[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.

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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

Re: Tim Drake | OTA (so late to this, sorry!)

[spoileralert]

Steph has mixed feelings about Tim's presence at the party. On the one hand, things between them are a lot better than she thought. On the other hand, she has too many emotions to deal with at once and picking one to run with isn't easy.

She ends up at 'wistful' when she finds him at the snack table.

"Hey you. I heard you come in. Sounds like we've got a lot to catch up on, huh?"

It's okay, Steph. Feelings are hard. He can relate.

[mrsarcastic003]

He glances up at her approach and smiles. Billy had mentioned people being taken from all manner of times and dimensions, which suggests to him that the reason she's younger and doesn't remember the things he does is because she is from an earlier time. (There is, of course, the possibility that she's from a dimension where she actually did die, but he refuses to consider that, because one day they are all going to find a way home, and she is going back to a world where she has a future. Period.)

"I think we probably do, yes. Hi."

They’re just so much, all the time

[spoileralert]

Steph still can’t wrap her head around the possibility that she managed to survive after everything she went through, but it seems like an odd thing to insist right to his face. Better to just avoid the subject as long as she can’t know for sure.

"Yeah... and we can just forget about that one time I got wasted, right? I’m... really sorry about that." Her smile turns sheepish. She wishes she could forget crying like a baby in front of a partly-real crowd of mostly-strangers.

Too much, really.

[mrsarcastic003]

He shakes his head. "You don't have to be sorry. It was a party. People let loose at parties. It's okay." And the fact that it had been kind of emotional... that's all right too. It makes sense, considering where she's coming from.

[spoileralert]

'Let loose' probably shouldn't include 'get sloppy on your questionable romantic status friend' but you know? The sooner they move on the better.

"So!" She is definitely trying too hard to change the subject and pretend she isn't deeply embarrassed.

"CEO, huh? What's that about?" She'd ask about the 'Wayne' addition to his name, but she has the feeling that one is self-explanatory and unpleasant.

[mrsarcastic003]

"Wayne Enterprises." ...As she probably guessed, considering the name-change that she is one of the few people in the room in a position to note. "Bruce was unavailable and someone was impersonating him and trying to destroy the company. Unfortunately for them," he smiles a little. "They didn't count on us being prepared. 'Bruce' started acting erratic, and a few reams of paperwork later..." He shrugs. There had been more to it, and Steph had been a part of it, but they're not really anyplace he feels comfortable getting into the details.

[spoileralert]

She did not guess, no. And now she has to ask, because Wayne has adopted traumatized kids before, but putting them in charge of his company? Tim’s perfectly capable, of course, but it still seems like a sketchy business decision. She raises an eyebrow.

"When did you and Bruce Wayne get so close?"

5 months or so Jason’s been here, and somehow this never came up.

[mrsarcastic003]

He blinks at her for a few moments. She doesn't know... Of course she doesn't. He could kick himself for the slip, but this is something she's supposed to know. At least by his time. He shakes his head a little.

"Um. For a while. Since I was about thirteen..." Come on, Steph, pick up the clues here.

[spoileralert]

She doesn’t get it. Tim is loaded, Wayne is loaded... rich people tend to run into each other right? At galas or whatever. Golf, maybe.

"Huh." He seems so startled, though. She tilts her head, waiting for more details.

[mrsarcastic003]

She's still not getting it. He rubs at his face, trying to figure out a way to say "Bruce Wayne is Batman" without actually saying the words "Bruce Wayne is Batman." He leaves one hand over his eyes briefly to suggest a mask, then lets it drop again.

"We started working together as partners. Mainly in the evenings. Late evenings."

[spoileralert]

She frowns, connecting the dots slowly but surely. It’s really his tone that gives him away.

"Wait, you mean—?" Bruce Wayne is Batman. That explains a lot, really. She looks away for a moment, blushing in frustrated shame.

"I don’t think I’m supposed to know that." It had been one of the rules, yes— the rules that should have been the first sign that he never trusted her and never would.

[mrsarcastic003]

And that is just... stupid. Stephanie was Robin. Robin knows who Batman is. The fact that she hadn't is just one more terrible thing about what had happened, and Tim can't make himself feel sorry for telling her.

"You should have," he says finally. And by his time, she does, but he doesn't want to lean on that right now--he remembers how upset she had been when they'd talked about it at New Year's.

That might have been the alcohol.

[spoileralert]

She looks up again with a tired sort of smile.

"Thanks." She glances down. "For trusting me." The last time he’d done that he hadn’t been given a choice in the matter. It was nice to know he’d do it spontaneously from time to time.

Then she chuckles and meets his eyes once more.

"Is it mean to say I’m glad you’re here?" He and Jason have both done wonders for her base comfort level.

[mrsarcastic003]

"I think you've more than earned it." She has. She's put up with a lot over the time they've known each other--from him and from Bruce.

He makes a show of considering her question. "Hmm. Well, happy to see me here means happy to see me in a weird wilderness so far removed from anything we know that there's no clue how to get back, but... I'm kind of happy to see you, too."

[spoileralert]

She has, god damnit, and it's a fucking delight to have that verbally recognized. It even makes up for the intense embarrassment from having sobbed all over him at a fancy party.

She chuckles a little harder, grins a little wider.

"I dunno, weird wilderness with no clear way back is pretty cool with me right now." She likes this place a lot, but she knows that makes her the odd one here.

[mrsarcastic003]

He gives her a pained look. "Steph, there are no computers here." He's teasing, but...

There are no computers here.

[spoileralert]

"There are not," she agrees, utterly without mercy.

"But there is coffee. Carefully rationed, by me."

And it improved her quality of life 200%.

[mrsarcastic003]

"...Coffee?" He can't disguise the hope in his voice. "Real coffee?"

[spoileralert]

"Real coffee, drip brew, every morning." She sounds smug now, but her tone changes to that of disconcert.

"The Overseers seem to like me, I guess? I just. Keep getting nice things. It's weird."

[mrsarcastic003]

Her uneasiness with the attention of the Observers is very plain, despite the benefits it seems to have brought her. He smiles slightly. "That can't be a very comfortable position."

[spoileralert]

She shrugs and tries a smile in return.

"What, waiting for the other shoe to drop? It's been just a blast." Not like she wasn't already awake at all hours worrying about what's going to come at her next.