The morning Nadia woke up to was actually a mild one, given the season. It was chilly, but it wasn't bitterly cold. Snow hadn't begun to fall yet either, which was sad, because Nadia loved the snow. A silent city covered in snow made Nadia sad in all the romantic ways she liked. Snow was beautiful, but caused so my joy and havoc. Everyone had conflicting, strong emotions about it. It made her jealous. For so long, she'd wanted someone to have those kinds of strong emotions toward her. Now they did, and it was too wonderful to contain sometimes.
But this morning, she had work. Ars Moriendi was closed today, and so she decided to head to the Inn to work. It wasn't something she did often, but it was something she'd already said she'd do. Bridgett missed her, apparently, which was strange in it's own surprising way.
Nadia arrived at the Inn, punctual as she always was, plain looking, and prepared for a normal day. The previous day had been a nightmare, and she was ready for some normal activity. They set her to cleaning the rooms, a task to which she was very accustomed, and she completed her task quickly and without incident. Her mind wasn't even distracted by thoughts of Cecil or the Playhouse or Shotaro. No, she was too emotionally drained for that. No, she was just happy to focus on work and ignore all of her problems until--
"Nadia! Did you hear they caught The Magician! The Psyche Terrorist that leads the Platinum Playhouse! They actually caught him in little Tokyo last night." It was Bridgett, excitedly standing on the top stair, bracing herself against the wall. Her slender body was clad in the apron of their work, simple and easily recognizable.
Nadia took a moment to process the information. Her face was neutral, her thoughts drawn inward. There was a cold stillness in her gut. It was the kind of anxiety when something had gone just as poorly as you knew it would, and you had hoped it wouldn't. "Yeah? That's interesting..." She offered, in her usual monotone, after an uncomfortable moment of silence.
"Maybe they'll get them off the streets finally so our lives will quiet down. There was even a shooting at the church! It was horrible! did you hear about it?"
More tension. Nadia set down the basket she was holding. "N-no. I didn't." She said.
"Yeah, it's pretty bad...Hey. You didn't know anyone who went there...did you?" Bridgett's tone was suddenly worried. She looked over Nadia for a moment. "Hey...you don't look so good."
A couple was walking up the steps, going by them. "Yeah, in ten years they'll say "Where were you when the Cadets crushed the Playhouse?" to which the other replied, "in an Inn? how lame is that?"
The sentiment was a knife in Nadia's gut. Her hand against the wall clenched into a fist, but she shook her head, releasing the tension as she stood to her full height and dropped her hand to her side. "Just a dizzy spell. It's a lot to take in..." Nadia replied finally, stooping to pick the basket of laundry back up. She moved to pass by Bridgett, who followed her with a worried gaze.
Once in the laundry room, and basket's contents delivered to the washing machine, Nadia sat on a chair and waited, pulling her knees up against herself. She hid her face between her knees, becoming as tight a ball as possible. It was true...Gabe had been captured. They'd do terrible things to his mind...maybe make him a new person...and it was all on her. Or at least it still felt that way, heedless of the concerns of her boyfriend. She thought about messaging Cecil, but decided against it. He was probably still resting where she'd left him, and she didn't want to disturb him.
In and out, in and out, Nadia focused on her breathing, and in the stillness of the laundry room, she let the panic slowly easy out of her. Moment by moment as the time passed by. She had no idea that this would be the last day she'd work at the Inn, or that this night might be the last on which she drew breath. But that was an ever present fear, really. It was part of life when Demons lurked in the shadows of your city and the government wanted you exterminated.
It was Bridgett's voice again that drew her from her silent oblivion. "Permission to enter space, Cadet?" The word "cadet" made Nadia's head shoot up, but then she realized that Bridgett was simply referring to her as a "space cadet" because of her tendency to stare off into space. Or atleast, that's how she was perceived. In reality, she was usually closely observing something. It just wasn't something others were paying attention to...the manners of someone eating, the way someone was walking...the shape of a plant or the awkward bend in a metal fixture...Nadia was always fascinated by the minutia of things. The more transitive the better.
In this instance, she was more than happy to see her friend, even smiling a very small smile. "Hey, you sure you're doing okay? I didn't want to drag you all the way out here if you were feeling like that."
Nadia shook her head. "No...I'm fine, really. It's just a lot is going on. The work is good...to focus on."
Bridgett smiled. "Sure, I understand. Do you want to talk about it? How's your boyfriend? He's still your boyfriend right? Have you had him over to your place yet? you know...for things." The look on Bridgett's face was devious, and it took Nadia entirely too long to realize what it was she meant.
"No- I mean yes? Not what you're thinking. We just kiss. A lot. um..." She looked away, cheeks growing redder.
Bridgett laughed. "You'll get there eventually. No need to rush it. And if he pesters you about it, slap him and tell him to use his hand or something."
Nadia was turning the color of cherries, covering her face with her hands. The conversation didn't get much better either, but the topic, as embarrassing as it was, was a much needed release from the dismal thoughts that plagued her, and would be remembered fondly, in the hours to come.
Thu Sep 19, 2024 8:54 am by 
