helicon, the front hall. Seifer and cbSquall are playing pool against Xu and Noin on the snooker table: Hilde, Duo and Nuriko are sitting on the stairs drinking pimms, mainly as an excuse for Nuriko to have searched out a twenties cocktail dress and long cigarette holder, and strike poses. It all seems rather refined and calm.

Xu: *reads* Sad and self-deluded. Definitely. Says here.

Seifer: My heart bleeds. *taking his shot* So who's this Leen girl, then? *offhand* Seems to like Squall a lot...

Hilde: Another fandom of ng's... *grabs laptop from Duo to check out site* oh, she's /pretty/...

Noin: *wanders over* Isn't she? Eh, blue hair... wonder if it's her natural colour? *exchanges Significant Glance (tm) with Hilde, who after a few seconds ducks her head and blushes*

cbSquall: *amiably* You two make me sick.

Hilde: *sticks her tongue out at cbSquall* Well, she's company for Quistis, so that's good, right?

Duo: *reads* Yeah, fifteen and a lieutenant already, gotta be another overachieving type. They'll probably get on well... hey, she /is/ kinda cute.

cbSquall: Fifteen? *leans over to have a look* Not much of an age difference between them, either.

Nuriko: Heh, girl like her around, you'll have to keep an eye on Quistis, won't you, Xu? *looks around* Xu?

cbSquall: *gestures with his cue* She went that way. Didn't look too happy, either.

General sweatdrop.

Nuriko: ...does Xu /know/ Leen's got to be a het muse?

cbSquall: ...i don't think so.

Duo: *grin* We must have forgotten to tell her.

Noin: *worried* Oh dear, the poor girl...

Hilde: Oh, she'll work it out.

Duo: *shuts laptop* And where'd Seifer go?

Noin: No idea. Hey, that's Heero's laptop...

Duo: uh-huh.

Noin: ...does he know you've got it?

Duo: nu-huh.

Hilde: ...and he's not going to find out.