Town was, perhaps, a bit of a generous description of what she came to—as Mina reached the base of the hill, to find herself on the outskirts of a small village. A cursory glance told here there were at least a few dozen houses. With a taller steepled roof marking a modest church, an overall larger building seeming to be some form of town hall, and an assortment of barns and stables making the village seem more populous than it was. She made a note to take a closer look at the big buildings, and around the edges of the house clusters. Interesting things often lurked out of sight, after all, or so plainly in sight as to be glossed over entirely.

It was as Mina was mulling over where to explore first, that she chanced to spot a slim figure kneeling nearby. A mallet in one hand, while the other held nails to a fence that the youthful figure seemed to be fixing. Stepping closer, and taking a closer look, she noted that it seemed to be a young man that had caught her eye—though at a distance it had been hard to tell. His hair was a soft, dirty blond, just a few shades dark of being golden—just long enough to look cute and shaggy before it became an awkward mess of inability to manage. While his skin seemed to be smooth and lustrous, soft and well maintained without a lick of stubble to his cheek or chin.

But it wasn’t until he glanced at her, that her breath was truly taken. Eyes the very deepest of blues. Bluer than Saxe, it was like someone had dropped a perfect drip of india ink into each eye, dyeing them the blue of a deep lake. Smooth and watery and glimmering with a sheen of youthful sparkle—or perhaps it was mischief? Whatever it was, her own pink gaze was held fast by those inky depths. Until the young man spoke in a soft, surprisingly gravelly voice.

“Miss? You um…..that is…do you need something? Help with directions, maybe?” He glanced down and back up again, giving her a quick once over, before the young man smiled warmly. Seeming to be a little on the naturally timid side despite his voice. “You look like you’re a bit new here. Would you like me to show you where the inn is?”

Blinking a bit in surprise at how obvious it was that she was a bit lost, Mina nonetheless smiled at his kind offer. Nodding as she offered a hand to the young man. “That would be lovely. What’s your name? I’m Mina.” She had thought, briefly, about using a fake name. But where would the fun be in that? Besides, it felt nice to link her real name to this adventure, that made her feel so many things. Excitement, joy, light at heart and lighter in body as she felt the weight of apathy lifting off her in bubbles of pure bliss. This! This was the feeling she’d been chasing for so long, to no avail. Letting out a burst of laughter as he took her hand, simply too caught in the moment not to.
Even as he looked a bit startled. Before smiling himself, shy and soft as the petals of a flower basking in the sun. “Nathaniel……But most of the people around the village just call me Natty. If we go down this street here, you’ll see the inn right there on the right….” He was quiet, and kind, and a deft hand at making one feel at ease. That was the impression that Mina got from Nathaniel as they walked together up the lane to the inn. Musing quietly, she probed him for more information as they went: what shops were present, whether there were any good spots that he liked to hike to, what to look out for and where to linger. She wanted to know the world that this was, to enjoy the vast experience that was making her feel alive. So she picked more of his brain as they went about together that day.

And the next day, and the next, and the next. The day night cycle in the game passed by much faster than that of the world beyond—and it was thus that she spent a full week with Nathaniel….Natty….before waking up. A full week with the quiet, soft young man that was whip thin and razor sharp in wit. After the second day, the soft spoken man had opened up a little, sharing his humor and wit with Mina to much enjoyment on both their parts as they bantered back and forth. He was keenly intelligent, and quite thoughtful as well, as she had learned on the third day; when Natty had brought her food and water while she was training in a quiet glade she’d found. He knew the area inside and out….

It was a refreshing week of quiet, and laughter. Of feeling alive, and enjoying the act of living with another at hand. Her body had gotten stronger, and Mina could hold the blade in both hands without feeling overly winded after a few minutes now. A high point, that had heralded the end of the blissful first week…..and her alarm waking her with a quiet hiss. Drawing her out of the game, as Mina blinked awake fully rested from the eight hours of real time spent on a week in the game. Taking off the helmet with a sigh, and setting it aside. Slipping off her suit and padding to the shower to freshen up. Stepping into the shower and turning on the spray.

The sound of the water was her first clue that something was off. It was a subtle difference, but the droplets echoed louder off her musculature than before, something that had only happened when she’d gone on a strength building spree. Before that had become rote and mundane, losing her interest and drive to continue. Paying closer attention, the feel of the water’s warmth penetrating into her muscles was too soothing not to be a relief from fatigue she hadn’t noticed coming out of the game. A slow flex of her back telling her that the muscles there had become more defined.

Mina glanced at her arm and flexed, blinking in shock at the distinct bulge of muscle that tightened and grew taut when she flexed. Exerting tension down her forearm as she flexed other muscles, awed by the sight of the definition and bulk that had been added. It wasn’t much, in the grand scheme of things, but it was far more than could be accounted for by a single night. It was almost as if-

As if she had been working at them for a full week. The training she’d done in the game was being reflected in her own body. But how was such a thing possible? She frowned at the glaring question without an answer—pushing it away from her conscious thoughts after a long moment. What did it matter? She could see the fruits of her training, she could -feel- the difference the time in the game had made. This was interesting. A smile curved her lips, pulling wide and delighted at this realization, the game was interesting! It continued to make her feel alive, even as she was standing here awake, it-

Her phone rang. Drawing a sigh from the woman as she turned off the shower and stepped out. Toweling off quickly, before answering the call. “Hello?”

“Oh wow, you sound just like you did inside the game.” The voice that came through the phone was all too familiar. After all, she had just heard it mere minutes ago. Blinking in surprise at the gravelly softness of Nathaniel’s voice echoing in her bathroom. Until his flushed tone came through loud and clear. “O-oh! Um…sorry….didn’t mean to catch you in the….s-should I call back later?”

There he went again, making her laugh. The sound joining his embarrassed tone echoing off the tiles and back into the phone. Now dry enough to bring the phone to her ear, Mina turned off the speaker mode. Chuckling softly as she hung the towel up on the hook. “No need. I was just getting out of the shower, is all…..The sweat from working myself that hard was making things a little too ripe for my liking. What’s up Natty?”

“O-oh! Well….” He cleared his throat, though she could tell he was pleased from the warmth in his gravelly voice. “I mostly just wanted to check that you were also a player, but since you are…..maybe we could go out for ice cream? Something light on the stomach, after a night of gaming. What do you think…..Mina?” 

There was a warmth to the way that he said her name, that made her cheeks flush faintly. Answering, for the first time, in an equally soft tone. “Yeah….yeah, I’d like that.” She picked up the pace, that time, with getting dressed. Pulling on a nice shirt and debating for a long moment between trousers or a skirt---but the fact that she'd gotten used to the freedom of the trousers in the game just made it all the harder to -not- wear them now. So she chose comfort. Adding a belt for style, before slipping on her sneakers and yoinking her keys off the ring. Scampering down the stairs to meet up with her.....date....

She was going on a date. When was the last time -that- had happened? Long enough that her memories of their face were a bit fuzzy, muted like static by the veil of normalcy that had come with the act of dating and going out. Getting ready and falling into a routine.....it'd become rote, after a while. She'd stopped seeing people, after that. And that was....oh, maybe two years ago now? Right around when she'd started smoking. Reminded that she hadn't had a cigarette yet, Mina rummaged in her pockets, frowning as she realized she'd forgotten the pack on the table. That was new! Her lighter was still in the bowl on the desk, too, not put into her back pocket like it usually was. How novel!

It was as she was revelling in this novelty that broke the mundane that a shout from down the road caught her attention. Cries of "Thief!" just barely reaching her as a figure in a hoodie ran past her-

And it was like a switch flipped in her brain. The foot crossing her path was unguarded, all the weight moving forward, all she had to do was take a basic step. Knee coming up and the figure's motion slammed their groin right into the cap of her knee. Before her arm was already up. Moving as though to ready her sword from the crook of her arm, resulting in her elbow smashing the man in the nose. Sending him reeling. If she'd had her sword, the swing through his neck would have been the next step, but she didn't. There was no weight to pace her momentum with, and this wasn't a game...

Mina let that thought sink in for a moment, as she leaned down to pick up the purse the figure had been running with. Straightening up to the sound of heels coming closer at a run, and offering the accessory out to the figure---only to blink as golden eyes realized who they were seeing. Taking in the striped neopolitan stockings and polished maryjanes, the sleek black pencil skirt, and the remarkably cute soft pink blouse with a ruffled bodice. A note of incredulousness coloring her voice. "Natty?"

The man's shy laugh was as telling as the faint blush across his cheeks. Taking the black leather purse, silver buckles matching the silver teardrop earrings Natty had on. Before he smoothed out his skirt. "Y-yep! Do....you like it?"

It was a long moment of silence, that lingered between them, in the wake of that question---until she smiled with gentle warmth. It really didn't matter to her, what someone chose to look like on the outside, or even what they identified with. She was more interested in the inside, from what she'd found. The mind inside the meat suit, and for a whole week she'd learned what a kind and wonderful mind Natty had. Nodding as she offered her arm to the, for the day, gorgeously femme man taking her out for ice cream. "I do~ But just because you're cute, don't think you're getting out of paying for ice cream."

All in all, it was a nice date. The ice cream wasn’t anything special, but the closeness between them, and the way that Nathaniel’s quiet voice soothed her fatigue—that was special. The way that he made her so easily relax, just by taking up the same space as her, that was special too. He made Mina feel like more than an empty husk going through the motions of living in a mundane gray.

That made him special.