undergrounds | Backdated to 22 November

Natasha's never much been the sort to celebrate her birthdays. Wasn't even when she was alive and aging. Call it the result of not having anyone to celebrate with. Family had all died when she was young, and growing up in thin times, in and out of orphanages and boarding schools, there weren't many people interested in splurging to buy her presents or take her out to dinner. She could count the number of birthday parties she's had in her whole like—seventy-eight years today—on one hand and still have fingers leftover.

She's not sure why she's thinking of it at all this year. Maybe just because there's been so many changes. New city. New allegiances. New friends, maybe. New life, maybe.

Maybe she just didn't actually expect to live to see this one after she fled Russia.

Whatever it is, Natasha goes out drinking tonight with purpose, making the rounds and her regular bars and drinking a toast at each of them. Sometimes she drinks them to herself. Sometimes she drinks them to the people who didn't make it this far. If, along the way, she runs into anyone she knows? In the event that happens, they might find themselves with a bottle of beer or a glass of whiskey being set in front of them, a silent invitation to join her for this round.

If she doesn't, then she has her drink alone and moves on.

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Evie inclines her head. "Well, thank you." She looked older for her physical age, she knew. Perhaps not the worst thing.

"What's the plan for the rest of the night?" She turns from the bar, to face Natasha. She leans back on her elbows, looking up at her.

"No real plans. Just figured I'd see where the night took me. I wasn't sure if I'd have company." Her voice rises at the end, not quite a question but with a certain lightness that emphasizes the fact she hadn't been sure.

"I'm open to suggestions."

She nods. "Well, now you've got company. And as the birthday girl, you should probably pick."

But.

"But we could go dancing again, wander around the city and I can tell you random facts, head to your flat. Possibilities are endless."

Leaning in, Natasha's gaze fixes on Evie's with a glossy intensity. A smile settles on her mouth, mysterious and inviting. "How about we start with a dance and see where it goes from there?"

That's extremely close. But Evie's eyes flash to Natasha's lips, that wonderful smile, and she's all for the idea of another dance.

"Lead the way." They can start here. Why not. She certainly was drunk enough. Marching over to the modern jukebox, she puts in a few coins and after a few moments, walks away from the machine, a new song playing far better for dancing.

Natasha stands herself, raising her face as she listens to the beginning of the song, then nods in approval. She can work with this. Then she's moving to join Evie, reaching for her friend's shoulders as she pulls her closer.

Dancing is going to happen. Oh, for Natasha's birthday, she will have dancing.

Natasha's holding her close. Perfect. Evie's hands loop around her waist, starting to move to the music. She hopes she doesn't mind the closeness, but considering Natasha started it, she's going to finish it.

There doesn't seem to be any protest on Natasha's part. She moves with the music easily, graceful despite the fact that the dance isn't much better than tipsy swaying. She lifts her chin, meeting the other woman's eyes.

"Good start."

Tipsy swaying with your good friend is the best kind of swaying.

"I thought the night started when I did six shots in three minutes?" She raises an eyebrow, but still smiling. Just looking at Natasha had her smiling.

Natasha laughs, arching her back slightly as she angles an amused look up at Evie. "Well, that was certainly the start of something."

She tilts her head as she continues, "Let's say we focus on where it's going from there?"

Natasha's moves are mirrored. Evie cants her head to the side the same way Natasha does.

"It's a little hard to focus, when the world's getting blurry."

"It's not so bad. You just have have to find one thing and block the rest out." She almost purrs. Natasha's not unaware that she's flirting, and while she can't call it intentional, she also can't find it in her to stop.

"I think I found my one thing." Eve grins at her, though her flirting is somewhat more accidental. She's never been good at this sort of thing, and any earnest attempt tends to be little more than a joke.

But this is different.

"Is that so?" Natasha isn't even sure if this is just play or something more, but she doesn't find she minds all that much either way. "And how's that working out for you?"

Evie takes a moment to try to focus. "Quite well, I'd say."

"Yeah?" She sways more deeply, pulling Evie into a slow spin. "And how can you tell?"

Evie follows her steps easily, as though the dance is second nature, as easy as breathing.

"Well, you're clear, for one." She tilts her head to the other side. "The rest of the world is foggy. Foggy and spinning, I don't wonder."

"After all those shots? Not surprising." Said with humor. If they're being watched, Natasha doesn't pay any attention to it. Let people watch. They don't know what they're seeing anyway.

"You just have to spin along with it."

"I wanted to catch up." Evie nearly pouts when she explains it.

She spins slowly, though her gaze is fixed on Natasha. "Play it by ear, right?"

Backdated to 22 November

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