[ The next day comes and there's no sign of Natalie. Mel contacts Dom, he tells her to bring something that belongs to her friend, and they meet in his room, where, as usual, Dee is lounging like a watchful, massive statue. A crude hand-dawn map is on the floor, Nat's personal item next to it, and Dom brings out what looks like a necklace chain with a little crystal pointing down. ]
Okay, uhm. Think of a memory you have of her. [ He'll do the same. ] A strong or meaningful one. It'll help.
[ And he closes his eyes, murmuring the words to activate the spell. ]
[ Melissa's laissez-faire attitude from the day before has pretty much disappeared now that Nat's been MIA for over 24 hours. She already has a sinking suspicion about what they'll find by doing this spell, but she feels like she has to try anyway.
She thinks of Natalie in the cabin, how they'd all approached her one by one to accept her as queen. Melissa had taken her hat off, like, to show respect or something. Like some guy in a black and white movie. It was dumb, but in that moment she had loved Natalie so much. They all had. ]
[ Dom thinks of the night he met her. Dancing, smiling, both of them drunk and silly as they hooked up within minutes of exchanging names. He thinks of playing video games with her and Travis, he thinks of the night they dreamt together and she walked outside and he carried her in his arms to die—
Dom stops with a sharp exhale, trying to shove away the last memory like it's an intruder with sharp teeth. The crystal in the chain hasn't moved, neither swinging or circling around any part of the map. Just like it hadn't with Jules, or Felix, or Jinx, and now Nat. ]
[ Mel knows what he's going to say before he says it, but it doesn't stop the words from hurting anyway. ]
Fuck. [ For a minute she just sits there, looking at the crystal and unsure what to do next. All of these things happening at once, not just Natalie leaving but the sudden presence of a girl who looks just like her, not to mention Mari's arrival, not to mention her fight with Shauna. It's all feeling like a lot. ]
[ He collects the crystal and chain, crumpled in his fist, then sits back with folded legs. He knows how she feels, but he doesn't know that he can express it. Or how. Maybe- ]
I kept some of the stuff Jules and Felix left behind. Sometimes I wonder if they were ever here, but then I look at those things and I know for sure. And then I can think about them being home and feel better.
[ She nods, still not quite looking at him. She and Nat had their arguments, mostly over whether to leave Saltburnt or not... in the end Natalie got her wish. Melissa should be happy about that, at least. Especially after Travis left. Now they can be together again.
She looks up at him. ] Want to go steal some of her shit with me before Misty can hoard everything?
No. [ Okay maybe that was too fast of an answer, but Melissa seriously wants nothing to do with that necklace and she's still not even sure why Nat gave it to Dom at all other than because she wanted it gone too. ] You can keep it. Or throw it out if you don't want it. Nat won't mind.
[ She can't mind, even.
Melissa frowns, still not getting up from her spot on the floor. ] Dom? Could I stay here tonight?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
anytime
aaand action
Okay, uhm. Think of a memory you have of her. [ He'll do the same. ] A strong or meaningful one. It'll help.
[ And he closes his eyes, murmuring the words to activate the spell. ]
no subject
[ Melissa's laissez-faire attitude from the day before has pretty much disappeared now that Nat's been MIA for over 24 hours. She already has a sinking suspicion about what they'll find by doing this spell, but she feels like she has to try anyway.
She thinks of Natalie in the cabin, how they'd all approached her one by one to accept her as queen. Melissa had taken her hat off, like, to show respect or something. Like some guy in a black and white movie. It was dumb, but in that moment she had loved Natalie so much. They all had. ]
no subject
Dom stops with a sharp exhale, trying to shove away the last memory like it's an intruder with sharp teeth. The crystal in the chain hasn't moved, neither swinging or circling around any part of the map. Just like it hadn't with Jules, or Felix, or Jinx, and now Nat. ]
Nothing.
[ He's disappointed. Defeated. ]
I think she's gone.
[ Knows so. He suspects they both do. ]
no subject
Fuck. [ For a minute she just sits there, looking at the crystal and unsure what to do next. All of these things happening at once, not just Natalie leaving but the sudden presence of a girl who looks just like her, not to mention Mari's arrival, not to mention her fight with Shauna. It's all feeling like a lot. ]
Thanks for trying, [ she manages finally. ]
no subject
I kept some of the stuff Jules and Felix left behind. Sometimes I wonder if they were ever here, but then I look at those things and I know for sure. And then I can think about them being home and feel better.
no subject
She looks up at him. ] Want to go steal some of her shit with me before Misty can hoard everything?
no subject
I don't know if you remember, but she gave me a necklace that belonged to you guys. [ A pause. ] Do you want it back?
no subject
[ She can't mind, even.
Melissa frowns, still not getting up from her spot on the floor. ] Dom? Could I stay here tonight?
no subject
[ It means something. It means a lot. He just wasn't sure he had the right to hold on to it. ]
—yeah, no prob. [ uhmmm ] We can get something to eat and bring it back here, if you want.
no subject
🎀
[ Her body language says ugh, fine, but she walks over and bumps her head against Mel. That says sorry you're sad, buddy. ]