NAOMI ♥ [059]

[scientize]

Who: Naomi and anyone!
Where: A popular Somni cafe
Style: Your choice!
Status: Open, open, open! I would be thrilled with new CR, but familiar faces are always welcome

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[fiveminutefail]

Kotetsu had been in the lineup to order his own coffee, hands in the pockets of his light brown overcoat and trademark hat nestled comfortably upon his head. He'd have normally ordered somewhere else, somewhere more quiet and closer to his apartment, but this was the cafe his partner had shown him before he'd left and that in itself made it the better choice. It held a certain warmth because of that, and it eased his worries in the form of a few select memories that they'd shared there.

Order taken and received, he spun around and began walking toward a table of his own. A small one, normally made for two, so that he'd only be surrounded by one empty seat and not more. He paused, though, upon noticing a familiar face. A woman that had greeted him upon his arrival, and hadn't spoken with much since.

Years of meddling in the affairs of others have given him one special gift, that gift being how to notice when situations require meddling. The telltale twitch of her leg, the shallow hunch of her shoulders, and the expression of subtle distress were all signs that he'd picked up on, and before he could even think up what to say, he found himself taking quiet steps toward her.

"Doctor Naomi, right?" he said, as he finally paused before the table, hands clutching at his cup and expression bright despite the slightly awkward tone of his voice. "We've spoken once before. Kotetsu, remember?"

[scientize]

Meddle away, Kotetsu. Naomi, no matter how she may react to this unexpected reunion, honestly is pleased that someone (especially a handsome man) was stepping in to interfere with her brooding.

Immediately broken out of her train of thought at his greeting, Naomi tore her gaze away from her slowly dwindling cup of coffee to glance upwards at the man. Though it took her a brief moment to recognize just who exactly he was, it really had been some time since they'd last spoken, Kotetsu possessed just too attractive a face for her to forget him completely. Her usual beautiful, beaming smile smoothed onto her lovely face at the recognition, the woman's posture straightening in her chair. It was a cute guy, after all. She had to look her absolute best, married or not.

"It may have only been once, but I do remember you." She waved to her empty chair, inviting him silently to join her for as long as he should like. "It's so nice to see you again. I take it you've settled in perfectly well, right?"

Whatever reason for this coincidental meeting, Naomi was already thankful for it. A distraction was precisely what she needed right now. Thoughts of her not-so-distant future could be easily shoved aside if there was a certain friendly someone to chat casually with. And Kotetsu so far seemed to fit that bill perfectly.

[fiveminutefail]

His amber eyes followed Naomi's hand as she waved to the empty seat at her table, and with a nod and smile of his own he took it after placing his cup down and removing his coat, spreading it unevenly across the back. He hadn't expected his little outing to become a social occasion, but this was just as welcomed to him as it was to her.

"It's good to see you, too." And that couldn't have been said more sincerely, what with the little statue dilemma just recently, and the ever-apparent fact that people here could up and disappear overnight. To her next question, he could only shrug, taking a short sip of his still steaming coffee. "I got a big apartment, and all of my friends are staying in it. It's kind of like home, actually."

He hadn't exactly accepted Somarium as a home, not even as a home away from home, but so long as the people he felt obligated to protect were there, he had to consider it as such. It was just too bad that his daughter and partner were so far away from him, but they were probably better off for it.

Not that he would ever let his true feelings bleed through to his words, though. If there was one thing Kotetsu was good at, it was hiding his problems from people behind a smile.

"And what about you? How’ve you been?"

[scientize]

"As close as to home as you can get in this dream city, you mean?" Naomi suggested with a smile, leaning forward in her chair towards the newcomer. The woman understood perfectly well how difficult it was for most people to ease into the casual, day-to-day life of Somarium, especially with the prospect of leaving at anytime hanging over their head. Most residents never truly adjusted, but then again, they were more often than not sent home after some period of time anyway, so why bother pretending? As far as she knew, Naomi was one of the very few people who actually preferred her life here to her one back home.

Leaving Somarium hadn't even crossed her mind in months now. It had become so integrated into her life (her work was here, her husband was here), the beautiful woman hadn't even recognized that there was a chance that she could one day disappear. Hm. Has the thought ever run through Javert's mind?

Those tiny hands of hers cup her hot mug gently, enjoying the heat given off by her coffee. Even in the crowded, overheated cafe, Naomi still felt cold.

"Alright, just a little tired. And cold." A grin. "I don't do well in the winter. Besides running between home and my lab, I swear this is the first time I've been out in weeks."

[fiveminutefail]

"Well, when you put it like that..." He smiled back, toying with his wedding band, spinning it about his ring finger awkwardly and absently as he spoke. He stopped doing it only to take another sip if his beverage, revelling in the warmth much like she had. "I actually went home for a bit a couple months ago."

His smile melted away a bit at that, despite his best attempt to keep it up. His experience back home wasn't all that fantastic for him. He went back only to face more problems, and the only thing he gained from it was the knowledge of deceit, a wide range of wounds and burns, and his busted up Hero suit which now sat as a pile of scrap in his bedroom closet. Somarium probably would've been a nice change of pace, were it not for his problems following him back.

He nodded thoughtfully at her, snapping to attention at her mention of being cold, and not doing well in the winter. "Oh! You're still cold?" He spun his torso abruptly, arms prying the jacket on his chair off and handing it to her over the table, careful of their coffees. "You should put this on, then."

His grin was back in full force with his offering, happy to help her if she needed some help. It was just in his nature to be the good samaritan, and even small gestures like this made him feel like he was doing a good service, a heroic deed of sorts.

[scientize]

Naomi's attractive eyes catch the fidgeting movement of his fingers as the man sitting across from her twisted his wedding band back and forth around his finger. And, strangely enough, it brought a soft, very genuine smile to her lovely face. For all she didn't know of Kotetsu, he seemed like a good man with honest intentions, someone she could potentially trust in the future and never come to regret it. After all of the liars and creeps she has associated with in the past, it was pleasant to finally meet someone she could most certainly have faith in.

But wait. As she lifted the mug of slowly cooling coffee to her lips, Naomi's attention was drawn back to the man immediately. "Really?" And down goes the cup. "I hadn't even noticed, of course. It's hard to keep track of casual acquaintances in a city so huge and densely populated, but you returned with your full memory intact. I'm surprised. I thought I was one of the very few people who had been through that."

It was a memory that Naomi had trouble recalling perfectly actually, but most of her previous life before Somarium was starting to blend and bleed into the alternate memories that this place had provided for her. After three plus years in this place, it was difficult to keep everything together. The fake and the real were just too damn similar now.

At his offer, she quickly shook her head. "No, no. You don't have t-" But it was too late for the most part. Kotetsu was holding out his jacket with that sweetly eager, puppydog-look in his eyes. How could she deny a man who looked at her like that? "Thank you. That's exceedingly thoughtful of you. I can't say that I meet many gentlemen in this city, but I'm grateful to have found at least one. Thank you."

Reaching out, she delicately took the offered coat and slipped it over her thin shoulders. It didn't help much to warm up the permanent chill inside of her small form, but anything was a comfort at the moment.