Second Floor Common Room, Tuesday Afternoon

[meepmeepmeep]

Right, so there was a food video that had been viewed 20 million times and was, sure, probably a crime against humanity and definitely a year's worth of calories, but it was also a Challenge and let's be honest, without shenanigans to set up this week, Beaker had way too much time on his hands.

So here he was, preparing to make barbecue chicken quesadilla pepperoni pizza pie wedges...deep-fried.

Shuri had come in as he was preparing the chicken and had already started filming this for Science. She was also taking bets on what would catch fire first, if anyone wanted in...

[OOC: Had to. Come give Beaker his big send-off before he goes off to become Dr. Honeydew's hapless assistant!]

Comments

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Hey. You snooze, you lose, right?

"Hmmm." Sidon took a moment, rubbing his chin a little as he considered all the varying pieces to this new challenge. "Well," he finally ventured, "speaking as a prince myself who has also been quite blessed with everything he should ever desire, I must say that the one thing I would likely wish for most in the occasion of my birthday is merely to have my friends gathered 'round to celebrate with me! So perhaps that is a place to start! A gathering of dear friends, perhaps somewhere exciting or new! I must admit, I have been wanting to have the chance to meet this other prince of Prompto's..."

And that was when the thought struck him, and he snapped his fingers.

"Nina! That's it! Well. It may be a little crazy....you'll tell me if it is, won't you? But what if we welcomed Prince Noctis to his very own birthday celebration in none other than my own Zora's Domain! I know for a fact they've got nothing like it on Prompto's world; he's told me so himself!"

[bookbeltof_love]

And how could Prompto ever hope to stand up to the combined might of Nina and Sidon's enthusiasm?

He was super, super doomed!

Nina clapped her hands together, sealing Prompto's fate, as she gasped with delight.

"Ohmygosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That would, like, be totally perfect????????????????? It would be something he'd never experienced before but, like, also something that........... that........."

Nina flailed for words for a moment, trying to put what she'd picked up from Noct into proper sentences.

"I think, like, he'd really like it," she settled on. "Because, like, it's something that he's getting not because he was born to it or because he's important, though he's both those things, of course, but he'd be getting this trip because he's Prompto's friend........... I just, like, think he'd really like that............."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

And Sidon had to smile at Nina as she described it, because he knew exactly the sentiment she was going for.

"Then that settles it!" he declared. "I shall speak with my people so that they can prepare for the festivities,and we'll put together a guest list, and it will be a grand time, indeed! I know they'll be excited to receive guests again, too; it's always such a thrill to have new people visit!"

Well, maybe not for the Elders, but Sidon clearly was not concerned with them.

[bookbeltof_love]

"I'll figure out who Prompto would want to invite from his home too!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she chirped, beaming. "Because now it has to happen and we'll have to, like, work around your schedule, the school's schedule," they wouldn't want to miss newbie picnic, "and, most importantly, the birthday boy's schedule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I, like, imagine that since his birthday is on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!"

Nina would be a creeper for knowing that, but as a prince, finding out Noct's birthday had actually been super easy. The fact that she also knew Gladio's and Ignis' birthdays was what really made her a creeper.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Maybe just a bit.

"Well, then," Sidon chuckled a little, "perhaps it shall be better, then, that our party will be a bit delayed, as he's sure to have plenty of festivities lined up for him this weekend! Spectacular! This shall truly be a marvelous occasion! And perhaps, even, the strengthening of the bond I feel that Zora's Domain is already developing with Insomnia. I believe such an alliance between our two world will be incredibly beneficial some day."

He believed it, of course, because he'd seen a future where it was. He rather hoped the actual future was far less grim than that one had been, but should it wind up similarly, then those bonds would be even more important.

[bookbeltof_love]

"But more important, right now, is your hand of friendship," she said, "more than, like, alliance offers and goodwill. I know that you both have to think about things like that but, like, be friends first, if you can?????????????????"

Because it seemed... sad... to her, to do it the other way around.

"I kind of, like, envy you," she admitted, "since you do have more to offer than just friendship.................."

And Nina had nothing but herself and a mad, mad plan to save Prompto's life.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Sidon tilted his head a little bit at that and offered her an encouraging smile.

"But as you just said yourself, Nina," he pointed out, "friendship is the most important thing we can offer! Anything else is just...extra. Gilted detailing to an already marvelously beautiful thing!"

[bookbeltof_love]

She glanced up at him for a moment, then looking--well, towards whatever Beaker was doing. Nina had so many questions about Beaker's cooking and when Nina was questioning your methods, well...

"I mean, like, I know that's true for me," she ventured, not looking away from Beaker. "But I don't really know if that's good enough, like, basically ever with most people??????????? They're all really cool, you know??????? Noct and the guys??????????"

And smoking hot but she'd swoon later. Later.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"If your friendship," said Sidon, softly, determined to keep his gaze on Nina even if she wasn't looking at him, "the very best thing you could give someone, is not good enough.....then....they were never truly worthy of it in the first place.'

[bookbeltof_love]

Yeah, no, Nina was super not looking back at him for that. She wasn't sure if she—no, she definitely regretted saying anything about this.

"I mean, like, that's supposed to be the way it works," Nina said, "but that's not really how it does????????????????? Not in my experience."

Not with friendship, not with childish adoration, not back home.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"Now that," said Sidon, with a bit of firmness in his voice, though he tried to keep it gentle all the same, "is categorically untrue, Nina. I certainly do not wish to argue with you on any matter, much less this one, but you cannot stand there and honestly expect me to believe that your friends here would even begin to consider your friendship not good enough! I know for a fact that I cherish your friendship! I am quite certain the same could be said for Vette, as well as Prompto! The three of you are as thick as thieves!"

And, yes, he did take a moment to sort of grin at that particular word choice.

"And I'm sure that's only the very top of the list, Nina. So, even if there are those out there so churlish as to demand more that the very best thing you can offer, well, then....friendship is certainly something that benefits more from quality over quantity. I might be terribly biased, but I say you've got a wealth of quality in the friendship department!"

[bookbeltof_love]

"Before coming here, just being friends with someone was never enough," she admitted. "Like, no one was ever cruel about it, but………………"

No one had really had the time to pay attention to a too clever, too nosy child years too young to officially attend the Academy. New Leaf Academy wasn't a school for children, it was more like how the universities here worked, though the ages still didn't line up quite right.

Everyone had been too busy. No one had had the time to stop and listen or pay attention or care about her feelings until Nina had figured out how to get loud enough, all the time, to make people listen. Not until she'd figured out the right attitude to appeal to people.

Not until she'd found ways to make herself useful.

"Like, if I'm enough here, just as me, I don't know what to do with myself??????????????????"

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"But, Nina!" said Sidon, with the bewildered sort of chuckle of a person who could simply not wrap his mind around anything else. "That is the easiest part of all! You just keep on being your own wonderful self!"