(no subject)

[widows_kiss]

Who: Natasha Romanoff Natalie Rushman
Where: The school, her home, out and about around town
When: The duration of the event October 24-28
Rating: Anywhere from PG to MATURE, idek
Summary: Natasha's the school Guidance Counselor, spending her days dealing with problem teens and her evenings in search of a little uncomplicated fun and distractions. not that it always works out that way... Her plotting comment is over here

The Story:
The Office:
Natalie's office at the school is a bright and airy room at a corner of the building, where bright windows let in a lot of light. It's all tastefully decorated, all soothing neutral colors with the occasional splash of a vibrant red for an accent. Her door is always open unless she's seeing a student and while she often does her paperwork from behind her desk, when she gets a visitor, she's more often likely to come join them on the couch or the plush pair of overstuffed armchairs that takes up the far side of her office.

After Hours:
When not acting as the school's guidance counselor, Natalie tends to take a much more laid back and uncomplicated approach to life. She has a small house in one of the neighborhoods on the outskirts of town with a view of the water, something neat and trim and complete with a white picket fence - an irony that is not lost on her.

She can be found there on occasion but much more often she's out and about, a frequent visitor at the local diners and bars when she's looking for a bit of companionship, or at the gym or the dance studio when she's not. She likes keeping busy and is very emphatic about leaving her work for work hours, although sometimes that's not always possible. She's friendly but has a bit of a sharp tongue and a sly sense of humor and if you're looking for a little bit of uncomplicated, no-strings-attached fun, then you'll definitely have a better chance of catching her attention.

Comments

day two for some fun

[notrequiredtomakesense]

He isn't sure if it was the fact he slept well for the first time in weeks last night or what, but today is actually not a bad day for Rey. He's in the studio practicing right now, and it just seems like every single thing he does is right, is perfect. He hasn't misstepped or gone off beat or anything since he started practicing.

Sure, it's weird, but like Rey's complaining.

He's stopped to take a break when he notices Natalie; smirking, he sneaks up behind her and pins her arms to her sides (part of him notices that he doesn't make any sound when he walks but he doesn't think anything of it).

"Boo."

:D

[widows_kiss]

She doesn't jump, but it's a near thing when he sneaks up behind her. Funny, she'd had a sort of sense that someone was coming up behind her, even though she'd been certain she hadn't heard a thing. When he wraps his arms around her from behind to pin her arms, she laughs and wriggles, shooting him a wry look over her shoulder.

"I'm terrified. Truly. Looks like you're having a good day."

[notrequiredtomakesense]

He laughs and lets her go.

"Yeah, for once I don't feel like a total screw up," he jokes. "If this good mood keeps going for a while, I may even finally decide to try out for another ballet company." The "and not insult anyone's daughter" goes unsaid.

[widows_kiss]

She gives him a fond smile at that and playfully shoves at his shoulder. "Well then I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. You should," she encourages him. "You're too good for this place. And you're not a screw up," she chides him, rolling her eyes. "Your mouth just occasionally runs away with you. Personally, I find that to be one of your endearing traits."

day one just because henry needs to talk to someone D:

[henrydaniel]

It isn't as if Henry actually plans to go to school. Maybe he'll consider it if they're here for a long time or it doesn't seem like something bad will happen - or one of his mothers or his dad actually makes him - but for now he's ditching. Still, that doesn't stop him from going to see if his grandma is there, to see if she even knows she's his grandma, or if she's still just Ms. Blanchard.

Before he finds her though he passes an office, then slows down and backtracks. And now he realizes that people from Wonderland are here too. It's pretty easy to figure out this is all going to be terrible (probably) after that.

With a quick glance at the name beside the door he knocks, wondering if the curse gave Natasha memories of him with troubled school attendance issues since he ran away to Boston on his own, stole his teacher's credit card when he was ten, and really barely went to school after the curse broke the first time. Guess he can find out.

"Ms. Rom - Rushman?" He corrects himself. Maybe since there's no Archie, he can talk to her.

[widows_kiss]

"Henry!" Natalie exclaims as she pushes away from her desk and comes around it to greet him. He's not one of the students she sees frequently, although he's been in her office once in a rare while. She knows who he is, though - her memory for names and faces is something that remains even now.

"Is everything alright? Why aren't you in class?"

[henrydaniel]

Henry comes up with a lie on the fly, giving her a little smile. "I didn't feel very good this morning so mom called me out. But I wanted to come see you. Can....we talk? If you're too busy, it's okay."

He doesn't even know what they're going to talk about, he's making it up as he goes.

[widows_kiss]

She gives him a smile and shakes her head, nudging the door shut behind him to give them some privacy before motioning him over to the sofa against the far wall. "I'm not too busy. Come sit down. What's on your mind?"

Well here comes MATURE ;D

[sidecars]

His whistling can be heard long before Bucky walks by Ms. Rushman's open officer doors. It's always chipper and light, something like Billie Holiday. She just seems to get stuck in his head of all things. Stepping lightly past, shoes squeaking across the slick linoleum floors, they both know it only takes a moment before he's spinning back around and sticking his face past the frame with a grin from ear to ear.

"Hey. Fancy meeting you here, Ms. Rushman."

You forgot the IM before that word! XD

[widows_kiss]

"Where would you expect to find me, Bucky?" Natalie answers in amusement, glancing up at him from where she sits behind her desk. She doesn't bother looking stern at him - he'd probably ignore it anyway and at least he seems to be in high spirits today.

"What sort of trouble are you into now?"

WOW ROOD

[sidecars]

"Well, you know...." Plenty of awesome places: A bar, his bed--Or, well... he doesn't have his own bed. The person's couch he's currently crashing on? No, no her bed. Yeah, those kinds of places. One day, Ms. Rushman.

Smoothly taking his usual spot on the couch, arm draped on the back of it, he tries on his angelic face. The one that says Well, golly, I'd sure love to help you with your groceries! No problem at all.

"What? None!" Truancy, but they have to catch him out of class first before they can slap him with that. "Still lookin' for it actually--But, hey, so!" He leans forward now to get off that dangerous line of questioning. "So, I'm getting close to my eighteenth birthday, which I'm sure you know! Think it's on your calendar and everything--So, we need to start talking about college and shit, right? Isn't that the point of these lil' meetings?"

only callin it like she sees it! ;)

[widows_kiss]

Natalie arches one slender eyebrow when he brings up the topic unexpectedly, one he's been happy to evade for months now whenever she's tried to help him find a direction for his future.

"Well, this is new. Yes, it's one of the points. Are you finally considering the fact that you're going to need a life after you graduate?"

LOCAL BAR.

[madeadifferentcall]

Here's the story, let us spin it for you quick.

One, beat cop who realized halfway through one of the best things that ever happened to him - that he should be married to the job. The other, a woman who really deserved better except...

Lately he has been having dreams, almost as bad as waking visions and a large part of them involve her.

Maybe that's why he's at one of her favorite haunts, in his leather jacket and jeans and flannel shirt. Maybe that's why despite the bags under her eyes he grins when he sees her which is...ironic and terrible and tearing him apart all at once.

He shakes his head, turning to his whiskey, both hoping and not hoping to be noticed.

[widows_kiss]

It's pretty difficult to not get noticed by Natalie, who has a long-standing habit of scoping out any room she walks into. Something she's just always done but never really stopped to question why. Now's no exception, though, and the sight of him at the bar gives her a moment's pause before she saunters over in his direction, a sway in her hips.

"Well. Fancy running into you here."

[madeadifferentcall]

Well fancy meeting you here indeed, "...best beer in town."

He rarely if ever drinks at bars. He drinks at home, usually. She gets a smile however, "I finished all my alcohol at home. What brings you here?"

"...On the hunt?"

[widows_kiss]

"It's not like it has a lot of competition," she points out dryly as she slides onto the stool next to his and motions to the bartender for her usual. Because yeah, she had one of those. Creature of habit much?

His question got a slightly less humor-filled look from her as she glances sideways at him. "Why? Are you jealous?"

day 2

[strategisch]

Arthur isn't a problem teen, but he sure is a teen who has a lot of problems.

He sees Natalie nearly every day-- not in a professional capacity, but because he hides in the counselor offices at certain times of day to avoid harassment from his entire pack of bullies. Right now, school has just let out, and it's the most dangerous time of day to be milling about, when the kids are even less supervised than usual, and someone could easily drag him off of school grounds...

He sits in a spare chair with his backpack in his lap, staring off into the distance like he does when he's gone somewhere else in his head. It helps to pass the time.

[widows_kiss]

Natalie had stepped out to the Administrator's office for a quick meeting before the end of the day, but coming back to her office to find Arthur in one of her chairs isn't exactly an unusual occurrence for this time of day. She pauses in the doorway for a moment before giving him a fond smile and coming to crouch in front of his chair.

"Hello, Arthur. How was classes today?"

[strategisch]

Normally his head is down, so it's clever of her to put herself in his line of sight like that. Arthur blinks, and comes back from where-ever he went, managing a small smile for her in return.

"Classes were fine," he nods. His teachers like him, because he's exactly what they want out of a student; quiet, submissive, and punctual. If he ever questions their lessons, he doesn't have the courage to say anything about it out loud, "Mr. Sanchez nearly set fire to the lab room again. Everyone liked that."

after school;

[alionsheart]

Robert is very much the quiet, studious type, something that never changed as he grew older. Unlike Robin Hood, his cursed persona is more of an introvert, tending to stay indoors when he's not working. He makes exceptions for his children and a few select others, but generally his happiest times are spent inside, reading and cooking, watching movies either by himself or with his children. He's only recently begun to think about dating again, and it's been years since his wife's death; he's never been in any hurry, and he's not all that invested in it, either. His children and his friends are enough.

He's also not much of a drinker - also unlike Robin - but he's good friends with the school guidance counselor, Natalie, and doesn't mind sometimes relaxing with a drink at the bar if he's in her company. He's a history teacher, and he's just finished grading all the exams from today. His reading glasses get tucked into his briefcase, and he makes his way to Natalie's office. Wearing corduroy pants, a button down shirt and a cashmere sweater vest, he obviously gives very little thought to making himself look in any way attractive when they go out like this, and he thinks his children care more about him dating than he does.

Knocking on her office door, he smiles as he steps inside. "Nearly done, Natalie? I thought perhaps since it's the weekend we've earned a drink?"

[widows_kiss]

She looks up from the forms she's finishing up on some of her cases and gives him a relieved smile. Huffing out a tired breath, she brushes her hair back off her face and leans back in her chair with a fond grin.

"Oh, you just said the best words I've heard all day. My hero. I'd love that, actually, let me just get this all put away so I can close up for the weekend."

This week has been full of unexpected problems and complications and she felt like she'd spent the afternoon juggling reports and forms and trying to make sense of everything that's suddenly got dropped on her lap. Was it full moon or something? Friday the 13th? Mercury in retrograde? She had no idea, but it had certainly made for an interesting week.

[alionsheart]

It's such a slight thing, really, just a small offer, but he's pleased to see it bring a smile to her face, and pleased to have a bit of time with her outside of work.

"Perhaps I can help with putting things away?"

Though he understands, since some of it might be organized a certain way and he might do more harm than good.

day four

[brainsqueeze]

There's a knock on Natalie's office door just after school finishes. Ava had been free for the last hour, and though she might have planned on finishing up on some planning to leave the evening free she couldn't help but get stopped by what was on her mind.

She didn't recall ever feeling so confused, especially not about herself. That was one thing she'd always been certain about - that she knew herself and her mind but now she wasn't even certain that she knew her name. She was Ava, but for some reason the name Maria kept popping up, and there were a few disturbing thoughts - memories? - that came with the name. It certainly wasn't simple.

Ava hadn't exactly gone to Natalie for guidance but maybe she'd ask about it. Or just talk to her and try to forget what was bothering her.

[widows_kiss]

Natalie had been strongly tempted to call off today. Or, at the very least, close her office door and hide under her desk for the day perhaps. But she still had a job and a paycheck to earn and it's not like she's the only one dealing with all this crap today, even if her own situation seems to be a little... stranger than some of the others.

Still, she's here, and looking moderately put-together behind her desk, trying to distract herself with the mountain of paperwork on her desk that never seems to get any smaller. She glances up at the knock, catching sight of the woman int he door and for a moment, she's not sure what to call her, two names popping simultaneously to the forefront.

So instead she just settles on a crooked smile and a wry, "Hey."

[brainsqueeze]

"Hey." There was a smile, the usual hint of familiarity and friendliness between two people that worked together but somehow there was something else there - a familiarity that seemed stronger than the time they'd both been at the school.

It was troubling, and it was the first person that Ava had noticed it with. Some people didn't seem to have much else with them that she knew - she could remember different names with them but not a lot of background. Natalie - and she was sure it had to be Natalie - had a lot more with her. History, some memories that were just as unnerving as the ones that Ava thought she had about herself - about Maria.

But it wasn't just happening to her. In one of her classes there'd been an incident of sorts - nothing strange but a name popping out of a mouth that seemed unfamiliar, and the person it had been address too was confused by it as much as the person that said it was. Nothing had happened, it had been shrugged off but something had to be happening if it wasn't just her, right?

Or was she trying to just make it bigger than her to feel better?

"If I asked you something that sounded strange, what would you do?"

Because that didn't sound strange all on its own, did it?