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

[whenshewasnice]

And yet another eventful couple of weeks in Toronto had passed. Complete with a visit to Iowa a universe away to see Jim off to his future. She'd gone back to Toronto after that, back to lectures and late nights. Back to band practice.

"I'm a supercilious sensation, I'm wearing your underwear!"

The three of them had played something for an audience of two, and gotten a glowing review of "fractured... angular... twisted pop sensibility... and stuff..."

Later, outside Scott's house, the two of them had stood close to each other with the early evening getting darker around them.

"Genius."

"Shh."

"Geeeenius."

(She'd thought of Jim. She'd laughed.) "Shut up!"

And then a little later, he'd asked, "So... Um... I'll call you tonight?"

And she'd smiled and said, "Call me every damn night."

And several of those nights later, here she was, back home. It felt like the difference got more pronounced every time she got back, and yet somehow also easier to deal with. The switch from poli-sci major Natalie over to Chief of Staff N.V. Adams was smoother when it was almost instant. It was the difference between a cramped dorm room shared with Julie, and a big apartment shared with Mox.

She gave Mr. Moxy a few scritches and wondered if she should have gone and said hi to Peter. Things had to go to normal eventually.

[ooc: NFB, open for all the usual. Scott Pilgrim volume three, natch.]

Comments

[lockestheway]

"Why, Adams, you dog," Peter deadpanned, "Did you get laid? It was that girl at the night club, wasn't it?"

[whenshewasnice]

She rolled her eyes again.

"It's a slacker from Toronto, and to be honest I think he's kind of scared to even hold my hand."

[lockestheway]

"A slacker? Really? I'm disappointed."

Weirdly jealous, actually, but that was a pointless thing that just got in the way and he was going to ignore it accordingly.

[whenshewasnice]

"I dated Sam almost all through high school," she pointed out. "And he had slacker right in the handle."

What? He did!

"So there's a precedent. Anyway, I like it. It's easy, and I think easy's what I need right now."

[lockestheway]

Yes, but Peter had largely ignored Sam existed because he wasn't relevant.

"Hey, whatever gets you running at peak efficiency," he said casually.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged a shoulder again.

"And it's nothing serious."

She wasn't sure why she felt like saying that. But she also couldn't find a reason not to say it.

[lockestheway]

Funnily enough, two years ago Peter would have said he didn't care about her dating life one way or the other, and he wouldn't have been lying.

He might have even said it a year ago without lying.

And it wasn't like his feelings were particularly clear on it now, either.

He shrugged.

("Just tell me, Peter. Is there no one you won't exploit to accomplish your purposes?" "Since my purpose is saving the human race from itself, the answer is no.")

"That's your affair, Natalie," he said. "As long as it doesn't interfere with your work, and I know you better than to think it will, whether it's serious or not isn't my business."

Since his purpose was saving the human race from itself, he couldn't afford to give in to sudden, late-onset detours into teenage emotions. The first person he had to exploit was himself.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged back at him.

"I was mostly trying to ward off the ridicule that seems to rear its unattractive head whenever I'm seeing someone."

[lockestheway]

Did Peter feel weirdly disappointed? He put that aside, too.

"I'm too busy for ridicule," he said.

[whenshewasnice]

It was okay if he felt a twinge of disappointment, because knowing he had would have made Natalie feel weirdly validated.

"Of course you are, peter."

[lockestheway]

Peter shrugged lightly. "We're approaching make it or break it time."