Absit omen [Natalie]

[noah]

[nmartin]

There weren't many reasons for anyone to really want to live in Gotham City. If it wasn't the extremely high level of crime, there was also the corruption of the local government to consider. If not that, the large chunk of population that happened to be costumed criminal or vigilante. Gotham was a strange city that never really seemed to improve in any area, but rather hobbled along on what little bleeding nubs it still had for legs to hold itself up, not quite the cesspool of addicts and criminals that the East End seemed to turn into.. though many people seemed expect that of it on a daily basis. Fortunately, Natalie wasn't one of them. Not necessarily, anyway.

She didn't really want to live here. In fact, she rather missed her small hometown back in the great state of Kansas. Boring, dull, dreary Kansas. Not much, but just enough for the slight longing to go back to enter her mind every now and then. It wasn't hard for her to play the 'city girl' type, though. Between her expensive taste in coffee and her standoffish attitude, she practically had the part down. Not many people talked to her to begin with, but those who did and those who learned that she was from a state that was sometimes met with stereotypes of the typical 'redneck American' could hardly believe it. There weren't many high profile psychiatric facilities back home though. Arkham Asylum was her reason for being here. Well. Gotham State University first, and then Arkham Asylum.

Not far from the campus itself, Natalie walked the few blocks down the road from the main building down to the coffee shop that she'd been in only a few days prior with that unfortunate meeting with the Riddler. The man who she didn't really pay many lingering thoughts to, but who still entered her mind every now and then as being a completely arrogant jerk who she wished to never meet again. Entering the cafe, her gray eyes wandered over to the table that she'd been sitting at with him, where she nearly gave away just a bit too much information about Dr. Crane's research. And that was even when she was being careful about not giving too much away. She was just thankful that Dr. Crane happened to be in the area at the time, even if she could tell that he was greatly irritated with her for her mistake that nearly cost him everything. She'd be irritated too, though.

For that reason, she was distancing herself from the actual campus at that hour. Shortly she'd have to return from her two hour break and head back to her classes, but for now she was able to enjoy what would be her second cup of coffee for the day. Maybe she'd even get something to eat. Standing in the line, she was completely silent. She was behind a man who looked about her age, maybe slightly older, who she'd never seen before. Then again, there were a lot of people around here that she'd never seen before, so she hardly paid any attention to him at all aside from look around him to see the menu on the board behind the counter. The man paid for his drink and turned away, and as he did so she looked over at him again, and blinked as she did so. She didn't say anything, but did flash a decent enough smile just to fake a bit of politeness, and then made her own order at the counter after the space was freed. A tall caramel macchiato like she usually got. The order was rung up, the total spoken aloud to her. Two eighty-something. Nothing too drastic like the larger sizes often were.

Reaching into her pockets, she was certain she'd placed her bills in there, but couldn't find them. Her face turned a visably brighter shade as she fumbled around in her bag for her money, but still couldn't find it. Sleep was hard to come by last night, and she must've forgotten her littler change bag with the money she kept for coffee in her car, which was back at the campus. Sighing in frustration, she looked back at the barista and frowned. "I think I left my money in my car.. sorry. Nevermind." She said, her words quick and embarassed as she rushed out of the line in a hurry, trying to hide her face from the other customers as she attempted to make a quick escape.

[noah]

[/b] Noah announced to her, placing a hand lightly on her arm, just to make her aware he was taking to her. He didn't give her much of a choice as he placed the money on the counter and nodded to the female barista. "I got this," he told her, and glanced around at the girl. She didn't seem like she'd be too much of the friendly type, but Noah was willing to give it a go. She seemed like the kind of girl he'd liked, mostly due to her minimal kind of look, a kind of natural air about her. Noah wasn't going to pass up a chance to strike up a friendship with someone in Gotham - who knew who'd hold some information about the residents here? "But only if you promise you'll get the next ones," he grinned wryly.[/ul]

[nmartin]

Of course she would forget her money. There were too many things going on in the girl's mind at this point that she found herself becoming clumsy with things that she'd never struggled with before. Natalie was the very definition of punctual the vast majority of the time. But lately she'd been late to her most important class, forgotten folders for said class, and most importantly, putting the experimental career of someone else at a very high risk just because she was too naive to know who she was dealing with. Those, along with plenty of other, littler things made her quite a bit more frustrated with herself than she probably should've realistically been.

The coffee itself was no big deal. She wanted it, but she could do without. It was her embarassment and the fact that all of these things were bothering her that much to be so careless that worried her to an extent. So, leaving was the best option. On her way out however, she felt someone touch her arm, which made her flinch and turn back sharply at the person who was invoking the action. The man in front of her, who had apparently felt it necessary to pay for her drink.

That was.. nice of him. Nice, questionable, suspicious, odd. Furrowing her brows at him for a moment, the less serious part of her remembered that this was coffee that was being paid for by the generous man, after all. If there was one thing that Natalie could say that she really did love unconditionally in this world, it was coffee. A smile appeared, small but actually genuine this time as she turned herself fully around and glanced down at the money that the man put on the counter for her.

"Thank you.. you don't have to do that, though." She said quietly, clearing her throat afterward since she wasn't even sure if he'd be able to hear her. Glancing up at the barista, she moved her bangs out of her eyes again and then looked to Noah, nodding her head and half-rolling her eyes just out of her own embarassment. As for the agreement, she didn't say anything. Not yet, anyway. Though if she did happen to run into him again, she'd gladly pay for his drink too. As serious and withdrawn of a person she was, she did have a small streak of humanity.