natsuki-inokata

[natsuki-inokata]

After her blunder, Natsuki was eager to try and make things right and for her that was traditionally done through food. "We have not, you are right. It'll be nice to really get to know you properly now," she smiled at him pleasantly as she produced two menus and handed one to him to look over while she set her own on the table in front of her. She already knew the menu by heart but kept it in front of her anyway. "I'm sorry that it..." she paused, uncertain on how to say it without causing another mishap, "Well, it is long overdue. How is your family?"

"It's fine," he tried to reassure the woman as she seemed to be unsure of her next words or action before she quickly changed the topic and led them both to the back where. He enjoyed how small the place was, compared to some of the other restaurants in the city, it had been a nice place for quiet and intimate date dinners despite being outside of the comfort of the townhouse.

As he took a chair on the small table, he nodded a thanks. "That's okay, I'd like that even. I don't think we've had the chance to chat for long before, or if you've had it probably was with the other one," he said with a smile, not letting it all darken his mood once again. he might as well try to have a nice afternoon and share a nice meal with another woman that wasn't family. That would be a first since January.

[natsuki-inokata]

"Oh, no it's fine," Natsuki responded promptly, shaking her head swiftly so the thin strands of her black hair rustled around her shoulders. She pushed the hair back behind her hair neatly and inspected the book, some of the pages inside looked creased but it was fine, "It's okay, really. Books are meant to be read and so they'll get creased. I'm a chef and so many of my books end up with food stains in them. It's fine but thank you for offering. That's very kind of you."

Finch frowned as he watched the book tumbled to the ground, before the girl bent down to pick up it. "Is your book okay? I'm so sorry." Finch said as he looked up at her face, a soft smile on his features. "I can replace the book if there is any damage, it's my fault after all." Finch his lips a little as his eyes fell back down to the book the women was holding. Finch nodded his head at the question. "Yeah, no I'm okay. I'm sorry again."

[natsuki-inokata]

"Okay," came the young witch's reply into the phone when Amy let her know the entire house was locked up safely for the night. A fact that normally would soothe the witch and she supposed it still did, that her friend maintained a certain degree of security and her friend was safe inside, but she was too safe inside now, and Natsuki was left outside when she was needing to be within where her friend lay. "Okay," she said again, mostly to herself, gathering her thoughts as she looked at the door in front of her. "Okay," she said again, firmer than before as a thought soon formulated and was now to be put into action. She'd just have to break in. That was her only option.

The simplest method would probably be to break the window and climb through, but while she was sure her friend would appreciate the gesture, she would not appreciate the broken glass. An unlocking charm would do much better, the problem which Natsuki now faced was she had a weakness in physical based spells and generally excelled in potions and cookery, mixing herbs and spices and whispering spells into her food. If she were more adept, she could just point her finger to the door, recite the right spell and the door would open immediately but as she was not used to them, it would take her a few tries.

Natsuki pressed her free hand against the door, held the phone up against her face with her shoulder and muttered the spell she knew, Japanese words flowing from her lips like hushed poetry, weaving magic through her fingertips in an invisible force that tingled over her skin and left her feeling like she was buzzing. She could feel the inner workings of the lock, the metal pins that her magic pushed against, trying to find the right way to maneuver through it until it finally... clicked. "Ima mukatteru," she said into the phone, still speaking Japanese as she pushed open the now unlocked door and rushed inside. I'm on my way.

Through the house, Natsuki rushed, passing everything by until she reached the door to Amy's bedroom. "Amy? It's me. I'm here. "

Time ticked away so very slowly for the one who waited with nothing better to do, the only comfort in it all was Natsuki's gentle yet still tense voice coming through the speakers as she focused on driving and rushing over. It kept Amy grounded when all she wanted to do was crumble. A deep sigh of relief escaped Amy’s lips when the witch finally announced that she had arrived. “I locked up for the night Natsuki, everything is locked up. Even the back door.” She informed her friend, managing to turn around where she sat on the floor just enough to toss a glance beyond her bedroom and towards where she knew her front door was. She could not see if of course, too deep into the house to have that line of sight. She also never kept a spare key under the doormat or anything like it, a woman living alone could never be too careful no matter how good the neighborhood she lived in was. “I can’t get to the door to let you in.” She concluded, dropping her head onto the palm of her free hand. She was just making everything so difficult and it made the frustration in her grow worse.

[natsuki-inokata]

Natsuki stumbled backward a few steps, trying to avoid getting walked into, clutching the books she'd just purchased close to her chest though one of the smaller paperback books slipped out beneath her elbow and fell pages down to the floor. She grimaced for the worst possible thing to happen would be that the pages of her newly purchased book would get folded and creased horribly and as she stooped down to pick it up to inspect the damage, was unfortunately faced with many such folds. Despite this tragedy, Natsuki only tucked the book once again into her arms and shook her head politely, "Oh, no it is okay. I'm fine." But her book was not. "Are you...?"

Finch had a few hours to kill before he had to pick up James from school. He was still getting use the small town, the ins and out. The small shortcuts that made life easier when he was in hurry. But today, today he just wanted to breath and discover what the town had to offer. Finch found himself walking along the main street, it was busy. But oddly quite at the same time, no one seemed to be in a rush to get anywhere.

Finch stopped outside a bookshop, he looked through the window. He didn't have a lot of money, he couldn't really afford to splurge on something like a book, but still it wouldn't hurt to look right? Finch stepped away from the window, and headed for the door. Just as he was about to push it open, the door opened and he walked into the person who was on their way out. "Oh shit. Sorry." Finch said as he rightened himself before he looked over at the person. "Are you alright? Sorry, I wasn't looking. Single minded thought here."

[natsuki-inokata]

"Ah!" Her hands flew up to cover her mouth promptly, hiding the surprise on her features poorly for it was clearly expressed in her wide eyes and quiet gasp. She wanted to apologize immediately for her oversight, she'd been running her mouth just moments ago saying all sorts of nonsense to him and now turns out that the relationship she'd presumed he'd still been in had in fact been dissolved! She felt absolutely wretched! She did not apologize, at least, not yet. For the moment, after the shock wore off and he gave her his charming smile, she lowered her hands so they no longer covered her mouth and gave a nod. "I know just the place. Please," her tone took on a professional note as she extended an arm out, flat palm up as she gestured to the side, "Follow me."

The dining area of Hida was not very large, the restaurant itself perhaps considered average sized but still cozy and warm. Rich wood panels made up the walls and floor and though the chairs were also made of wood, they were alarmingly comfortable, as if enchanted to ease away the weighty burdens one might carry. "Here," she brought him to the back corner of the restaurant, it was nearest to the door which led to the back hall where the servers congregated and the kitchen was only a few feet away. No busy kitchen sounds or server gossip could be heard here though, despite being separated only by a door for that was the result of another enchantment so as not to disrupt the dining experience for her guests. "Please, sit," she gestured once more with the open palm of her hand and afterward, she would join him, taking a seat opposite, "I'll eat with you, if you do not mind."

It was both refreshing to see someone who was not up to the family drama but also stress inducing for the fact that he had to go and explain himself. He had to settle for a short "No, I just mean the wedding didn't happen," and move on from the topic, hopefully. "Not worth discussing though," he added as a way to hopefully stop questions.

Standing by the bar still he looked around wondering where to sit and then spotted a table by the window which might be a better option. "That's great though, I'm glad you're well. The year so far is going pretty calmly so that's a nice change after the December," he smiled, in his polite mood that he usually acquired around his ex and into more of the fancy places which were rare for him to visit anyway. "And honestly, I'm up for a change, you pick a place you'd sit down in on your day off coming here for a bite, hm?" Aiden smiled with his charming smile.

[natsuki-inokata]

Location: Greywood Forest

With: @aaron-crossley

Natsuki stopped trudging through the worn pathway she followed through the forest to retie her hair which had been falling loose from the low bun she'd put it in, her hair smooth so it often disliked being manipulated and the strands protested by coming loose often. Once that was sorted and done with, the witch carried on walking and hoisted her bag back over her shoulder which carried all her supplies she'd need for her foraging in the forest, plus any additional supplies for the rare instance she might get stranded out here. The forest was, after all, full of unknown magic and the mist that filled it was not often kind to those who strayed from the designated pathways. Many people who got lost were simply never found or turned up years later. She'd even heard a rumor about someone who had got lost in the forest only to turn up three months later in Switzerland with no idea of how they'd gotten there. Such an event would be unlikely to happen to her, unlikely, but not impossible.

She'd walked another half mile or so before stopping once more, the trees were beginning to thin out here, the bushes less thick and through the bodies of trees before her she could just begin to make out the edges of a clearing but it was not the clearing ahead which caused her to stop, it was the sound she heard and the sensation that perhaps she was not alone. A metal compass hung from a silver chain around her neck and Natsuki consulted it now, strange as the contraction was, it did not indicated north, south, east or west on its face, instead the metal dial within it vibrated and wiggled as it swirled around to point in a direction. Natsuki looked up to where the compass pointed and reached her hand to a beaded bracelet around her wrist, thumbing a red bead between her fingers as she called out, "Is someone there?"

[natsuki-inokata]

The server replied to Minho pleasantly, smiling an excessive amount as she replied in the affirmative, "Please, wait here and I'll let her know," then scurried off to do just that.

With the evening running deep into night and the bulk of the dinner orders being completed, only now remained a few dessert orders which needed to be put out. Natsuki was among them, owner though she was, the kitchen setting was close and intimate and she kept a close watch over it all as their executive chef. "I need the crepe cake for table four, chef," Natsuki's voice rang clear through the kitchen despite how soft spoken she was outside of it. "One minute, chef," came the reply from the dessert station. "Hai!" She returned automatically and returned her attention to organizing the tickets. "One purin, one matcha tiramisu," she called out again and the echoed reply from the staff came, "Hai!"

"Excuse me, chef," came the voice of the server who had spoken with Minho earlier. "There is a guest outside who wants to talk to you."

Natsuki noted the flushed expression of her staff member and inwardly wondered if perhaps there had been a complaint and they'd been shouted at. "One minute, Hailey, thank you," she responded with a reassuring smile. The matcha mille crepe cake she'd been waiting on now arrived at the expo table where she applied the finishing touches, a server already prepared to take it out to the appropriate table. "Sato," the witch called to her sous-chef, "Take over please," she requested as she wiped her hands over a towel which was neatly folded into the pocket of her clean white chef's coat. She was already mentally preparing herself to be firm but polite to whoever it was that now awaited her, but was not prepared for what was in store for her as she rounded the corner outside of the kitchen.

There was a hallway between the kitchen and dining room where the servers had their place and it was here that the register was located and so it was here that Natsuki now faced the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. He looked just like a fresh breeze over a serene river where the first blossoms of spring were breaking through the winter frost and inviting in a warm promise of lighter days and soft sunshine. Seeing him had been so very unexpected that she momentarily lost her breath and her focus, all firm resolution gone in an instant. She flushed immediately when she realized she'd fallen so still and silent at the very sight of him and now understood that the flushed features of her staff must have been because the man in question was so beautiful, not at all because he'd been upset with her.

"Good evening," she found her voice, soft and halting. "I'm Natsuki, the executive chef. You," she took in a breath, "You wished to speak with me?" Her chef's coat was maintained neatly, still clean despite a full dinner service and her black hair was pulled back into a bun at the back of her head. She only wore a small amount of makeup, some mascara, a touch of concealer and a natural lip stain that was meant to be the shade of her natural lips only better. In front of his beauty, she felt exceedingly simple.

|| Natsuki & Minho ||

Minho usually tried not to bring his work into Greywood - the town had always been a sort of a refuge from everything for the fae but on occasion some good opportunities arose that simply could not be missed. So when the rows of magnolia trees began blooming in Crown Bottoms main walkway, Minho took advantage of most of his team being in town with him to do a very quick photoshoot in the scenery. It was very impromptu and on a whim, done in a day, and after the whole team was taken to Hida for a little celebratory dinner. A large table was taken up and it was very lively for most of the hours during which the team stayed there, food and drinks requested in abundance.

At some point, when it seemed like the gathering was close to an end, Minho excused himself to use the toilet room and after that, went directly for the cash registry behind Hida’s bar to pay up for everyone without giving them a chance to protest or try to make a contribution. Perhaps he’d had one too many cantaloupe coastal breeze cocktails - the way the glass had a little painting-like illusion of a tiny person sitting in a folding chair under a beach umbrella, watching the sunset and the more you drank, the lower the sun would set in the image within the glass amused Minho to no end and made him want to see the charm over and over again, a great marketing trick to make people order more really - but even after he’d splashed some water on his neck and dabbed at his face with a damp cloth napkin, he still felt flushed. Consequently, his golden freckles were showing, bright and glittering on his skin tone. 

Leaving a generous tip along with the bill for their servers for the evening, Minho suddenly got a very bright idea before he would walk away. “Excuse me, please, is the main chef around? If they have time, I would love to give them compliments in person and perhaps discuss an online review where I could leave it? I have some social media presence and I would love to share what good time I’ve had tonight!” He asked the person who’d just charged him, hoping they’d be able to comply.

@natsuki-inokata

[natsuki-inokata]

The man seemed very impressed by her owning a restaurant and this made Natsuki blush a little seeing the way his eyes brightened. "Oh, yes," she confirmed humbly, averting her eyes bashfully and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. She'd never quite been able to shake the imposter syndrome feeling she had despite her restaurant being rather successful, a difficult feat for any restaurant to maintain and so she always felt in the precarious situation that it might change at any moment.

The rest of his response was a little odd and he seemed to entirely brush aside the topic of his hunger and she wondered briefly if she'd managed to somehow offend him, perhaps asking if someone was fasting was rude? "I'd be happy to cook for you, if you ever find yourself there," she gave him a smile.

"You seem to like fish," since he had mentioned that he went fishing at the lake on occasion, "Which is very good for I excel in dishes with seafood. I've actually been testing a recipe for stuffed grilled squid. You'll have to try it and let me know your thoughts."

"You own a restaurant?" He enthused, eyes going wide with the first real excitement he'd experienced since venturing into town. "I've definitely been near a lake. I've gotten pretty good at fishing. Though, I don't remember there being any restaurants nearby." He thought carefully, trying to remember if he'd seen any other lakes, but he didn't tend to wander beyond his own beaten tracks. "I'm not fasting. I just..." he shook his head, as if dismissing the conversation physically. "Maybe you could show me your restaurant sometime?"

[natsuki-inokata]

KOMATSU NANA 小松菜奈 Harper's BAZAAR Japan, November 2023.

[natsuki-inokata]

"I will not rush," Natsuki lied into the phone as she pulled out of her parking space and began to drive speedily down the empty street. She could afford to drive a little bit recklessly at this time of night. Greywood was the unique sort of town that tended to be busy at most hours considering the heavily nocturnal population of vampires only going out at night or other such supernaturals but it was still considerably less than during the day so the roads remained mostly clear, only filling with cars closer to the main streets or the darker roads that led to the more popular nightlife areas. Closer to the more affluent neighborhood, the streets were bare and so Natsuki pressed on, urging her care to go faster while her heart raced in her chest and she occasionally spoke to the speaker, reassuring her friend that she was almost there. Almost. Almost.

"I'm here," the witch pushed the button to kill the engine and grabbed her phone where she had thrown it, fumbling it against her face, saying again in case it wasn't heard, "I'm here. I'm outside." She wore only house slippers, hadn't the time to put on anything else and so they padded softly as she jogged up the pathway to Amy's house and reached the front door, trying to open the door with a jangle of the handle.

Amy didn’t believe it but really could not find the strength in herself to argue - it was already done, she’d disturbed her friend and roused her from her sleep for sure, to tell her now to never mind and stay home or forget about it was impossible and would just be plain rude and unhinged, even more so than calling in the middle of the night in distress as she did. So although Amy regretted doing this, she reconciled with it too, just hoping her friend would not judge her or take it to heart in the future. “I am sorry, Natsuki…” She said it again, even though she was reassured there was no need to apologize.

As her friend instructed her to stay by the phone, Amy nodded, then realized she couldn’t be seen doing so. “Yes, yes, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” She affirmed bitterly. She could hear the other woman shuffling around, moving about and then going outside likely to her vehicle, all of those the comforting sounds of someone being there even though they were not physically around Amy yet. It meant that help was on the way and it calmed Amy enough to stop the sobbing. “I am here, I am here.” She confirmed, sniffling. “Drive safe, don’t rush.”

[natsuki-inokata]

"I have," Natsuki confirmed with a nod and after she'd made some more room for him at the table, took a small sip of her drink. "I've been here for a few years now," though the lingering traces of accented speech would indicate well enough that English was not her native tongue, "I own the restaurant Hida. Maybe, have you heard of it?"

"Natsuki. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said with a genuine smile. "I'd love to sit down with you."

Virgil sat opposite to her, glad to be off his feet. He was glad to come across someone who seemed so genuinely sweet. She seemed a bit shy, but he never minded that. He didn't know why, but he liked to get shy people out of their shell and talking. "Have you lived in town for long? I don't think I've ever met you before."

[natsuki-inokata]

Natsuki gave him a confused look, unsure if she was missing something and not realizing the implication only continued to smile and even lightly scold him, "What do you mean? Around the town somewhere? Have you not come with her?" That was odd for she'd only ever remembered seeing them together so to now see one without the other felt very much like seeing a car with a broken tail light, like it was unbalanced.

"I'm doing very well, thank you for asking. Do you want me to seat you at your usual table?" She asked as she picked up two menus from the host stand, still believing that his wife would walk through the door and join them at any moment.

"The one and only," he stated his reply with a smile before her next question. He shook his head and briefly looked down at the bar, knocking with his knuckles on it. "Oh, well, we didn't get to that part. But I'm sure she's around in the town somewhere," he said, still not over the situation and how angry he felt about it. "But it's fine. How are you doing? Haven't come here in a while and I missed the meals."

[natsuki-inokata]

"Yes, I do. I've lived here for a few years now and I'm friends with many of the food shop owners," Natsuki explained, happy to share and did so with a smile. "I own the restaurant Hida, it is nearer to the lake. Have you been there?" She gave a nod when he said that he didn't work in town then pursed her lips together as she tried to remember the business hours for the cafe he asked after. "I think they close in the afternoon." She really wasn't sure unless she looked it up. "Not hungry until after dark?" This confused the witch for it was still day out and dark was quite a ways away. "That long? Are you fasting?" Then she remembered something and asked, "I thought you just ordered an almond croissant?"

He nodded gently, listening to her despite his gaze being transfixed on her food, only transferring briefly to her hands as she tore off a piece. "You seem to know your way around these places." he offered by way of a compliment. "I don't work in town." he didn't work at all, but, his unconventional way of living simply left him no time to earn money. Money he had very little use for. "Morning Glory? I'll have to sniff it out. Do they stay open late, by chance?" Quiet places tended to have fuller dumpsters, at least when it came to things that could prove useful to the boy. "I probably won't be hungry again until after dark, you see."

[natsuki-inokata]

Natsuki hoped that what Ophelia said was true, that her being here was helping and since she didn't want to press Ophelia too much, decided not to question her further about what had happened. Believing that if the blonde wanted to share it, one day, she would. "Good," she gave a nod as she settled again more comfortably onto the couch beside Ophelia, crossing one leg so it rested beneath the other. "Then I'll be here, to help," she gave the blonde a soft smile, wanting to take hold of her hand within her own but she did not, instead she kept her hands together resting atop of her own leg. "How about we watch something? Since I don't think we'll be sleeping any time soon," she tried to nudge her shoulder against the side of Ophelia. "Something like... Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs?" She suggested, hoping that watching something cartoonish and ridiculous might help keep the horrors that she'd experienced at bay.

we're friends. it still felt strange to hear and think about, framing natsuki that way when the two hadn't spoke in so many years prior to this. ophelia continued to calm down the longer her hair was brushed, the motion eventually stopping and the blonde took another drink of the tea. its warmth settled into her bones, formerly tight shoulders sagging, sinking back into the couch slowly. "no. no it's - probably better that you weren't there," ophelia replied, shaking her head. "it was fucking bad, natty and - i wouldn't want you to have to deal with it," she admits. "you being here is enough help,"

[natsuki-inokata]

Natsuki had been deep asleep when the buzzing of her cell phone on the bedside table woke her and the sight of the name on the caller ID already had her heart set to an anxious flutter so when she heard her friend's voice sound so very troubled to the point of eventual tears, the young witch was already rolling out of her bed with haste. She kept the phone pushed up against the side of her cheek held in place by the round slope of her shoulder as she delivered quick assertion to her friend, "I'm on my way," gentle and soft-spoken as she generally was, right now her voice was firm, a solid tree with deep roots digging into the ground that could not be dispelled by quake or heavy gust. "No, no, it's no bother. Do not apologize. I was still awake," she lied a reassurance to the other, "I was only testing a recipe. I'll be right there."

The witch grabbed a few items from her cabinets and drawers, stuffing them into a canvas tote bag and finally when she was ready to leave, pulled over her pajamas a long beige coat to keep herself warm against the crisp coldness of the night. "Stay on the phone with me, I'll be there very soon," Natsuki tumbled into her car and threw her phone and bag onto the passenger seat, turning the engine on with a button press, the phone automatically connected to the Bluetooth radio speaker to continue the phone call hands free. "Are you still there, Amy dear? I'm leaving now."

|| Natsuki & Amy ||

Amy really didn’t know who else to call. She could not throw her family into a frenzy because each and every one of them if they got so much as a whisper of Amy struggling with anything would probably be struck stupid and stunned. Callie already had so much on her plate and Amy knew if she called her now, she would likely inconvenience her greatly even though the high priestess would never tell or even consider it an inconvenience. And she certainly could not call Ibrahim even though he was conveniently next door because he was so flighty already and very likely not even home. The only person she could think of relying on was her dear friend Natsuki who, despite her soft-spoken, quiet demeanor Amy knew was a fiercely devoted and giving friend. It was a pure instinct decision when Amy found herself at the side of her own bed on the floor, reaching for her cell phone left on the nightstand.

She tried her hardest not to sob through her words when the line was picked up, apologizing over and over again for calling at a late hour. In the end, once she had gotten all the most important information through - that she had trouble moving and would not be able to come to the door and unlock it for Natsuki but if she could, nevertheless, come by and try something because Amy needed a hand, just a little help to get herself off the floor. But then, a whimper escaped her and she couldn’t trust herself to speak anymore, repeating the sorry’s and apologies she’d started with.

"My tail, it just... I turned in my sleep and I just... can't turn back now." She confessed into her phone finally, her usually deep, calm voice growing higher in pitch with the quiet sobs. She hated the idea of crawling around her home like this, half woman and half a damn... underwater worm-thing, having an intense moment of self-loathing that kept her glued to the spot.

@natsuki-inokata

[natsuki-inokata]

Location: Greywood Supernatural University With: @javedkashif

Natsuki's steps echoed through the large hallways of the university, her flats clicking over hardwood. She'd come to visit Amy during a break between one of her lectures but their visit was unexpectedly cut short so Natsuki excused herself to go visit another friend from the same department, though she wasn't sure if he'd be available right now or be busy with a class. Regardless, she found herself approaching his office and gave the door a soft knock, "Javed? Are you busy?"

[natsuki-inokata]

"Oh," Natsuki shifted slightly in her seat so that she sat up a bit straighter now that she realized the other was a witch like herself. It was a rather irrational feeling but she often felt inadequate compare to other witches, "I usually practice in consumable magic, potions, foods, teas, things like that. I actually own a restaurant in town and we have a magical menu along with our normal food menu. Maybe you've been? It's called Hida."

"Hey that's more than some people know" conversing with the other; "So what kind of magic do you practice" switching the topic slightly since she knew the other one was ending; "I can sense what you are and I'm always curious to know where more witches are" slowly slowly she was learning and harvesting her magic but she would also love to befriend more friends, at least in a ideal world anyways; "I'm more light magic by the way"