[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]

Because of the cages?

[ She tilts her head.

But yes, let's just go and check out what's here. Birds, dogs, cats? Honestly, there's a lot of variety here both for animals and for associated food and toys and such for them.

So let's have some fun. ]

[cattack]

That's right... It seems cruel to keep them locked up so often.

[she's gonna go tag along after Natalia, keeping an eye out at all the animals...

That said, she's definitely taking a moment to pick out a laser pointer.]

[nachetanya]

I don't entirely disagree. The question of the ethics of ownership of birds feels a little more sticky than of say dogs or cats, mostly because birds actually tend to look closer to their wild counterparts. That said, any bird sold in a pet store - short of a wildly unethical one - is going to have been bred for captivity. Short of extensive naturalizing, they can't survive in the wild, especially not in these climates. The cages serve as a good environment to keep them sage and housed and fed.

[ ..... Cleo activated lecture mode she isn't even going to comment on the laser pointer yet. ]

Any good bird owner is going to have them outside the cages often enough, keeping them on their person, around the house, letting them stretch their wings. It should be mostly a resting place for sleep and for if you are transporting them or need to leave them behind. Actually, at this sort of pet store, if you ask they can usually allow the birds out of the cages to examine them closer...?

You're right though, that there's ultimately not a great excuse for them being around like this in the shop, prior to being sold. That's true of pretty much any animal in a shop like this though, for better or worse... we've commodified animals far too much.

[cattack]

[For what it's worth, Cleo's actually listening intently, ears pointed at Natalia to show she has her undivided attention.]

I agree... Dogs and cats have a much more symbiotic relationship with humans as pets, but birds less so. I don't know nearly as much about birds, though...

[... most of what she knows about birds is how to cook them. But, uh. Let's. Let's not mention that.]

[nachetanya]

That's only because of how heavily domesticated they are though! It's the same principle, but it's put over a longer time period. In fact, you could make an argument that modern breeding practices are harmful to dogs... Ah, I realize some irony in the fact I say that but Porsche is a terrier-pug mix, but she was a shelter dog.

[ WITH A SMILE... ]

[cattack]

That's right... Pugs have it the worst, isn't it?

[She nods.]

But it was kind of you to adopt from a shelter.

[nachetanya]

I wouldn't want to do anything but that!

[ Nod! ]

They do though, the results on the body for purebred pugs are unconscionable.

[cattack]

Yes... It's a pity, and there's nothing we can do for the ones that already exist...

[Her ears droop forward a bit.]

[nachetanya]

That's why they need to be cared for.

[ And like.

Accept that the line's probably a dead end which is also sad. ]

[cattack]

I've seen a few when they come to the shelter... They're very sweet dogs, regardless.

[LET'S POSITIVE THINKING???]

[nachetanya]

Oh, of course they are! They're lovely animals.

[ So ... moment here. Do we go to birds or dogs or cats? .. . Also what's with the laserpointer. ]

[cattack]

[well, she has to buy it before she can use it!]

Shall we go look at them?

[nachetanya]

Which ones first?

[ Dogs? Do we mean dogs??? or birds???

She's letting Cleo pick which one we focus on ]

[cattack]

The pugs... Unless you'd rather see birds?

[nachetanya]

I'd as soon see all of them... But you playing with dogs sounds like a great new lock screen.

[ ... Are there pugs specifically in this shop? fuck yeah let's do pugs. She'll even march ahead. ]

[cattack]

More teasing already?

[she's going to follow happily... she loves dogs, okay.]

[nachetanya]

Is it teasing if it's true?

[ Then again, the truth is teasing...

But yeah soon enough, we're to the puppies. There's a number of them, actually, of a few different breeds, all in a little display/play area to see and interact a little with them ]

[cattack]

From you? Probably.

[did you know cleo can teleport?

She can't, actually, but it probably seems like it with how quickly she's in the play area to pet the dogs.]

[nachetanya]

[ Cute.

Well, then, she'll be leaning outside of it for now. She does want to go in and play with them too but for now...? For now she's going to be taking some pictures with her phone from out here, as promised. ]

[cattack]

You can't play with them from out there, you know.

[she's sitting down, and already has at least one puppy on its back while she rubs its belly]

[nachetanya]

I know, I'll be in soon enough.

[ Something she sticks her tongue out at before one more photo and then... pocketing the phone to head on in herself. Her left (prosthetic) arm actually reaches out to brush at Cleo's shoulder as she sits, largely because she needs to orient to the right here to pick up any of the puppies. ]

[cattack]

[That contact, real limb or no, gets a grin, and Cleo lifts up one of the puppies- A tiny little golden retriever- to hold it out to Natalia.]

Here, this one's quite friendly.

[nachetanya]

Oh you're such a cute little thing, aren't you?

[ She coos at the dog when it's handed over. She laughs, taking the retriever gingerly in both hands, grinning to herself as she holds him closer. So cute... ]

[cattack]

He is.

[Of course, now that one dog is getting twice the attention, all the others are clambering over for attention as well... It doesn't take long before Cleo's absolutely covered in dogs.]

-- And so are the rest of you, yes!

[nachetanya]

[ Oh, she speaks to the dogs, doesn't she?

Cute.

Natalia coos as well, petting the one in her hand vigorously on its belly and reaching around to go and brush up on the other ones as Cleo is covered.

Heheh. ]