[Yanai Yoko]

Yoko once again found herself laying on the couch, but instead of just lazing around she was gently stroking the tiger patterned kitten that was resting on her stomach. Like a good roommate she had adopted a pet without telling Nat, but she knew Nat was about to come home soon too so it wasn't like it was that big of a deal. Unless she was allergic to cats of course. When she heard the door open she looked over lazily. ''Yo Nat.'' She didn't acknowledge the kitten at all, treating it as if they had always had a cat living with them. ''I've been thinking...'' The cat's purring against her body made her feel oddly relaxed. She felt like a monster, but this little kitten didn't mind. It didn't see her for her quirk, it just saw her for who she was, or at least that's how it felt.

''We're friends, aren't we?'' They had never really talked about it. Maybe because Yoko wasn't quick to throw the term around, or maybe because Nat didn't really bring it up either, but weren't they kind of? They hung out a lot and they were living together, and by now they knew a bit about each other's interests. That was kind of like what friends did wasn't it? Maybe it was blunt of her, but she felt the need to ask. If anything, just for her own sake so that it wouldn't keep her awake at night.

nat

[nat]

Hands full, Nat hooked her foot around the door as she came in to shut it again behind her. Heading for the counter she didn't immediately notice the cat, giving a slight nod towards the familiar sight of Yoko lounging on the couch. “Yo, Yoko.” She greeted back, starting to unpack. She'd gotten all kinds of things, some for new hobbies she wanted to try and some more cooking experiments, and some basics for the dorm kitchen just to keep it stocked up. The purring caught her ear but she didn't realize what it was immediately, glancing up and tipping her head to one side. Was it a pipe under the sink or something? “Oh?” She offered as a quick confirmation that she was listening to whatever Yoko had on her mind.

She'd expected some kind of suggestion for the dorms, or their next teamwork exercise, or maybe weekend plans of some kind. Being asked if they were friends caught Nat entirely by surprise and she stopped what she was doing to glance over at her roommate. She enjoyed hanging out with Yoko and beneath the surface of being a short tempered grump she was actually a really considerate roommate to have. They got along well in classes together too, despite some mishaps.

“I think so.” Nat answered. It wasn't that she wasn't sure, she definitely could say she considered Yoko her friend. She wasn't so sure why Yoko was asking, or if she considered Nat to be her friend too. It wasn't like Nat herself was all that interesting, so it wouldn't surprise her. “Do you?”

Nat paused after asking back, noticing the kitten for the first time and blinking quietly for a moment. Did Yoko buy a cat, or was it one she already had and hadn't brought to the dorms until now? Or was she cat sitting for someone, or found a stray?

Whatever the case it was purring up a storm and Nat walked over to slowly offer a hand out, glancing at both the cat and Yoko to make sure it was okay, before going to lightly pet it on the head. If it was okay or not she was going to eventually add: “Cute cat.”

Yanai Yoko

[Yanai Yoko]

‘‘Yeah, I figured.’’ She tried not to show it, but she was secretly glad that they were on the same page. When Nat offered her hand out, Yoko carefully lifted the cat up to meet her, the little creature quick to nudge against her roommate’s hand, purring just as loudly. ‘‘Right? I adopted her so she’s going to be living with us now.’’ She let go of the cat and let it stretch out on her stomach before it jumped off the couch to brush up against Nat’s leg on its way to the water bowl. ‘‘Are you allergic to cats?’’ She asked out of curiosity, but it wasn’t like she was going to do anything about it, except maybe suggest Nat take allergy meds from now on.

‘‘You were gone for a while, what were you doing?’’ Yoko reached over to grab the book she had been reading before she almost fell asleep. Where had she left off? Something about a big plot twist… Her thoughts trailed off, but she did her best to actually listen to Nat. One, because she was bored and her friend had clearly been doing something more interesting with her day and two, because she might have bought food or snacks. Speaking of snacks, she perked up. ‘‘You liked sour stuff, right? I got some umeboshi from work that were about to go bad, they’re in the kitchen feel free to help yourself to some or whatever.’’ For some reason she couldn’t focus on reading, maybe she needed to sit up for a bit. Stretching her arms on the way up, Yoko yawned and took a sip of the glass of water she had left nearby, making sure to get up slowly so that she wouldn’t get dizzy.

nat

[nat]

That there wasn't some reason behind the question after all was a bigger relief than Nat thought it'd be, relaxing with a little sigh after Yoko answered. Splitting her attention between Yoko and the cat, she gave a slight incline of her head as her way of nodding along. “That’s nice of you.” She noted, and she meant it. A lot of people didn't want shelter cats, or stray cats, and only bothered with store or breeder bought ones. The allergy question got a slight shake of her head and a “Hasn’t bothered me since I moved in.” as a mild joke about Yoko being cat-like at times.

She wasn't trying to be vague there, she just didn't know if different types of cat could cause allergies to flare up or not.

Watching the cat drink water, Nat glanced back at her bags on the counter. “Thanks. Wandered around a shopping district, found some fun stuff to try. Foods too. I think this time I'm going to try making gyoza from scratch.” Pausing to glance down at Yoko she added. “If you didn't have any other plans for food.”

She didn't want to assume, but she was pretty sure today was a Yoko-glued-to-the-couch day.

Yanai Yoko

[Yanai Yoko]

‘‘Nice?’’ She frowned, she didn’t adopt a cat to come across as a nice person. ‘‘She just needed a home.’’ She wasn’t even really sure why she did it. Maybe it was when she held the cat in her own arms and felt it purring and cuddling up to her despite the fact that she had transformed into a monster at the time. ‘‘That’s good. I was thinking of naming her Bastet.’’ The joke about Yoko being cat-like flew completely over her head. If anything she was just relieved to hear Nat wasn’t allergic, since her adopting Bastet had kind of been a big impulse decision.

‘‘Gyoza? Isn’t that a lot of work?’’ She stretched her arms again, yup, still tired. She had never made gyoza herself, but anyone who had eaten it before would know that dumplings probably weren't a dish for beginners. Then again, Nat seemed to like a challenge. ‘‘Not really, I was gonna order us takeout or something, I don’t want to cook today.’’ Her body was still sore from training. She had gone her entire life without using her quirk as much as possible, and now she suddenly had to transform several times a day, often maintaining the transformation for minutes at a time. She hardly had time for her swimming practice anymore because her legs and arms were so sore from training.

Grabbing her laptop from nearby she put it in her lap and started looking for job offers. She wasn’t sure if she should tell Nat that she considered quitting her job because of her manager, or just quietly do her thing. Their financial situation wasn’t going to be shaken up if she was jobless for a bit. Heck, they had it pretty good at the school. A roof over their heads and free food and other amenities they could use. The part time job was really just for her own spending habits, namely whatever she spent on alcohol and cigarettes.

nat

[nat]

"Bastet? That's a good name." Nat noted, turning her attention back to Yoko at her answer. On the one hand she honestly didn't mind handling the cooking, on the other hand there was no guarantee it would turn out well. From past experiences Nat herself knew that it wasn't fun to be hungry and have to suddenly figure out another plan, like waiting for a last-minute takeout delivery and her roommate wasn't all that patient when she was hungry. So, giving a very slight nod to herself, Nat started to put the groceries away while proposing a solution. "Let's do takeout, and I can make a small test-batch of gyoza to get some practice in while we wait for it. Then if it turns out well, we can have that tomorrow?"

She wasn't too committed to one option or the other personally, and admittedly it was nice to not cook a full meal sometimes. Putting away everything she wouldn't need, Nat fished out her phone and called out: "What are you in the mood for?"

She wasn't aware of Yoko's job hunting at all, and she generally tried not to pry. She'd gotten to know her roommate better over time, but the sense she had gotten was that she didn't particularly enjoy her current job and it was a topic that would put her in a bad mood. And bad mood topics would often make that rain cloud appear, which would just put Yoko in an even worse mood. Not to mention get the couch wet.

Probably spook Bastet too, if cats not liking water held true.

Yanai Yoko,

[Yanai Yoko]

As much as she hated to admit it, this cat was pretty cute. Had it just been herself she would probably have continued on with her day and not stopped to help it, but Michael did. Because of Michael she had even ended up adopting it and naming it Bastet... ''I know right?'' She agreed on Bastet being a good name as if it was a given. ''Sure. So long as I don't have to cook.'' She sat up and looked over at Nat while Bastet pawed at her one of her braids, playing with it. ''I have zero energy right now.'' She looked down at the kitten and pointed a firm finger at it. ''Hey, you.'' She frowned while Bastet responded by playfully biting at her finger before looking off in the distance and jumping off the couch to zoom across the living room.

''How about pizza? I need something that'll knock me out for the rest of the night so I always go for something heavy.'' She took out her phone and looked at something while she continued talking to Nat. ''That's why after a long work day, it's just easier to settle for something like pizza. It's also easy to save and have leftovers of for the day after if you can't eat all of it in one sitting.'' Plus it was savory and she loved savory. ''You can get whatever you want though, I'll do the phone call once you're ready to order.'' She offered, turning her phone's display towards Nat to show that she was looking up takeout places.

nat

[nat]

Nat very slightly tipped her head to one side, one eyebrow very slightly going up in what counted as an amused look for the overly stoic girl. "You wouldn't have to cook either way." She pointed out, but even though her tone was flat she was honestly just teasing. Honestly, she didn't mind pizza either and Yoko's logic made sense so she followed up with a thumbs up and a nod. "I'm good with pizza, too... If you're wanting left overs for later, should we just get a really big one? Or a couple smaller ones..."

She crossed her arms again in thought, sincerely not sure which would be the better plan. Hero work burned a lot of energy, so she was pretty sure either of them could demolish a normal pizza. And Yoko was planning on bringing on an intentional food coma, so a single regular pizza probably wouldn't have much in the way of leftovers. Either way she was going to leave that particular decision up to Yoko, since it was her judgement that would be better suited here than hers. Instead, she turned her attention to watching Bastet zoom around.

Eventually the small cat tuckered itself out, flopping on the ground near the couch and Nat couldn't help but think it was a lot like Yoko in that regard.

But then she remembered she'd wanted to do some practice making a smaller portion of gyoza, and it'd keep her busy while waiting for the delivery anyways, so she set to work doing that. While she did though, she called back to Yoko as a thought came to her. "Oh, I'll chip in too on however much it is, fifty-fifty?" She wasn't sure about her roommates financial situation, but she did have a pet to take care of now and everything. Besides, if she was eating some of it too it was only fair for her to pay her fair share of it.

Yanai Yoko,

[Yanai Yoko]

''Yeah, because I'm tired.'' She pouted, leaning back on the couch. She could be tempted to fall asleep then and there if she wasn't already hungry. ''Smaller ones work fine, then we can get to try different toppings.'' She replied while looking up at the ceiling at nothing or no one in particular. ''Chip in too?'' She looked back at Nat, pointing a finger at her. ''Not happening, I suggested it, it's my treat.'' She looked down at Bastet, relieved that she was starting to sleep so comfortably in her new home. ''My work might be shitty, but I still earn some good money on the side, and it's not like I have any crazy expenses that aren't cigarettes.'' She stood up and stretched her arms above her head. ''Speaking of which, I'm gonna go out for a smoke. Settle on what you want in the meantime and I'll call the pizza place when I come back in.'' She grabbed her cigarettes and her lighter before opening the sliding glass door to go out to the little patio area they had, taking a seat in one of the chairs as she lit up her cig.

Lately things had been so hectic... Adopting a cat, learning how to fire off a supermove, making friends besides Nat. When she first came to UAU she had never imagined this was where she would be some months later. She looked up at the sky as she exhaled, letting the smoke out. She felt a cold shiver travel through her body as she thought of Bakuretsu, and how that villain had threatened her... Hopefully she was caught before Yoko actually had to do anything for her, but she had a bad feeling about this whole thing. Finishing up her cigarette she felt another cold shiver, and quickly headed back inside after putting her cigarette out in the ashtray.

Yoko dipped into her room for a moment, before coming back out with a red beanie and scarf. ''Stupid fall season.'' She grumbled to herself. ''Did you get what you wanted to order?'' She picked up her phone and turned the display on, ready to call and order them some pizza.

For the rest of the night she would be enjoying hanging out with her roommate, although she would never admit it willingly. Between the pizza and getting to try homemade gyoza, they were absolutely feasting.

After eating and cleaning up their dishes and putting away leftovers she practically fell asleep immediately, Bastet snuggling up with her in bed as she dreamed about going drinking with Kawahara again.

nat

[nat]

"Good point." Nat agreed to the several smaller pizzas idea, deciding not to tease Yoko further for now. It was a fine line between good fun and being irritating, and Nat still wasn't sure exactly where that line was for most people... and she genuinely didn't want to ruin Yoko's mood. When her offer to pay her share was met with a jab of a finger and a flat refusal, Nat slightly raised one eyebrow and the corners of her lips twitched up into the barest hint of an amused smile. Nodding with a "If you insist... and thanks for the pizza, Yoko.", Nat considered how she might sneak around her roommate being stubborn about it. If they were ordering on Yoko's phone she couldn't very well swap cards or anything...

Putting that aside when Yoko left to go smoke, Nat gave her a little wave and a "Will do." before turning her attention to thinking about what to get. It didn't take long to decide on different topping combinations for various smaller pizzas that could be good, but Yoko still ended up being a bit faster to scurry back inside. And scurried right into her room before coming back out with a beanie and a scarf, the situation clicking in Nat's head - was it really fall already? She'd have to start considering dressing warmer herself, probably. "Yeah. Some of it might not end up either of our favorites, but its worth a try." She answered before turning her attention back to her own cooking.

These sorts of evenings were, though Nat wasn't consciously aware of it, some of her favorites in a long time. Trying different foods with someone who wasn't a picky eater, casual but not demanding conversation, and sometimes just listening to Yoko talk. With the new addition of Bastet, there was a kitten to give scritches to now and then too. Cleanup was a breeze and as predicted Yoko was out like a light soon after, and it wasn't long until Nat would go to her own room and fall asleep herself.

Later, whenever the opportunity arose, she was going to have to slip some Yen into Yoko's hoodie to pay her back for the pizza without her knowing. When she found it she'd just think she'd put it there herself and forgot about it. After all, wasn't it Yoko that told her not to just let other people tell her what to do all the time?

Yanai Yoko,

[Jinx]

☆ MISSION SUCCESS ☆

Can it has pizzaburger?
Great thread you two

+ 5,000 EXP!!

Nat: 5,750 // 10,750
Toko: 33,750 // 38,750 <August cap>

tag: nat,Yanai Yoko