Not Just A Rumor! [Natasha/Natsumi]

In the last week, Natsumi had done her best to tell anyone who would listen about what the Duvalier Group was doing. They were not some big good company that only worked for the common good. They hurt people. They took kids away from their homes! But so many people thought it was some conspiracy. The few that listened weren't really hearing what she was saying, just along for any ride that confirmed their own suspicions and paranoia. It did not take long for Natsumi to realize that there was a large group of people that were just insane, people who went on believing in things like aliens and mole people. This wasn't a sci-fi book!

Frustrated and hungry, Natsumi was planning one of her normal think-and-grab moves near an open-air fast food place. As she watched and waited, Kenichi's frustrated echoed in her mind. He was nice about it, but not everyone was as nice as him and she was getting the feeling that stealing was just bad. Even though she had a chance to grab a bag, she hesitated and then left it on the counter for the real customer. She regretted the decision a moment later when he stomach growled. After a while, those stomach pains really started to hurt and a headache was coming along with it. Maybe... she could ask someone for help with getting food?

A few people walked by and she tried getting their attention. Most ignored her or ran away like she was covered in some disease. Her clothes were getting dirtier and she smelled horrible, so she couldn't even blame them. The two people that gave her the time of day didn't give her enough to buy something decent, but she appreciated it the same. She saw a woman nearby and walked up to her.

"Hello, would you be able to spare some money? I'm really hungry an' I could really use somethin' to eat." Natsumi said, keeping some distance to not scare her off.

Natasha was experiencing a relatively routine day. There were the standard missions, the paperwork, and the countless other rounds one would typically expect a Sternritter Coordinator to perform. Of course, constant work schedules inevitably create large appetites, even more so when you were pressed for time unable to prepare something in advance for lunch. Experiencing such a conundrum, Natasha was observing the environment, browsing through any location that stood out based on it's particular aromatic allure.

There was also the option of simply returning home and preparing her own meal. Homemade cuisine was unquestionably superior in her eyes. Drawn out of her contemplative thoughts by the voice of a young woman, Natasha would cast her gaze on Natsumi. Even a few meters away, it was hardly difficult to miss her ungainly appearance. There was an odor about her, her clothes were disheveled, her gaze downtrodden... it was enough of a sight to give the woman pause. Kindhearted as she was, there was no way she could ignore her request. If anything, she felt this woman needed more than just a meal. In return, she posed a counteroffer.

"I think ya' could use more than just somethin' to eat, darlin'. My house isn't far away. I can cook ya' somethin up real nice. Free of charge, too. I reckon that's a better deal' than hangin' out here, no?"

Natsumi's eyes widened and the gratefulness and excitement she felt by the woman's offer brought up a tears that she rapidly wiped away with her dirty hoodie sleeve. She smiled wide. "R-Really? A-Are you sure?" Natsumi asked and held out a shaking hand. In her palm was a few crumpled bits of money and a few coins. She had practically nothing getting her toward a meal, though she thought she might have been close. It was clear that people had not been very generous to the depressed looking woman. "I have this. I don't think it's much, but..."

Natsumi's stomach growled and she wrapped both her arms around herself. "Sorry," she said. "I'm tryin' to not steal no more, but I don't know how else to get any food, an' now I'm starving... My stomach hurts so bad, but I can give you what I have."

"Keep the money, sweetheart. Free of charge means free of charge. C'mon, follow me."

Natasha dismissively waved away the crumpled up set of dollars. True generosity only ever meant something if it originated from the bottom of one's heart, expecting nothing in return for their efforts. Far as she was concerned, her desire stemmed from a genuine intent in assisting this young lady through what clearly appeared to be a difficult experience. Offering her hand instead, Natasha would position her feet in preparation for a steigen-influenced dash to her home, footfalls of azure reishi forming underneath her feet. Turning back to her with a warm grin, Natasha motioned for Natsumi to prepare herself.

"I'm gonna' get us to my house as quickly as I can'. Judgin' by those hunger pains, I reckon' I'll have to prepare a big ol' feast for the lil' lady. By the way, my name's Natasha. Natasha Miller. Pleased to meet ya'."

Natsumi closed her hand around the money, second guessing how helpful what she collected was. She momentarily thought to throw it away, but decided against it and stuff the crumpled and dirty money into her pocket. She nodded and began following the blonde lady, but was surprised by the hand offer. She blinked and looked curiously at Natasha as she explained. How was she going to do that? And a feast? The enticement of a full feast faded any of the caution that Natsumi thought to take. She took Natasha's hand with a wide smile.

"My name is Natsumi Asakura," she said. "So, how are we gonna get there fast?"

While she had fought many with powers before, especially in the depths of the Duvalier labs, Natsumi hadn't experienced someone using their abilities on her. So, whatever was coming would be a surprise. Natsumi braced herself... sort of...

"Like this."

The moment Natsumi felt herself properly braced, Natasha held onto her hand firmly as she flashed forward, darting through footfalls of ambient reishi until she reached their destination within a short frame of time. It was a relatively brief trip, no more than a minute at most. Releasing the woman's hand, Natasha would open the door to her house, welcoming Natsumi inside. It was, by all accounts, a rather humble and unassuming home.

There was a large television room with a game system. Due to how busy her work in the Vandenreich was, neither one of those had seen much use in the current day. A wide-ranging couch that could fit multiple people, a regular size table, pictures of family and friends on the wall, and countless other items that held meaning in some form or another. One could argue that the living room was the most decorated out of anything else, save her own room. Grabbing a pair of towels, Natasha would hand them to Natsumi.

"Why don't you get yerself cleaned up while I cook us up somethin' heavy, sweetheart. Shower's upstairs. Not sure I have much to offer in clothin', but if ya' find somethin' of mine that's yer' size, you can have it."

Natasha would crack a warm grin as she entered the kitchen, taking out several ingredients in preparation for a meal. There were certainly many recipes she had in mind, and so she decided on humoring all of them. Fried chicken would be the star of the feast since that's she was craving, but she certainly intended on preparing enough of anything that would suit the young woman's pallet just as well.

The first few seconds of movement were filled with a terrified scream. When it didn't stop, Natsumi closed her eyes and mouth and just waited for it all to be over. It was only a few minutes, but that was longer than she liked. She felt so out of control and had never moved that fast before. When it all finally stopped, she slowly opened her eyes and stumbled a moment. Her equilibrium was off and it made her stomach hurt more. She put her hands over her tummy and did her best not to throw up. After a few deep breaths, she finally felt mostly back to normal.

When Natasha opened her door, Natsumi felt strange stepping inside. She had only been inside someone's residence once or twice since leaving the lab. "Homes" were a foreign concept and she never truly knew how to behave inside one. She hesitated, but stepped inside, being sure not to touch anything she saw. She refused to walk around and stayed near the front door, as if ready to bolt at any moment. She looked nervous, both hands gripping the bottom of her hoodie. Upon being offered a shower, Natsumi nodded and slowly moved through the house.

Natsumi took in the family pictures most of all, a tinge of jealousy striking her heart in the moment. After a while, she made her way up stairs and found the bathroom. Luckily, she recognized these and how they worked. She got the water a little warm, preferring cooler showers. She removed her gross, ragged clothing and dropped it at the bottom of the shower. As the water ran over her, it ran over her clothes as well. She took her shower, washing her hair and body for the first time in a while. She even took care of some other more feminine issues. Thank god.

Clean, shaven, and smelling much fresher a whole hour later, Natsumi did her best to ring out the slightly washed out clothing using her telekinesis. Once they were mostly dry, she hung them over the shower door to hang dry more. Natasha had offered her clothes, she she stepped out into Natasha's room and looked around. Natsumi was petite and under nourished, so she found something that looked like it was rarely worn end slid into it. The shirt was a little baggy, but that was okay. The pants were too. Natsumi just appreciated being clean for the first time in weeks.

Making her way down stairs, Natsumi returned down stairs in clean dry clothes. The first thing that caught her attention was the change in aroma. It smelled so good down here. "I hope this stuff is okay." Natsumi asked, gesturing to what she was wearing. It wasn't matching. Most people would never be caught dead in looking like a clean hobo child, but it was what Natsumi was used to.

"Are you sure this is okay? I could pay at least a li-..." Natsumi's eyes widened and she rushed back up stairs. "No, no, no, no, no!" Natsumi got to her clothing and dug into the pockets. She had washed what little cash she had and it ripped. Obviously the coins survived, but that left her with nothing helpful. She dropped to her knees and slapped her head against her forehead. "I'm such an idiot..."

In the time it took Natsumi to properly wash her body and dress herself within moderately proper clothing, Natasha had prepared most of the feast she promised. Fried Chicken. Mac and Cheese. Mashed Potatoes. Biscuits. At the current moment, she was preparing dessert, but she held it off for a minute to turn her hazel gaze onto her guest. Maintaining that same generous smile she held at the outset, Natasha walked over to playfully observe her appearance. It was a far cry from a few moments ago, all told. She approved of the look.

"Looks good on ya'. I buy more clothes than I count' sometimes, so yer' definitely free to keep em' if they suit yer' fancy, sweetheart."

Natasha would gesture for her to come over and enjoy her meal, pausing only when she saw her dropping to her knees. Huh, she was really adamant on trying to pay her back. She could understood the sentiment to some degree, but she was offering free meal and a place to relax. There was no need to repay her kindness, save perhaps the only compensation being her happiness. Sighing softly, she offered the woman a hand as she chuckled.

"Free of charge means free of charge, honey. I ain't gonna make ya' waste yer' cash on me. Stop beatin' yerself up and come over' and get some of this food I cooked up'. I'm starvin'."

Even if Natsumi wasn't paying Natasha for her kindness, what little money she had was washed in the shower. She had completely forgotten about it because she rarely had any money to begin with, or a shower for that fact. Natsumi sighed and threw the money in what looked to be a trashcan. She did her best to let it go and sat where she was allowed to, looking over the table at the feast. She blinked rapidly, not sure she had ever eaten this type of food before. Most of what she ate was Japanese or Chinese cuisine, so she secretly watched how Natasha ate.

The fried chicken was epic. Natsumi's mouth started watering immediately and she began to grub, like a child excited for a good meal after a long day at school. When she got a chance to try the mac and cheese, she wasn't sure about the texture at first, but the flavor was nice. What she fell in love with was the mashed potatoes. She even asked for seconds! By the time she was done with that, she was forcing a biscuit down because she wanted to say she tried everything. She loved the biscuit too, but it filled her up so much her tummy was starting to hurt!

"So delicious," Natsumi said, wiping a crumb from her cheek. "How did ya learn to cook like that? I ain't never had food like that before. Fill me up right and good."

Natasha followed Natsumi's lead as she engaged in sharing the feast with her guest. Since she was the one who prepared, she was obviously proud of her handiwork. She took pride in that fried chicken the most, savoring every bite along with all the sides she made. With the entire spread she had prepared, it was inevitable that she'd reach the same result as Natsumi - a full belly with a beaming expression. All in all, even with the silence filling air outside of the occasional "mmm" of approval, it was a fairly enjoyable experience. Turning toward Natsumi, Natasha would pat her own belly with a grin.

"Learned half of it from my mama, the other half from trial and error. I'm glad ya' enjoyed it so much, sugar. I'm mighty flattered' whenever people compliment me on my cuisine. If you want, I can prepare some dessert for us, too. Maybe watch somethin' on the television, too."