[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

[firacrux]

"What exactly did he say?" Because he was getting the impression that Nida was much like himself and if there's even the slightest inkling of interpretation going on? He's going to assume the worst. Which, quite often, wasn't necessarily the case. Try convincing them while in the pit of one of these moods, though.

"It matters 'cause you're pretty upset about all this." He sighs, at first shaking his head then lashing out with a dismissive gesture that's almost threatening but stops far short of actually following through with the threat of a whack upside the head. "You're not a SeeD here, and you don't gotta act like one. SeeD doesn't matter here. Nida matters here." They matter here. As who they are. Not what Garden built them to be.

[skyward_eyes]

Ah yes, a report. Perhaps Seifer can analyze it with different eyes. Even if it was a private conversation. He could argue that SeeD still matters to him after the crisp reporting method the program had instilled in him.

"We were getting up from the floor after I remembered something about my parents and we talked about it," Nida said softly, and he knew how weighty a statement like that would be between them. "We were moving from the floor to sit on the bed where it was more comfortable. I'd previously said I hadn't wanted to get up for drawing supplies because I was comfortable and worried if I moved some guy might take my spot. I was so obviously flirting I realize now. He assured me that wasn't going to happen and I told him I thought he should get used to be being there, at his side. Because I wanted to make sure he was so that when some charming guy showed up to sweep him off his feet, I'd still have a place. He said 'Anyway, you definitely don't have to worry about that. I'm not on the market right now'."

Which of course was missing the next part. The suggestion that if anyone swept Billy anywhere, he'd only consider it if it was Nida offering another tango. That didn't strike him as the salient detail.

[firacrux]

Perhaps he can, that is what he intends on doing. Trying to listen for clues that perhaps Nida missed out on in his defensive recoil. They were good at reports, that's one good thing. Overall, however, Garden still wasn't that important to them here.

Nida remembered... his parents? Seifer's brows furrowed, but he remained on topic. Choosing instead to file that away to consider another time. Instead he listens intently, brow remaining furrowed while he mulled it over. Alright, interesting, none of that sounded like an outright rejection to him. He made a thoughtful "hmm" through his nose while he chewed on all that.

"Then what'd he say?" To him that sounded like a potential lead-up to something else. Not an insistence that he wasn't interested, merely taking his time. Or perhaps considering someone very specific. Someone he spent a lot of long nights talking to before going to bed, perhaps.

[skyward_eyes]

"He made a joke," Nida shrugged. "'The only sweeping off my feet I want anyone to be doing is maybe you in another tango.' After that he told me lions exist on his world."

See, nothing. Just a statement that he wasn't in a position to want that sort of thing, and then a joke about dancing.

[firacrux]

A huffed laugh, Seifer shaking his head in disbelief. Hyne, Nida, are you really that daft? He thinks Nida might just be. "Sounds to me less like he's fully off the market and more he mostly ain't lookin', unless maybe his favorite dance partner feels like stickin' around."

In other words, that might have been an invitation to keep going the way they're going. And that Nida's advances aren't completely unwanted. "That's pretty cool, don't think the lions have much to do with anything though."

[skyward_eyes]

"That wasn't what he said," Nida counters, "and that joke is entirely because of something else. Which is why I didn't point it out at first, because it's not relevant."

Now Seifer's reading into things and Nida doesn't appreciate how hopeful it makes him feel.

"We talked about animals, okay? Ones their world has that we only have legends about. He didn't mean anything like what you think by that comment."

Okay, he needs to get back out to the party. This... is maybe a more serious conversation than he could handle right now.

[firacrux]

"If I were casually flirting with you 'cause I wasn't quite ready to jump all in, that's how I'd do it," He offered with a shrug. A joke, an inside joke between them that only they knew and understood. Perhaps he was reading too much into it, but it sounded more plausible than outright rejection to him.

"You say that, but I don't think he meant an outright rejection either. At worst I'd say it was a 'maybe later, keep my number' kinda thing." Maybe Billy needed more time or something. "Anyway, you're too damn quick to jump to the worst conclusion, Nida. Step back and really listen to what he's saying. That's my suggestion."

He's not great at these things, but he did date Rinoa for close to a year. He's learned a few things about listening. When he remembers to apply them.

[skyward_eyes]

Not rejection. There wasn't anything offered to be rejected. Just a line in the sand. So he rolls his eyes and scoops up another potato wedge.

"I'm heading back out to the party. Don't be a stranger in here, okay?"

He's going to go find Billy. At least he makes sense.

Wrap?

[firacrux]

Mhmm, yeah that's all it is. Seifer's just shaking his head, rolling his eyes. Whatever, Nida, if you're going to make this difficult he'll come in from a different angle.

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun with Billy~." He sang after him, turning back to his own cooking. He'll go out and socialize when he's good and ready. Too many people, very nervous. Go hang out with your not-boyfriend Nida.

Re: Wrap?

[skyward_eyes]

"Who said I'm going to hang out with Billy?" Nida complains, even though he was just thinking that. "Don't be an ass. And the frittata was amazing, please make some for dinner some time."

With that he hops down from the counter and slips out of the kitchen with a wave. He's composed and ready to go find his friend.