nathan

[polyapathy]

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week 0; saturday post-trial; lobby

[polyapathy]

[Nathan just happens to be in the first place she looks. It makes sense—it's a good place to smoke, which she's glad to see he's doing, and it's not the lounge upstairs. The one still coated in sheets of his blood. Is someone going to clean that up, or is it just... there now?

Katy sits next to him on the edge of the fountain. She's got a fresh bottle of whiskey with her, because, like, same.

Oh, and she's still covered in his blood. Whoops.]

You look like hell.

[notaquaman]

[Being covered in his blood is a mood. They're two blood-soaked pees in a pod. He glances over as he lets out a stress-relieving breath of smoke and offers her his joint.]

Cheers?

[polyapathy]

[pees in pod.

She looks him over once more, then trades him the joint for the whiskey. It's been a little while since she last smoked pot, but she's not about to shy away from it now.

The hit starts her coughing, but that's what a whiskey chaser is for. She borrows the bottle for just a sec, and then looks over the joint.]

How'd you light this?

[notaquaman]

Used my mind.

[He grins slightly, but it's gone by the time he takes a slug of whiskey, then waits to trade once again.]

Nah, I lit it on the stove in the kitchen.

[polyapathy]

Damn. That's such a pain.

[This place is bigoted against smokers.]

So your memories came back.

week 1; monday

[notaquaman]

[Feels bad, fam! Nathan's not the kind of guy to feel bad about getting a tit pic, but considering the general progress he's made with Katy on his own...it just feels exploitative. Voyeuristic. He can barely look at the photo.

...like, he still does. He's not a saint. But still.

The next doorway she opens will lead her into a new area--a decrepit, run down looking community center, and Nathan's swiveling himself around in a wheelchair, grinning like the true idiot he is. Maybe if he's charmingly moronic, she can't be mad?!]

Morning, love! You rang?

[polyapathy]

[oh wow hi bud like she was just tryna go to the bathroom but ig she's here now.

But, whatever, she's just On Board with all the weird bullshit that keeps happening in this place. It takes too much mental energy to balk at every oddball thing.

So she immediately stomps over to Nathan and slugs him in the shoulder.]

What's this bullshit about having to summon you with my tits?

[She's like pretty sure this isn't his fault but like. Give her a sec, she's gotta take it out on him.]

[notaquaman]

Gah!

[He yelps like a wounded animal when she slugs him, and he pouts openly while he rubs his shoulder.]

Jesus, come on! I didn't make the rules! You saw what it was like around here before all this weird bullshit summoning nonsense, all...dildos and sex manuals...everything's just programmed that way!

[polyapathy]

[Her lips flatten, unimpressed. He's right, though, and she knew it wasn't his fault as soon as she figured out what the app was meant for. Still. He can deal with her taking it out on him momentarily.]

That doesn't undo the fact that I just had to snap you a nude to "book an appointment". We already had something going, you know. Now you've gone and skipped a step. It's impolite.

[His fault? Again, no, but still.]

You owe m—... Actually, I suppose I've already seen your horn.

[BUT STILL. She thwaps him on the arm again, this time more lightly.]

It's not fair you get all these perks.

week 1; sunday

[notaquaman]

[When Katy opens a door...she is not transported to the community center! Nathan's there, though, leaning against the door frame. He pulls something out of his back pocket and holds it up.]

Brought you a candy bar.

[Fought the vending machine for it and everything!]

[polyapathy]

[Welcome to................................. Katy's bathroom! Because I like this gag of her just constantly trying to pee but then he's here.

She startles as he's just suddenly here. It's not something she's ever going to get used to.]

Jesus— Look at you, teleporting around at your leisure. Must be fuckin' nice.

[But she's biting back a smile, and poorly, at that. She takes the candy and hops up to sit on the counter.

Even though the bed's right there but look I'm committed to this joke.]

Aren't you sweet?

[notaquaman]

[Fear him, the TOILET BLOCKER.]

I thought to myself, why would any self-respecting young woman with a menstrual cycle want a bouquet of flowers when they could just as easily get a chocolate bar? Who wants to add an extra commitment in their day-to-day? In this economy, no less?

[polyapathy]

[HEY MODS CAN WE NERF PERIODS?????????? LORDT.]

You're onto something there, bud. Sour jellybeans are my favorite.

[Just saying. She will happily take the candy bar, though. She's gonna save it for later. For now, she has some questions. And a proposition, but that'll come later.]

So what's the point of us being here? Are we supposed to be tracking down all of these demons and shit, or what?

week 2; sunday

[notaquaman]

[Someone just died today but Nathan can't help being a bit like an excited puppy when he gets a message from Katy. It's faster just to appear, so she gets a knock on her dorm room door while her roommate is out. Besides, the community center is kind of a drag.]

Did you miss me?

[polyapathy]

[Oh, hey, she's not suddenly running into him in the bathroom this time. Growth.]

I really did. Get in here.

[She gives him a coy little smile and nods for him to come in.]

[notaquaman]

[He does not need to be told twice. He all but skips in, closing the door behind him.]

I love a woman who knows what she wants.

[polyapathy]

Oh, do you?

[Good, because she thwaps him hard in the arm. Here's hoping the hosts aren't immune to sex cooties.]

What the hell is this I hear about making deals with you guys, huh?

week 3; monday

[notaquaman]

Hey.

[Nathan trots over to where ever Katy is. He's happy to see her, as always, but seems distinctly distracted--enough that he launches right into a question.]

Do you see that?

[It looks like not too far away, there's a baggie on the floor. It's full of white tablets that are most likely drugs, but it's hard to say what kind.]

[polyapathy]

What?

[She's in the library this time, which is where she's been hanging out most of the week since I can't be bothered to look up the map.

But, oh, she glances over. That sure wasn't there a moment ago.]

The... what is that, ecstasy?

[notaquaman]

Normally this is the part where I make a wise crack about how we should try 'em and find out...but I've had a pretty fucked-up experience with that shit, so.

[He doesn't really wanna try it...but he still does grin and start heading toward it, walking backwards so he can keep talking to Katy.]

I bet someone would pay a high price to get it back.

[polyapathy]

[Fucked-up experience, eh? She'll file that one away for later. In the meantime, she follows him, albeit warily.]

What sort of price are you after?

week 3; saturday post-trial; ballroom

[polyapathy]

[Immediately after the trial, before Nathan can disappear back into the ether, Katy catches him by the arm.]

Come here—

[Her free hand twists in his shirt collar to yank him down into a kiss, hard and passionate, and yeah she's shaking a bit but that's not the point.

She takes her time savoring the kiss, but when she does pull away, she gives him a little half smile and pats a hand on his chest.]

We do need you, you know. Even if no one else can see that.

[notaquaman]

[When Nathan kisses her back it's instinctive, but no more lacking in passion. He keeps her from going too far when she pulls away, hands sliding down her arms to her own hands. He keeps his voice low. It's not question that no one will be listening, but...]

If I lost you, I don't know if I could do it.

[polyapathy]

[Oh, god. That punches her right in the gut. She squeezes his hands before pulling one away to stroke a thumb over his cheek.]

You're not gonna lose me. You, me, and Haymitch, we're gonna keep each other safe. He was right again tonight, with Illumi, and we're starting to put the pieces together... We'll figure this out.

[They have to.]

[notaquaman]

The two of you...

[He grins slightly.]

You've got more sense than the lot of 'em. They're blind if they can't see it. Deaf if they don't wanna hear it.