Is Julia hiding or do you keep her somewhere else? Is..." She falters for a second and then tries again. "Are peakittens native to this world?"

[skyward_eyes]

"I assume they're native to this world because they have a strange thing about them. Touch them with bare skin and the oil from their feathers gives you a bit of a contact high," Nida offers very readily.

Even if they hadn't interacted much in the inn, but it had been enough for him to accept that sometimes she needed a moment to recompose her thoughts. Which was fair. She was still so very new. Part of the reason he'd invited her was so that she'd get a chance to meet other people. Something had given him a feeling that she was going to have almost as much of a hard time adjusting as he was. For different reasons.

"I don't know. Julia plays catch the string at a pretty high level," Nida teased lightly, because honestly, it seemed like a perfect opening. "She's in Rinoa's room right now. For a number of reasons."

[aguidingkey]

"A contact high?" Aqua's asks quizzically. That's a new term to her. But if it does what she thinks it must, judging by the phrase, then she really doesn't want to touch it.

At this point, she is still very new. A lot of her pauses are mostly so she can think herself through how she should act and the part she should be playing. How not to draw too much attention while still helping as much as she can. The trouble is that this world seems to be something of a drawing point. A whole lot of people from a lot of different worlds have been drawn here and that makes it harder for Aqua to know how to fit in. Add to that the fact that she's technically not supposed to let on that she's a keyblade master...

It's a whole lot of complication and she's still trying to keep her head above the metaphorical water.

The tease is also welcome and Aqua manages a small, soft laugh. She really hasn't had much reason to laugh or even smile in a really long time. "That sounds like a good idea. Wouldn't want the whole party to touch her. Is she the only pet you have?"

[skyward_eyes]

"She's the only pet we have right now, though I don't doubt Seifer's going to bring something home sooner or later. He's a disaster like that."

That's just what he has to deal with, and he is happy with it. They're the family he's ended up with. Provided they don't bring a dog in he's happy. Allergies were a bitch.

There, the tower rebuilt, and Nida immediately worked a piece out and placed it on top.

[aguidingkey]

Aqua waits for Nida to make his move. Once he has, she takes the time to move one from the middle.

"Would having more pets really be so bad?" she asks, not because she wants to change his mind but because she genuinely doesn't know. She doesn't think she'll ever get one, though admittedly she doesn't have any experience with animals at all, let alone pets.

[skyward_eyes]

"I'm not the greatest with animals," Nida admitted. And he selects another edge piece, teasing it out carefully. "I put up with the ones that are here because it makes them happy."

He's far more solitary than that.

[aguidingkey]

Aqua frowns as she chooses another piece, trying to think of what her life might have been like with animals around. "We were too busy training for animals. So I guess I really don't know anything about them or how to take care of them. I've just been training my whole life. My friends..." Her smiles turns a little sad. "Ven would like anything he found. If any of us were to find an animal to keep... it would be Ven."

[skyward_eyes]

"Yeah, training your life away. I get that feeling," Nida admits. He's been there, done that, would claim he had the t-shirt but really? Who wore t-shirts back home?

He considers the jenga block and carefully fishes a side piece off to stack. Good thing the tower isn't so wobbly yet.

"Sorry you're here without your friends."

[aguidingkey]

Aqua's eyes close briefly at that before opening again so she can focus on finding her own block. She's been away from Ven and Terra for so long, lost in the Realm of Darkness. In a way, she feels like she's failed both of them, but after nearly losing herself to the darkness, she knows she has to keep strong.

Your heart is your guiding key. And hers has to stay strong so she can lead them both back to the light.

"I'll find them again," she says instead, picking her block out and setting it back on top. "We won't be separated forever. Our connection is too strong."

[skyward_eyes]

Well, that is a sort of conviction he's a bit jealous of. That sort of connection to people, that concern, it's beautiful.

"Glad to hear it. I expect they feel the same."

[aguidingkey]

She nods once in response. They do feel the same; she knows that for a fact.

"You have friends here, too. Your hearts are connected, so you're a part of them. And maybe you and I could be friends, too."

Stranger things have happened to her. Besides, she likes Nida. Why wouldn't she want to be friends?

[skyward_eyes]

See, people here throw that word around so easily. And it always makes Nida pause, shocked. And since he's in the middle of trying to move a piece, that means he topples the tower. Whoops. What? Collapse and he doesn't know what to do.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, Aqua, of course we're friends."

[aguidingkey]

Aqua winces guiltily almost instantly. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you knock it over." Really, she hadn't. Friendship must be a more common idea for her than for him. "We should rebuild it and try again. That way, the outcome will be a little more fair."

[skyward_eyes]

"That means you won, Aqua," Nida grins. "So I think it's probably not a bad thing. If you want another round I could be convinced."

He really regrets messing up over how kind she was, after all.

[aguidingkey]

Aqua nods in answer, a smile making its way across her face. "I don't think that was a very fair win," she says, reaching to rebuild the tower. "One more game to decide the winner."