#♡ ˙ * ✧ ━━ chaaarge! ❪starter❫

[voltaage]

@simulamortem (planned starter.)

     Why did the infection of the alternate Revenant's universe have to always spread in the lead up to Natalies favourite holiday? It was horrible; like poisoning a bountiful feast. Cruel and unnecessary. Yet, here they stood, yet again, in a world all too familiar to their own, but covered in darkness and shadow.

     It put both her and her squadmate at unease, especially given what had happened last time. Natalie felt like there was constant eyes on her, like she needed to checking over her shoulder all the time. But each time she gave into the obsession, it proved nothing. The anxiety was driving her mad-- or whatever was watching them was being incredibly crafty.

     The little engineer tried to calm herself by focusing on looting through the buildings at the Geyser, for the moment. Organizing her stuff, and feeling prepared for if things took a sudden turn, helped her feel more in control and grounded. It was unfortunate that there, where Natalie had found a moment of solace, was where the looming figure struck.

     A hand clamped down onto her mouth while an arm wrapped around her midsection. Natalie instinctually went to yell, but the hand, and the geysers beyond the walls, did a good enough job to muffle her noise. The next step was thrashing, a desperate attempt to get out of the mysterious assailant's grasp, but all it resulted in was making the pair lose balance and tumble to the floor.

     It was there, in the mess of limbs, that Natalie saw her attacker hovering over her. Wide sapphires met haunting rubies that only seemed to twinkle with mischievous delight. Natalie tried to fight again, squirming and attempting to bite the hand at her mouth, but her duplicate was strong. Unsettlingly so.

     "Tsk, tsk, where's your manners?" Her own voice asked her quietly, though the sound didn't originate from her throat. Just when Wattson thought things couldn't get anymore worrying, inky mist began to gather around them, latching itself onto her and changing the appearance of the duplicate to imitate-- her colours. Ebony hair turned blond, scarlet orbs turned to cerulean. Natalie had an idea of where this was leading and gave one more twist to try and get the other off, but all it seemed to do was help the shadows secure their hold and suddenly pull her through the floor and into darkness.

     "Bye bye!" The assailant teasingly waved goodbye to herself, as if they had parted on extremely friendly terms. She then began to gather the abandoned items on the floor; Natalie's weapons and bag.

[voltaage]

@simulamortem ( planned starter. )

     Similarly to Christmas, Natalie's home was fully decorated for the spooky holiday. Her front yard was littered with fake gravestones, with the occasional skeletal limb poking out of the ground as if it were rising from the dead. Near her entrance, there were pumpkins, already emptied and carved, sporting cat portraits that were most likely to be Nikola, despite the lack of artistic finesse.

     Inside was not much better. Little orange and purple string lights had been attached to the walls in the living room and kitchen, giving the spaces a more appropriate lighting effect. There were glass stickers on the windows, displaying cheesy caricatures of ghosts and ghouls. Fake cobwebs were placed upon the television and table surfaces.

     It was clear that while Natalie loved Christmas, Halloween was the holiday that she really went all out for.

     And she wasn't yet done, apparently, as she told the simulacrum in her home. There was still more to put up, more to organize for herself. As the engineer was going through her checklist, she suddenly sat up straight as she recalled something.

     "Oh, that reminds me, I have something to show you!" Natalie declared excitedly before standing up from the couch. "You stay right there and I'll be back in a minute."

     Natalie bent at the waist, leaning in to place a brief kiss on Revenant's forehead before she turned away. Rather swiftly, she made her way down the hall, though stopping to pick up the cat, for whatever reason...

[voltaage]

@simulamortem​ (planned starter)

      Natalie was an active member of the scientific community. When she wasn't working on her own projects, she was helping the engineer's for the Apex Games. When she wasn't doing that, she was helping Dr. Somers with her work, or repairing and fixing simulacrums. And when she wasn't doing that, she was at schools, putting on small presentations for kids to get them excited about science.

      Today was a little different though. She had been invited to Hammond Labs, a place she wasn't super involved in. She was hesitant to accept; she couldn't ignore the part they had played in her boyfriends suffering. But, whatever they were doing, they were already doing it. Natalie now had the chance to help direct them towards safer, more humane, experiments and projects.

      So, after a bit of humming and hawing, the little engineer accepted the invitation. A week later, she was taken into the city and to Hammond Lab's impressive building. After making her way through security, a few of the employees greeted her, and Natalie replied in a similar, friendly manner. They soon began to walk, wanting to give the Legend a little tour of their facility before heading to the demo.

[voltaage]

@simulamortem (planned starter)

     It had been a long day. Not because of the match Wattson had participated in, but the events that followed after it. When herself and her teammate boarded the ship, they were bloodied and tired, wanting nothing more than to retire to the safety and security of Natalie's room on the ship. But she wouldn't let dirty people make her messy space even messier.

     And he wouldn't bathe.

     It had been a little bit of a wrestle, taken a little bit of scolding, but Natalie eventually got Revenant scrubbed clean enough. Perhaps not every single groove was as clean as it could be, but she didn't want to make him suffer. This was enough.

     With their shared cleanliness, the pair made it back to Natalie's room. The smaller of the two stripped out of her uniform and changed into spare clothing; pants and a loose shirt. She then crawled into the bed and sat next to the sim as the television turned on, angling herself into him to cuddle at his side.

     It was quiet and peaceful for a while. The two of them content with each other's presence. But halfway through the true crime show Natalie had put on, she angled her head up to look at Revenant. "You know," She started playfully, "I heard a new rumor about you."

[voltaage]

@simulamortem (planned starter)

     When Natalie had pitched the idea of visiting her parents to Revenant, she had an anticipated him saying no. She wasn't going to fault him for it either; it was a sensitive topic that he probably felt unequipped to navigate. Natalie would go alone, just like she had done every other time.       But imagine her surprise when he agreed to coming with her.

     So, there the pair were, in a private car, on their way to the solemn cemetery that sat within Eelhead Bay, Natalie's childhood home. While they waited to arrive, Natalie fidgeted with the flowers in her arms. She always brought things to her parents headstones; no one else was going to after all. She even had a little bag beside her, containing a few more things meant to be placed near the tombstones.     

     "Thank you," Natalie started softly as she looked to her partner with a warm smile, "For coming with me."

[voltaage]

@simulamortem (planned starter)

     It had been a while since Natalie had last seen Revenant, which wasn't entirely unusual. He could disappear for days on end, only sometimes leaving a trail to signal that things were fine and that he needed some space. But this time? It just went cold. No contact, no notices, no hints, just silence and loneliness.

     So, after a while, Natalie took it upon herself to make her way into King's Canyon tunnels. He always came to her, so she figured it was about time she visited him for once. She had gone through all that effort of creating a cozy space for him anyways; might as well utilize it.

     The little engineer brought a small bag of supplies with her for her trip. Inside was a container with some food in case she was down there for a while, as well as some books to read if he wasn't there and she had to wait for his arrival, and a tiny assortment of tools because-- well, you never knew with him. There was always a good chance that something needed repairs.

     When she eventually made it down and into the tunnels, she turned on the dainty lights she had set up and glanced about the space. She didn't see him, but the messy bed signaled he had been here at some point, it was just a question of when. Nevertheless, Natalie made herself comfortable as she figured she may be waiting a while-- or wasting an entire day if he didn't show up at all. She made her way over to the bed, dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes, and crawled onto the mattress. She then curled the blanket around her and reached for her bag over the side of the bed, blindly grabbing a book and settling in for a quiet read.

[voltaage]

WINTER PROMPTS

@simulamortem​ asked:  🎄 ​

      It was one of the most wonderful times of the year. Hot cocoa, sparkling lights, festive carols, and so much more were covering the planets in the Outlands. Natalie adored every holiday as she was a rather sentimental person, so it was no surprise that her little home in Kings Canyon was decorated from head to toe.       Wreaths hung on the doors, poinsettias and holly laid upon the tables and desks, stockings for both herself and Nikola hung near the entrance to her home, and so much more. Even Natalie herself was festive, dressed in an ugly Christmas sweater and an elf hat. But the most important piece was the tree and she had saved that task until Revenant came for another visit. It would be fun to decorate it together, she had thought.       The tree stood in her living room, slightly to the wall as to not block the view from the couch to the television. It was bare, with nothing but the green of its pines. Next to it was a large box Natalie had pulled out of her storage and opened. It contained multicolored bulbs, garland, ribbons, and other trinkets to be placed upon the tree.       "We can start with the lights and tinsel." Natalie instructed as she reached to pull out a few colorful strands. "Do you want to do a silver and gold tree? Rainbow? What do you think?"

[voltaage]

@simulamortem (planned starter)

     It had been a normal match on Storm Point. Nothing to arouse any kind of worry or suspicion from the engineer. She had been put into a team without any other Legends, which meant she might be doing more of the heavy lifting today, but that was okay with her. She still confident they could win and get on with the rest of their day.

     The normalcy didn't last very long though; after a few fights Natalie was left outside of the command center, surrounded by blood and boxes, and left to collect her team's banners. She could revive them and they could continue their way to the end of this match, but as her device registered their banners, a different message appeared. One from Loba, requesting assistance. It was an odd message to receive during a match, but unexpected things had been known to happen during matches. Natalie could still recall when Olympus was sent tumbling through portals; it had been awful.

     So, for the moment, Natalie held onto the banners and messaged back her friend, asking what was going on and where they were. Loba's response was vague, just saying she could use Wattson's electric expertise and giving her a location. Natalie didn't press; she figured she would find out soon enough.

     The little engineer began to travel across Storm Point, careful of other squads who were oblivious to her fellow Legends antics. But the sound of dropships arriving eventually made her pause. It wasn't like the usual occasional drop ship. There seemed to be more ships and more people dropping from them than typical. Natalie squinted up into the air, trying to understand what she was seeing, what was happening.

[voltaage]

@simulamortem​ (planned starter)

      Most Legends were out for the day, off to fight in another round of the Apex Games, but not Wattson. She had been very deliberate about getting the day off as she had a plan that required a certain someone to be gone for a while. It was easy enough; Natalie was one of the golden children of the Apex Games, so she typically got what she wanted.

      She spent the initial portion of the day navigating through the underground tunnels, trying to find a specific location. Soon enough she came across the space she was looking for. There wasn't much but there was an old mattress, one that she had seen the simulacrum lay upon when feeling under the weather. This would be where she got to work.

      The next several hours were spent going back and forth between the tunnels and her home on the trident, moving pieces of furniture down into the underground. It was a little difficult at times, especially with the new mattress she got, but it remained rolled and wrapped so that made it a bit easier.

      Eventually, the little engineer had completely redecorated the space. The old mattress was shoved down one of the many tunnels and was replaced by an actual frame with the new mattress on top. Comfy pillows were placed upon that and a blanket from Natalie's house was there as well. There was a small dining table with two chairs set up with a few things placed on top of the surface. A vase with a bouquet in it, a letter, and a signature Nessie.

      The area was lit up by string lights that hung from the walls, connected to a small generator that had familiar Paquette colours to it. The lights also illuminated the few pictures she had framed and attached to the wall near the bed; a copy of the photos from the carnival and a copy of one of the photos from Christmas. She didn't know if they would stay-- if he would like something like that just up and out in the open-- but she thought it made the space look more like a home. He could take it down if he didn't like it.

      The final piece to all of this was going back out into the tunnels and hanging up some signs. The Games were over and the Legends were on their way back to their respective homes; it probably wouldn't be long ‘til Revenant showed up. So Natalie placed signs all about the multiple entrances that would direct the sim when he appeared, leading him to the space she had decorated with nothing but a 'This way, please' and a heart scribbled on them.

[voltaage]

SHADOW ROYALE STARTER CALL

@simulamortem​ liked

      Wattson wasn't entirely enthused to be back in this-- weird, nightmare-like realm. Last time they had visited the shadows had overtaken her. She could still recall that suffocating feeling in her chest like she was breathing through ash, smoke, and rage. And that voice that had been in her head, she had detested it during all of that, but now there was a worry that if the shadows were to reclaim her, would she be aware enough to still detest it? Natalie wasn't sure. Not with these new feelings. She wanted to avoid the darkness as much as she could; she didn't want to know the answer.       Reassuringly, Natalie was certain that her squad mate had somewhat similar feelings of apprehension and animosity about their current location. Because of that, she stuck to Revenant's side as they traversed through the floating city of Olympus. She felt quite confident in their ability to get through this swiftly with him on her team, rather than last time when she had no other Legends to assist her.       Wattson only lagged a little bit behind the simulacrum when they came up to the Fight Night stadium. Banners, boards, and more were replaced with distorted images of this shadow king. It made Natalie falter; she felt so weird about all of this. "Err..." The little engineer murmured to herself as her eyes took in the large banner at the front doors of the stadium. Her gaze then awkwardly flicked to her teammate, trying to gauge his reaction before she opened her mouth any further.

[voltaage]

AS SAID BY VARRIC TETHRAS PROMPTS

@naboocrowned asked: you know, i might be able to give you a hand with that.

Wattson was a tech girl, geeky and awkward, which made the social aspect of her job a little more difficult for her. She was constantly monitoring herself; where she was looking, how she appeared, what words she used. It could be exhausting for her. She much rather be in the Games, or working on things for the Games-- or even talking with hyperactive, boundary pushing, fans. Parties with sponsors and expectations was probably one of her least favourite parts of her job.

So, when Natalie became aware of her slightly disarrayed appearance, she quickly excused herself. She found sanctuary in an empty, lounge room, seemingly forgotten about due to the ongoing party. Natalie hurried over to a mirror that hung on the wall and confirmed her suspicions; her fake eyelashes were falling off.

The scramble to fix it quickly begun; the little engineer popped open her clutch purse and searched for the eyeliner glue she had been given by the make up artist earlier. She popped off the lid and made her way to her eye only to pause. Should she take the entire thing off? Or just try to glue the part that was loose? Natalie didn't know! She should've asked Loba to come with her. She should just rip them off. She should--

A familiar voice sounded out from over her shoulder, breaking Natalie from her rapid descent into panic. She swiftly turned around, her cerulean blue dress twisting with her frame, and met Symphony's gaze. Was it a coincidence that they found each other in this hall? Or was Natalie's absence noticed? She hoped for the former.

"I--" She stuttered, seemingly still a little shocked and embarrassed about being found. Natalie then swallowed and put on a smile, though evidently it was more nervous than her usual grin. "Please..?" She asked as she extended out the glue liner to her fellow Legend. "If I try then I think I might ruin my look and then-- then I can't go back out there..!"

[voltaage]

The Crown Starters

@falskihundr asked: "To do nothing is the hardest job of all. And it will take every ounce of energy that you have. To be impartial is not natural, not human."

     There was a kindred spirit to be found in Bloodhound, in a way. Someone who valued rationale and sensibilities. Someone who was just and kind. But unlike Natalie, they were wise, or, at the very least, seemed like they were. She was far too naive-- far too pure hearted. She acted without fully thinking, allowing her heart to guide her.

     That big heart was always on her sleeve as well; it was never difficult to tell how the engineer was feeling. Perhaps that was why the tracker had approached her. They had seen the worry and distress etched into her visage as she stood at the opposite end of the dropship, watching Crypto speak with Ash.

     She wanted to intervene, wanted to warn Crypto of the dangers, but she knew why he was speaking to her and could not-- would not-- dare to hinder his quest to find his sister. What was there to warn about anyways when Natalie refused to tell a single soul about her fall into the ocean at the hand of the sim?

     "...It's a fight between mind and heart; my instincts say to protect, but my head says he is fully capable on his own." Natalie responded softly after a pause from processing Bloodhounds words. She sighed softly, then turned, meeting the mask with a small, tender smile. Sweet and earnest and-- sheepish, like a child uncertain of the judgment their parent will bring. "... You probably think I'm rather nosey, huh?"

[voltaage]

Darker Vibes Starters

@simulamortem asked: ❛ i wanna sink my teeth into every inch of you. ❜

     Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to flirt and tease while on the dropship, but here they were. Really, the sim was the one to blame. Most of the time, it was him making these little comments that Natalie had no choice but to respond to-- at least, that's what Natalie thought to herself.

     Such banter had been going on quietly in her room on the ship as she got ready for the days match. She had a custom uniform today, thanks to some sponsors. It was a tight, black body suit, with accents of white and gold that crossed over her body. Her hood also had golden pieces of lightning around the rim. But the most stunning piece was the crown around Natalie's head, framing her already round face in the imagined brilliance of the sun.

     It suited her. She looked beautiful-- maybe even ethereal when the light caught the gold just right.

     Perhaps Revenant had thought the same thing when he upped the intensity of their banter, prompting Natalie to stop her efforts in attaching her pylon to herself. She turned back to him with slightly wide eyes and blush blooming across her face. Sapphires stared for a moment before flicking to the nearby clock. They would be dropping soon. "I think it might be a little too late for that, mon chér." She then smiled something bashful and flirtatious. "But maybe after the match."

[voltaage]

Dialogue Prompts

@sveer asked: [ NINE ] : “ let me walk you home. ”

     Every now and then, Mirage threw a smaller, more private party at the Paradise Lounge, just for the Legends. They often attended events, did press, and all the other glorious things that came with being a celebrity for a blood sport, but that was always done with cameras, and eyes, and expectations.

     This? This was just for them. To relax, to bond, and to have fun.

     And Natalie? Well, she certainly had had her fair share of fun. Light weight and unable to resist the temptations of sugary drinks, the little Legend was stumbling and giggling more than her usual self. A pretty scarlet also decorated her cheeks; all telltale signs of inebriation.

     Despite her fun-loving state, she knew when to call it quits. She still wanted to be able to get up in the morning after all. The engineer made her rounds saying goodbye to everyone and had gotten all the way to the door with her jacket on when she was approached.

     Natalie looked a little surprised by the offer, but not in a bad way as her expression quickly turned into another smile. "Oh, mon ami, you don't have to. My hotel isn't far and I'm perfectly--" As if the Gods had heard her and were determined to prove her wrong, Natalie stumbled as she reached for the door, "--fine."

[voltaage]

PLANNED STARTER

@naboocrowned​

      When a new Legend joined the roster there was always a bit of excitement in the air-- as well as some trepidation. The newbie could be grizzled and tough, hardened by the vast Outlands and the experiences it gave. Or, as Natalie hoped for, they could be lively and friendly, excited to compete in a sport. There was no way to know for certain until someone spoke to the new recruit though-- and that's exactly what the little engineer planned on doing.       Wattson made her way through the drop ship, passing by her fellow Legends and their little rooms on the ship, offering a smile and wave to whoever gave her one. Eventually, she found who she was looking for. A woman with platinum hair, tucked to the side of the ship. Natalie hoped that wasn't meant to dissuade anyone from approaching because that was exactly what she was doing.       "Hello!" Natalie greeted cheerily as she practically popped out from around Symphony's side with a megawatt smile. "You're the new Legend, oui? I'm Wattson, but you can just call me Natalie!"

[voltaage]

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐆𝐎 👀

@v1r4l​ asked: [ HAIR ]:          sender slowly reaches out to catch a loose strand of the receiver’s hair and tuck it gently and securely back behind their ear, letting their touch linger afterwards. (if the receiver has short hair, then the sender reaches out and gently runs their fingers through their hair to smooth it back.) / crypto who knows Very Little about gentle gestures having grown up rough just can't resist 'pestering' or gazing lovingly when wattson's busying herself with work

      Natalie was nose deep in her textbooks, completely unaware of her surroundings. When she was working on a project, she got like this quite a bit. The world around her tended to blur into nothing, time passed faster than usual, and sometimes Natalie missed meals. She loved her work; she could get completely absorbed.

      So absorbed that she would forget she wasn't the only one in the lab. The sudden hand in her hair made her eyes widen and flick over to the side, catching Crypto in the act. Her surprise immediately dissipated and a soft smile took hold on her face. Her head ever so slightly tilted into Cryptos hand, eager to have as much of his touch as he would allow.

      "Hi." Natalie said warmly, her voice full of unspoken adoration. She couldn't stop smiling at him. "Want to take a break?"