Written Wonderland

Wow, this kitchen was cramped with the four of them here. She found herself closest to Ren, trying to give Nick space to keep washing. So, of course, when Chris walked in, he was on the outside again. Ugh, gods, this was impossible. Jaz just kept sipping her water, dodging glances between Nick and Ren. Had they just casually decided to come out and--what--do the dishes together? Gods, she was going to grill them both about it later, but now was not the time.

Chris walked over to Nick, handing over his dirty glass. "Thanks for doing that. Do you want to switch out, and I'll finish?"

Lowering her glass, she watched as Nick scrambled and backtracked. "Oh, it's no problem. I mean, if you want something to do with your hands, you can have a turn, but I'm happy to finish." Jaz tried not to make it obvious that she was praying to whatever polyamorous gods to just get through this already, but her eyes definitely went to the ceiling. She thought she might die from how much awkward there was in this tiny kitchen.

"Did you get the air you needed?" Ren asked, maybe as a way to cut the awkward, for which she was grateful, but it only brought up a fresh wave of anxiety as she pivoted back to her balcony conversation with Chris. She looked at Chris hopefully, eyebrows a little raised.

"Yeah," Chris said, shrugging. Okay, good. Now maybe they could all sit down and have a comfy conversation about it. Ren shrugged and looked prepared to drop it for now, and Jaz was again grateful. Ren looked again the picture of tall, dark, and handsome, leaning against the counter, sipping the drink he had just made. Yeah, she would definitely crawl over his lap again.

Chris took a sip of his own drink, and Jaz wondered if she was ready to pick up what Ren had made for her.

"I, uh... don't know how to play the games you're playing, Ren," Chris said, then, and Jaz's eyes widened considerably. Okay, so much for waiting until they were comfortable. She looked over at Nick, hoping to commiserate a little, but she couldn't catch his eye, so she just sipped more water as Chris continued, "I get that you and Jaz have a... dynamic..." Jaz sputtered and choked on her water briefly, closing her eyes and trying to get her lungs under control so as to not make too much of a scene. "...But I don't know how to be, around it. Jaz doesn't want to feel teamed up against, and I don't want to feel, like, white-knight-y, I guess."

Oh boy. Jaz managed to swallow, but she would need to cough very soon. Her eyes watered, and she waved Ren off when he looked at her, just trying not to die.

"Yeah, I can see that," Ren said, "I guess I was kind of trying to invite you to play with me, but I didn't realize Jaz would feel teamed up against in a bad way."

Jaz walked out into the living room and around the corner toward the door, put an arm over her mouth, and coughed several times. Gods, she was almost grateful for the time to get her head on straight about what-all just happened. She knew that Chris wanted to talk, but shit.

"I'm alive," Jaz said hoarsely before she kicked the last of the water from her throat. Gods, good thing that wasn't alcohol. Ow.

Okay, okay. Recovery time. Jaz wiped her eyes and smiled playfully, walking back where the rest of them could see her.

She took a drink of water, trying to steady herself and make her voice sound normal before she talked.

"I think it's like," her voice wavered a little, and she cleared her throat, starting to sound normal again and looking at Ren "I mean, Chris and I don't have a dynamic. So when you say something and Chris echoes it, it feels... I don't know. Like, outside the dynamic? Plus, you and I haven't negotiated that sort of a thing with Chris or Nick or groups in general."

Oh gods, she was talking too much. But she couldn't stop.

"But like, I mean, like, if ganging up on me were the thing, then that would..." Jaz started blushing profusely, realizing how that was going to sound to Ren.

"I mean, if we had like, talked about it..." She sighed, caught halfway between a sigh and a laugh at herself. "Can we all sit down for a sec?" she said, but then she did start giggling. Fuck, she was a mess.

Jaz up and walked out of the kitchen, and Ren tensed considerably, not exactly comforted by Chris' worried, surprised expression in response to her departure. He'd hoped that Jaz and Chris would have come back on the same page, but it seemed like maybe there was still unease there? She started coughing loudly in the other room, and another little pang of guilt hit him; he'd heard her kind of sputter on her water while he and Chris had started talking, but he'd thought she was just being dramatic. Not that he'd blamed her--Chris had kind of jumped right into things.

"I'm alive," Jaz announced from the livingroom, then walked back into line of sight from the kitchen, smiling playfully and taking a fresh sip of her water.

"I think it's like," her voice wavered a little, and she cleared her throat, starting to sound normal again and looking at Ren "I mean, Chris and I don't have a dynamic. So when you say something and Chris echoes it, it feels... I don't know. Like, outside the dynamic? Plus, you and I haven't negotiated that sort of a thing with Chris or Nick or groups in general."

Okay. Maybe she and Chris had gotten on the same page about conversation topic, just not about how to launch into it. Fair enough. Ren gently crossed his arms over his chest, nodding softly to indicate he was listening as Jaz continued.

"But like, I mean, like, if ganging up on me were the thing, then that would..." Jaz blushed, and Ren couldn't help a soft smirk. "I mean, if we had like, talked about it... Can we all sit down for a sec?"

She started giggling then, though Ren suspected it was more nervousness than amusement. He nodded gently again, and then grabbed a fresh drink to pass to Nick, figuring that was easier than maneuvering around each other with Chris still taking up what passed for a second lane of space in Jaz's kitchen. He glanced to Chris then, unsure of the best way to get Jaz' drink to her. Should they leave it while she sipped her water?

"I'll get it," Chris said softly, and Ren nodded, grabbing his own drink and then following Nick out of the kitchen, Chris following behind him with his and Jaz's drink. Jaz sat in one of the chairs next to the love seat, and Nick settled in to the chair next to her across from it. Ren wasn't sure whether it'd make Chris more or less comfortable to get the love seat for this particular conversation... he leaned toward not taking the love seat himself this time, especially since it was next to Jaz. He'd clearly stepped on enough toes already, and wanted to play it safe for the time being. He set his drink down on the coffee table and munched on some chips and guac, while Chris set Jaz's drink down on the coffee table in front of her, and then settled awkwardly into the love seat and sipped on his own drink a minute.

"So," Ren decided to start in before any awkward silences took hold--or nervous babbling. "I have been playing games, and we haven't explicitly negotiated them. Acknowledging that, I am happy to adjust from here." He addressed primarily Jaz and Chris, though did offer Nick a turn in his round of glances. He was curled up in his chair, happily sipping at his drink, and blushed a little under Ren's gaze. Ren smirked a little, and drew his gaze back to Jaz, and then Chris.

"What I heard from Jaz just now is that she might enjoy being teamed up on, if we all talk about it. Is that a game that interests you, Chris? Or, would you rather I back off teasing Jaz altogether for the evening?"

Chris chewed a brief frown, nervousness painting his expression. Ren was happy to give him some space to think, and he shifted his gaze back to Jaz to check on her in the meantime.

((OOC: Happy to carry on, but there is a lull here if Jaz wants to go ahead and react/say anything.))

"What I heard from Jaz just now is that she might enjoy being teamed up on, if we all talk about it. Is that a game that interests you, Chris? Or, would you rather I back off teasing Jaz altogether for the evening?"

Chris was surprised by Ren's question. Or, maybe by his immediate response to it. When he'd been talking with Jaz just before, he'd said that he didn't want to team up on her. But, he had decided to tease Jaz with Ren early on, and... well, he had enjoyed it, until it had seemed like Jaz hadn't. So, he supposed... maybe he was interested in that game, if they all actually wanted to play it?

"Maybe..." Chris said hesitantly, his eyes slowly focusing in on Nick. "I don't want Nick to feel weird, either."

Nick made a soft, surprised "Mm," sound as he leaned forward to set his drink down on the coffee table.

"I, um..." he was blushing pretty deeply, and Chris felt a little bad for putting him on the spot. But, he'd been such a cypher so far, in a lot of ways; Chris really wanted help getting a read on him.

"To be honest," Nick said, shifting in his chair so he was sitting up a little straighter, his feet on the floor, though his gaze was mostly fixed on the cheese plate. "I've... really enjoyed all the games? I mean, I could tell you were uncomfortable, and I felt bad about that, but I wasn't sure how to help. As long as you're enjoying whatever we settle on... I'm game?"

"How do you feel about us teasing you, too?" Ren suddenly asked, and Nick's smile spread wide across his face, though he tucked his head by his shoulder, hiding his face from Ren, insofar as the gesture accomplished that.

"That's... fine by me." Nick said softly.

Ren turned his gaze back to Chris, and Chris blinked briefly between his three companions, surprised and trying to make sense of everything that was passing between them.

"I don't want to be teased." Chris said after a moment. Then, with a growing shade of blush, he added, "Not by Ren or Nick, anyway." He glanced only briefly at Jaz, and then turned his gaze back to Ren. "Can we have, like, a safe word, though? Like, to let each other know when teasing isn't fun? Cuz it seems like that's been hard to get a read on."

"Yeah," Ren nodded, "That's a good idea." He let stand a pause, and Chris wondered if he was waiting to see if Chris had a suggestion, but 'uncle' was all Chris could think of, and something about that didn't feel quite right. Too childish, maybe?

"Time out?" Ren offered after a moment, glancing curiously to Jaz and Nick. But then, he seemed to reconsider something when he looked at Jaz, and added, "Do you like this idea? Me and Chris teaming up on you and Nick, above board now?"

((OOC: Also, fun fact: back when Chris announced that he needed air, the first thing we imagined was having him say "Blue" lol. I suppose whatever safe word they decide on in this convo--assuming they go forward with an agreement like that--will function kind of like Blue for the scene ))

Jaz settled into the single chair next to the loveseat and pulled her feet up, holding her glass of water with both hands. But, shortly, Chris brought her a drink, and she thanked him, finishing the water and setting the empty glass on the coffee table before picking up the new one.

"So," Ren said, and Jaz's blush returned a little. "I have been playing games, and we haven't explicitly negotiated them. Acknowledging that, I am happy to adjust from here." Ren acknowledged each of them, and Jaz couldn't help noticing that Nick blushed. Maybe that was a tell about what had happened in the bedroom. Then again, Nick had been blushing all night.

"What I heard from Jaz just now is that she might enjoy being teamed up on, if we all talk about it. Is that a game that interests you, Chris? Or, would you rather I back off teasing Jaz altogether for the evening?"

She was grateful that Ren was taking charge. He really was laying it all out properly. But her eyes still widened in realization. Was this really going to happen? She looked at Chris, who was biting the inside of his lip. Chris met her gaze, but Jaz didn't say anything, curious about what he might say.

"Maybe..." Chris said with some hesitancy, looking at Nick. "I don't want Nick to feel weird, either."

Nick made a humming sound and set his drink on the table. "I, um..." Nick started, with yet another blush, "To be honest, I've... really enjoyed all the games? I mean, I could tell you were uncomfortable, and I felt bad about that, but I wasn't sure how to help. As long as you're enjoying whatever we settle on... I'm game?"

Hm. Interesting. It made sense, though. He really had been along for the ride all evening so far.

"How do you feel about us teasing you, too?" Ren asked, and Nick immediately smiled wide, leaving no doubt. A spike of jealousy shot through Jaz's stomach, but she relaxed around it. She could tease Nick, too, after all. It wasn't just Ren who could have all the fun.

Nick did say, "That's... fine by me," making it explicit.

"I don't want to be teased," Chris said, and Jaz nodded. But then he surprised her by adding, "Not by Ren or Nick, anyway." Jaz flashed Chris a beaming smile--both happy to be singled out in this way and pleased that it did really seem like all four of them were recovering. Thanks--again--to Ren. "Can we have, like, a safe word, though? Like, to let each other know when teasing isn't fun? Cuz it seems like that's been hard to get a read on." Smart. Yes. Chris was already catching on. This was great. Right?

"Time out?" Ren asked, glancing at Nick and then Jaz. To her directly, he asked, "Do you like this idea? Me and Chris teaming up on you and Nick, above board now?" Oh gods, she couldn't help it. She took a sip of her drink and closed her eyes, letting herself imagine all the ways that could go. She wondered if this would carry over into every interaction the four of them had, but she decided not to press the issue. This felt like a tentative peace. And, ultimately, an experiment. Jaz smiled, meeting Ren's eyes now for a prolonged moment without responding, trying to convey to him her pride, gratitude, and excitement with only eye contact. It was also, she supposed, a little bit of a challenge. As far as games went, this was a damn interesting one.

"Yes, but I'm not necessarily going to take it lying down." Her eyes widened at the realization of yet another innuendo, but she smiled through the blush and pulled a stray lock of her wild, wavy hair behind her ear.

But, now what? Carry on as usual and wait for an opportunity to tease? Gods, this was going to be interesting.

Oh, wait, she had the perfect thing. "So, Nick," she said, turning his direction with an enormous toothy smile. "What did the two of you get up to in the bedroom while we were gone?"

A warm, pleasant excitement buzzed happily in Nick's core. He was really grateful they were all getting on the same page, and still able to explore some of the games they'd been playing. A little bit terrified, too, with it above board that he was going to get 'teased', but... well, it was a happy sort of terror, like sitting at the top of a roller coaster, anticipating that first drop down.

"Do you like this idea?" Ren asked Jaz. "Me and Chris teaming up on you and Nick, above board now?"

Nick picked his drink back up and curled his legs back into his chair with him, getting cozy again while Jaz contemplated her reply. It did make him a little bit nervous that she took her time responding, but she looked serene, if Nick had to say, while she sipped on her drink in thought. Then, she opened her eyes and smiled at Ren, and a fresh thrill fluttered through Nick's stomach.

"Yes, but I'm not necessarily going to take it lying down." She replied, brushing a stray lock of her curly hair behind her ear. Gosh she was so cute. Nick was nearly blissful when Jaz surprised him with an enormous toothy smile as she asked him, "So, Nick. What did the two of you get up to in the bedroom while we were gone?"

Nick grinned from ear to ear again behind his drink, his eyes sliding briefly toward Ren, who also grinned as he collected more guacamole on a chip.

"Well..." Nick said shyly, his eyes holding Ren's for a moment longer before turning back to Jaz. "We checked in about our first meeting... made sure we didn't have anything we needed to clear the air about."

"I also had him reenact your little gesture on the bed," Ren chimed in, "since all I could see at the time was Chris' reaction to it."

"Hey!" Chris protested with an angry pout, and Nick got worried they were already approaching another rupture, but Ren gave Chris a gentle smile, raising his hands lightly by his shoulders as though to show he carried no weapons in them.

"Meaning to tease Nick about the face he made to inspire your reaction. Having seen the reenactment, I'd say your reaction was well warranted."

"What reaction, though?" Chris was blushing furiously, his jaw tense. Ren sighed lightly and leaned back in his chair.

"Fascination, I think. Am I wrong?"

Chris flicked his eyes over to Nick, and Nick gulped softly, swallowing to keep down the butterflies that swarmed in his chest. Then he blinked away, shyness taking over, and took another sip of his drink. He was probably going awfully quickly through it... but, well, having established that he was to be a subject of teasing, was there really any problem with that? Just as long as he grabbed some water soon, he supposed.

"Anyway," Ren cut in after a moment of silence, "After Nick's lovely reenactment, I decided I was ready for another drink. He asked if he could help, so we tidied things up a bit, and that's about when you and Chris came back inside."

Nick grinned happily again, and Jaz grew excited about having even more dynamics. Glancing at Ren, she saw he was also grinning, and damn did it feel good to imagine that her question had made him happy.

"Well..." Nick said, pulling her attention back to him. "We checked in about our first meeting... made sure we didn't have anything we needed to clear the air about."

Very thoughtful of them, Jaz thought.

"I also had him reenact your little gesture on the bed," Ren chimed in, looking at Jaz, "since all I could see at the time was Chris' reaction to it."

Jaz was about to say, hey, I didn't ask you, begging the question if she was allowed to tease Ren, but Chris beat her to it.

"Hey!" Chris said, his mouth curled into a pout. But Ren soothed him with a smile, raising his hands to his chest in surrender.

"Meaning to tease Nick about the face he made to inspire your reaction. Having seen the reenactment, I'd say your reaction was well warranted."

Maybe it was just the drinks, but Jaz was having a difficult time following. Nick had touched... himself? The way Jaz had touched him. Mmmmm. That did sound nice.

"What reaction, though?" Chris asked, and by the state of his blush, Jaz was sure she was missing something.

"Fascination, I think. Am I wrong?" Ren asked, leaning back in his chair. Nick only blinked and took a sip of his drink. That certainly wasn't a denial.

"Anyway, after Nick's lovely reenactment, I decided I was ready for another drink. He asked if he could help, so we tidied things up a bit, and that's about when you and Chris came back inside," Ren added, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, how exactly did I touch you, Nick?" Jaz asked, her face neutral as she tapped her chin with one finger a couple times. "I can't. Quite. Remember." But, she couldn't keep a straight face for long, quickly breaking into a smile in his direction.

"Yeah, how exactly did I touch you, Nick?" Jaz asked, tapping her chin with her finger in dramatized thought. "I can't. Quite. Remember."

Nick sank down a little in his chair, holding his glass up as though to cover his whole face, though it didn't do a very good job of it. He giggled a little, squirming subtly in his chair under everyone's gaze. Finally, he peeked his eyes open, sending his own shy gaze straight at Chris, trying for a moment to (playfully) pretend like Jaz and Ren weren't in the room, just for the sake of the courage his next move was going to take.

"Do you want to see?" he asked, biting his lip for a moment and then adding, "Or... maybe show Jaz with me?"

His heart fluttered with a raucous nervousness at that, and he couldn't help ineffectually hiding his face behind his glass and giggling softly again, eyes shut tight like he was on a bit of a roller coaster.

"I'd... like to see." Chris answered softly after a moment. Nick wiggled his toes in his socks and then took in a deep breath, before collecting himself and sitting up, leaning forward to set his drink on the coffee table. Maybe time for a break on that, anyhow. He fidgeted a moment getting into a posture that felt good, and briefly giggled again before taking another deep breath and trying to be more serious. He didn't want to be silly about this, if he was going to do it.

He found he had to keep putting on blinders about Ren and Jaz, though, as even tiny glances either direction seemed to tickle his chest, necessitating another breath to steady himself as he refocused on Chris. Chris did seem maybe a little uncomfortable with that, as he kept blinking away, and he looked a little bit grumpy, but... he also kept blinking back, and Nick thought that maybe, he saw glimpses of the fascination Ren may have been talking about, in the ways that Chris' eyebrows subtly lifted, his mouth opening just slightly before he caught himself and clenched his jaw to keep it shut.

Finally, Nick sighed lightly and softened his gaze as his fingers gently reached up to touch his cheek on the side closest to Jaz. His heart fluttered, his stomach twisting in anticipation of another drop on the roller coaster he seemed to be riding. His eyelids fluttered, too, as he melted in to the feeling of his own fingertips trailing pleasantly from his cheek down toward the tip of his jaw, his posture leaning forward slightly as though gently tugged by his own gesture. But then his fingers ran out of jaw to caress, and floated in the air for a moment, curling shyly into his palm as he blinked, refocusing his gaze on Chris.

There was a look of fascination on Chris' face. Fluster and a grumpy sort of shyness quickly overtook it when he realized Nick was meeting his gaze again, and he blinked away. The roller coaster dropped, and Nick giggled and grinned ear to ear again, both hands coming up to cover his face as he flopped back in his chair, legs coming up into the seat with him as though he could hide behind them.

"Something like that..." he giggled softly from behind his hands, his feet nuzzling over each other in his chair.

---

Ren glanced happily between Chris and Nick before sending a conspiratorial grin toward Jaz. He wanted to say something like, see what I mean?, but settled for just the grin. He didn't want Chris to feel like he was pushing the line on teasing him. Still, it was cute, seeing little moments of Chris falling into Nick's flutter--and he certainly didn't mind seeing the flutter again himself, either.

After a moment, Chris cleared his throat and asked, "Do we want to play a game or something? I brought playing cards, too."

Ren raised his eyebrow, contemplating for a moment. Seemed like Chris would feel more comfortable with an activity. Or maybe he just didn't know where else to go next. Ren wasn't necessarily opposed to a card game, but he wasn't sure it was the best thing to do next. It was going to be a fine line between pulling Chris out of his shell and scaring him off, it seemed. Well, here goes.

"How about Truth or Dare?" he offered. "I'm not opposed to a card game, but the point of tonight is to get to know each other."

Chris certainly tensed at the proposal, but after a moment, he tentatively nodded.

"I guess that could be fun..." he said cautiously, but then he chewed on the inside of his lip a moment after that, his eyes nearly glaring at the coffee table in thought. "Just... I don't know. Can we not take it too far?" He rubbed at his hair, his gaze flickering nervously to Jaz and Nick, perhaps looking for a read on them, but still feeling awfully shy, too. Ren hoped his proposal hadn't been too pushy. He thought about asking Chris what parameters would make him comfortable, but before he could formulate the question, Chris added, "I guess, just, don't ask anyone to do anything that you'd, like, think less of them for actually doing?"

Ren nodded thoughtfully. That actually seemed pretty reasonable.

"I can agree to that. Nick, Jaz? How do you feel about the idea?"

Nick was still curled up in his chair. His hands had slid down a little so he could watch folks as they talked, but still covered his mouth and nose. He nodded when Ren's gaze landed on him.

"Fine by me," he said, before giggling a little and covering his whole face again. Ren couldn't help smirking as he pulled his gaze over to Jaz, excitement bubbling. Unless she threw an entirely unpredictable curve ball at this, it should be rather fun.

---

((OOC: Some fun meta-introspection notes...

Chris is on to something I don't always like about things like Truth or Dare. I also ended up thinking about Truth or Dare and similar games being equally a challenge to the asker, to try to ask something they think the other person would *enjoy* doing/answering, as much as it's a challenge to the askee to go out of their comfort zone to do/answer the thing.

I'm also enjoying how this is making me think about group dynamics in general lol... I would be interested in brainstorming a similar scene where you have multiple characters, if/when you're interested! It's kind of a neat exercise.))

Nick sank lower in his chair and tried to cover his face with his glass, but it wasn't very successful. He giggled and squirmed before looking over at Chris.

"Do you want to see?" Nick asked Chris, "Or... maybe show Jaz with me?" He giggled again, and Jaz smiled, happy that he was happy.

But then, Nick got more serious, sitting up and setting his drink on the coffee table. He took several deep breaths, still looking mostly directly at Chris, which Jaz found fascinating. It made Jaz look at Chris, too, briefly, his lips parted just for a moment before he clamped his jaw down again.

She didn't want to miss what Nick was doing, though. Nick sighed and reached up to touch his cheek with his fingers. His whole body softened as he did so, practically melting him back into the chair as Nick stroked down the side of his own jaw. And when he ran out of runway, his body followed forward slightly as though trying to get the most out of the experience. His fingers curled into his palm after that, and he blinked his eyes open, focusing again on Chris.

Jaz braved a quick peek over at Ren, who was grinning mischievously with raised eyebrows. His enthusiasm made her smile and blush, looking again between Nick and Chris happily. This was going well. She took a sip of her drink, determined to keep the warm buzz going.

Chris then cleared his throat and asked, "Do we want to play a game or something? I brought playing cards, too." Jaz raised her eyebrows, her face falling just slightly. It seemed like they had all only just settled into a rhythm--did they need to move on so quickly? Ren had an eyebrow raised, too, when she looked at him.

"How about Truth or Dare?" he offered. "I'm not opposed to a card game, but the point of tonight is to get to know each other." Chris visibly tensed but nodded after a moment of hesitation.

"I guess that could be fun..." Chris said, chewing on his lip and looking at the coffee table. "Just, I don't know. Can we not take it too far? I guess, just, don't ask anyone to do anything that you'd, like, think less of them for actually doing?"

Ren nodded, and Jaz thought it made sense, although she worried that they each likely had varying definitions of what "too far" meant.

"I can agree to that. Nick, Jaz? How do you feel about the idea?" Jaz had a flicker of frustration--Oh, are you hosting this party now?--but she settled down shortly afterward, still genuinely grateful for the ways Ren felt comfortable taking the lead tonight. It just hadn't been what she had expected.

"Fine by me," Nick said, drawing Jaz's attention back to him. He was giggling and covered his face again.

That just left Jaz, then... She could feel them all looking at her.

"Yeah," she said, maybe a touch too quickly, smiling partly out of confusion. "I just feel like there's got to be a third choice, right? Like if someone doesn't want to follow through. I'd say shots, but I think we're all pretty deep in our cups about now," Jaz said, her smile becoming more genuine as she spoke. "Chris gets to ask someone first."

"Yeah," Jaz said, maybe a touch too quickly. "I just feel like there's got to be a third choice, right? Like if someone doesn't want to follow through."

Chris swallowed nervously. That was exactly the part he was worried about, if he got right down to it.

"I'd say shots," Jaz continued, "but I think we're all pretty deep in our cups about now."

Nick giggled, and Ren let out a soft, dark huff of a chuckle. Chris chewed a small frown, still irritated by some of Ren's mannerisms; sometimes it just seemed like he was trying to be intimidating on purpose. He tried to remind himself that that was part of the game Jaz liked playing, though. Jaz didn't let him think about it too long, anyhow.

"Chris gets to ask someone first."

Chris shrank a little in his seat in surprise, but sighed out a soft breath and shifted back into a slightly more confident pose as he looked at each of his companions this evening.

Ren did also look a little obnoxiously intimidating when Chris first looked toward him, but he'd been looking at Jaz, and when he turned his gaze to meet Chris', he lightened, his smile growing congenial and warm. Chris was a little unnerved by the transformation, but tried to ground himself again in the game they'd all agreed to play, and simply moved on to Nick rather than linger.

Nick was half-hiding behind his hands again, and his eyes nearly sparkled as Chris met them. He did look happy, and it made Chris smile a little bit, too, as he continued on to look at Jaz.

Jaz still seemed maybe a little uncertain? Or maybe he was projecting... well, as he thought on it, they hadn't specified what the "third option" was. And he was still nervous about that.

"Can we agree on the 'third option', first?" He asked Jaz, but Ren answered promptly.

"Well, for those who are open to teasing tonight..." Chris looked over to Ren as he spoke, and watched as Ren tossed more threatening smiles toward Jaz and Nick, who giggled and covered his face again. "You get teased. For me and Chris? Well... We're well within our rights to tease our asker, if one of you two was so bold or crude." At that, Ren tossed Chris a conspiratorial wink. "We can simply pass with each other, no questions asked."

Chris gaped a little at all that. He supposed that all made sense, and he was genuinely impressed with Ren having come up with it on the spot. He certainly still felt nervous, but... More like at the top of a roller coast than on the edge of a cliff. He swallowed and straightened a little, eyeing Nick and Jaz to see how they seemed to feel about all of that. He was ready to pick his first target, if he didn't see too much hesitance in their expressions.

Nick slid his hands down on his face again, his eyes looking to Chris with a thrilled, happy sparkle.

Ren's proposal seemed to land well with everyone, which settled a very pleasant pride into his chest. He watched patiently and contentedly as Chris sized them all up, deciding on his target.

"Ren." Chris met his gaze with determination, and Ren raised his eyebrows--a little excited, a little surprised, a little nervous, and curious most of all. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

Nervousness buzzed in his chest when the word spilled from his mouth--there was an argument to be made that Dare would have been 'safer', with Chris--but, well, they were here to get to know each other. 'Safer' wasn't necessarily the best choice. Still, Ren playfully blamed the alcohol, on some level.

"Why did you want to meet me and Nick?"

Ren couldn't help a sharp sort of smile, and he closed his eyes, sighing lightly. He hoped Chris would understand that he wasn't trying to be sharp at him. He took a moment to contemplate, trying to come up with what felt right to share about it.

"I don't want to keep feeling like you're competition." Ren said, his sharp smile wincing a bit apologetic as he opened his eyes again. "I've never explored non-monogamy before." He tossed his gaze over to Nick as well, acknowledging that this was very much also for his benefit, before returning his gaze to Chris.

"At first, it was kind of fun to lean in to the jealousy. Imagine that Jaz was..." He blinked over to Jaz then, his expression tipping up a brief, sharp smile, before raising an eyebrow in a subtle question. Perhaps he answered it himself, though, as he gently shook his head and looked back to Chris with a crooked smile. "Well, we had our games. But, outside of the games... you're real people. Real people who Jaz likes. I'd rather feel like co-conspirators than competitors, if we can."

He tossed another glance toward Nick, and was delighted to see Nick pull his hands down to his chest, a blissful smile on his face as he gave Ren a nod. Ren smiled as well, and turned his gaze hopefully back to Chris. Chris' brow was furrowed in thought, his gaze on the table for a moment before he returned it to Ren. Ren's stomach twisted a little in anticipation, unsure exactly how Chris was going to react. Finally, though, Chris gave him a soft nod, and Ren couldn't help letting out a soft, relieved sigh.

"Your turn, then?" Chris asked, and Ren shrugged, supposing Chris was right about that. It felt a bit abrupt to move on, but, he respected that. So, his eyes scanned between Nick and Jaz, deciding which of the two he wanted to pick on next.

"Jaz," he eyed her with a sharp, threatening excitement. "Truth or Dare?"