(no subject)

[outstandingbalance]

Who: smol Natasha + you!
Where: here, there, everywhere
When: 2/9-2/11
Rating: PG for now, but could go up to PG-13 for violence
Summary: A feral twelve year old Widow in training exploring the mansion and grounds.
The Story:

[From the tundra, here. Natalia's not sure how it happened, and she doesn't trust it. Is this still a survival test? Is it another test? When and where will Red Room agents appear to collect her?—the possibility that they won't never crosses her mind. There's no such thing as actually getting away. Red Room has made their control very clear.

It's a skittish girl who explores the location. For the most part, she gives other people wide berth as the safest tactic, but there are places she takes the risk in favor of payoffs. Especially where food is concerned.

And food is concerned a lot.

Natalia can be found, still in her parka, curled around a cup of hot tea with milk and sugar, or tearing apart a sandwich and stuffing bits of it into her mouth like she's afraid she won't get the chance again.]

Comments

[mucked]

[ good lord, there are children everywhere. peggy is beginning to wonder whether they now outnumber the adults within the mansion. but it's an idle thought and it's quickly dismissed when she comes across a delicate-looking girl.

it's late. there's no one else in the kitchen but them. maybe peggy just needed a moment away from her own space -- maybe she's peckish. the exact motivation is far less important than the pique of interest felt when she witnesses the girl tucking into a sandwich. ]

Careful. [ it's idle. almost thoughtless. ] You don't want to leave any crumbs for the rats.

[ jokingly, really, because the way the girl's guarding her meal peggy rather doubts there'll be a single stray crumb for anyone to find. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[The look Peggy gets is defensive, though not openly hostile. It's the kind of look that fits on a child who's that invested in her food. Or maybe it's a look that explains why she is?]

The rats can fend for themselves. They always do.

[Her accent is Russian and clipped. She doesn't edge away, but she's tense in a way that implies she'll make a quick retreat if she has to.]

[mucked]

[ you know, she betrays a touch more interest when she hears the accent. peggy had been digging around for a tin of biscuits, but now she turns away from the cupboard and takes a better gander at the girl. ]

I suppose that's the nature of rats. [ hmm. ] Such accomplished little survivalists.

[outstandingbalance]

[That gets a flat, unblinking look out of Natalia. Is that a jab? If it is, it will take a lot more than that to get a rise out of her.

She won't forget it though.]

Maybe. Until they meet a cat.

[mucked]

[ not a jab at all, really. at least not at the girl. ]

You know, the cats don't age here. None of the pets people keep do -- leastwise not if they got them from the closets. But now I wonder about the mice and the rats and the voles, too.

[redheadpepper]

[ Pepper tries to avoid the kitchen when she knows it's likely to be busiest. She's not anti-social or agoraphobic by nature, but in her current state, she's just not comfortable around large groups of people. So she's careful - like she is with everything, careful and cautious.

But apparently not as careful and cautious as this girl, who is wolfing down a sandwich like it's her first one in months - like she's expecting someone to try and take it from her at any minute. It hurts Pepper's heart. She's seen kids like that, in third-world countries, abused or homeless or hungry. She does a lot of philanthropic work, so it's not new to her, but it never fails to make her feel bad. ]

Hey. Want some chips or something to go with that?

[outstandingbalance]

[Natalia watches the woman warily, scooting away slightly. She doesn't expect that this woman needs her sandwich. She seems well fed enough. That doesn't mean she wouldn't take it away, though.

She doesn't trust the offer, either.

But.

She's still hungry.

In the end, she shrugs, keeping Pepper in the corner of her eye.]

[redheadpepper]

[ The wariness radiates off the girl like waves of heat over a desert - it's unmistakable.

There's also a weird air of familiarity to the girl that Pepper can't quite place - it's going to take her a moment, maybe. She usually prides herself on remembering people, but in all fairness she's had a rough few days.

Still, though, it's easy enough to produce a bag of potato chips - the kitchen will offer up just about anything easily enough, she's figured out that much by now. ]

Here you go. My name's Pepper.

[outstandingbalance]

[Taking the bag carefully with her free hand, Natalia inspects it. Apparently satisfied it wasn't tampered with, she sets it aside, then returns to her sandwich.]

Is Pepper a name?

[mulletrock]

[Whatever the tundra was, Dean wasn't the kind of guy that gave two shits about a location or not pointing out the obvious. Basic social etiquette wasn't high up on his list of priorities. Even less so today, after not much sleep and on his way to the coffee.

It's only after he's marinated over the first half a cup that he even finds the words to speak.

Lemme guess, you're preparing for hibernation??

[outstandingbalance]

[Until he speaks, Natalia gives him space, doing her best not to attract attention as she drinks her tea. She's not looking for a fight, especially not a fair one.

All things considered, if he wanted to drink his coffee in quiet, she was prepared to... well, not ignore him, but stay away and keep a suspicious eye on him.

Her response is slow and Russian accented though very clear:]

I'm not planning on sleeping.

[mulletrock]

If that's the case you're gonna need something stronger than tea.

[Okay, not the weirdest kid he's met but definitely not filed under normal either. He takes another pull from the mug on the table in front of him. Sure, he could offer some of his coffee, but basic profiling told him she wouldn't take it. The girl had shields up, big time.]

[outstandingbalance]

[He's right about that. One day, she might be more subtle about how guarded she is. Right now, she might not even be trying.

She curls her fingers tighter around her cup.]

I do not need help with it. It's fine.

[middlefinger]

[wynonna has been preparing a bag filled with food herself. she'll need supplies if she's going to hide here -- but the other girl was tearing into that sandwich and man that looked better than the stuff she was packing.]

Who made that for you?

[outstandingbalance]

[A sideways glance, leaning away slightly. It's hard to say what her aversion is. Fear? Or something else?]

I made it myself. It's just a sandwich.

[middlefinger]

Right. [Wynonna doesn't really know much about making things for herself, or taking care of herself in general.]

But you're eating it like it's the best tasting thing you've ever had so I thought maybe it was special.

[outstandingbalance]

It's not that good. [Natalia is just very, very hungry.] Are you new here?

[Considering the fact the other girl doesn't seem to know much about how this place words—no more than Natasha does.]

[ofletters]

[ There are kids everyone, he's finding, and most of them looking pretty strung out. Sam helps where he can, though they don't all want help... and that's the vibe he gets from the girl in the kitchens, too. ]

Careful you don't, uh - choke. [ He offers unhelpfully, trying to produce something like a reassuring smile. Sam doesn't get close, because she looks pretty skittish, but he does grab a seat some distance away. So that it isn't Too Weird, he holds a cup of coffee, too. ]

Pretty hungry, huh? [ The younger Winchester asks lightly. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[Natalia angles a suspicious look on Sam; he's not wrong about that. If anything, he puts her more on edge.]

Less hungry now than I was. [She doesn't even turn to look at him directly, angling her head like she wants to look around her nose.] If I'm in your way, I'll move.

[ofletters]

You're not, that's not what I-... [ Ah, man. He's never been good with kids. Sam sighs. ] ... Don't worry about it. You're fine.

[ She's eying him as if he means to do her harm, though, so he puts up his hands defensively. ]

[outstandingbalance]

[She frowns slightly, scooting away from him slightly as she takes another bite of her sandwich.]

What did you want?

[morethan084]

[Skye wasn't a fan of being here, but she was even less of a fan at seeing children here separated from their parents. The young redhead that she comes across is the second child she's seen here, which is two too many. She looks just as scared too, and it's hard not to notice the way her eyes dart around as if afraid that someone will steal her drink.]

Hey. You mind some company?

[Skye is already pulling out the chair opposite of her, which makes it seem like it's not really a question.]

[outstandingbalance]

[Skye's estimation isn't far off. Natalia even pulls her food just a little further away, like a feral cat hunkered over a tuna tin.]

There are lots of seats. You can have whichever one you want.

[Which isn't exactly welcoming, but isn't exactly telling her off either. The girl isn't looking for another fight.]

[morethan084]

Cool. Thanks.

[Skye sat across from her but tried to make it obvious that she wasn't trying to steal her food by leaning back a little. Smiling a small genuine looking smile, Skye tries to start a conversation with her.]

I'm Skye. What's your name?

[outstandingbalance]

[A pause, two beats, as protective of her space as of her food.]

Natalia. [Her posture doesn't relax, but she doesn't become aggressive.] Is there something you wanted?