Twenty-somethings gotta twenty-something

[mikangirl]

Who: Everyone invited, everyone gatecrashing (technically you're all invited, so...)
Broadcast: Who knows, maybe some drunken texting later on
Action: Iskaulit Pool!
When: 3 July

[It's a party for a narcissistic redhead who likes to be reminded she's alive.  Come celebrate!  Alternately, come sneak in and steal the food!  There's a bar set up for drinks drastically lowered to cost-price or to-be-paid-later-tab, a non-alcoholic punch in case of wandering minors (spike it and Nami will end you) and random snacks.

Oh, and a pool.  Which is heated.  Kind of important, that part.

Step right up, I'm reliably informed we'll have Thor with his shirt off, take pictures while you can.]

Comments

[candothat]

[HA, non-hypothetical victory! He grins, entirely unbothered by the fact that such a mighty splash meant getting soaked himself.]

Thank you, although I forget what you weren't apologizing for.

[axi]

So do I. [Kaname swims over to the side of the pool.]

I'm going to get a refill on my drink. Want anything while I'm over there?

[candothat]

A hollow victory. [He makes his way to his shirt and pulls it back on with some effort. Shirts weren't actually designed to be put on wet, who knew.]

No thank you. I'm confident in my ability to drown without the help of alcohol.

[axi]

[Kaname looks at him, puzzled.]

I'll be right back. Besides, there's a decent variety of non-alcoholic as well. That's what I've been having.

[candothat]

Non-alcoholic drinks at a party? I could never.

[He's oblivious to her puzzlement as he reclaims his former seat on the edge of the pool, feet staying in the water. So maybe he did do things slightly backwards there.]

Unless something strange and exciting happens, I'll be here.

[axi]

It's either that or pool water if you get thirsty. I hope you choose wisely.

[Shaking her head, she nimbly pulls herself out of the pool and heads over to the bar area. It doesn't take long for her to return with a glass of something for herself... and she places a bottle of water by him.]

A compromise of sorts.

[candothat]

[He is touched by the gesture since he was being kind of a smartass.] Thank you, Kaname. [He smiles up and her and wow, her legs are not only right there but very nice. Maybe she won't notice the brief lingering or the hurried looking-away.] What did you get for yourself?

[axi]

[Luckily for both of them, she's too busy sitting back down to notice his gaze.] You're welcome.

[She lifts it up with a smile.] Juice. For now.

[Taking a sip, she glances at him.]

So what's with the pattern on your swim trunks? Do you like the colors?

[candothat]

[Thank god for small miracles.

Her question gets an immediate grin. Look, it's an excuse to mention Russia!] These are the colors of my home country's flag--not on purpose, I assume, because there is no reason to think that the inhabitants of the planet that I purchased these on are familiar with the Russian flag. White stands for generosity, blue for loyalty, and red for courage. All very important Russian attributes.

[axi]

[Kaname blinks, a little taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm, but his grin is infectious.]

I've heard stories of flags and color standing for things back on Earth. It makes me wonder how they figure out what stands or what.

[candothat]

[He just. He really loves Russia, okay.]

I think that it is a matter of association, or of psychology. Also culture. [Hopefully that wasn't meant to be a rhetorical question.] Red has always been very well-liked in my culture, and so of course it would be put on a flag.

...Although personally I don't like it so much. If I were to make a flag, I would probably exclude it.

[axi]

[Well, it wasn't a totally serious question, but it's an interesting topic all the same. Still, she just continues to grin at his earnestness.]

Hm, that's a shame. [Kaname reaches up and idly twirls a strand of her very red hair.]

What colors would you use?

[candothat]

[He winces as he realizes his tactical error.] On you, I mean, it's very beautiful.

[Smooth.]

Blue. Blue and probably gold.

[axi]

[Kaname can't help it. She pulls a page from Mikumo's book.]

You think I'm beautiful?

[She tries to keep her smile a little teasing, but not entirely.]

[candothat]

[He is momentarily at a loss for words. And embarrassed, if the shade of red his ears are turning is any indication.]

I--yes, of course, but. What I meant...

[There's some unhelpful gesticulating. HE FELL RIGHT INTO THIS TRAP.]

[axi]

[And Kaname, being the helpful friend she is, places her hand on his shoulder and shoves him right back into the pool.]

[candothat]

[He yelps and flails and sputters just like last time because, it turns out, it's hard to be dignified after being pushed into a pool.]

Okay, I will admit that I deserved that, thank you.

[He rests his arms on the edge of the pool but makes no move to get out. Can't push him in again if he's already there!]

[axi]

[The singer laughs, kicking her own legs in the water.]

You looked like you needed saving from a precarious situation.

[Of their own making.]

[candothat]

I did. [A(n exaggerated) sigh.] If only there were swimming pools to be pushed into available in all socially awkward situations.

[axi]

But, continuing where we left off-- [Kaname deliberately pauses, looking at him expectantly.]

-- why blue and gold?

[candothat]

[That is not where he thought she was going. YOU HAD HIM ALL NERVOUS KANAME.]

In Starfleet, each department wears a different color. Command and sciences are gold and blue respectively, and those are my favorites. [thoughtfully:] The least dangerous, as well. Security and engineering divisions wear red and, statistically, there is a higher fatality rate in those departments.

[axi]

If I remember, you're sciences, aren't you? [She lifts a leg straight out of the water then puts it back in, repeating the process again with the next one.]

Any militaristic type of organization is risky, no matter when division you're in.

[candothat]

Command, strangely enough. But I consider myself a scientist first. [He does not look at her legs, as nice and right there as they are. He's already messing up one friendship with attraction.

Plus, she'd probably make fun of him if she noticed.]

Starfleet isn't militaristic. [Debatable, and Kirk and other officers might say otherwise.] But yes, it can be dangerous. Divisions and statistics don't matter very much when the entire ship is destroyed.

[axi]

[She totally would.

She looks at him somewhat more studiously than before.]

Your ship has a weapons system, doesn't it? And you've gotten into battles?

[Kaname isn't trying to prove him wrong, not exactly.]

[candothat]

[See? Sometimes he makes good choices!]

The weapons serve a defensive purpose. Starfleet vessels [also wessels] are to respond to threats, not pose them.

[He really, truly believes in Starfleet as a strictly exploratory, scientific, and diplomatic entity... in spite of the more militaristic turn that the organization has taken in recent history in response to the attack on the Kelvin.]