Room 227, Tuesday Afternoon

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie knew she was going to be accused of moping. That was why her door was only cracked open. She didn't need to openly invite people to judge her.

And she didn't think she was moping, anyway. She was laying back on her bed, looking at the ceiling, but it wasn't moping. She was just thinking. About yesterday morning. About the future. About the huge blind spot she'd had when it came to sharing her plans with Sam.

It wasn't moping, it was contemplation.

Moxy meowed at the door. She didn't get up. The door wasn't closed. He could get out on his own if he really wanted to. She was just going to spend a moment with her thoughts right now.

[ooc: Cracked door, open post!]

Comments

[pursuedthestars]

A cracked door was invitation enough for Jim. But, just to be nice, he knocked once on the cracked door and waited. Didn't even push it open.

See. Nice.

[whenshewasnice]

Moxy meowed some more at the door. See, Natalie! Someone wanted to come in!

Natalie considered not responding. But that would've been too close to moping. Better not. "I'm in."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim pushed the door open and held it open for the cat. Look at that, making nice with the cat that had previously scratched his back up.

And then he stepped in, giving her a look. "You brooding?"

[whenshewasnice]

Moxy purred and rubbed his side against Jim's ankle before taking off down the hallway

Natalie rolled her eyes. "No."

[pursuedthestars]

"What are you doing?" Jim asked, swinging the door shut (but leaving it cracked in case the cat came back). "Thinking?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Bingo," she replied, still looking at the ceiling. She'd turn her head in a moment. Probably. "Just thinking."

Hey, she could even have been practising the meditation techniques they were learning in class. (She hadn't shared any of her thoughts there today. And she'd kept her eyes firmly closed.)

[pursuedthestars]

"Thinking about what?" Jim asked, coming a little further into the room.

[whenshewasnice]

"Stuff." That most specific answer of all time. "Future, past. All that stuff."

[pursuedthestars]

"How very vague," Jim said, raising an eyebrow. "Anything more specific than that?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie glanced over at him.

"There's always something more specific than that."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim rolled his eyes and came over to stand near the bed. "Okay, anything more specific that you wanna share?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged, watching him from ler lowered vantage point. "I ran into Sam in the park yesterday."

[pursuedthestars]

"And?" Jim asked curiously.

[whenshewasnice]

Oh look, the ceiling was interesting again.

"And it was mildly confusing and a little painful, as usual."

[pursuedthestars]

"What happened?" Jim asked, still standing.

[whenshewasnice]

"We met, we tried to determine whose fault it is that we haven't been in touch, talked a bit about who'd stopped doing what. I re-stated we're not getting back together, he kissed me, and now, I don't know. I guess he's trying to get over Natalie the girlfriend."

It was a rather clinical account, but that was how she worked. Closer something got to her heart, the more neutral the tone. The other option would have been not to talk about it at all.

[pursuedthestars]

"That doesn't sound like an awful meeting," Jim said, shrugging a shoulder. "Could have been worse, at least."

[whenshewasnice]

"Never said it was awful."

She kept her eyes on the ceiling. Wrinkling her nose just a little.

"We've had much worse. Still hurt and got confusing."

[pursuedthestars]

"Why confusing?" Jim asked, still looking down at her. "You know what you want when it comes to him."

[whenshewasnice]

"I know what I want," she replied. "And I didn't call him for over a month because what we wanted didn't match. But I'm not sure what he wants anymore."

[pursuedthestars]

"That's on him, then," Jim said, shrugging. "And he has to figure it out. I'm sure he'll tell you what he wants when he figures it out."

[whenshewasnice]

"Mm."

Well, she supposed he was right.

She just felt weird about feeling a little... optimistic after the last few months.

[pursuedthestars]

"Mm."

He mimicked the sound and tilted his head, still looking down at her.

[whenshewasnice]

"I'm not used to feeling like some part of my life isn't falling apart," Natalie said mildly, as if explaining that little sound. Or just as an afterthought.

She glanced at him again. "Are you just going to tower over me?"

[pursuedthestars]

"I was gauging the situation," Jim admitted, shrugging. "Checking to see if I wasn't walking into a hornet's nest."