Room 329 | Wednesday Evening

[robinonadderall]

Stiles was not making his usual trip to the bar tonight. Not because he was avoiding Derek (yes he was), but because he was very busy (no he wasn't). Very busy. He had a portal for Beacon Hills to book. And Lydia to text. And Taylor Swift to listen to. Mostly Taylor Swift to listen to.

Hers was the music of sadness.

[Elaine made me. Door and post are open]

Comments

[robinonadderall]

"I'm a sheriff's son, I have to do my best to defy expectations," he said. "Or is it like a son of a pastor thing where they expect them to be troublemakers?"

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I like defying expectations but my parents' professions have nothing to do with it."

[robinonadderall]

"If you're hoping to defy expectations here, you're out of luck," Stiles said. "'Cause I find you fairly unpredictable."

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie couldn't say she was surprised. She thought she'd been particularly unpredicatble around him, too.

She tilted her head, like she was curious. "And how does that make you feel?"

[robinonadderall]

"Out of my element," he admitted. "I'm not really used to people talking to me like you do."

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, it's good practice," she replied idly, glancing around the room. "You're bound to run into more people a little like me eventually."

Although give her a few years and she wasn't going to think there were any other people like her. Pale imitations, maybe.

[robinonadderall]

"Most new people I meet these days are trying to eat me. Not a metaphor," Stiles said. "Meeting more people like you would be refreshing."

More confusing, but refreshing.

[whenshewasnice]

"Yeah, I'm yet to try and eat anyone," Natalie replied, raising an eyebrow. "I may bite, but I don't draw blood."

Left a few bruises, though!

[robinonadderall]

And that was Stiles turning red again. Damn his overactive imagination. "I, uh, get the feeling most people you bite don't actually mind that."

[whenshewasnice]

"No complaints so far." Of course it was usually her nails that people should have been worrying about more. "You blush really easily."

Because it helped to draw attention to it.

[robinonadderall]

"Thank you for noticing." Because he loved having that stuff pointed out, really. "I think it's part of the whole 'out of my element' thing."

[whenshewasnice]

"And part of what makes you intriguing." She probably picked that word on purpose. "I was never much of a blusher."

[robinonadderall]

"You strike me as someone who is hard to take by surprise," Stiles said. Then something clicked. "--wait, you think I'm intriguing?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Yeah." She shrugged, and considered waiting for the inevitable 'why'. Then chose not to. "You're different from the kinds of people I've generally spent a lot of time around."

[robinonadderall]

"I've heard that before," he said. "Usually in a less flattering tone, so thanks."

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, most people deserve to get flattered a bit every once in a while." Even if it came from someone who had a weirdly predatory reaction to the attributes she was being flattering about. "And I'm generally pretty good at guessing at how much a person has going on beneath the immediate visible surface. That's what gets me intrigued."

[robinonadderall]

"Is that like a born skill or did you have to practice at it?" He liked to think he had that kind of skill to an extent. He was right about Matt, wasn't he?

[whenshewasnice]

"I think it's just part of my personality," Natalie mused. "Quiet observation yields results."

And yet there was still going to be that whole Todd fiasco.

[robinonadderall]

"Huh. I'm good at the observation part, I think." Kind of had to be, considering the family business. "It's the quiet part I'd have trouble with."

[whenshewasnice]

Shrug. "Whatever works. You're not quiet by nature."