Outside Natalie's Apartment, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday

[whenshewasnice]

This morning had been the first time Natalie had actually freaked out over what she was doing with her life at the current moment. It didn't last long, and she'd been expecting it to happen the entire week she'd been here, but still. She got up, checked the news through scifi technology, and freaked out (albeit in a mild, internalized, Natalie-like fashion) for a good ten minutes about the reality of being here – in Haiti, in the future – instead of at college following a plan she'd set out for herself years ago.

And then it had passed, and she'd been able to focus on what was going on in the world again.

But maybe that was still the reason why she'd felt like inviting Jim over tonight. She'd dressed it up as celebrating her first complete week here, of course, but maybe some of it was just the reassurance of a friendly face who wasn't also a politician. So, she'd called him, and told him they were going to go have a nice dinner so he needed to wear his best (he wasn't as hard to convince as he liked to pretend) to go with her dress. And he'd showed up, and they'd had their nice dinner with appropriate conversation – she was pretty particular about not seeming in any way weird or inappropriate here – and now they were just heading to hers. Stepping into the elevator.

"I live on the top floor," she shared, as she pressed the corresponding button. "Has quite the view."

[ooc: NFB, reserved for that dude. Early because timezones, and I'm a rebel.]

Comments

[pursuedthestars]

Yes, Jim had dressed up (but he hadn't shaved because he was a rebel too and he was too lazy to do that) but he was already pulling his tie loose when they got into the elevator.

"Of course you do," he said lightly, leaning back against the wall. "Isn't that where all important people tend to live?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, my last place of residence had a ball pit on the top floor, and no people."

It didn't do much good to lean around here. The elevator went ping and the door opened again about halfway through her saying that. Natalie figured she'd need at least another week to stop feeling weirded out by how fast the elevators were.

She gave him an amused look as she moved to step out again. "So I guess it depends."

[pursuedthestars]

"The island doesn't count. It's not some normal place," he said, pushing away from the wall and yanking his tie loose enough that he could undo some buttons on his shirt. "It's an anomaly."

[whenshewasnice]

"So school dorms usually put the most important students on the top floor?" Natalie questioned, amused, as she set off towards apartment 1202. "Also, if you strip further than that before we're in private, I'm having security come and get you."

[pursuedthestars]

"Why would you do that?" Jim asked her, leaving his shirt alone for the moment. "It's not like there's anyone else around."

[whenshewasnice]

"Because you're supposed to be presentable." But her door was close, so the point was almost moot. "And respectable."

[pursuedthestars]

"...there's no around," he pointed out again, glancing behind them. "Who am I supposed to be presentable for?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Me," Natalie quipped as she stopped by the door and reached into her purse for her keycard. "Besides, you do see all the other doors, don't you?"

[pursuedthestars]

"I see them," Jim said, nodding. "Want me to go knock on a few, show them how much skin I can really show?"

He was kidding, of course, but starting to walk towards one of those doors wouldn't hurt.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie rolled her eyes as she stuck the keycard in, and pressed her finger against the pad next to the door. The door slid open.

"Do that, and I will definitely be calling security, and you'll have sat through a respectable dinner in a suit for nothing."

[pursuedthestars]

"Not nothing," he said, shaking his head. "I'll have had dinner and food's a great motivator."

[whenshewasnice]

"Even so," Natalie replied, nodding at her open door. "Come on. Leave my neighbours be."

[pursuedthestars]

"Whatever," he sighed, smirking and walking through the open door into her apartment. "You better make it worth my while."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie looked faintly amused as she followed him into her apartment. The door slid closed behind them.

"Have I ever not?"

[pursuedthestars]

"First time for everything," he said, stopping when he'd gotten into the apartment so he could take a look around. "Nice."

It was an understatement.

[whenshewasnice]

Kind of, maybe. It was spacious, for an 18-year-old's first apartment, well-furnished, with more closet space than Natalie knew what to do with.

"Well, it's a place to stay," she replied, a little bit jokingly.

Moxy emerged from her bedroom, and meowed quizzically at Jim.

[pursuedthestars]

"Hey, cat," Jim said, giving Moxy a wave. "Please don't scratch me. I come in peace."

[whenshewasnice]

"I don't think he cares that much about you anymore."

And right after she'd said that, Moxy seemed to lose interest. He'd been on the way to kitchen, anyway! So he padded that way.

"He's adapted pretty well."

[pursuedthestars]

"As long as he has food and a place to sleep, I'm sure he could adapt anywhere," Jim said, glancing after the cat and shaking his head. "He and I are alike like that."

[whenshewasnice]

"And you both like being all over me, too," Natalie quipped. She held out her hand for him. Bit of that physical contact that hadn't been happening over dinner. "Do you want a little tour?"

[pursuedthestars]

"We probably like doing that in different ways," he said, stepping closer and taking her hand. "Didn't know if you remembered how to touch."

[whenshewasnice]

"Of course I remember," Natalie replied as she laced her fingers with his. "But I also remember how delayed gratification works." She gave his hand a little tug. "I'll show you the kitchen."

[pursuedthestars]

"Where you make your many gourmet meals?" Jim guessed, following behind her.

[whenshewasnice]

"Where I prepare my snacks, and try to understand this century's food products," Natalie retorted. The kitchen matched the rest of the apartment. Modern and nice. Moxy's food and water cups in one corner looked almost out of place.

There were fresh flowers in a vase on the table. "I'll get to gourmet in a month."

[pursuedthestars]

"I'd just order takeout and let someone else do the cooking for me," Jim told her, shrugging. "Easier that way."