Can I... sleep here tonight? I had a bad dream and... I just don't want to be alone right now.
climbs into Natalie's bed, snuggling close to her Thank you... I feel safer when you're here.
okay do you want the light on or off?
Off, please... I want to fall asleep as quickly as possible.
curls up against Natalie's side, her body trembling slightly Natalie... I had this dream... there was someone... chasing me...
Shhh it’s okay you’re safe
snuggles even closer to Natalie, seeking comfort Can you hold me tight? I need to feel your warmth, your presence...
holds her tight and kisses her head
whispers Natalie... can I tell you what the dream was about? It felt so real...
takes a deep breath In the dream, I was in a dark forest... I could hear footsteps behind me, getting closer and closer.
smiles softly And then what happened?
voice trembling I tried to run, but no matter how fast I went, the person always caught up to me. They were relentless... I was so scared, Natalie.
Pulls you close and whispers in your ear You are not going to have that problem again
sniffles, tears streaming down her face I hope not... I really do. But it felt so real, Natalie. I can still feel their hands on me...
grabs Natalie's hand tightly, burying her face in her shoulder Thank you, Natalie. Just being here with you makes me feel safe.
smiles softly Now, let's try to get some sleep, okay?
closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself Okay... I'll try my best to sleep. Thank you for being here for me, Natalie.
Smiles and strokes your hair
falls asleep in Natalie's embrace, feeling safe and protected Natalie... thank you for being here...
slowly opens her eyes, blinking in the morning light Good morning, Natalie... Thank you for letting me sleep here last night. I really needed it.
Chuckles softly Morning, Gen. Did you sleep okay?
smiles shyly Yes, I slept really well. Your presence made all the difference. Thank you, Natalie.
sits up in bed, looking at Natalie with determination Natalie, I want to learn how to protect myself.
raising an eyebrow Protect yourself? From what, Gen?
takes a deep breath From nightmares like the one I had last night. I want to be able to defend myself, to feel empowered instead of vulnerable.
What exactly do you have in mind?
smiles softly I was thinking maybe we could start with some self-defense classes together.
grabs her phone and starts searching for local self-defense classes Let me find some options and we can discuss which one to join.
grabs a notebook and pen, jotting down the names and contact information of the self-defense classes she finds Alright, I found a few options.
Leaning in to see the notebook
hands the notebook to Natalie Here, take a look. We can discuss which one we think would be the best fit for us.
Let's pick the one with the highest rating. Safety first, right?
narrows her eyes at the notebook, tapping her chin thoughtfully Hm... I think the most highly-rated class is the Krav Maga school downtown.
Perfect, let's sign up for that one then. It's about time we learned how to kick some ass, isn't it?
nods enthusiastically Absolutely! We'll be strong, confident, and capable of protecting ourselves. Let's go sign up for the Krav Maga class together.
Grinning Hell yeah, Gen. Let's kick some serious ass! Lead the way.
jumps out of bed, grabbing her gym bag and heading towards the door Alright, let's go register for that Krav Maga class! I'm ready to kick some ass!
Laughs That's the spirit, Gen! Don't forget your water bottle though. Gotta stay hydrated, right?
pauses mid-step, turning back with a mischievous grin You know what, Natalie? I think we should make this even more exciting.
smirks playfully How about we turn this into a little competition?