One Last Dance, Goodbye [Ehefra, Natasha]

Since she was allowed to return back and forth between her home and the hospital for routine check-ups, Natasha was finally beginning to adapt to living in her household again. She didn't find the hospital particularly unbearable, but there was something decidedly better about being able to enjoy your own bed and food that a hospital would never match. Outfitted in a long and loose-fitting white t-shirt and black boxer briefs, the type of wear reserved for a woman ready to unwind, Natasha opened the door, curious hazels gazing forward to see...

"Ehefera?"

Though far from an unexpected face at her door, her observant gaze quickly picked up on how... tense the energy around the woman felt. The pacing, the misty look in her eye, the glum expression... all of it reeked of a bad mood of some kind. Naturally, as a friend, she had no issue with getting to the bottom of it. Presenting an opening to the door, Natasha waved for her to come in. Whatever it was bothering her, it appeared that it might of been something of no small note.

"Come on in, sweetheart. Somethin' on yer mind?"

"Judgin' by the looks of that glum expression yer wearin', I can't imagine it was anything nice."

Extending a hand forward to ruffle the woman's hair during the tight embrace, Natasha welcomed the woman into her home as a soft chortle danced from her mouth. There was no small shortage of curiosity occupying her thoughts as Ehefera entered her home and gazed directly at her for a few moments. Tilting her head to indicate her curiosity, Natasha stood there with a hand at her hip. What is it that had her so tense? Reflecting on the possibilities were of no particular use here.

They had only recently solidified their bond as friends, and Natasha had a nonexistent glimpse into her personal life outside of whatever she was willing to divulge. But then, Ehefera paused, and expressed troubled words. I don't know what to do. It feels like everything's falling apart. Maintaining her poise, Natasha stepped forward to rest her hand on the woman's shoulder to keep her in one place, hazel eyes holding eye-contact with her own.

"Deep breathes, Heff. Breathe in. Breathe out. I hardly know a lick of what's goin' on, but I'm pretty sure you can talk about it with me. I won't judge ya. Want something to eat first? A drink maybe? I can order a pizza and we can sit down and talk about whatever's botherin' ya. How about it, hun?"

The sudden outburst coupled with the jerking motion took Natasha for a momentary loop, hazel eyes regarding the woman with a gaze that, while still relatively poised, appeared more dumbfounded in reality. Natasha wholeheartedly knew this was more dire than she may have expected. She wasn't particularly offended by the outburst, of course, but it was so unlike her to react like that. Natasha fancied herself a strong enough woman by now to endure this stuff. Enduring someone at their worst was part of what true friendship was... to some extent, at least. She supposed that only held true if they were willing to move past their issues and recover. Rubbing the back of her head again, Natasha simply waved a hand as she maintained a caring smile.

"No, it's fine. Yer goin' through somethin' heavy right now. I get it."

Pizza and drinking were off the menu, then. This hardly appeared to be anything that could be solved with good food and refreshments. It was the first option, but it wasn't the only one. The best option was to listen, but she provided nothing. The only thing that exited this young woman's lips was panicked breathing. Without any knowledge of her daily life, Natasha was left with no other option than listening. Through her sobbing voice, Ehefera started to finally relay some clues as to what was bothering her.

It wasn't a fun sight to see her breaking down like this, but she wanted to make sure she had acquired all the information necessary. Slowly, carefully, she drew her body forward to welcome the woman into a warm embrace as she softly patted at her hair. Was she stressed by her job? By the events in Africa? The injured soldiers? She supposed any of that would lead to a panic attack based on her current position of leadership with the Steingruft.

For a woman as young as her, Natasha could only imagine how hard this really was. And so she held her there tightly to try and bring some form of peace of mind. Was it enough for her to report anything? Hell no. She was an emotional mess a year or so back, and she'd be one hell of a hypocrite pulling a stunt like that. If anything, she genuinely believed she could get to the bottom of this through her own methods rather than seeking anyone else.

"While it is certainly ideal to approach yer duty with a cognizant mind, I reckon you ain't doin' anybody any favors by lettin' this eat you up. I know what I'm about to say sounds wild, but... keeping it in isn't going to help you... or anyone else. I'm here for ya, remember? I can't imagine it's been easy for you, and I... can't exactly promise I have the right words, but I'm here. And it's okay to break down around me."

There was no immediate follow-up in response to Ehefera's words as she held her there. Truth be told, she wondered if there was much of a response she had that could help mend this woman's current mood to begin with. Internally, mild annoyance had threatened to set in since she felt nowhere close to a solution, but she didn't humor it at the moment. It just made things difficult. All she really could do was bet on her ability to ease her spirits with heartfelt words... but could she really assist her the way she was now?

It was difficult to manage someone who was essentially pushing her away at every turn on the communication front. Furrowing her eyebrows softly, Natasha thought about her next words, finding nothing but blanks concerning reassuring speech. The nurturing act was her go-to option, but that wasn't producing anything but an agitated young woman in her household. Maybe she was the one who would need the pizza and drink after all this...

Pulling her arms away momentarily, a hand still rested on the Ehefera's shoulder, Natasha cast her gaze toward the closest couch. She was still fighting off the part that was bothered by the woman's inability to vent, but after offering a playful shrug, Natasha nodded her head as she walked over to sit on the couch with her legs crossed. Motioning for her to come sit beside her, she hoped this would bear fruit to at least a moderate degree. She was worried, even if her expression displayed the opposite. This side of Ehefera was admittedly... troublesome. But there was still hope she could attempt to fix this.

"Sure. If it'll help, we can sit down together if you need a few. It ain't easy seein' you go through it like this, but I'll only press the issue as far as yer willin' to let me."

Hearing her tired confession, Natasha turned to the woman, turned her eyes to the ceiling, and then her gaze traveled back to Ehefera all within the space of a few seconds. It was far from what she expected to hear, certainly. The stress of work was one thing, but this was a particular beast of a revelation was something she couldn't relate to in the slightest. Somewhere under her lips, she hid a soft snicker that turned into a small chuckle as she leaned against the couch.

"Christ... I reckon that wasn't the first thing I expected to hear come out of yer mouth, heff. It ain't my business to judge ya for it, but... it sure is somethin'. Can't say I relate, but... I got a question. How did bein' involved in somethin' like that make ya feel? I'm no relationship expert, but I feel like happiness has to apply in some shape or form... and darling, I can clearly tell that isn't the case here."