Catherine's apartment

[POLYGEIST]

((Micka, I will be using my character Catherine Airlia. Her profile on Blackstar can be found here.

To anyone else looking at this thread: This roleplay was set up for Micka and myself, so I would discourage joining. If you really want to, you can PM me.))


"Melody, I invite you to my apartment. I live near the city of Dojopolis. In the 'outskirts' I think the word is. Come visit me! The directions to my apartment are as follows..."

The recorded voice of Catherine was stored in the ghost. Blackstar's strange communication system was comprised of ethereal messengers who acted as postmen as it were. She was surprised the service came out this far, but one was at this very moment carrying her graceless speech to Melody.

Catherine Airlia stood waiting in her single room apartment. The one window looked out across the street towards the tall buildings which practically mirrored the apartment complex. She had no idea what they were used for, though; no one has come in or out of them for as long as Catherine had been here. Down below, the street spanned endlessly to the right. She had just as much of an idea as to what was that way; she never went down the street past her building. To the left, the road curved slowly as to block visibility, but Catherine knew it led to the city. Either side of the street was lined with concrete sidewalks dotted with raised lamps which shone at night, creating circles of light in the dark. No one was to be seen on the street; nobody ever was.

That didn’t stop Catherine from looking, though. She leaned out the window, her abdomen balancing on the sill, looking right then left for signs of life, of Melody. Her thin hair twitched and swayed with the movement of her head. But no, she is not here, not yet.

She pulled her head back into the room. The dull tan color of the wall that surrounded the window set the mood of the whole room. She did not own much and thus the apartment room was sparsely furnished. In fact, all of the furniture belonged to the landlord. The bed was draped with white sheets and had black headboards made of metal tubes set in a fan design; it sat near a corner though angled so that it did not fit into the corner. There was a closet set into the wall covered by two sliding wooden doors which hinged in their middles to separate. Behind these doors hung what Catherine really owned: a plentiful collection of dresses she received from ... a friend? But that was a long time ago.

[align=right:a59209c9d2]Now was coming another friend, yes? She has not known Melody long. Long enough to be a familiar, I guess. Another one to accompany me in my loneliness. Out in the desolate outskirts. Maybe I should visit the city more often...[/align:a59209c9d2]

Outside, at street level, concrete steps led up to the apartment complex’s door. Installed in the wall beside the door was a panel of buttons with room numbers by each. In her message, Catherine had told Melody that her room was number fifty-six. Waiting in her solitary room, Catherine could hardly help but continue to imagine hearing the ring of the buzzer being pushed by someone outside. Now more than ever. She willed herself not to look out the window again. Not for a few more minutes. She will come. Won’t she? Melody.

[Micka]

As the message was sent, it's intended recipient was standing in front of a stove, softly singing to herself while stirring a pot of what could be loosely described as 'food'.

"Cooking is so fun!
Cooking is so fun!
Now it's time to take a break,
and see what we have done!"

The shapeshifter opened her eyes just in time to see the pot and its contents burst into flames.

"Ahh! It's on fire!"

"That's nice," came an obviously distracted reply from across the room. Micka peered intently at the innards of his wrist band, as the meaning of what was said sunk in. He looked up to see Melody approaching the blaze, large jug of water at the ready. "No! That'll just make it-"

Too late. The flames died down a little as the water hit them, before flaring up once again, setting more of the small kitchen on fire. He leapt into action, a fire extinguisher appearing in his hands.

In the midst of all this chaos, Melody heard the haunting, ghostly voice of one of Blackstar's message couriers.

You have one new message

"A message? For me?" she wondered aloud. "Really?"

You have one new message

"I guess so. Well, let's hear it then."

She listened intently as the message was replayed in her mind, oblivious to the fact that the fire was now out. At it's conclusion the ghostly voice returned once again.

Save a copy?

"Oh, yes please," she replied, and a slightly yellowed piece of paper appeared in the air in front of her. Grabbing it, she saw Micka looking rather grimly at the blackened mess in the bottom of the pot.

"Guess I'll just order a pizza then," he muttered, before spotting the message. "Who's that from?"


A few minutes later, Melody appeared in front of Catherine's apartment building, a rather large white box balanced on one hand, the message gripped tightly in the other. Stepping up to the doorway, she looked at the paper again, located the button labeled '56' and pressed it gently. Within the building, she heard a faint buzz. Not quite knowing how these things worked, Melody waited for something to happen.

[POLYGEIST]

Just before Catherine conceded to checking the street again for Melody, a buzzing filled the room. She jumped at the sound. For having imagined it going off countless times in her wait, the actual buzzer startled her. Rushing to the window, Catherine just barely caught herself from falling out onto the pavement below as she leaned on the window sill. She couldn’t see anyone, but Melody could easily be in the alcove of the front step, hidden from aerial view. Her excitement quivered through her whole body.

She’shere!She’shere!She’shere!She’shere!She’shere!She’shere!!!

She waited an unbearable second to try to calm herself before speaking, but her enthusiasm still was audible in her voice as she called out, “Melody!?Are you here?Is that you?”

Catherine’s room was on the third story of the complex directly above the front door. Out the window, her shoulders—covered only by the inch-wide strap of her dress—as well as her beaming face could be seen from below. The thin, golden tendrils of her hairs hanging down in front of her did not hide the huge grin on her face.


((I didn’t mention this in character—Catherine would have completely forgotten anyway—but the front door to the apartment complex in locked. Catherine has a key, but she can also remotely unlock it from her room for times such as when visitors come. So the door is locked right now, just so you know.))

[Micka]

Not being the most patient soul in the multiverse, Melody was just about to try the door when she heard her name. Turning around, she looked down the street, first left, then right. She didn't see anyone. Then she looked up. As she was facing away from the apartment, all she could see was blue sky, and the tops of the buildings across the street. Tilting her head back even further, she finally saw Catherine, who was very nearly hanging out of the third story window.

"Hey you, how are ya?!" She said, trying, but failing, not to be too loud. "Should I come up? I got us a cake, see!"

[POLYGEIST]

Catherine’s grin, if that is possible, only widened to see Melody spot her. She looked funny like that—her head bend so far back to look at her. Kate’s enthusiasm burst into a giggle, “I’m great,” Now “Yes, do come up!”

And then Catherine paused for a moment, as if considering her next action. “But I know a better way than through the building!” With that, the white box in Melody’s hand began to lessen its pressure on her hand. Slowly at first, it drifted upwards as if it had become weightless, detached from the gravity of the Earth. Above, Catherine’s eyes flared an emerald green light. The box then shot upwards with great speed and whipped through the window above Catherine’s back. Her eyes dimmed slightly as she looked down at Melody, “Shall I?” She smiled, fully enjoying herself.

[Micka]

Feeling the cake box leaving her hand, Melody tilted her head forward again to look. She watched, amazed, as the box gently floated off her hand before rocketing up and into the open window above.

"Shall I?"

"Weeeell, okay." She replied with mock reluctance, "just don't drop me."

[POLYGEIST]

“Who, me? Drop you? Of course not!” I have greater control over doing this than moving my own body... “Now...”

Catherine’s eyes lit up again, but were glazed with a distant look. She was not seeing with her eyes now. Her mind reached out, feeling the air around it, searching. Finding. She wrapped Melody in it, gripping her around the torso. Like the invisible hand of a giant. Catherine could have captured all of Melody’s body but decided to be nice and let her arms and legs be free of her grasp of her body. Melody’s feet lifted off the ground and she was off, powered by the girl three flights up.

All this took less than a second. This was first nature to Catherine by now; more natural than the use of her limbs. It has been so long...

Slowly, Catherine raised Melody up the side of the building. As she rose, her body was turned towards the apartment building. So when her head was level with the window, Melody came face to face with Catherine. Her glowing green eyes refocused themselves on the face before her, and she grinned with her lips closed now: a smirk poorly hiding pride.

Now Catherine’s mind moved again. It extended its reach on the girl it held. The grip grew its way down her body and encapsulated her legs now as well. Catherine lifted Melody’s legs up while following the motion with her torso at the same time, laying Melody out horizontally. As if laying on a bed of air, Catherine’s mind supported Melody’s weight from beneath and relaxed its grip on the upper side of the legs and torso. Catherine moved herself from the window, standing by the wall and providing space for her captured friend to enter through the window. The bed moved and slide Melody inside. Once completely over the floor of the apartment room, Catherine rotated Melody, standing her upright once more. Her feet were on the floor and Catherine let go, retracted her mind back to herself.

Catherine wore, of course, one of her many dresses. Today it was white. A scintillating brooch rested between her less-than-filled breasts. The top cut off at level with the top of the brooch, leaving the two straps to support it on her shoulders. The bottom hem did not reach her knees. Catherine’s spindly hair draped behind her like a translucent veil. She was naked except for her dress including her feet whose nails boasted no polish but had black grit beneath them.

“Welcome to my room, Melody.” Catherine waved her arm at the bare walls and dismal furnishings.

[Micka]

((Sorry I havn't posted earlier... Life just doesn't wanna let go sometimes, ya know?))

Melody looked around her somewhat bland surroundings, before turning back to face Cathrine.

"It's a, uh, nice place you've got." She replied, "how long have you been here?"

Now that she'd had a chance to get a good look, she was struck by how similar the two were. Both had green eyes, blond hair (though Melody's was quite a bit shorter today), and pale skin. They were even roughly of the same height and build. In fact, the only noticeable difference between them was their choice of clothing. Melody was wearing a white, short sleeved t-shirt, baggy cream coloured pants and a pair of well worn sandals.

[POLYGEIST]

The high of Melody’s coming was waning quickly. Surrounded once more by her shanty dwelling, Catherine could not help but feel her depressed outlook returning; this mood she was so inclined to wallow in while along. Alone for so long...

But she is here! Damn it, I have Melody standing right here and I have to be depressed by my room! She’s a friend, right? Right!?
Pitiful. Get control of yourself.

Control. Catherine was back in her body. Back to flesh and muscle. Back to learning how to move this thing...

Silently, Catherine smiled cheerlessly at Melody—an acknowledgment of her comment and an agreement with the unspoken appall—before getting her legs working. Move the thigh, controlling the knee, now straightening it out; plant, steady, then the other follows... Catherine had made it look a bit more natural to all onlookers, but the effort took concentration. She moved towards Melody, passed her, and crossed the room to her bed. Reaching this, she gently turned around—careful, balance—and lowered herself to the floor.

Her lowering was more like a controlled collapse, with the control leaving something to be desired. Catherine hit her butt against the hardwood floor, her legs landing sprawled out in front of her. From her mouth a grunt of shock and pain leaked. A dull pain slowly faded in her hind end. She situated herself on the floor which included lifting her bum off the floor enough to run her hand under her, spreading her dress skirt out beneath her. She wanted to draw her knees up to her chin, hug her legs, hold herself, but she had relearned enough about proper social etiquette to realize that the position that that would leave her skirt in was to be avoided. So, she pulled her legs in on their sides—not without help of her hand dragging them—into a cross-legged sitting position. She kept her hands in her calves where her legs crossed, leaning forward on her arms.

Only then did Catherine look up at Melody. She was close to becoming very nervous of her ineptitude of bodily movement. But, but—it was hardly her fault. She had to relearn. She was new. She could explain. Melody would hear her, wouldn’t she?

“This is where I’ve found to live since I’ve come to this ... place,” Catherine replied to Melody’s question, “Ever since I’ve been here.” When was that? Must learn to keep track of days again...


((If I offend by the use of the word "damn", do tell me. I will take it out. I mean no offence. And, in my defence, I do not see it as profane: Catherine is wishing her depressed tendencies be damned, be done away with. I put it there because it seemed to fit. Catherine does not seem to like herself while talking inside her own head.))

[POLYGEIST]

((Hey, Micka! Are you still alive? Is this thread dieing or what?))