The Boards, Monday Morning into Afternoon

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie wasn't hiding.

Sure, she'd spent a good chunk of yesterday thinking she was some flapper go-getter, and that Mr. Moxy owned a production company, and that maybe Alec should 'go straight'. Oh and she'd stolen a rickshaw. Sure. But it was still completely coincidental that she'd come here early today, and was intending to stay a good long while, playing songs at the piano, after having gone through the theater brandishing a broom and checking that the establishment was a hundred percent gremlin free today. Those things weren't at all related.

For one thing, had she truly been hiding? Maybe she would've chosen a less obvious place, and wouldn't have left the door open. So, not hiding. Glad to have that settled.

[ooc: Open! The Boards once again posted with kind permission.]

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[pursuedthestars]

Jim had looked for her in her room at first. And when he hadn't found her there, he'd eventually come down to the place where he'd originally intended to meet her yesterday.

Once he was there, he followed the sounds of the piano which led him right to her. She didn't look like she'd be talking to any cats today so things seemed normal again.

He stood there quietly for a second.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie thought she'd heard something, but she didn't react. She was almost at the end of this song, and she didn't like interrupting things. Besides, she was holding out hope that it was Jono.

Her hands were harsh on the keys. "Just like a silent film." Sounding detached and a little distant. She often did. "You open your mouth, but no words come out, you've lost all nerve and you're riddled with doubt. Just like a silent film; you're living it up, stop again and then start, you're cast in her life as a minor part."

[pursuedthestars]

Sadly, it wasn't Jono though both their names started with a J, at least. Jim crossed his arms and didn't interrupt either. He'd never really heard her sing so he was going to soak that up for a minute or two.

[whenshewasnice]

There wasn't much more of that, yet anyway. After a moment, she let the song fade away, fingers slowing on the keys until there was nothing but silence. And then she galnced back over her shoulder.

She didn't look surprised.

"Hey."

[pursuedthestars]

"Hey," he returned, giving her a little wave. "Feeling better today?"

[whenshewasnice]

"I'm not talking to my cat as if he's a person who talks back," she replied, light but a little dry. "If that's what you're asking."

[pursuedthestars]

"No, I was asking if you were feeling better," he replied. "I can see you're not talking to cats, Natalie, but are you feeling better?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged a shoulder, looking down at her hand running lightly along the edge of the keys, not pressing any of them down.

"That'll come eventually."

She didn't like humiliation.

[pursuedthestars]

"Can I do anything?" he asked after a brief silence.

[whenshewasnice]

"Just try not to be an ass about it." Just pre-emptively saying that. "Gremlin bite hallucinations aren't fun or funny to the people affected. Not immediately, anyway."

[pursuedthestars]

"I wasn't planning on doing anything but I can go if you'd rather be alone," Jim offered, pointing back towards the door. "Leave you to it."

[whenshewasnice]

"You don't have to go," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't say I wanted to be alone. Just that I don't want to get ridiculed."

[pursuedthestars]

"And I wasn't going to ridicule you," Jim told her, crossing his arms again. "I didn't come here to rub anything in your face, Natalie."

[whenshewasnice]

"Good," Natalie replied, simply. She wasn't going to be apologetic about wanting to protect her feelings from his sense of humour. She shifted a little more to one end of her bench. "Then you can stay."

[pursuedthestars]

"Dunno what I'm supposed to do here but okay," he said, swinging his arms a bit and looking around.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie rolled her eyes. "You're supposed to sit down next to me."

[pursuedthestars]

"Ah." He nodded and headed over so he could drop down on the bench beside her. "Okay."

[whenshewasnice]

"Not the hardest task you've ever done, was it?"

She was joking mostly to get herself out of an unfortunate mood.

[pursuedthestars]

"Just don't ask me to play the piano," Jim told her, nodding. "If we stay away from that, then yeah, this is easy."

[whenshewasnice]

"I've only ever known two people I'd let play with me," Natalie told him, glancing down at the keys. "I think you're safe."

[pursuedthestars]

"Lucky me," he said, pushing one key just at random before snickering. He pulled his hands back and settled them in his lap.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie watched him in silence for a moment, unreadable expression on her face but didn't she always have one of those?

And then she asked, "So would you like to hear a song? A full one, this time."

[pursuedthestars]

"Yeah, definitely," Jim said, nodding. "I'd love to hear a full song."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie nodded, and shifted in place, straightening up. Taking a breath before getting her hands on the piano again. There was almost something playful about the way her fingers moved over the keys as she began to play.

And as she began to sing, her voice was a little less detached in tone than before. But light, still a little distant. "I like you, and I'd like you to like me to like you." Watching her hands as she played. "But I don't need you, don't need you to need me to like you. Because if you didn't like me, I would still like you, you see..."

[pursuedthestars]

Jim mostly watched her hands though he was definitely listening as well. He didn't know if she'd chosen the song at random or if she had a reason behind it but he wasn't thinking too much about that.

Yet.