action ☁ dec 6

[clearasil]

[ If there's anything Natalie's learned from her mother - Diana, not Hecate - it's that life is full of highs and lows. She simply does not expect the sudden drop today.

She missed something in her last Iris Message to her dad, something he bypassed in their brief talk because she was so busy filling him in on the actual good things in her life recently. Rather, it doesn't hit her until a week later. Something's happening with mom, with both her parents, and it's not very good. Nothing supernatural, even, because she would transport herself there in a heartbeat and fight off whatever was after them. Their problems are most often human, things she doesn't talk about, not even with people she considers her friends.

It's like she's in free fall, leaving her stomach behind for a moment as the rest of her tightens, curling up into a ball of anxiety because, damn it, she had been feeling so good until today. She's just leaving the archery range, sallow-faced and rubbing her aching, slightly bruised arms because she's been there for gods know how long. Though, her battered targets show that she's actually been doing something productive with her time and arrows. ]

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[commandertoolbelt]

[ Leo's just heading to the forge to look for something when he sees her looking less than stellar and - are her arms bruised? Holy Hephaestus, how long has she been at the range? What'd she do to make that happen? Knowing something's up, he approaches her cautiously with concern in his eyes. ]

Natalie?

[clearasil]

[ The wrist guard on her right arm is crooked, and she hadn't thought to properly put it into place. She rubs her arm absentmindedly, slinging the bow over her left, her dominant arm. Leo's voice pulls her momentarily out of her long train of thought and she turns slightly to face him, pushing her unkempt hair away form her face, the elastic band barely clinging to her curls. ]

Look. [ She half smiles, pointing to the two targets she had been using. They look as if they've been burned by a live wire. ]

[commandertoolbelt]

[ His eyes flick to the targets, charred and maybe smoking a little. It's painfully obvious that they're a distraction, but he'll bite for now. ] Were those some of mine, or did you do something to the arrows?

[clearasil]

[ Idly, she plays with the string of her silvery bow, needing to keep her hands active. ] These are just normal arrows. Now they're kind of like taser arrows, and I was thinking it'd be really cool if they just suctioned into people instead of impaling them. You know, to keep enemies down but not kill them.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ He looks back at the target thoughtfully. ] That's... a good idea. I didn't think about that.

Is that what happened to your arms? Trial and error?

[clearasil]

No. [ She pulls her rolled up sleeve over her forearm, her guard and looks away suddenly turning to reclaim her practice arrows. ]

I wasn't paying attention, I was just - caught up in shit, as usual, gonna improve these right now. Maybe there'll be less deaths and more - I dunno. [ The train of thought has escaped her as she tugs each arrow out with extra force. ] I don't know what I'mm talking about.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ His eyes narrow a little as he hides the bruises, and he looks at her with an eyebrow raised, none of his usual humor in the expression. ]

Nat, you okay?

[clearasil]

No.

[ Lying wouldn't do, especially to her boyfriend. She hasn't forgotten making him promise not to push her away either, so it's only fair. It's only right that she gives him something. With each arrow now in the quiver on her back, she still doesn't face him, staring at the singed target instead. ] I'm - not.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ His brow furrows as he watches her back. He doesn't know how to talk about things that upset him or anyone around him; that much had been made clear when Melinoe was screwing with him and the rest of the campers, and he's not really sure what to do here, except... not leave. He doesn't come closer yet, but this is Natalie - he can't just leave. ]

What... What's wrong?

[clearasil]

[ Slowly, she lifts her head, turning to face him. ] I don't - I don't want to talk about it. Here, I mean. It's not that I don't wanna talk about it with you, it's. Yeah.

[ It's clear that she's still carefully controlling her speech and trying to appear calm, keeping her often fluid hand gestures clipped and close to her body. ] It's shitty, Leo, all of it.

[commandertoolbelt]

You don't... have to talk about it. [ Leo says quickly, not wanting to pressure her. Whatever it is, it's obviously getting to her pretty badly.

And though he doubts it, he has to ask: ] Is there anything I can do?

[clearasil]

I don't want you to not know what's screwing me up right now. [ She snorts softly as she approaches him. ] Sorry, that comes with the whole package.

Uh. And - Nothing. You don't have to do anything for me. [ Except maybe not leave her alone, not that she'd ask him such a thing. A beat passes and suddenly she no longer has her equipment, storing them safely in her cabin. ] Can we go for a walk?

[commandertoolbelt]

I know, that's not what I meant.

[ He's not planning to leave, especially not after she asks to go on a walk. He nods. The forge can wait. ] Yeah, sure.

[clearasil]

Thanks. Thank you.

[ After hesitating, she reaches for his hand, a little more comfortable with showing some affection in public. She kind of needs a bit of that night now. ]

I can walk you to the forge after.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ He shakes his head. ] I can go there anytime. It's not a big deal.

[ He's more concerned about her right now, and gives her hand a gentle squeeze. ]

[habitually]

Hey there Spooky.

[ Walking up next to her and slowing down when he catches up. His breath clouds his face as he exhales. A look over at the targets has him raise an eyebrow. ]

Practicing?

[clearasil]

[ That at least gets her to smile more genuinely, less terse, and she leans into him just before she starts to walk towards the woods.

She is silent, searching for the right words. Or rather, pretending to search, merely putting off what she's gone over multiple times in her mind. ]

My mom isn't doing well. She's -- it's a long story, lots of therapy. Actually, I'm pretty sure therapy should have been my first word or something.

[clearasil]

Hello .... Grantaire. [ Nope, too deep in her weird state to think of a good nickname in retaliation. Maybe she peaked at "Toolbro."

She turns her head slowly to face him, body still angled to take aim with her last arrow. ] Practicing and testing new stuff, that's all.

[commandertoolbelt]

[ He doesn't want to press, and because he's not sure what to say anyway, he waits until Natalie speaks, and it falls into place when she does. Obviously, she means her Other Mom. ]

...Oh.

[ He should be saying something. What should he be saying? ]

Therapy. Like... pysch therapy? [ "Crazy" is not the word he wants to use, but therapy could mean a lot of things. ]

[clearasil]

Like - psychopharmacology, really. I'm used to it but it just seems kind of -- bad, judging from how cheerful dad tried to sound by the end of my talk with him. Didn't want to think too much about it then because it was a nice holiday and stuff.

[ Crazy's relative, she thinks. ] I don't think I'd be able to deal with that, just being totally numb.

[weneedasign]

[Are they taking turns having emotional times at the brooding archery range? Because it sure seems that way.

Enjolras pauses when he approaches the range, seeing first the battered targets and then Natalie, and more importantly her arm.]

As I recall, just a few weeks ago you were lecturing me about wearing an arm guard.

[He can't help the worry that creeps into him, because she really doesn't look alright.]

Everything alright?

[commandertoolbelt]

[ Well, that's a big word he's never heard before, but it's easy to figure out what it implies. ]

I guess if you're numb to everything, then you wouldn't care much. [ Real sensitive, Leo. ] So, you're mom's been on meds - is she getting worse or something?

[clearasil]

I dunno. Non-responsive, it's hard to tell because he's just so - weird, I don't know, I don't know what to do because I'm so far from them and have no idea what's even going on except that it's more of the same stuff when I was a kid.

[ Her eyes are cast low to the ground as she continues walking. ] Maybe they - he'll move onto more serious treatment? Whatever that means.

[clearasil]

[ The brooding range should be its real name, to be perfectly honest. It's fifty percent of the reasons why they both find themselves here. ]

Y - no. No. [ She shakes her head, still not looking up at him. ]

[commandertoolbelt]

[ Leo has zero experience with this stuff, so he has no clue what that means. He stays silent for the most part, letting Natalie vent. It's kind of screwing with his head, finding out all this. From the start, he'd known things weren't stellar with Nat and her family, but they'd had this... mutual, unspoken agreement to not talk about that stuff.

At least, they did until the Melinoe thing at Halloween. And it's not like it's bad if that changes - he's glad she trusts him enough to tell him about it. But it's still a little... disconcerting.

Leo wishes there's something he could do about it, but he's the last person that should. Given his lack of skill with people, he'd probably make it worse. ]

Maybe they just... don't want you to worry.