Open | What's better than an apology?

[deaddrop]

CHARACTERS: Natasha
LOCATION: simulation room
DATE: post-mission
CONTENT: In this simulation, there are puppies and a dog park. Also sisters doing sister things, but you can ignore that if you want because the puppies are more interesting.
WARNINGS: Nothing for the time being. Will add if it becomes necessary.

[Natasha hasn't done much with the simulation room. She's used it some, visits here and there to break up the monotony of station life, but she hasn't felt the need to actually create any sims herself. Never had a reason.

Until today.

Today, she's found the motivation to create a particular kind of little get away: Yelena.

That might prove her sister's point, a little, the fact she finds it easier to make something for someone else than she does for herself. That's not a point Natasha lingers over, setting the question aside in favor of creating a peaceful spring day in the park. The sun is out, blue sky with just a spattering of clouds peeking through the branches of oaks and elms. A few cherry trees drop flurries of pink petals. It's fairly idyllic.

Then she adds dogs. Not just dogs—puppies.

There are small wiggly terrier puppies, and rough and tumble huskies. Big clumsy lab and great dane puppies, and lean awkward greyhound puppies, and pitbull puppies the approximate shape and color of tiny hippopotamuses. Purebred puppies and mutts chase each other across the grass and run up to orbers to beg for attention with wagging tails and soft ears.

Anyone who risks sitting down might find themselves quickly overrun.

While she runs the sim for Yelena, she leaves the door unlocked. She's not planning on their conversation lasting all that long and she figures her sister might not be the only one who could use a little puppy shaped pick-me-up. Even if they're not real.]

Comments

[laviny]

[Yelena gets Natasha's message to meet her in the sim room, and heads over a few minutes later wearing a pair of obnoxiously bright plaid pants. She enjoyed being a Druid, but it meant wearing a lot of neutrals and earthy tones in order to blend in in the forests. It’s fun to get to wear random colors again.]

Hey, I’m here, [She says as she enters the room.] what’s u—ohhhh my god!

[She is, of course, joyfully interrupted by a stampede of puppies.]

[deaddrop]

[It is absolutely a stampede of puppies. A squirming, fluffy, yipping pack of them immediately start competing for Yelena's attention. They eel around her legs and between them and bite the cuff of her pants just as much as each other.

Natasha allows herself a moment to look smug when she hears Yelena's reaction.]

I thought we should talk.

[Which doesn't actually explain the puppies, does it?]

And maybe you deserved a peace offering.

[essenceofdeadlybeasts]

[When he walked into the simulation room today the sight that greeted him was not one that he expected. He never minded walking into someone else's simulation whether it was a mission for practice or something a little more personal for the individual to relax (or not) at their leisure... but this wasn't one he was expecting. Mostly because it triggered a memory of amusement.

Instead of Yelena surrounded by playful puppies he suddenly found himself watching Natasha be surrounded by wiggling puppies. He wondered if it was a family thing.

He didn't really want to interrupt but at the same time he couldn't resist. If she wanted him to leave her allow and lock the door for her, he'd do as asked. But until then...]

Hey, Nat-chan. Having a good time?

[deaddrop]

[Look, she's not mad about the puppies, but she's a little bemused by them.

They're cute, but they kind of seem needy.]

Sort of. This isn't for me, but I think it'll be well received when Yelena gets here.

[essenceofdeadlybeasts]

[Why wasn't he surprised?]

Yelena, ne? Yeah, I recall she loves puppies. Like, a lot. Enough for them to be quite the bait to keep her from exploring.

[Was that a story he was hinting at? Why yes, yes it was.]

[farr]

[ it feels both good and not good to be back on the station. being back in her own proper physical body (well, as much as rita's malleable body can be considered proper) is a relief, but admittedly, she enjoyed her run as sheila tequila back in that tavern, like she got to be rita farr the actress again for a little while, to the point that she'd almost completely forgotten about the mission at hand.

so maybe it's good to be back here, even if she's not always fond of the trapped space of the station, like a reminder of all the ears she'd spent cooped up in a manor, never looking to the outside — a life she'd wanted to get away from.

when she steps into the simulation though, it feels ... freeing a bit. maybe it's all false, but the fresh air is good, as well as the illusion of just being somewhere else. she'd come here seeking natasha after asking around and being pointed in this direction, but she almost forgets her purpose as she echoes out a laugh, knees dropping to the grass as the sudden march of dogs surround here. ]

Look at you! Oh! [ bombarded by canines on all side, she nearly falls to her side as she giggles loudly, eyes blinking to finally notice natasha nearby. ] Hey, I was just— [ another laugh as wet lick rubs at her chin. ] I was looking for you.

[laviny]

[She doesn’t respond to Nat immediately because she is, predictably, distracted by the puppies.]

Oh, no, look at you! [she picks up what appears to be a little shepherd mix that is trying to play tug with the laces of her boots.] So much sass.

[Then she glances at Natasha curiously.]

A peace offering?

[deaddrop]

You do like them, don't you. It seems like you like them.

[She's not actually worried Yelena won't enjoy the puppies. The simulation is fairly convincing.

They're very puppyish.]

[deaddrop]

It sounds like you know from experience.

[Natasha picks up one of the puppies, holding it against her chest and petting it.

She's not completely immune, okay.]

[deaddrop]

[Natasha can't help but smile a little at the way the puppies greet Rita. Hopefully no one who comes in hates dogs, but so far she's been fairly lucky.]

You found me.

[She joins Rita at a more sedate pace than the dogs, picking up a particularly rambunctious little mix before it can start nibbling any toes.]

Sorry. Probably not what you were expecting.

[laviny]

Oh course I like them, they are very good puppies. Look at them.

[As she says this the puppy she is holding is, of course, licking at her face very enthusiastically.]

[deaddrop]

[At least the first part of her plan is going well. Unfortunately, this was the easy part. The next bit was harder.

Natasha crosses her arms over her chest, shifting closer, though she leaves the puppies to Yelena.]

I've been meaning to talk to you. I meant to talk to you before your little network post.

[To be clear she's not rewarding bad behavior.]

But since the mission.

[farr]

Please — I'm hardly disappointed.

[ no, it isn't what she was expecting, but she can hardly complain. any other animal might be met with more panic, like if she'd stumbled on a petting zoo or a safari, but dogs seem to be the least threatening encounter to accidentally walk into.

she cradles a german shephard puppy in her arms as she looks back to natasha. ]

I was actually going to ask if you'd want to share a drink, but this seems just as good of a relaxing afternoon.

[laviny]

[Yelena glances at her sister as she scratches the puppy behind the ear.]

Oh?

[She puts the puppy down and it immediately tackles another puppy.]

I’m listening.

[deaddrop]

Should have brought a couple of beers. It's a nice enough day for it in here.

[The spring day, the park, especially the flowering trees, that part Natasha had added for herself. Yelena would have been happy with the dogs if they were in a barn or garage.

But the ambience adds to the occasion.]

I wouldn't say no, if you're still interested after. There's always plenty to drink about.

[deaddrop]

[Natasha put herself in this situation. It was intentional, a sort of backing herself into a corner so she couldn't dodge her way out, because there were things she should say. Both things that Yelena deserved to know and things Natasha ought to say.

She's realistic enough to know she won't say all of it now. She didn't have the stamina for it, and there was only so much that would be productive before they'd start going in circles or going numb.

But one or two things.

She'd pretty much committed to that now, hadn't she? A moment passes and Natasha still doesn't know what to say, how to let her guard down and let what needed to be said out.

What she finally settles on is:]

You know, I don't like it either.

[laviny]

[She pauses and blinks a couple of times.]

That’s a little vague, you know.

[She knows this is about the feelings things, so presumably Nat is not talking about disliking puppies or something. But what, specifically, she is referring to isn’t super obvious. There’s a lot to not like about their general situation.]

[deaddrop]

[Natasha does know that. And she also knows that it's ridiculous of her to talk about it like this, like she's trying to sneak up on the point.

She's not good at opening up. An understatement, but it's also true.

She chooses her words carefully.]

I've been thinking about things lately. Not a lot, but here and there and it adds up. I don't like our situation. It's not pleasant, and if I let myself think about it too much, if I didn't compartmentalize it and rationalize it, it would be easy to think it's very unfair.

[Is that less vague? It's not less vague is it.]

I'm dealing with it the best way I know how, because otherwise I might end up making the same kinds of mistakes. It's not ideal though. And I won't pretend it's pleasant to be around.

[laviny]

It is unfair, though.

[She's not actually trying to argue. It’s just. That’s the truth. It’s unfair.]

Anyway, if you can’t talk about your feelings, that’s okay. Or, at least, it’s not really what made me mad. It is when you said that they weren’t important. That was the problem.

[deaddrop]

[Natasha sighs, bending to pet one of the larger puppies as it trips energetically over her foot.]

It's not that they're not important. It's just...I have other priorities.

[farr]

If I knew it'd be this relaxing, I probably would have.

[ she likely would have brought out a blanket too. it seems as good a place as any to relax, although with the dogs about, she's not entirely sure how much resting could actually be accomplished. still, the surrounding greenery and the gentle sound of a breeze through the trees makes her feel at ease. ]

Nothing more therapeutic than dogs and cocktails. [ she gives a smile, before it softens. ] I figure we could use one after the hard work of that last mission. Not that we were lacking drinks in those taverns. But it's good to feel ... I don't know, normal again? For lack of a better word.

[essenceofdeadlybeasts]

[No one is completely immune to puppies. And if they are they're a complete psychopath, clearly.]

Yep. There was one mission with a crazy castle that we had to explore in order to find the orb there. That was the first time we met Remy. It was his world. Anyway, some of the rooms got...weird. They'd try to distract us with things we liked, I guess, and the one I walked into with Yelena in it had a bunch of puppies.

She was not happy with me trying to convince her to leave, that was for certain.

[heroooic]

[ The sim room wasn't a place Finn had much time for since their return. He only poked his head in there now and then to check if one of the more elusive members of their crew might be hiding out inside. It was usually running a training simulation, maybe some re-visited orb drill, something all-business.

Today is different. Finn is met with a face full of bright sunshine, warm breeze, and... ]

What the-- [ Finn kneels down as a lab puppy runs up to him, jumping up to his shins playfully. ] Oh! Uh, hey little guy.

[ Finn kneels down to pick the puppy up, laughing a little as it wriggled to lick his face. His next thought was to find the puppy's parents, but a quick glance around reveals that not only were there no dog-parents to be found but this was far from the only puppy around. They were everywhere, clumsily frolicking around the place and chewing on each other. Finn blinks, baffled. ]

Someone decided to simulate a... daycare? [ Weird. ] Hokay, then. Go back to it, kiddo, have fun.

[ The novelty was enough to make Finn want to linger, but the nagging need to keep busy was tugging him back. He was just about to turn and leave when a shock of red hair gives him pause. Was that...? ]

Nettle? [ He raises his voice to be heard over the distance between them, voice confused. It certainly wasn't the first time Finn saw her around the ship, but it still felt strange sometimes. Their friendship started on Aldyhion, where the wide landscape made it easy to go weeks without seeing someone in person. His friendship with Natasha started to feel like one between penpals. The comparative close quarters of the Ximilia was an adjustment. ] What're you doing over there?

[deaddrop]

I made this sim. Why wouldn't I be in here?

[Pretending as though this is normal. She'd like to play it off that way, even if she's well aware it's not in line with the image she normally prefers to project.

She's not exactly a puppy person.

Which might be why she adds after a pause:] It's for my sister. But the view beats the black outside the windows.

[She hooks her hands in the pockets of her sweatshirt, wondering if Finn would enjoy this too.]

If you need the room, I can clear out. This isn't exactly priority usage.

[malta]

[ joe was going to program the simulation room to the coast simply so he could take a nap, but it's occupied already so he decided that since the door is locked that is a de facto invitation.

it's a park and as joe spots natasha's distinctive hair, a puppy with paws and ears too big for its little body stumbles over to him and barrels right into his legs. it's thoroughly distracting for a moment. joe doesn't mind dogs, but he wouldn't say he's a dog person. he's probably a cat person, which is funny since he has the personality of a golden retriever most of the time. ]

Oh, hello piccolino. [ he scoops up the puppy without preamble, feeling the thump of its tail against his hip as he strides over to natasha. ]

I'm not sure you have a future as a dog walker with all these off leash dogs.