Natalie's Duplex, The Hegemony Compound, Brazil, Sunday

[whenshewasnice]

It had seemed like a good time to finally ask Jim over to visit the Compound, so that was what Natalie had done. And things had gone just fine. He'd accepted, they'd made plans, she'd gone to get him from the Portalocity hub. All fine.

But thank goodness for her amazing poker face when it had turned out she was picking up a more feminine-looking person than she'd expected. She hadn't even really commented on it on the way to the Compound – with a bodyguard and a driver involved, it wasn't like she could have – so she'd been saving her comments up for when they were alone.

And now that she'd closed her door behind them, they were alone.

"Fandom strikes again, eh?"

[ooc: NFB, for the boyfriend who is a girlfriend.]

Comments

[pursuedthestars]

"Sorry," he said apologetically, glancing down at his chest. "I look good though, right? I make an awesome girl."

[whenshewasnice]

"Very pretty." Well, it was true. Mr. Moxy padded over to curiously sniff at him. He smelled familiar, but weird! "I just wasn't expecting it."

[pursuedthestars]

"Yeah well, neither was I hence the clothes that don't fit me," he said, gesturing to his too big t-shirt. He knelt down and let Moxy sniff at his fingers. "Guess these things don't come with warnings just yet."

[whenshewasnice]

Moxy sniffed his fingers. Then he butted his head against them. He was a Fandom cat, he could roll with things.

Natalie watched them both. "No, I guess not," she agreed. There'd been no warning when she'd woken up as a tiny child in Port-au-Prince, either. "If you want to wear something that fits better, I can find you something. You look... about my size."

[pursuedthestars]

"You sure you're okay with that?" Jim asked, glancing up. "I can hang in these, it's not a problem."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie gave him a lopsided little smile. "It's not like you're going to stretch anything out right now."

He wasn't anywhere near his usual size. And that was weird, but it wouldn't ruin her clothes, at least.

[pursuedthestars]

"Hey, if you wanna share, I'm not gonna say no," Jim told her, shrugging. "No dresses though. I've got great legs and all but let's stick with pants or shorts for now."

[whenshewasnice]

"I wasn't going to." Even though she owned way more dresses now than she had back at school. She held out a hand for him. "Come on. I'll show you around."

[pursuedthestars]

"Okay," Jim said, sliding his (smaller) hand into hers and laughing at that. "Looked really nice from the outside."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie gave his hand a tentative little squeeze before twining her fingers with his. So weird.

"It's okay," she said, wryly, as she tugged him along further into the apartment. It was better than okay. "It's roomy."

[pursuedthestars]

"Because you take up so much space," Jim quipped with a little smile. "You and all your personal possessions."

[whenshewasnice]

"Are you trying to say I don't have a lot of stuff?"

Probably shouldn't have pulled him into her office right then. Or study. Whatever it was. Had her desk and various other work related stuff in it, anyway. Apart from some books on the desk, it didn't have a whole lot of Natalie to it. There were some potted plants, but the walls were bare.

[pursuedthestars]

Jim looked at her and then back at the room and the back at her.

"Yes, that is exactly what I'm trying to say."

[whenshewasnice]

"This is for work."

Yeah, that totally explained and justified it.

"Do I really need a lot of stuff around, distracting me?"

[pursuedthestars]

"Didn't say that," Jim pointed out, shaking his head. "I just said you don't have a lot of stuff and this made my point for me."

[whenshewasnice]

"I'm not sure why it's a point that had to be made in the first place," Natalie retorted, as she ushered him in the direction of the spacious kitchen. "It's not like I ever implied I needed all the room for my stuff."

[pursuedthestars]

"And I was just making an idle comment," Jim told her. "We can let go of the subject now. Show me the rest of this place and I won't make any more random observations."

[whenshewasnice]

"You're you," Natalie scoffed, although it was almost fond. "You always make random observations."

She nodded into the kitchen.

"Kitchen."

It was shiny and modern and new, but at least it looked like it was in use.

[pursuedthestars]

She'd better be careful or he'd take that as a challenge.

"Nice."

See?

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie gave him a dry look, but still got to guiding him towards the living room.

"Don't take this as a challenge."

[pursuedthestars]

"No idea what you're talking about."

Although it was scary how well she knew him at this point.

[whenshewasnice]

She was observant and had known him for the better part of a year, now. It had been kind of inevitable.

"Mm hmm. Of course you don't."

The living room? Spacious and nice, with a view of the Hegemony gardens.

[pursuedthestars]

"Nice."

He almost didn't say anything else but he did eventually add something.

"Actually, I'd probably spend the majority of my time in here. Great view, lots of space. Perfect for me."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie gave his hand a squeeze, and she smiled a bit. See what it got you when you weren't an ass, Jim? "I spend a decent amount of time in here," she shared. "I like seeing the gardens, even if I'm in here working."

[pursuedthestars]

"It's a good view," he agreed with a nod. "You could throw some intense parties in here."

Ideas, ideas...not really.