[OPEN] + 2 Closed Prompts

[nachetanya]

WHO: Natalia Fairweather and anyone else! (plus Cleo and Astin closed prompts)
WHERE: Around the city (specific prompts for her apartment
WHEN: Primarily the 15th/16th but to people staying in the city one prompt can go for the rest of the month and one prompt meant for them in the aftermath
WHAT: Natalia has a busy 15th and 16th for belated valentines and then begins on a journey of self-discovery for the rest of the month
WARNINGS: None I don't think?

1) This is where I stock up [Some convenience store/on RU campus]
[ The morning of the 15th. She's been texted/called/etc by at least some people that the people on the missions are going to be back for a day. Noon on the 15th until noon on the 16. That's... not a a lot of time, honestly. It's both not a lot of time and in no way fits into either her campus or work schedule so she's... just going to ditch both, honestly. So early in the day, the earliest possible office hours you'll find her coming to or from a professor's office to get some notes from today and then sighing profusely before she bunkers down on some bench.

And then later at a store buying a... large... amount of Five Hour Energy or other such stimulants. Someone is just intending to not sleep because who needs that shit??? She has friends and family to see, dates to have, and generally just needs to make the most of the day. ]

2) The day in question [the 15th/early 16th anywhere]
[ Are you one of Natalia's friends or family? Some people she's talked to before? While she does have a large stretch of the afternoon and evening of the 15th spoken for, she is going to track down you and try to see you in person, just so she can say she saw you at least one last time? Given the time constraints involved this may or may not involve a text or meet up at like six AM or whatever other shenanigans? The longer this goes though the most obvious it is that she's running on empty by the noon point of the day.

... This is a vague prompt to allow for anything in terms of tag ins here but if you want me to make a custom thing just contact me. ]

3) When the clock strikes noon + 1 minute [Some cafe or diner]
[ So it's the last moment, people have gone back to work and she's...

Burnt out. Tired, but ultimately satisfied. The end result is that Natalia, holed up in some familiar diner or cafe (maybe one you're at, maybe one you can see her in the window of) ends up setting her head down on the table, intending to just rest is there and then...

Falls asleep. ... Sorry everyone. She might need to be woken and/or escorted home. ]

4) As I consider this sword [Some gym/dojo, the outskirts of town, or a park at night]
[ So Natalia got a small sword the other month. And then she got a surprise change to her physiology earlier in the month: her body more toned and muscular. Tight and refined but... barely noticeable unless you're looking for it but she's increasingly found incredibly potent.

... And so.

She ends up practicing with this sword. she's got no idea where to do it though so she just kind of walks/drives out to some likely looking place or uses a part of some dojo or gym where she's not going to get too many weird looks and starts trying out sword thrusts with it. Or... conducting? What the hell is she doing with that sword, working it like a conductor's baton? ]

Comments

[nachetanya]

Oh! You put aside that much for me? [ She laughs a little. She does need to foot the bill still so she's going to stand to head on back to the counter to manage that, but before she does he lipstick highlighted lips curl into a more impish smile before she leans in and says, ]

Then I'll praise you by saying I was getting lost in your eyes.

[ TO THE COUNTER. ]

[cattack]

[See, Cleo had been intending to pay for her own food. Going dutch seemed to be the best way to do this, since she still had no idea it was a date. But then Natalia actually starts talking again and.

Congratulations, Natalia, she's now turning very red, and you appear to have stunned her a bit. you caught her off-guard :(!]

[nachetanya]

[ Well, if you wanna pay for yourself, better go fast. She's going to the counter now and going to pay it off! Not that they got very much, just two standard noodle bowls. But she's pleased, very pleased to see that expression on Cleo's face. That was cute. ]

[cattack]

[Well, she was going to try, but then she just sort of stops. Stops dead, and has to catch herself on her chair to stay upright as the vision plays out in her mind.

By the time she comes back from it, Natalia's already paid, and Cleo looks a bit indignant, if distracted.]

Th- There's no need to trouble yourself...

[nachetanya]

[ Hey man, it's cool, it's cool, she pays! ... And comes back once she has to see Cleo looking... out of sorts?

... Hmm?

She tilts her head and- ]

Ah, it's a bit late for that?

[cattack]

I... suppose so...

[she is just. internally orz.]

I- I will at least repay you.

[that said, she looks. very distracted?]

[nachetanya]

[ Repay her... huh?

Natalia laughs at that, reaching a hand out to brush on Cleo's shoulder and if that's allowed she's going to ghost down the girl's entire arm and then make to take her hand in hers (her right one, that is, because sense of touch ]

Let's get going then, the afternoon's just started.

[cattack]

[She outright squeaks in surprise, taken off-guard as distracted as she is. But, well. She at least lets her, and takes her hand.]

R- Right. Where to next?

1/2

[nachetanya]

Well if you're going to be this out of sorts, maybe I should have us go to a specialty store instead! How do you feel about collars...?

[ Said with a wink and a squeeze of Cleo's hand - she leans in to say that second part...

But then laughs and adopts a more serious expression to ask, ]

[nachetanya]

... Seriously though, did something happen?

[cattack]

[... fortunately(?) for Cleo, that goes right over her head.]

Collars...? My apartment doesn't let me have pets, or else I'd have a cat or two...

[... she's completely serious.]

I, ah... Got a vision. I think it was from your comment about eyes...?

[nachetanya]

[ . . . Wow.

Wow. Holy shit. That said, she nods all the same, keeping close to Cleo as they continue to walk towards the destination. You know, for that? She's going to go and head towards a big pet store she likes. That said... ]

Oh? Do you want to talk about it?

[cattack]

[i'm a little sorry, natalia.

That said, she lifts her free hand to her face, and just.

Pulls out her left eye.]

[nachetanya]

[ I mean.

She had said that it was ... a prosthetic ... on the phone ...

She watches that, trying hard not to hesitate too much, but she does intake air a little bit. It would be hypocritical for her to comment though, after all, is her left arm that much better? That cleo is bold enough to to do that as they're walking down the street though?

That's surprising. ]

[cattack]

[She stares at it for a good moment, before hurriedly putting it back in.]

That is, perhaps, the weirdest feeling I have ever had in my life, and that is counting waking up with new limbs.

[She shudders a little bit...]

[nachetanya]

[ With new limbs...? Oh, she means the tail, obviously. But Natalia (with her own bias) can't help but glance towards the other woman's arms, both the one which was holding the eye and the other one she's holding now. She hesitates but: ]

Did you want to go to a washroom...?

[ To make sure the eye's in right? Or is Cleo confident there? ]

[cattack]

[She shakes her head, and her eye focuses again.]

I think... If you're all right with it, I would much rather we continue our trip and not think about that.

[nachetanya]

No, no, of course.

[ She is curious about what the memory is, but she's also... well, she's just thrown off in general and feels bad for it, really. That said, ]

Sorry, I got a little silly there. You tell me if you need to wash off the eye or adjust it though.

[cattack]

He said to take it out as little as possible, except... 'as a party trick'... So I think it's better to leave it.

[Yeah, her life is weird.]

Ah, no, please don't apologize. I quite enjoyed that silliness.

[nachetanya]

[ "He...?" Whoever installed the eye, probably? Natalia shakes her head, exhales, and then picks up the pace a little! Let's head over towards that pet shop she intended to go to. She knows she looks good now, so. ]

Alright! Good! I've got plenty more of that sort of silliness.

[ She meant more hesitating and getting disturbed by the eye. That was beneath her. ]

[cattack]

[That's not silly, that's understandable.

But she follows, letting herself relax a bit again.]

I'm relieved to hear it. I'd feel terrible if I had somehow managed to dampen your sense of humor after this long.

[nachetanya]

Even when you're a victim of it?

[ Okay, okay, let's get that impish smile back on her lips. ]

[cattack]

Well, nothing is perfect, I suppose.

[okay, this banter is good. this is much more comfortable.]

[nachetanya]

If you're that accepting of me, there's a chance I might actually be mean to you, you know.

[cattack]

You? Nonsense. I don't believe you're capable of it.