The Perk, Sunday Afternoon

[whenshewasnice]

It was too warm outside. Natalie... had been outside anyway, because she'd been feeling like taking a walk. A walk which had then made her feel like getting a cool drink. And that led her to the Perk, to enjoy a refreshing iced coffee while sitting at a table by the window so she could watch the street outside.

There was a lot on her mind today.

[ooc: Nat is here mostly for one person in particular, but open post/Perk!]

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[justonecondition]

Living in a house with so many other people sometimes got a little stifling, which led Bruce to take walks through town more often than he had when he was living at the hotel. Today his walk brought him to the Perk.

He ordered an iced tea, took a seat at a table not too far away from Natalie's, and gave her a nod by way of greeting.

"Hey."

[whenshewasnice]

"Hey," Natalie agreed, with a little raise of her own iced beverage. "Brief respite from the heat?"

[justonecondition]

"Something like that," Bruce said, glancing toward the window. "I've been out in worse, but this is not pleasant."

He sipped his drink. "Are the dorms kept cool enough?"

[whenshewasnice]

"They're fine." Well, close enough for her taste. Not hot enough to annoy her too much. "But not enough space for a walk. Hence, the town."

[justonecondition]

Bruce nodded in response to that. "There's a lot of walking space for such a small town," he noted. "Good for thinking."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie glanced idly out the window again. "And it's almost fall," she said. "Good chunk of people are probably starting to have a few things on their minds."

She knew she was.

[justonecondition]

That sounded personal, but Bruce didn't want to pry. "Right," he said instead. "College and... other plans. Getting out of here."

He'd been planning to leave in the fall, but that wasn't looking so certain anymore. It was strange.

[whenshewasnice]

It was Fandom. It got a hold on you and pushed you onto unexpected paths. At least that was Natalie's experience of it. "Something like that," she replied, lifting a shoulder in a shrug, looking back at him. "Mostly 'other plans'."

Well. In her case. Maybe.

"People show up with one set of plans, then some find themselves leaving with a different one."

[justonecondition]

Bruce scratched the back of his neck for a moment. Ordinarily asking people about their life plans was something he tried not to do, but he seemed to get the sense that she was deliberately creating openings for him to ask questions.

He settled on something nice and vague. "Anything, uh, in particular?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie glanced down, this time, bending the straw in her drink and using it to absently stir the ice around, while she considered her answer.

"Like skipping college. For now, anyway."

The simple truth won out.

[justonecondition]

"Oh." After Natalie had spoken about college in the past, yeah, that was a little surprising. "What do you have planned instead?"

[whenshewasnice]

"I have a standing offer for an assistant spot for a political advisor."

That was better than some random thing about going to find herself via backpacking across Asia, right? Considering Peter was hardly just a political advisor anymore.

[justonecondition]

Wow. "That's... unique." He took a sip of his iced tea, considering it. "Is politics a field you want to go into?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Not really." As much as Peter sighed at her interest in literary study and musicology. "But it's fascinating to watch. And apparently I'm an asset in dealing with diplomatic affairs."

No recent high school graduate should have been that indifferent and neutral about stating that.

[justonecondition]

"Are you?" That was genuine curiosity, not an attempt at snark. Because, well, the narrative had a point. "Sorry, I just... don't know anyone else who can make that claim. It seems like a difficult field to be an asset in, so that's... impressive."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged. "The kinds of things I do aren't that hard. I've already been the official representative of my possible future boss once, and it was mostly just being charming and reassuring."

In heels, looking magnificent.

"He seems to think I would do well with that, anyway."

[justonecondition]

"And what do you think?" That seemed like the more important question.

[whenshewasnice]

"I think I can be good at anything I put my focus on," Natalie stated with that patently neutral tone of hers. She poked at the ice in her cup with the straw again. "But it is a lot more responsibility than college would be."

[justonecondition]

"I think that... that might be more a pro than a con." He was just guessing here, based on what he knew of Natalie. "Would it be, uh, fulfilling?"

[whenshewasnice]

"It's a lot more responsibility," Natalie repeated. But a little wryly. Yeah, maybe it wasn't a con, really. "But I think I'd like that."

[justonecondition]

"Well, I don't know if you're, uh, asking for input here," Bruce said slowly, "but for what it's worth, while college is traditional, I think there's a lot to be gained from surprising oneself and taking a different path."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie never outright asked for input. But that didn't mean she didn't welcome it. She nodded, just a little. "Also," she added, "I can still try getting to university later. Where I'm from, paperwork proving real-world experience in another part of the multiverse may actually work in my favour."

[justonecondition]

"Or if you end up going in an unexpected direction, that's an option too," Bruce said, nodding. "I guess it's... something of a risk," he granted, scratching his neck, "but it sounds like it'll pay off no matter what."

Unless Peter fired her on day one or something.

[whenshewasnice]

"Unless I get caught up in an assassination attempt."

She was mostly joking.

[justonecondition]

Bruce rubbed his forehead. "Good thing you've got a bow for that, then," he replied - also mostly joking. "And presumably this advisor has a bodyguard."

[whenshewasnice]

"I think he does." She shrugged, again. "But I think I'd also fill that role sometimes."

As it would turn out, she was excellent at kicking people in the face even with heels on.

[justonecondition]

"That's above-and-beyond, assistant-wise," Bruce noted. "And even further outside the bounds of what you might have gotten experience in in college."