Private Finished Discovering the Strip

Natasha broke out in a smile obviously pleased that Eve agreed that they had had an instant connection. She liked the idea of having Eve as a friend. She had very few friends herself. Mostly because she liked her solitude, and also because as a vampire, she found that anyone she had come to care for eventually passed away and she had found that heart-breaking. Maybe now, living here, she could establish friendships without the fear of losing them in two or three decades.

“I’d love that.” she replied very honestly when Eve said that he hoped they could be friends.”I don’t really have that many friends anymore. My oldest and dearest friends passed away over a century ago.” she told Eve, actually amazed at how many years had gone by since then, she hadn’t thought about it much til now, and it realised that it still made her sad.

“Powerful?” Natasha murmured thoughtfully at Eve’s statement, “I honestly don’t know. I never considered myself as powerful.” she remarked truthfully. “Maybe I was. Maybe in a quiet way though,” she said, still not sure of his affirmation. “I do admit that I never felt powerless,” she added as she looked at Eve and then said after a second.

“You exude power. I can feel it when I’m with you. In fact,...” here she turned to size him up again as they walked, just feeling his presence, “I bet you can be quite scary if you wanted to be. Scare away little old ladies, naughty children, nosy neighbours...” she said in a playful tone as she swatted away a pair of groping hands trying to feel under her dress.

Natasha nodded in understanding as Eve talked, wondering if she could help in some way, “Maybe you just need practice at showing your emotions. But start slow, don’t pressure yourself,” she added, “like when you are alone painting, and something makes you happy - or sad. Just relax, and let yourself feel that emotion, and maybe, allow it to come out...” she suggested, knowing feelings were a complex thing, and not wanting Eve to feel he had to be expressive like her.

“Whenever you’re ready. I’ve got all time in the world,” she said with a teasing wink as she joked about her immortality, waving his thanks away. Eve didn’t need to thank her. Nat wanted to be there for him if he needed somebody to talk to. “Yes, I think you are right..” she agreed as she quickly ducked again as some young guy tried to kiss her. "let's try to get out of here with our dignity intact."

“Is the Strip always this bad?” she asked Eve with a puzzled look, ignoring the catcalls, loud offers, and whistles, they actually seemed to be drawing more and more unwanted attention for some reason.

@EmiRose

"It was extremely hard at first..." she admitted softly, grateful when Eve laid a comforting hand on her and said it must have been hard to lose friends. "Everybody I knew or grew up with started passing away. For a while, it felt like a bad dream. My friends got sick with some terrible disease, or simply grew old, and I stayed the same." she said as they walked, "Nobody ever mentions that part when becoming immortal." she sighed, still saddened at the idea of her friends and loved ones dying.

When Eve offered her his friendship, Natasha couldn't help but feel elated and surprised at the same time, glancing up at him, she smiled at him warmly, her eyes shining with hopefulness. "I hope I can be a good friend to you too," she said shyly, her heart happy to have found someone she instinctively knew she could be good friends with.

"Hmm..." Natasha murmured thoughtfully, "You might be right. Though I just see myself, my strength or power, as a product of my upbringing. You needed to be strong if you wanted to survive back then." she nodded, "It was a different time then, now, it's easier perhaps..." she said, not sure whether that was true or not, though it seemed to her people didn't have to worry about starving or disease like she did when she was "alive", nor were people as superstitious as they were then.

"In my experience, people who want to be stronger or think they aren't, are." she said, "You probably have more confidence than you think, and are stronger mentally than you give yourself credit for." Natasha said as they walked together comfortably along the Strip. "whatever you have endured in the past, has made you into the rather fearless person now, who can walk along the Strip at night, and avoid being fondled while sketching a strange vampire you just met." Natasha remarked, flashing Eve a wry grin before she added. "I'd say that you are pretty confident to do all that."

Natasha raised an eyebrow when Eve said he was seeing a therapist. She wasn't sure about those types of doctors and so reserved her opinion on the matter. As long as Eve felt they were helping him was all that mattered really. "Maybe if you're able to express what you feel, you might feel better?" she suggested to Eve, now really wondering what awful thing had happened to this apparently gentle soul.

"Maybe there's a wild party or something going on?" Natasha said with a tiny thoughtful frown when Eve remarked that he also found it strange that there were so many gropers and drunks on the Strip that evening.

@EmiRose