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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Steph softens, her heart aching in a somewhat more pleasant way as she imagines Tim gushing about her. God, she really does miss him. He's here, but it's not the same. Of course, if it was the same it probably wouldn't have gone as well as it did.

Her expression changes to one of pure, unadulterated disgust as conversation turns in Batman's direction. Her voice grows quieter as she speaks, but more intense.

"Oh, don't even get me started. He didn't tell me his name either, and I was working for him. Six months he trained me and he never took off that goddamned mask. He never trusted me, and he never intended to. I can't believe I wanted so bad for him to be proud of me."

Her jaw locks, and the hand left on her leg clenches in anger and hurt so hard that it shakes.

Cissie's jaw actually drops. "...Are you kidding? Of course you're not kidding. He had you working for him, and he wouldn't even tell you who he was? But he told you who Tim was? What an ass."

It takes a concerted effort not to shout or throw things. She would really like to throw things. She even has throwing knives!

"He didn't even get why Tim was upset. I didn't think it was weird that he never told me anything. I just thought that was how he did things."

Cissie rolls her eyes and makes a noise of disgust. "Of course he didn't, he's an Urban Legend, right? I mean, of course Tim was upset! He followed his stupid rules and hi, I'm sorry, but would he have handled it well if any of you told someone else his name? I don't think so."

She pauses and wrinkles her nose, giving Steph an apologetic look. "...I should probably tell you that I know who he is. I mean, Wonderland. But also, like. He adopted Tim, and when all of his adopted kids were Robin... Well."

She turns back to Cissie, the bitterness in her expression changed to curiosity.

"Who--" she starts to ask, but stops short when she figures out the answer. For a moment she freezes, not sure how to react. But it hurts, someone so unrelated knowing that secret when she gave up so much for a man who wouldn't even tell her his name. She turns away again, letting her raised hand fall limp.

"I guess it doesn't really matter anymore. It's not like I can go back and do things different."

Cissie’s expression shifts from surprise to a grimace, and she pushes her hair back, awkwardly playing with it while she watches Steph, a bit anxiously. “...Sorry. I’m still making a mess of this. But... Just because you can’t go back and change it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t suck, or that you aren’t still hurt by it. You’re allowed to have your feelings about it all. It was important to you. And not fair.”

Steph sighs.

"It's not you. I'm not--" She makes a disgusted noise and drops her face into her hands to rub at her eyes.

"I don't know. I'm sorry. I'm trying to get out of my head more and it's... not really going well." It's almost like she was traumatized or something!

Cissie’s smile is sympathetic, and she reaches out to touch Steph’s arm. She’s just touchy-feely that way. “Hey. It’s okay. It’s a little bit me, too. I keep dropping these stupid bombshells on you, and you just met me. I shouldn’t even know the stuff I do, and if I were home, I probably wouldn’t. But I kind of spent over a year hearing about how great you are, so I’d kind of like to be friends, and I think honesty’s a pretty important part of being friends, you know?” Her smile turns a bit dry, and she shrugs. “...I haven’t been able to have many friends since I quit that life. It’s kind of hard to really open up to people who don’t know what it’s like, right?”

The touch has her looking up, and she gives almost half a smile.

"Pretty hard when you don't really talk to people, too. If you're willing to put up with me..." She wouldn't mind being friends. Hell, she wouldn't have shared as much as she did if she didn't like Cissie already.

"I think it's more likely that you'll be the one putting up with me," Cissie tells her with a self-deprecating smile. "I'm pretty sure that's how most of my friends feel."

She snorts and shakes her head. If it hadn’t been such a rough couple of minutes she’d be laughing.

"I don’t buy it. You don’t put up with people you don’t like unless you don’t have a choice." And Steph very much has a choice here. Hell, she basically hid in an attic for her first month here, it’s not like she can’t avoid people.

Cissie shrugs, a smirk tugging at the edges of her mouth. "I don't know. I can be pretty stubborn when I need to be. I'm not good at letting my friends go off and brood on their own, for example."

Is she talking about Tim and Jason? She is absolutely talking about Tim and Jason.

"If they're getting caught out in their brooding then obviously they aren't doing it right."

She says that, but she can't imagine any place she might hide out to brood where Cissie couldn't find her. She's a bat, after all. Obviously she'll be roosting in high places.

"I don't plan on brooding too much. Not if I can help it, at least."

Cissie laughs, and shrugs. "Well, to be fair, sometimes it's the lack of obvious brooding that's a clue in itself. But I'm glad to hear it. It's hard enough to keep track of those two."

"Well, at least I usually know where one of them is." There's a touch of wistfulness there. She still doesn't know exactly how to act around Tim, but she knows that she misses him.

"Boys, right?"

"Boys," Cissie agrees with a laugh. "They're just lucky we're here to tell them what they're doing wrong and how to fix it."

Steph snorts and rolls her eyes.

"Like they ever listen. Or god forbid, learn. You gotta do everything yourself, amiright?"

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

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