THE GALA ON ADSUM (Mingle Log)

[serpentis]

Who: Anyone and Everyone!
Broadcast: Nope!
Action: A ballroom on Adsum
When: 2/21, Evening-Night



[And the night has arrived! Dorian put out an open invitation, and anyone who is interested is welcome to dress up and meet up for a night of dancing and fawning over each other. Make sure to wear your best, everyone! It's a very special episode of Drift Fleet!]

((OOC: There was an open invitiation, but even if your character never replied or has had personal contact with Dorian, feel free to assume he's let them come along or be dragged along by someone else! I'll be tagging some threads, but if you want a thread to be closed, please just say so in the header.))

Comments

[cabbagedetective]

Oh? Do these kinds of parties happen a lot in the fleet? I was under the impression that this was kind of a rare occurrence.

[blindoptimism]

[she shakes her head] No, not on the fleet. But I've been able to attend a few in my world, before coming here.

[...] They can be fun, but I think they become more dull as a person grows up.

[cabbagedetective]

[Adachi had to admit that he was rather impressed with how mature Nunnally seemed to be. For a girl her age, she behaved very proper. In fact... considering her comment about parties...]

Parties like this? Your family must be rather well-off. I can't say that I've ever experienced anything like this where I come from.

[Then Adachi adds a little under his breath.] I don't know if there are even enough people in Inaba to fill this ballroom...

[blindoptimism]

[she picks up bits and pieces of his muttering, but will be polite and answer his question first. Instead she smiles in an odd nostalgic way, and begins to sort of... trace the rim of her glass with her finger. It doesn't make any noise, since it's not a wine glass, but she likes the motion all the same]

We were, once. Although circumstances changed.

And... where is Inaba? Is that the town that you're from?

[cabbagedetective]

[Once huh? Normally, that would be the kind of conversational tid-bit that Adachi would be interested in pursuing. But... he found himself a little more willing to respect Nunnally's privacy than he would most others. So he'll let it slide for now. No sense in prying unnecessarily into what is likely a sore topic for her.]

Oh, you heard that? [Adachi chuckles awkwardly.] Uh, well, I'm not really from there. [That hick town... Adachi would never let himself identify as being "from" there.] It's where I was stationed after I got out of the academy. It's a small town out in the boonies of Japan.

[blindoptimism]

[hm, she wonders if he moved along with the conversation on purpose. She thinks he might have, and the gesture makes her smile a bit]

I'm sorry, I have good hearing. [ah, and she nods and perks up a bit at the mention of Japan] You live in Japan? So you're from Earth?

[cabbagedetective]

[Adachi returns her smile with a grin of his own.]

I do live in Japan. You must be from Earth too then. Heh, as weird as this is to say, it's nice to meet a fellow Earthling.

[blindoptimism]

[although, if he still calls it Japan she wonders if he's really from the Earth she knows. But, then again, she almost prefers hearing about worlds where there's no Britannian Empire. It sounds like a nice Earth. She nods at his comment]

It's truly fascinating to learn about other worlds and cultures, but having a shared homeland is a nice feeling.

[hmm...] Do you have others from Earth on your ship?

[cabbagedetective]

[Adachi's exasperated sigh is probably all Nunnally needs in order to get an accurate appraisal of how Adachi feels about his shipmates.]

No, no one from Earth on my ship. They're all from... well, pretty much straight out of some fantasy manga or game.

[blindoptimism]

[Aw, that's sad. It's sad for her to imagine people who are stuck with crews that they don't like]

Well, if you need a connection to Earth, you can always feel free to call me and chat. [mm...] It's hard to be a part of a crew that's difficult to get along with.

[cabbagedetective]

[Adachi realizes he may have given away too much of his disdain for his fellow shipmates, and tries to back-pedal.]

Ah, no- I mean, we get along all right. [Adachi chuckles awkwardly, as he internally curses his ship's captain.] It's more that I guess I'm... lonely... since I'm the only Earthling on my ship and all.

[Adachi took his time with "lonely," he was really trying to sell Nunnally on this lie. Best to not let the kid know how he really felt. It'd probably just upset her.]

[blindoptimism]

Hm, I can understand that. [his attitude does have an air of backpedaling, but she tries not to read too much into it. Perhaps he feels guilty for complaining for a second, or perhaps he truly does like them and he is that lonely. Either way, she decides it's not her business to pry too far. Getting adjusted here is hard enough without feeling like others may judge you. So she nods to accompany her statement.]

Being uprooted from home so suddenly, and then surrounded by people and cultures that are so alien-- it can be a lot to take in.

[she smiles a bit, sympathetically]

[cabbagedetective]

Yeah, you could say that again. Though, you seem like you've already adjusted to it all Nunnally-chan. How long have you been here?

[blindoptimism]

[aw, yay she appreciates the compliment! She wants to look competent whenever she can]

A few months? Although it feels longer than that...

[cabbagedetective]

[Adachi nods solemnly.]

Yeah, I can understand that... you must miss being home with your family and friends.

[Then Adachi realizes he brought up her family again, and attempts to make amends by diverting the conversation.]

Ah! Um, so... uh... have you been enjoying the... uh... moons?

[Adachi grimaces for the second time in their conversation. God, he was bad at making pointless small talk...]

[blindoptimism]

[she feels bad for him, so she gives him a slight smile. If she knew him better she would touch his hand for a moment, but they're at the point where that would be hella weird, so she resists the urge]

It's alright. [she nods a bit] I do miss my friends and... family. [the word weighs on a tongue, and her augment change allows a rare moment of honesty. As broken as things are between her and Lelouch, she misses him more than words can ever describe.]

Thank you for being thoughtful, but it's really okay.

[cabbagedetective]

[If Adachi was unsure before if "family" was a sore spot for Nunnally, he was definitely sure now. Naturally, he's very curious to know why, but he keeps it under wraps for now. This girl... she really does remind him of Nanako-chan.]

Oh, uh, ah heh. No problem.

[Adachi gives a friendly grin as he rubs the back of his neck. He doesn't really know what to say next. He wracks his brain trying to think of an unoffensive topic for small talk that Nunnally might like, but he can't seem to think of anything.]

[blindoptimism]

[Luckily, Nunnally quickly follows up with something]

If you could throw your own perfect party... what would it be like?

[after talking about the relative merits of this party, she thinks it could be a fun conversation starter. She likes hearing what people's imagination comes up with]

[cabbagedetective]

[Well, that question kind of threw Adachi. Normally, he feels like he can think on his feet pretty well, but that question was kind of tricky. Typically, Adachi avoided these kinds of events, so... the perfect party for him would be... no party. Or at least one where something really embarrassing happened to someone else...]

Uh, well... I guess something like this? I mean, the fancy decor, food and drinks are all kind of necessities, right? Having everyone dress up for the party would be a good touch too. I don't know if I'd invite so many people though...

[blindoptimism]

Hm, so a fancy gala, but only with the people that you'd prefer to be around... [she makes a show of hmming and hawwing before she nods]

That sounds like a good party to me too. Who knows, perhaps down the line the fleet will be able to throw one without quite so much pomp and circumstance.